This past year has been a sobering
reminder to us here in Israel that no matter how often loss visits, you never
truly grow accustomed to it. The pain of losing someone you love never dulls
with time or experience—it remains a wound that cuts deep every time.
A few days ago, Pastor Israel turned
52, a day that should have been filled with celebration. Yet, it was marked by
a sorrow he never expected. He received the heartbreaking news that his dear
friend, Greg Ranney, had passed away.
Greg was more than a friend—he was a
man of deep faith, a devoted husband and father, and a faithful supporter of
Israel and her people. His love for God and people was unwavering, and his
sudden departure left a void that words cannot fill. The weight of this loss
was even heavier knowing that Greg’s burial would take place on Pastor Israel’s
birthday.
Though he found comfort in the
assurance that Greg was now in the presence of the Lord, knowing he had fought
the good fight, he finished his race and kept the faith, the grief was
undeniable. And yet, even in the midst of sorrow, Pastor Israel did what Greg
himself would have encouraged him to do—he stepped onto the pulpit and
preached. In honoring Greg’s life, he continued in the very mission they both
cherished: sharing the love and truth of God’s Word.
Then, something unexpected happened.
During the service, as the offering was being collected, one of the pastors
stepped forward and played a special video—a heartfelt tribute to Pastor
Israel’s life and ministry. The congregation had prepared a beautiful surprise,
showering him with prayers, words of gratitude, and a celebration of his 52
years of life and service.
In that moment, the weight of grief
gave way, if only for a little while, to the warmth of love. Joy broke through
the sorrow. The embrace of his spiritual family reminded him that he was not
alone, that even in pain, God’s faithfulness shines through.
His birthday became a day of both
mourning and rejoicing—grieving the loss of a beloved friend, yet finding
strength in the love of those around him and the comforting presence of the
Holy Spirit. What began as a day of sorrow ended with renewed hope, a testament
to God’s promise to be near to the brokenhearted.
They say grief is the price of love,
but perhaps it is also the space where love is most profoundly revealed. In our
moments of deepest sorrow, we can lean on the faithfulness of God, trusting
that He will bring healing, renewal, and the promise of reunion with those who
have gone before us. As Isaiah 61:3 reminds us, He will give us “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.”
And in that truth, we find our peace.
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
Eitan Shishkoff, founder
of
Fields of Wheat, an equipping
ministry from the youth of Israeli believing families. Eitan writes about the recently
past youth camp that comes with the backdrop of war, and why it is such a
necessity to prepare the faith foundation of these young people who will so
quickly be of military serve age. The backdrop of war that Israel faces is
enough to shake adult believers, how much more must the younger generation be
rooted and grounded the things of our faith that are able to carry us through
even the darkest of times. Eitan speaks of the funeral just held for a
Messianic Jewish IDF soldier who was just laid to rest, killed in battle with
Gazan terrorists. That weighs on FOW youth camps. It is not just some place to
send the teens for a little recreation, but a spiritual deepening
gathering. Here are two memorials to the
slain soldier – now in Heaven! – from IDF Staff
Sergeant Aviel Wiseman remembered: A Life Marked by purpose and a commitment to
serve).Eitan wrote Saluting Aviel. It’s not just the young men who
serve, but the young women too. Eitan writes of 4 young female hostages who
were just released from their long captivity in Gaza “who were snatched from
their posts on an army base bordering Gaza while 15 of their fellow
surveillance personnel were murdered in cold blood. Their duty was to watch
the fence separating Israel and Gaza, staring at live footage for hours every
day, carefully noting and reporting any suspicious activity. They could see
that a serious incursion was coming. Tragically, their months
of repeated warnings went unheeded.” [DD: The generals ignored the 4 women who
observed suspicious movements, reporting them only to those who didn’t see, so
didn’t believe.]
