No One can Snatch Them…
By Guy Cohen
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-29)
What comfort and security we can find in Yeshua’s words. No one can snatch us from His hand.
This brings me to the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:38-39; “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come…shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.”
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, yet how often do we take these scriptures to mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us? Does this mean that we will not experience difficult times? Romans 8:35-36 describes what we may go through before coming to verse 37: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” What does it mean to be a conqueror?
Our victory is in Him, not in our own strength and ability, because He is greater than anything that may come against us. Do we believe this? Is it a reality for us? As we look with the eyes of Yeshua, we see this reality; we see the big picture. Therefore, when we are in the midst of the testing, trials and tribulations, we can be confident because we know how it ends. Yeshua has conquered sin and death. He is the one who gives us the victory.
“Our Mothers” Initiative Update
This program helps mothers in our city, from difficult economic situations, to attend college and improve their family situations. Harvest of Asher works with the local Akko welfare office on this and other humanitarian aid projects. In the first year, thanks to your donations, we have been able to sponsor 10 mothers in the program, and now in the second year, even more mothers are being enrolled!
This program is good in many ways: The municipality leadership is involved. The welfare office is attendant to the needs of the families, helping them find employment. Each of the mothers is required to give 140 hours volunteering in hospitals, etc. Once a month the mothers gather for mutual support in a family-like atmosphere. The program includes half Arab mothers and half Jewish.
We have been asked to give matching funds. The total cost per mother per year is $3000. We are covering half of this for the first batch of mothers, and we already have the funds to continue covering them in their second year!
However, we were just asked by the city if we can help another 10 mothers start their studies this year with matching funds at $1500 for each mother for a total of $15,000. If you feel moved to help these mothers and their families by equipping them to provide for themselves, please donate to our general fund through the links below. Thank you!
So Much Grace
By Leora Mazorovsky
Since 2007, Tents of Mercy and Beltway Church have been partnering together on an annual five-day summer sleepaway camp for elementary aged children. During the Covid 19 crisis which closed our borders to visitors and prevented large local gatherings, we were unexpectedly compelled to take a two year hiatus. Last year we re-started the camp and it was wonderful, if a bit bumpy after all that time off.
But this year was amazing! We had almost 80 children representing 10 congregations – playing, learning and worshiping together. The local staff, counselors and volunteers worked smoothly together providing a nurturing environment to communicate this year’s theme: Words Build Us Up (Milim Bonot – מלים בונות).
The evening sessions of worship and teaching were particularly outstanding. Our counselors led worship most mornings and evenings and did a great job. But the kids’ response was phenomenal. They participated enthusiastically in singing and dancing in a way that I’ve never seen before and then listened attentively to the speakers as they shared personal stories about the power of words in their own lives.
We were all blessed and moved to be able to join in what the Spirit was doing through our children as they worshiped with such intensity. A week later I was speaking to the grandmother of some of the campers. She told me the children came back and told her their favorite part of the camp was the worship. What a testimony!
One of the songs that we sang on repeat was “So Much Grace”* (Kama Hesed – כמה חסד).* I think the words sum up how we all felt as we concluded this special week together:
“I have seen His work in my life, and I know that it is only by grace that I am here. So much grace has been given to me!”
*Can be found on YouTube under the same title or with this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XfJNbKrLqU. Song and Lyrics by Beresheet Israel.
Not By Might
By Leon Mazin
Brothers and sisters in Yeshua, greetings! I want to express my gratitude for your prayers and support of our ministry.
Let’s turn again to the book of Zechariah, chapter 4. In the previous chapter and my previous article, the prophet encouraged Yehoshua, the high priest. Now the prophet is sent to speak to Zerubbabel. The entire leadership structure of Israel during that time was morally devastated. Without the intervention of the prophet, their survival was uncertain.
Interestingly, the prophet sees a revelation of two olive branches and a menorah, symbolizing the cooperation of the Jewish people and other nations serving the Lord God. The oil from these olives represents the active manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
With this imagery, the prophet proceeds to uplift Zerubbabel. Although not a king, Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David, was appointed as the leader of the people by the king of Babylon. The restoration of Israel and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit depended on his actions. However, Zerubbabel was emotionally depleted and unable to fulfill his ministry. Then the Lord speaks to him,“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: it is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
This example is applicable to each of us, particularly in the tumultuous spiritual times in which we live. While we may strive to do the work of the Lord, we are still human. We plan and exert effort, but challenges often drain our strength. Nevertheless, God assures us: “I will assist you. Keep trying and moving forward, but do not rely solely on your own capabilities to accomplish spiritual work…Look to Me, and I will aid you. It will be done by My Spirit!”
As for the ministry of “Return to Zion,” we have been in the summer vacation season. We encouraged our congregation to rest, but at the same time we are continuing with humanitarian projects and the welcoming of new immigrants. This August, fifteen of our youth participated in the Eagle Project course in Norway, marking their first return after the pandemic. We appreciate your prayers for the next stages of life for those who went.
Additionally, we are actively negotiating for a building to house our new congregation plant – an important project. The Word instructs us, “spread to the right and to the left.” The team is prepared, and we desire to provide them with everything they need! Please pray for anointing and guidance. (The repairs and first year of the lease may cost us $100,000.) Pray for the ability to effectively manage all aspects of renovation. Also, pray for the successful acquisition of all necessary documents from the municipality, so that our network of congregations may be used by the Lord to further the Gospel in Israel.