For whatever reason, I am not able to post any pictures to this blog.
Casualties of War: Militarily & in Spiritual Warfare
by Donna Diorio
Jan 13: Just now as I considered what to make the cover story this week,
I received the Howard Bass’ letter from Yeshua’s Inheritance congregation in
Beer Sheva. In it he reported "the son of Mordecai Weissman was killed in
battle in Gaza, along with four other soldiers, and eight others very seriously
injured. Some of you may know Mordecai
and his wife, Meira, and Mordecai's parents Elchanan and Nechama."
Then he reported the deaths one week ago of “Peter and Sandra Schuptar,
the Prayer for Israel directors in Australia, were killed in a motorcycle
accident.”
Over the past three days I have been
receiving prayer requests from some of my long time Israel Prayer subscribers
in dire need of a miracle touch from God in various health issues. One man in
the UK who is known to many of the Israeli ministries, Steve Goodall, messaged
me that his dear wife, Lis had gone to the Lord last week. Elizabeth had battled for the last 29 years, in and out of hospitals
and surgeries, dialysis to treat Antiphospholipid Syndrome. They have had a
truly rough ride with it but placed trust in the LORD and lived their lives as
normally as possible, as we do.
Another sister in Israel, Hadassah
Nesim Lerner, is in the hospital battling cancer of the lymph nodes that may
have spread to her brain. She is there for
surgery for a blood clot in her leg that is not responding to
medications to break up.
This
is life. We don’t live in a magic bubble where death and harm do not befall us.
We know that, and we pray in faith
because peoples’ lives hang in that balance between death and a miracle from
God.
I
wondered, was it just life happening that the Australian Israel Prayer
directors who died in an accident, or
was it spiritual warfare?
I am reminded of the premature deaths of a couple of American prophets
who had previously no idea of God’s loving intentions for Israel. Then soon after they began to reach out
realize how God’s love remained with Israel, as Kim Clement did in his
final years, he died of a brain aneurysm. Or, like John Paul Jackson made a turn from
not understanding to reaching out to Israeli Messianic ministries. Just as
Jackson began to see God’s intentions for the Messianic body in Israel, he died
of an aggressive cancer in his leg. Or
what about David Wilkerson, founder of the NYC Times Square church who was a
strong champion of several Israeli ministries who was killed in a auto accident
with an 18-wheeler.
Was
it just life happening to them or was it spiritual warfare? Are these
Christians not spiritually like the many Israeli Messianic Jews over the years
that have died defending Israel from terrorist enemies? Are they not all
casualties of war? God knows the truth about that, but I dare say that
Christian supporters of the Israeli ministries are also hazarding their lives
against the foes of Israel and God. I am convinced that there are legions of
demons assigned to thwart God’s “one new man” purposes of Christians realizing
our role to come together with our Israeli brothers and sisters in the LORD
working in Yeshua’s Israeli vineyard so “all Israel shall be saved.”
Earlier this same morning I was writing
about a biblical example of a casualty of spiritual warfare, that is Naboth in
1 Kings 16. Naboth was a casualty of Jezebel when he refused to give up his
inheritance of a fruitful vineyard to King Ahab. It is the first real biblical
passage that lays out exactly how the Jezebel spirit works in people – what the
means and the goals are.
Also I noticed something this
morning that I had never stood out to me before: Naboth told Ahab that God
had forbidden him to give “the inheritance of my fathers to you!” Naboth
laid down his life to God’s purposes, something that power-grabbing Jezebel
did not care about in the least. Naboth, whose name means “fruits,” was
obedient to God even though it led to his death. Don’t give up your
inheritance, your fruitful vineyard unless God tells you to.
From 1 Kings 16 we know the nature of
the Jezebel spirit, truly a spirit operating in so many in our day. In chapter
16 she sets up false idols, in
chapter 18 she kills the prophets
and in the chapter dealing with Naboth’s vineyard she orchestrates undercover operations keeping herself hidden. In this first example of how Jezebel
operates we see her scheming the
execution of an innocent man by getting TWO false witnesses to lie about
Naboth in a legal, but kangaroo court.
All was done according to the instruction of Jezebel without her actual
presence on the scene.
Jezebel got to remain a
“Jane Doe” in Naboth’s trial and execution.
Naboth was stoned to death because he obeyed the Lord’s instruction to
him not to give Ahab his vineyard. That was not just life happening, that was
outright spiritual warfare.
