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May 25, 2005 16 Iyar, 5765
Dear Praying Friends,
Before we get into our latest developments, we want to tell you all that the many notes of encouragement we have received have been such a blessing. Hearing from so many that are thinking about us and praying for us is no small thing. It would be easy for us to feel isolated and estranged with such a change coming on so suddenly, but the words of affirmation have done much to carry us over to the other side. Our friend Qaumaniq shared that at a moment in her life in which it was hard to get a handle on things, the Lord told her she was trying to lasso a tornado. We have taken that image as our very own. Thanks Qaum. * * *
A couple of months ago, before the Lord told us that our time in Esther House was completed, a woman staying at the Center had a dream. Out of fear that it might not be from the Lord, she was reluctant to share it. However, the Holy Spirit so stirred her, that with fear and trembling, she humbly submitted what she had seen and heard:
As she and another of the ladies with her were about to enter the Tabernacle in the Worship Center, I (arni) met them at the door wearing work clothes. I seemed a bit harried, as one that had been working very hard. Looking inside, they saw that everything was being very carefully wrapped and packed up. They were dismayed to find the Tabernacle in such a state. I told her that we needed to do that from time to time and suggested that she come back in a little while. After a bit, she came back and found the Tabernacle restored, but it was a little different. In the far corner there was a table that had not been there before. On it was her shofar bag, which had been used to dust the entire Tabernacle. She was at first bothered at the “misuse” of her bag, but then thought it was actually an honor that it had been used for a holy task. It was notable that all that had collected on the bag was a small fine layer of dust, which she disposed of outside the room.
My first reaction then was that the packing and cleaning was surely a picture of what was taking place in the spirit and not something that was actually going to happen. It was clearly encouraging that there was only a little dust found in the cleaning. This seemed like a sign of spiritual progress since the vision of the partly white/partly grey cloud over the ministry some months before. Praise the Lord for sending us this word. There is something special and purely objective about this dream that gives us confidence to believe that in just a little while, the Tabernacle will be raised up again.
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We would like to ask your prayers for our clarity concerning our next step. Such a shaking cries for us to take stock and check our moorings and compass reading. We don’t want to make any changes as a result of secondary currents or spin-offs from the main quake. As you know, the word that established the Worship Center in Tel Aviv had to do with the unclaimed inheritance of the tribe of Dan and how the related spiritual ramifications have affected the spiritual atmosphere over Israel and the Body of Messiah worldwide. For eight years we have shared this insight everywhere we have gone. The Amorite spirit that kept Dan from coming into their inheritance is also the only Canaanite tribe Moses mentions in Deuteronomy 1, referring to them as the ones that opposed Israel’s entrance into the Land. In 1997, God called us into the arena with the Amorite. It was not for us to go up against them but to prepare a place for the Lord’s Presence and to sound a trumpet, calling the Body in the Land and the nations to help in the battle. Through many confirmations, signs, and wonders we knew that what we had heard came from the Lord. Through many trials and tribulations, stumblings and failings, the Worship Center went up and the call went out. As the years went on, we came to understand that at the heart of it all was the release of the apostolic/ prophetic ministry necessary to prepare the Body to be able to receive the glory God is waiting to pour out to bring in the end-time harvest.
When the Lord confirmed that the time for our ministry in the Center in Esther House had come to a close, the first part of the word I (arni) personally heard was, “Your battle here is over. You don’t have to fight (here) anymore. I have released you from it.” There was a strong sense of leaving the old behind and going forth into a new place. Last week we wrote that we were still committed to raise up worship in Dan. As we have continued to pray and seek the Lord’s mind, according to our understanding of the word we received and the witness of the Spirit in our hearts, we have peace that God has in fact released us from the call to establish a place for His Presence specifically in the region of Dan’s unclaimed inheritance. This goes along with the other words we have been receiving to take what we have received to the nations and the ministry of worship into the rest of the Land.
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In 1995, before we received the revelation and call that birthed what we have written about above, we were praying for a drop-in house to minister to counter-culture seeking young Israelis. The Lord subsequently directed us to lay that vision aside for a season, concentrate on ministering to Him, and He would prepare the way for us to reach the lost. Is this the appointed time? We had no idea what such a thing might look like or what depth of foundation (physical and spiritual) was required for it to succeed. We can say that being part of a team forged in the furnace is a crucial element to be able to fulfill such a vision. Brethren we counsel with both inside and outside the Land have given very positive feedback and confirmation regarding the development of a rural worship-based outreach community.
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The other day we answered an ad for a house to rent in a small community in the hills of Jerusalem. Our search is complex in that the need is for three or four houses in a rural setting within walking distance of each other. (It’s really more than complex, in that we want to move by August 1. In the natural, it’s close to impossible). The whole team set out armed with faith for the impossible to see what we would see. It turned out that the place advertised was not suitable. As we were getting into our vehicles to return to Tel Aviv, I (arni) saw a woman walking towards us. I was led to get out of the car to ask if she knew of any houses to rent. She answered that she herself had two. (She was just setting out for her daily 5 km. walk, and a minute or two earlier or later would have made the meeting impossible…such a God thing).
On the property on which they live are six apartments they rent out and a large house under construction. It’s actually a secluded compound on the edge of the moshav, bordering a nature reserve. Two of the units are available as of August 1, and the house as of October 1. This is a miracle. However, we still lacked one more unit to accommodate the needs of the team. We found out that one of their tenants was a believer who is renting two places – one to live in and one for guests. She has lived there four years and is like family to the owner’s family. In order for it to work for us, she needed to release her guest place, which was one of our fleeces. To make a long story shorter, I (arni) asked the owner to give her my phone number. She called, and after I explained our situation (she knew of our ministry), she said that she felt the Lord wanted us to have the place. There were some conditions the owner gave us that we were not comfortable with, but in the end they were quite willing to work with us.
When our new believing friend had seen the house being built a few years ago, she thought to herself, “This would be a great ministry house.” And so it will be. The ground floor living room is suitable for worship gatherings, and on the roof is a large open room (70 square meters) to be used for prayer. She has prayed over the compound, the owners, and the moshav for four years. They know she is a believer and that we are also, and are enthusiastic about our lives and music. What can we say? Never could we have imagined such a thing. Oh, below the house they have a large field with a permit for another house. They will rent it to us to erect a Tabernacle tent. The only neighbors there live in the forest.
We are stunned and without words to express our feelings. Within two weeks after moving out of the Center in Tel Aviv, we shook hands on the rental of three apartments and a house for everything we envisioned and much, much more. The full potential (which could be realized in a year or so) for all the properties in the compound (for which we will have first rights) would supply all our living needs and everything…everything we had in Esther House for one-sixth the cost. The monthly rent for the dwellings alone is one-third what we’ve been paying in Tel Aviv.
As you rejoice with us, please pray for the release of the funds we will need for the advance rent they have requested and our moving expenses. Six months’ rent for the four places comes to $20,000.
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We are more grateful than we can say for your fellowship with us. May God bless you from Zion!
Your servants... For the Glory of His Name,
Arni and Yonit |