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A Special Report from our missionary/correspondent in Israel:

Shalom Chaverim (hello friends) !

God is INDEED at work in amazing ways here in the land of Israel, today, as never before!!! 

The news clip, aired in Israel last month on Friday-night news, has given much publicity to Israelis about their fellow citizens who believe in Yeshua!   You can view it HERE.

Brothers and sisters, dry bones are coming alive!  God is fulfilling His Word, just as He said He would! 

I want to clarify a few points to answer some questions you may have after watching the clip:

Why don’t you call yourselves “Christians”? 

Reason one:  Because of the negative associations with the name “Christian.”  In a wise explanation from my mother,  she said, “It is because Jews have been taught that Christians think of Jews as Christ-killers, and therefore hate the Jews.  When Jews hear the word ‘Christian’ they often associate this with ‘the people who persecute Jews in the name of Christianity.’  Thankfully, this perception is beginning to change in our generation.”  Know, however, that “the fact that the Messianic community does not want to be labeled as Christians does not mean they don't consider true believers as their brothers in the Lord, but rather that they don't want that label.”

Thus, here, we call ourselves “believers,” “Messianic Jews,” and “the body of Messiah.”  In fact, the first believers were not called “Christians,” but were known as "Followers of the Way.”   

Reason two:  To many Jews, the idea of “becoming a Christian" means you are trying to be a Gentile (non-Jew).”  Part of not taking this label is simply from a desire to maintain a unique Jewish identity—not transforming to a “Gentile way,” but simply letting Yeshua fill and make-anew our spirit with His Spirit ruling us, within the existing unique culture that He’s placed us in. 

Why are the Orthodox bullying the believers in this video?

This can be answered with many of the explanations above.  Basically, the religious Jews view the believers in Yeshua as having turned into “Christians”—as betraying their heritage and people by siding with those who (they perceive) persecute Jews in the name of Christ.  Because of the many awful things done in the name of Christianity, many Jews simply do not understand (yet!) that Yeshua is more Jewish than they!

As the body of Messiah here has continued to grow, persecution has continued to increase toward believers.  May we be careful to have Yeshua’s amazing love for them, to pray for those who persecute us.  May this be a call for us to pray that the eyes of their hearts are opened to supernatural revelation from God!  Also, may this renew within us a resolve to uphold in prayer those being persecuted for their faith—that they would have supernatural protection and grace.

Lastly, I want to rejoice with you over how exciting it is to see the Lord FAITHFULLY FULFILLING HIS WORD!  He is “watching over His word to perform it,” as He promised He would!  

During a recent outreach, at one of the many holiday festivals here in Israel, 25 young Israeli men and women became followers of Yeshua! 

The following is a brief excerpt from an Israeli friend’s report of the events:

"The festival was awesome! We had at least 25 people who prayed to receive Yeshua! It was hard to be there because of the non-stop loud trance-music all night, and the religious always making "balagan" [chaos] in front of our book booth, but it was so fruitful!
 
Two people even asked to be baptized right there - one of them is the 'haredi' [religious] guy from Bnei Brak!   One girl I remembered from the last year.  She told all her friends about what she had heard about Yeshua at the last festival, and she was looking for our tent this year. She also brought her religious friend with her who wanted us to show her where in the Tanach [Old Testament] we see Yeshua.

After we read Isaiah 53 with her, we asked her, ‘Who do you think is described here?’ and she said, ‘I think, it's Yeshua.’  She wanted to think about it more alone at home, but the girl who brought her wanted to pray with us to receive Yeshua!  Now I am trying to find a congregation for her..."

I can’t get over just how exciting this is!!! 

This generation in Israel is beginning to welcome Yeshua here, back to the Land of Israel, as our King!

May this encourage all of us with a renewed faith in His promises! and…

 May we, the body of Yeshua, have our lamps lit!


Harbe ahava (much love!),
your sister in Yeshua

(for security reasons, we are not using our correspondent's name at this time.)

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