Rabbi Kirt Schneider | The Lion of Judah
Summary
If Jesus is Jewish, why is there a wedge between Christianity and Judaism?
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Tuesday’s general election has given Benjamin Netanyahu the distinction of becoming Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, according to media reports on Wednesday.
Netanyahu is Israel’s ninth prime minister and leader of the Likud party. He is now set to serve his fifth term. He is the only prime minister in Israel's history to be elected four times in a row. He has served the last 10 consecutive years, and previously served three years in the 1990s. This surpasses the previous record of Israel’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion.
Netanyahu has presided over a decade of economic growth, thawing relations with Arab countries and extraordinary violence with bordering nations and Iran-backed terrorists. He has formed strong international relationships, including with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
His strongest competitor in Tuesday’s election was 59-year-old retired Gen. Benny Gantz, formerly the country’s highest-ranking military officer. Gantz co-leads the Blue and White party, so named to match the colors of the Israeli flag. The party was established in 2018 specifically to run against Netanyahu.
One tiny nation Israel. It’s not the richest or most powerful country in the world, but in God’s eyes, Israel is the most important nation on Earth.
It’s a Party
The only true democracy in the Middle East, Israel’s general elections differ from those in the U.S.
In Israel, 6.3 million registered voters choose the 120 lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. For this election, more than 40 parties campaigned to secure at least 3.25 percent of the total vote in order to earn a seat in the Knesset.
By Wednesday morning’s count, Netanyahu’s Likud party won 35 seats, as did the Blue and White party headed by Gantz.
Parties surpassing the required 3.25 percent threshold will now submit their prime minister recommendations to Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin. He will choose the candidate he thinks has the best chance of garnering the support of enough other parties to secure a 61-seat majority.
The Times of Israel reported early Wednesday, “With [Netanyahu’s] Likud at 35, and five right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties managing to get some 30 seats together, Netanyahu could confidently work to form a government similar to his current right-wing coalition, with a solid 65 seats.”
In his victory speech, Netanyahu thanked the public for “putting their trust in me.” He said, “The right-wing bloc led by me will continue to lead Israel for the next four years and bring Israel to greater heights.”
What’s Ahead for Israel-Palestine Peace?
In an interview two days before the election with a conservative Hebrew language publication, Makor Rishon, he told editor Hagai Segal, “There will be no Palestinian state.”
He named three iron conditions for any peace plan:
Segal asked Netanyahu, “What will the Palestinians get from you?” Netanyahu responded, “They will run their own lives.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has said it will reject any peace plan the Trump administration proposes, which has been promised shortly after Tuesday’s general election. Analysts advise the PA against outright rejection.
In a pre-election opinion article in The Jerusalem Post, political analyst Rafael Castro wrote, “It is unlikely that the next American administration will be as pro-Israel. The Trump peace plan is the best peace agreement [the PA] will ever sign. Any off-hand Palestinian rejection of Trump’s peace plan will result in Israel immediately annexing the portion of the West Bank that Trump’s plan envisions. This is an effective measure to weaken the negotiation position of the Palestinian leadership in future rounds of negotiation.”
The Middle East faces other security issues that threaten Israel, primarily from Iran and its terrorist proxies that surround Israel. Netanyahu’s “zero tolerance” approach to dealing with these issues has earned him the moniker Mr. Security. He will most certainly continue down the same path with Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and others who aspire to wipe Israel off the map.
Please pray with us for Israel as she seeks peace and security for her citizens. Please also pray for:
Not since 2014 have so many sirens terrified the Israeli communities that border the Gaza Strip. Last week’s “accidental” missile launch from Gaza – while horrific and tragic for the seven people who were injured – was a symptom of a bigger problem.
Iran has Israel surrounded ‒ and its leaders are obsessed with eliminating Israel.
The Trumpet recently reported, “Iran has exploited the conflict in Iraq, the civil war in Syria and the political strife in Lebanon to create an 800-mile land bridge connecting it to the Mediterranean.” Through this corridor, Iran smuggles high-tech weaponry and personnel to its proxies in the countries that border Israel.
On Israel’s southern and eastern borders, Iran funds terrorists in both Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Jordan while Iran-backed Hamas and Islamic Jihad threaten Israel from the south in Gaza.
