 |
The Jerusalem Prayer List – September 2 2011
by Joseph Shulam
The social unrest in Israel is actually infected by the virus spreading all through the Middle East and the Arab world. Yesterday it has been revealed by the Israeli Television that so much of the push and motivation for these demonstrations and unrest and battle for so called “Social Justice” are motivated and supported by the radical Israeli political left wing. I feel so disappointed from this discovery because all my life I have had deep social sensitivity. Netivyah is the first to have a purely humanitarian ministry of feeding the poor of Jerusalem. We started to feed the poor of Jerusalem over ten years ago, and we have sustained this ministry and grown both in the scope of what we feed and also in who we feed. Just yesterday Ms. Hannah Kovner paid the month of August bills for the Soup-Kitchen. I normally don't mix in the finances of Netivyah, but frankly I was shocked. The bill for the vegetables and fruit was 20,000 Israeli Shekels, and the meat and poultry and fish bill was more than 30,000 Israeli Shekels, and the bill for dry goods that we give to the people was again near 10,000 NIS. The total grocery bill for the soup-Kitchen was very near 60,000 NIS which according to today's rate of exchange is 17,390.00 dollars US. This is well before salaries, utilities, and incidentals. I am sharing this with you because when I saw these bills, I directly went on Wednesday to see what is going on in the Soup-Kitchen. I arrived in the building just as Yuda and Oleg were preparing the food for distribution. The first thing that I saw was the crates of Mangos. The Mango fruit was just beautiful, big, red and yellow, and just the right firmness. I immediately got hungry for Mango. I asked Yuda if I could cut one to taste it. Yes, Yuda said cut two and we can all enjoy the Mango. It really was a first class top quality Mango fruit. I looked at the peaches and plums, and other fruit and all of it was first class and top quality. The same was true for the beautiful peppers and cucumbers and all the other vegetables. All that we give to feed the needy people of Jerusalem is actually the top and best quality. When I understood this I no longer felt bad for the price of keeping the Soup-Kitchen going and continuing to feed single moms, and old Russian immigrants that live only on Israeli Social Security pension and barely can make ends meet to keep body and soul. In fact when I understood what Yuda is doing in the Soup-Kitchen and the service that we are offering together with the Social Department of Jerusalem I am proud of Yuda and Oleg and Nancy and Ludmila who are doing such a great job to just help people and bless them through Netivyah and all of you who support and finance and pray for the peace of Jerusalem together with us. Please keep praying for Jerusalem and remember Paul's command in Romans 15:27. Don't be lazy – please – go read this text if you don't know it or remember it.
This month of September is going to be a very critical and crucial month for Israel. The Palestinians are going to call for a vote in the United Nations in New York City for the recognition of a Palestinian State within the boarders of pre-1967. The Palestinians have an automatic majority in the United Nations. There are plenty of Arab States and all the non-alined nations that would vote for them and the resolution will pass in the United Nations. However, what is more important is what Israel will do on the ground. How will Israel react to all the riots and demonstrations that will probably take place is the real need for prayer. We already know what the Arab/Palestinian camp will do, but we don't know how will Israel react and what it will do to confront this Arab uprising. I pray for God to give three things to the Israeli Government: 1) Courage to stand on the truth and relay on the Lord. 2) to show restraint and strength at the same time in dealing with the Palestinians. 3) To gather the support of the sane and fair and righteous nations and stand against the false deception that is being spoken and celebrated by the Palestinian and their pan-Arab allies. Pray for Israel – please.
There is another reason to pray for Israel at this time. September is the month for the beginning of the Hebrew High Holidays, Rosh-HaShana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkoth the Feast of Tabernacles. As a congregation of Disciples of Yeshua we celebrate all the holidays, and always there are both grand opportunities and great challenges around the holidays. One of the biggest challenges during this season is the celebration of Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement. It is a fasting day, and the prayers are long and important, and we normally have a full house on this solemn day. It is a great opportunity for all of us to contemplate our weakness and sin. I ask you to pray for all those people who have heard the truth and have not made up their mind, they know the truth, but have not been convinced that they need their sins forgiven. Pray for God's Word to touch their hearts during the prayers of Yom Kippur. This is my prayer for the many thousands of people who are going to be praying these wonderful and touching prayers. I pray for an awakening of heart and soul for the state of sin that we are all living in as a people and a spirit of repentance that would fall on Israel like it did in the past. Join me in this prayer, please.
We are also praying for Kol HaYeshua Radio broadcasts. We need some refreshing and some more young people who would prepare good programs. We are now just four people doing programs for seven days. We are praying for more talented teachers in Israel do desire to use this opportunity to produce interesting and inspiring programs for Kol HaYeshua.
We are praying for our sick brothers and sisters all around the world. Here is a short list of those who need your prayers for healing: Ahuva, Ilana, Leah, Marcia, Sarit, Ruby, Ishiida San and his wife, Mrs. Sadako, Paulo, Miriam, Merav, David S., David, Tim Tucker, Anna, Barry, Neryah, Liz, Sarit, and Marcia's mother and father, June and Horace.
God bless you all and bless the good works and faith that you have – may both grow and increase and bring joy to the Lord and to you all.
Joseph Shulam
Your Subscription:
ABBA COPY YOUR STUFF HERE
|
|
