Blessing Israeli Believers – November 2024

Dear BIB Friends and Partners,

Our Believing Partners in this letter are reaching their Israeli neighbors with the love and care of Messiah Jesus. I am so very blessed to call them brothers in Messiah and BIB ministry partners!

Dov Schwarz
BIB Co-Founder

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An Update from Ariel & Shayla, Tree of Life, Israel

We’ve all been hearing a lot about the war in Israel, but we want to share with you two significant things you probably haven’t heard in the news that are going to change the course of history.

‍Increasing Openness to the Gospel
Many people are so focused on the things of this life, that only when they’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death do they start really thinking about why they’re here and where they’re going.

We’re seeing this happen right before our eyes: Since the war broke out on October 7th, we've been seeing an openness to the Gospel among Israelis even in places where intense strongholds existed.

By God’s grace, our recent video about how to find eternal hope in the midst of this crisis has now reached over three million views in Hebrew alone. Israelis from many different backgrounds have contacted us, ordered New Testaments, and several have come to faith in Jesus, Yeshua.

‍‍An Astonishing, Miraculous Event
A pre-army training school also contacted us and what happened there was nothing short of astonishing. In the past, we shared with a similar group, but they constantly interrupted us and some even aggressively objected to the Gospel.

But this time, these Jewish and Arab soldiers-in-training were soaking in every word, and even taking notes! We could really sense God’s Spirit filling the room and we were surprised to see how thirsty they were for the truth. They asked genuine questions to understand the Gospel in more depth, including wanting to understand exactly how to receive forgiveness through Yeshua’s work at the cross!

As if that weren’t enough, since we also shared testimonies of healing, the manager of the program announced that even though the time for our talk was up, everyone could still come up to receive prayer! And Yeshua miraculously healed every single person who came – they even called others from outside to come in and be healed! They even said they’d recommend us to another pre-army program! Praise God!

Those Destined for Death will now Live
After intense struggles with censorship, our Pro-Life and Gospel Campaign hotline is back up and running right after many of you fasted and prayed together with us.

‍Nearly 250 babies have now been saved from abortion through the campaign, including several who were born and several whose mothers chose life just this week. Isn’t it beautiful to see that even during this period, many new babies who were destined for death will now live? Hallelujah!

We’d appreciate your prayers for more laborers so that we can reach and disciple more Israelis.

Blessings, Ariel & Shayla & Tree of Life staff

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An Update from Dov Bikas, AVIV Ministries, Tel Aviv, Israel

Dear Friends and Partners, shalom!

Thank you for your prayers for the situation in Israel! Beyond the military conflict, there has also been a sharp rise in terrorist attacks. This month, there was a terrorist incident in our city, Beersheba, right at the central bus station. A 19-year old girl, a soldier, was killed, and many other people were injured…

It struck me that as a rule, all these terrorists do not even try to escape; they shoot to kill as many people as possible before they themselves are killed. They are willing to die because of their hatred towards the Jews! I couldn’t help but contrast this with what Jesus did. He died driven by His Divine love for us - the exact opposite of the demonic hatred that destroys so many lives these days. It’s heartbreaking to see this level of darkness, but it also highlights the urgent need for the message of Christ's love to reach as many people as possible. Please keep Israel in your prayers, for protection, peace, and for the light of the Gospel to shine brighter every day!

MINISTRY FOR WOMEN
A few months ago, we launched a free dance class featuring Israeli and Messianic songs for women from our Shelter, as well as any other women interested in joining. This initiative is another way to share the Good News with local women, and the group is steadily growing, bringing joy through fellowship and dancing.

Unbelievers have also begun to attend, such as a Ukrainian refugee who dreamed of dancing but couldn't afford it. After accidentally meeting her in a grocery store, Irena, the class leader, invited her to join the activity, and she loved it. Please pray for the continued growth of this ministry and that all participants come to know the Lord!

Dov & Olga Bikas and the Aviv Ministry Team