The Jerusalem Prayer List – 20 September, 2024
by Joseph Shulam - From Jerusalem Israel
First things first! I got mixed up a few days ago and wrote about the Torah portion for the following Shabbat. Well, I ask for your forgiveness! There is an advantage for you to spend a whole week pondering on next week's Torah Portion. So, Now I am writing the proper Torah portion for this Shabbat of September 21, 2024.
This Shabbat, the reading is from a portion called Ki-Tavo. The English translation of the first words of this Torah Portion is: "And it shall be, when you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it…"
The readings this Shabbat are from the Torah Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8.
From the Prophets Isaiah 60:1-22
From the Gospel, we will read Matthew 4:13-24.
I find it difficult to choose where to emphasize the Torah portion, the prophets, or Matthew's text. All the reading on this Shabbat is so important. So, I will keep it as short as possible and cover the ground.
Moses is getting close to the end of his three-hour + lecture, standing with more than a million people on the east edge of the Jordan River. In our reading of the Torah portion, Moses starts with the opening words:
"When you come into the Land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance."
Those 40 years in the wilderness of Sinai were college, education, if you wish, and military language. Those years in the Sinai were a boot camp. There were constant tests – when I read the text of this week's Portion, I am teleporting back to the day of an unorganized and oblivious mass of people who don't know where they are going or the hardships they will have to face and the length of the journey. They were enslaved and with the mentality of enslaved people, and that is why God dragged them 40 years in the wilderness with a series of tests that were not only miracles but also the building of trust, i.e., Faith events.
These people were born in the wilderness and just hours away from entering the Land. Moses comes in like a football coach just minutes before the beginning of the game, giving the last instructions. Here are a few of these instructions that Moses is giving the people of Israel.
Remember that Moses' leadership was not democratic. Now, Moses knows that he will not continue to lead these people. He knows that the people and those who lead them will enter a different lifestyle for the first time in their lives. Most of these people have only known wandering in the Sinai Desert. They were fed Manna from Heaven and quail birds from God. The water they drank was from the Rock; war was with Amalek, but God was fighting on their side, and the victory was a miracle. Now, all this is about to change.
The first thing that Moses burdens these people with is built of two unusual issues. One would quickly think that the first thing these people need is encouragement not to fear. Hearing how God will bless them, they will enjoy the land God promised to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But, NO! As you enter the land, the first thing to accomplish is to begin to calculate and prepare for the feast of Weeks (Pentecost) to bring your first fruits from the land and put them on my altar.
You would think that Moses would teach them what they are about to face when they enter the land, but No! Moses opens this last stage and opportunity to instruct them about wars, enemies, and challenges.
This shows us two things:
1) The feast of Pentecost has three significant aspects: the ingathering of the wheat harvest, the end of the summer fruit season, and the feast of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
2) Give God the first fruit and the best fruit. The only way of showing gratitude in the Bible is by giving. Saying "Thank you!" is worthless. Giving the first produce, the first fruit, the first and the best show of gratitude is giving something unique and special to the LORD GOD who took you out of sinful life, out of hopelessness, out of spiritual poverty into material wealth – give – donate.
However, giving is not the hardest thing to do, so on the feast of Pentecost, the most challenging thing that Moses presents to the children of Israel is the confession you make in front of the Priests.
I want to make this next point crystal clear: The people come to Jerusalem to the house of the Lord with a basket of fruit and vegetables – the best of the best – no blemish and fresh produce that will be dedicated and sanctified for the Lord. The worshiper is happy and feels he has the right to be proud and satisfied. He looks around the crowd to see how they appreciate the fruit of his labor. He wants people to appreciate how talented and generous he is to come to Jerusalem to dedicate his best to the Lord. The priest meets and welcomes the worshiper with his basket on his shoulder.
The worshiper opens up with this statement:
"And you shall go to the one who is a priest in those days, and say to him, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the country which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.'"
The basket full of the first fruits is handed to the priest but ultimately given to God. This simple principle is of great importance for both the giver and the priest who receives it on behalf of the Lord. The priests will dedicate the gift, and the Priests will enjoy eating these gifts. But, the gift is to the Lord.
Pastors and Preachers must understand that the funds people give to the church are given into the hands of the church's administration to do the church's work, preach the Good News, and care for the poor, the orphans, and the Widows. What is given by the people is sanctified and to be used first of all for the community's needs. The Preacher, being a shepherd of God's flock, must remember the words of Ezekiel in chapter 34 of his book!
Ezekiel 34:1
"And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: 'Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them." 7 "Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 "As I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock"— 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! 10Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them."
This text repeatedly uses the words of the LORD: "My Flock." Israel is God's flock, was God's flock, and will continue to be God's flock as long as this world exists. It will continue to be God's flock in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Here is why this statement is true – the text of Jeremiah 31:35-37, which comes right after God's proclamation that he will make a new covenant, a NEW TESTAMENT, with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It is very interesting to me that God's New Covenant is not made with the churches of Christ, the Baptists, the Pentecostals, or any of the so-called "born-again" denominations. It is always with Israel, even when Israel is divided into the northern and the southern geographical and prophetic divisions, that in Ezekiel's prophecy, God unites and reconnects into one.
