Sunday, April 27, 2025

Arrows for 4/25/2025 Behold, I know the plots you devise against me

“Behold, I know the plots
you devise against me.”
Job spoke this to One of his ‘friends’ trying
to determine which sin Job committed
 to bring evil upon himself.
 

Behold, I know the plots you devise against me.
by Avner Boskey, David’s Tent 

“. . . . Job in his day spoke of Zophar’s evil machinations: “Behold, I know your thoughts, and the plots you devise against me” (Job 21:27). Nehemiah received divine discernment and courage regarding his contemporary Middle Eastern enemies. David and Asaph also prophesied about present and future enemies in the Psalms:  “Why are the nations restless and the peoples plotting in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together” (Psalm 2:1-2)
     “As plots thicken before our eyes, what can we discover about the schemes which the enemies of Jewish restoration are hatching, and how is the God of Israel exposing those conspiracies in our day? ….The words of James drive home a powerful point: Sometimes in diplomacy, sweet and bitter water flow out of the same spring. Such things rarely happen in nature, but they do happen in politics…. (James 3:8-12)
     “Though recent political events in the USA have radically and positively changed attitudes and actions toward the Jewish state, there is still a strong residue of anti-Israeli sentiments and strategies hidden deep within the US State Department, intelligence agencies, the oil industry and tycoons. The uncovering of significant State Department support for Hamas and anti-Israel jihadi forces over the years is being spotlighted with greater precision at this moment in time.
     “Funding Israel’s enemies | Recent investigative reporting has shined the light on some unsavory lizards creeping silently under Washington’s cobbled streets. Many of these exposés are connected to U.S. government funding flowing through USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) to Hamas-related activities and organizations, as well as to jihadi Islamist bodies.
     ‘Rather than being used to provide humanitarian aid and stabilize conflict-ridden regions – in accordance with USAID’s stated goal – American funds have often been funneled into corrupt, Hamas-tied institutions, with minimal oversight. A new multiyear study of USAID by the Middle East Forum identified $164 million in grants to radical organizations, including $122 million to those ‘aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters.’ The MEF also found that ‘millions of federal dollars have been handed by USAID to organizations directly in Gaza controlled by Hamas, with government officials even visiting Gaza terror proxies’ offices and launching joint programs’ . . .  The U.S. has distributed $2.1 billion to Hamas-controlled Gaza since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages on October 7, 2023’
     “The Washington Free Beacon reported on February 10, 2025: ‘Some of the terror-tied funding initiatives are publicly known. In November 2022, for instance, USAID awarded $100,000 to a Palestinian activist group whose leaders hailed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a designated terror group. Just six days before Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel, USAID handed $900,000 ‘to a terror charity in Gaza involved with the son of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’”
     “Rivers of sweet and bitter waters are indeed joining together. The American government has for years been surreptitiously supporting Hamas while publicly avowing its undying commitment to the Jewish state.”
     “Dividing up the Promised Land | Many are not aware that the U.S. intelligence community has had backdoor connections and a significant working relationship with the PLO since 1969, at the height of its involvement in Middle East and world terrorism (see our November 9, 2023 newsletter – https://davidstent.org/caiaphas-kissinger-and-the-cia/).
     “A recently declassified U.S. State Department document sheds light on long-standing and secret U.S. policy and strategies regarding Israel’s borders. At a Paris meeting between Henry Kissinger (U.S. Secretary of State) and Sadun Hammadi (Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs) on December 17, 1975. Kissinger communicated a ‘no-nonsense’ US foreign policy regarding Israel in the following selected quotes
