Special Reports

Pastors' Luncheon, Reps from Public Safety, & Shilo

USA pastors’ luncheon at the ICEJ

The ICEJ Jerusalem staff was honored to host a lunch for a large delegation of pastors and church leaders from the United States on the Embassy property in the last days of March. Pastor Jerry Dirmann, Founder and Senior Pastor of The Rock Church in Anaheim, California and ICEJ Board Member shared an exciting message about Israel and introduced the visitors to the ministry of the ICEJ.

Visit of reps from Ministry of Public Safety

On the morning of February 16, a group of 10 government workers from the Ministry of Public Security visited ICEJ headquarters and met part of the staff for breakfast and to learn more about the ministry of the ICEJ in the land of Israel. Dr. Mordehai Zaken, who oversees the Desk of Minority Affairs for the Israeli government, brought the group to help government officials learn more about the work of Christians who love and support Israel and the Jewish people. Dr. Zaken was impressed with the reception at the Embassy and promised to bring other groups of government officials to the Embassy in the near future.

Trip to Shilo

In March, ICEJ staff spent a day traveling through the Binyamin Region of Israel, often referred to as the “land of biblical heroes.” The first stop was Shechem, the high place where Abraham received the Lord’s promise to receive the land stretched out before him. The entire staff prayed for the nation and her people as they gazed on Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, where blessings and curses were recited over the children of Israel, recorded in Deuteronomy 27. Next the staff visited ancient Shiloh, where the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant resided for 369 years. There Hannah prayed for a child and where later that son, prophet Samuel, ministered and served the kings of Israel. The day concluded with a meal at Psagot Winery, overlooking the pass between Gibeah and Michmash, the location of Jonathan’s stunning victory over the Philistines (I Sam. 14) and the modern-day victory of Gen. Allenby in WWI against the Turks.

Wim Retiring and Visit of Ulla from Finland

Celebrating Wim at Retirement

Wim Van der Zande, one of the longest serving ICEJ staff members in Jerusalem, recently retired, promising to visit and support the Embassy headquarters whenever needed. Wim and Petra first came to Jerusalem in 1988, served at the Feast and felt God was calling them to serve longterm. Petra joined the Social Assistance Department (now ICEJ Aid) and Wim, a jack-of-all-trades, was soon brought on staff to handle administrative work, make sure the offices were well equipped and manage daily and ever-increasing mass mailings. He managed the mailing office until his retirement this January and coordinated headsets and translators during each Feast of Tabernacles.

Visit of Ulla from Finland

ICEJ was blessed by a recent visit from Ulla Jarvilehto, a former Finnish cabinet member and the founder of ICEJ-Finland. The ICEJ-Finland branch has participated in ICEJ’s Aliyah efforts throughout the years, and played a key role assisting Jews from the former Soviet Union, specifically those from Russia, to make their journey to Israel. Ulla was one of the pioneers of this work. In 1989 Ulla received official permission from both the Israeli and Finnish governments to start the Aliyah work through Finland and thus the ICEJ was one of the very first Christian ministries to be involved in Aliyah. Ulla and her husband Carlo visited the ICEJ while traveling around Israel, and shared with our staff what the Lord has put on their hearts.

Visit of Brother Yun and Goodbye to Harley

Visit of Brother Yun

The ICEJ head office staff were blessed to meet Brother Yun in March of this year. “The Heavenly Man” shared the story of God’s faithfulness throughout his years of imprisonment for the Gospel. Through much suffering and torture, the Lord used Brother Yun mightily, supernaturally leading him out from a totally locked-down prison to freedom. Now a German citizen, Brother Yun travels the world testifying of the Lord’s grace and power to “set the captives free.”

Goodbye and Thank-You to Harley

ICEJ staff gathered to say thank you and farewell to long-time friend and Feast volunteer, Harley Henson. Harley and his late wife Vida were first introduced to the ICEJ when volunteering with the costume department during the Feast of Tabernacles in 1998. They became Feast “regulars,” always helping wherever needed. Even after Vida’s passing, Harley faithfully pitched in wherever help was needed, during the Feast and throughout the year. Due to declining health, Harley returned to the United States earlier this month. He is currently in rehab and doing well. Our love and prayers go with him.

A Call to Prayer for President Trump

The upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump to Israel has already surpassed for intrigue and drama the visit of any other American president, and we are still days away from him even landing. The itinerary for his first official trip to the region is different from what many expected, and no doubt more surprises are in store. But here is what we know so far.