Israel’s northeast neighbor is Syria. The Trumpet reported that Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon disclosed classified intelligence to warn the UN Security Council in January that “the Shiite crescent has reached [Israel’s] doorstep.” He said Iran has 82,000 troops in Syria, has spent $35 billion on weapons factories there and maintains a base just 30 miles from Israel’s border. He cautioned that Iran is using Syrian civilians as “human shields” and “turning the entire country of Syria into the largest military base in the world.”
At Israel’s northern border is Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah has built numerous tunnels into Israel from which they plan devastating attacks against civilians. Fortunately, Israel has discovered and destroyed several of those tunnels. But not all. Equally disturbing are Iran’s military bases in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s size and arsenals dwarf those of the Lebanese military.
On Israel’s western border lies the Iran-infested Mediterranean Sea. Iran has a port in the eastern Mediterranean, Hezbollah has a port in Lebanon, and Iran uses Syrian ports. In January, Israeli Adm. Shaul Chorev (Ret.) cautioned that “Iranian ports in the eastern Mediterranean are a real risk for Israel.” He added that Israel’s next proxy war with Iran “could see a focus on the [Mediterranean] Sea.”
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
In an opinion article in Haaretz, freelance journalist Muhammad Shehada suggested, “Iran has declared war on Israel – from Gaza.” He postulated that Iran has shifted its major funding from Hamas to Islamic Jihad because the latter is determined to trigger a war with Israel, and last week’s missile strike from Gaza was the opening salvo.
Hamas denied launching the missile but said it was an accident. Islamic Jihad didn’t admit or deny firing it. The Jerusalem Post quoted an anonymous senior Hamas official who claimed Iran went around Hamas and ordered an Islamic Jihad cell to do it.
Nonetheless, the unprovoked attack sparked devastating reprisals on Hamas. The exchange brought Israel and Hamas to the brink of all-out war until Egypt interceded by brokering a ceasefire.
For now, Hamas seems to have received the message. The ceasefire held over the weekend despite demonstrations along the Gaza border on the one-year anniversary of the weekly “March of Return” protests.
According to Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Maneilis, the protests were relatively controlled last weekend.
“The restraint Hamas exercised today was such that we hadn’t seen over the past year,” Maneilis said. “There were hundreds of Hamas personnel who wore orange vests and prevented demonstrators from reaching the [border] fence. This shows that Hamas are the ones who determine how heated the protests will be.”
Iran has worked for the past 40 years to get into a position to annihilate Israel. It now has Israel surrounded. It claims that its proxies and weaponry could reach every Israeli city. The equally-obsessed terrorists Iran has armed and trained to await Iran’s order to strike.
Israel is focusing its efforts on keeping Iran away from its borders in Syria and on developing strong relationships with allies and a few Arab nations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly has worked out a plan with both Russia and the U.S. to boot Iran out of Syria, but Israel’s danger remains critical.
Please pray with us for Israel and her friends to thwart any attempt by Iran to harm Israel and the Jewish people. Please also pray for:
Children are among the most vulnerable in any society, and we know that they are precious to God.
Lord, we lift up Israel’s children to You and ask that You watch over them. Protect them – body, mind and heart. Keep them from violence and abuse, hunger and homelessness. Guard them against the temptations of this world. Keep them free from falling prey to harmful activities and associations. Provide the nurturing that each one needs. May all of Israel’s children grow up with a hunger for You as well as a strong moral compass and wisdom to make good, healthy life choices. Open their hearts to Messiah. Create in them an inquisitiveness about Him, and bring Believers into their lives so they may hear and accept the Gospel.
Israel’s governing body, the Knesset consists of 120 members representing up to about two dozen political parties. The Prime Minister must establish a cabinet of ministers – a coalition government – from multiple parties. At times, they reach an impasse and determine they must disband and hold a new, special election. Such is the case right now in Israel. The election is taking place April 9 and includes more than 100 candidates. Israel’s current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is running for re-election.
