Christmas is Coming! & Hanukkah too!
Why this Israeli-Born
Messianic Jew
Loves Christmas
Watch this Excellent Spiritual 13-minute Video sabra-Israeli Reuven Doron on his love of Christmas, the 300 prophetic scriptures that will be declared in Christmas services soon, the writings of Isaiah (Israel’s Shakespeare!), the sudden fall of Syria, and the real reason we are seeing so much of the church’s dirty laundry aired: Because God loves His children, that’s why He corrects us not to destroy us, but to restore us! “A child was born, but a Son was given.”
Subscribe to Reuven’s YouTube channel.
Next week my prayer summaries will come as usual, but the following week Is the one I’m taking off until the 2025 New Year’s issue. If you could, your financial support would surely make our Christmas bright.
God bless all of you celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, we have much to be thankful for because the Light of the World has come. Donna
As I write these are the prophetic rounds encased in Christmas hymns in worship set I am listening to from IHOPKC “O come, o come, Immanuel – You’re stirring up Your Church, You’re stirring up Your Bride – and ransom captive Israel! We go up the mount of the LORD to declare the Songs of Zion!”
Since December 1st I have been doing a daily series on The Songs of Ascent that I believe are for us as we press into the “one new man” God seeks from us. Posting this weekend on Fruit of the Fig Tree blog.
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
Avner Boskey of Final Frontier
Ministries publishes his articles with a Messianic prophetic eye on their
(his & Rachel’s) website, David’s Tent.
I have said it many times, but Avner is especially gifted with taking the
prophetic things unfolding and then documenting the biblical and historic
background that is involved here. Well grounded, informative and will arm you
with knowledge most Christians do not have on what they are seeing unfold in
the Middle East. I loved Avner’s opening shot in Dividing the baby: “The
wisdom of Solomon was like a prophetic word (see 1
Corinthians 14:24-25), revealing the secrets of men’s hearts.”
DD: It is a truth that can give
us discernment in so many complicated dilemmas over who is telling the truth –
the one who would give up the baby rather than see it cut into, or the one who
is so intent on getting their “due” that they don’t care about the baby’s death
from being split into.
Be sure to read Dividing the
baby - Part 1 of 3 | and Part 2 of 3
“The God of Jacob uses the Middle East to divide
people’s hearts.”
Also, Avner finishes up his Sons of
the Pioneers series “this four-part series looks at a some of the October 2023
events, in parallel to similar events which occurred during the October 1973
Yom Kippur War (as described in Part Two of our newsletter). Read Sons of the
Pioneers Pt 3 of 4 and Sons of the
Pioneers Pt 4 of 4.
ARC’s Chaim Malespin
filed this report by his daily videos
as soon as the news hit President
Assad Has Fled Syria! If you want that kind of immediate
information, Chaim is in active reserves and does a video daily.
He also writes, “Our prayer is that God's
Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. May it be so in
the Middle East! … Currently, Israel has reinforced its border with Syria and
is closely monitoring the situation, prepared to defend itself. Additionally,
Jordan, Iran, Hezbollah terrorist groups, and all surrounding nations are
concerned about this development. Please keep this situation in your
prayers.
Nachalat Yeshua (Yeshua’s Inheritance) pastor Howard Bass also writes about the fall
of the Syrian regime. “The Assad family
rule in Syria has fallen after 53 brutal years, with the last 25 years - since
2000 - being under the authoritarian son, Dr. Bashar Al-Assad. Especially
since the Islamic Winter, which began in 2011, (it was never an Arab Spring), his dictatorial regime has brutally
murdered around 400,000 civilian citizens of his own country, not to mention
the many others affected by that horror and destruction. The Assad family were Alawite Muslims,
neither directly Shia or Sunni but they aligned themselves with Iran, which is
Shia. The historic animosity and hostility between these two "families
of faith, religion, politics" have to do with who thinks the rightful heir
to Mohammed is and who is to be the Caliph of the Islamic Caliphate….Turkey
leads the Sunni drive for supremacy. The rebels who overthrew Assad are Sunnis,
which has threatened Iran's plans and efforts to surround Israel with its
proxies. It is truly the global intifada/determined
hateful violent overthrow against the rightful rule of the true God of Heaven
and Earth, and the Seas -- and all that is in them. It is the satanic
spirit manifested in and through Esau… due to his unrepentance with respect
to his own carnal desire which he prioritized over the eternal interests
of YHVH….. That bitter root in Esau will not be satisfied unless it can kill
Jacob (the Jewish people).