President Trump’s historic tour will feature three highly-symbolic stops in Riyadh, Jerusalem and Rome to deliver a message of peace and religious tolerance in key places for Islam, Judaism and Christianity. He has promised an “inspiring” speech on Islam before fifty top Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, and his call on Pope Francis at the Vatican should go well for both sides, but Trump’s agenda during his brief stint in Jerusalem still remains very murky and full of controversy.

With Israelis preparing to celebrate fifty years of a reunited Jerusalem next week, many Christians were hoping he would show up at that very moment to announce the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But latest reports indicate he will only pay a “private” visit to the Old City and Western Wall without the accompaniment of any Israeli officials – a gesture which would disappoint his Israeli hosts and their many Christian friends worldwide. In fact, that would be the worst possible timing to remind everyone once again of the antiquated and thoroughly confusing stand which many nations take towards Israel’s capital city. In my view, it also would be an especially huge letdown for all those American Evangelicals who voted him into office, based in large part on his campaign promise to finally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Recent reports also indicate that President Trump aims to use this tour as a springboard for relaunching the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, believing that he has the unique abilities as a successful businessman to broker an historic deal that other presidents have failed to achieve. Yet there is little to indicate at present that the region is ripe for such an agreement, which means Trump may be falling victim to the same seduction which tripped up his predecessors in office.

The primary lesson of these past failed efforts is that we will know the Palestinians are finally ready to make peace with Israel when they stop their anti-Israel, anti-Semitic incitement and start teaching their children to live in peace with their Jewish neighbors. Dennis Ross, who coordinated the Oslo peace process under former president Bill Clinton, has admitted their biggest mistake was ignoring the Palestinian demonization of Israel, and that peace will only come when this education to hate ceases. During his recent visit to the White House, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told Trump that they are indeed teaching peace to their children, but we all know that is a complete lie!

Should President Trump start pressuring Israel to divide the land promised to them by God, the prophet Joel warns that it will only end in disaster. On the other hand, if he truly stands with Israel and her beloved city of Jerusalem as he promised while running for office, there will surely be great blessing on his presidency and nation. May we all be united in faith and prayer for the latter to prevail, in the hope that Donald Trump will truly become the ‘Cyrus’ which many Christians envisioned him to be.

Dr. Jürgen Bühler
ICEJ President

May Your Prayers Move Mountains

Join us in prayer for urgent needs in and around Israel, and concerning the Jewish people worldwide.

JERUSALEM

In early June, Israel will mark fifty years since the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. But the Arab states are again challenging Israel’s rule over the city today, 50 years later, and the spiritual battle over the city intensifies once more. Yet this is a year of Jubilee favor over Jerusalem, and we believe God wants to release it even more in the coming months into its redemptive destiny.

Please pray for God’s prophetic purposes for Jerusalem to be hastened and all He intends to accomplish in the city this year would come to pass. Pray that the nations will move their embassies to Jerusalem this year, starting with the United States. Pray for the sound defeat of any diplomatic efforts to undermine Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

ETHIOPIAN ALIYAH

More Ethiopian Jews will be making Aliyah on flights sponsored by the ICEJ in the coming months, but there are still obstacles in their way. The delays involve difficulties on the ground in Ethiopia, as well as certain pockets of resistance within Israel. Let us cover the entire Ethiopian Jewish community with our prayers – especially those who will be traveling from Ethiopia to begin new lives in Israel.

Please pray for the ICEJ’s continuing efforts to bring home the last of the Ethiopian Jewish community to Israel. Thousands of Jews still remain in the Gondar and Addis Ababa regions in Ethiopia, who need to be cared for, transported to the airport and then flown to Israel. Pray against any further delays and hindrances, which are only prolonging the separation and suffering for these families. Pray they would be kept safe from harm until they are able to fly to Israel, that their journey to Israel would be swift, and they will easily adjust to living in their new homeland.

SYRIA AND THE REGION
In early April, the USA destroyed a military airfield in Syria which was recently used to launch chemical gas attacks on villages in rebel-held territory. This surprise action by the Trump administration could change the dynamic of the Syrian conflict and even have far wider consequences, especially for Iran. Meanwhile, Israel’s relations with the US have improved under the Trump presidency, although the “settlements” issue could still cause tensions between Washington and Jerusalem.

Please pray for Israel’s leaders to have the wisdom, foresight and abilities needed to keep Israel safe and the Syria conflict at bay (Isaiah 62:6). Pray for US-Israel relations to flourish and have a positive impact on the whole region. Pray that any US-led renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians would not be used to increase international pressure on Israel to make unwise or unwarranted concessions.

