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September 14, 2005 10 Elul 5765 Dear Praying Friends,
Watching the political movement surrounding Israel for the last twelve years has been an experience. One of the hallmarks that keeps getting pushed under the table is the way conditional agreements are made and then set aside. For years we have scratched our heads in wonderment at how this just continues. Surely everyone sees. How can they not? Is this a case of the Emperor’s new clothes? When the Oslo accords were birthed in 1993, the Palestinian Authority agreed to certain guidelines for their police force, extradition of criminals, and a number of other points. They never kept a single one. The process would move forward and then a terror attack would bring things to a halt. Israel would cite their non-compliance and refuse to negotiate. After a bit, pressure from the outside would come for Israel to make a gesture of good faith in the form of another concession. Once again the original terms would be brought up as the basis for going forward. This process repeated itself a number of times until the PA's abrogation of the original agreement ceased being mentioned at all. The salient point is that a broken promise repeatedly surfaced as the basis for yet one more Israeli concession.
Another cause for wonderment is concerning critical policy decisions made by three Likud Prime Ministers. Menachem Begin, contrary to personal statements and party platform, without consultation with his party, gave the Sinai back to Egypt. Bibi Netanyahu, after vowing to never negotiate with terrorists, immediately after taking office and without any consensus from his party, gave Hebron to the PA. And Ariel Sharon, after declaring his support for the settlers, ignored the negative result of his party’s referendum on the matter and gave Gaza to the PA.
How should we relate to each of the above situations? Are they the mere failings or personal agendas of men? Or is there an overshadowing spiritual force at work? While reading a letter sent out by a particular worship-oriented ministry, some things seemed to gel in my mind. This letter set forth a fourfold focus for their region: - A call to passionate, intimate, and genuine lifestyle worship; - A call to unyielding unity that is based upon true relationships and not forged around lifeless meetings that exalt individual peculiarities rather than singleness of purpose; - A call to walk in a holiness that is demonstrative of a life that is captured by God; - A call to walk in His power, releasing His Kingdom everywhere we go.
These are great and noble goals worthy of pursuit. It struck me, however, that they are neither more nor less than the simple basic gospel that we accepted on day one of our entrance into the Kingdom of God. So why do we make such commitments as if they were new? The dynamic surrounding “new” revelation is different from that surrounding revelation that has gone unheeded. There are things that we become aware of, as it were for the first time, as we progress in our walk of faith. But the things noted here are not like that. They are the word we heard from the beginning. The right response for neglecting the Lord is repentance for living for ourselves. It occurs to us that as long as we state such things as “what God is calling for in the hour” and miss the need of repentance, we will never attain to them.
The connection between the “dots,” i.e., the broken agreements, the out-of-line political decisions, and letter from the ministry, is the premise that the way “Spiritual Israel” (the church) lives in the natural affects natural Israel’s life in the spirit. The state of the body of Messiah manifests in the natural life of Israel. As the body continues to set forth that which was from the beginning as new, Israel likewise follows suit. We suggest that the unexplainable actions of our government are largely the result of spiritual activity rather than just the conscious fleshly agendas of men. Seeing our leaders as free people of power making bad choices does not fill us with compassion for them. To see them as pawns in a game far bigger than they are can lay hold of our hearts and lead us into deep meaningful intercession.
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Concerning the expulsion of our people from Gaza, many are the thoughts being expressed. Without attempting to be prophetic or speak some hidden revelation, we would just bring back to remembrance that it began essentially on the anniversary of the destruction of both Temples. At the very least we are constrained to accept God’s Hand in it. Whatever He is saying, it is significant for Israel and the world.
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What peace and rest we are finding in the mountains of Judea. There is a ridge at the western end of the moshav, a few minutes’ walk from our doorstep, with a view of the coastal plain right to the ocean. The vista stretches from north of Tel Aviv to past Ashkelon in the south. It takes in the whole inheritance of Dan. What a place to pray for the Land! Another path takes us on a nature walk through pine forests. The difference in the spiritual climate from that of the city is remarkable. The pull of the temporal is so much less. Outer things are not as important as they were just two months ago. Being surrounded by the untouched handiwork of God draws our hearts and minds into the eternal realm.
Our worship times have had a different character. For all the years we ministered to the Lord in Tel Aviv, the prevailing sense of our times was one of warfare and pressing through. Our present reality has been one of gentleness and intimacy. Markedly absent is the sense of battle. The spiritual atmosphere is as different here as is the quality of the air. When the vision for a place dedicated to ministering to the Lord was conceived eight years ago, we imagined a peaceful, natural surrounding without the distractions of the city. This is that. We long to share this experience with fellow worshippers and intercessors. Would you join with us in prayer for the establishment of the needed facilities?
Personally for me (arni), this period is reminiscent of when the Spirit first began speaking to me about worship and “just being.” It was a struggle to lay hold of the fact that the invisible is more real than the visible. Throwing off the world’s value system and not measuring ourselves by a standard of material production required considerable effort. In my mind I could affirm the truth, but inside, from hour to hour, I fought with feelings of worthlessness as I strove to obey the Spirit’s leading and just wait on Him. Looking back, I can see that following such seasons came a release of revelation and creative expression. After years of pressing into the Lord and reaching to lay hold of an eternal perspective for ourselves personally, we find a similar dynamic at work for Emmaus Way as a community. Prior to moving, we had a weekly regular schedule of worship times, intercession, personal sharing, and fellowship. We have felt not to schedule as much but to give the Spirit more space to speak into our lives individually. In some ways life is more comfortable with fences. As our character and relationship with the Lord is developing, certain kinds of borders and boundaries are both helpful and necessary. The ultimate goal is not that all such outer definitions be removed, but rather that a shift be made from the natural to the spiritual...from the temporal to the eternal.
By far the greatest element in our current situation is the testimony of God’s love for us. Even more than the beauty all around us, having so clearly seen the hand of the Lord pick us up and move us gives a depth of rest to our souls that surpasses any wonder the created world could offer. What was once an unthinkable upheaval of monumental proportion, has become a blessing beyond anything we could have asked for or thought of. This is the expected end and sure promise for those that wait on the Lord, walk according to His purposes, and fix their hope completely on the grace to be revealed at His coming. There is no fear in love.
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We are so thankful for your prayers and support. May God bless you from Zion!
Your servants... For the Glory of His Name, Arni and Yonit |