Israeli News Update
©December 19, 2010 by Asher Intrater

Saturday afternoon, (Dec. 18), Israeli Messianic sister Kay Wilson (46), tour guide for Shoresh Tours, went on a hike with Christian tourist friend, Christine Logan. They sat down on a hill off the trail near Kibbutz Mata. Two Arab men jumped them.

Kay reports that they removed her "Magen David" necklace and stabbed her 12 times with a long serrated kitchen knife. She pretended to be dead. Christine panicked and started screaming. She was also stabbed. All their money was stolen. Kay passed out briefly; then awoke with her mouth gagged and hands tied behind her back. She heard Christine moaning in death throes.

Kay managed to stumble down to a nearby parking area and was found by a group of Israeli children. Police searched the area throughout the night. Christine's corpse was found Sunday morning. At the time of this writing, the murderers have not yet been found. Miraculously, Kay is recovering well in the hospital.

Our home congregation in Jerusalem was started with the vision of the Acts 2 community in mind. We believe in the fullness of Holy Spirit power, committed relationships of love, sharing the gospel boldly, speaking Hebrew, and living within the cultural context of the greater Jewish community around us.

The Acts 2 community had a sense of mission for world evangelism. We share that same heart. This week alone we are sending Eddie, Jackie, Mati, and Alex to India, Youval to London, and Liat to Switzerland. Our vision is to send Israeli believers on short trips to preach the gospel in nations all over the world.

Our heart is to be witnesses of Yeshua first "in Jerusalem," and then in "all Judea, Samaria and even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)." Pray for "D" and "Y" two local Israeli "not-yet-believers" who have been coming recently.

This week at Ahavat Yeshua, Ophir was leading us in the powerful modern worship chorus of "Who is like Thee, O Lord, among the Gods." (The words are taken from Exodus 15 at the crossing of the Red Sea, known as "the song of Moses.") In the middle of the song, I sensed a "window" opened in heaven above us.

We read from Revelation 15:3, "They sing the song of Moses… and the song of the Lamb." Then we read what follows in Revelation 15:5, "I looked and behold the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." We realized that the combining of modern Spirit-filled worship with the ancient covenant worship was a key to opening the heavens.

Chaim came forward and began to lead us in the traditional Hebrew cantorial of "Who is like Thee…" Spontaneously we began to weave the modern charismatic version with the ancient covenant version. The Holy Spirit fell upon us and filled the congregation in a moment of holy awe.

The Holy Spirit is available to anyone at any time. However, when the presence of the Holy Spirit is combined with the promises to Israel and the prophecies of the End Times, a special power is released that opens the heavens to prepare us for the Second Coming and the establishment of Yeshua's kingdom on earth.

One New Man Worship
By Ariel Blumenthal

In Revelation 7:9-10 and 14:6 we see another piece of the End Times puzzle: Distinct peoples from “every tribe, tongue, and nation” worshipping God and the Lamb.  God’s will is not for Gentiles to abandon their culture in favor of Jewish customs, or vice-versa (1 Corinthians 7:17-24). 

Together as the One New Man Church from the nations and from Israel, we can redeem and sanctify all cultures to bring before the Lord a beautiful tapestry of creative, Spirit-led worship to the Father and Creator of all!  In so doing, we deal a decisive blow to the principalities and powers that rule every people group (Ephesians 3:10), ushering in a great harvest and the return of the Lord.   

Lutheran Church and Israel
By Tal Haroni and Ludwig Benecke

The Lutheran Church normally separates itself from Messianic Jews, in order not to get in conflict with the Central Council of the Jews in Germany. Last week, one of the chairmen in the Lutheran Church, Nikolaus Schneider, gave an interview in Christian magazine "Idea Spektrum."

Question: In one of your first comments as chairman of the EKD (Evangelical Church of Germany) you voted for more Christian-Jewish dialogue and for confessing Jesus to the Jews. What do you think about Messianic Jews?

Schneider: They are a great gift to the church. They make it possible that we - as mentioned in Ephesians - become a church of Jews and Gentiles. We (the gentile church) have a lack of Messianic Jews; we are an only-gentile church. They complete our church.

Evangelizing the Jews is still something, with which I have problems: The covenant with the Jews is still valid, so we don't have to explain God to the Jews. However, we have to witness Jesus to the Jews - even as the Messiah of Israel. For the Jews the way to God doesn't circumvent Jesus. It may circumvent the church, but not Jesus.

This might be some kind of entrance. If the gentile church acknowledges Messianic Jews as brothers and sisters in the Lord, it can be not only a big blessing to Israel and the Jews, but also to the church itself.