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Revisiting Nehemiah 4
11 months in —
the war to Rebuild the wall
of Israel’s Defense
Nehemiah 4:16-18
From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
We have entered the month of Elul, a time of “drawing close to God and examining our hearts” as another Israeli Messianic, Chaim Malespin, also a minister and active duty IDF soldier wrote this week. That’s where Israel is prophetically too in the period before the God- appointed prophetic Fall Feasts begin next month. Every year the Feasts of the LORD are rehearsals for the unfolding of prophesied events many believe are unfolding now. There is no greater measure of that than what Israel is going through currently.
If you read Nehemiah 4-6 you see the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem that had been broken down because of sins. The war that Israel stands in now is the same. Eleven months ago a devastating hell was unleashed on Israel in the October 7th attack by terrorists from Gaza. The defensive wall had become so broken down that the massacre rocked the Israeli people to the core. When Israel rose up to their own defense God has been with them in destroying their murderous enemies but also, just like in Nehemiah 4:7-9, the enemies of Israel rose up too. “But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”
Despite the opposition of enemies in the Middle East and in the high places of international leadership, Nehemiah’s wall was rebuilt with 52 days. Nehemiah 6:15 “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.” I am not saying the fight Israel is in will be over by September 28th, but the principle is there that God will give Israel victories over the surrounding nations. But it is not only about prevailing in the natural warfare, it is also about the work of these Messianic Israeli servants of the LORD who are rebuilding the walls of defense of the Israeli people spiritually. The promise of God to the Jews who were exiled in all the nations was to be restored to their homeland physically and then to be restored there spiritually to.
This is not to put anyone on a pedestal, but when you look at the Body of Yeshua in Israel, you are seeing the People of the Book – living, breathing, the same as if they have just stepped out of the pages of the Bible before your eyes. Like the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:11 "Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come." Restored to Israel, once again the living Remnant of faith are for examples, signs and warnings for us again. - Donna Diorio
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
Once again Reuven Doron where we are prophetically in The King is
in the Field speaking of the time period just prior to the prophetic
Fall Feasts of Israel – and indeed why would these times Israel (and all of
us!) are standing in, not be prophetic also? Reuven writes that what is meant
about this season of repentance and forgiveness is that except for this month
of Elul, there was no other time that the laborers in the field had closer
access to the King because He came out into the fields Himself – there was His
Royal Presence among them in the fields of harvest.
‘But
whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the
veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying
glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Cor 3:16-18
Reuven has written in several
subheadings what is happening: Israel has entered
a “season of war” in October 2023; a season which may not be over quickly or
easily. We pray for peace, yet we prepare for war. This is an apocalyptic religious war with the
powers of hell who openly state their intentions, and the outcome of this war
will affect the whole world. The Spirit of God witnessed in our spirits on
the first day of the war that Israel has entered the season of Zechariah 12:6,
that great prophecy that prepares for the return of Messiah to earth with His
Kingdom.
…..including the Nuclear threat: Facing aggressive and hate filled enemies
assaulting us from seven fronts is one thing. Facing a nuclear threat is
another. Israel is territorially too small and vulnerable to sustain a nuclear
strike, and can therefore not allow sworn enemies to possess nuclear weapons.
As some might remember, the Israeli Air Force bombed and destroyed two hostile
nuclear facilities in past years; one in Iraq and the second in Syria. . . .
Should the Iranian nuclear threat continue to materialize, Israel will strike
that one as well. If you think that the globalists are mad at us today for defending
ourselves from attacks generated from Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Judea
and Samaria, brace yourself for unprecedented levels of global hostility once
Israel strikes the Iranian nuclear facilities. Apart from a marvelous political
or spiritual breakthrough, this scenario is very real. We pray for peace but we
prepare for war. Read the full article here.
