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Remembering is an Act of
Love
by Donna Diorio
I was inspired by Pastor Israel
Pochtar’s article title “Remembering as an Act of Love” and it reminded me of seeing the
exceptional artistry in the Star of David ‘engraved’ in the palm of a hand
drawn with such life-like excellence. When I went to find it on my Facebook
page, I saw it had been posted by the International House of Prayer Kansas
City.
Thank you to IHOPKC for posting this
exquisite drawing on Holocaust Memorial Day with the verse, “She is engraved on the palm of Your hand, Have Mercy toward her
Your name, your story, your people—forever held in the tenderness of His gaze”
To
the point of my using it here, lest we forget: In mid-April 2023 Mike
Bickle announced that he was calling for the IHOP Kansas City staff to drop
everything and go for a 21-day fast and prayer ahead of a May international
gathering of Christians in Jerusalem. Bickle knew that many of those
intercessory organizations did not have an inkling of what God is going to do
to restore salvation to Israel and the Jewish people. Not only did IHOPKC
get involved but almost the entire international network of prayer houses came
together for the prayer. Never – no not
ever – had such an event of Christians praying for Israel taken place. In my
own view, the spiritual backlash on IHOP has been crushing.
As soon as Bickle made the
announcement, for the first time ever I began to tune to the IHOP Global Prayer
Room daily. I have listened daily ever since as I work at my computer. The
worship pouring out of that 24/7 broadcast was and still is heavy with the anointing of God. When I am working and
listening, I am often draw to go to the open screen it is playing on because I
am touched with the presence of God in worship and in the prayers. I often cry
listening first to the worship but also to the prayers being prayed over
Israel. From April 2023 until today, I hear the prayers going up to God in the
name of Yeshua for Israel, for Israeli Ministries and for the
salvation and shalom over “all Israel.”
It is good always to acknowledge the good in people.
No matter what demeaning and condemning things you have heard, when their
hearts are grounded in the worship of God, lifting up prayers to God and standing
with in agreement with God’s Word for the salvation of Israel – this comes from
a good heart. A heart for God and with God. We cannot forget that. Their
remembrance of Israel, of the Holocaust, of the promise of God for the
salvation of Israel, is an act of love on their part, and I have no
doubt it will be accounted unto them as righteousness for their faith to keep
doing so.
Having done all, stand.
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries
Voice of Judah/Beit Hallel pastor Israel Pochtar on Holocaust Memorial Day: Remembering as
an Act of Love | This week, as the world
observes Holocaust Memorial Day, we are reminded of one of the darkest chapters
in human history. The Holocaust is not just a story of tragedy but of
resilience, faith, and the undeniable human spirit. Even though decades have
passed since the liberation of Auschwitz, the pain remains etched in the lives
of the survivors who endured its horrors. . . . The hatred that resurfaced
during Israel’s recent conflicts triggered painful memories of persecution,
fear, and rejection.... We believe that remembering the Holocaust is more than a duty;
it is an act of love….Read more
ALSO VIDEO
& Short ARTICLE Jerusalem: A
City of Promise, Conflict, and Glory | A Vision for
Revival: Beit Hallel’s New Evangelism and Discipleship Center In the vibrant city of Ashdod, Israel, something
extraordinary is taking shape. Beit Hallel Congregation is stepping into an
exciting new chapter with the creation of an Evangelism and Discipleship
Center. | Jerusalem
Outreach: Meeting Needs, Sharing Hope Every week, Beit Hallel Congregation’s
outreach team in Jerusalem witnesses the tangible love of God in action. | MUST READ THIS
OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT of Walking in
the Footsteps of Peter & Cornelius: A Day of Faith and Connection Last week, something truly special happened. Beit
Hallel’s follow-up team took a group of non-believers on an unforgettable
journey to the ancient cities of Jaffa and Caesarea. ….The day started in
Jaffa, a city that feels like stepping straight into the pages of the Bible.
The group gathered outside a house traditionally believed to be the place where
Peter received his vision—a vision that changed everything. … It’s hard not to
feel the weight of that moment while standing where it all began...more online
Michael Beener of the City of
Life in Sderot: Commemorating
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Memory, Resilience, and Hope
Read and Watch
Michael’s Video and click here to
learn more as they share the stories of Holocaust survivors in their area.
