THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note from Jonathan Bernis

Shalom, my friend!

I’m so grateful for your prayers and support on behalf of this ministry and the Jewish people.

As you know, only God can effectively combat the anti-Semitism and hatred against the Jewish people that we’re seeing in Israel and around the world.

In fact, one of the greatest hopes we have is that God hears the cries of His people. That no matter what any of us might be facing, He is in control to move and act according to His plans.

That’s why I hope you’ll continue to pray for the Jewish people – for their ongoing safety, for God to open their hearts to receive the Gospel of Yeshua (Jesus) and for our ministry in Israel and around the world.

Thank you for standing with us through your partnership.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis

President & CEO

Jewish Voice Ministries International

Headline News

German Guard Detained for Hitler Salute to Israeli Athletes Visiting Munich Memorial

The Times of Israel reported last week that a German security guard had been arrested for making a Hitler salute in front of a group of Israeli athletes visiting a memorial to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.

According to German police reports, the 16 athletes from the Israeli European Championships team were visiting the Olympic Park in Munich when the banned gesture was made.

Police immediately arrested the suspect, a 19-year-old from Berlin. And as reported by The Times of Israel, he has been banned from all further European Championships events.

The arrest comes at a sensitive time, with Munich hosting the European Championships ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Olympics massacre in 1972, in which 11 Israelis were murdered.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also further inflamed the situation during a visit to Berlin last week.

According to The Times of Israel, President Abbas failed to condemn the massacre and instead compared crimes committed against the Palestinians to the Holocaust.

The Palestinian Presidency later addressed the comments after they attracted a wave of international furor and claimed President Abbas had merely intended to highlight Israeli “crimes.”

Updates from the Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister to U.S., Europe: Walk away from Iran talks or look weak

Last week, Israel’s Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, told officials from the U.S. and Europe that the West will look weak if it doesn’t stop nuclear talks with Iran now. The Prime Minister’s remarks came just days after Iran responded to what was meant to be a final text of a renewed nuclear deal.

Russian Jews head for Israel as Kremlin targets Jewish Agency

According to Israeli government figures, 20,246 Russians emigrated to Israel between January and July 2022, with a spike from February to March – following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The scale of the emigration seems to have taken the Russian authorities by surprise and may have prompted retaliation by the Kremlin. Recently, the Russian Justice Ministry requested the liquidation of the Moscow branch of the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-profit organization that helps foreign Jews looking to move to Israel.

Pray with Us This Week

Please pray with me for:

• God to protect the innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize "Yeshua" as their Messiah

This may seem like an odd request – but we’d like to ask you to pray for prayer! More prayer and more “pray-ers,” meaning more people praying. We are building a global community that will pray faithfully for Jewish Voice Ministries and the work God has called us to. This work involves bringing the Gospel to the Jewish people, growing the Messianic Jewish community, and engaging the Church regarding Israel and the Jewish people.

Will you pray with us for more prayer? Here are things the Lord is leading us in and how you can participate and pray:

Vision: Our long-term vision is for a Jewish Voice global prayer network of those who will pray around the clock for God’s City, Israel — His Land and His people, wherever they are in the world.

• Please pray for the Lord to strategically develop this and enlist those who will catch the vision to pray with us for Israel and His people around the world

24-7 Prayer Watch: Along those lines, we now have the Jewish Voice 24-7 Prayer Watch, where our partners can commit to a time to pray for us from home.

• Pray for many pray-ers to commit to cover us and Israel in prayer regularly from home by making a commitment on the 24-7 Prayer Watch. Learn more here: 24-7 Prayer Calendar

Onsite Prayer: We invite trusted, dedicated intercessors who live in the Phoenix area to come and pray onsite at our headquarters. It cultivates the presence of the Lord here and encourages them in knowing how to pray.

• Please pray for more of those trusted, dedicated pray-ers in the Phoenix area who will commit to come and pray onsite for Jewish Voice Ministries and the work we do

Prayer Initiatives: We are so excited by your response to our recent prayer initiatives, including Operation 1226 and Moving Forward: 55 Days of Prayer. Only eternity will reveal all the answers to the thousands of prayers you, our partners, have prayed for.

• Please pray for the Lord’s leading in launching more initiatives that focus prayer on specific targets related to our shared mission and encourage our partners as we call on the Lord together

Online Prayer Meetings: Last but not least, we have begun to hold online prayer meetings on the Zoom webinar platform so that you, our partners, can hear real-time prayer briefings from our leaders and take that information into prayer. These have been energizing and effective, and we plan to do many more. Our next time together is Thursday, August 25. Please register here to join us.

• Please pray for us as we plan, coordinate, and facilitate these strategic prayer webinars; and for many people to join us each time and be encouraged and mobilized in prayer

Let’s Pray!

Thank you for your consistent commitment to pray, and to pray for more prayer. 

Lord, we are passionate to see Your plans and purposes for Your Chosen People and for Your body, both Jew and Gentile, fulfilled. We want to partner with You, Lord, through prayer, and we know we need others to come alongside us in that vision. We ask You to inspire many, many thousands of people around the world to join us as an energized, faithful and effective community of praying Believers, calling on You day and night to see those purposes come to pass. In Yeshua’s Name, AMEN.

THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note from Jonathan Bernis

Shalom, my friend!

Peace is heavy on my heart. The peace of Jerusalem – after a barrage of recent rocket fire and violence. Peace for those who are still affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. And peace for the Jewish people around the world…that can only come from the Gospel of Yeshua (Jesus).

I pray that you have peace in your own heart and mind as we continue to navigate global conflict and uncertainty. 

While the Scriptures tell us to pray for the “peace of Jerusalem” in any and every season – my heart is moved for us to be more vigilant in prayer than ever before. 

Because we know that God has the power to change hearts, lives and circumstances. 

I pray you’ve experienced God’s supernatural presence in your own life. And I hope you’ll hold up your experience as a point of confidence and faith as, together, we ask God to bring His peace to Jerusalem, to Israel, to the Jewish people and the world. 

Thank you for your partnership in this work of ministry.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis

President & CEO

Jewish Voice Ministries International

Headline News

Ukraine Nuclear Plant Is Out of Control

U.N. officials warned late last week that Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine, located in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, “is completely out of control.”

According to the Israel Hayom, they’ve issued several urgent pleas to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which Russian troops seized in early March soon after their February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

“Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated” at the plant, he said. “What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.”

The Russian capture of Zaporizhzhia renewed fears that the largest of Ukraine's 15 nuclear reactors could be damaged, setting off another emergency like the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world’s worst nuclear disaster, which happened about 65 miles north of the capital Kiev.

Grossi appealed to the IAEA to go to Zaporizhzhia to ascertain the facts of what is happening there, to carry out repairs and inspections and “to prevent a nuclear accident from happening.” But they’re unable to do so until an agreement can be made between Russia and Ukraine.

Updates from the Middle East

Over 350 Rockets Fired Toward Israel

Sirens blared last Saturday evening in Tel Aviv as Operation Breaking Dawn continued against Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. More than 350 rockets were launched by the terror group toward Israel on the first full day of fighting between the two groups.

Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Last-Ditch Effort to Secure Deal

Negotiations over a return to the Iran nuclear deal resumed last week in Vienna. However, the participants expressed little optimism that agreement could be reached in what appears to be a last-ditch effort to finalize a new accord. U.S. intelligence now estimates it could have enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon within weeks, compared to a year ago when the agreement was in force.

Pray with Us This Week

• God to protect the innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia
• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies
• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

We love knowing that you pray for our Outreaches, and we love sharing the praises with you after they‘re finished.

We are hearing great things about the recent Mberengwa, Zimbabwe Medical Outreach. There was something special about this opportunity that our team and partners shared together. Read on for updates, praises and the resulting requests.

Medical Outreach

There were 121 people who prayed to receive Yeshua (Jesus), and almost half of them were from among the Lemba Jewish people. Forty-eight people wanted to be immersed (baptized), and 185 requested a follow-up visit to learn more about Yeshua. In total, 2,950 people heard a Gospel presentation, and 200 households received family-sized LifeStraw® water filtration units. These filters will provide clean, healthy water for three to five years. Please pray for:

• Each new Believer and those who were immersed as a sign of faith in Jesus
• Congregation leaders who will be following up with those requesting to learn more
• Each of the 7,630 patients seen to remain healthy and for the many, many medical needs still unmet in their community

Zehra Kids Program

Once again, the Zehra Kids ministry made a huge impact. On this Mberengwa Outreach, it was fully led by indigenous Lemba children’s ministry workers. A group of Israeli discipleship students assisted them. We experienced over 2,750 ministry opportunities with children, some onsite at the Medical Clinic and others at schools in the area. The children’s hearts were very open to the curriculum, based on the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4. Please pray that:

• The seeds of the Good News and identity as Jews in Yeshua will continue to bear lasting fruit
• The eyes of every child’s heart may be enlightened to know the hope of their calling
• The Lord will strengthen and anoint the Messianic Jewish congregations’ children’s ministries throughout the region

Israeli Discipleship Participants

A dozen students from a discipleship program based in Israel joined us as Outreach Partners in Mberengwa. They ministered with joy in the Zehra Kids Program, the Prayer Tent, and wherever they were needed. Their energy and willingness to serve inspired everyone and nurtured the spirit of teamwork that is so important during our Outreaches. It was beautiful to have a vibrant group of young Messianic Jewish Believers from Israel come and minister to their Lemba Jewish brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. Please pray for:

• This experience to stay in their hearts and minds and be used by the Lord
• Divine guidance as each of these Israeli Believers moves into their future ministry callings
• Wisdom about how the Lord may want to connect them and other groups with Jewish Voice

Let’s Pray!

Lord, every Jewish Voice Medical Outreach is an adventure with You leading the way and providing everything we need. We give You all the glory for the spirit of unity, love and servanthood that was so prevalent during this Outreach. We fully trust You to continue to move among the Lemba in Mberengwa, as You have for the past 10 years of Jewish Voice Outreaches there. Our hearts are full, and our faith is fueled as, by Your grace, we continue steadfast in prayer and reaching out to those You love so dearly. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.

THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL UPDATE 

A Note from Jonathan Bernis 

Shalom, my friend! 

In light of the global conflicts facing our world, including violence, terror and uncertainty, it would be easy to give in to the darkness and fear. 

But let me encourage you: no matter what you’re facing or what you may feel inside, “be strong” and “take heart.” And the only way to do these . . . is to place all your desires, circumstances and hopes in God’s hands. 

Lean upon the Scriptures that say, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24) 

The power of His presence, the certainty of His promises and the hope of His victory are all we need to endure and overcome the challenges we face.  

As you pray this week, I’d also like to invite you to continue praying with me and everyone at Jewish Voice on behalf of God’s people. That God would open the eyes of His Chosen People to see the hope made available to them through Yeshua (Jesus), their Messiah.  

Thank you for your partnership in this work of ministry. 

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,  

Jonathan Bernis 

President & CEO 

Jewish Voice Ministries International 

Headline News 

Ukraine, Russia Sign Deal to Reopen Grain Export Ports as War Rages on 

Russia’s naval blockade in the Black Sea has sparked a global food crisis that has sent prices soaring and sparked fears of famine. 

Up to 25 million tons of wheat and other grain have been trapped in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kiev has laid to avert a feared assault. 

But as reported by The Jerusalem Post, Russia and Ukraine have signed a landmark deal that will reopen Ukrainian Black Sea ports for grain exports, raising hopes that an international food crisis, aggravated by the Russian invasion, can be eased. 

The accord comes after two months of talks brokered by the United Nations and Turkey aimed at what U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called a “package” that would both restore Ukrainian grain exports while easing Russian grain and fertilizer shipments despite tough Western sanctions on Moscow. 

“Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea. A beacon of hope . . . possibility . . . and relief in a world that needs it more than ever,” Guterres told reporters at the signing ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey. 

While the ceremony commenced, fighting raged on unabated in Ukraine’s east. Underlining the deep-seated enmity and mistrust, according to the reports of the event from The Jerusalem Post, the Russian and Ukrainian representatives declined to sit at the same table at the ceremony. 

Updates from the Middle East 

Saudi Who Helped Israeli Journalist Enter Mecca Arrested 

The driver, a Saudi citizen, who drove Israeli reporter Gil Tamary into Mecca, has been arrested. Tamary was in Saudi Arabia because he had received a special permit, along with two other Israeli reporters, to cover the regional conference attended by U.S. President Joe Biden last week. According to The Jerusalem Post, Tamary has stressed that the driver did not know that he was an Israeli or non-Muslim journalist. 

Hezbollah Warns of a Military Clash with Israel over Mediterranean Gas 

Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is making blatant threats against Israel, warning that an all-out war is possible if no solution is found to Israel’s dispute with Lebanon over Israel’s Karish gas rig in the Mediterranean. According to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) military command opposes military action and recommends that Israel’s political leadership show flexibility and reach an agreement with Lebanon.  

