July 2023
Celebrate Messiah Newsletter
Transforming the Landscape of God’s Work among Israelis
Shalom in the great name of Yeshua our Messiah. Louise and I are spending quite a bit of time in Israel coordinating and participating in a host of fruitful activities
We’re seeing God move among second-generation Israeli young believers who are actively proclaiming the gospel among their friends, and many are coming to faith.
I can only describe this movement as a second-generation movement of the Holy Spirit. Their parents and pastors have done a great job leading this next generation to the Lord and providing opportunities for their discipleship.
Your Mission to the Jewish People is also playing a part in the discipleship of these zealous young adults. We are working alongside these godly parents in preparing their kids for the challenges of mandatory military service and the social and spiritual issues they face in the Holy Land today. These sons and daughters of Israel work both in the secular world and in full-time ministry. They use their vocations to help their fellow Israelis come to know the Lord. They are leaders in their congregations, ministries, businesses, and the military!
The Living Waters Mentoring Project
Celebrate Messiah’s partner, Chosen People Ministries (CPM), created the Living Waters mentoring project in response to the growth of this young adult movement in Israel. Living Waters focuses on the present and immediate needs of ministry, but even more so, Living Waters casts its gaze toward the future through mentoring young leaders. We are helping to train a new generation of young adults who are even now leading the next generation of the Israeli believing community into greater spiritual maturity and service.
The growth of this second-generation movement is transforming the landscape of the Lord’s work in Israel!
Each year, we gather about forty younger leaders along with their spouses and children and provide a retreat for them, which includes Bible teaching, fellowship, and practical ministry training. We also help meet some of the everyday needs of walking with the Lord and serving Him through their congregations. Additionally, we connect these young adults with one another and encourage peer-to-peer friendships as well as partnerships with Israelis in different parts of the country.
By connecting these young leaders to one another, we are creating an atmosphere for fellowship and ministry partnerships to bless the entire body of Messiah for years to come. We have already seen this happen as our Messianic Jewish testimonies project, Ifoundshalom.com, grew out of relationships built at Living Waters.
The New Tel Aviv Messianic Center
Another response to this growing movement in Israel is the expansion of ministry space in Tel Aviv, the city with the largest concentration of Israelis in the country. CPM recently purchased a commercial space to use as a Messianic outreach centre. This new space is two-and-a-half times larger than what was currently rented, and this centre will be one of the few facilities owned by believers in Tel Aviv and the surrounding suburbs. It is another sign of God’s favour on the growing Messianic movement in the Holy Land.
Chosen People Ministries are diligently raising funds, working with architects and contractors, and securing building permits. Please pray for this work, as it is going to be very challenging because some ultra-religious Jewish politicians have a more significant role in Israel’s current government and strongly oppose our efforts. We’re hoping God will grant us favour with the officials so permits to build will come quickly.
We plan to dedicate the new centre this December during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah (which means “dedication” in Hebrew).
A Chosen People Global Ministries Regathering
Another major event took place this past month in Israel as we gathered for fellowship with many on our worldwide staff at a hotel in Jerusalem. More than 300 of our Chosen People Global Ministries family were able to see each other face to face for the first time in many years. We worshiped, prayed together, and heard some great messages about the future of Jewish evangelism in Israel and worldwide. Everyone was inspired, encouraged, and energised to serve the Lord.
We also invited families to bring their children. We ended up engaging about fifty-five kids in our children’s program.
So, we not only envisioned the future but were able to see it right in front of us.
A New Hebrew-Language Evangelistic Website
Chosen People’s Israel staff are developing a new online evangelistic website – LaOmek – (the Hebrew word for “going deeper”). This new website offers digital booklets addressing various significant issues among younger Israelis, like healthy relationships and the challenges of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Thousands of Israelis have already downloaded our booklets. Our Israel staff is now busy following up with them.
The Northern Hemisphere summer will also be busy around the globe as we conduct short-term evangelistic campaigns in Israel, New York City, London, and more!
Thank you for your generous support of Celebrate Messiah and your prayers and encouragement.
Your brother in the Messiah,
 |
 Lawrence Hirsch Executive Director, Celebrate Messiah |
Seeds Sown as Wind Blows for Israel
As Paul was sipping on a cool drink at a café with his wife and a friend, an observant man walked by and the wind blew his kippah (skull cap) off right in front of him. Paul called to the man, picked it up, and returned it. The man thanked him and asked what they were doing in Israel. Paul responded: “seeing the land of the prophets and Messiah.” He asked “you are not Jewish”, to which Paul said, “I am Jewish”, and then they talked for 20 minutes about Messianic prophecy.
His name, fittingly, was Israel! They arranged to meet up again, and Paul hoped a second encounter would deepen Israel’s desire to seek Messiah. They quickly got down to the nitty-gritty. Paul said it felt like a chess move.