Join the Isaiah 62 initiative of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem as we corporately pray for Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, and the Middle East:

1. Join as an individual prayer warrior at www.icej.org/isaiah62.

2. Begin an Isaiah 62 prayer group in your community.

3. Join us in fasting and praying on behalf of Israel every month.

More Ethiopian Jews Arrive in Israel in May

The ICEJ sponsors another large group of Ethiopian Jews approved by the Israeli government to make Aliyah

The next wave of Aliyah from Ethiopia arrives in Israel this May! The ICEJ is committed to standing with these families every step of the way. Therefore, as soon as they are back in Israel, we will help them settle in their promised land.

Most Ethiopian Jews returned to Israel in the early 1990s. However, some remained in their small community in this poor African country, caring for their elders and waiting for a future opportunity to make Aliyah. They long to come home to Israel. In November 2015, the Israeli government announced its intention to bring up to 9,000 Ethiopian Jews home by 2020. On October 9, 2016, the first wave of 63 of them arrived in Israel, thanks to the Christian support through the ICEJ.

We are grateful for every gift dedicated to this special endeavor! By sponsoring the return of the Ethiopian Jews to Israel, we become part of God’s fulfillment of His promise, recorded in Isaiah 43:5-7. As Christians, we can carry the sons and daughters of God’s chosen nation back to the land of their fathers (Is 49:22). We will be blessed for it in return, according to the spiritual law described in the Bible.

What a joy it is to see these Jewish families make their home in their Promised Land! It is not too late and it is our honor to play a part in their journey!

Join the ICEJ today and pave the way for more Ethiopian Jews to return to Israel! Send your gift here: Support Ethiopian Aliyah

Attracting Extraordinary Blessing

“I know you from Jerusalem”

In the last issue of our magazine we shared the story of miraculous healing of Danny Meka, ICEJ’s Director in India. Severely burned after a gas explosion, an angel appeared to him in a dream and the Lord supernaturally touched his body, allowing Danny to leave the hospital after eight days, when the doctors said it should have taken months. His story shows us that our God is the same God from the days of the Apostles. And nothing is impossible for our God!

As you may recall from Danny’s story, when the angel appeared to him in a dream, he asked: “What do you want me to do for you?” In that dream Danny responded: “Who are you?” The angel answered him: “I know you from Jerusalem!”

That remarkable response reminded me of three stories in the Bible – three Gentiles who were singled out in the New Testament to receive a special blessing: A Roman centurion (Lk 7:1-10), a Phoenician woman (Mt 15:21-28), and Cornelius, the Centurion from Caesarea (Acts 10-11). All three experienced an unusual touch of God, in many ways out of season, since Jesus repeatedly made it clear during His earthly ministry He was sent only to the Jews. (Mt 15:25) When Jesus sent out His disciples He likewise commanded them to avoid Gentiles and focus only on the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Mt 10:6)

“Yes Lord, yet even the dogs…”

Consequently, when the Phoenician woman approached Jesus with the desperate request to heal her sick demonized daughter, Jesus first ignored her and then rather abruptly rejected her: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” He said, and then added, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:25-26)

It must have been extremely humiliating for the woman to be addressed like that by Jesus. As He said, healing was God’s gift – the daily bread – for the sons of God, the Jews who, according to Paul, were adopted. (Rom 9:4) To give the same gift to this Gentile woman Jesus equated with throwing the gift to the dogs. Jesus was using a seemingly harsh rabbinic approach also found in Midrash Tillim, which states: “The nations of the world are like dogs.”

But this did not stop the Phoenician woman. Her reply demonstrated both relentless faith and extreme humility, not only towards Jesus but towards her own standing in God’s timing. “Yes Lord, yet even the dogs…” was her reply. The German theologian Albrecht Bengel notes: “She does not ask to be admitted to the table, but implies that she was not far distant from it.” In the new covenant, Gentiles would soon be admitted to sit at the table as children and have full access to all the heavenly goods, but in this early stage Jesus marvelled at the humble faith displayed by the woman. “…Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.” (Matthew 15:28)

“…for he loves our nation”

Another Gentile to experience an untimely touch of Jesus was a Roman centurion from Capernaum. Like the Phoenician woman, he did not ask for himself, but needed a miracle for one of his servants. However, instead of approaching Jesus directly, he sent the elders of the local Jewish community to put in a good word with Jesus. This is how Luke reports it: “And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue’.” (Luke 7:4–5) Archaeologists have found the basalt foundations of an ancient synagogue in Capernaum which could be the one mentioned in this passage.

