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March 23, 2007 4 Nissan, 5767 Dear Praying Friends,
The night of the robbery, as we walked through the rubble of our possessions strewn all over the floor, our hearts were virtually untouched. We had no sense of violation. It was a striking moment. God covered us with grace. Mostly, just two weeks since the break-in, we can hardly remember it. It’s a work of the Spirit and not something we have worked up. It is a testimony to our souls that whatever comes, whatever difficulties may cross our paths…God’s grace will be enough. This world is not our home, nor are the things in it our source of life. Yet for the moment, when we return from being out at night, we open the door slowly, wondering if we will be surprised again. We’ll do what is reasonable to protect the property, but in the end, we need to release our lives to the Lord and acknowledge Him as our Protector and the One who opens and shuts, setting the course of our lives. And what the enemy means for evil, or at least as a huge discouragement, God will always turn around for good. We expect a breakthrough in the spirit that will more than eclipse the break-in that occurred in the natural.
We are so very grateful for the many many friends from all over that have sent notes of support, prophetic words, and gifts to help replace what was lost. We have received much love as a result of this event. It was really a testimony of the Body of Messiah in loving and effective action, and this alone was a hit to the enemy. Thank you all so very much. We are upheld and strengthened to move ahead with what God has put before us.
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While I was writing the section about Arad, in the first draft of our last letter, I inserted something to this effect…”Let us pray while we are reading this that the Lord would hide this from the eyes of the enemy and protect us from attack.” In the end I chose not to include this sentence. The letter was ready to go out (from our main office computer, praise God) at the time of the break-in but had not yet been sent. Looking back, I believe the Spirit was letting us know that the enemy would respond to our getting in the way of his plans in Arad. The enemy wants Arad to stay hidden from the eyes of the wider body.
We have since discovered something about the historical significance of Arad. After Israel received the bad report from the ten spies and were sentenced to forty years of wandering in the desert (Numbers 14), they acknowledged their sin but chose to further disobey the Lord and presumptuously attempted to enter the Land anyway. The Amalakites and the Canaanites attacked them and drove them back to Hormah (v.45). While still at Hormah (Numbers 21) they were attacked by the king of Arad. It seems logical to assume that the King of Arad was under the impression that Israel was on their way into the Land and made a pre-emptive strike.
According to the notes for Numbers 21:1-3 from the Nelson Study Bible…“The first of Israel’s military victories against the Canaanites came as the result of an attack by the king of Arad. The text emphasizes that the attackers were Canaanites and that the attack was unprovoked. The Israelites fought valiantly and God fought for them. The Israelites triumphed over the army of Arad and destroyed its cities. This victory was the beginning of Israel’s triumphant march into the Promised Land.” It was their first victory inside the land of Canaan.
After the victory they apparently had a hard time receiving the fact that they had to turn back into the wilderness for yet another detour that lasted about a year. They became discouraged and complained against Moses and God, which resulted in fiery serpents being sent into the camp.
So what does this mean for us today? Why do we write this to you?
We all know that our battle in not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. The spirits that were at work to keep the Sons of Israel out of the Promised Land are still around and more active than ever since their final hour is drawing near. We are of the conviction that the things that happened to ancient Israel, particularly in the entrance and conquest of Canaan, are for us lessons, warnings, and foreshadowings from God to help us understand what is presently taking place in the unseen realm and give us insight into strategies for this moment. This is something to pray into!
In our last letter we noted Arad’s importance to the kingdom of darkness. A further point is that the orthodox group responsible for the persecution is a mystic sect who desires to take over Arad and cleanse it of all opposing elements. They number a few thousand and have their own neighborhood and have built a yeshiva. On a recent visit I was told by believers there that close by was a place where priests were trained for service in the Temple in ancient times.
We sense that in some way Arad played a part in preparing the way for the armies of Israel to go up against Jericho. It is important to the Kingdom of God. In the spirit realm a victory in Arad is a necessary precursor to bringing down the walls that are keeping our people from recognizing Yeshua. Though the enemy would like us to think otherwise, the battle in Arad is not a local skirmish. It is of national and international significance.
A few years ago believers from Israel, brethren making aliyah, and gentile believers from the nations began moving to Arad. I remember hearing people speak of being called there and being quite surprised. I had no idea then of the things written here. A close friend and I recently spent a day visiting various brethren living in the city. What we found is that apart from the events that have reached the public media, there is a quiet underground river of life flowing through this desert community that is getting stronger day by day. This dynamic is not anything that wants to or should be public. God is doing a work in the spirit that will surely have ramifications in the natural.