Email us if you
want to receive our “Ruth - Israel’s Prophetic Friend,” Bible study and
email us if you want to join our mailing list. To learn how you can partner
with our work and help provide for Israel’s security, humanitarian, and
spiritual needs, email us at reuvendoron@gmail.com. Thank you.
Quote of the Week
comes from Arni Klein, Emmaus
Way who writes: “It is virtually
impossible to appropriately respond to situations and events outside of
having an overall context. Without
God’s eternal perspective, our interpretation mostly comes from a humanistic
orientation.”
“…In all that has happened over the
past months, perhaps second only to the brutality of October 7th, the execution
the six hostages has permeated the nation with sadness and grief. We pray
that somehow this trauma and sorrow will cause some to seek the understanding
and comfort that can come only from Israel’s Father and maker. We also pray
that in the Land and in the nations, any who have eyes to see and ears to
hear will acknowledge that there is no possibility of achieving any true
settlement through negotiations, as
would be the case in speaking with satan himself.”
“There is no justification for the
vile hatred we have experienced. It is demonic. The world has chosen
blindness to the evident realities. In His time and way God will exact a
full and righteous judgment.”
“We have set the following dates
for Galilee Worship Gatherings: October 15
- 23 and November 24 - December 2. If you would like to join with us, whatever
your mother tongue, please let us know. If you are not familiar with these
gatherings you can go to www.galileeworship.com for more information.
“On a
final note, relative to life in Israel, a call has gone out to the believers in
our village (who account for about 20% of the residents) to gather before the
Lord for an hour every day for the 40 days from Elul 1 (September 3) to Yom
Kippur (October 12). We expect that this spiritual offering will have an
effect in birthing a new wineskin to prepare the way for a much-needed
manifestation of God’s Presence. “ | DD: I have broken this prayer letter into 2 parts and will
publish the other half of Arnie’s letter next week
For Yeshua’s Inheritance in
Beer Sheva, Howard Bass begins with “the conscience-less execution”
of the six hostages by Hamas before they could be rescued. As Howard notes, “God
recognizes ‘killing’ in war, but not ‘murder.’ The spiritual dynamic of
this war is clear when the ‘whole world’ is turning not only on the chosen
nation of Israel (despite still being ‘Jacob’ for now), but also on PM Benjamin
Netanyahu. This is also coming from
within the fragmented Jewish people and leadership. The PM has much to answer
for in his political maneuverings and handling of the war and negotiations. What
I know is that I would not want to be found in the situation that he is in with
respect to the persistent moral dilemma of winning decisively against a
perpetual and determined enemy, and of bringing kidnapped and captive hostages
back home at any cost.”
“We do need the Lord's
compassion, and we also need to let Him do what He has to do, and it is not
always going to please us at the time. But if we give in to the devil's
evil out of wrongful "loving our enemy," or out of personal
temporary "saving of our life," we will never be able to stand when
the day of evil comes. May the Holy Spirit fill us to enable us with the
power of God to overcome by faith this present evil world. Yeshua overcame the world, and we can, too,
in Him. All I can do is pray for our Father's will to be done in this awful
situation, that has no human solution by GOD's design! If there were, there would be no reason for
the Lord to return to restore YHVH God's Kingdom to Israel and over the nations
“…. Israel is being
"thrown under the bus," just as we threw Yeshua outside of His
vineyard, and insisted that He be crucified.
This was, and is, part of God's sovereign love and plan
and righteousness and wisdom so that salvation can come to
"whomsoever" will repent and believe the good news. For many Christianized nations and people,
they are of a mind that "it is good for one country and people to be
sacrificed rather
than the whole Western world be destroyed." This was a false assumption by the Jewish
leadership in Yeshua's day (even though it was necessary for God's purpose
and the Scriptures to be fulfilled), and Rome did "destroy" the
Jewish nation and land. But Islam is the BEAST that is exceedingly dreadful
and unlike the other previous beasts.
