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A Call to Rise: The Esthers of our Generation
“If I perish, I perish.”
by Israel Pochtar
Beit Hallel and Voice of Judah Ministries
In this special Purim podcast episode, Pastor Israel delves into the deep spiritual significance of this
appointed time and its prophetic
relevance in our generation.
The celebration of Purim is far more than a historical
remembrance; it is a declaration of God’s faithfulness, His sovereign
protection over Israel, and His call for His people to take a stand.
A
Spiritual Battle That Continues | Purim reminds us that the people of
Israel have always faced threats—not only from physical enemies but also from a
relentless spiritual adversary. The enemy has sought to destroy this nation
from the beginning because Israel holds a unique and divine destiny. It was
from Israel that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, came, and it is to this
land that He will soon return. That is why Israel remains at the epicenter
of a great spiritual battle. But as believers, we are not powerless
spectators; we are called to engage in this fight through prayer, intercession,
and bold action.
Called
for Such a Time as This | Like Esther, we must recognize that our presence
in this generation is not an accident. God has placed each of us in a specific
position, with a purpose that extends beyond our personal lives. We are
called to stand in the gap, to fast and pray for Israel’s protection, to speak out when others remain silent,
and to trust that God has equipped us for this very hour.
Victory is already secured in the
Lord, yet we are still commanded to fight. We are called to be watchmen on the walls, intercessors in the courts of heaven,
and voices of truth in a world filled
with deception. The enemy wants believers to be silent, but now is the time
to rise with boldness and unwavering faith.
Will
We Remain Silent, or Will We Rise? | Pastor Israel challenges us with this
vital question: Will we shrink back in fear and complacency, or will we rise as
the Esthers of our time? God is calling His people to step forward, to take
their place in His divine plan, and to stand with Israel in faith and
obedience. The time for hesitation is over. The time for action is now. Don’t miss this powerful and timely message of courage, faith, and spiritual
warfare. Listen now and be inspired to
embrace your calling—for such a time as this.
“If I
perish, I perish.” No one wants to die, not to self and not laying down in
death of our natural life. But it is the Esther call to trust in God that we
can say in truth, “If I perish, I perish.” -DDiorio
Arrows
from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer
Requests Israeli Ministries
There are many great Purim messages this week – which truly, Purim is not just another
Jewish holiday with costumes and fun, but a prophetic message of particular
significance to the whole body of the LORD in this hour of history. I encourage
you to follow links provided in these messages so you can more readily take
hold of the serious message Esther holds for us today.
Reuven Doron traces AMALEK, Esau’s grandson, and his descendants through the
generations and it is a revelation to see all the places the descendants of
Amalek show up – even to this day! Why is this important? Because God promised
in Exodus that He would “utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
And added, “Because the LORD has
sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
If you are watching the new streaming TV series the House of David, then you
see a dramatization of the prophet Samuel confronting King Saul for keeping the
Amalek king Agag alive. That level of brutality and hatred of Israel is still
alive today.
As Reuven writes, “What took place in those communities on Oct the 7th was not only a killing spree of Hamas
terrorists and Gaza residents who tortured,
raped, burned alive, mutilated, and murdered hundreds of Israeli civilians
including children and babies. There was more to that day. For anyone who
is willing to embrace the inconvenient truth, October 7 was a
demonstration of the spirit of Amalek
that seeks to DESTROY and ANNIHILATE the people of Israel. God commands
His people to “remember” so that we internalize the severity of our battles
and never underestimate our enemies. This principle is
true for us in Israel as well as it is for
all God’s people among the nations.”
Read Remember Amalek and Reuven's
full newsletter including the WAR REPORT also his latest newsletter
is found here Purim’s
Strange Victory | To support this
ministry this link offers tax-credited
giving options. Email us reuven.doron@gmail.com for more information and for other giving options.
Always good to hear from
our friend Jackie Santoro (and her son Evan
at Shelanu TV in the same week! See below). All of the Israeli ministries speak with the same heart of the “roller
coaster” emotional slow climb rising up as hostages are being released, then
the fast descent down as they take in the full conditions of abuse and
starvation they have experienced throughout captivity to the brute beasts in
Gaza. As the redeemed of the Lord by faith in Yeshua/Jesus, they do not
stand aloof from the pain and sorrows of their fellow Israelis – they are
fully, emotionally invested in the pain of their fellow Israelis, but with
the same heart of knowing that in Yeshua, they too were appointed for this time
to fulfill God’s purposes.