CONSTANT PERSECUTION ON OUR MINISTRY As many of you know, we have been going through
difficult times because of the constant pressure from local authorities,
influenced by ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremist groups (such as the
anti-missionary organization Yad L’Achim), who are trying to close our
distribution center and stop our congregation activities. They see our work and
the love and support we receive from thousands of local residents as a threat. This
situation has reached a critical point once again, and next Sunday February
2nd, we will face a new court hearing. . . .this court case began four and a half years ago
when the chief rabbis of the city unified their efforts and organized a major
demonstration in front of our ministry building. During this protest, a large
number of ultra-Orthodox leaders publicly declared that they would not stop
until they expelled the Messianics from the city. This demonstration
was accompanied by an extensive media campaign, with articles in major
newspapers like Yediot Aharonot, where they spread lies about our ministry and myself…. All of this is happening while, at the same
time, more and more families love and support us, relying on our ministry to
help them navigate their daily lives, especially during these incredibly
difficult times on the border with Gaza….WATCH OUR
VIDEO ABOUT THE CONSTANT PERSECUTION AND OUR NEXT CHAPTER AS A MINISTRY Whether
through prayer, financial support, or spreading the word, together we can face
this challenge and witness the Lord working miracles in the midst of adversity.
We trust that God has great plans for His work in Sderot. Thank you for walking
with us on this journey of faith. JOIN US NOW!
Avi Mizrachi of Dugit Messianic Outreach has a heart to do all
they can do toward the urgent needs of reserve soldiers “—a high percentage
of the reserve soldiers who have been called up to combat units over the last
13 months exhibit PTSD symptoms, such as complex emotions related to the
harm or loss of their comrades. These courageous soldiers and their
spouses need our immediate help.
The
ongoing war is exposing our IDF reserve soldiers to severely traumatic
combat experiences, particularly in Gaza and the surrounding area. The
horror of the initial days of fighting has led to many Israeli casualties,
hundreds of abductions, and heavy losses among our IDF soldiers.”
Stefan Silver, a pastor at Kerem-El congregation, brings an update for
his parents David & Josie Silver’s Out
of Zion Ministries. Stefan updates on the hostages and writes, “In Israel, emotions are peaking as the nation
attempts to balance joy for the return of hostages with the heavy cost of
releasing abhorrent murderers. Families who lost their loved ones to terrorist
attacks are understandably torn, leading to widespread debate over the moral
implications of the deal. While the deal is met with significant controversy,
most Israelis support it despite the difficult decision to release murderous
terrorists with blood on their hands, some serving many life sentences for the
heinous acts they committed. The situation presents a painful moral and social
dilemma, but most feel there is no alternative if it means bringing the
hostages home. The terrorists can be dealt with later, the hostages have no
time left. . . . President Trump's stern warnings leading up to his
inauguration had a significant impact on finalizing the deal last week and the
initial hostage release on Sunday. It will no doubt continue to shape the
events going forward as well. . . .We
ask for prayers during this time: pray for the rest of the hostages to be
released as planned, for wisdom and guidance for Israel’s leaders and those
involved in the tough mediation efforts. | Read the Silver’s teachings and view their VIDEOS
Daniel Yahav who pastors The Face of God Fellowship in
Tiberias gives an update of the funeral
of a young soldier from his congregation in Tiberias, Aviel . Afterwards, he
gives an update of the hostages. This is a 7:47 YouTube VIDEO
Chaim Malespin, the Faithful Galilean & Aliyah Return Center
writes, Have
the Mediators Been Neutral? “And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.” Matthew 6:11-13 Watch
here
He also writes about the fig tree
that Yeshua cursed that bore no fruit in
the spring. He says the early figs are not nearly as tasty as the figs of the
late season, “However, if the fig tree does not produce even the immature
figs, the delicious sweet figs will not grow either…. A tree that bears
no fruit, in the Bible is symbolic as being barren or lacking in righteousness….
