1. NEW EXPOSURE FOR ISRAEL'S MESSIANIC JEWISH COMMUNITY

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Messiah, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (II Corinthians 2:14-15)

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Yeshua." (Acts 4:29-30)

Last Thursday the English language Jerusalem Post carried a story on its front page, "Messianic Jews to Protest 'Discriminatory' Immigration Policies". The article focused on the concerns of a visiting group of 300 members of a large union of Messianic Jews in the United States. Within the same paper was an entirely separate article entitled, "Local Messianic Jews say they Face Increasing Fear of Attack". This article was bordered, highlighted in a different color, and bore a picture of Ami Ortiz, the young Jewish believer terribly wounded when opening a booby-trapped gift basket left on his doorstep three months ago during the Feast of Purim.

One thing remarkable about these headlines is the presence within them of the words "Messianic Jews". This name (in its Hebrew form, Yehudim Meshihim) within the past few months has also begun appearing in the mainstream Hebrew-language press. Messianic Jews are Jews by birth who believe that Yeshua/Jesus is the promised Messiah, but who do not believe that their faith in His saving work cancels out their inheritance as descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Until recently, their presence as an entity within Israel was considered negligible if at all. Most Israelis had never heard of them-equating Christianity with Gentiles and Roman Catholicism. The highly regarded and in many ways enlightening book The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal (2005, paperback updated edition) bears no listing "Messianic Jews" in its index, nor is there mention of them in the chapter, "The Christians: Uneasy in the Land of Jesus." Part of this is undoubtedly related to the fact that Israelis Jews, religious or secular, are taught from childhood that it is impossible to be a Jew and to believe in Jesus (Called in Israel by the name "Yeshu" rather than by His true Hebrew name "Yeshua"- The LORD is Salvation). Jews may be Orthodox, or secular or into New Age or most anything else-still they remain Jews and are allowed citizenship under the Law of Return. But believing in Yeshua supposedly cuts one off from the faith and even the race of the Fathers. And so, for the past thirty years the presence of a Messianic Jewish community here within Israel has gone largely ignored. When mentioned at all in the media, there has been a strong reluctance to include the word "Jew" in any title given to these people, or to use the Hebrew name "Yeshua" to describe the Lord they serve. But recently this has begun to change-and it's doing so quickly.

In several newspaper articles of recent weeks, Messianics have actually been allowed to describe their beliefs, in some cases without the usual "equal time" comments of an "anti-missionary" representative from the ultra-Orthodox community. New exposure is also being made during the past month on television talk shows and in the entertainment arena. On a recent Friday, a Jewish believer was interviewed on Channel 2's "Good Morning Israel" show. The evening of the same day the rival Channel 1 carried a segment on the family of the young man injured in the Purim bombing. Part of the program took place in the lad's bedroom, his mother sitting next to him singing softly in Hebrew over him the words of Romans 8-"I am persuaded that neither life nor death.shall separate me from the love of God which is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord-Yeshua is Lord!" A few weeks ago a Messianic teenager sang Psalm 121 on a very popular Israeli show Kochav Nolad- "A Star is Born" (something along the lines of "American Idol" in the U.S.). As she sang, there was an incredible anointing on her face, voice and the words. The camera panned onto the faces of the judges, who gazed, slowly shaking their heads in wonder at the beauty flowing out of her. (She has since advanced to the next round, singing a secular song, with the same result.) Last year this girl was attending a weekend camp for believing Messianic youth (see below)-now she is in the eye of the nation with the light of her Lord shining out of her.

It was one thing when Messianic Jews were seen as a tiny fringe group or "cult", made up mostly of new immigrants. Now they appear to be in an almost phenomenal way rising into the public awareness as something integral within the culture, made up of thousands, many of whom are native "sabra" Israelis. Of course, the evil one is not taking this "exposure" lying down; the anti-Messiah (i.e. anti-Christ) spirit which operates powerfully in the religious community appears to be manifesting itself in a growing campaign of acts to intimidate Jewish believers and to foment adverse discrimination against them. In some cases, the new media coverage is causing such tactics to backfire. An assistant mayor of a city in which New Covenants (New Testaments) had been recently disseminated, in an act ironically and alarmingly reminiscent of scenes perpetrated by the Nazis 70 years ago, organized a "book burning" in which volunteers went door to door gathering the materials for the bonfire. This resulted, however, in an outcry regarding religious freedom in Israel, with one of the popular newspapers featuring a color spread on the incident. An attempt last month, by the Orthodox to disqualify a Messianic Jewish teenager from the annual International Bible Quiz for Jewish youth also resulted in news coverage.