What is striking is the argument that the elders bring to Jesus, and His subsequent reaction. “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” The elders recognized that dealing with a Gentile would be an exception for Jesus. Nevertheless, they argued that Jesus should still heal him as he is a ‘worthy Gentile.’ He loves our nation, they argued, and demonstrated it very practically by building a synagogue. Unlike with the Phoenician woman, Jesus did not oppose and followed the elders immediately to heal the centurion’s servant.

“… well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation”

The third prominent Gentile highlighted in the New Testament is Cornelius, the centurion of Caesarea. The Phoenician woman and the centurion from Capernaum experienced a touch of Jesus before the times of the Gentiles had begun. Cornelius however represents the very watershed which opened the doors to the Gentile world. His testimony became a sign not only for Peter, but for the entire early church, that “also to the Gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18) The person of Cornelius represents thus a paradigm shift for the early church. From that moment on, it was clear that the Gentiles would be allowed to sit at God’s table as sons. They would not receive merely the crumbs of blessings that had fallen from the table of God’s people Israel, but would became full partakers of God’s nature and His most powerful promises.

The question I used to ask myself was: Why did Cornelius become the prototype, the first fruit of a Gentile believer? Why was he chosen, of all the Gentiles living in Israel at that time? Again, it is Luke who answers these questions. The disciple reports that the centurion sent two of his (probably Jewish) servants to Peter’s home in Joppa (today’s Yaffo), to come to Caesarea and share God’s Word in his house. They must have known that an observant Jew like Peter would not defile himself by visiting the home of a Gentile, especially if he was a leader of the Roman occupying force.

So the servants give a testimony about Cornelius, reminiscent of the story of the centurion of Capernaum: “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you…” (Acts 10:22) This Roman, they argued, was different from the other Romans Peter knew. Cornelius was well spoken of by the Jewish nation. The Jews loved him.

The reason why they loved him was explained by the angel who appeared to Cornelius: “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.” (Acts 10:31) Cornelius was a spiritual man who prayed and whom the Jews considered as ‘God fearing.’ The practical expression of his faith was love and care towards the Jewish nation through the alms that were given by him. Therefore, the Jews held him in high regard and more importantly his alms were noted in Heaven.

Candidates for extraordinary blessing

What connects all three stories is the relentless faith and the unique relationship these three Gentiles shared with the Jewish people. The Phoenician woman showed incredible humility in God’s seemingly preferential treatment of the Jews. Both centurions showed active signs of love and support for the Jewish people by giving alms and even building a synagogue. The Word of God indicates it was their faith and their attitude towards the Jews which marked all three of them for an extraordinary treatment by God. They received a touch of God before the Gospel of Jesus would ‘officially’ launch into the Gentile world. One of them, Cornelius, became the very first Gentile Christian and opened the door for all Gentiles to receive the Spirit of God.

The stories confirm that God is indeed watching how we relate to Israel and the Jews. Our relationship to Israel is surely not a precondition for salvation or eternal life, but it marks us as possible candidates for an extraordinary blessing.

What the angel said to Cornelius: “Your alms have been remembered before God,” reminds me of what the angel said in a dream to our Indian ICEJ director in the hospital. “I know you from Jerusalem!” Many times I have asked myself, what would have happened if Danny would not have devoted some of his time to bless the Jewish people. He visits Israel several times a year and works tirelessly in India to bless the Jewish nation. Somehow this must have attracted the attention of Heaven. “I know you from Jerusalem,” the angel answered him. God’s Word makes it crystal clear that blessing Israel attracts the blessing of God on our own life. (Gen 12:3)

Blessing Israel is surely no quick fix for getting rich, but it marks us for times when we need an extraordinary touch from God. I have experienced it personally, and many others do too. I know you will as well, as you seek ways to bless the people of God. Even if you should never experience it here on earth, you are marked in Heaven. And one day you too will hear: “I know you from Jerusalem. Your alms have been remembered.”

May the Lord bless you mightily as you bless the Jewish people.

A Jubilee Year for Jerusalem

Fifty years removed, it is hard for us to imagine today the painful division of Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967. Israel’s capital city is now so bustling and alive. But old-timers will tell you that life was extremely difficult here during those dismal nineteen years when the city was torn between Israel and the Jordanians.