In three of the gospel accounts, Yeshua speaks about the fig tree and
bearing fruit. In the account in Matthew 21:18–22 and Mark 11:12–14, Yeshua
curses the fruitless fig tree. This speaks of the consequences of being
unfruitful; lacking righteousness, obedience, faith and repentance. However, in Luke 13:6–9, the vinedresser requests to fertilize the unfruitful fig tree, which
is a demonstration of God’s mercy and desire to help cultivate in us the
fruits of righteousness. [dd: who are those who pray for Israel’s salvation if not vinedressers?!]
In John 15:5, Yeshua says to His
disciples: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in
you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” How do we
remain in Him? For one, Yeshua is called the Living Word. The word of God
brings life. I encourage you to be curious, study the Bible. Ask questions, and
explore the truth of God’s word. And if I could add one more thing, is to not
only read the Bible, but to keep it and to do what it says. So this is my prayer for myself, for all of
us, and for my nation Israel, is that we would be fruitful trees, bearing an
abundance of fruits of righteousness!
Reuven Doron’s excellent REND YOUR HEART goes
into the prophecies of Joel 2: “Joel’s prophecy delivers some of the most
intense biblical warnings and promises covering God’s disciplinary judgments,
healing, and eventual blessings…. The bridge between the judgments and
the blessings is found in the words quoted above. “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with
mourning …(and) rend your heart …” Here lies the secret of our healing. The true God of Creation and the Author of our
Salvation has a heart! He wants His people to come to Him; to plead with Him;
to trust in Him; and to know Him. In
fact, our God designed the entirety of this age and the whole of human history
for this one purpose and one purpose only - to make a people for Himself. A
people who love Him, who are fashioned into His image, and who will go on with
Him into eternity never to die again. Everything else in our lives is
subservient to this great purpose, a mere background noise.
…. Israel’s
heart is breaking these days as our hostages are trickling back in small weekly
increments of immense joy mingled with indescribable pain. In payment for
their release, IDF forces are retreating from strategic territories captured in
Gaza and Lebanon by the blood of our sons, while hundreds of terrorists are
being released weekly from Israeli jails, many of whom are murderous monsters….
Millions of Israelis are asking “How compromised and weak is our national
leadership? They not only didn’t prepare the nation for the increasing dangers,
but also led us into this scandalous and humiliating conclusion of this war!” Yet, is there more than
meets the eye to this great global game of seduction and confusion for the
purposes of control? We will address some of the answers to
these disturbing questions in the following paragraphs (read online
here), but the prophetic answer
is simple. If we are not in a position to “rend our own hearts”
in hope for the Lord’s mercies and healing, then the Lord God of
Israel Himself, according to His
eternal plan, will “rend it for us.”
To
partner with Reuven, visit https://pushpay.com/g/reuven or email us at reuvendoron@gmail.com for more
information.
Norma S
From this
Mountain thoughts from
Mt. Zion And my word is…I
have only done this once before...thought of a 'word' for the year. I know we
are almost one month into it, but a few weeks ago I wrote down the word 'hope'.
I really have no other word to describe what my heart longs for...hope for
Israel, hope for prodigals, hope for hostages, hope for
healings, hope for the Body, hope for salvation of Jews. I could
list many more 'hope fors' because they are in my heart every day. Continues online
Such a touching January Update from Dov Bikas who Tel Aviv outreach receives volunteers
from congregations all over Israel to minister to the addicts and those trapped
in sex work on the streets. This is where Israelis on their last leg of
societal outcast come to live, and this is where Dov and the ministry
volunteers feed them, treat their wounds and minister to them. This update
contained the situation of a man who came from Ukraine, has no family in
Israel, was in a dire state of addiction – then they saw he was not eating,
took him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He doesn’t
have much time left but he has opened his heart to God. Please pray for
Valeriy.