Jackie understands that well and
encourages Christians in the nations, “Please do not grow weary in
praying for PM Netanyahu and President Trump as they join together in their
efforts to have a winning strategy against the forces of evil. Pray for wisdom and a supernatural game plan which
will be successful against the enemy. Please pray that Hamas will indeed be
weakened and all the hostages freed sooner than we imagined. Every day is
critical.” Jackie writes, “After 17 months, there is now a fragile
temporary ceasefire in Gaza and the singular focus now of each day is the
struggle to get the hostages back. . . . living or dead. The country
can't move forward, it can't begin to heal from the trauma and from the grief
until this chapter is ended.” She writes of the hostages turning to God in
captivity: “Beyond
anything natural, hope burned in the hearts of those who were held captive and
this hope kept them alive and enabled them to never give up. There is no doubt that this supernatural hope was a
response to our cries for the comfort and sustenance of God to fill his dearly
beloved children. There are too
many incidences to relate here but we as believers can see clearly the hand of
God in so many of these situations- even in the stories of the survivors who
never went to Gaza. So many experienced a personal encounter with God and
survived. . . . God will do more than we can possibly imagine or hope for.
He is arranging the parts and setting the stage and getting us ready for a
great harvest. There is no doubt. I believe many of these hostages and soldiers will
be the ones to lead their families and friends to the One who comforted and
saved them. They will be warriors in the Kingdom, doing wonders. What the enemy
meant for harm, God will use for the good. Haman will yet again be hung on the
gallows he built for Mordecai!
Jackie
also writes about her congregation in Jerusalem, Ahavat Yeshua, “I have been
a part of this congregation since the idea was formed in Eddie and Asher's
heart and we had our first official meeting on Shavuot, 2006. We have experienced many challenges since
then, and especially with Eddie's passing but God's love for His people
and for His nation which was Eddie's unquenchable passion has continued
unabated in the hearts of the leaders who serve in this day. Ahavat Yeshua
(Love of Yeshua) is our name, our foundation and the Rock on which we stand. I
have been so very privileged to continue to serve as a part of the current
leadership team.”
She also wrote of the “incredible National
woman's conference, called "Daughter of Zion", sponsored by Dugit
ministries. 600+ women gathered together from every part of the country….And
“a 3 day retreat for seniors at Yad Hashmona moshav in the Judean Hills.”
From Asher Intrater at Tikkun Global
writes Some Statistics About the Book of
Esther, the Tikkun Global
Broadcast VIDEO | The Fullness Formula: God's Call to
Israel and the Nations Together, part 9 with the teaching of Ariel Blumenthal | Ariel wraps up his series
on Romans 9, 10 & 11. | And from Guy Cohen, In Secret | My
conclusion is that God wants my heart to be pure when I enter the secret place.
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 to approach God.
From Israel Pochtar at Beit Hallel in Ashdod and Voice of Judah ministries, Evangelism
in Nazareth “The Gospel
going forth once again! We are
standing on the brink of a historic and prophetic moment! In just a couple
of weeks, our evangelism outreach in Nazareth will take place, bringing
together 900 Israelis from all over the country—Jewish people who are hungry
for truth, searching for meaning, and ready to encounter the life-changing
power of the Gospel of Yeshua ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah.”
ALSO Watch now to
see how you can help Turning Sorrow into Joy: A Purim Blessing for
Those In Need | And this Short VIDEO
& ARTICLE Purim: From Doom to Deliverance - God's
Hidden Hand Revealed with Pastor Sasson
Pochtar |
Evan Santoro, son of Jackie and Eddie Santoro is the
station manager of Shelanu TV, a
Hebrew language, online TV feed for the body of Messianic believers providing
Gospel programming developed and featuring the Israeli ministries and
congregations. Their message to Israelis is that Yeshua is not a foreign god,
but an Israeli Jew just like them – “OURS”. That’s what Shelanu means and it is
a breakthrough vehicle for reaching Israelis in the privacy of their own room
or phone in their own language.
