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Giving Thanks for the Harvest
by Donna Diorio
I write this just a couple of days
before Thanksgiving. Already the Feast of the Lord celebrating Israel’s Fall harvest
– Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles – has already been celebrated in
October.
As I landed on the ministry letter
from Fields of Wheat,
Eitan Shishkoff’s letter graphic brought to my mind how the American
Thanksgiving would be past before I mail this summary on Friday — but the harvest Eitan was referring to the
spiritual harvest that lies before our eyes. It has already begun but will
become a massive spiritual ingathering before “all Israel” to welcome back
Israel’s Messiah.
It
reminded me of Amos 9 — a chapter that sweeps through the course of 2,000
years of history. (Several of the ministry leaders also had Amos 9 come to
mind in their letters this week – that is important, when God speaks a
particular verse or passage to many!) In Amos 9 God speaks of His destruction
of Israel for their sins: (verse 7) “Are
not you Israelites the same to Me as
the Cushites (upper Nile Egyptians)?' declares the Lord." It is another
way of saying, "God is no respecter of persons."
But God does not dismiss
Israel forever. That is a wrong doctrine
by those who do not take God at His Word. I can say that without any
fear of being proven wrong because God speaks of the days when He will
restore His people throughout His Word. He will restore His people for
His name’s sake – first from their exile in the nations, then in His spiritual harvest in their own restored land.
He says to the prophet in verse 13, "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by
the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from
all the hills...."
I believe this is speaking to the
time Israel is entering of continuous
seasons of spiritual harvest all the way to the end it will continue. The
harvest is coming in NOW, let us give thanks to God for what has
come and all that is coming. This week a
YouTube video sent by Reuven Doron
explains what the quiet harvest of souls in Israel is like right now. Please Watch it.
This
is the spiritual harvest that follows the physical restoration. It is all
because of God's promise to Israel to "bring back my people Israel from
exile." In verse 11 God
declares through Amos, "In that day I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and
restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be...."
And
the final promise to Israel is one that I really love: In verse 15 God
declares, "I will plant Israel in
their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,'
says the Lord your God."
This is the Israel we see today
– only bettered by Israel being restored to relationship with God by faith in
Yeshua. The harvest fields are white unto harvest – meaning human hearts are
ripe. Hardened hearts have been plowed and softened, seeds have been planted
and even more will be planted by those coming to faith right now — generations
coming to faith.
Now — not later — is the time of spiritual harvest in
Israel, and it is the Israeli ministries like those in this weekly
summary each week who are bringing in that harvest.
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
Eitan Shishkoff tells the personal story that a teenager shared with him about
being touched by the Spirit of God during one of the youth camps. Eitan wrote,
“He's a quiet kid, but deep. So, I listened, hanging
on every word, glad that he felt safe enough with me to talk about his inner
life.” The boy said, “During a worship time I told God that I wanted to
experience Him — that hearing about 'knowing God' wasn't enough, that I REALLY
want to know Him, personally. But nothing happened. Then, after the message
that evening, you came to pray for me. Nobody was touching me, but I felt the
Lord's presence surrounding me. I sensed the indescribable depth of Yeshua's
love, meeting needs I'd not even been in touch with. Then, I couldn't hold back
the tears. He heard my prayer and answered me. I'll never be the same.” Eitan
writes the young man, “could not have given me a greater gift that day at
lunch. To know that a young person has had a real encounter with the Living God
and wants to walk with Him the rest of their life—well, it's the best.”
As Eitan reiterates
sharing these testimonies is important so you can get some measure of the
importance these youth camps are. As the Katzir (harvest) youth camps 3x per
year have been going on for 24 years, Eitan says many more stories of young
people could be shared. This is the kind of grounding Israeli teens need before
“being inducted into the IDF and placed in
life-or-death battle situations,” Eitan writes. “I believe that it is our
calling—yours and mine—to provide the Messianic youth of Israel with
experiences in worship and the word of God that will equip them to stand among
their peers, shining with the light of the Lord, as they defend our country….
