Our world is changing right before our eyes. The events in the Arab world are a tsunami that will leave behind it destruction, mud, death, and above all a new Middle East. The New Middle East is not the same New Middle East that our President Shimon Peres was flashing around some 10 years ago. It is not even the New Middle East that Bill Clinton was dreaming about. It will not be a Middle East of peace and prosperity. It will be a horror show of radical Islamists who will repress their citizens and enact Shariah Law (laws made in the 9th century by Islamic despots that ruled an empire that stretched from the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean all the way across to the Pacific Ocean). Now in Cairo there are many voices. There is the voice of freedom and democracy and there is the voice of the Muslim Brotherhood that was the first sprouting of radical jihadist Islam, even long before El Queada and Bin-Ladin. What is happening in Egypt is actually inspired by what happened one week earlier in Tunisia. Tunisia was one of the more friendly to Europe of the West Arab countries in the world. It has been peaceful and even Israeli tourists were going to Tunisia without a problem for the last several years. So, what happened? What caused the multitudes to rise up and go to the streets asking for their government to be dismissed and their president to leave? These questions are not simple to answer because they have many different aspects like economics, and religion, and world affairs. For me one of the most depressing things about all these events is the fact that some leaders in the world so quickly took the side of the wild rioters that went looting and burning and proclaiming Islamic Shariah Law. How could anyone trust international friendships, hugs and kisses one day and a week later, a knife in the back and support for the “enemy?” On New Years day a Christian church was sacked in Alexandria, more than 20 Christians died, the church building was damaged. The leaders of the so called “Christian Countries” kept their mouth closed. There was no or little condemnation of the Islamic mob that did the killing and rioting against these Christians, there were no serious steps taken either by the Egyptian government or their secret police to find the culprits and bring them to justice. Christian blood is cheap in the Arab world, just like Jewish blood is even cheaper and people who kill themselves as suicide bombers in order to kill a few Jews or Christians are honored and celebrated as heros. Disciples of Yeshua and all the Christians in the World should have only one response to these events: repentance for sleeping during our watch. These events are transpiring in Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen; probably soon in Syria as well as the rich Gulf of Aden countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Abu-Dabi, the Emirates. Ask Repentance for watering down the Good News and making a Rock and Roll opera from the Message of Salvation and forgiveness of sin. Ask repentance for not proclaiming to the world that there is One God and One Savior for all mankind. The oil rich Arab countries, need to repent for ignoring their poor Arab brothers and allowing them to suffer while they are driving their Rolls Royces and Bentleys.

The most important thing that we all must do right now is pray for the multitudes of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Pray that the God of Israel, the God who made this world and all that is in it will have mercy on these multitudes and prevent more suffering and shame and install sane governments that will rule with justice and a desire for peace. As Disciples of Yeshua, we all need to raise up like the Egyptian multitudes and proclaim peace, justice and Good News for all: Muslims, Jews, and pagans. Prayer is a powerful instrument. Moses changed the mind of God twice and convinced God to change the course of History and keep Israel as His nation. First, when God had proposed to wipe out Israel and start a new nation from Moses, and a second time when God had decided not to continue leading the people of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. We have the ministry of reconciliation according to the Apostle Paul, and we need to put that ministry to work and beg God to reconcile Himself and reach out to Muslims and Jews, and all of Humanity with the mercy and grace. Pray His character flows into the hearts of leaders in the Arab world and stops hardening them from making peace with Israel and with their own people.

I ask you to pray for Marcia and I especially because we are traveling in the United States for a few weeks. We are now with my son Barry and his family in Tennessee and from here we are flying to California for a few days to be with my daughter Danah and Noaam our grand-daughter and also to teach in several churches and meet with friends and supporters. From California, the Lord willing, I shall fly to Portland, OR, and from there to Dallas, Texas, and from there for a couple of days in Atlanta, Georgia, and back home to Israel. All this travel needs much grace from God and strength for the body. So, we appreciate your prayers for us personally.

Netivyah is getting ready for the Supreme Court hearing of our case. It is a landmark case that will be important not only for Netivyah but for Jewish people who have a different opinions, especially on religious topics. If the radical elements of Orthodox Judaism in Israel can stop people from building, or remodeling their buildings, or getting the city hall to treat them as equal citizens with equal rights than everyone who is a bit different from the medieval traditions of European Judaism will be in danger of having his civil rights trampled. Israel needs your prayers and support and we at Netivyah more specifically need your prayers and support. Please pray for righteous judges and righteous laws to be the banner etched on the flag of Israel. We need your prayers.

In Israel please pray for Netivyah and the new procedure of the Food Distribution Program. We have started to feed over 100 families of needy people referred to us by the Social Welfare Department. It is a big challenge to continue to do a good service for the community and the needy of Jerusalem and we have a double responsibility to be kind and gracious and provide good food for poor of Jerusalem. We need your prayers and your support and your love for Israel to be seen in this great city of the great King.

The office of Netivyah also needs your prayers. We have had to change the computer server in the office and also change another computer. Both of these computers were over 8 years old and as those of you who use a computer know, an 8 year old computer is compared to a stone age tool. The frustration involved with such computer problems catches all of us who are O.C.D. off guard. This kind of problem also creates expense that is not negligible. We need these tools to do the work and we are thankful to God that we are able to have them.

The new book, Dwelling in the House of the Lord: God, Israel, and the Church, is going into print in the next few days. I believe that this book is going to be an important contribution to disciples of Yeshua worldwide because it corrects one of the biggest theological errors in Christian history. It corrects the issue of replacement theology that has been a plague besetting the churches since the 3rd and 4th century. So many of the ugliest chapters of Christian History are a direct cause of this false teaching, the teaching that God has replaced Israel with the church and that God is finished with the Jewish people is nothing but a direct contradiction to the plain word of God. All you have to do is go to Romans 11:1-4 and you will see that whoever claims that God is finished with Israel is contradicting what the Apostle Paul plainly speaks. So, please pray for the success of this book and for the translation to other languages. Right now it is already translated to Dutch, and soon it will be translated to German, and may be to Japanese and Korean too. Of course it is already out in Hebrew.

We do have our sick brothers and sisters to pray for and this is considered in Judaism a big Mitzvah, that is a good deed to pray for the sick and even especially for those who are strangers to you. So, please keep lifting up Ruby, and Paulo, and Lonnie, and Barbara, and Bob, and Liz, and Ishiida San, and Mrs, Abe's mother-in-law, and David S, and the other David and Merav from Jerusalem, and Liora, and Ahuva, and Sarit, and Marcia, and Leah, and Ilana, and June, and Horace, and all those whom you know to need the healing touch of our all merciful God. Yes, even in the time of illness and suffering the mercy of God never fails.

God bless you all who lift up Zion in your prayers,

Joseph Shulam