     “Israel does us more harm than good in the Arab world” | “We can’t negotiate about the existence of Israel but we can reduce its size to historical proportions” | “So I think in ten to fifteen years Israel will be like Lebanon – struggling for existence, with no influence in the Arab world” | “If the issue is the existence of Israel, we can’t cooperate. But if the issue is more normal borders, we can cooperate” | “I think the Palestinian identity has to be recognized in some form … (It) will be a tremendous fight … (but) no solution is possible without it”
     “….Sponsoring political putschs (coups) and street riots against a friendly government | In a March 26, 2025 letter from the U.S. Congress’ Jim Jordan (Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary) and Brian Mast (Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs) addressed to Dr. Eliad Shraga (Chairman, Movement for Quality Government in Israel), the following was stated:
     ‘Dear Dr. Shraga, According to reports, the Biden-Harris Administration funneled U.S. taxpayer money to certain Israeli entities, including the Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), with the effect of attempting to undermine Israel’s democratically elected government. The use of federal grants in this manner not only jeopardizes America’s relationship with one of its closest allies, but also undermines core civil liberties protected within the United States and Israel. Additionally, the misuse of federal grant funds may, in some cases, amount to a criminal offense . . . This was not the first time U.S. taxpayer-funded grants had been used to support protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the policies he supports . . . From 2007 through 2024, USAID and the State Department sent at least $122 million to NGOs aligned with designated terrorist organizations. Many of those NGOs have openly espoused antisemitic rhetoric and encouraged violence against Jewish individuals.
     “….In an investigative report by Adam Kredo in The Free Beacon dated July 12, 2016 (see also his recent article of March 6, 2023), reference was made to a U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee in Investigations disclosure “that the Obama administration provided U.S. taxpayer dollars to the OneVoice Movement, a liberal group that waged a clandestine campaign to smear and oust Netanyahu from office.” Evidently such American State Department political undermining did not begin during POTUS Biden’s tenure, but has older and more weathered roots.
     “….And as far as regards the nations, about to stumble blindly into the God of Israel’s soon-coming Judgment Day – as Joel 3 and Zechariah 14 chart out for us – it might be helpful remind ourselves that there really is a divine game plan being played out. It is described in our recent newsletter: https://davidstent.org/why-are-the-peoples-plotting-in-vain/.  Three major pitfalls facing the international community are:  foundational ignorance of biblical realities | lack of awareness of God’s irrevocable calling on and gifts to the Jewish people | flat-out anti-Semitism.”
     DONNA:
This is about all I can fit in here, but I encourage you to click on the title to read the full article. Avner has assembled ‘the goods’ on the United States, so can you imagine if we had reports like this from every nation that has been contributing to the evil plots against Israel in the nations. Is it any wonder that the Islamists don’t give it up when they get secret cooperation like this? God has other plans, but as Paul said repeatedly in his letters, “I would not have you ignorant…” I don’t think God would have us ignorant at all these things either!
     Ignorance may be bliss, but it is not bliss to all those suffering because of our ignorance. I have read Job many times but I never picked up on the evil motives that were behind Zophar’s speculations about which sins Job must have been guilty of to bring such punishments down on his head. I always thought Job’s friends were just misguided theologically, but clearly, at least Zophar’s motives were not benign!
     Avner citing Job’s answer to Zophar in it brings me to this: Job’s friends had gathered to comfort him in all his losses and began a long rehearsal of every rule in God’s Book that Job must have violated to be sitting in the dust in loss and grief. At the end of Job 21, Job answers those “comforts” of his friends by saying, “How then do you comfort me in vain, seeing in your answers there remains maʿal “trespass, unfaithful or treacherous act” “against man” or against God”. 
    