So far we have written only about spiritual dynamics and perspectives. We are not forgetting about the personal lives of the brethren who are on the firing line taking the hits on a daily basis. This is not a secondary issue. We will not forget them; but for the time being we feel the need to concentrate on the bigger picture because it is an aspect most of the body is unaware of.
Please hold this matter in your hearts before the Lord and let the Holy Spirit speak to you and reveal His heart, His plan and His perspective. We really need to receive revelation concerning the strategy of God and not just jump into the fray because it is a happening thing.
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On April 4-6 one of the “traditional” yearly new-age festivals will be held on the beach near Ashdod. It typically attracts anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 young Israelis. Many from among the Body of Messiah will also be there as lights shining in the darkness for all that have eyes to see. Every year the openness and the hunger for truth and inner freedom have been visibly increasing in this young generation. We sense the Lord is very jealous for their hearts.
Many or most have dabbled in the world’s deceitful pleasures; but from our earliest days in Israel we have discerned that their hearts have not been given over to that which is not God. Romans 11:11 reads, “I say then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Certainly not….” A more literal rendering reads more like “…did they make a mis-step…fall…trip…and light on…land on…become connected to…something else? No way!” In other words, since the children of Israel stepped out of the framework God gave them, we have been wandering in a state of suspension waiting to be reconnected to our life source. All throughout history we have tried to assimilate and be like all the other nations. But as much as we tried, as much as we conformed, reformed, deformed…whatever, the world would not accept us. How hard we have tried…again and again. This is God’s doing. He simply will not allow our people to find any other resting place outside of Him.
Three thousand years of rejection does not pass without leaving a mark on one’s standards, discernment, and identity. Don’t be thrown off by outer appearances. For many many of our people, there is a place inside the soul, perhaps really in the heart, which will respond only to the voice of the Master. God has us for Himself. Like it was for Elijah, when he thought he was all alone, there were seven thousand that had not given their heart nor bowed their knee to another God. They may be pierced, tattooed, denying God’s word, angry, rebellious etc. etc. But they are hungry and have an innate recognition of the living sound.
Let us consider for a minute, why have they not yet heard it? Preachers have been speaking out the message of Jesus and handing out literature for years and years. Is it that we are just stiff-necked and rebellious? Or have the words sometimes gone out, leaving the Spirit behind? Has it always really been the real Gospel? Or have they sometimes been hearing the voice of one more religious spirit reciting New Testament verses? There is a lot to pray about here. There is a lot for us to think about here. There may even be something to repent about here. We will no doubt speak more on this subject.
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Following right along on the heels of the youth in waiting, we want to ask you to pray with us for the recording studio. With everything continuing to move forward, we cannot imagine that the enemy is going to just sit by and watch. Please please intercede for this endeavor. Let the midwives come forth. This baby is in the canal. The room is prepared. Mom and Dad are ready. It’s time to push. Oh that the Lord will be able to use this place to release a prophetic sound of a new generation of believers into Israeli society!
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Several of you have asked how things went in the States with Arni’s Mom. It was a significant time…different from what we envisioned. We ended up arranging to move her to a smaller apartment in the same facility to better steward her funds. The prospect of yet another downsizing was pretty traumatic for her and she was somewhat off-balance. Consequently she was not open to relating to anything of a spiritual nature. Two weeks after we left, our daughter Stephanie, who is a gifted professional organizer and life-coach (from outer dwelling places to internal living spaces) flew from California to help her grandmother make the transition. It went well and Mom seems to be adjusting to her new place quite well. Well, as the Lord lives, a dear friend from the early days of our faith, a Jewish believer that lives near Mom, has expressed a desire to befriend and visit her. Mom was overjoyed at the prospect and remembers her from many years ago. God’s ways are not our ways! Please continue to pray with us for Mom’s salvation.
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On a final note, we would ask you to remember Michael in prayer as you remember us—for his health and strength, his family, and for wisdom and a spirit of overcoming faith for every challenge. And please pray as well for our young German volunteer, Benny, who is in his second year of studies at Israel College of the Bible and takes care of many of the practical aspects of the work of the Center.
We pray for you who pray for and support us too. You are an essential part of the team and we are so thankful for your faithful friendship. We don’t take you for granted. We could not do what we do if you didn’t do what you do.
May God bless you from Zion!
Your servants…
For the Glory of His Name, Arni and Yonit
Invest what is temporal and passing away while on earth and reap an eternal reward in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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