Eitan continues, “Many young
women from within Israel’s Messianic community have served and are serving
as border lookouts. I’ve described their vital role and the tireless
dedication required to fulfill it. And many young Messianic men like Aviel and
the family men who are reservists have given months on end to defend us on the
battlefield (see Joel’s FOW update of January 10, 2025). …Our role as a
ministry dedicated to equipping youth and young adults is so connected with the
military service they perform so soon after being with us. We Invite you to Equip
Future Soldiers with us Pray
for Divine guidance in preparing for our next
camp, Passover 2025, in April. Give to Help
Us Equip our Youth
You can
Listen to or
Read this article(s) that Maoz ministries put out like this one on
the new Syrian leader that overthrew the old Syrian despot. The new guy – sent by
Turkey – is “a former Al-Qaeda leader has
rebranded himself as Syria’s new "moderate" leader—and the West is
listening. Is this the start of a new radical Islamic state? And what does this
mean for the small minority of Christians or the freedom of the Gospel?” [The
West loves hearing stuff like this from Islamist terrorists, that they can
actually turn over a new leaf. Total bull, of course.] Go here to read or
listen to Terrorist Extreme Makeover: Rebranding
The Terrorist.
Shani and Kobi Ferguson who head the
ministry also invite you to Listen to the lyric
video for Maoz Music’s latest release, “Or HaOlam” (Light of the World) Written by Denis Gorodishtian
Again, I am stirred by reading Reuven
Doron’s El
Qanna | Our Jealous
God. His spiritual depth is compelling, prophetic vision
enlightening, and understanding of the times piercing. Read it all on Facebook.
Also listen to you will enjoy this short video about the almond trees blossoming
in Israel and what God had to say about that in His Word.
Orna Grinman of A
Sign & Example (Ot Oo’Mofet) sent a really strong take on Trump, destroying Hamas
and what the prophets actually had to say about that particular strip of land
we know as Gaza in her blog post The Future of
Gaza. Here is a small tease in what she wrote:
What excites me the most
is the following promises: whoever will remain there will belong to God and
will be like “a leader” or “a champion in Judah.”
More from the Faithful Galilean
of the Aliyah Return Center,
Chaim Malespin: “We need to pray for the hostages! We are still trying to get over the shock of the
condition of the 3 hostages that were released yesterday. It was very
emotional to know that some of their spouses and children would not be
there to welcome some of them home. For two of the hostages, both of their
wives were murdered by Hamas on October 7th. And sadly, they only learned
the truth of the situation upon their return back to Israel. Today there are still 76 hostages
still left in Gaza. After witnessing the terrible condition of these 3
hostages, the hostage families are calling for the hostages be released all at
once!”
In
another mailing Chaim sent, he asks, “What is the future of Gaza? Did Trump Read Zechariah Nine? | “‘the
king shall perish from Gaza…but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for
our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah” Zechariah 9:5b+7b | He writes much more, but
notes this “In Trump’s words, he says that the current state in Gaza is dangerous and many areas
unlivable for people. It’s also illegal
according to international law for Egypt and Jordan to refuse asylum for
refugees… Not to mention that many booby traps that Hamas placed in several
tunnel shafts and houses in Gaza pose as a threat to safety. And to leave
Gaza as it is, will not solve the conflict.”
Chaim
writes lastly, “Our prayer is that this would be the last conflict that we
have with Gaza. May righteousness prevail, Let’s continue to pray over the situation and
hope for Gods prophetic word to be fulfilled in Zechariah chapter 9 read it… It
is best. HELP US MAKE
AN IMPACT
There is a testimony in Avi Mizrachi’s latest Dugit report that gave me cold chills to read! The
good kind of cold chills. Avi writes, “You may know the
Lord has put it on our hearts to host an annual women’s conference that we
call Bat Zion (Hebrew for “Daughter of Zion”). This year, the Bat Zion
Women’s Conference will be held in March…. we have invited women from
across the nation to lift their hearts and voices in prayer for healing, hope,
and salvation. We will bus them from wherever they live to our gathering.
So many of these women have endured unimaginable loss—family members lost in
war, homes uprooted, and lives forever changed. Last year we held our
conference during the war, after the brutal terrorist attack on October 7, 2023—and
we were joined by over 500 believing women.
The place they held their
conference last year happened to be a kibbutz near Gaza that had welcomed them
to hold their conference during the pandemic – knowing they were believers in
Yeshua. Now this is such a rare thing, of course, “During
the conference, we gave thanks to God for their openness, and we covered
their families and homes with prayer.” Then…
On
October 7, 2023, this same kibbutz was surrounded by armed terrorists—along with
so many other communities in southern Israel. When the warning sirens went off,
everyone ran to their emergency shelter. The leader of the security of the
kibbutz called her commander, who advised her to remain in the safe room, but
she felt a strong internal urge to arm the soldiers watching over the kibbutz.