There has always been oppression by elements within the religious Jewish community of modern Israel against Jewish believers-in some cases accompanied by violence. With this oppression appearing to have now advanced into the area of attempts to maim or murder, there is a serious question as to what this portends for the future. Even with the growing media exposure and coverage mentioned above, incidents appear to be on the increase, not always making it into the news. Nor is the news coverage itself always resulting in blessing. We spoke with a young pastor recently who was ready to "sign" on a new meeting place for his congregation. The owner was aware it would be an organization of Jewish believers in Yeshua, but assured him that it made no difference. Then he read the articles about the bombing in Ariel, with the strong implication that it had been perpetrated by Orthodox Jews against Messianic Jews, and he backed down-the fear that the presence of Messianics might bring similar acts of violence adversely affecting businesses in his area was too great. This past week leaflets appeared in a southern-Jerusalem neighborhood with pictures of several Messianic pastors, and bearing in Hebrew the words, "These people are members of a cult called "messianic Jews". The Supreme Court ruled regarding this cult that 'Judaism vomited them out". BEWARE OF THEM!!!" This kind of thing is common enough - but these leaflets also included the home addresses beneath the pictures of each of the Believers.

PLEASE PRAY:
* That accurate testimony regarding the existence of Messianic Jews in Israel and of their beliefs would continue to be released through the Israeli media.
* That the Believing Jewish community in Israel would continue like their Master "increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52).
* That Believers here would walk in the courage and wisdom of the Holy Spirit-that 'outreach' to others would be affected according to the Spirit's direction for here-rather than merely following 'techniques' which have succeeded in other countries.
* That Israeli believers in Yeshua would permeate the marketplace, the arts, the military, and the government.
* For love, courage, endurance and vision for those who are beginning to experience persecution for their faith.
* For especial protection for those targeted by satan, that angels would keep violence from coming to their doors. That they would move in strong spiritual discernment regarding those who might knock on their doors.
* That God will work in the hearts of those bound up in traditional religion, using the very plans of the enemy to awaken a curiosity which might lead them to the Truth. We know former ultra-Orthodox who have come to faith because they had questions which their rabbis couldn't answer-and they contacted those which their media had warned them to stay away from. It is interesting that even the threats (see the text of the leaflet above) have begun to use the words "Messianic Jew"-implying that these really are Jews who are choosing to follow Yeshua as Messiah and Savior!

2. "VESSELS IN THE POTTER'S HANDS."
This is the theme of the Katzir (Harvest) Messianic Youth camp which will take place in Israel July 13-21. This will be the first summer that Katzir has planned, financed, and run the camp without any help from outside of Israel. Planning, organization and logistics are, also for the first time, entirely in the hands of the young adult leaders. For nine days some 80 young Israelis will attend teachings and small-group activities focused on "the arts" and "creativity" as being tools and expressions of faith in the hands of youth-developing and releasing our gifts for the Kingdom. The camp will end with a production featuring photography, music, graphic art and drama mounted at a rented auditorium in Jerusalem. Friends and family will be invited to this special event which will be a celebration of the relevance of artistic expression in proclaiming truth, beauty, and order to a secular world-to the Glory of the God who "created" man and woman as creative beings in His own image!.

PLEASE PRAY:
1. That all the finances come in to pay for the camp. The cost of renting busses, etc is incredibly high this year, with the risen price of gas and the very low level of the dollar.
2. That this camp will so be led by the Spirit of God so that the 80 Israeli youths will come away with changed lives, on fire for Him, newly aware of the wonder of God-given talents and abilities, and with a desire to develop and use these for the Kingdom of God rather in service to selfish ambition and merely for the adulation of men. Pray for the teachers and leaders. Pray that out of this youth will begin to express their faith in wonderful creative ways, anointed with the Holy Spirit to awaken a longing to communicate in spirit and truth with the Father of Lights from whom come all gifts (James 1:17)
3. For the young adult leaders who for the first time are entirely planning this on their own, that God will use this as a training ground for them to grow and be strengthened in the Lord. Pray for wisdom in their decisions and for their mentoring by the older staff of the camp.
4. For a strong witness during the performance to those who are not believers in Yeshua.