October 2016
Letters To God
Two times every year, the Israeli post delivers special letters to Jerusalem’s Western Wall. The Western Wall is the outer support wall from the original Temple, a holy site for Jews as well as Christians. It is also the site where the Dome of the Rock stands – a holy site for Muslims. These letters arrive from all over the world addressed to “God,” “Our Heavenly Father,” and “the Holy One.” Rabbis stuff them into the cracks in between the stones of the wall. During the Jewish High Holiday season, these letters are respectfully treated, as they contain prayers and concerns from people.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Letters-to-God-delivered-to-Western-Wall-468324
Please pray for those who sent these letters that they would find their answers and comfort in the One who has saved and delivered us from sin – Jesus the Messiah!
Remembering Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres, Israel’s ninth president, passed away at the age of 93. He was the last of the founding fathers of Israel, having served in the government since the 1950s, even being mentored as David Ben Gurion’s political protégé. He was born in Poland and immigrated to Israel when he was 11, in 1934. Before studying at New York University and Harvard in the 1950s, he was a part of the Haganah in 1947, as leader of defense acquisitions in Israel’s newly developing army. During his political career, he served in almost every major post of Israel’s leadership including Defense Minister, Foreign Minister and Education Minister. In 1994, he received the Nobel peace prize along with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat for their diplomatic achievements in the Oslo Peace Accords. After Rabin’s assassination in 1995, Shimon Peres became the acting Prime Minister for two years. From then on, he continued to be elected to different Knesset portfolios until 2007, when he became Israel’s ninth president – an office he held until 2014. He was married for 75 years and he and his late wife have three children.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4854441,00.html
Please pray for Shimon Peres’ family as they mourn his loss.
Palestinian President Abbas Attended Peres’ Funeral
After months of not talking and a stalled peace process, the Palestinians extended an olive branch when President Mahmoud Abbas attended Shimon Peres’ funeral along with some of his deputies. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas had a few words and shook hands. President Abbas commended Shimon Peres and described him as a partner in peace along with Yassar Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin. He also recognized Shimon Peres’ efforts to forge a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians since the signing of the Oslo Accords until the final moments of his life.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4861448,00.html
Please pray for more opportunities for discussion and ideas for the peace process.
The World’s Oldest Man’s Bar Mitzvah
The world’s oldest man, Yisrael Kristal, has just had his Bar Mitzvah at the age of 113. He missed his opportunity to be Bar Mitzvah at the correct age of 13 because of World War I. He survived the Holocaust where he lost his first wife and two children, and then immigrated to Israel in 1950 with his second wife and now has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This special ceremony is normally to mark the coming of age of a young man at 13, but for Yisrael Kristal, it demonstrated his love for God’s word, which he has had all his life.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/02/middleeast/bar-mitzvah-oldest-man/index.html
Please pray for many, like Yisrael Kristal, who lost so much during the Holocaust, that they would see God’s love and salvation in Jesus – the best gift of all.
The High Holidays
During the Jewish High Holidays, Israel takes on a different feel—more signs of kindness, joy, and hospitality and yet for many people, they are wondering if God will be pleased with them and forgive their sins. Please pray with us during this season that many would hear about, read, speak and feel the gift of salvation that can be had by all. Jesus is the true forgiver of sins by His sacrifice and atonement for all. His blood covers our sins. We are working and praying hard for our ministries to reflect this message!