Also they tell of taking in two
women into the Women’s Shelter – making an exception knowing that both were
alcoholics. They took them in because they were both in such critical
situations with violence from their husbands. In time both returned to alcohol
even in the shelter and the decision was made to transfer them to a Christian
ministry that dealt with their condition. So the Aviv Center was asking
themselves, did we do wrong bringing them in? They soon got the answer when both
of the woman shared how the ministry of Yeshua had given them an excellent
start to recovery from alcoholism that they wanted to continue to build on
spiritually. Pray for this special ministry “to least of these”. As Dove
writes, “Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers! Please feel free to
share your prayers requests with us too anytime!” Donation Info
From Tikkun Global in Jerusalem this VIDEO “Face Time” with the Father from Asher Intrater “Our goal is to hear Him say, “You, also, are my son and daughter and I am well pleased with you.” | ALSO The phrase “Jesus is Palestinian” is a false narrative aimed at distorting history and erasing Jesus’s Jewish identity to promote Palestinian claims to the land. In Release the Prime Hostage Held by Palestine: Jesus! Sebastian van Wessem discusses the implications of this revisionism for Christianity and Judaism, warning against accepting fabricated doctrines that undermine biblical truths. | God is reconciling Jew and Gentile together "in His flesh" through the cross of Christ. This powerful work of Jesus is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant and is at the heart of God's redemptive plan for both Jews and Gentiles. Read the book by Ariel Blumenthal One New Man.
Kobi and Shani Ferguson of Maoz Israel
write, For the past 49 years Maoz has had ONE VISION - Building a community of believers
in Israel! This vision, built on
FOUR KEYSTONES has guided us through both fruitful and difficult times in
Israel. Even now, as Israel continues to wrestle with multiple enemy fronts, we
find these four keystones applying to every part of our lives and work. So,
check out the
Four Keystone video to look back with us at God’s faithfulness and look
ahead with us towards His promises.
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to
the Maoz Israel YouTube Channel to be notified of new war updates and the Maoz TV
show! | Support
Israel's Salvation | Don't miss the
new song release by Illit Ferguson,
Elijah Davis and Siyona Adranly!
The Revive Israel team write, “The
past few weeks in Israel have been an emotional rollercoaster. From the release of hostages to the ongoing
tension at our borders, the reality around us has been incredibly challenging.
Many of us are glued to the news, hoping and praying for more positive updates.
We ask you to continue standing with us in prayer for all those returning from
captivity—that they may experience healing in body, soul, and spirit, and come
to know the grace of God through Messiah Yeshua. Despite the challenges we
face, there is an overwhelming sense of joy and fruitful activity within our
community! Our Friday Market continues to flourish, attracting many
Israelis each week—some hearing about Yeshua for the first time.
We also ask for your prayers for
Raphael and Liel and their family as they leave for a two-week trip to Brazil.
During this time, they will visit several congregations, teaching, and
strengthening the dear relationships Revive Israel has with the believers in
Brazil.
Sally Shiff in Kfar Saba, and from the HaMayaan congregation writes,” Seven more home!
Home at last,
Israeli newspapers | Three more expected tomorrow including The father
of the Bibas children. And the American held hostage since Oct 7. Still no
official word on the rest of the Bibas family, But I am sure we will hear soon. Meanwhile, let’s celebrate the return of all the
soldiers (5 of them) who were outlooks on the border. They are finally reunited:
The journey of our
released
From the
IDF: Overnight (Thursday), with the direction of IDF intelligence, the IAF
struck multiple Hezbollah terrorist targets in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon that
posed a threat to the Israeli Home Front and IDF troops. The targets that were
struck include a Hezbollah terrorist site containing underground
infrastructure, used to develop and manufacture weaponry and additional
terrorist infrastructure sites on the Syrian-Lebanese border used by Hezbollah
to smuggle weaponry into Lebanon.
1/30
Twenty-nine miles from where I live in Kfar Saba, in central Israel is
Jenin, a Hamas hold out. I want to show you what they have found in that town. Exclusive
footage from the IDF (English subtitles).
The main plan
that was supposed to happen October 7, 2023 was for Israel to be invaded from
the north, south (Gaza) and central (Judea and Samaria). Now 16 months later,
Israel is methodically eradicating our enemy on all fronts. But it will take
time. But I wanted to highlight just
how close I am to the front. Since I live central, 29 miles from the north,
south and central is how close I am. More hostages are coming back to Israel
today and Saturday :)
I am
leaving tomorrow for the states, and will try to give you a wonderful
update of their return. But due to travel, I will be out of pocket for the
weekend. Pray for the safety and protection of my friends and family here in
Israel, and travelling mercies for me.
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