Pray with Us This Week 

Please pray with me for: 

• God to protect the innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia 

• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies 

• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies 

• Jewish people to recognize "Yeshua" as their Messiah 

We love reaching out in Africa, and our week-long Medical Clinics are only the beginning. We are so grateful for the diverse opportunities the Lord has opened for us to ensure that those who come to Him experience rich and full lives as Believers in Yeshua the Messiah.

That’s why we nurture our relationships with the Messianic Jewish congregations and their leaders in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Two of the most significant ways we do this are through Messianic Leadership Training times and Congregational Visits. Here are some updates on both.

PRAISES for MESSIANIC LEADERSHIP TRAINING in Africa
We sent out a Prayer Points email this past spring asking you to pray for the Messianic Leadership Training we held, first in Zimbabwe and then in Ethiopia. You prayed, and the Lord answered. Below are praises as well as some requests coming out of those trips:

• The trip was safe, and the training was very effective
• Relationships were taken to a new level
• The Torah service in Zimbabwe was a deeply meaningful and joy-filled experience for all
• The Q&A times between our two U.S. rabbis and the African leaders were very interactive, with great questions asked and answered
• The guest speaker who joined us in Ethiopia delivered teachings directly in Amharic, with no need for a translator
• Our training team came back rejoicing over all the Lord had done and grateful for the prayers you sowed into their time with the Messianic congregational leaders

PRAYER REQUESTS for CONGREGATIONAL VISITS

The next significant ministry trip is beginning now – our Congregational Visits. We go to Ethiopia July 26–31 and to Zimbabwe July 31–August 7. Our Vice-President of Congregation and Leadership Development will travel to a number of Messianic Jewish congregations, participating in services and fellowship times. There will also be purposeful opportunities for in-depth conversations on leadership challenges and issues of congregational life. He is asking us to pray for:

• Safety in all travel, good health and protection
• Effective ministry times
• Discernment in assisting congregational leaders in strategic ministry decisions
• Wisdom for expanding trust within indigenous leadership teams
• Continued unity within national congregational movements in both countries

Let’s also continue praying for the Messianic Jewish congregations themselves. Pray for:

ZIMBABWE

• Appointment of new Vice Overseers among the Lemba National Messianic Leadership Council
• Leaders to provide continued depth of discipleship for their congregants
• Demonstration of the diversity of spiritual gifts among all congregational members

ETHIOPIA

• National unity among the Messianic congregational groups – including two new ones
• Unity of spirit within leadership teams
• Effective interfacing with the Church locally, regionally and nationally

Thank You for Praying

As you come before the Lord in prayer for these congregations and our ministry to them, you are engaged in building up His body and advancing the Kingdom. Thank you for praying with us.

Log on to our 24/7 Prayer Watch Schedule to commit to a specific time to pray during the Congregational Visits in Africa. Thank you!

THIS WEEK'S GLOBAL UPDATE

A Note From Jonathan Bernis:

Shalom, my friend!

As I write to you today, I’m reminded that God promises to be close at hand with strength and peace, no matter what His people are facing.

“The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace.” Psalm 29:11 (NIV)

I find tremendous comfort and hope in these words that have been ultimately realized in the coming of His Son, Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.

There’s no greater comfort, peace or hope that God could give, knowing He’s close and active in our lives. I pray you’ll embrace this for yourself as you work through challenges in your life or concerns that are heavy on your heart.

I also pray that you’ll continue to stand with us in prayer . . . and ask God to strengthen His people, give them peace and change the hearts of their enemies.

Thank you again for your partnership.

To the Jew first and also to the Nations,

Jonathan Bernis
President & CEO
Jewish Voice

Headline News

Russian Ambassador Gives Insight into Potential Russian Endgame in Ukraine

Since the start of the February 24 invasion, Russian forces have taken control of a big chunk of territory across Ukraine's southern flank above Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Russia is slowly pushing Ukrainian forces out of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of east Ukraine, which it has recognized as independent states.

“We are going to liberate all of the Donbas,” Russian Ambassador Andrei Kelin told reporters in an interview late last week when asked how the war might end.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Ambassador Kelin said that it was difficult to see Russian and Russian-backed forces withdrawing from the south of Ukraine and that Ukraine's soldiers would be pushed back from all of Donbas.

Sooner or later, Ambassador Kelin said, Ukraine would have to decide: strike a peace deal with Russia or “continue slipping down this hill” to ruin.

In addition to speculating on the end of the conflict, Ambassador Kelin also told reporters that the West did not understand the true causes of the conflict and had ignored Russia's concerns.

“The narrative is very short: Russia has been aggressive against an innocent Ukraine,” Kelin said. “This is not true at all.”