Local Jewish residents were certainly relieved in 1948 when the siege on western Jerusalem was lifted by the arrival of aid convoys along the “Burma Road.” But for the next two decades, the Jewish half of the city remained precariously surrounded by Arab forces on three sides, with a narrow corridor through the Jerusalem hills linking them to the rest of the country. They still faced the threat of sniper fire by Jordanian troops perched on the Old City walls. Arab artillery batteries with commanding views ringed the hilltops around the Jewish side of town. Windows remained boarded up in many homes and businesses. Some neighbourhoods still had curfews at night.

Perhaps the greatest hardship for the city’s Jewish population was being separated from the Old City and Western Wall. The Jewish Quarter had been emptied at gunpoint during the fighting in 1948. Jewish graves were desecrated, and synagogues destroyed. Arab squatters built a hovel of tin shacks in front of the Western Wall. A long line of bunkers, concrete walls, minefields, and barbed wire fences were strewn along no-man’s land, cutting the city in half. The main road to Jaffa Gate dead-ended into a war zone.

Jerusalem’s ancient Christian communities also faced abuses under Jordanian rule. The Old City and Bethlehem were only opened to Christian visitors at Christmas and Easter. Christians could not buy properties and church-run schools were forced to teach the Koran. Because of these repressive policies, half of the 25,000 Arab Christians in east Jerusalem abandoned the city between 1949 and June 1967.

Then came the Six Day War, when Israeli forces scored a surprisingly swift and complete victory over five Arab armies, and liberated the beloved city of Jerusalem. After two decades of division, isolation and neglect, a reunited Jerusalem was free to grow and prosper once more.

This year, the Israeli people will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the reunification of the city, an incredible moment immortalized in the song “Jerusalem of Gold.” It is also one hundred years since British General Edmund Allenby liberated the city from another Muslim ruler – the Ottoman Turks. These two major milestones in the history of modern Jerusalem attest that there is a Jubilee cycle operating over the city of God, propelling it forward into its ultimate destiny in Him.

The Bible describes the Jubilee as a special time every fifty years when the Land of Israel was to be freed from all leases and encumbrances, and all its inhabitants set free from debts and servitudes. According to the commands given in Leviticus chapter 25, all lands were to revert to their original owners. Now down through the centuries, Israel was rarely able to keep all the requirements of the Jubilee. But today, we can see that God Himself still works in Jubilee cycles. This means that if Jerusalem experienced a dramatic liberation one hundred years ago, and another fifty years ago, we can expect yet another amazing release for the city this very year of 2017. God is slowly but surely rolling back the forces that would continue Gentile rule over Jerusalem, so that the city can finally reach its destiny back in Jewish hands. That destiny is to be the throne of Messiah and a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7, Luke 19:46; see also Psalm 2:6, Isaiah 2:3, Isaiah 24:23, and Revelation 14:1).

One key passage of Scripture in this regard is Psalm 102, which declares that there is an appointed time of divine favour on Zion. In verse 16, the psalmist proclaims: “For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.” Two verses later, we are told this was written “for the generation to come;” in the original Hebrew it reads dor achoron, or “last generation”. So this Psalm is referring to the restoration of Israel in the last days, and specifically to the Jewish return to Jerusalem.

The name Zion appears some 170 times in the Bible and generally refers to Jerusalem. But the Hebrew word tzion (צִיּוֹן) means a “burnt or parched place” and thus it points more specifically to Mt. Zion, where the Temple and altar of sacrifice stood. From their very first mentions in Scripture (Genesis 14:18 and 22:2), this city and this specific mountain are always tied to God’s redemptive purposes. Eventually, the Lord placed His shekinah presence there, and later gave His life as a ransom for sin on this very mountain.

Today, the Lord is once again building up Zion for redemptive purposes. But He does this through the Jewish people. In Scripture, they are identified as the “builders” of Jerusalem. We can glean this from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, as well as from the powerful reference in Psalm 118:22. Likewise, Psalm 147:2 says that the Lord builds up Jerusalem by “gathering together the outcasts of Israel.” This is a work He is very “zealous over” (Zechariah 1:14, 8:2).

Ultimately, we know that “the Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob…” (Romans 11:26; see also Psalm 14:7, Psalm 53:6 and Isaiah 59:20, 21). So in the same place where they once rejected their Messiah they will now receive Him as King.

No doubt, this is why there is such an intense diplomatic battle over the fate of Jerusalem, but at heart it is a spiritual battle. New US President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital. Many Arab and Islamic figures are enraged and threatening a violent response. But in a year of Jubilee, we can pray for and expect divine favour, so that the entire city will revert to its original owners and be released into the purposes of God.