“I opened up with Psalm 2, that one day Messiah would be king. Israel agreed, and then I pressed on and said in Psalm 2 it says He will be the Son! But he did not want to go there, so I said let’s read another verse. Straight to Proverbs 30, again God has a Son, and what is His Name? When he saw that, the counter-argument was ‘we are all children’, so back to Psalm 2. No, a specific Son, the Messiah, the King, He is God’s Son. This was followed by the counter, “The nation of Israel is the son and the angels are sons, and even Adam is a son’, he then mentioned, ‘We know anti-missionary rabbi Tovia Singer.’ I countered by mentioning Michael Brown and Arnold Fruchtenbaum. ‘We have giants for and against, but what do you believe?’ He agreed to move on.”
They read Psalm 110 and noted that the Messianic king was also a priest and not according to Levi. A diversion was made about ‘Torah’ and ‘holy’ and what it meant to live holy lives, so Paul asked if Israel was observant, ‘yes’, was the resounding answer.
“Are you holy’, was followed by silence. So I asked ‘Have you ever lied, cheated, or taken God’s Name in vain?’, after some coaching he admitted he had broken the laws. So, I had him read Matthew 5, he skimmed it, read some of it, and said he had to think about that. By this stage it was getting late he was not ready to accept a Brit Chadashah (New Testament), nor was willing to give his details. But it was also clear he had spoken to believers before, had learned from anti-missionaries, and yet wanted to hear more.”
After Israel departed, Paul prayed that God’s word does not return void.
God’s Love Turns Israeli Backpacker
When Reuven arrived at Zula Lodge in New Zealand, he bluntly declared, “I know who you are and what you believe. I don’t want you to talk to me about religion. May I still stay at your facility?” The volunteer staff warmly welcomed Reuven and assured him their purpose was to serve him, not to force their beliefs on him. Of course he could stay. At first, Reuven avoided everyone: staff and guests. But he soon began to warm to the kind and sincere service the staff freely offered. They took him rock climbing and taught him board games. To his great surprise, Reuven was enjoying the company of this forbidden caste. Finally, a volunteer, Will, took a risk: “Reuven, do you believe the Torah?”
Will ended up having a great conversation with Reuven about God and the Bible. The staff members’ love for God and for one another made the greatest impact on Reuven. After listening to the testimonies and prayers offered at the weekly Sabbath dinner, he was visibly moved, commenting, “You talk to Him as though you know Him.”
Those whom he had shunned only days before, he was now inviting to visit him in Israel.
Swimming for the Gospel Makes a Difference
This summer, one of our missionaries in Israel will participate in her fifth race across a portion of the Sea of Galilee. She will swim 4.2 kilometers (2.6 miles) with 500 other women. Together they will raise funds for a home for disabled adults. This event is one of the highlights of our missionary’s year. She has trained hard over the last couple of months, and says it is so beautiful to swim on the Galilee at 6 am when the sea is calm, and flocks of birds fly overhead. Best of all, the swim brings wonderful opportunities to speak about the Lord! Most of the women at the swim race are Orthodox Jewish women. Therefore, our missionary stands out. They often ask what makes her different. She takes the time to talk about her faith and why she is different.
Simcha 2023
The Joy of Fellowship in the Messiah
A National Messianic Conference bringing believers together from around Australia.
Friday 24th to Sunday 26th of November, 2023
Caulfield Messianic Centre
Theme: “Behold My Servant: Revealing the Messiah in the Book of Isaiah
The Prophet Isaiah predicts the coming of a Suffering Servant of the Lord who does God’s will and brings redemption for Israel and the Nations. We will survey these prophecies in the Book of Isaiah and explore how these promises are fulfilled through the mission and ministry of Yeshua the Messiah in the New Covenant Scriptures. As followers of Yeshua, we too are called to be His servants, reaching out in His Name, to the world around us.
Come and be encouraged and equipped as we pray and work together for revival amongst Jewish people worldwide.
International Guest Speaker: Dr Tim Sigler, Co-Executive Director, Ariel Ministries
Celebrate Messiah will be running a youth camp near Anglesea in conjunction with the conference, which will held at the Caulfield Messianic Centre
Registration details will be available on our website soon.
Now is the Time to Host Israelis
You can be part of the movement to bring the Gospel to Israelis… in your own home
Host Israelis is a published network of Israel-friendly believers who host Israeli travellers in their homes at no cost to their guests. This ministry is motivated by a desire to bless Israel through sacrificial service and to provide a positive witness of the Gospel.
Israeli research suggests that 40,000 young Israelis travel the world for an average of six months following their mandatory army service before they begin uni or their careers.
If you are not able to be a regular host and have Israelis stay with you overnight, you may wish to be a day host. As a day host you may offer to share a coffee or a meal. You may offer Israelis to use your laundry or have a shower. Perhaps you can orient them to your city, town or rural area, and even give them a tour. There are many ways you can help to welcome Israelis who are visiting your area.
For more details go to www.hostisraelis.com.au
Take the Spiritual Formation Survey
Our Donor Relations Marketing Specialist, Felicity Lorenz, is conducting an online survey as part of her doctoral research through Melbourne School of Theology. The research focuses on spiritual formation in an Australian context, or how Australians perceive their relationship with God, the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual disciplines.
If you are Australian and over the age of 21, please consider taking her survey. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You will be asked to rate your experiences with God and the spiritual disciplines (e.g. reading the Bible, worship, fellowship) on a scale of 1 to 5. All answers are anonymous and confidential.