Two
recent articles from Howard on AllIsraelNews.com "The
Unchanging Word of the one True God"
and "Some New
Covenant Changes"
ShelanuTV station manager Evan Santoro writes about a blessed
time in Finland with “a wonderful brother on our Shelanu board who is the
Director of “El-Hayat,” a Media production company that produces evangelistic
content, just like we do at Shelanu TV, but for the Arab-speaking world.” They
had been invited up to make us of free studio time ShelanuTV content. “Not only
have we been able to produce in three days what would have taken us months in
Israel but even more amazing has been the time that we have had here. It has
truly been a picture of the One New Man: ex-Muslims who are now filled with the
Holy Spirit working with believing Jews from Israel and all in a studio owned
and operated by Gentile believers.”
“….As we
make our way back to Israel, our hearts and minds turn towards the war
situation we are faced with daily, and the uncertainty of it all seems without
a solution. One thing that we do know is that God has made a promise to
Israel. On this promise, we have built Shelanu TV and believe that the eyes
of Israel are being opened to the truth of Yeshua, their Messiah. Shelanu TV will faithfully continue to spread
the Good News in the Hebrew language. We will continue to plant and water
the seeds until the harvest is ready to be reaped.” Eddie also included many good reports on
Israelis who they have interacted with after being contacted for more
information. ShelanuTV is bringing in the sheaves! Learn more at their English website and
partner with them in prayers and by donating.
Michael Beener pastor of City of Life in Sderot writes From Horror
to Courage: A Journey of Hope for Sderot’s Elders. “On October 7, during the fierce attack by Hamas on
Israel, a group of armed terrorists stormed the city of Sderot,
indiscriminately shooting at anyone in their path. They arrived at a bus stop
on the main avenue, where a group of elderly people eagerly awaited the bus
that would take them on a special trip to a spa at the Dead Sea. However, the
terrorists had other plans. Upon seeing the elderly, they did not hesitate to
shoot and kill them in cold blood. Their blood-covered bodies remained on the
sidewalk for three days until they could finally be removed. In honour of the memory of these murdered
elders, we organized a trip with a new group of elderly people, who would
spend a relaxing day at a spa in the Dead Sea. Read in full
online & Watch VIDEO Under
Threat of Regional War our ministry has launched an initiative to purchase and
distribute emergency war kits to the families who need them most. Watch our VIDEO for full information about this project and how you can help.
Please keep this
ministry in prayer because despite all
of the wonderful humanitarian outreach it does in Sderot, a city close to Gaza,
it is also in an area where there is a high concentration of ultra-Orthodox.
They are what the apostle Paul referred to in Romans 11:28 as “enemies of the
Gospel” and they hold sway in the governing politics of Jerusalem, the
Negev and the Galilee especially. Prayers must be made on behalf of the
Israeli Messianic Jewish congregations and ministries who are targeted by these
groups, so they not be overcome by all the bureaucratic red tape and bad acts
these religious groups stir against the ministries.
Guy Cohen in his birthplace and Harvest of
Asher congregation in far northern
city of Acco, Guy write of The Father’s Love. “There are over eight billion
people in the world; each of them unique and special. Each one of them is known
personally by God. There is one thing that connects us all; the need for love….
Yeshua's prayer before going to the cross was that the world would know that
the same love He has for us and God for Him, the disciples would have for them
as well. That, even today His followers would be one as Yeshua and the Father
are one. (John17: 18-23) We are called
as Believer's in Yeshua - His disciples today, to walk in this same definition
of love, where we know that we are a son / child of God whether in good or bad
times. That our Father always accepts and protects us and that there is nothing
we can or cannot do to receive this love. It is unconditional, He is always
there for us.
King
David wrote, "When my father and my
mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10) David's soul was always crying
out to Abba for His love because there is no greater love than the love of God.
It is only when we are filled with the love of God that we can reflect the
Father's love to a world of chaos. I pray that the eight billion people in
the world will come to know the love of the Father through Yeshua the Messiah.”
News you might have missed in the nations compiled the week of Sept 1-6
by David Silver, Out of Zion.