Evan shares this week, “We have
recently been filming episodes at Shelanu TV about the “One New Man.” This
is God’s ultimate plan, an olive tree with Jews and Gentiles grafted in as
"one" in our Messiah. It is so exciting to see that this is happening
in our generation -right before our
eyes!
“Replacement
theology has been rampant in the Church for many years and the understanding of
the unique Jewish calling was extremely diminished. Some were under the
false belief that the Jewish people did not need to be saved, and some that God
was done with them. We know that this is not true, as it is written in the
Word. . . . We are seeing increasing numbers of Christians embracing this
reality of the Jewish Messiah, his love for his people and the calling he has
for this nation. We can feel a fresh wind blowing away the incorrect
doctrines and teachings of the church and making way for a great move of the
Holy Spirit in these times. It is no longer about Christian versus Jew and
who is right or wrong but rather about the joining together of these two people
groups under the same banner of love to usher in the return of our Lord and King.
America
is a nation that was founded as a Christian nation and so there is a
foundational understanding and familiarity with the Judeo-Christian roots of
the faith. Unlike in Israel, Jesus is not their enemy. President Trump’s
government is filled with “Born again” believers and many others are coming to
faith in this day. It is exciting to see how the Lord is moving through America
and the world.
Just
as the Lord is moving internationally, I am excited to tell you that He is
moving throughout the nation of Israel as well.” Evan supplied several of the recent effective
contacts with those who have watched Shelanu and were drawn in to reach out to
them. Even when some reach out because the object, God continues to draw them
in to deep conversations and conviction of the heart. Pray for this effective
outreach – presenting Israeli pastors and ministers to the Israeli people in
much the same format as Christian TV does in the nations. It’s a worthy Gospel
outreach. (Watch an English version
here, support their efforts and reach out to Evan here)
In her 3/10 prayer letter she
focuses on the slaughter
of Christians in Syria. She writes also, “More
than 4500 non-sunnis have been murdered over the past days. Stores in the
coastal city of Jableh in western Syria were marked with the word
"Sunni" - so that President al Julani's people would know that it was
a store owned by a Sunni and thus would not burn the store down/loot it.
Indeed, these stores remained unscathed.
This is what they want to bring to Israel’s border and then invade
the Golan and Galilee. THE DRUZE AND
ISRAEL| Defense Minister Israel Katz: "We will soon allow Druze workers
from Syria to come to work in the Golan Heights communities in Israel."
Natanyahu has also said he is willing to take the Christians into safe haven
from the murderous new regime that replaced the murderous old regime in Syria.
On 3/3 Sally wrote: End game.
Everyone is talking about the end game. What is the end game of this war,
and even the war of Ukraine (which is related)? For some in the south, and what
President Trump's end game. But after constant prayer these last 16 months,
God's "end game" is coming clearer and clearer. It is not the 2 state
solution as the politicians and countries want...that will never happen because
it’s not Biblical. The end game, God's end game and what will happen is this: VIDEO (Please
use this as a prayer point)
Meanwhile,
the war continues including a terrorist attack that happened today
in Haifa.
Trump stopped the money for Pay to
Slay from the Palestinian Authority, (When a terrorist kills or maims an
Israeli, his/her family receives money). HOWEVER, in Abba's
speech to fellow Arabs He swore to
continue the practice (Even though he agreed to Trump to stop it)
From prolific opinion columnist in Israel, Cookie Schwaeber-Issan, AllIsraelNews | When
Freedom of Speech Crosses the Line | Is the Dreyfus Affair happening all
over again? | What part of Oct. 7 did UK PM Starmer
not understand? | Is Human Annihilation Ever Morally
Justified |Are you Jewish enough to get married in
Israel? | Antisemitism and the Mob Mentality of
Gen Z | Things Are
Worse Than We Thought | Jewish journalist
fired for running libelous depiction of Israel | Jerusalem Post | God Changed AM to PM |
From the team at Revive Israel that Youval & Valerie
Yanay lead, this beautiful verse, one of my favorites: “To
everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time
to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is
planted.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
"About a week and a half ago, our goats began giving birth one after
another. This has brought a wave of excitement and joy, not only among the
children in the moshav but also among the adults. With each new life, we
are reminded of how God orchestrates seasons and times. Just as new life is
springing forth in the barn, we are also in a season of transition in the
fields. . . . In the same way, this is a season of renewal for our
community—a time to draw closer to God and re-examine our vision and
relationships. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity and invite you to
join us in prayer for spiritual refreshment and clarity as we seek His guidance.