We need your visionary help to finish out 2024 with our Chanukah camp in
December and welcome the teenagers of Israel into the presence of the Lord
three times throughout 2025 (Passover, Summer, and Chanukah). Each gathering
brings 90-100 youth together. Potentially, these four events can touch 400
future harvesters. Our budget from December 2024 to December 2025 is $180,000.
Together, with your help, we can achieve our goal! Your year-end gift will
count, whether it be $18 or $18,000!” Help by
donating here.
Arni Klein of Emmaus Way says
that after learning the 2024 election of Trump “we
sensed an opening in the spiritual atmosphere making way for something new….
Over the last four years we’ve witnessed an unprecedented degree of absurdity
in the global political realm.” Arni noted that for many Americans, “there
is no question that the outcome of the 2020 US election was not a true
accounting but the result of outright fraud and observable illegal activities.
It was hard to understand and accept the situation as being from the Lord.” But was it God, making depth of darkness
so glaringly visible that many could no longer deny what was true? Arni quotes
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 says, he writes, “those who do not receive the love
of the truth, God sends strong delusion that they would believe a lie and
perish. We each intersect with this principle personally according to our
specific life situations. Denying or compromising truth in any area will
consequently affect our discernment in every area. This of course also
affects the spiritual atmosphere over nations in accord with decisions taken by
the governments.
Pivoting
to Israel, Arni writes “being neutral has become practically impossible.
Virtually everyone
everywhere has come to a conclusion and taken a position about
Israel in the current war. All the
facts are in. Everything is completely out in the open. There is nothing more
to be said. There is no need for further discussion. The proverbial line in the
sand was drawn on October 7, 2023. Regardless of Israel’s relationship or
lack thereof with the Lord, regardless of whether God was angry with Israel,
regardless of any ignorance, incompetence, duplicity or complicity on the part
of our government, everyone knows who fired the first shots. We were attacked by a demonically-inspired
entity whose sole motive was no different from that of Adolf Hitler.”
Where we are at this moment:
“we have entered into a Divinely-appointed window of
grace. May we not miss the call and unique opportunity of the hour…. Israel is still at war, with soldiers dying nearly
every day and tens of thousands unable to return to their homes. But at
some point we too will come to a place of rest. What then?.... God help us not to be
lulled to sleep and caught unprepared by the cessation of outright hostility.
This warning is especially relevant for the Body of Messiah in America.
Some might
remember what we’ve written regarding the solar eclipses in the US in 2017
and 2024. You can find our full thoughts in the last chapter of the
Israel Revealed Course (free book downloadable in 7 different languages available on Emmaus Way
website). … Father
will help us discern the times and seasons, know what is coming, and how to
prepare. Let us work while it is yet day, for the night is coming when no one
can work (ref. Jn. 9:4).
RE: the mobile tabernacles we spoke
of in our last letter - One important
logistical consideration is acquiring a customized enclosed trailer to store
the considerable amount of equipment to significantly streamline the loading
and unloading process. We estimate the cost to be around $3000 if anyone would
like to sow into that project.
Howard Bass of Nachalat
Yeshua (Yeshua’s Inheritance) writes
with joyful news of a new granddaughter born to Tal and Eden. Avishag is 5th
granddaughter for Howard & Randy, who also have 1 grandson. Tal was able to
attend the birth but returned to his army reserve unit soon after. Howard writes, “Israel, and Israelis in
general, continue to try to live their abnormal normal lives. But there are
many who are permanently injured physically, emotionally, psychologically. Most
of those who have been displaced from their homes and work have had their lives
overturned. The hostages and their families
are living (if still alive) a 24/7 nightmare. The pressure on the government
and the turmoil within the political, military, religious, social compartments
of Israel are pressing and heavy. As it is somewhat written: if YHVH of Hosts was not with us, we could
not make it…. we are in a delicate, volatile time now. A time for much prayer, and a time to
completely put our trust in the sovereignty of our God and Savior! All things serve towards producing the results that
He has told us that He wants, and will obtain. He has His schedule to complete His plan to
make this world better, the way that He wants it. Praise the Lord!
