Shalom dear friends!
As believers we all pray and yearn for revival, and with so many scriptures and promises of revival we oftentimes miss one major key – UNITY. However it is easier to speak about unity among those who are just like us. How about when that unity involves other nations, cultures, backgrounds, walks of life… how about when we speak about unity between Jews and Arabs – two people that the world considers to be sworn enemies?
Part of our vision is to build a beautiful and solid bridge of reconciliation connecting Jewish and Arab believers in Yeshua. There’s so much power in unity specifically between those two.
Every year a very special underground conference takes place whose aim is to bring together those who wouldn’t be able to come together under any other circumstances: Israeli believers and Arab believers from the Middle East. The conference’s goal is just that: to bring reconciliation and connect those two worlds that often seem so far apart.
In a few days a leadership team from Beit Hallel Congregation and I, will be going to Istanbul to attend this conference that has been such a tremendous blessing to us all over the years. We get to see our dear brothers from all over the Middle East and North Africa, many of whom have to live their faith underground because they would be killed for it if they made it public. Many of them are former muslims whom Yeshua found on their own “Damascus Road’, much like He did with Paul. They are passionate, devoted pastors now and followers of Yeshua who seek to reach as many as they can in their countries, fighting incredibly difficult battles and facing tremendous hardships, resistance and persecutions daily.
That is precisely why we draw so much inspiration from them when we get to see their courage and hear their amazing stories. The testimonies we get to hear are so powerful and encouraging, nothing that we would ever hear in any news media. Also, getting to share with them what God is doing in Israel gives them such hope, to know they are not alone in their difficult journey and walk of faith, that they have brothers and sisters among the Jewish people who share their faith.
That kind of unity that is cultivated during this amazing conference in Turkey is the catalyst for revival in the Middle East.
Which is why it was so important for us to send as many of our team as we possible could to Turkey, to engage and spend time with our fellow brothers in Yeshua from the Middle East. The investment is quite big, but we believe it is worth it. No one returns unchanged from it!
We are sending a team of 5 young leaders to this conference in Istanbul, and our goal is aside from covering the investment of taking such a large team, we also want to bless our Arab brothers that face tremendous challenges and the little (or a lot that we can bless them with) will go such a long way for them.
If you feel on your heart that you want to be a part of such an important conference that brings Jewish and Arab believers together and sows a seed of reconciliation in the Middle East, prayerfully consider sowing into this important cause, whether by supporting one of more of our team members for the conference, or sowing generously into the lives of our precious Arab brothers from the Middle East who pastor and lead people to Christ every day, and risking their lives while doing that.
Please pray:
- Protection for the whole trip, since Turkey has some security issues and travel warnings are usually issued, especially for Israelis.
- Our time together during the conference, for unity and strengthened bonds between Jewish and Arab brothers. Unity = key to revival.
- Provision for both our team, as well as to be able to bless our Arab brethren from neighboring countries.
Thank you for standing with us and for blessing the nation of Israel!
Genesis 12:3- “I will bless those who bless you”
Blessings,
Pastor Israel Pochtar
Founder and Senior PastorVoice of Judah Israel and Beit Hallel Congregation