“….Just as the world and Israel were
thinking that some sort of ceasefire and deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon and
with Hamas in Gaza ….this quick overthrow of the Damascus government has again
raised the temperature and volatility of the tempest. … given some of
the Scriptures speaking of the time of the end in Daniel, that Israel
will succeed in its objectives of weakening further Iran's own capabilities,
or break its will to assert its own supremacy in the Middle East and the
Islamic world, which will cause devastating effects in the rest of the world.
The dreams and vision of the prophet all have to do with the
"end-times" with some partial fulfillment in degree along the way.
This is similar to Yeshua's explanation of events to His disciples regarding
His return at the fulfillment of "all these things which must take place." Are we preparing
ourselves even mentally that these things may be possible in our own
lifetime?” (Great question, Howard.)
“Meanwhile,
and through all this, His commission to us, His believers and disciples, until
the end is to evangelize the by the gospel/good news, make disciples of those
who believe, and sanctify ourselves in the hope of His coming.”
Jackie Santoro, Ahavat Yeshua & Zion’s
Glory, writes, “This is such an amazing time in history and it feels as
everything is changing at lightning speed!” She
writes the Sunni rebels who overthrew the Assad govt had been able to do so
because of Israel decimating Hezballah’s fighting strength. Hezballah fought
the rebels in protection of Assad because of their ties to Shia Iran. With
Hezballah hit so hard, Assad was forced to flee suddenly ahead to the Sunni
terrorists. Now Jackie notes that “the new leader is saying Syria will be a
free country with good peaceful relations with all their neighbors, other
fighters are saying that this victory is just the first of many which will
eventually lead to Jerusalem!” Israel was not taking any chances attacking
and destroying “80% of Syrian military capabilities including their Air
Force. Israel remains on high alert as the security situation is very unstable.
In Gaza, she reports, fighting
continues but there is hope arising for a hostage release in the coming weeks.
And as if there were not enough pressures on the Israeli leadership, the
parties are still playing political games to the detriment of Israel: “…for the first time in Israel's history, a sitting Prime Minister
is being required by the court to appear three times a week for 6 hours a day
to testify in the criminal proceedings against him. Netanyahu is defending various
felony charges in a case which has been ongoing for 8 years. In spite of the multi
front war, hostage talks and events in Syria, his
request for a delay was rejected and he had to begin his court appearances
yesterday, estimated to last at least a few months. Please pray for God's will to be done in all
these situations.
Jackie also writes, “As soon as Trump was elected, it felt as if there
had been a major victory in the spirit realm and that there was a new opening
in the heavens. Amazingly, Iran
withdrew its threats for an even more intense attack against Israel immediately
as the election was called. The heavy oppressive spirit coming against us
was suddenly gone…. We definitely seem to be entering a new chapter and
we look forward to good things happening. President elect Trump has said he
wants the hostages returned and peace in the Middle East before he takes
office. Somehow his very strong presence seems to exert an influence that
changes situations, not just in Israel but throughout the world!” [DD: Proof of
Proverbs 29:2]
“….No matter what we see in the
natural, we know who God is and believe His word that He who guards Israel
neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is working all things together for the good. And we wait on Him to do all that He has in
His heart to accomplish with this people He has called His own.
Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel in
Ashdod, and Voice of Judah ministries writes
“Christmas
is a season rooted in the incredible story of Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, born
in Bethlehem—a humble town just a short distance from Jerusalem. His birth wasn’t just another moment in history; it
transformed the course of humanity, bringing life, hope, and salvation to a
broken world. For millions around the globe, Christmas is a time to reflect
on and celebrate this extraordinary gift. But here in Israel, the very
land that witnessed the Messiah’s arrival, the true meaning of Christmas
remains largely unknown. How can this be?” Learn how you can help his team
change that. Read Jerusalem
Evangelism: A Christmas that will echo in Eternity
He also sends out this call Reshaping of
the Middle East: A Call to Prayer for Syria, Israel, and the Region:
“We
are living in prophetic times, where the reshaping of the Middle East is
unfolding before our very eyes. God’s hand is at work, even in the midst of the
turmoil.” Read in full online. ALSO: Rest Stops
on the Journey: Refreshing the Shepherds of Israel in Cyprus | “The road of ministry is a long and demanding
one. A few years ago, I was blessed to sit with older, seasoned
pastors—faithful men who have dedicated their lives to serving God’s people.
They shared something that deeply impacted me: the vital importance of rest,
replenishment, and restoration in the Lord.”
Join in their important humanitarian
outreach: Beit Hallel
Clothing Project – Clothing Hearts with Hope & God’s Love. And
read this article I got notice of from other sources with Mission Network News featuring Beit Hallel's Youth
Pastor, Sasson Pochtar: “We’re fighting against terror, and we’re fighting
spiritual warfare as well.” While
Israel’s military faces challenges, believers in the IDF offer hope
Rania Sayegh of the House of
Prayer & Exploits in Nazareth writes of their 20th
Anniversary of ministry. “ 20 Years of Faithfulness: This
milestone anniversary has reminded us of the countless ways God has carried us
through the seasons. He has built this House of Prayer through your love, support,
and partnership. Each moment this year
has been a testimony of His goodness, and none of it would have been possible
without you. Your prayers, encouragement, and generosity have made an eternal
impact.
As we look to 2025, we believe God is inviting us to
dream even bigger—to equip more
prayer warriors, empower more worshippers, and prepare for a new wave of His
Spirit. And we want to invite you into this journey. Kindly take a moment to listen to this
heartfelt message from Rania Sayegh.
The ministry is prayer and
worship and connecting with international believers as a truly “one new man”
Christian Arab ministry in Israel. The other mighty work HOPE does is in
bringing Christian Arab women to answer God’s call “to rise
as leaders, intercessors, and carriers of His light.” This is done in Rania’s
extraordinary Arab Deborah's Arising Conferences – the last of which
brought 180 Arab women to respond to God’s call with the “Spirit of God stirred
hearts in powerful ways, planting seeds that will bear eternal fruit.”
Maoz ministries Kobi & Shani Ferguson
share I Stand with Israel stories, like the Sports and
Leadership summer camps they support through the generosity of those who
give to I Stand with Israel
Dec 9: Syria has fallen! War update | Watch now
The
destruction of Damascus will be another milestone for the prophecy to be
fulfilled before the return of Messiah Yeshua. This is what will
bring Israel to the place of searching for Him as written in Isaiah 17:7
- In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy
One of Israel. Your continued prayers for Israel, the
land and people are greatly appreciated.”
From Orna Grinman’s A Sign & Example blog A Tale of
Two Trunks | December 9, 2024| Shoshi is
one of my besties. Our relationship goes back 35 years. For her birthday this
year, she asked us to take her to some war sites around the Gaza strip. As
settlements and businesses start to recover, Israelis make an effort to shop
there as much as they can. So last week a group of us headed south, and among
other places, visited a nursery with a unique orchard of olive trees.
The
owner, Tamir, walked with us through the orchard and shared his experience of
loss and pain. He lost over 50 of his friends and relatives on that fateful day
of October 7th. But from the ashes, he is determined to rise up, rebuild and
restore. By telling his story in details, to an audience that just wants to be
there for him, seems to be part of his own healing process.
The trees
he grows tell the story of a nation - that of redemption, restoration, and
resilience in face of attempts to exterminate us. So symbolic! And such an
experience! Click title to read in full online
Michael Beener who leads the Sderot congregation (whose birthday is today!
Happy birthday Michael!) called the City
of Life (Ir HaHaim) writes about blessing the children and families of
Sderot in the upcoming Hannukah celebration. Hannukah
Celebration for Sderot’s children and their families – JOIN US!