…. The Northern Border - Israeli ground, air and sea forces remain on
full war readiness, on alert for advance indications that Hezbollah is getting
ready to launch another major missile attack. Regular cross border rocket and drone attacks continue, but not at the
level before the Israeli pre-emptive attack two weeks ago. …
Gaza -
A new report released in Israel this week, claims that more than 6000
Gazans, both terrorists and civilians, invaded Israel through 119 breaches of
the border fence on October 7, while another 1000 terrorists fired about 5000
rockets from Gaza into Israel on that day. While cease-fire negotiations
stagger along, Israeli forces are operating in many parts of Gaza, searching
for hostages and terrorists, and destroying tunnels and stockpiles of weapons
that are still being discovered. An organisation that represents the families of
soldiers who have been killed since October 7 is encouraging counter-protests,
demanding that the Gaza war continues until Hamas is defeated. The
army is in the process of vaccinating soldiers who are serving inside Gaza
against Polio, as the danger of a local outbreak of the disease increases.
Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)
- West
Bank social media is full of posters and graphics
depicting a total invasion and takeover of all of Israel - from the River to
the Sea. Perhaps *Operation Summer Camps which began last week was a pre-emptive move by
Israel, knowing that terrorism was about to increase as Hamas calls for a new
Intifada and an invasion like October 7. Anti-terror operations were
ramped up around Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley, after 3 serious terror
attacks were reported over last Friday night and Saturday. … It appears that
the Hamas order to increase terror against Israelis is being taken seriously.
As the anti-terror campaign continues, a growing number of terrorists have been
arrested or killed, and command centers and weapons have been destroyed. … Last
week the Israeli cabinet voted 8 to 1 for the army to remain in control of the
Philadelphi Corridor, in spite of Hamas demands to leave as part of the
cease-fire and hostage release deal.
DD: * Operation Summer Camps is the largest terror-nest
demolition operation since the IDF conducted Operation Protective Shield
in late 2001 through around May 2002. The operation was going on right after
this Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests
was launched in August 2001 to pray for Israel and more specifically for
the Israeli Messianic Ministries who provided the prayer requests. Both of
these IDF Ops were to go into Palestinian held areas to demolish terrorist
nests where weapons and bomb making were going on. Operation Protective
Shield was launched in the midst of the
2nd Intifada when suicide bombs were going off routinely – and in
the aftermath of the 9/11/2001 attack on the United States. Our little
local prayer team learned so much in praying over that period as reports
consistently came in from believers telling how God had spared many different
ones from being in the very place a bomber exploded. We heard reports of
unplanned delays – even one from a young man suddenly stumbling off a bus
before his stop with a blinding migraine and the bomber blowing up the bus at
the next stop. Also the IDF were setting Christian Arabs free from imprisonment
by the terrorists. Not only was
Operation Summer Camps a necessary operation, but praying over the safety of
the believers during this time God will definitely answer! - DD
Aliyah
Return Center, Chaim Malespin writes, Why
is the Philadelphia Corridor so important in this war? | This 14 km
strip forms the southern border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israel
originally held the corridor. In 2005, when Israel pulled out all Israeli
communities and the IDF from the Gaza Strip, the government handed control of
the border to Egypt. They established an agreement called the
Philadelphia Accord to ensure the strip would not become militarized. Under
the agreement, a limited amount of military equipment was allowed to maintain
security, and 750 Egyptian police were deployed to prevent smuggling. Since
that time, Egypt has reportedly been destroying any smuggling tunnels they’ve
found more by flooding some of them. However, since the incursion into Rafah, the IDF has
discovered around 150 tunnel routes along the border! Some of these tunnels
have been large enough for vehicles to drive through.