"Even as
we experience this renewal, we remain mindful of the ongoing challenges in the
land. The tension and attacks weigh heavily, yet we are thankful to provide a refuge—a place of
peace and restoration.... We are
grateful for your faithfulness and for standing with us in unity before the
throne of mercy." To partner
with us in our community-ministry, give
here. On Instagram Click
to connect with Revive Israel
Tony and Orna Sperandeo are the leaders of HaMaayan, the Wellspring
congregation in Kfar Saba. Sally Shiff as you read above is one of theirs
providing an English-speaker to connect with. Like many Israelis ministries,
they also write about how February “has been very emotionally shattering for
all of us here in Israel.
. . . We watched in horror as
Hamas paraded the coffins of four of the murdered hostages in a grotesque
transfer ceremony, three of whom were of the same family. We continue to mourn
the murder of the Bibas children and their mother, who have become the symbol
of all the hostages waiting to be released…. we have faced the heavy price of trading killers for hostages. These
"prisoners" with blood on their hands have promised to continue the
murders of the October 7th again and again."
“Much prayer and wisdom is needed in the coming days….Our congregation has been able to touch
the lives of wounded soldiers and displaced or bereaved families with the Love
& Peace that only Yeshua can give. Grieving ourselves, we walk
along our nation, giving them His hope and observing them respond to His
simple touch, a glimmer of His light into our dark world.”
“We just ended our 9 days 'Taglit' discipleship training Hebrew speaking for adults
(35-85). Our time together was comprised of studying the Word, worshiping,
praying and fasting in the desert, connecting and traveling to different places
in the Land from the South (Gaza strip, Sde Boker, Arad) to the north (Kiryat
Shmona & Hermon Mount). Our theme
was from Isaiah 61- healing the broken hearted and
comforting those who mourn in Zion. Eighteen disciples registered
and testified how they received extreme encouragement and strength in their
faith along with a deeper revelation of the Love of God. To read in full including the prayer requests for HaMaayan, read online where you can enjoy the photos they also
post of the activities at the congregation and outreach.
Stefan Silver writes the update for parents, David & Josie Silver’s
Out of Zion ministries, while David
continues in being restored from a severe depression engulfing him due to the
war situation. Please pray for Abba to restore him fully in the name of Yeshua.
Stefan writes from Psalm 139:23-24 Search Me, O
God! “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
| “King David, the author of Psalm 139, understood the weight of leadership
and the need for divine searching. As a warrior and ruler, he experienced
moments of triumph and failure, yet he continually sought God's correction and
guidance beyond his own introspection. His plea was for God to search and
purify his heart and inner man from anything that was not of God, and lead him
in truth and righteousness. This is a prayer that each of us can and should
pray every single day.
“Over
the past week, the nation of Israel also finds itself in such a moment of deep
reflection and reckoning after several major events.” Stefan gives a report
of the release of results of Israel examining why they were unprepared for the
assault by Hamas on Oct 7th: “Among the revelations, the reports
highlight that early warnings of Hamas’s movements were overlooked or dismissed
due to longstanding assumptions that the group was not prepared for a
full-scale attack or that it had the capacity to execute one. . . . While
the investigation does not yet place direct blame on individuals, it
underscores a collective failure at the highest levels that demands correction.”
The Shin Bet Report states: “…there can be no
acceptance of the existence of a Muslim Brotherhood entity
[Hamas]
with military capabilities and connection to the Shiite axis right next to the
Gaza border"
Please
continue to support this
Out of Zion ministry in Haifa while David is temporarily ‘out of commission’
to be restored spiritually. The ministry is still dependent upon the supporters
who pray and give. I believe this is one of those times that God is speaking
a greater word to the body of the LORD, not to kick our brothers when they are
down – or even to ignore them! – but be faithful to pray and support them as is
right among family.
