Dear Family in the Messiah Yeshua! Greetings and blessing from your brothers and sisters at “Holy Land Ministries in Israel”!
In this month the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples on the 9th Av is commemorated with prayers of repentance, fasting and the reading of the book of Lamentations. This year Tisha B’Av occurs on the 13th of August 2024 starting the evening before.
At the time of writing this newsletter the people of Israel are awaiting another “retaliatory” strike from Iran and its terror proxies in the region.
This is causing great anxiety in the Israeli population and makes the work of HLM to the elderly and needy even more challenging. Many of the HLM workers and volunteers have families of their own and those with young children find it personally challenging as they have to calm the fears of their children as well as ministering to the needs of HLM’s wards.
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We include in this newsletter this contribution from one of the founders of HLM taken from a message she recently gave in the UK.
“October 7th 2023 has changed everything in Israel. The sudden act of brutal savagery that Israel woke up to on that morning came so suddenly.
The acts of terror themselves are expected but not on this scale and with such awful ferocity and disregard for human life.
I thought that I was tough enough having lived in Israel since my early years. But now I am more aware than ever of my need of God’s grace and protection if I am to even just stay in the Land, let alone minister to the needy and witness to the love of Messiah.
Recently the Lord drew my attention to Zechariah Chapter 12. It is, of course, a prophecy of Israel’s national salvation which is repeated in many other scriptures including Isaiah 59:20 referenced also in Romans 11:25-26.
““The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord.”
Isaiah 59:20 New King James Version
“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;””
Romans 11:25-26 New King James Version
This is the exiting “Good News”, the “unspeakable joy full of glory” that awaits Israel and all Believers in the future
The first three verses of Zechariah Chapter 12 speak of Judah and Jerusalem becoming a “cup of trembling” and a “burdensome stone” for all the nations who will come up against Jerusalem to carry out “the final solution” to the “Jewish problem”.
Yet so many today are ignorant of the spiritual and biblical significance of Jerusalem and for that matter the nation of Israel. They don’t understand the importance of this tiny spec of land in God’s plan and will.
It is in this place at that time that He will defend His people. There will be a supernatural intervention by God Himself. Which we see from verse 10 of Zechariah chapter 12, will lead to the greatest mourning in history:
“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
Zechariah 12:10 New King James Version
But here we see the underlying reason for most, if not all, of Israel’s trials and tribulations – the rejection of Messiah almost 2000 years ago.
Then the King was rejected but He will be recognised when “they will look on Me whom they pierced”
Many are wondering, in Israel and globally, is this the time are we seeing the events of Zechariah Chapter 12?
There is one big difference. Today we are seeing most of the Islamic nations coming against Israel seeking to destroy the nation. But in Zechariah’s prophecy we see “all nations” gathered against Jerusalem.
October 7th 2023 was, unfortunately, just the foreshadowing of the coming Shoah (Holocaust).
I was surprised to learn that some Believers still did not know the full severity of the atrocities committed against innocent Israeli civilians on that day.
So bad were they that many of the emergency workers attending the sites of the massacre were deeply traumatised, some even took their own lives.
I used to think that the last days persecution of Israel was a way off, twenty or thirty years maybe.
But now many are asking “is this the beginning of the end?”
But we can be sure that even if this current war ends it will be just a respite for Zechariah clearly tells its that “all nations will come against Jerusalem”.
Today the reality in Israel is that many young Israeli men and women are dying in conflict just so that we can stay in our won Land.
Because Israel is so small, everybody knows everybody. The deaths and injuries feel personal they could be your friend, colleague or relative.
Somebody is constantly paying with their life.
The prophecies of the coming Shoa in Zechariah and other scriptures are graphic and troubling but the reality is breathtaking.
On the one hand you know that these things bring the return of Messiah even nearer and the joy that accompanies it. But the reality is heartbreaking.
The Rabbis in Israel remarked that “October 7th was a direct result of October 6th”. On October the 6th months, if not years, of civil unrest between the right and left leaning groups in Israeli society turned into violent conflict.
There is also within Rabbinical thought the idea that whatever happens in and to Israel is reflected in the world. When Israel is in turmoil and conflict it will be mirrored across the world.