Netanyahu
has been adamant about holding onto the Philadelphia Corridor, as it has been a
crucial source of military supplies for Hamas. It was through these routes
that Hamas was able to arm itself and carry out the attack on October 7th, as
well as the ongoing conflict. Returning control of the corridor to Hamas
could lead to a situation where they rearm and attack Israel again. In the
negotiations over a deal for the hostages’ release, Hamas is demanding that
Israel return control of the Philadelphia Corridor to them. Doing so could mean
another future war. As a result, the hostage deal is at a deadlock, leaving
the hostages stranded. Additionally, they are being used as human shields,
making it nearly impossible to rescue them. Pray for the IDF and the leadership, as we need
strategies from heaven.
Help us
Build the Lighthouse | Emergency
Aid & Giving Here | To learn about
the various projects at the Aliyah Return Center go to this handy site link!
Youval Yanah leading the Revive Israel team
writes of their heavy hearts for the murders of the 6 hostages & the
grieving in Israel. “Please join us in praying for the families affected, the
safe return of the hostages, and the salvation of all in this land. We believe
only through Yeshua can there be true peace and reconciliation. Thank you for
your prayers and support. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He grant
you peace.”
God’s
Faithfulness | by Tal Haroni | By Tal
Haroni | Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the situation we’ve found ourselves
in. Times are getting tougher. I find myself thinking and praying about what
can equip and help us get through this period. We know that according to the
Scriptures, the days will grow darker and darker....Read more | Instagram message from the Revive Team – Stand with
Israel
Carolyn and
Richard Hyde sent highlights of their Canadian
First Nations ministry trip: “…we had the privilege of ministering to a
precious group of young adults. Their hunger for G-d and desire to know more
about Israel was astounding and we were so pleased to see how they are learning
to listen to each other and to the voice of Adonai! Lord, raise up more like
these!”
“During an interview by Roger
Armbruster with First Nations (FN) Pastor McLean and me, we spoke of the
"One New Man in Messiah." We rejoiced that many FN chiefs have had
the same dreams I've had - that it's time for FN people to rise up and take
their place as the spiritual artisan-warriors whom G-d has called them to be.
In each reservation we shared the historical parallels between FN and Jews,
which deeply resonated with them. After each meeting we asked people to wait on
Adonai for a takeaway of what He wanted them to remember. To our surprise many
FN people shared that they'd already had similar dreams of hiding Jews one day!
One young man told us that he wouldn't hide Jews in his home because he has a
wife and little children. Of course we understood! But during the takeaway, he
heard G-d say, “You take of My family and I’ll take care of yours.” WOW!”
Avishalom & Hannah Tekle of Tents of Mercy write
about The Business of Life in the Midst of War …. “We
are existing in a bizarre and impossible reality of ‘War Routine’ where every
morning we wake to news of more soldiers who have died in battle, weekly
terror attacks within the country claiming the lives of civilians and emergency
personnel alike, the never-ending rockets from the North, tens of thousands of
evacuees who have been displaced to every possible city (including ours), and
most heart-breaking, the dwindling number of living hostages in Gaza. It is a
routine that we have tragically gotten used to but which is awful and numbing. We
had a few busy months as a community in May, June, and July: we celebrated
our third bar-mitzvah of the year, held our quarterly men’s and women’s
gatherings, grieved the loss of two grandmothers and a precious newborn and
then somehow geared up for camp at the same time as we were preparing the
building for large scale renovations in August. It was emotionally and
physically exhausting, but the children’s camp miraculously came together and
all 120+ campers, counselors and volunteers received much needed refreshing as
God met us throughout that week. Thank you for your faithful friendship and
patience - standing with us in prayer during this difficult and desperate
season, a season in which our hearts cry out to God
for help and hope - even when we don’t know exactly how to pray.
…. Fall Holiday Distribution | The coming weeks will be a busy and
intense time of preparing once again for the annual Rosh Hashanah food-basket
distribution. We are working towards reaching almost 1,000 families in our
city. As always, we appreciate your prayers and ask you to consider partnering
with us financially towards this goal. May God bless you and keep you.