We may not know until we get to
Heaven if spiritual warfare played any part in the deaths mentioned above in
this article, but we can know there was spiritual warfare involved in Naboth’s
execution.
Why
would God tell Naboth not to bow the knee to pressure to give up his
inheritance, and then allow Jezebel to be successful in her evil plotting to
murder him for his inheritance? We can only refer to what the bible says
about that 1 Kings 21:17-28: God meant to deal with Ahab and Jezebel for their
evil. Verse 25 notes, “Surely there was
never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD,
incited by his wife Jezebel.”
The Jezebel spirit in some
famous circles is recently being denied as being a real demonic spirit at all!
This is just such a Jezebellian trait: hiding in plain sight as if the crafter
of convincing and effective plots against the innocent doesn’t even exist. A
major spirit mentioned in Revelation should not be denied but discerned!
Obviously no one was around to discern the demonic operation that murdered
Naboth and stole his fruitful vineyard. If Naboth’s vineyard is not a bible
example for our day, then I know nothing.
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
In addition to sharing the sad news of Aviel Weissman’s death, Howard Bass of Yeshua’s Inheritance
congregation shared that their prayer at
Nachalat Yeshua this is that “more
of Messiah/Christ will live in, and through, each of us, and all of us
together. Sanctification is the process
of being conformed to the image of the Son of God, and is a cooperative
effort between ourselves to sanctify ourselves, and between the Holy Spirit
to sanctify us. The Word of God sanctifies us when we believe the truth of
it; the blood of Jesus/Yeshua sanctifies us as we value more and more
the price paid for our redemption by our Redeemer and Savior. Repentance
unto righteousness; humility in our character and manner of life and
interactions with others; courage of the certainty of who it is that we
believe in and the power of the gospel to save anyone; love that is our
Father's in Heaven, and demonstrated by Jesus/Yeshua. As the return of the Lord
draws ever nearer, those with this hope will purify themselves, for He
is pure. Thank God for His mercies to save us!” A great prayer hope for us all
in the new year.
Howard also writes, “Our son, Tal,
just came out from Gaza a week and a half ago. We always know that we are
not exempt from anything that can happen to anyone. Our hope must be in the
goodness of God, and in His perfect righteousness and love. The
resurrection of the believers, that blessed hope at Yeshua's return, will wipe
away every tear, all suffering and dying, all grief and despair. We have a living hope in the truth and
faithfulness of God, our God! "
Fields of Wheat is
celebrating “Joel is Home!” Even
though it has been “A Challenging Journey” during
his periods of putting “family, work/ministry, and any long-term plans and
development, going back and forth between civilian life and military service.”
That is not a complaint – Joel is eager to serve his nation, but just keeping
it real – it disrupts a LOT of regular life. While writing the update, he got
notice of his next round of duty on March 16th. This will likely
impact the Katzir Passover Camp in April, but he writes, “The one bright spot
for me personally is that it means we won't be called again over the summer,
which leaves the summer open for our family, for which I'm thankful.”
Joel
writes about the Hanukkah Katzir Youth Camp:
“The camp was truly successful, touching the hearts of 90 young Israelis
(ages 14-18)…. It was an action-packed camp featuring small group
bible-centered discussion of our theme, "Inheriting the Promises." Through
dynamic worship, inspiring youth-focused messages, a demanding desert hike, and
games filled with laughter, these precious teenagers experienced God's grace
and truth.
We
had a great mix of dedicated, selfless young adult leaders, new and experienced,
who did an amazing job leading their groups and setting the tone for our camp.
One of our main observations was that the camp was peaceful - there was a
calm atmosphere, and we had no issues, complications, or problems that needed
to be dealt with or resolved throughout the camp. All the planning,
preparation, and prayers paid off in an atmosphere that was very conducive
to a deep and meaningful experience for the teens.” To give into this ministry equipping
the next generation for the harvest, click here.
Israel Pochtar, Voice of Judah Israel and Beit Hallel congregation in Ashdod, sends a VIDEO A Foundation of Miracles A Shabbat Devotional. Also from 1/14 Building a Legacy of Faith in Israel! Support Beit Hallel’s New Discipleship and Evangelism Center Read more | 2024 in Retrospect Short VIDEO & ARTICLE | Warm Hearts & Hands: Helping Israelis in Need this Winter Our winter care kits—which include heaters, blankets, and comforters—are more than just practical items. They are tangible expressions of God’s love and care, offering not only physical warmth but also emotional comfort to those who feel forgotten or unseen | Pillars of Strength: Women of Faith in Times of Trial / Today, many of these women face trials that are difficult to fathom. Some serve on the frontlines of war, risking their lives to protect their homeland. Others are engaged in quieter yet equally profound battles at home—keeping their families strong, comforting their children, and bidding tearful farewells to husbands and sons who have answered the call to defend their lives and land. These burdens are heavy, and their hearts often ache under the strain...read more
Avi Mizrachi of Dugit Ministries wrties, “Today,
my heart is heavy with the urgency of our mission: to see all of Israel saved….