Learn more by accessing this online.
Did you know that this congregation
got it’s name to counter the name that Hamas taunted the citizens of Sderot
with calling them “the city of the dead.” They called them that because they
were the closest Israeli city to Gaza and took crazy rocket fire from
terrorists for years. They were continually bombarded by Gaza simply because of
their proxity. Michael and Dina came to set up their ministry here on purpose
to bring the help so desperately needed by the poor in Sderot. (Of course they
were poor – because they would have moved away if they could have!) They have
been a great blessing to their city and other close by Israeli cities. You can
help with their many humanitarian projects visiting their website.
Did
you know that Hannukah and Christmas are falling on the same day this year?
It is pretty rare – I think maybe 20 years was the last time and it will not
happen again for 11 more years. Both holidays are about the Light and we know
that Yeshua is the Light of the world. Whatever the traditions, let us take
time to focus on the real miracle of the entrance of the Light of world into
the earth in the flesh of a tiny baby. Yeshua came in fulfillment of God’s
promise to Israel to send them a Messiah. God is most mysterious, doing things
in ways we cannot figure out, but we have His Word and we take them by faith,
that before all is over, Israel will know this Light of the world truly is
ISRAEL’s Messiah. A reason to rejoice.
The Tikkun Global headquarters is located
at the center of prolonged conflict, racial tensions, and seemingly
insurmountable divisions. Yet, we also have a unique perspective on the
miraculous reconciliation and restoration that Yeshua offers. Right here in the heart of Jerusalem,
the testimony and love of Yeshua shine brightly and vibrantly. Believers from every part of the One
New Man live with hope, even as the world grows darker, and we move through
the complex events of the end times.
The Messianic remnant is being
established in Israel, and the international Church is embracing its Jewish
roots at an unprecedented pace. Christian Arabs and Messianic Jews are
being restored into a restored Abrahamic family of faith, demonstrating
God's love amid the political tensions in the Middle East. Scripture promises that this long-awaited alignment will usher in an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading up to the second coming of Yeshua
(Jesus). This synergy within the body of believers is advancing God's
eternal purpose for the kingdom of Messiah on earth, with its capital in
Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is where we have been called to labor, stretch, plant,
nurture, harvest, and ENLARGE the “tent” of this ministry. This is our home and
the headquarters of our Tikkun Global team. As we approach the end of 2024, we invite
you to continue to support
our work with a special year-end donation.
WATCH Part 7 of Ariel Blumenthal’s The
Fullness Formula: God’s Call to Israel and the Nations Together Ariel
focuses in on The Olive Tree—Holy Root, Holy Branches and Holy Fruit—from
Romans 11:16-23. Paul’s audience in Rome had Jewish believers and gentile followers
of Yeshua. In order to grasp the full meaning of the Olive Tree parable, we
need to put ourselves “in their shoes,” and imagine how they—especially the
gentiles to whom this section is addressed—would have heard the apostle’s
teaching. … Not understanding and
defining these terms accurately has led the church to great confusion,
replacement theology, and a tragic history of anti-semitism. Let’s go
through these verses together and take the time to make sure our understanding
of the text is biblically sound, fitting the context of Paul’s ministry to Jews
and gentiles in the Roman empire. Let’s take His warning not to be arrogant
seriously. WATCH!
Commanded to Bring Comfort, but How? | by Guy Cohen of Harvest of Asher in
Akko, Israel | Through Isaiah
God commands us, “Comfort my people.” How can we do this effectively if we are
overwhelmed by fear, confusion or lack of faith?
Pastor Gil Afrait of the Tel Aviv Tiferet Yeshua congregation writes about “A
Radically Shifting Middle East”. He notes “The Assad regime was a last
chokehold that the Iranian Ayatollahs had put around Israel through Hezbollah
in Lebanon, Assad in Syria, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip…. No matter where
you watch your news in Israel, everyone is saying the same 3 things: that the fall of the Assad regime in Syria
is historic, that it is a direct result of Israel's military achievements
against Hezbollah, and that these events signal a new Middle East.
