why the church should

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1 Operation Exodus A ministry of Ebenezer Emergency Fund International Issue 3/2012 why the church should Support ALIYAH Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul. Jeremiah 32:41 A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel

2 ALIYAH: HOLY TO THE LORD Dear Friends Ebenezer Emergency Fund International Ebenezer House, 5a Poole Road Bournemouth, BH2 5QJ UK. Telephone: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA PO Box 568 Lancaster, NY Phone: Fax: Operation Exodus SE Asia Oceania Level 2, 39 Leighton Place Hornsby NSW 2077 Australia Phone office@operation-exodus-seao.org Operation Exodus is an instrument of the Lord to encourage and help the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel from the land of the north and all the nations and to proclaim God s Kingdom purposes for their return. All articles in this publication Copyright Ebenezer Emergency Fund International August Operation Exodus is the operational part of Ebenezer Emergency Fund International. Started in 1991 with just three people, it now has representatives in over 40 countries worldwide. Please contact your nearest office if you would like to be added to our mailing list. This publication is FREE but donations are warmly welcomed. The aliyah* is holy to the LORD. Kjell Sjöberg brought this message to those gathered at the International Prayer Conference in Jerusalem in January Ebenezer Operation Exodus was just two years old. There are certain things that have the distinction of being reserved as holy to the LORD. We see examples in Exodus chapters 30 and 31. I believe the Lord is very attentive to these things. To be holy means to be set apart. The aliyah is no ordinary project. It is a set-apart, special and precious purpose and plan of the Father as He prepares Israel for the return of His Son. that (we) may live and not die when (we) approach the most holy things Numbers 4:19 for our God is a consuming fire Hebrews 12:29 What an extraordinary calling for us in this generation: to participate in something holy, purposed from ancient times! The prophets focus on it as something reserved for Yahweh Himself to fulfil. It is He who will gather them, bring them back and plant them in the Land. At a certain time He will allow this to become a crescendo of His speaking to the nations of the world. Yes, we are allowed to participate but we have no ownership. It is not our project, it is not our ministry it is His, and it is holy to the LORD. Recognising this, we dare not allow any of our own motives or our own agendas to become mixed in with our serving the aliyah. We dare not let our service become in any way a personal platform. We dare not promote ourselves. We dare not seek advantage for ourselves. Nor do we permit our personalities, cultural backgrounds or mindsets to direct our steps. We don t push for our own way. We submit to one another. We listen for wise, humble and prayer-based input from our fellow servants, colleagues and leaders. At every level of service and leadership we submit ourselves to Yahweh s calling on our lives, His discipline and His set-apart ways. We strain forward to catch the Father s voice, to hear His speaking and watch for His working, so that by every means possible we can position and align ourselves rightly and fully with His purpose. Yes, we are profoundly joyful to participate in this work, but at all times we are mindful that the aliyah is holy to the LORD. Pete Stucken Vice-Chairman, Ebenezer Operation Exodus *The Hebrew word aliyah means to go up. In the Bible it is used to describe the Jewish people going up to Jerusalem for the feasts to worship God. It now describes their return to Israel from the nations. 2 A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel

3 WHY THE CHURCH SHOULD SUPPORT ALIYAH There s none so blind as those who will not see, as the saying goes. This is certainly true of replacement theology within the worldwide Church. By Nigel Woodley Chairman, Ebenezer New Zealand It saves the Church a lot of empathy, sympathy, energy, time and money to believe that Israel under the New Covenant is not referring to either the people of Israel or to the Land of Israel, but rather to the Church. This is wrong! Derek Prince, the great Christian statesman-like teacher of the 20th century, would say that in the Bible, Israel is Israel and the Church is the Church! Because not all believe like Derek Prince, however, then empathy, sympathy, energy, time and money that could be given to aid the cause of Zion goes instead in all sorts of other directions. Not that God s purpose for the Jews requires all the resources of the worldwide Church, nor even a significant part of it. But if the whole Church were fulfilling her God-given obligation to assist the cause of Zion, then at least the little that each church could set aside for Israel would far outweigh that which is currently being given. the cracks of replacement theology and Palestinian liberation theology. They should start to see that the gospel they once received was only half of what the Bible has given. The full revelation that the good news (the gospel) was given to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16) should so impact them that the response would be equally dramatic. 2. As the wider Church around the world begins to see the full light of the gospel, an unprecedented increase in support for the Jewish nation will take place. This gospel Paul wrote about was first mentioned in the prophets: salvation to the ends of the earth for the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6b), but a more universal salvation for the nation of Israel. A salvation that would begin with God gathering Israel to Himself (Isaiah 49:5-6a) in the greatest gathering of Jewish people to their God-given Land ever witnessed in history. This would simply be the prerequisite of the gathered nation being gathered to their Shepherd in a spiritual awakening and revival mentioned in such places as Ezekiel 37:1-14; 39:25-29; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:15 & 26. Continued overleaf Photo courtesy of the Jewish Agency I believe that in the coming years we should expect to see, indeed pray for: 1. More and more Church leaders, pastors and teachers coming to see the full light of the gospel shining through 3