ISAIAH 62

In mid-February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington DC to meet with senior US officials including newly elected President Donald J. Trump. Many issues were discussed, including Iran and the perennial conflict with the Palestinians. President Trump’s campaign promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem was on the agenda, but progress is slow due to political and diplomatic challenges.

Please pray the ‘reset’ in relations between Israel and the United States under the new Administration in Washington will bear much good and lasting fruit for Israel, both in strategic, economic and diplomatic terms. Pray the US will lead a large group of nations in returning their embassies to Jerusalem this year. (Isaiah 62:1-7; Micah 4:1-2)

Israel is also enjoying a renaissance in its relations with several African countries which were strong in the early 1950’s and 60’s. Following Israel’s victories in the 1967 and 1973 wars, defeated Arab governments put pressure on African countries to sever these ties, but in recent years things have begun to turn around again.

Pray with us for Israel’s relations with the many African nations who express a desire to re- connect and expand ties with Israel. Pray the hearts of African leaders are moved to open new doors for Israel and to strengthen Christian support for Israel in those nations. (Psalm 22:28)

The endless conflict in Syria poses a growing threat to Israel’s safety, such as an increased Iranian military presence on Israel’s northern border and greater threat from the Lebanese Shi’ite terror militia Hezbollah. Sunni jihadist groups, including ISIS, have also targeted Israel from the north and more recently in the south, from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Pray for Israel’s security, both in the south and on the Golan Heights in the north, an area that borders with war-torn Syria; that the threat posed by ISIS and other Islamist militias would continue to be held at bay. (Psalm 94:22)

Pray for Arab and Islamic nations to cooperate more closely with Israel for their own benefit, and to accept Israel in the region. (Isaiah 19:23-25)

Reports continue to surface in the neighboring Muslim nations of large numbers of people receiving the Gospel, as massive disruptions caused by wars and environmental degradation and social/economic dislocation lead them to question their traditional understandings.

Pray for the move of the Holy Spirit that is being reported throughout the Middle East, that multitudes living in darkness and despair would come to find hope and peace in Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 49:6-9)

Lastly, pray also for both the physical and spiritual restoration of Jerusalem, and bless the Body of Messiah in Israel. (Ezekiel 36:24-36; Jeremiah 31; Hosea 6:1-2; Galatians 6:10)

2. Begin an Isaiah 62 prayer group in your community.

3. Join us in fasting and praying on behalf of Israel every month.

Make Their Dreams Become Reality!

The time has come for the Jewish people to make Aliyah (Hebrew: ascension) to Israel. Our mandate is to ensure every Jew is able to do so.

To bring Jews home is the greatest investment for the nation of Israel. New immigrants come to Israel not to settle for just anything. They come to Israel with great dreams, and the desire to build up their homeland—their promised land. They are willing to do whatever it takes to advance as individuals and participate in developing this country.

However, not every immigrant can afford this move or knows what to expect once they arrive in their new home country. This is especially true for Ethiopian Olim (immigrants) who face many unique challenges along the way. For this reason the ICEJ made a commitment to support them in their decision to return to Israel, and together with our Christian partners around the world we make their journey possible.

Moodi Sandberg, former minister in the Israeli Knesset and current president of Keren Hayesod which heads some of the biggest Aliyah projects in Israel, is a strong spokesman and advocate for the Ethiopian community.

“We want to give an opportunity to all the Jews, whose fathers and mothers dreamed of the land of Israel for centuries, to fulfill that dream,” shared Moodi with the ICEJ. “And when they arrive [in Israel], we want them to adapt here well.”

As Christians, we can fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah by carrying Jews back to the land of their fathers (Isaiah 49:22), and we will be blessed for it in return according to the spiritual law described in the Bible (Genesis 12:3). Moodi explained it’s already happening today: “Whatever is developed here is for the world.

“The advancements achieved by the immigrants here are not just for Israel, but become a gift to the world. Whenever we have good things in our hands, it will be shared later with the nations! We came to this land to do something new, and to be a blessing.”

Tadeso is an Ethiopian Jew who grew up in a small village in Gondar, Ethiopia. He came to Israel eight years ago and today works at Intel. With pride and joy he shared with us how he received special training in Israel in electronics, and today works in his profession. Nevertheless, many more like him are still in Ethiopia, waiting for their chance at a better life.

Don’t wait any longer! Join the ICEJ today and help pave the way for more Ethiopian Jews to return to Israel!

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