From Avi and Hannah Tekle at Tents of
Mercy in Kiryat Yam, “These past few
weeks have been tumultuous and exhausting ~ gratitude for the relative quiet
and stability, continued grief and processing the loss of loved ones, and an
indescribable medley of desperation, longing and hope for an end to it all ~
that flows readily into prayer. The truly amazing thing is that prayer has
become the national common denominator for everyone, religious and secular
alike. How
fitting that the next biblical holiday is one that has prayer at its very core. As we prepare for our annual congregational Purim
party, to commemorate Haman’s defeat so many centuries ago, we take courage and
comfort again from our biblical heroine’s stance of faith and desperation
before God. The story of Esther’s intercession on behalf of her people feels
very real and painfully relevant at this very time.
“….Adaptable Distribution Center
| The clothing racks in our distribution center this week also contain a fun
and sweet selection of Purim costumes and accessories, which are actually very
helpful as elementary children are encouraged to dress up every day as a
different character. One of the popular costumes this year will be the batman
costume in honor of the Bibas family who we mentioned in our last letter
(Batman was young Ariel Bibas’ favorite superhero). On Thursday, like a superhero revealed, the
distribution center will transform into a party hall for a night as we retell
Esther’s story and celebrate God’s victorious intervention. | Passover Packing
| Directly following Purim, we gear up to pack 900 holiday food bags for our
Passover Food Distribution, which will be given out the week before the
holiday. This endeavor touches the people of our city in such a beautiful and
direct way. We solicit your prayers and support (each bag costs approximately
$85). Thank you for your love and your prayers. Wishing you a Happy Purim
Holiday, Avi & Hannah Tekle
You can sponsor a food bag here, or also to support Tents of Mercy with US tax
deductible checks and money, postal mail to Tents of Mercy, c/o Tikkun
International PO Box 535157, Grand
Prairie, TX 75053
Leon Mazin of Return to Zion Center in Haifa writes, “Deep
gratitude for supporting our hands during these difficult days for Israel and
ministering to us with prayers and donations.” Reading from Revelation
12:10-11 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the
salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of
his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses
them day and night before our God, has been hurled down. They triumphed over
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they
did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death”….Leon observes, “It
seems to me that all these actions/processes take place simultaneously…. it
means that the Heavenly Kingdom exists inside us. Yeshua strengthens His
disciples with these words in Luke 17:21: “… for, behold, the kingdom of God is
within you” (KJV). And we must recognize this fact! But some “negative
qualities” still live in us, which the accuser often plays on causing us to
display them, to make them vivid for our minds. And then if we keep our
spirit in humbleness we may “break or get free” from these negative qualities
by the POWER OF MESSIAH’S SACRIFICE and by the WORDS OF OUR CONFESSION. At
least, these are the actions that the Creator expects from us, Whose desire for
all His creatures is “your sanctification”. And this requires certain training.
May God help us to be the winners!
“….Now a
few words about some Shavei Tzion Ministries (you can watch all of them
in our renewed website. The
Music School. During the last month
we held several concerts closing this semester. We are very happy with our
children’s success. They play musical instruments and sing marvelously. They
have grown a lot over the last year, and this is despite the war when sometimes
it was necessary to interrupt studies. | Men’s retreat. Perhaps as a
pastor I will boast about an excellent retreat for the brothers. On the last
Friday and Saturday of February more than 40 brothers of our Congregation
arranged a special time for a thorough jeep tour and afterwards for a
high-quality seminar “How to be a good husband and father”. To tell the
truth, it was a very good time for healing, especially after the deeply felt
tension we’ve all been living in lately. Now we pray that our Congregation
sisters will also organize a similar event.| I kindly ask to pray for our
Congregations Return to Zion, Or Chai and Netzer ha-Galil. We seek God’s face
and renewal of strength in the Lord. Please, pray as well for our humanitarian
ministries. For the time of the pandemic and war they’ve grown by 60 – 70%.
Once again, we wish God’s peace and good health to you and your loved ones.
Leon and Nina Mazin
VISIT US ONLINE and help us “Restoring & Proclaiming the Faith in Yeshua in
Israel!”
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