4 Continued from overleaf The Church needs to see this. She must see that the present re-gathering of the Jewish people to their biblical land is the forerunner of their national revival. Some Christians would argue, But the returning Jews are not coming to faith in Jesus. Others with more understanding of scripture will say, They are being re-gathered to their holy land in anticipation of the greatest altar call ever! Scripture is clear that it is the Lord s desire for the Jewish people to come home. Jeremiah 32:41 passionately declares: Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul. If, therefore, we become involved with aliyah we are cooperating with the desire of His heart. This verse also reveals the amazing and glorious love of the Heavenly Father towards His people. The Lord will reveal Himself to Israel in their own land (Ezekiel 20:40). The place of their rejection will be the place of their acceptance. When we see this we understand the importance of Christians supporting the current worldwide re-gathering of the Jewish people. Our assisting them to go home is actually looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along (2 Peter 3:12, NLT). Those who help Jewish people make aliyah in these last days are doing so in fulfilment of scriptures such as: The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob. Nations will take them and bring them to their own place... (Isaiah 14:1-2); they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders (Isaiah 49:22); and For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings (Romans 15:27). May God permit us to see the full light of the gospel! COMFORTING THE SURVIVORS We continue to show love to Holocaust survivors through our humanitarian aid projects. Together with our words of love and comfort, we delivered medicines to these dear people across Moldova. All of them were very grateful and thanked Ebenezer from the bottom of their hearts for the care and support they received. We thank the Lord for this wonderful project. Naomi, a UK volunteer, shares about this distribution: My experience of Moldova has been life-changing. All of the Jewish World War II Veterans and Holocaust survivors we have had the privilege to give medicine and visit have been overwhelmingly warm, kind, and welcoming. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn By Pavel Base leader, Moldova (Romans 12:15) has been particularly relevant as we have often found ourselves come from one visit full of mourning, and enter into another rejoicing over good news they have received. These last three weeks have been truly blessed although it has been hard at times to adjust to the culture and the way of life here they may have so little, yet how freely, easily and abundantly they give! 4 Naomi (left) with Yuliana who was evacuated during the war. A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel

5 FAMILY OF 14 MAKE ALIYAH The day Galina found out from the Jewish Agency that she and her family could receive help to go to Israel she began to encourage them all to make aliyah. By Zhansolu Ebenezer leader Kazakhstan There are 14 of them son Vladimir, daughters Natalia and Irina and their families. The Jewish Agency asked us to help. Galina shares: We came to prove our Jewish roots and there was a miracle: our documents were immediately approved and we were given permission for aliyah. As our documents were being processed we had many more visits to make. We went through this process successfully due to the help and support of Ebenezer Emergency Fund. Ebenezer gave different kinds of assistance, including covering our train fares, meeting us at the railway station and providing overnight accommodation upon our arrival in Almaty, where we had a good rest, were given encouragement and prayed for. We could see and feel God s love and care through the ministry. It is thanks to your support that we have helped this large family, and many others, to go home to the land of their forefathers. Kazakhstan/Ukraine Destination Israel: Some of Galina s large family. FOOD FOR HOLOCAUST VICTIMS We travelled all over Ukraine to distribute food parcels to over 650 Holocaust survivors. We are so thankful for the help local Christian brothers and sisters gave in enabling us to bless these elderly people who live with memories of suffering beyond belief. By Vadim Rabochiy Director Eastern European Region A couple receive a welcome box of food from Hans. One person who took part in the distribution an annual project was Hans, a volunteer from Germany. It was very moving for him to visit and ask forgiveness from those who had suffered at the hands of his forefathers during the Nazi invasion of Ukraine and other parts of the then Soviet Union in World War II. We count it a privilege to comfort these survivors of the ghettos and concentration camps (Isaiah 40:1). A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel 5