The polarisation of Israeli society seems to be happening across the globe. There seems to be a spiritual blindness on people in these days.
The problem is spiritual but thankfully so is the remedy. Prayer is the weapon that will avail in these days.
So how do we pray?
As the Psalmist says in Psa 122:6 “Shalu Shalom Yerushalaim” (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem)
Shalom is achieved when God’s will is done. Pray that Israel will know their God and that one by one, for now they would come to receive Yeshua the Messiah as their Lord and Saviour.
It is the goal of HLM, even in these difficult times, to communicate the love of the God of Israel to the needy and elderly and to share the “Good News” with anybody wherever we can.
The “Good News” tells us that there is hope, our Messiah is coming soon.
We still have time to be found faithful and be about His work in these “last days”.”
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We are pleased to include the following article on Tisha B’Av by our local rabbi and dear brother in Messiah Yeshua
Tisha B’Av 57
A Day of Lamentation
It is quite understandable that the destruction of Judah, along with the city of Jerusalem and the Temple, was most shocking to the Jewish people. But, this also was the case for the leaders and inhabitants of the world. The G-d of Israel had built Himself a great reputation by leading His people out of Egypt and defeating not only the Canaanites, but numerous other peoples, including the two powerful Amorite Kings, Sihon and Og. Therefore, the thought of Judah being defeated like the northern kingdom of Israel seemed most unlikely. There was primarily only one voice which warned that the impending doom was approaching, the Prophet Jeremiah. All the other prophets in Jerusalem were in unison that there would not be war, but rather peace. The main reason for these false prophets’ confidence was the fact that the Temple of G-d was in the Holy City of Jerusalem and the idea that the House of G-d would be destroyed was beyond the people’s comprehension.
There are two verses which I would like to discuss in this article. They are found in the Scroll of Lamentations. The actual name of this five chapter writing is איכה Ei-khah, which is derived from the Hebrew word איך meaning “how” and the Hebrew letter ה, which often relates to G-d. Hence, the book which is frequently called “Lamentations” is really named in Hebrew, “How, O G-d?” This name summarises the feelings of the Jewish people as they witnessed both Jerusalem and the Holy Temple lying in ruins, having been completely destroyed. The two verses are Lamentations 4:12-13,
לֹ֤א הֶֽאֱמִ֨ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ וכל כֹּ֖ל יֹֽשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ מֵֽחַטֹּ֣אות נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֺנֹ֖ת כֹּֽהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּֽׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽים׃
״Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world, did not believe that the adversary and enemy would enter the gates of Jerusalem; because of the sins of her prophets, the iniquity of her priests; the ones who shed blood of the righteous in her midst.”
These two verses make it most clear that all the tragic results of the destruction of Judah, Jerusalem and the Temple was due to the ungodly religious leadership of Judah. G-d gave those in Judah a clear lesson when the northern kingdom (Israel) was destroyed and taken into exile by Assyria in 721 BC. The prophets revealed that the reason for such a disaster was idolatry, which dominated in Israel. Unfortunately, Judah did not learn this lesson from her disobedient “sister” Israel and approximately 135 years later Judah experienced a similar punishment from her G-d. It would be wise to explore briefly the cause of this event, as found in verse 13.
There is no doubt that the sins of the prophets were foundational in bringing G-d’s judgment upon Judah. These prophets were false and spoke not the truth of G-d, but what the people wanted to hear. They were not called by G-d nor did they speak the word of G-d. They were much more political than spiritual. This same spirit of falsehood and deception is found today among believers. Instead of standing against sin and injustice, many leaders are embracing a social gospel devoid of salvation and rooted in a misunderstanding of G-d’s grace and mercy. G-d does not necessarily stand with the poor and weak, He stands with those who are in a covenantal relationship with Him and whose actions are in line with His Word.