“Everyone is also speculating
that Israel's next step is to take out or dramatically set back the Iranian
nuclear program (in October Israel destroyed almost all of Iran's air
defense systems after Iran launched over 200 ballistic missile at Israel on
Oct. 1st). “
DONNA:
That is EXACTLY what my email inbox is filled – that Israel is taking it under
great consideration to do so now! With
the drones that are swarming around sensitive military and govt sites the last
three weeks in the US, and the fingerpointing to the Iranian “mothership” in
the Atlantic launching the drones – this may be the PERFECT moment for Israel
to do such a thing!
Gil
continues to say, “As we watch these dramatic events unfolding, we remember
our chief desire is to see spiritual revival in Israel and the Middle East
among Israel’s enemies. Please join us in praying that: God would
pour out His Spirit on the people of Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Iran and reveal
Himself to many | God would protect Muslim-background believers in Syria, many
of whom are fleeing the Islamist rebels (there are rumors of atrocities being
committed by both the rebels and the Assad regime). He asks prayers over the
release of the hostages, and writes: “Spiritual Revival in Israel | At
Tiferet Yeshua, we continue in the calling God has given us to preach the
Gospel and make disciples. Just this week, a woman Moti and Kosta were
discipling committed her life to Yeshua in water immersion. Please join us in
prayer that: God would protect her from all attacks of the enemy and strengthen
her by His Spirit to continue growing and maturing in her faith and in the
knowledge of the Lord | She would connect with other believers, be encouraged
and begin serving in her giftings | God would protect and grant a powerful
revelation of the truth to the other seekers and new believers who are studying
right now with Kosta and Moti | Coming into agreement with God's perfect
will is perhaps the most impactful thing we can do in any situation, and we
thank you for standing in faith for the people of Israel and the Middle East!
I have sat on this all month because I didn’t know exactly how to handle it
because really the pictures of the areas to visit and Guest House that the Haifa congregation Return
to Zion are so enticing, it
seemed a shame not to run it in full…I just can’t so I want to do the next best
thing and ask you to go to the trouble of emailing them for a copy of the 11/25
email: Coming to Israel? Book your stay in the Return to Zion Guest
House. It is a guest house that can accommodate
12 guests, close to the Mediterranean Sea and a great hub location for visiting
so many popular sites in Israel. You can get the lowdown on all that Email here. They can save you a bundle on
hotel prices and give your group a real taste of Israel at the same time. If I
were going to Israel, I would MAKE
RESERVATIONS here in a New York minute!
Evan writes, “Your gift today helps us continue to stand with the
Lord’s people, serving them with Yeshua’s abundant compassion and love. We couldn’t do this without you…” | Follow HaTikva Project and HaTikva Families on Facebook to see beautiful pictures and updates
of the lives you are touching!
Lastly is the report in from Succat
Hallel from Tal Rosenfeld and the
Dor Haba Team. Dor Haba means “Rising Generation” and is one of the many
youth-oriented ministries in Israel. Succat Hallel, is of course, the 24/7
worship and prayer ministry and Dor Haba came out of that with summer camps and
Youth Prayer meetings in Jerusalem. They also have prayer watches for kids aged 5-12 who pray “pray for the
soldiers, for the government, for salvation of Jews and Muslims, for revival in
the Middle East, for unity in the body, and more. They pick prayer topics and
scriptures to pray from, as well as worship songs. The
children lead a total of four hours a week, and the teenagers lead another five
hours.”
DONNA: This is something to sit up and take notice
of – because Yeshua quoted Psalm 8:2 “Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings You have ordained strength because of Your enemies, that You
might still the enemy and the avenger.” Yeshua said it this way, “And
Jesus said to them, Yes; have you never
read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have perfected praise?"
(To support their many youth
ministries Giving is
easy. Please click here.)
Donation Information: PayPal ArrowsDDiorio@protonmail.com (If you prefer Zelle or Venmo, email me and I will send your a money request.) By postal mail make donations payable to the order of Donna Diorio
P O
Box 111302 Carrollton, Texas 75006
| I do not have tax exempt
status.
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