With the death toll rising daily and guns and rockets still being fired at
Israel, I cannot help but wonder if those whose lives were lost had ever met
the one true Messiah. We cannot relent. We cannot delay. Every day, we must fervently continue being the
hands and feet of Yeshua here in Israel. Each box of food from our Distribution
Center, every hot meal, and every care package delivered to an IDF soldier is
an opportunity to share hope through action and to point them to the only
source of salvation. Would you take a
moment to prayerfully consider giving your most generous gift to reach those at
death’s fingertips? Your support meets immediate physical needs while
opening doors to address spiritual ones. Please do not wait—lives are being
lost, and the time to act is now. DONATE
Chaya posted 1/13 | We are in mourning for the loss of this fine
young soldier Aviel Wiseman who fell along with five others yesterday in Gaza .
Today Avi and I are driving to his funeral to mourn and stand with his loving
grandparents Nehama and Elhanan
Wiseman and his precious parents
Mordichai and Miere . We are
heartbroken.
The Aliyah Return Center’s Chaim Malespin writes, “Bodies
of 2 Hostages in a Tunnel Were Rescued This Week A father and
a son…. Then the IDF has rescued 8 living hostages and 40 dead bodies…. Thank
you, for all you do to cover me and my team and the team of the Aliyah Return
Center, and the emergency aid initiative as well, as I continue with
renewed intensity to bring as many home living or dead, with a hopeful
completion at Trump‘s inauguration. . . . On one hand we want to do everything
necessary to bring home the hostages, while on the other hand, we want to put
an end to the threat in Gaza. Let’s keep praying for the “Aliyah” of the
hostages back home! We are here to shine a light together in the darkness. | Help Us
Build the LIGHTHOUSE | EMERGENCY
AID & GIVE HERE.
The ARC
have so many projects they are involved in, I can’t list them all here, but one
big one is this WE ARE ALSO In the
process of building a new Headquarters Building for the Aliyah Return Center in
Tiberias - Here we will have our offices, a presentation room, museum,
guest rooms for new immigrants and tourists, membership suites, kitchen, and
dining space for hospitality and more! This will be our main hub and center! We
need your help to make this happen! All of this couldn’t be possible without
your love and support! TOGETHER
LET’S DO IT!
From Cookie Schwaeber-Issan an astute observer and opinion writer for
AllIsraelNews.com and Jerusalem Post: 1/16 Biden’s
Fantasy Version of the End of Israel’s War | 1/15 Companies
Against Israel “companies who are unashamedly
pro-Palestinian, and they are listed in www.launchgood.com, under the article,
“Brands that support Palestine in 2024” |
MUST READ 1/13 Israel’s crucial reputation for
freedom of religion: "This
is being brought to your attention, because another such protest is
being planned for January 27th in front of the Knesset, where organized groups
are attempting to mobilize as many as possible to come against the Messianic
Jewish community in Israel, a message which was received in
the Amharic language which ran on social media." | 1/12 Getting arrested on vacation is now a
risk faced by young Israelis | 1/7 The Tragedy of IDF Suicides
| 1/5 The
Re-Emergence of the Jewish Blood Libel (DD:This is
a term ALL Jews understand, but hardly any non-Jew can figure out what it
means: Blood Libel | 12/30 We need to warmly welcome our immigrants
| 12/22 You Can’t
Force Someone to Stay Religious &
12/19 Humanity is
Outing Itself
From David’s
Tent in Beer Sheva, Avner
Boskey files this: The
Caliphate on the Orient Express | The
Islamic world of the early 1900’s was shaken to the core. The superpowers of
the United Kingdom, France and Germany had burst out of the West with huge
advancements in weapons, science and engineering, leaving Muslim countries in
the Arabian dust.. . . .The abolition and exile of the last Ottoman Caliph did
not mean that the hopes and vision of a reborn Caliphate had died. The 20th
century would see this hope become a major motivator and stimulus to a reborn
jihadi movement that would shake both the Middle East and the Western world to
its foundations. Read in full online
Avi Tekle of Ohalai
Rachamim, Tents of Mercy, writes, “Today we spent the afternoon in the North, attending
the funeral of Aviel Wiseman of blessed memory, the son of our good
friends Mordechai and Meira and grandson of Nachama and Elchanan Wiseman. Our
friendship with their family goes back even further to Nechama's parents. What
a blessing to be connected down through the generations. Aviel, a sergeant in the IDF, was killed
in action, together with four of his fellow soldier friends. This event ushers
our dear friends into a new and harsh reality - a tragedy that is impossible to
comprehend and the grief will be heavy and torturous. In these times that we
are living, so many families and communities (here and throughout the world)
are going through crisis - losing people they love, homes, and livelihoods. These
circumstances challenge us and force us to define what life is all about.
