Blessing Israeli Believers September 2023

Chag Sameach!
- Happy Holidays!

A Note from Dov Schwarz, Co-Founder

Once again, the High Holidays are upon us. These Holy Days (Hagim) are called the Modedim (appointed times) in the Bible. They were appointed times on the LORD’s calendar for the children of Israel to meet with Him. Oftentimes the three primary Festivals or Feasts are combined into one called in English the Feast of Tabernacles which is also the third and final Feast.

A clear introduction and explanation of these Fall Festivals is in Leviticus 23. I will briefly name each and its prophetic fulfillment:

Yom Teruah - Day of Blowing Trumpets, September 16, 2023 (traditionally and not Biblically called Rosh Hashanah) It is fulfilled in the Rapture of Jew and Gentile in the Church. (Leviticus 23:23-25, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Yom Kippur - The Day of Atonement, September 25, 2023 is fulfilled at the Second Coming of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) as He finally cleanses Israel from their sin and ushers in the Messianic Age! (Leviticus 23:26-32, Romans 11:25-27)

Feast of Tabernacles – Booths, September 30 to October 6, 2023 is fulfilled by King Yeshua sitting on the throne of David in Jerusalem in His glorious new temple as He tabernacles (dwells) with us. (Leviticus 23:33-43, Zechariah 14:16-21)

May this special appointed time of the year remind us to watch and prepare for the coming of our great King and Savior Yeshua. Until then we can remember that one of the best ways to bless Israel is to bless Israeli Believers in Messiah Yeshua!

Update from Ariel & Shayla, Tree of Life – Israel

There are so many Israelis turning to Jesus, Yeshua, and choosing life recently, that we sensed we need to share these encouraging stories with you.

Micah was one of the last people you could ever imagine would come to faith in Jesus. Our team member Eliel has known him since ninth grade.

A few months ago, Eliel met Micah in the park where they used to hang out together 25 years ago, Micah didn’t look good at all, he had become a drug addict for many years.

Eliel approached him and started a conversation with him about life and shared how even though he also had been an addict he was radically transformed since Yeshua entered his life. From that day on Eliel began praying for Micah regularly.

One day they met for coffee and spoke in more depth. Micha opened up about his struggles and shared that he’s been constantly tormented by demonic powers. He said “They attack me several times a day! I feel they’re choking me!” Over the years he had gotten involved in all sorts of evil spiritual experiences which opened the door to a spirit of death and many unclean spirits.

Micah tried six times to commit suicide but never succeeded, on his last suicide attempt the rope broke from the wall, then he drank half a bottle of toilet cleaner and fell into a coma, but still didn’t die. He shared, “I understood at that point that God wasn’t allowing me to die.”

What he didn’t know is that God wants him to live forever with Him. Eliel shared with him the Gospel of Life – that no matter how deep we are in darkness, there is hope and light in Yeshua the Messiah.

For Micah it was almost impossible to believe that God could change even his life. But he ultimately decided to pray and give his life to Yeshua and wanted to be baptized the following week.

On the same day, when he got home, he started to clean up his life, throwing away his satanic T-shirts and other items. But the war had just begun. The demonic forces started to attack him even more.

We, as a team, began praying for him and planned to meet with him before baptism and explain the Gospel in more depth to make sure that he is really fully committed to following Yeshua.

When we met with him, it was very clear that he needed deliverance from the demonic. As we started talking and praying with him, there was an intensive spiritual battle for quite some time. Then we sensed that he needed to ask God to forgive him for the specific evil spiritual experiences he had been involved in.

Up until that point, we had been leading him in prayer and he just repeated after us. But then something powerful happened. The floodgates of his heart burst open and he prayed such a beautiful, deep, sincere prayer of repentance for each thing. He cried out, “Yeshua, please forgive me! I’m so sorry I was involved in all that rubbish!”

He decided to go all in for Yeshua – that his old man would die and that he would be raised with Yeshua as a new creation. And God started an amazing work of deliverance in Micah. So we made our way to the beach and there the spiritual dirt was washed away as he’s began a new life in Messiah. Praise God for a new soul that’s entered the Kingdom of God!

Fields are ripe for the harvest

Of course, he’s just a baby in the faith now and has all sorts of spiritual and emotional baggage, so he needs lots of prayer! He’s started meeting with us for discipleship, and shared excitedly, “I had an experience where something was removed from my eyes and now my eyes are open to see Yeshua, so I want to honor Him and don’t want to go back to who I was!” We’d greatly appreciate your prayers that he’d be completely set free from all chains, grow strong in his new faith, walk in holiness, and become a fruitful witness for the Lord!