Job is a type of Israel, and Job’s three friends are like the different types of Christians who come to comfort him wrongly as Israel is “sitting in the dust in loss and grief.”
     To support the ministry of Avner and Rachel Boskey, David’s Tent go to the website! Browse a while.


Arrows from Zion
Summarized from the Weekly Summary of Prayer Requests Israeli Ministries

Howard Bass of the Yeshua's Inheritance/Nachalat Yeshua congregation in Beer Sheva opened with a widespread problem in Christians’ view of Israel. It was a dispute I just had with a long time follower on Facebook, so I know Howard addressed something you have probably run into as well. He writes about those who “doubt” Israel is in adherence of “international agreements” in their handling of Gaza terrorists or even ifthe present Israel is of God.Howard writes that Israel’s continual dilemma of wars with Islamist enemies is something ultimately “only the sovereign Lord Yeshua/Jesus can resolve” BUT “There is enough light and information to take a stand in principle. Anyone who knows that both God and the "international community" have and are playing a part in the promised return of the Jewish people back to the land promised with an oath to be theirs, will stand in principle for the right of a sovereign nation to both defend, and if need be, decisively defeat those whose raison d'etre is to destroy and annihilate them. This is dealing with both issues of international law and of war crimes. 
            For any who have any doubt about whether the present Israel is of God or of international agreements, will waver in making a choice. They may even take a leaning towards those whose root is bitter, hatefully and murderously so. This is the spirit and character of Esau/Edom against his brother Jacob/Israel. Jacob will receive what God has promised in covenant, but not in his way, but only by the righteousness of YHVH God's way.”
     If it were any other nation besides Israel, no one would question their rights under international law. If a Christian, or any other person tells you that the modern Israel is not the Israel of the Bible, they are deceived. Don’t let them drag you into their delusion. For Howard’s last point, Israel will only fully enter into their Covenant with God by coming to faith in Yeshua. It will be God’s way, no one has to worry about that! It is already happening, but many are blind to the facts on the ground in Israel. We have no reason to be persuaded otherwise.
     As Howard spoke of congregation and Passover, I also loved what he said here:  Living in Israel among my people, there is no need to contrive observance of Jewish culture -- some of it from God; other portions of it a distortion or contradiction. Through it all, our mission is to proclaim the truth of Messiah being Yeshua/Jesus, the Son of God, so that all who repent and believe might be saved from their sins. In Jer 15:19, YHVH speaks:  "If you return/repent, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me. If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth...."
     So many good things happening in the congregation, including increase of teens and baptisms among them. One was held at a Biblical site, mentioned in Ezekiel 47:10 as En Eglaim. Today it is a national park called Enot Tzukim. There is a fresh-water pool there, looking ahead to the river of water which will go forth from the Millennial Kingdom Temple down to the Dead Sea, making it a living body of water filled with fish. 
     Happy wedding anniversary to Howard and Randy on the first eve of Passover. It was their 45th.

From Tiferet Yeshua in Tel Aviv, Gil Afrait announces they are beginning a new season as Gil hands over the senior pastor role he has stood in for the past nine years to Moti Cohen. We have mostly heard of Moti in relation to the “Feed Tel Aviv” ministry he has headed as an elder and associate pastor, but Moti’s roots go much deeper than that. Saved at 16 years old when Ari Sorko-Ram still pastured the congregation he founded, Moti has made his spiritual home there ever since, always serving in different capacities. Moti and his wife are blessed with five young children. Gil writes, “Everyone who knows him would agree—Moti has a shepherd’s heart: he is gentle and patient but at the same time possesses keen spiritual wisdom and discernment.”

DONNA: Back in 2018 I had begun to take notice of Moti Cohen from the Tiferet Yeshua reports as Moti worked among “the least of these” brethren of Yeshua in the Tel Aviv streets – the addicts and other people trapped in poverty & sin degradation. This picture of Moti was published, I believe with the heading, “Fishers of Men.” I just loved it and even more so, loved the heart of this servant of the LORD, Moti Cohen, that I had been reading about in the ministry letters. I believe Moti  is going to be a great blessing as he leads the congregation in the next phase of being “Fishers of Men” in Tel Aviv