In moments like this God’s comfort and His Sovereign presence anchors us and
keeps us from losing all hope or strength to continue. Today with broken hearts
we lift up all people who have suffered so much during this season and continue
to suffer.…(and) We are praying for you, our friends, and stand today in prayer
and seek mercy for our generation.
Sally Shiff, my friend at HaMaayan congregation is also in a reflective mood: “War becomes personal when you lose your son or
daughter because of a terrorist attack. It becomes personal when your loved
one is kidnapped and tortured for over 450 days. It becomes personal when
nations around you are condemning you just because of your culture or faith or
where you live. And it becomes personal when you stand against tyranny,
stand for righteousness and lose
your first born son who valiantly gave up his life for the sake of others. Yesterday, our nation buried such a son whose
family impacted the body of Yeshua as well as now, the entire nation.
Here is part of his father's eulogy:
"We are here on this earth to be an expression of God’s love, His
greatness, and His beauty. We are His song, His instrument. Aviel, God created
you with so many gifts—a sharp mind, attention to detail, and high technical
skills. He also gave you strong and clear faith, along with a profound desire
to do what’s right. Be the man God is inviting you to be, with the unique,
strong and clear voice He placed within you. Therefore, don’t compromise on the
truth. Pursue righteousness and commit yourself
fully to what you see right, with integrity and confidence. Do that and you
will be a blessing to all those around you. And Aviel, that’s exactly how
you lived. You were disturbed by injustice, clear in your stance, and acted
according to the dictates of your conscience. You found joy in serving
wholeheartedly and contributing significantly to our lives here in this land.
You were, you left, and you remain a blessing."
Sally shares many important things in her
daily posts since the war began, I want to share this one from 1/3 “I hope I am
wrong, but I am concerned about 2025. From Jan 1, just 2 days ago, America and
other parts of the world have experienced troubling or terrorist attacks. The
rise of antisemitism and anti Israel in the world has exponentially risen, and
is off the charts. Whether it be in Europe, Australia or the US, daily we
are hearing about events that are startling.
Is 2025 the year where October 7, 2023 is global?.... Pray that God will
expose the hubs of the radical anti Israel Jihadists around the globe. | She also shares some really disturbing news as
the IDF releases death tolls from 2023-2024 including suspected suicides of
Israeli soldiers. This is a serious prayer issue to deal with before God.
From the Tree of Life Israel evangelistic ministry led by Ariel
and Shayla Hyde, Listen to the new Tree of
Life Podcast Once Filled
with Hatred Now Overflowing with Love | Roger’s
inspiring testimony of how God transformed his contempt towards the Jewish
people into a redemptive love that is reconciling wounds today. Watch
or Read Here || International ZOON Prayer Meetings on Thursdays | We’re back with a
new series of online prayer meetings starting this Thursday! We’ll meet on: Thursday, January 16th | Thursday, January
30th | Thursday, February 13th | Thursday, February 27th || On each of these days the meeting will be
from 4:00-5:00 pm Israel time (9:00-10:00 am ET). You’re welcome to join at
this Zoom
link
The HaCarmel congregation shares their founding vision which
they revisit at the top of the year in a series of teachings in their
congregation. Here is the concise vision statement: “Kehilat HaCarmel is an Israeli Messianic community
of Jews, Arabs, and others, dedicated to the centrality of God’s Word and
worship, pursuing His presence, developing congregational life, and impacting
Israel and the nations. We achieve this through: - Corporate prayer and worship - Equipping and biblical training - Nurturing the whole family - Reaching out to hurting people - Providing humanitarian aid - Social involvement - Outreach, both local and international.