As I am writing this, there is an expected attack coming upon Israel from Iran, Hezbollah, and other Iranian proxies from Yemen, Syria and Iraq. I do not believe that the fact that Tisha B’Av is a few days away is a mere coincidence. The difficult position in which Israel now finds herself is a direct outcome of not executing justice in Gaza and in Lebanon over the last several years. Literally thousands of attack rockets have been launched into Israel since 2001, and Israel did not arrest and bring the guilty terrorists to justice. The horrible events of October 7, 2023 are a direct result of this failure. Similarly, the Second Lebanon war ended with an agreement that Lebanon would be demilitarised south of the Litani River. However, no sooner did the war end on August 14, 2006 than Hezbollah began to violate this agreement, and instead of Israel resuming the war, there was an absence of a response by Israel and an allowing of Hezbollah to rearm and sit upon the Israeli northern border with nearly 200,000 power rockets in her arsenal. It was the consistent failure to act against international opinion which has led Israel to be in a most difficult current situation.
It is likely that only a few days away we will see how significant the attack will be from Iran and her terrorists’ proxies. It is our hope that the Israeli Defense Force will be able to either mount a preemptive strike or significant response which will defend the citizens of Israel successfully. Perhaps Iran and those with her will not want things to spiral out of control into a regional war and will actually have a more moderate response than the current rhetoric would lead one to conclude. Once again, time will reveal whether or not the Middle East is on the verge of a very significant event.
Also in verse 13 it states, “the iniquity of her priests; the ones who shed blood of the righteous in her midst.” These words demonstrate that the priests, who were commissioned by G-d to teach the Torah to the people (See Leviticus 10:11), failed in this pursuit. In fact, they were also responsible for killing those who were actually behaving righteously in the kingdom. The shedding of blood frequently brings about a swift response from G-d in judging those who were guilty. An important question which needs to be asked is why were the priests acting in such a manner? The answer is likely because they were more interested in pleasing the people than pleasing G-d. The Apostle Paul wrote concerning this issue in a most clear manner. In Galatians 1:10, one reads from Paul,
Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω ἢ τὸν θεόν; ἢ ζητῶ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκειν; εἰ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην
“For now, men I am seeking to please or G-d? If I am seeking men to please, if still men I was seeking to please, A servant of the Messiah I would not be.”
This is one of the most profound verses in all the Bible and so easily understood. The term “priest” is simply another word for a servant of G-d. Since a priest is a servant of G-d, it is G-d Whom he should want to please. Those who are involved in leadership today in the congregations of believers must strive to please G-d by teaching the truths of Scripture and never compromising the standards which are found in the Word of G-d. The Bible reveals that in the End Times there will be a time of apostasy (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3). When examining the theological changes that are appearing within much of Christianity, I believe this apostasy is already beginning. More and more denominations within the body of believers are embracing behaviours which the Scriptures clearly forbid and even call an abomination. There is also great confusion in regard to who is able to lead a local congregation and the qualifications which the Bible sets forth concerning leadership.
These recent changes, which go against what has been taught by the body of the Messiah for centuries, are evidence that the spirit of delusion which comes from the antichrist is already beginning to appear. All of these things will lead to an intense time of persecutions of believers. G-d’s judgment begins with His people and it is clear that many of the institutions which claim to be following the Messiah and His Word are not. This will lead to the L-rd’s discipline of His people, not for the purpose of destroying them, but to purify them. This principle is also seen in the Scroll of Lamentations 3:31-32
כִּ֣י לֹ֥א יִזְנַ֛ח לְעוֹלָ֖ם אֲדֹנָֽי׃ כִּ֣י אִם־הוֹגָ֔ה וְרִחַ֖ם כְּרֹ֥ב חֲסָדָֽיו׃
“For the Lord will not abandon forever; for if grief, He will be merciful according to the abundance of His grace.”
In the end, due to some very difficult times for believers in the End Times, John informs us and encourages us that,
χαίρωμεν καὶ ἀγαλλιῶμεν, καὶ δώσωμεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτῷ, ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ γάμος τοῦ ἀρνίου, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡτοίμασεν ἑαυτήν
“We will rejoice and exult and will give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come and the bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7
Whenever G-d allows His people to suffer and go through hardships, He will work it out for our good and His glory. One must also remember that the Babylonian Exile produced a good change for the Jewish people and G-d redeemed them 70 years later and returned them once more to the Land of Judah, the city of Jerusalem and had the Second Temple built. All of this looks forward to the Temple that the Messiah will dwell in during the Millennial Kingdom.