Moti Cohen writes that the vision of Tiferet remains the same, “and it is our desire to see Tiferet Yeshua grow in these areas. . . . We also desire to grow in our gospel outreach and our ministry to the homeless and trust that the Lord, by His grace, will give us new ideas and open up more opportunities with the goal of reaching more people in our city. . . . I want to thank you, our dear friends and partners in the nations, for being a part of this special calling! I am excited to get to know you better personally and share with you over the coming months more about what God has put in my heart for this new season of Tiferet Yeshua. Love in Yeshua, Moti Cohen, Lead Pastor
     When you support Tiferet Yeshua, you are right here with us - leaving a lasting impact for the Gospel and expanding God's Kingdom. We are grateful for your love, prayers and gifts!  Give Today

Tikkun is Hebrew for “Restoration” so the Tikkun Global Conference Sept 11-12 in Anaheim, CA is really Restoration Global 2025! “As our team pursued God’s heart for this conference, we felt it was important to bring it to California. This has been a season of fires and trials, but together we will overcome. …You might ask yourself: “What part do I play in this restoration plan?” Join us for a time of vision, teachings, worship, and fellowship. We hope and pray you will walk away understanding the significant role you have in God’s restoration story. The conference will be held at The Rock in Anaheim, California and featuring Asher Intrater, Ariel Blumenthal, Ana Paula Valadao Bessa, Franicis Chan, Raquel Smilovici, Jeremiah Smilocici, Melva Phelps, Paul Wilbur and Jerry Dirmann. We are so grateful for their partnership. Register today and guarantee your seat.
     4/17 Video from Asher Intrater on Passover: Past-Present-Future featuring this free download booklet with the same title that Asher and David Demian published together supporting the same theme. |  The Sign of Almond Blossoms by Hannah Tekle | BOOK by Daniel Juster That They May Be One

Michael and Dina Beener of the
City of Life in Sderot also write about serving the elderly during Passover:     Passover Hope for the Elderly in Israel | This Passover holiday takes on a deeper meaning in Sderot, our city in southern Israel just a few kilometers from Gaza. With the war still ongoing, and the constant threat of rockets and explosions, residents try to reclaim a sense of normal life. Among them, the elderly, perhaps the most vulnerable, yet often the strongest, cling to hope and to life itself. Our local outreach center organized a special Passover concert for the city’s elderly. It was an afternoon filled with live music, warm smiles, and heartfelt emotion. Over 100 seniors attended, receiving traditional Passover sets with matzah, wine, and food vouchers. In the midst of chaos, it became a moment of comfort and joy. . . . . In these difficult days, as darkness tries to overshadow this land, the light of hope continues to shine through acts of love and compassion. We believe that God is near to the brokenhearted, and His presence brings healing even in the midst of pain. All of this has been made possible thanks to the faithful support of partners and friends who, led by the Lord, have united with us in this calling, to reach lives and bring comfort to this region of Israel in such challenging times. WATCH THE VIDEO
     Constant Persecution On Our Ministry | We are facing ongoing pressure from local authorities, influenced by ultra-Orthodox extremist groups like Yad L’Achim, trying to shut down our distribution center and congregation. They see our work and the support we receive as a threat. In the midst of this, we believe the Lord is leading us to something greater, acquiring our own building. Please watch this VIDEO and learn more. We need your help.

 In the Haifa Passover ministry at Shaveitzion/Return to Zion, Leon Mazin writes, “There are some people and families in Israel that do not have an opportunity to make such dinner. God tells us: "… then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone …" so our Congregation tried to help them to feel a joyful atmosphere of the Feast. We provided about 250 presents for the vulnerable groups of the population that include needy families, Holocaust Survivors and elderly people, women subjected to domestic violence, families of the children with cancer. About 100 presents were provided to Municipal Services at their request.
     More good news is that recently we started the Alef-Course for non-believers in our daughter congregation, Nof ha-Galil Congregation.  We ask you to pray so that it bears much fruit. We also wish Happy Passover to all of you, our beloved friends! Please visit us online to learn of the ways we are "Restoring & Proclaiming the Faith in Yeshua in Israel!"