“In
our first Shabbat meeting in January, Dani (Sayag) presented our vision
statement and started a series to talk about the vision. In the first
meeting, he spoke about prayer, and Karen spoke about worship. The following
sessions will be about discipleship, the one new man, help for the needy,
outreach, and the Word of God. Watch the Vision Series Part 1 “Prayer
and Worship” also Part 2 “Discipleship”
From the early days of the
congregation, it was clear that Kehilat HaCarmel was called to be a house of
prayer for all people (Is. 56:7-8). The health of a local congregation is
directly related to the prayer life of the people. Restoring the altar of
the Lord on Mount Carmel has been our mandate from the very beginning as the
Lord positioned us strategically on the highest point of Carmel.
From Tikkun Ministries, Ariel Blumenthal teaches in the
Global Broadcase on The Fullness Formula: God’s Call to
Israel and the Nations Together (Romans 11:25-26) “One of the purposes of Paul writing this letter is to
gather financial support in order to extend his Gospel mission to the farthest
part of the Roman Empire in Spain. But his fundraising is moving in another
direction at the same time: **he is gathering material support to
bring back to the believers in Jerusalem and sharing in the synagogues—part of his plan to “magnify his ministry” and provoke
unbelieving Israel to jealousy. (Rom 11:11-15)
DONNA
INTERJECTING HERE: Paul’s collection
among the churches over several years for the believers in Israel, was one of
the first revelations on the subject of Israel God gave me in 1991. Over the years I
have continued to receive many statements he made in his letters to the
churches about why he was having them collect funds which he would carry to
Jerusalem to further the gospel in Israel – and WHY it is out Christian duty to
this day to follow his lead in funding the Israeli ministries. This is the
number #1 motivation I have carried in this ministry since I launched it in
2001. Paul laid his life quite literally to carry out this Christian donation
to the body of believers in Israel. The prophets warned him if he pressed on
that chains awaited him and he told them in tears he could not be dissuaded. I
am not claiming to be like Paul, but I have also laid down my life since to continue
in his mission since 2001. It has not be without great challenges and
disappointments.
Continuing with Tikkun
Ministries: BOOK: To the Jew First: The Formation of One
New Man | by Marty Shoub
| Unsettling though the title of this book may be, Messianic Jewish author
Martin Shoub explores God's plan "to create in Himself one new man from
the two." This is God's mysterious plan from the beginning | Also from
Tikkun, 1/10 Update on IHOPKC investigation, Mike
Brown, and Ron Cantor (link removed) | and 1/13 Update, Apologies, and Clarifications
Concerning the IHOPKC Investigation
Last but not least, another lady who has doing her utmost to serve the LORD in
the land of the living, Ronit Bender .
She is a truly “an ambassador” of Yeshua in her northern Israeli town of
Isfiya. Ronit writes of the many she became a ambassador of God’s love to in
the past month, while also commenting on the current intensity in Israel over
the hostage negotiations. “…we here in Israel are in a very tense time,
as we are awaiting the return of some of the hostages. There is a big uproar by the families of the
captives who will not make the first wave of release, but stay
behind, who may die if they are still alive. Also there are the bodies
of those that died, and might never be found to be brought for burial in
Israel. Hamas is messing with us our hearts and minds, and the tension is
felt very strongly in the whole country. We as believers and you our prayer partners are deep
in prayer and intercession. Thank you for
praying with us and for us.” She advises, “As I'm not sure what you know or do
not know about the happenings in this little country, I strongly suggest you
get information from a quality source. It is good to be informed so you can
pray accordingly. Yes, the Lord shows us some things, yet we also need to be
able to have the points to refute others who many not be aware of the truth.
I do not have room to share the individuals she had god-interactions
with, but I will tell you that her monthly emails are good for inspiring how to
interact with the people you meet in everyday life. Ronit is inspiring in her
commitment – even dealing with two serious, medically untreatable health issues
– writing, “In whatever time
I have left on the earth, I want to keep spreading love and kindness, making a
difference in people's lives. With the LORD's help!”
She closes noting, “Speaking of Tom, on the same day of President
Trump's inauguration, it will be eleven years that Tom passed away. I honour
your memory Tom and thank God for my 35 years of marriage with you! …. As
2024 drew to a close, I began reflecting the past year, the goodness of God and
the great gratitude I have that He's connected you and me. This is the
twentieth year (20!) I am in the mission field. Your prayers and support, love
and love notes via text and e-mail are so precious to me.
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