Father, we ask that You guide this early election in Israel, and place in office those whom You choose to govern the nation of Your people. In particular, we pray for the office of Prime Minister and that You would protect Israel through this most vital leader. Please give all Israel’s Knesset members a hunger for righteousness to guide their leadership. Give them wisdom in all matters pertaining to Israel’s welfare. Plant in them moral convictions that align with You and Your will. Give them great discernment to perceive the repercussions of decisions – both immediate and long-range. Bring these leaders together – though they come from so many different political ideologies – to lead Israel well.
Passover is one of the holiest times of year for Jewish people. It marks a watershed event in Israel’s history, and even many secular Jewish people participate in Passover observances.
As Passover approaches, Lord, we pray that all Israel will be overwhelmed with a sense of Your power, presence and commitment to the Nation of Your people. Impress upon each one the conviction that Your requirement to cover sin has always been the same. Stir in their hearts a desire to know Your eternal salvation. Reveal to them Yeshua (Jesus) Messiah, the Passover Lamb You have sent and whose sacrificed blood covers sin eternally. Also, Father, please protect Israel from her enemies as the nation observes Passover. May any plans to harm the people of Israel be thwarted so that they can freely observe this holy time.
On any day, in any given hour, there are people facing some form of crisis. This is as true in Israel as it is throughout the world. It may be a life-altering accident, illness or injury. Or it could be a marriage or family crisis or a financial setback. Some may be enduring abuse, the death of a loved one, or the loss of employment.
Lord, when life knocks the wind out of us, it can be so hard to imagine even getting through the crisis at hand. First and foremost, Father, whatever dire situations individuals are facing in Israel at this moment, we pray that they would humbly and honestly seek You. Please give them strength, and help them “breathe” through the shattering event they’re going through. Comfort their sorrows. Bring others around to support and help them along the way. Draw them to Yourself so that they may receive the shalom only available from knowing You.
Many Jewish people see belief in Yeshua as a betrayal of the Jewish faith and heritage. Some Jewish people who place their faith in Jesus as the Messiah may experience rejection from family members or Jewish friends.
God, we know your heart for Israel, and we pray for those who believe they are honoring You by rejecting those who have come to faith in Your Son, Jesus. We pray that You would soften their hearts toward the ones they used to accept but now spurn. And especially soften their hearts toward Yeshua. Make them jealous of the relationship that those whom they have cut off have with You. Send other Messianic Believers into their lives, and may Yeshua in these Believers be irresistible. Make them curious about Jesus, and open their eyes to see Him revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Join us again next month for more Prayer for Israel.
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
During his visit to the Middle East last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Chief Political Analyst David Brody and Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell of the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) in Jerusalem. The interview occurred soon after The Times of Israel reported Pompeo’s visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall as “the first time a U.S. secretary of state visited Jerusalem’s contested Old City accompanied by a senior Israeli official.”
That senior Israeli official was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the CBN interview, Pompeo responded to a question about whether God was using President Trump as a modern-day Esther to save the Jewish people.
“As a Christian, I certainly believe that’s possible,” Pompeo replied.
It seems Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees.
On March 21 (the last day of Purim), Pompeo and Netanyahu held a joint press conference. Netanyahu mentioned Trump’s pledge to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights – a historic act made official this week – calling it a “Purim miracle.”
“We’re celebrating Purim, when, 2,500 years ago, other Persians, led by Haman, tried to destroy the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said. “They failed then. And today, 2,500 years later, Persians led by Khamenei are trying to destroy the Jewish people and the Jewish State. They are going to fail again.”
On March 25, President Trump fulfilled his pledge and signed a proclamation acknowledging Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
As Netanyahu hinted at the joint press conference with Pompeo, Queen Esther 2,500 years ago courageously used her position to intercede in a plot to exterminate the Jewish people by an adviser of Persia’s King Ahasuerus, Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1). Haman most likely was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites and a bitter enemy of the Jewish people.
Ancient Persia is modern-day Iran.
Steven M. Collins, author of five books documenting the migrations, kingdoms and locations of the biblical “Lost Tribes of Israel,” the 10 tribes from the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel, suggested that the spirit of Haman “lives on in the modern leadership of Iran, which wants to exterminate the Jews, as did Haman long ago.“
Toward this end, Iran is working to surround Israel.