6 HUMANITARIAN AID FOR FLOOD VICTIMS By our Rostov-on-Don team Ebenezer moved quickly to bring humanitarian aid to Jewish victims of the devastating floods that struck southern Russia in early July. Over 170 people died after 30cm of torrential rain fell on the region in 24 hours, turning streets into fast-flowing muddy rivers that poured into thousands of homes as residents slept. Russia After we had called local church and Jewish leaders to establish the needs of families suffering from the floods we centred our work on the hard-hit towns of Krymsk and Novorossiysk. Volodya, our Rostovon-Don base leader, sought the support of Rostov city churches and then went to Krymsk loaded with blankets, pillows, furniture, folding beds, dishes and cleaning materials. After unloading this aid with local Bishop Alexander, Volodya set off for Novorossiysk. He stopped on the way to take a family of seven to the city of Krasnodar to buy necessities because they had lost everything including all the documents they had collected to make aliyah. During the six-day trip we gave humanitarian aid to 26 people belonging to six families, all of whom had taken temporary shelter after their homes had been destroyed. Among them was the very elderly Abram, a former ghetto prisoner and war veteran. He and members of his family spent the night on a table as the waters rose in their house before being rescued. They lost everything except their precious documents and, tragically, his oldest daughter died of a stroke just after the flood struck. Iosif and his family also received our help. Waters rose almost to the ceiling of his ground floor flat and he lost everything. Volodya (right) with the Chairman of the Jewish community. Among the aid items we brought to Krymsk was a washing machine, which we gave to Bishop Alexander s church because their old machine could not cope with the loads of clothes they were washing for flood victims. We were greatly encouraged to see this church and other fellowships in the devastated town helping in many other ways, including the cleaning of homes. Thank you for partnering with us and allowing us to help these needy families. Please pray that we can continue to help them and that they will now decide to make aliyah. Bedding was among the much-needed items we gave to families. 6 A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel

7 ISRAEL HER ONLY HOPE Ksenia came to our office in Kyrgyzstan several times and happily shared about her preparations for aliyah. Having gained a university degree and then worked in hotel management, she had bright hopes for the future. By Efim Ebenezer leader Kyrgyzstan Then tragedy struck: a medical examination revealed she was seriously ill with aplastic anaemia. The only realistic cure is a bone marrow transplant. Because of this her documents were urgently processed by 10-YEAR DESIRE BECOMES REALITY! the Israeli embassy. We found a number of hospitals in Israel dealing with this kind of disease and arranged for Ksenia to be admitted to one in Tel Aviv which could give the high quality treatment and care she needed. We even considered arranging for a doctor to Excitement was in the eyes of Oleg, his wife Fatima and their four children, Sophiya, David, Lubov and Polina as they patiently waited in the check-in queue at Domodedovo airport, Moscow, for their flight to Tel Aviv. A ten-year dream of making aliyah was about to be fulfilled. accompany her on the flight, but her father decided to go with her and all went well on the journey. Please pray that Ksenia will be well enough to enjoy the life she longs for and that her family will join her soon. By Elya Moscow base leader Kyrgyzstan/Russia They had the desire to move to Israel because it is a call from God not because of the desperate circumstances they found themselves in after they had moved to Moscow from another part of Russia, emphasised Fatima. When they first moved to Moscow everything seemed all right for them. But things changed, their business collapsed and they were forced to move from one apartment to another many times in just a few years. Then they received information about Ebenezer. One day Oleg came into our office and asked for help. We gave them humanitarian aid, comfort and financial assistance to enable them to buy passports. What a joy it was to see Oleg give each member of his family these precious documents! Oleg giving his family their passports. 7