In
Nachalat Yeshua/Yeshua's Inheritance, we consecrated nine new deacons
(including two women) last week. … serving God as His official servants
is sacrificial, a living sacrifice unto Him who not only lived His life a
perfect living sacrifice, but also went all the way in His love and
faithfulness to give up His life completely on the cross. The filling of
the hands, as the consecration is called in the Hebrew text, is to be
filled with the sacrifice of Messiah. The word is the same as soldiers
called up for military reserve -- milu'im/filling [the hands; the ranks] for
service unto God, unto the nation. This is a very big step in our
transition period toward future leadership and maturity among us, and to help
the elders (including myself) better serve, and to be more free to not be
expected more than is suitable, given the growing congregation and also the
time available in our schedules. It is also an important element in getting
our (God's) house in order for the next stage of our congregational life and
ministries. We very much appreciate all of you upon whom the Lord has
given a heart to pray for us here as a congregation among the many others
in the Body of Messiah here in the Negev, and in all of Israel.
Here
are a couple of recent teachings:
the first which I had prepared for our time in Bulgaria, according to
their request; the second what I taught in the congregation this past
Shabbat. Israel Past,
Present and Future | The
Unchanging Word of God, Pt 2
Youval and Valerie Yanay of Revive Israel write “lives
are being transformed through Revive
Israel’s discipleship programs. In every program, we’ve witnessed
incredible stories of growth, healing, and faith—testimonies we’re excited to
share with you. Your generosity has provided opportunities for young leaders
to grow spiritually, emotionally, and practically. From finding relief
and restoration, and working the land to embracing community, your support is
sowing seeds of hope in their lives, especially in the lives of those directly
affected by the war.”
B said, “What I didn’t accomplish in
the army, I’m doing now. My heart expanded, and I want to teach and guide
others.” | Da said, “Through working the land, I saw thorns as unforgiveness
and stones as lies. Connecting with creation taught me about God’s actions.” |
Dh said, “Every stone I moved represented another obstacle being removed from
my life. God gave me comfort and confidence in Him.” | M: “I’ve never stuck
with a framework before,” she admitted. “But God showed me this was a spiritual
battle. I realized my words have power to encourage others, and I love sharing
what I’ve learned about agriculture.”
These
stories are just the beginning of their discipleship. “Thank you for being a
vital part of helping us be a refuge in the storm for Zion’s sake!” Learn more
Reuven Doron, OneNewManCall,
wrote about Skylight this week – a 2-year old pony who is the newest orphan
living in their village. “Skylight was born
here nearly two years ago to his mother, Moonlight. Needless to say, they were
“a hit” for the village children and animal lovers who visited and spoiled them
daily. However, when the war broke out, things began to change.” More stables
had to be built and because the construction was near the current stables,
Skylight’s mom, “developed a bad lung infection from the industrial pollution.”
Moonlight died from a heart attack in her weakened condition a couple of weeks
ago, and her baby “Skylight, still a nursing big baby, was lost and
heartbroken. Seeing him looking for his missing Mom and calling out to her
broke our hearts as we came to visit him often.” Skylight is coming back
around to his usual self, but as Reuven points out, “… the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until
now…” Humans are not the only ones who pay the painful price of
fighting and enduring this war that was forced upon Israel by her enemies. Tens
of thousands of acres of Israeli farmland, forest, orchards, livestock, and
pasture have been turned into charred wasteland under Hamas and Hezbollah
rocket fire, and Skylight is our most recent war orphan…. It is the sacrificial
labor of prayer that keep the heavenly bowls filled with the intercession and
the worship of the saints of God that move history forward according to God’s
plan. Thank you for your labor of prayer for Israel’s hostages who are still
held captive now for over 400 days, for our military, our fallen, our grieving,
our victory, and our salvation.”