Iran has bases in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. They fund and supply terrorist groups, including Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border in Lebanon and Hamas on Israel’s southern border in the Gaza Strip.
Just two days after Pompeo returned to Washington – on Monday morning of this week – Hamas fired 30 Iran-supplied rockets into central Israel, destroying a family’s home and injuring seven people including two small children. Israel responded within 12 hours by conducting 15 airstrikes on Hamas military sites.
Do you want to know how to pray for Israel in greater detail and depth? Jewish Voice Ministries has put together this Intercessory Prayer Guide for Israel that provides focused, targeted requests to help you pray for the nation of God’s People. We hope this prayer guide can help both Messianic Jews and Christians pray their support for Israel.
President Trump sent Pompeo to Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon last week to help the Middle East find peace. The Secretary of State assured the Jewish people of the Trump administration’s commitment to helping them stop Iran from achieving their goal of exterminating the Jewish people.
According to the State Department website, last week’s trip to Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon involved discussions on issues including defense, cybertechnology, cybersecurity, trade and Iran’s aggressive behavior.
As Pompeo denounced Iran's growing influence on Lebanon, the Trump administration slapped more sanctions on Iran. According to the Associated Press (AP), the sanctions “target 31 Iranian scientists, technicians and companies affiliated with Iran's Organization for Defense Innovation and Research, which had been at the forefront” of Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Please join with us in praying for an end to Iran’s ability to both terrorize the world and advance its goal to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. Also pray for:
Our theme for 2019 is Open Doors. God is opening doors and providing many new and exciting opportunities to change the lives of His people through medical aid and spiritual care. We need volunteers like you to come alongside us and partner in bringing the love of Yeshua to thousands of Jewish people and their neighbors.
During our first medical outreach of 2019 in Ethiopia, we saw 17,787 lives changed in less than a week. God is moving among His people and you can be a part of it. Join us on one these upcoming outreaches to Ethiopia or Zimbabwe.
After years of prayer, ministry opportunities are now being opened to us in a remote Muslim area on the border of Ethiopia and Somalia. Here we will visit a unique Jewish community of over ten thousand called the Yebir.
The need is great. The Yebir are persecuted and live in poverty. They are denied basic rights because they are Jewish. In 2018, we saw 2,325 patients in a nearby area, in just two days! This will be our first full outreach in the Somali Region, Ethiopia and we expect thousands will come for the free medical and dental services we provide at the clinic.
We need dentists, dental hygienists, opticians, physicians, gynecologists, dermatologists, and registered nurses. We also need non-medical volunteers to manage patient flow and organize the thousands of people that enter the clinic.
The application deadline for this outreach is April 16. Please prayerfully consider walking with us through the door, the Lord has opened.
Beautiful Mberengwa has a special place in our hearts. This location hosted our first medical clinic in the country of Zimbabwe. We invite you to join us in experiencing the joy of serving the Lemba people and their neighbors. With Zimbabwe’s recent economic decline, we see the need is greater than ever for medical aid and sharing the Good News and love of Yeshua.
For this outreach, we are in need of physicians, registered nurses and nurse practitioners. We need non-medical partners to work side by side with our Zimbabwean partners to manage patient flow and organize the thousands of people waiting in line. We also need non-medical partners to pray with patients and assist with the Zhera Kids ministry. The Zehra Kids program teaches children the importance of their Jewish roots in a fun interactive way and is growing rapidly in Zimbabwe.
Hope is needed. The Zimbabwean people are in danger of losing hope and we want to help restore it with the love of Yeshua. With your partnership,p we can bring much needed medical aid and spiritual care to the Lemba andtheir neighbors. Register today to join us in beautiful Mberengwa.
Our free medical clinic provides medical and dental services. We also provide health education classes and distribute LifeStraws which provide clean drinking water which reduces water-borne illness.
Due to limited access to healthcare, our medical clinic may be the only opportunity people in these rural communities have to see a medical professional. Sadly, we may have to turn away thousands of patients who wait in line for days because we do not have enough volunteers. We need both medical and non-medical volunteers.
Join us in bringing the life-changing Good News of Yeshua to Jewish communities and their neighbors. Contact us for more information at 602.288.5755 or through our website.
Watch this short video to see how our outreaches change lives.