8 Ebenezer Operation Exodus International update URUGUAY HIS TIMING IS PERFECT! By Enrique Porras Latin America International I will say to the north, Give them up! And to the south, Do not hold them back. Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth. Isaiah 43:6 We are grateful to the Lord for His perfect Word which directs us to help Jewish people at a certain place at the right time! For a year we had been praying and waiting for Him to open a door for us to help in aliyah from Uruguay. The opening came when we met with the country s Jewish Agency representative, Judith Schorr, in Montevideo. She had heard about Ebenezer from Agency colleagues in Argentina and Brazil because of our assistance to olim there. As she listened to us explain the work of Operation Exodus over the years, she told us about the help Jewish families in Uruguay needed to enable them to make aliyah: transportation, clothing and luggage. We had a love offering given to us in a sealed envelope after a meeting with Christians in Argentina. We handed it over to Judith. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said: Never in the history of the Uruguayan Jewish community have funds been received from non-jewish people for aliyah. With this amount we can help a young mother and her two children to go to Israel. She has waited for three years and will be the last Jewish person to leave from the city of Tacuarembó! where we were staying and shared about the need for luggage. The staff responded by giving us 34 almost new bags and cases left by a visiting youth group! Ana Rivas, one of our prayer partners, had the joy of delivering them to the Jewish Agency. Please pray with us that the Holy Spirit will bring to the Church in Uruguay more understanding about Israel from the Scriptures. We returned to the Christian centre Patrick Wang, Enrique Porras and Roger Wolcott with Judith Schorr and Deborah, her assistant, in Montivideo. 8 Raquel from Argentina and Enrique at the Uruguay river, a strategic place for praying for aliyah from Uruguay.

9 USA FULFILLING A LIFE-LONG DREAM By Debra Minotti National Director, USA He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob as a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant Psalm 105:8-10 We thank the Lord for the privilege of assisting Jewish people to make aliyah. One such person was Keren, a young Russian-American lady. She asked us for help while in the final stages of preparing to go to Israel to fulfil a lifelong dream of living in the Land. After we had given her the assistance she needed Keren wrote to us: Dear Friends Sometimes in this life it is difficult to believe in the gift of a helping hand the outreach that can really change the course of your life. Sometimes being preoccupied with the days of struggle can leave you blinded by the concept of strict self-reliance. Yet being handed a torn piece of paper with Ebenezer squiggled across it pulled me out of my deep sea of worries. Ebenezer has helped illuminate, ever so brightly, the path I have ahead of me, on which I m anything but alone. Coming from a Russian Israeli background, my father had spent the majority of his youth in the oppressive Soviet regime. Throughout his trials he carried an Israeli flag with a golden lace around the edges. It is the same flag I m taking with me to Israel to complete the dream of generations. International Moving to Israel started off as a distant dream and I have been working full-time to make it a reality. As the time of waiting dwindled from many months to just a few weeks, I became overwhelmed with anxiety until I heard the kindest voice on the other end of the phone. Receiving such care and support from Ebenezer has had such an impact on my life. I want to thank you with all my heart for everything. Kind Regards, Keren B Keren in Israel. A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel 9

10 Prayer Focus for the Church At the March meeting of the Ebenezer Emergency Fund International Board it was agreed to take up a prayer focus with the involvement of the full ministry of Ebenezer Operation Exodus. The call is to focus our prayers on the Church in our nations and it comes at a time when we see evidence of an increasing blindness in understanding biblical truths and a hardening of attitudes by the Church towards Israel. By Joan Thomas International Prayer Coordinator Prayer Prayer The Bible teaches us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). We recognise the spiritual opposition to Israel within the Church working through the deceptive teaching of wrong theologies and other impositions. A recently published book, When the Cross Became a Sword The Origin and Consequences of Replacement Theology by Merrill Bolender, is recommended. The following words taken from the introduction conveys the cry of our hearts: Praying for the aliyah highways. the burden He carries for the Body of Messiah to be awakened in our local village, town, city and region to the revelation of His heart for Israel and aliyah. our local church pastors and congregations to choose to embrace the revelation of God s heart for Israel and aliyah. We desire to express love to the Jewish people, to call the Church to repentance for its anti-semitic past and to help the Church understand God s eternal purposes for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. The prayer for this important initiative will be locally based for everyone participating. We encourage prayer partners to be led by the Holy Spirit in identifying churches where they live and worship, and to commit themselves to watch and pray over the pastors and congregations. We recognise the importance of allowing the Lord to give us some of We expect this initiative to be a season in prayer lasting for approximately a year. As we stand on the threshold of this special season we invite you to bring prayer support for the Church in your nation, to be awakened to the revelation of the place of Israel and the ingathering of the Jewish people in these last days through the outworking of biblical prophecy. Please pray for prayer partners and groups participating in this initiative. Pray for: Holy Spirit guidance to know how to pray effectively for A persevering attitude in the face of opposition with assurance that God s Word will prosper for the thing for which He sent it. Proclamation: For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55: A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel

11 A NEW REVELATION OF GOD S PROMISES The air is electric and full of excitement in Tel Aviv. One hundred young adults from 19 nations join together for the opening meeting of Engage:Israel 2012, waiting with anticipation to begin this spiritual and physical journey. By Lizzie Webb engage leadership team We couldn t have begun to imagine the lessons and blessings that the Lord had in store for us each participant hand-picked for such a time as this. Receptive hearts and a packed programme made the perfect combination and eyes were opened to the wonders of prophecy being fulfilled in our time. Standing upon the ancient city walls of Jerusalem and crying out in prayer and proclamation, we truly were His watchmen as we interceded for the Lord s Holy city and His people. More prophetic words leapt off the pages of our Bibles upon meeting Ethiopian olim at an absorption centre in Arad. This special place that welcomes and teaches Jewish people from the nations is just one example of the fulfilment of the Lord s promise to re-gather His people in the Land. to be part of this blessing. Two-anda-half tons of onions were collected enough for 1,000 families! ENGAGE Jonathan with an Ethiopian olim. Hearing Shirley Lawrenson s stirring stories of how the Lord is moving to bless his people as they make aliyah was another exciting sign of the times we are living in. Through volunteer work at a food bank we were thrilled Our focus was not only on the past and the present. As our group gathered together overlooking the strategic Jezreel valley, listening to prophecies of things to come, hearts were stirred. Praise God that a new generation is rising up in response to the challenge to stand with the Jewish people in the difficult days that lie ahead. The Lord is moving mightily and for many this trip was just the beginning! engage:israel 15 th 29 th JULY 2013 Join us for 14 action-packed days in Israel Praying on the walls of Jerusalem. 11

12 HELP JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY Shalom from Jerusalem! Making aliyah is a big step in life! There are many challenges for those who arrive in Israel. In the office here we try to bring the support, encouragement and assistance that can make it easier for the olim. Naomi is one I have helped over the past two years. By Shirley Lawrenson Olim Liaison It is exciting to see how well she has settled and begun to be planted in the Land. Here Naomi explains her absorption in Israel and how much our assistance has helped and encouraged her: Global ENgage Prayer Israel FSU Israel After making aliyah I had to register at many offices, making phone calls for appointments. The difficult things are the language, the different culture, how people treat you, not knowing how everything will work out finding a job and a flat. It is a real battle and you often feel very much alone. All the offices we call have answering machines, so if you don t understand the language yet, you are just lost! You have to have a lot of patience and after trying for long hours to get what you need you are even more confused. So it is good to have at least a few friends. Ebenezer is an office you can call with no answering machine! They speak English, Hebrew and Russian what a privilege! You are more than welcome to visit. If you have a question about anything you just go and visit the office or you call they always try to help you. This is such a blessing! Shirley understands so much how we struggle as new immigrants. She supports us with all the experience she has! And there you get advice or any kind of help you need and you know you have a friend when you need one. Praise the Lord that we can continue to assist olim and witness first-hand how they are planted in their land. To God be the glory! Naomi is now settling happily in Israel thanks to our assistance. Intercessors for Israel Warmly invites you to attend the International Prayer Conference Jerusalem 2013 A World Turned Upside Down January 21 st 28 th 2013 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21 A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel