There’s encouraging news out of the Middle East this week. As a friend of Jewish Voice Ministries, you’ll want to know what’s going on, I’m sure.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz has invited Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordan’s King Abdullah, and other Muslim leaders to join his meeting with President Trump in Riyadh this weekend. Abbas has reportedly agreed to attend.
The meeting is now shaping up to be a sort of Middle East summit that will kick off the President’s first foreign tour since taking office. He’ll also visit Israel and the Vatican.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the Saudi-hosted “Arab, Islamic, and American Summit” is expected to address key problems in the Middle East and open a dialogue about forging new security partnerships.
Observers had earlier been quoted in The Times of Israel as saying the meeting suggests three goals: building partnerships in the Muslim world against terrorism, laying groundwork for renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, and constructing an anti-Iranian coalition.
Meanwhile, Abbas is reportedly preparing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump in Jerusalem next week, following the Saudi gathering.
At a press conference in Ramallah, Abbas said, “We affirmed to [President Trump] that we are ready to cooperate with him and meet the Israeli prime minister under his auspices in order to make peace.”
That’s encouraging. But will it actually lead to a meaningful peace discussion? Though I so want to be optimistic, there’s good reason to be skeptical. The PA has said it wants peace. But the terror group continues to use each cease-fire, each peace summit, each opportunity as a “time-out,” during which it replenishes its arms stockpile, reloads its rocket launchers, and digs more attack tunnels into Israel.
For the past eight years, Abbas has stubbornly held to two key preconditions that have stalled meaningful peace talks: the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and a freeze on West Bank settlement activity and Jewish building in East Jerusalem. Prime Minister Netanyahu has consistently said he is willing to meet with Abbas, but only if the preconditions are dropped.
Direct talks between Abbas and Netanyahu were rare during the Obama administration. In fact, their last substantive meeting was in 2010.
Still, the White House said late last week that the President will use his trip to work for a “just and lasting peace” between Israel and the Palestinians, including the Palestinian goal of “self-determination.”
U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said the President’s meetings with Israeli leaders are aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations. “He [President Trump] will reaffirm America’s unshakable bond to the Jewish state,” he said.
While Middle East peace prospects have alternated between somewhat possible and absolutely zero dating back to Israel’s birth in 1948, we may have reason to hope that, this time, progress can be made. For the sake of our allies in Israel, the Jewish people we care about so much, and the Muslims we’re called to love in Yeshua’s name, I hope you’ll join me in praying that genuine peace advances across the region. Nothing less than precious lives are at stake.
With your prayers for peace, I hope you’ll strongly consider making a special gift to Jewish Voice. We need you to stand with us. Your partnership is what moves this ministry forward.
Through your generosity, you share healing and hope with Jewish people in need worldwide. Without you, we can’t deliver humanitarian aid (medical, dental, and eye care), the Gospel, discipleship, leadership development at Messianic congregations in Africa, or clean water.
You provide the encouragement, the prayers, and the financial support that make it happen. And I thank you sincerely.
To show our appreciation for your gift of $40 or more today, we’ll send you a set of books that will inform and inspire you. You’ll receive the book 10 Amazing Muslims Touched by God, containing stories of Muslims coming to faith in Yeshua (Jesus). You’ll also get the history-packed booklet Is Peace Possible? to help you sort out the facts about the Middle East conflict. Each book will serve to help you share with others about how God is moving in history and revealing Himself as Savior.
Thank you again for your support and prayers — and God bless you.
Shalom! As you likely know, the word shalom means “peace.” Did you know that the word also means “completeness” or “prosperity”? That’s why it is a wonderful greeting! Although we haven’t met, I wish you shalom, and would like to introduce myself and the ministry I serve.
My name is Jonathan Bernis; I am CEO and President of Jewish Voice Ministries International. I am also a Jewish man who has recognized the truth that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the hope and salvation of all mankind. I have been called by Yeshua (Jesus) to share the truth of His love and mercy by serving at Jewish Voice Ministries, a ministry founded in 1967, and celebrating 50 years of ministry very soon. It is amazing what miraculous works God has done in and through Jewish Voice so far and we are really looking forward to what He has in store for us!
Want to do more
right now?
Our mission at Jewish Voice Ministries International is from Romans 1:16 where the apostle Paul states, “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
We are living in very exciting times, watching God miraculously open the eyes of the Jewish People to their Messiah (Jesus) in fulfillment of a prophecy written by the apostle Paul in Romans 11 verses 25 and 26, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved...”
This passage clearly tells us that the Lord has ordained a set time in history for the blindness to come off the eyes of the Jewish People in anticipation of the day when all Israel is saved. I believe we are living in those days. Now is the time God has ordained for the restoration of the Jewish People in preparation for the return of the Messiah. Jewish Voice is so grateful to be included in God’s plan to proclaim the Good News to the Jew first and also to the Nations.
We have a tremendous sense of urgency surrounding our calling and believe that ministries like ours that are focused on reaching God’s Chosen People are destined to move into central focus as the Church understands the role Israel and the Jewish People play in the Last Days preceding the return of the Messiah.
It is because of this urgent call that we have developed a global mission and multi-faceted approach to outreach using television, print, and online media, as well as on-the-ground medical and humanitarian outreaches in remote parts of the world reaching the “Lost Tribes of Israel” that God is gathering back to Himself. I invite you to connect with us in the ways showing in the sidebar to the right. Through them, you will discover the miraculous ways God is at work around the globe using Jewish Voice Ministries to be His hands and feet. I hope you are encouraged by the amazing ways God is working in the world.
Shalom – prosperity and peace to you
When God called Abraham to become the father of the Jewish people, He made them a promise:
My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3).
And yet, throughout all of history, no other group has been more persecuted than the Jewish people.
And the persecution of Jewish people is still widespread. In fact, since 2000, anti-Semitism has been getting progressively worse worldwide.
A 2012 report by the U.S. State Department confirmed the dramatic global increase in anti-Semitism. It found that Holocaust denial and opposition to Israel were often used to promote blatant anti-Semitism.
As just one example, in the past year the United Nations (UN) adopted 20 one-sided resolutions against Israel — compared to only six resolutions addressed to the whole rest of the world combined!
And such undeniable bias is not just coming from the United Nations. Independent studies confirm the rapidly growing connection between anti-Semitism and the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement — especially on American college campuses.
In fact, there is clear evidence that many BDS and anti-Israel protests — which nearly tripled from 2015 to 2016 — encourage violence against Jewish students.
As one professor who has closely researched this issue has said, “Instead of just boycotting Israel, the anti-Zionists are now boycotting Jewish students. Sadly, all too often it is not debate but hate. The lines between political discussions on Israeli policy and discrimination toward Jewish students are being blurred.”
And in an inevitable parallel, attacks against Jewish synagogues and Jewish people in both Europe and the United States have been on a dramatic increase for several years.
Clearly, something must be done. Such open hatred and prejudice cannot go unchallenged — especially by Christians who take seriously Jesus’ admonitions that we “love one another,” and even that we love our enemies.
That’s what Jewish Voice Ministries is all about.
Now in our 50th year, Jewish Voice is committed to providing physical and spiritual help to Jewish people, transforming lives and seeing all Israel saved.
To accomplish these goals, Jewish Voice quietly but effectively works to:
This last goal is the ultimate heart of our ministry. As the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:1, “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.”
The work of Jewish Voice is critically important. But we can’t do it without help from those who already know the truth — that Yeshua is the Messiah. That’s why I’m asking you to send a gift to support the work of Jewish Voice.
Every gift goes to speak out against anti-Semitism, to help needy Holocaust survivors, and to meet the needs of impoverished Jewish people around the world.
As my way of saying thank you for a gift of any size right now, I’ll send you my booklet Why Satan Hates the Jews, which explores the spiritual roots of anti-Semitism.
And if you can give at least $50, I’ll send you the two-DVD set Unlocking the Prophetic Mysteries of Israel.
Please fight the evil of anti-Semitism and bring comfort and care to Jewish people in need by sending your most generous gift today. Thank you, and God bless you!
Most of us have prayed for our nation. We would no doubt be hard pressed to find those of us who didn’t pray on or around the tragedy of 9/11, even if it was to simply utter a heart-wrenching, “Oh, God!” as we watched the sobering scenes unfold before us. We have prayed in wartime, during elections, when our cities were riddled with crime waves or terrorism, and when our communities and states were impacted by natural disasters.
We confess we have turned to God again and again as our last resort, and hopefully, at times as our first. The weight of issues facing our nation really warrants daily prayer, and yet there has been one day in particular set aside in the United States as truly being a day to pray for our Nation itself.
This year the National Day of Prayer falls on Thursday, May 4, 2017. Imagine the many thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, around the country who will be praying for the United States on that day. We encourage you join them as we will!
We at Jewish Voice Ministries will also take the United States’ National Day of Prayer as an opportunity to pray for Israel. There is not just a political alliance between our two nations, but an alliance in the Spirit as well. Scripture says that those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3), and that those who pray for Jerusalem will prosper (Psalm 122:6). When we pray for our nation, whether it be the United States or elsewhere, we know the Lord will bless in return. But when we pray for Israel, we know that not only will Israel benefit, but our own nation as well, as we reap the blessing Scripture promises for those who favor Zion. Praying for Israel reaps a double blessing – for Israel, AND for our nation.
So, what are some common areas and issues we can cover in prayer for Israel and for the United States? 1 Timothy 2:1-2 gives us direction.
First of all, this passage encourages us to pray for all people. Let’s pray for all the citizens of our two nations. A nation is made up of many individuals, each of whom makes decisions every day that impact many lives around them. As you think of Israel and the United States, pray for people who are in your own line of work, stage of life, or your own personal frame of mind or circumstance. Pray for the Lord to bless those who are like you―and those who are not.
Then, we are exhorted to pray specifically for those who are in authority, not just those at the very top, but anyone who holds authority. We can pray for their salvation, protection, and wisdom. In the U.S., this would include President Trump, our Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, and Military Leaders. As we pray for Israel we can lift up Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Knesset, their Supreme Court, and leaders of the Israeli Defense Forces. We can also pray for the Lord’s help for our leaders in maintaining a healthy working relationship between our two nations.
Prayers for the National Day of Prayer could also include those in similar positions in our states, cities, and local governing bodies, such as university and school boards, authorities over first responders, and key leaders and influencers in religion, business and media. Pray especially for those who lead the Body of Messiah in the U.S. and Israel nations, that they would be protected and by God’s grace make a lasting impact in their regions for His Kingdom.
May our prayers for those in authority extend all the way into the home, as we pray for husbands and wives, and married and single moms and dads seeking to navigate families well in trying times. Each home and family is a building block in the structure of our nations as a whole.
Both Israel and the United States share some common enemies. So here’s a unique angle on praying for those in authority: have you ever thought about praying for leaders of gangs, terror cells, and cults? We certainly know they exist, both in the United States, in Israel, and no doubt every nation of the world. What might change in those organizations if the leaders became radically saved like Paul did when he experienced an encounter with Yeshua that changed not only the course of his life but propelled the Good News into the nations? What kind of influence might these leaders wield if they were rescued from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light?
That begins to touch on our motivation as we intercede. Paul in 1 Timothy doesn’t just tell us what to pray – he also tells us why to pray for all people and for those in authority. God desires that we be able to live “a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and respectfulness” (1 Timothy 2:2b), and we know that leaders of all kinds and at all levels impact the quality of life for citizens. The desired scriptural outcome of living under good government is not just to bless people’s everyday lives, but to create an atmosphere where the Good News of Yeshua is able to go forth freely, available to all, so they can be saved by knowing the truth. That is our heart’s desire for the citizens in our nation, the people of Israel, the Jewish people, and all others in the nations of the earth.
Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 2:7 that he sees himself as called to teach and live out this Good News for the benefit of others. We are called as well―called to pray. And our prayers can impact not only our own lives and interests but the life and well-being of nations, impacting millions.
On this year’s National Day of Prayer, let’s pray―really pray―for Israel and America, and let’s make a commitment to do so not just one day a year, but every day. Perhaps this next year holds abundant blessings; perhaps it holds grave challenges beyond our knowledge at this time; and possibly both. Regardless, because of God’s grace, a daily investment of prayer for the welfare of Israel, the United States, and other nations the Lord has placed on your heart will bear fruit, fruit beyond what we can imagine in this moment. Let’s pray!