During this time, the power was cut to the kibbutz, and the lights went out.
One of the men suggested turning on the generator, but once again, she had a
powerful feeling that they should not turn it on.
The
brave individuals defending the kibbutz fought for many hours. When the terrorists
reached the gates, they were unable to enter because there was no power to the
gates, forcing the terrorists to turn away. We visited this kibbutz and were deeply moved and
encouraged by this story. We firmly believe that God remembered our prayers and
they were protected and many lives preserved.
Today,
we need your help to ensure that every woman in Israel who desires to attend
this year’s Bat Zion conference can do so. The conference is just weeks
away, and so many women are yearning for connection, encouragement, and the
life-changing presence of Yeshua. May I ask
you to please give your best gift today to help us make this sacred time of
worship and prayer a reality for those women who need it most?”
Mazal tov to Howard and Randy Bass whose eldest daughter Tamar and her husband
Ezra a expecting their first baby in the summer! Yeshua’s Inheritance is the congregation name
in Beer Sheva and another great report from Howard is something that I have
seen him write about so many times over the past 23 years: his heart’s desire
that the young people in their congregation would not just grow up and go to
jobs and careers outside of Beer Sheva. Howard’s desire was for a family heritage
in the congregation, children, parents, grandparents – the whole range of
family committed to serving God in their community and congregation.
So
Mazal tov once again because Howard reports, “Yeshua's Inheritance/Nachalat
Yeshua has grown this past year (even
up to two weeks ago), mostly from families from other congregations, even other
cities or villages up to 40 km/25 miles outside of Beer Sheva. There seem to
be three primary reasons for this, according to those who have joined:
our congregation is "inclusive," open to believers from various
streams within the Body of Messiah, and open to people from many cultures and
backgrounds. Secondly, we have many young couples and families, as well as
still single young adult and the 3rd reason given is that we are pro-actively
connected with the national Body. One thing that has been a blessing and
encouragement to me is that some of the now grown children of some of the early
pioneers of the congregation (who have since moved away long ago, while some of
their children have moved back to the region) have joined or are joining
congregation. With all the dynamics of growing unto full maturity and
overcoming hindrances, our common salvation and "family bond" have
helped us in overcoming many differences of all kinds. . .. Please pray for: future
leadership of Yeshua's Inheritance; more of Messiah living in and through us; God's
will to be done, and for His wisdom, that are much better than ours.”
Love the teaching of Guy Cohen of the Acco congregation, Harvest of Asher on Matthew 6:15
where Yeshua taught us how to stand before God to pray. “We need to remember that even before
we ask He knows what we need. That's why Yeshua taught us this basic prayer, which teaches us how approach God and
to enter into prayer.” He writes, What are the conditions for the Lord
accepting our prayers? He wants us not to be hypocritical; standing where we
can be seen by others. Instead, He wants us to go into the inner room where no
one sees us, alone with Him. Then, our Father who sees what is done in secret
will reward us. My conclusion is that He
wants my heart to be pure when I enter the secret place. A big prayer request from Guy: For
the last three weeks we have been experiencing an exceptionally serious flu season with an
outbreak of many viruses which have affected just about every household in
the congregation multiple times and all ages. Please add your
prayers for healing and recovery to the families of HOA.
Daniel Yahav has sent an urgent prayer request for this
school for their school which has been operating since 1989 and “is the only
school in all of Galilee, that offers education based on faith in God, old and
new testaments, for children of Messianic families as well as Christian
evangelical children who live in the area.” The school was started because
of “a prolonged times of persecution of the believing community. Children
of Messianic and evangelical families were harassed and suffered violence to
the point of bleeding. (While teachers, headmaster as well as the
representative of the ministry of education - all failed to protect our
children from the abuse of other children).”
Even though they have invested
696,151 NIS (196,289.63 USD) meeting ministry of education demands for their
license (building a fully equipped new bomb shelter, renovating the entire
building to make it approachable to handicaps, installing TV systems, air
conditioners, new furniture and more) they have still refused to grant the
license. The ONLY remaining issue is they say they don’t have enough children
enrolled.