And here
is the video mentioned in the cover story that I asked you to please watch: The video is today’s update from our
village outside of Jerusalem. Enjoy it, and
please pass it on to people of prayer. The WORD still becomes flesh... Thank
you for upholding our people, our family, and our work in your prayers. We are
grateful for those who are able to financially share in our labors during this
season of war and of harvest. The needs are substantial, as are the
opportunities to serve the Lord, and the link below offers tax-credited giving
options. Thank you. PARTNER WITH
US | To read the touching letters of
Sgt. Nava Yair Assulin, “The Day After Me,” who fell in battle defending
the homeland, access it on Reuven’s OneNewManCall Facebook Page
From Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel and Voice of Judah
ministries, Pastor Israel’s devotional also covers Amos 9: Planted with
Purpose: God's Promises for Israel and You! |
Devotional by Israel Pochtar | Amos 9:15 declares, “I will plant Israel in
their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,”
says the LORD your God. | This profound promise carries even more weight when
read in the original Hebrew. It hints at the reality that there will be active
attempts to uproot Israel from its God-given land. Looking at the current
climate, this scripture feels as relevant as ever. The media and global
voices often challenge the legitimacy of Israel’s claim to Jerusalem and the
surrounding land, yet these voices are but noise in the presence of God’s
eternal Word. God does not concern Himself with the clamor of opinions or
opposition. His promise is unwavering: the land of Israel belongs to His chosen
people. He planted them there Himself, and no effort of man will succeed in
undoing what God has established...WATCH Now
Kobi and Shani Ferguson of Maoz Ministries are
devoted to nurturing the worship musicians of Israel. they write, “Did you
know that today in Israel, no public airwaves will carry the music of Israeli
believers? For this reason, we have spent years working to develop Israeli
worship to a place of excellence where it cannot be ignored. Currently we are
releasing a NEW SONG every other Friday! Producing worshipful music in a
variety of music genres and growing popularity for Israeli worship outside of
Israel is a big part of this. That is why Maoz Israel Music has a recording
studio in Jerusalem with an entire team of Israelis writing and recording
worship music in Hebrew, English and Arabic together with local and
international worship leaders. This is a significant step in the
restoration of modern-day Levites to the land of Israel. Will you take part
in supporting this restoration with us?”
Listen to Israeli Worship | Support Israeli Worship | Check out the new Maoz Israel Music release: "Yeshua Khai" by Maoz Israel Kids || Read Maoz Israel Report is available online in: Español | Português | עברית | Deutsch | 한국어
Bender After Ronit spoke in the congregation three
of the young people invited me to coffee and asked
many questions about the topic of giving. “The
conversation was spirited and exciting, and they've asked to meet again. I
encourage you to invest in the young people around about you, as your life
should testify to the goodness of God in your life giving hope to the younger
generations.”
It
might appear that my life consists of restaurants, coffee shops, and going to
the hairdresser salon, but that's only the bits you hear from me. Every time I leave my house, I pray that the Lord
will give me opportunities to witness, and I don't think a day goes by that He
doesn't make it happen! Let me encourage you and say that you can be a
witness wherever you are. If you pray this way, God gives us so many
opportunities, all we have to do is take them. Israel is not an easy
mission field and the reason is not because we are at war. We [Israel] were called a "stiff-neck and
hard-hearted people," but the Lord loves this tiny nation. He is not done,
He wants Israel saved…. Let's believe 2025 to be a year of great
harvest! Together we walk each other
Home. Sending much love from Mount Carmel.
Tikkun Global are excited
about “some of the most beautiful dust, drywall, and paint
we have ever encountered! ‘Stretching our tent’ has brought both challenge and
excitement as we build the walls, mark the boundaries and progress on Tikkun’s
new home”…. As many of you take time this week to reflect with your families on
the bounty of blessings God has given us, please know that we are doing the
same. At the very top of our list are you, our faithful friends, prayer
supporters, and financial partners. Enjoy this sneak peek of our new home, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving week! Grateful
for you, The Tikkun Global Leadership Team |
You can download the PDF version of Tikkun Global Nov issue of Israel’s Restoration
Magazine (featuring Netanyahu’s
Blessing and Curse Challenge to the United Nations)
Chaim Malespin of Aliyah Return Center writes: In Hebrew, the word Aliyah means to “go up higher”. And this is the word that the Jewish people use
to mean immigrating to their ancestral homeland, Israel. This return of
the Jewish people to Israel has been written and prophesied throughout the
Bible. Here are some examples of this promise:
In the
Torah (the first five books in the Bible): Deuteronomy 30:3-5 "Then the LORD your God will restore
your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the
nations where he scattered you."
