The Jerusalem Prayer List - August 06, 2009

by Joseph Shulam

The summer is a time when many people travel.  We have a special request for prayer for all those members of our congregation and of Netivyah that are traveling right now.  Please pray that the Lord will keep them all safe and sound and bring them all back home to Jerusalem with joy, refreshed, and ready to face the Holiday Season of September and October with great zeal. 

The atmosphere in the Middle East is one of calm before the storm.  The Palestinians had the national conference in Beth-Lehem this week.  The Hamas from Gaza did not allow the Fatach members who live in Gaza to come out of Gaza and participate in the conference.  The Palestinians feel now that they have the support of the United States government with President B. Obama giving them a back wind by demanding from Israel to dismantle and freeze the settlements in the West Bank.  So, again in this conference they did what they have been doing best since 1948.  Abba Even our mythological foreign minister said it many years ago: "The Palestinians never miss a chance to miss a chance" to make peace with Israel.  In fact instead of respecting the concessions that  Israel has made toward them since Mr. Obama has taken office.  Israel has diminished  the numbers of road blocks, eased  on the border crossing procedures,  gave an increased of number of work permits to Palestinians, and much more.  In addition to all this in Iran Ahmedinagad was re-elected as Prime Minister of Iran and has actually defied everything that the United States and the United Nations has offered him in a way of negotiations and talks.  All these events give me the "Hibee Gibees"  as they point to a hardening and radicalization of the situation in the Middle East.  When I look at the world situation all I see is that the Muslims all around the world are not seeking reconciliation or co-existence with the rest of mankind, but they want victory and for them victory is not a question of land it is a question of conversion to Islam or subjugation under Islamic law.   If Christians and Jews do not wake up and face this challenge soon it might become too big and it might be too late.  The weapon that we have are not made from iron or steel, nor are they made by man, they are the Love of God and the Word of God and the Spirit of God all of which are weapons that augment the Truth, Faith, and Hope, and give us who follow Yeshua the tools to win the hearts and the minds of all men.  However, we have to wake up and be willing to sacrifice and dedicate and fight with the divine weapons provided by God.  We really need to pray for an awaking of the whole body of the Messiah in order to face these challenges.  Just go to YouTube and type "Islam" or "Muslims" and you will be surprised at the amount and quality of the propaganda that is being produced to lure Christians to Islam.  Than look for "Christian" and or "Jewish" and see what is there.   How many preachers or evangelists do you know that have successfully witnessed and brought to faith a Muslim?  Please raise your voices to God and ask The Almighty One of Israel to empower you and to empower your leadership to deal with this challenge and if they can't or don't feel that it is their calling please have them support those who have this calling.  Someone has to stand up and be counted because if no one stands up to be counted on these issues - we will all be held accountable on that great and awful day where all Flesh will pass under the judgment seat of God Himself.

Please pray for our congregation in Jerusalem.  I have had a burden for several months now to see our congregation move on and remobilize itself to face the challenges of the near future.  I believe that we have one of the more significant congregations of Jewish Disciples of Yeshua anywhere in the World. Things are actually going well, and we have wonderful brothers and sisters who are dedicated and work to make this congregation a spiritual home for so many people.  However it is time to seek ways to refresh and energize our congregation and seek people who are willing to do more than just be an assembly of fellow believers who prays and worships and hears teaching.  I envision a kind of small group of "special forces" that can face the challenges of the future standing up and fighting a good battle.  Please pray for me and for the leadership of our congregation to be wise, kind, and firm, in this challenge.  Pray for us!  We need divine guidance and wisdom and kindness!  It is better for us to prune ourselves than to wait for God's pruning. 

We are still challenged daily with our wonderful group of aging brothers and sisters, and the ill and those who are suffering from chronic health problems.  Please continue to lift up in prayer: Ahuva, Miriam, Leah, Ilana, Zvi and Sara, Sarit, David, and D.Vactor.  Also please continue to pray for Marcia.  Her hand is healing slow and soon it will time to take off the cast and start physical therapy, all this is on top of the problems with diabetic and Rheumatoid Arthritis. 

In the United States we continue praying for healing of Ruby, Lonnie, Barbara, Mary, and Liz.  In Brazil I ask you to especially lift up Paulo.  Paulo is a very fine young man with some very big health challenges.  In Japan we pray for Kemi our dear sister suffering from R.A. and heart problems.  We pray for Dr. Tim Tucker , and our dear sisters Tellervo, Helena, and Anna. 

In Judaism praying for the sick and visiting the sick is a very big Mitzvah (good deed) that God respects and honors greatly.  It falls in the category of doing good for those who cannot repay you back for the good that you did for them.  It is no doubt a part of Yeshua's teaching when He said, "I was in prison and you visited me not."

The Soup-Kitchen is continuing to stand up and face the stream of new people who want to receive food.  We are not stopping and we are becoming more efficient and more judicial as to what and who and how of dealing with the needs of so many people.  We continue to be amazed of the Hand of God that at the very last moment provides from our needs from the most un-expected sources. 

Kol HaYeshua Radio broadcasts also continues to work and produce wonderful teachings in Hebrew.  Shaul and Barry are doing a great job on the Web Page and putting new material, Podcasts, and audio material in Hebrew and in English and soon in German too. 

Pray for Brazil and for Finland these two places have such a great and wonderful leadership that carries on the work of the Lord and brings good news to both Jew and non-Jew and works for the restoration of biblical faith and lifestyle.

Pray for the Portugal project.  The Hidden Jews of Portugal are in need of a real revival of the dry even the driest bones from the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37.  The Sephardic Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism are the last big group of Jews that need to return home.  I feel that the Lord has put this burden on me, and on you, to make that possible.  We have to redeem the past sins of Christianity that were made in the name of Jesus and under the shadow of the Cross, but have alienated the Jewish people from their Messiah for more than five hundred years.  We are seeing great developments that it would be best for now to keep them under our hats.  Let us become partners with divine destiny by prayer and support for this project.  Doing Justice and Righteousness is always a big job but it is also always partnering with the very heart of God. 

Thank you my dear brothers for your prayers and your support of Netivyah!  We need you and need your prayers daily.

Be blessed in doing good!

Joseph Shulam

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