Therefore, first of all I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made on behalf of all people— for kings and all who are in authority—so we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and respectfulness. This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. He desires all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth.
―1 Timothy 2:1-4 TLV
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
―Genesis 12:3 NIV
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.”
Psalm 122:6 NKJ
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that if the Palestinians truly desire peace with Israel, they must first “come clean” and stop “rewarding terrorism.”
In an interview on Fox News Channel, Netanyahu claimed the Palestinian Authority has spent much of the financial aid it receives from the United States paying terrorists and their families at the expense of the American taxpayer.
“I think the first test of peace is to say to them, ‘Hey, you want peace? Prove it. Confront terrorism, stop rewarding terrorism, stop paying terrorists,’” Netanyahu said via video link from his office in Jerusalem.
Many people don’t know this, but the families of Palestinians jailed for terrorist acts are compensated based on the jail term. The families of those killed during the commission of a terrorist act receive an annual stipend greater than the average Palestinian earns.
According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, the United States has given more than $5 billion in “bilateral economic and non-lethal security assistance” to the Palestinians. More than $327 million of that aid came in the last year, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service, a public policy research arm of the U.S. Congress.
It’s not clear how much of that aid has been used for payments to terrorists. But according to the official daily newspaper of the Palestinian National Authority, Al-Hayat al-Jadida, since 2011 more than 4,500 Palestinian prisoners receive a monthly salary between $652 and $3,260.
The online Israeli news source Honest Reporting said this week that the Palestinian terrorist accused of killing British student Hannah Bladon last week will be paid about $1,000 per month by the Palestinian government. Putting this into perspective, as a reward, Bladon’s murderer will receive more than double the typical Palestinian full-time salary, every month for the rest of his life. Or until the world finally puts a stop to this terrible practice.
Honest Reporting further noted that the Palestinian Authority, despite international pressure, is planning to increase its budget for terrorist salaries. In 2016, it was as much as $180 million.
Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli research institute that monitors the Palestinian Authority, reports that the Authority cynically calls these terrorists “martyrs.”
Amazingly, the U.S. State Department has been hesitant to cut off aid to the Palestinians, regardless of its clear involvement in terrorism. Both the U.S. and Israeli governments fear such a move could lead to a collapse of the Authority, creating a security crisis in the West Bank.
After years of international condemnation of these payments, a new law before the U.S. Congress called the Taylor Force Act, would cut off all financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. Taylor Force was the U.S. Army officer murdered last year in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian attacker. Some legislators were outraged to learn that relatives of the dead terrorist will be rewarded with lifetime payments. Congress knows that terrorist families are benefitting directly or indirectly from American financial aid and hopes to stop it.
Similar legislation was proposed in the Israeli parliament last month. If passed, it would subtract from the tax revenues that Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority an amount equivalent to what the Authority pays terrorists and their families.
These developments are particularly relevant right now because a Palestinian delegation is scheduled to be in Washington next week to prepare for upcoming meetings between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and President Donald Trump. Let’s pray that a very frank discussion of salaries for Palestinian terrorists is on the agenda.
Let’s also pray that our Congress passes the Taylor Force Act and cancels financial aid to Palestinian terrorists. Even more importantly, please pray for Palestinian hearts and minds to change about terrorist acts. Without this, legislative efforts will amount to little and mean nothing as far as real effectiveness. Pray with us for ultimate transformation through Palestinians coming to faith in Yeshua (Jesus).
And, as you pray, I hope you’ll consider making a gift to Jewish Voice. When you support Jewish Voice, you are helping us continue the many facets of ministry God has called us to. These include taking the Gospel and humanitarian aid to Jewish people around the world; strengthening the faith of Messianic and Gentile Believers through our media channels; engaging the Church concerning the value of the Jewish roots of New Testament faith; and encouraging support for Israel and Jewish people.
For your gift of $35 or more today, we’d like to thank you by sending you a special gift set. The Love for Israel notecards reproduced from an original oil painting depicting many iconic symbols of Messianic Judaism. You’ll also receive the book Seed of Turmoil by Bryant Wright, to help you understand the origins and history of the Middle East conflict and the importance of the Land of Israel today.
Thank you so much for your prayers for the nation of Israel and the ministries of Jewish Voice among the people there and worldwide.