In the
Historical Books: 1 Kings 8:46-50 "If
they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their
enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their
ancestors, ... then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and
their plea, and uphold their cause."
In the
Psalms: Psalm 147:2 "The LORD builds
up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel."
In the
Major Prophets: Isaiah 11:11-12 "In
that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the
surviving remnant of his people..."
Jeremiah
29:14 "I will be found by you,”
declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you
from all the nations and places where I have banished you..."
Ezekiel
37:21-22 "This is what the Sovereign
LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have
gone... and bring them back into their own land."
In the
Minor Prophets: Amos 9:14-15 "I will bring my people Israel back
from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them..." | Zechariah 10:6 "I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will
be as though I had not rejected them..."
In the
New Testament: Acts 1:6-7 – The disciples ask Jesus if He will restore the
kingdom to Israel. He said to them: “It
is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own
authority.”
This is just the tip of
the iceberg! There are 60 plus more promises of the return of the Jewish in the
Old Testament alone. This is truly a God thing.
…. If you are starting to think
about your end of year giving, please consider partnering with us in blessing
and supporting the needy Jewish families in the Galilee area and the many on-going
projects that he ARC is involved with. Consider
helping us build the Lighthouse, the Aliyah Return Center, where we can
continue to assist and help the Jewish immigration be absorbed in their
ancestral homeland. HELP US
BUILD THE LIGHTHOUSE and EMERGENCY
AID & DONATION INFORMATION PAGE
* DD: I never knew
before that the word Aliyah means “go up higher” – it makes sense because of
the Psalms of Ascents (Psalms 120-134) are about going “up” (ascending) to
Jerusalem (Zion). It is also on my mind that the Church has to make this trip
of going up higher too before all can be fulfilled because the Church has to ascend
to a higher level of spiritual maturity. At that higher level the Church can
recognize God’s special purpose for the Body of Believers in Israel and be
okay with playing a support role to their labors in the Israeli
spiritual harvest fields.
I’m putting a study of the Psalm of
Ascents on my 2025 To Do list. We have to break through the barriers that have
been holding us back from “going up higher” so the blessings of the one new man
unity begins to manifest all that God has determined it will manifest before
the end comes.
Dov Bikas from the Aviv Ministry
sends some reports the Aviv Center in Tel Aviv. One of their volunteers' tells
of his encounter with an addict on the street right back to the drugs after his
release from prison. I can't think of many things that would cheer me on in
ministry than to hear, "Even in
prison people talk about you: believers who give out free food in Tel
Aviv." It took almost 4 years for this man to finally come to faith
even though he did become a regular visitor to the center. When the time came,
Igal shares that the man, “came to Aviv Center
and walked straight up to me. “I’m ready to go to the rehab center and try to
change my life.” So, after our shift, we drove to the rehab center together. In
the rehab, we spent hours studying the Scripture, talking about sin, atonement,
and why we need Jesus, – and two months later, Micha repented and opened his
heart to the Lord! Please keep him in your prayers so that his faith will
grow stronger every day. Amen!
At their Women’s shelter in
Beer Sheva, a women that shared how “for a long time she
hadn’t spoken to anyone, lived in terrible disorder, and barely had the energy
to even open the door. It was like her very soul was behind tightly closed
shutters.” As the shelter this woman found out that others needed her and she
could be a great help to others. She responded, “I’ve always wanted to help
people… I thank the Lord I’m in the right place for me!” She also expressed love
and prayers for everyone at the Shelter. For all of us, it’s a great privilege
to witness such transformations!