Plant Hope Israel’s Jennifer Guetta sends these Prayer
points for Israel | For the Israeli
government: for God's wisdom and divine guidance in making decisions, for
unity, and that they will be strong and not make a bad deal with the enemy.
| For Israel to align with God’s word and the inheritance that God has
given them.| For the hostages to be found and rescued in safety.| For the Lord's
protection from all attacks. | For renewed strength for the army and for
the Lord to lead them, protect them and help them. | For the Lord to renew
the inner peace and strength of the civilians, to give them healing, rest and
hope.| For a return to God, removal of idolatry, and repentance with
their whole hearts and soul.| For the Holy Spirit to be poured out and
for people to have encounters with the King of Kings: Yeshua.
Aleksey Raikhstadt of the Beit Immanel congregation in Jaffa writes, “I am writing to you today with an urgent request regarding a pressing need within our congregation. For many years, we have relied on the vehicle provided by the Beit Immanuel guesthouse for our congregation’s transportation needs. Although the guesthouse's vehicle is primarily intended for its own operations, they have graciously allowed us to use it when available—for transporting congregational members to services, youth activities, delivering food and necessities to the elderly, assisting in the war effort, and more…. during our summer youth camp, the engine of the guesthouse car blew out…. the current situation in Israel has made acquiring a vehicle particularly challenging…. Despite these challenges, we have identified a few viable options for a vehicle that would meet our needs. However, the cost is approximately $70,000. This vehicle would not only serve our congregation but also play a crucial role in supporting the broader community in various outreach and ministry activities. We ask for your prayers that the Lord will provide the necessary funds for this purchase. If the Lord lays on your heart to give in any way, you can do so by donating by clicking one of the buttons : Give via PayPal or Give via Credit Card Thank you for your continued partnership in our ministry. We trust that God will provide as He always has, and we are excited to see how He will work through this situation.
Two articles from Avner Boskey to read at David’s Tent: Egypt – a
broken reed in the middle of the highway and Egypt’s Prophetic Future
Two articles from Maoz Israel
Ministries, from Kobi & Shani
Ferguson: Druze and
Jews You may have heard about the 12 [Druze]
children killed by Hezbollah rocket fire while playing soccer this past month (Read or Listen to these articles, click
titles) | The
Mysterious Origin of the Druze | Their
unique beliefs, including reincarnation with an emphasis of God’s oneness, set
them apart in the Middle East.
Important word from the Kfar Saba congregation, HaMaayan, led by Tony &
Orna Sperando, about children citing Psalm 8:2 – “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a
stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger".
“The
strength that our God in heaven has established on this earth is through the
children and babies. The giving of life is silencing his enemies (in Hebrew the
word used is "lehashbit” means to bring our enemies to a complete stop). Through
our children, our God is expressing His character and witness to the whole
world that life is more powerful than death and that the victory of the Kingdom
of God will be revealed through the testimonies of children & babies.
Our Lord had conquered death, and we can all partake of Eternal Life. Satan
hates the children. He knows that to enter the kingdom of heaven we must become
like them. Satan
is working in destroying the “imago Dei “(image of God in our entire being) by
stealing their innocence & exposing them to the tree of evil, staining them
with fear, guilt, shame & rejection, self-hatred & bitterness.
Summer
Camp | Being in the midst of the war is extremely difficult physically,
mentally & emotionally, especially for our children. Even hours before our
summer camp was scheduled to start, Israel was engaged in a preemptive strike
against Hezbollah, resulting in many saved lives as well as our airport closed
& many business working on light staff. But through prayer, God prevailed!
Instead of cancelling the opportunity,
the families started coming, parents dropping off their kids for our camp that
would eventually change their lives forever. We were 130 people in total.
Satan tried to close our camp, BUT GOD gave us the best camp ever! Please click this link to go to the
HaMaayan blog post where you can finish reading this encouraging ministry
letter and enjoy the pictures and prayer requests posted there.
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