According to the Ambassador, President Putin says the “special military operation” in Ukraine is necessary because Moscow had to defend Russian-speaking people against persecution which he says the West has ignored.

He also casts the war as a necessary revolt against the United States, according to The Jerusalem Post, which he says has humiliated Russia since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union by enlarging NATO eastwards and was using Ukraine to threaten Russia.

Updates from the Middle East

Biden’s Visit Will Not Impact Israeli Elections

President Biden arrived in Israel this week as the first stop before his visit to Saudi Arabia. One of the primary purposes of this visit to the region, Biden said at a press conference in Spain last month, is to “deepen Israel’s integration in the region.” The Jerusalem Post speculates that Biden is using the Israel stop to deflect criticism about visiting Saudi Arabia. And while the president’s visit during an election campaign may provide photo-ops for the “prime time” news, The Jerusalem Post asserts that Israelis do not vote based on whom the U.S. president endorses. 

Poll Shows Netanyahu-Led Bloc Winning 61 Seats, Enabling Government Formation

The bloc of parties loyal to former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could receive 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats in the upcoming election, enabling it to form a government, according to reports from The Times of Israel last week. With nearly four months remaining before Israelis head to the polls on November 1, anything can change. And while Israel’s opinion polls can often be unreliable, they do influence the decision-making of politicians and voters, particularly in the run-up to the deadline when party lists must be finalized.

Pray with us this week:

• God to protect the innocent lives from the fighting in Ukraine and to bring a peaceful end to the invasion by Russia

• God to surround His people in Israel, who are constantly facing threats and violence from surrounding enemies

• Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies

• Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah

We want to remind you to pray for our Mberengwa, Zimbabwe, Outreach, concluding soon. But first, we have some amazing praises from our Gambela, Ethiopia, Outreach from a few weeks ago. 

There are so many stories of how the Lord was active and present in Gambela, and we thank you for your prayers that contributed significantly. Let’s truly lift our praises to the Lord! He has done great and unexpected things (Jeremiah 33:3). 

PRAISE THE LORD:

• Messianic leaders and groups from three different regions of Ethiopia worked together to facilitate the Gambela Outreach. What a testimony of the unity of the Spirit that bore much fruit
• Pray that the Messianic Jewish Believers and congregations in Ethiopia continue to work together in unity to support Gospel efforts in areas beyond their own
• Based on previous Outreaches in Ethiopia, we saw a high number of supernatural healings in Gambela
• We are in awe of what God can do! Continue to pray with us for greater signs and wonders to accompany the Word in this way during our Outreaches
• Our team had exceptional favor in the location. In fact, a high-ranking regional official, who is originally from Gambela, came and did a positive television interview about the Medical Outreach, standing in front of the prayer tent – and the interview aired on national television
• We served over 12,000 patients. We have not served that many during one Outreach since before COVID-19
• We were allowed to have the prayer tent onsite with the Medical Clinic, this has not been the case in Ethiopia for several years, and we pray it is a sign of good things to come
• Daily worship and prayer for the Outreach team were also allowed at the Clinic site. Children looked on from outside, having climbed trees to see where the joyful sounds were coming from each morning
• There were many salvations, and six new Believers wanted to be immersed right away. Usually, we have not been able to do immersions in Ethiopia, and this was a glorious exception that we pray will rewrite the script of what happens in that nation. The six, along with dozens of others who joined to witness and celebrate, walked on foot down to the river for the immersion service. Afterward, the whole group returned together, walking through the streets and singing God’s praises
• The Lord is so good at doing exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think. Let’s praise Him some more!

How glorious all this good news from the Gambela Outreach is! May it encourage us to pray rear-guard prayers for the Mberengwa, Zimbabwe Outreach, concluding soon.  Please pray especially for effective follow-up efforts in the coming weeks and months. May the Gospel witness that has been nurtured in Mberegwa since the first Jewish Voice Medical Outreach there 10 years ago grow and grow!

If you missed our Mberengwa Daily Prayer Points, you can review them here and continue to pray. 

Let's Pray: 

Lord, Your Word says in Psalm 67:3, “Let the peoples praise You, let all the peoples praise You!” We joined the people in Gambela in praising You, and we continue to do so. May the Kingdom of Light increasingly advance as Your praises spread and more and more people come to know You. We thank You for all You did in Ethiopia and continue praying for Jewish people to know You in Zimbabwe, throughout Africa, and beyond. May all the peoples praise You! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.