© 19 June 2015 Revive Israel Ministries

Gaza, Praise, and the Gay Parade

By Asher Intrater

This past Friday morning, an estimated 180,000 people descended on Tel Aviv to participate in the annual "Gay Parade."  There is an international effort to make Tel Aviv the "Gay Capital" of the world.

The same day we were meeting in our Tel Aviv congregation, Tiferet Yeshua, for our weekly assembly.   During the praise time, the verse came to mind about God hearing the "cry of Sodom" rising up before Him because of the greatness of their sins (Genesis 18:20).

I suggested that maybe we should sing just a bit louder so that God might hear our praise songs above the cries of sin and sodomy around us.  Tiferet Yeshua numbers just over 100 members.  How could we have any influence compared to 180,000 militant homo-lesbians?

We recalled that God told Abraham that if there were only 10 righteous in Sodom, He would spare the city.  (While we have no righteousness of our own, we do love the Lord.)  Joy filled our hearts as we realized that God receives our prayers for grace on behalf of the city.

Internal Fighting

Just a few dozen kilometers down the coast from Tel Aviv is Gaza. A new ISIS cell there took credit for several rocket launches toward Israel last week.  No damage was incurred.  Israel responded with restraint, knowing tension that exists between Hamas and ISIS.  Hamas will take care of stopping the ISIS cell.

There are also divisions between ISIS and Syria on Israel's northern border, and between Suni and Shiite forces in Yemen to the south.  Israel could be easily wiped out by all these Jihad groups.  However as they fight between themselves, our survival for the time being is guaranteed.

Defeating Enemies through Praise

In II Chronicles 20 we find the children of Israel in Jehoshaphat's time also surrounded by enemies.  A prophetic word came that the Israelites were to take position on the battlefield and praise the Lord, because "He is good and His mercy endures forever (verse 21)."  This seemed like a suicide tactic for sure.

However, the moment they started praising, God caused the enemies to attack one another (v. 22).  The spiritual worship led to a military victory.  If they had not praised the Lord, they might have been wiped out.  We in Israel today also feel the urgency to lift up praises to the Lord.  In the meantime, we keep worshiping and the enemies stay divided.  We're not willing to stop praising to check out whether it is having an effect or not.

Praise has often been connected with military.  What was the first example of biblical praise from a group of people?  - The song of Moses after God destroyed their enemies at the Red Sea (Exodus 15).  I wonder what their praise looked and sounded like.  I imagine it was not a low key, somber and serious worship time.  No doubt it was exuberant, victorious, joyful and perhaps a bit wild. 

Let's keep worshipping the Lord and trust that our praise is having an effect on the situation around us.

By Mikha'el Kerem

Last week's elections in Turkey were a success for the 'Kurdish' Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) led by Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yuksekdağı, a woman. (The Kurds are a nation of 25-30 million without their own State.) 

While enduring numerous bomb attacks on party offices and political rallies, the HDP managed to win 13% of the vote and cross the 10% threshold required to enter parliament. Their message obviously found a home with those who either were tired of President Erdogan's anti-secular, anti-Israel, anti-anything-non-Islamic policies.  

While this is reason for optimism, Erdoğan and the AK Party have plenty of party faithfuls in positions of influence. They have consolidated much wealth and control. (He just built a 1,100 room palace for himself in Ankara.) 

This was a victory for the Kurds and the other minorities of Turkey, including the small Turkish/Kurdish MBB community (Muslim-background believers). Without a clear majority, Erdogan's party will now have to seek a coalition partner.  If no other party will enter into a coalition, there would be new elections. Pray for God's will in the forming of the new government.

By Kirk Gliebe (president of UMJC)

Everything wears out over time:  Cars, clothes, refrigerators.... People physically wear out too.  Everything has a life cycle, even organizations and congregations.  Without thoughtful analysis, honest critique, and new ideas, great ministries become ineffective over time.

Ministries often start off frenetically, the result of G-d planting a vision or an opportunity before an individual, who then over time systematizes that vision into a functioning ministry structure.  But if that individual isn’t hitting the refresh button (prayerfully analyzing the ministry to make sure that it is staying true to the original vision), that ministry will slowly calcify and become irrelevant.

G-d doesn’t raise up ministries; He raises up people with vision whom He entrusts to fulfill that vision. Sometimes that vision can be carried onward by succeeding people for a century or two, but often it’s just one individual for a few years or decades. Let us be intentional to renew our ministry vision and develop new leaders who will take the vision in the future!

In this video Asher teaches that God is calling us to restore and complete the apostolic commission that Yeshua gave to the disciples in Acts 1. To watch in English, click HERE!