The ARC of Israel’s Chaim Malespin was in the throng that welcomed the new US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. It’s small picture, but see if you can spot Chaim’s smile! He writes, “We are in the final days of Passover and soon believers around the world will be remembering the resurrection power of Messiah! I’m home for the weekend, what an honor it was to be part of welcoming the new appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and pray at the Western wall, and watch as he placed a personal handwritten note from US president Donald Trump, in the wall, in an act of solidarity, his first act is Ambassador, and hear him stand very strong for Israel! ALSO Watch this report Chaim makes on it.
     Special Passover Message from Chaim: Why the big Exodus from Egypt? | ALSO Check out the daily videos from Chaim Malespin and please help spread the videos by liking and sharing them.
 The ministry letter from Chaim also gives insight from Exodus 15, the Torah passage for Passover.

Youval Yanay leads the Revive Israel community in the believer village of Yad Hashmonah. They write, “God has raised this Yeshua to life, and we are all witnesses of it.” –Acts 2:32 | This year, Passover and Easter happen during the same week—a powerful reminder of the unity we are called to live out. What brings Jewish and Christian followers of Yeshua closer than His resurrection, which gave us life?  May this season of Passover and Easter be filled with renewed faith, deep joy, and the life-giving power of Yeshua for all who believe in Him.” Also from the Revive team, an article by Neveen Bader and Tal Haroni, A Night to Remember. It’s about the spiritual lessons of Passover: “For generations, the people of Israel waited. Entire lives began and ended in the grip of slavery, yet they held onto a promise that deliverance would come—if not for them, then maybe for their children.”

From Restoration (Tikkun) from Zion, the Juster’s file this report on Ben & Lorena in the US heading Tikkun America “This year’s feast has been especially enriching and meaningful. A highlight is that Lorena and I were blessed to host a seder for about 135 people, tying together the incredible dynamics of Yeshua in Passover for the past, the present and the future.” Ben’s mother , Patty in Israel, reflects on the Passover Seder Yeshua partook with His disciples – the Last Supper as it is known among Christians. Patty and Dan live in the same building as their daughter and her husband’s family live, so they are surrounded with grandchildren then. Patty noted that in the Egyptian Passover, the lamb that was sacrificed so they could put its blood on their doorposts to be passed over by the Death Angel, was a lamb that the family raised and had grown to love. It was a sacrifice that was costly to them in emotional terms. So was the sacrifice of Yeshua, as He prepared His disciples at that last Passover before he laid down His life to redeem whosoever will. She noted, “He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:14). Patty spoke of the intimacy that comes eating with others, and how Yeshua desires this intimacy with us all. In fact, Patty writes, “Eating and fellowship lead to intimacy. We were created with these two basic needs. Hence, the seriousness of eating with those who claim to be believers but are living in unrepentant sin. We are not even to eat with such ones, as it is not only food that we are eating but ingesting of one another’s souls. The table of fellowship is to be holy. It was at the last seder that Yeshua exposed Judas’s betrayal. Judas got up and left the fellowship.” But she writes, “Yeshua said that He would not partake of the elements of the seder until the marriage supper of the Lamb and the coming of His kingdom in fullness. His heart still burns for intimacy - us in Him and He in us.
     Dan wrote of their family Passover, “One of the children told her mother to remember that God does not slumber or sleep but watches over Israel day and night. Several times my eyes teared up as I perceived the grace of God shining through their lives. . . .It was such an amazing time as we celebrated Passover with our two families still in the Land, my daughter Simcha and my daughter Rebecca. Our seven grandchildren in our town in Israel were all together (we have three grandchildren in the United States). This is the first month of the year in the Torah. 
     Thank God for health. I continue with our work in the new Bible School and am now preparing a lecture on Deuteronomy. Then I go to a Toward Jerusalem Council II meeting at the end of this month. In May, it is a trip to Rome and then in June to Helsinki, Finland for networking at the World Pentecostal Fellowship. Finally we are back in the U. S. for a little over 2 months. I continue enjoying being part of the pastoral team of our congregation here. Slow down? What is that? But how much I do enjoy the work we do ... and peace. One of the children told her mother to remember that God does not slumber or sleep but watches over Israel day and night. Several times my eyes teared up as I perceived the grace of God shining through their lives.