Enjoy these “two new videos about our humanitarian project in Ashkelon and our Tel Aviv
Outreach.“
Prayer Requests: 1. In Ashkelon, we’re exploring the
possibility of opening a distribution center alongside our current efforts of
delivering humanitarian aid to people’s homes. This center would also serve as
a venue for social and evangelistic activities. Please pray that we secure the
right location and staff to bring this vision to life. | 2. Please continue
praying for us to find the proper location and staff for our planned Arab
Rehabilitation Center. It is a long and complicated process, but we are moving
forward.| 3. Sergey, our new associate director, has recently relocated to
Beersheva and has started working full-time with Aviv Ministry. He is a great
help and blessing! Please pray for his family’s smooth adjustment to the new
city and their new way of life.| May God
bless you and keep you! from Dov and Olga Bikas and Aviv Ministry Team
Sally Shiff shares daily email
reports from the time war started until now. Last filing 11/29 “Happy Leftovers!” (She made
Thanksgiving dinner for friends & family and “Everyone left full and sleepy.”
On 11/27 Sally shared about the cease fire that went into effect with
Hezballah. (Already broken by rocket fire from Hezballah). Sally writes, “You
can stop the rockets, but only through decimation can you stop the ideology
that is behind those rockets. And that comes only through God. YES, we
decimated the top echelon of Hezbollah as well as Hamas, a feat that no other
country was willing to do, but the satanic spirit is still there fueled by the
support of countries like the UN who blame Israel for living: ‘I have a 7
months old baby, I’m ready to put explosives on him and send him to Tel Aviv.’This
is how Hezbollah's supporters sound, Do you have any doubt that they will come
to slaughter us at the first opportunity? Israel needs to finish the job.”
11/26 “The Biden
administration is threatening Netanyahu. | Prime Minister Netanyahu in the
marathon of talks throughout the evening: The
cease-fire agreement is not ideal, but there is a real danger that the US will
impose on us in the United Nations Security Council a unilateral decision to
stop the war, when on the one hand there will be sanctions against us if we do
not stop, and on the other hand we will not have freedom of action in case of
violation. If this happens - we will get both a ceasefire and no agreement - so
if it is possible to postpone the end for two months and we have an American
commitment to strike for any violation, it is surely better than the
alternative.
. . . .I was in the hardware store today when a customer service rep
went on and on how wonderful Trump was. He was in Lebanon for 2 years (prior
war) sharing with me how important it is for us to finish the job, both north
and south. "The next two months cannot come soon enough".
11/22 Sally wrote “Daily it’s hard to see just how deep
and insidious our enemies are to exterminate us, just for being Jews. But like
a wound, its best to expose all the purulent drainage where the bacteria lies
before you begin to heal the wound. The tunnels, armaments, and plans are being exposed both in Gaza
and Lebanon slowly and methodically. It will take time, but the end will
produce a new understanding of the Middle East. God is in this war from the beginning, and is giving us the wisdom to
uncover tactical plans of the enemy. For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down
strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).
The training of hatred is deep and
generational: UNRAW Student, the solution for Jerusalem
| The people of Gaza are deeply
affected: Taken us back 200 years, Gazan workers blame Hamas | But some are waking up to the truth
and are not afraid to share: "Lebanese Academic: Palestinians Have No Right to Holy Land;
“Palestine” Was Not Mentioned in Quran"
From the Justers’ Restoration from Zion (Tikkun from Zion) Dan Juster updates “Your support for Restoration from Zion enables our involvements in many endeavors. So for
example, my work for the Bible College (in Israel) is at no cost to the
college in this crucial phase of getting off the ground. I have written much on
the College in past letters. The full time program has started with 18
students!
This
month I traveled to Vienna (Heinberg) for an important training meeting for new
diplomats for Toward Jerusalem Council II. This is our effort to see all
Church bodies come into alignment with Israel/the Jewish people and the
Messianic Jewish Community. It will culminate in a council. Senior leaders of
the TJCII movement spent five full days imparting to 15 younger future leaders
for this work.
Restoration From Zion is the International apostolic and equipping
ministry of Daniel and Patricia Juster based in Jerusalem and Benjamin and
Lorena Juster in the United States. The ministry purposes to form solid
networks of leaders around the world to partner towards the restoration of
five-fold ministry (Eph. 4:11-13), building up the body so that we can all
advance the unity of faith for Israel and the Church.
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