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In this newsletter we would like to share with you the testimony of our dear brother in Messiah, Pastor Chandra from India.
He and his congregations are partnering with HLM to minister the light and love of Messiah to the needy in their communities.
“I was born into a communist family in 1975 but my grandmother believed in Elohim(G-d) . In my family all men were devoted to Leninism and Marxism.
When I was born every Shabbat day Seventh day Adventist missionaries came to my village, very near our house, where they would hold an open air worship service.
My grand mother, my mother and my aunt attended those worship services secretly and slowly I grew in that faith myself.
After some years my family moved to another place where there were only Sunday Churches. I went to Sunday School but one of my grand fathers was a Hindu and he forced me to go to Hindu temples with him, after few years we came back to our own village where I went to the SDA Church, almost all of my boyhood days I grew up in the SDA Church.
When I was 17 years old I came in to the knowledge of the Hebrew Roots of the faith and for 5 years I studied the original Scriptures learning about the Torah and the feasts and the true meaning of God’s name and character.
I then tried to share this knowledge with my two brothers but they were not interested and misunderstood me about this truth. They thought that I entered into false doctrine.
But after few years my brothers understood these truths also and they came to faith in Yeshua.
After few months I shared this truth in my SDA Church but they did not accept it. Three years later the Church elders forced me to leave.
I then associated with a small fellowship where I grew in “spirit and truth”.
I got married when I was 28 years old and one year later we had a son, I named him Yeshurun Ben Shekhinah. Then one year after that we had a second son his name is Yehudah Ben Shekhinah.
Fifteen years later, by the guidance of Elohim, I went to another area. Where I faced so many problems mental, physical, social and financial. But in all of it our Elohim taught me how to obey Him in any situation my spiritual journey with Yeshua through Ruach Hakodesh would take me. He gave me strength to understand the visions and dreams He gave me and to go forward in His plans and purposes for me.
Finally I decided to proclaim the truth I had been shown concerning Shabbat and about our Saviour’s original Hebrew name Yeshua HaMashiach, the Moedim (feasts) and kosher (dietary laws)and mikvah (baptism).
Many friends and relatives and some others cut themselves off from me.
Following this Set out to find like minded believers who were also seeking the truth.
I was able to gather some people together and begin teaching this Messianic truth. The congregation has grown very slowly and now comprises 40 members attending Erev Shabbat and Yom Shabbat services, there are also 22 believers who also join us from other places. We all meet together in a small prayer hall.
Our Abba Adonai has blessed me with good spiritual gifts, I wrote nearly more than one hundred worship songs and I made Messianic music audio CD albums in my mother tongue Telugu. I also wrote some articles in my local language and also in English but I am very poor in English.
Nearly six years ago I went to a city to proclaim the gospel of Yeshua and some people were interested to hear my words, they already knew about this Messianic Jewish way. Here I was able to start another congregation called Shiloh Messianic fellowship synagogue.
Now I am leading two congregations in two places. I have been joined on my spiritual journey by other Messianic preachers and together we have formed a Messianic preachers fellowship in my state. I am now the president of this small group.
Now I am very happy to be in contact with the people of Israel who believe in Yeshua in the Holy Land.
B’zrat HaShem (in God’s Strength) I would like be a citizen of the Messianic kingdom.
There are many other miraculous things the LORD has done for me and my ministry.
Please pray for me and my family and ministry as we seek to spread the light and love of our Messiah Yeshua to those around us.
Your loving brother in Messiah.
Chandra,
India.
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The work with the elderly, new repatriates and needy in Ashqelon and Beersheva continues apace with all the challenges the present situation in Israel engenders.
There is a great need for more concerted evangelistic effort among these groups. There is an openness among the population is spite of,or maybe because of, the current troubles.
It has been the aim of HLM to recruit volunteers with an evangelistic gift to work with the care teams. That way we can continue to give the physical and emotional support and increase our ability to “preach the Good News to the poor”
Please join us in pray that our LORD will raise up workers for the harvest in these last days.
Holy Land Ministries 