Reuven Doron had many insights to share on Resurrection Life in his last ministry letter. On April 19th Reuven wrote, “It’s almost Resurrection Sunday, and the Old City of Jerusalem is packed full with pilgrims from many nations who arrive to worship God and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Before we worship, let us ask and answer a couple of meaningful questions.”  He goes over these important questions which you can read in part by clicking the title above. To read in full, please subscribe to Reuven’s ministry list. Here is a word from him on how to do that:
     Happy Resurrection Sunday to all who love the Lord. 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 this link offers tax-credited giving options. OR  Email us for more information and for other giving options.

Guy Cohen of the Acco Katzir Asher/Harvest of Asher writes, “Resurrection is a promise from God to His people. Yeshua is the first to overcome death. In Ezekiel 37 we are given a promise from God that He will resurrect the dry bones and pour His Spirit into them. I pray that we will see with our own eyes the fruition of this promise for His people Israel whom He brought from the four corners of the earth, in order to breathe His breath into them.
     When Yeshua overcame the grave and became the first fruit to God, He fulfilled the Feast of Omer. On this day, in the temple, the omer (sheaf) was lifted up before God as a first fruit offering. From this day we count fifty days until the time when the whole nation would gather in Jerusalem to offer the first fruits of their harvest (Shavuot). This is when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the first century congregation. This is the beginning of God's promise that His Spirit, thanks to Yeshua's sacrifice on the cross, would dwell in every man in the world who accepts Yeshua as His Lord and Savior. In Him we live forever throughout eternity.
     Prayer Requests for Pastor Guy as he travels & ministers. Also for those who are experiencing hearing issues among the body. 

 From Pastor Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel congregation in Ashdod and the Voice of Judah Ministries, he writes, how it is “A Season of Fulfillment and Forward Motion…, we are witnessing the convergence of prophetic promises being fulfilled, lives being transformed, and new doors of ministry opening across Israel and beyond. From the threshold of purchasing our long-awaited Evangelism and Discipleship Center in the heart of Ashdod, to life-changing moments at our Youth Discipleship Camp in the desert near Eilat—God is moving powerfully in our midst. These are not just isolated events; they are prophetic milestones marking the journey of faith we’ve all walked together.
     At the same time, I'm preparing to speak at a key pastors’ conference in Albania—carrying the message of revival and restoration from Zion to the nations. And we continue to see the fruit of discipleship in the lives of individuals like Elena, whose journey from new believer to bold follower of Yeshua is a testimony to God’s faithfulness.
     Holocaust Memorial Day: Compassion that Counts | “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.” – Psalm 71:9 | This week as Yom HaShoah approaches—Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day—we find ourselves pausing once again to reflect on one of history’s darkest chapters. It’s a day etched in the collective soul of our nation. A day not only to remember the six million who perished, but also to honor those who survived—those who still walk among us carrying living memories of unspeakable horror, resilience, and hope. But remembrance alone is not enough. In 2025, approximately 123,000 Holocaust survivors remain in Israel. Most are now well into their 80s and 90s. Many live alone, facing poverty, isolation, and declining health. These precious individuals are not only survivors—they are living witnesses. They carry stories the world must never forget. But every day, that number dwindles. We are running out of time to look into their eyes and say, “We see you. We honor you. We’re here for you...” WATCH
     
* DONNA: See my commentary inspired by the things Israel Pochtar wrote about compassion towards the elderly in The Sign of Deep Spiritual National Decline

From an anointed friend with wisdom for healing especially emotional wounds, Orna Grinman shares her own family’s Holocaust experience in WE WILL NOT FORGET “My father was a holocaust survivor.”

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