This is obvious religious
persecution. That is why pastor Daniel Yahav is appealing to everyone to
sign the petition. I did and hope you ALL will also: Petition link: Reverse the Closure of the
Messianic Peniel Primary School in Tiberias, Israel! It will
literally only take 1 minute to follow through on this. Please do it now.
Daniel writes, “We are asking for the
support of only friends of Israel. We love our people and state, we pray for and
stand with our nation. However, this wrong decision needs to be reversed. Thank you
for standing with us.” Daniel Yahav
We
have an update from Out of Zion Josie
Silver writing about the roller coaster of emotions Israelis has experienced as
the month of weekly hostage releases have taken place. This must be an honest
description of how they are feeling because I have seen “roller coaster” as the
description from so many Israeli ministries. Josie writes that the release last
weekend was horrifying for Israelis. “There
were gasps of shock, speechlessness, and unbelief to what we witnessed on our
television screens. Emaciated, weak, pale men who closely resembled scenes of
Jewish people in the holocaust. They were paraded, humiliated and mocked before
the world, in need of two masked terrorists to support them on each side just
so that they could walk. Some reports mentioned them being given stimulating
drugs by Hamas prior to their release just so they could get to their feet.
They were literally “walking bones”, who according to medical experts, were in
the same condition as someone who spent a year in a Nazi concentration camp. This
has caused shock waves to roll through Israel and the entire world.”
Josie also gives an update on “DAVID
| We had many of you write back from our last Out of Zion update, saying, you
were so happy that David was back, obviously thinking that he wrote the update.
David is not quite back, yet. Prayerfully, he will be in time. In the meantime,
either Stefan or I (Josie) will be sending out the Out of Zion updates. Thank
you for your continued prayer for more breakthroughs for Davids full recovery.
Standing, walking, praying, believing together on this journey for Israel's
victories, salvation, and Gods continued mercies. Breathe oh breath of God upon
the bones of Your people, that they may live and not die.”
Lastly is Jennifer Geutta of Plant Hope
Israel who writes, “Here in Israel, it has been a weekend of mixed emotions. One the
one hand, we are happy that some hostages are freed, and that Trump is helping
Israel. On the other hand, we are deeply saddened by the state of the hostages. After they were held in an
underground tunnel for almost 500 days, their starved emaciated bodies were
paraded around by terrorists as a victory prize. The many bruises and wounds on
their body showing horrendous abuses, and starvation. For many people in Israel, watching the
images of the 3 men who were released on Saturday reminded them of a deep
trauma. The Holocaust. We said it would never happen again….
Twisting the Truth | On top of it all, the world is
believing the twisted lies of Hamas and turning it against Israel. I was
shocked when I learned that the media abroad was posting that released
Palestinian terrorists were underfed. This is a lie. I was even more
shocked when they reported that the reason the hostages looked so bad is
because of lack of food in Gaza… This is a total lie, since most of Hamas
and the crowds were very well-fed. This
is the difference: Hamas purposely mutilated and starved innocent Israeli
civilians. Israel held terrorists in their prisons, who were arrested
because they killed many civilians. In this horrible war, the victims are
turned into perpetrators and the terrorists turned into victims. And the world
is believing it….
Freedom with a Price | So how come Israel is trading 3 people for 183 terrorists? In
Israel life is very precious. Last week we watched as an 80-year-old man
was traded for 35 terrorists. His life was precious. It doesn’t matter if
you're 80 or if you are 20 or 3, life is precious. And it is worth it to save
each of them. Israel has this ethic because the GOD OF ISRAEL loves life.
For God, one life is worth a million. Believers in Yeshua know that true
freedom comes at a high price. Yeshua goes out of the way to save even one that
is lost. He gave His life for us, so we could live. Yeshua is the Son of the
God of Israel and He follows what His Father does: life is treasured. It
doesn’t matter whether you are 15 or 95, God still did everything to save you!
And He showed us this sanctity of life when He gave His only Son Yeshua to set
us free, even when we didn’t deserve it. The price was very high: It was the
blood of His own Son, that was given for our freedom. Praise God for the
sanctity of life. Please pray for the remaining 79 hostages.”
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