In our reading on Shabbat of September 21, one more thing to point out is the demands put upon each worshiper to bring gifts to the Lord. He has to confess before the Priest and the Lord. A big crowd gathered, and each worshiper had their basket of the first fruit on their shoulder, ready to confess his real and true identity.
This principle is fundamental, especially when we give money, time, or service to the community (church). It has to be done with great humility. Here are the words each worshiper had to confess as he handed the basket of the best fruit and vegetable to the priest:
"My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. 7 Then we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. 8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, "a land flowing with milk and honey"; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which you, O LORD, have given me."
You confess that Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, was a lost Syrian. The principle here is: Don't put your family wealth and pedigree before the Lord. Humble yourself and give with humility to God and the community. Giving is an obligation and a commandment, and it should be done with great humility and, as the Lord commanded in privacy, something that ought to be preached and practiced in the evangelical churches. Giving is not to be shown publicly, with people standing in line with an envelope in hand and marching to a big wooden box up front of the church to put their envelope in the box. Sister Frida Lyndsay, the founder of Christ for the Nations in Dallas, who was one of the best fundraisers that I had the privilege and blessing to know personally for many years, said that at least between 10% to 15% of the envelopes in the wooden boxes were empty. People wanted the church to see their giving, but their envelopes were empty.
Each worshiper came with a rich big basket of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other delicious gifts for the Lord. Before the worshiper presented his gift, he declared himself as a lost, formerly enslaved person and a lost Aramean( Gentile) Syrian. In the very moment of his generosity as an Israelite who comes to the house of the Lord, he presents the real truth that he is only a son of a lost Syrian ( Aramean) whom God has delivered from Slavery.
What can we learn from this text in chapter 26 of Deuteronomy?
1. We must give God our best, the best of all the fruits of our labor. In the Law of Moses, we are obligated to provide 10% - but this is only a recommendation of the minimum, not a limit to our generosity.
2. Every one of Paul's letters is a fund-raising letter. He collected money from the churches to bring to Jerusalem for the same feast, the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), and when he came to Jerusalem, where did Paul give the money collected from the churches in Asia? He gave it to the temple to His people—Paul's defense in front of the Sanhedrin – the high court in Jerusalem.
Acts 21: 3:
"I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today."
Acts 24:17
"Now, after many years, I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, 18 in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult."
Acts 24:17 is Paul's confession before Felix, the Roman governor. Remember that Paul came to Jerusalem with seven non-Jewish disciples to dedicate them in Jerusalem.
3. Paul's ministry in Greece and Asia Minor (Turkey) was to raise funds for the Jews in Jerusalem, and obviously, Paul tells us what he did with the funds he raised. He gave them to his Nation, to the Jewish Disciples in Jerusalem!
From my experience through numerous truly financial miracles during more than 60 years of ministry, the Shulam family and Netivyah have not been in debt even 1 dollar, including buying the building on Narkis Street in 1981 and Rebuilding and enlarging the building in the 2020s. Our projects, like the HaMotzi Food program, feed roughly close to 1000 people, providing them with three meals per day for nearly 25 years. The blessing of giving is not connected to how much you give but how you give and what is in your heart when you give.
Please read the Torah portion of "Ki-Tavo—when you come into the land!" There are many more exciting things in this Portion. As we enter the period of repentance for the Jewish people, asking and begging God for forgiveness, these texts are inspiring.
As a young boy in Jerusalem, I remember the deacons of the Synagogue would start rounds weeks before the Rosh-Hashanah holiday early in the morning, around 4:30 – 5:00 AM, with a big wooden stick and knock on the window and scream "Selichot - Selichot" (repentance) and "get up and come to the synagogue!"
I am sorry, but my father and mother didn't get up to pray or go to the Synagogue. My father let out a good curse in one of the 18 languages he spoke and went back to sleep. All my mother would say is:" BARUCH Enough!" (She didn't say it in English or Hebrew but in Ladino (Jewish Spanish) that the Sephardic Jews speak.)
In summary, I want to emphasize two things.
1) When you give to God, always give your best. Your best is not an amount; you could be the widow who gave five cents and was praised for offering more than the pharisee who gave 1000 cents.
2) Giving ought to humble you before God and before the community. The worshiper in Deuteronomy 21 says he is from among the sons of Abraham, a lost wandering Aramean. In other words, leave your proud and cocky mode and humbly stand before the Lord. Remember that God knows your heart and your bank account also.
I would like to end this Jerusalem Prayer List with the following text from our Torah reading. This text is important because it reminds us that God sees what we do secretly, not only in commandments.
Deuteronomy 22:1
"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. 2 And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. 3 You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother's, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself."
This text from our Torah reading is essential to our modern culture. It teaches us to care for our brothers and sisters and their property. Just count the word "Brother" in our Torah portion.
Take this simple and inspiring song and its words, and remember them!
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
Chorus
And they'll know we are "Disciples" by our love,
By our Love,
Yes, they'll know we are "Disciples" by our love.
-2-
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.
-3-
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.
-4-
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other,
We will walk hand in hand.
And together, we'll spread the News
that God is in our land.
Copyright 1966 Peter Scholte, F.E.L. (licensed)
God bless all who pray for us, Israel, and Jerusalem. Israel desperately needs a breakthrough in this war with Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Joseph Shulam
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Your prayers for brothers and sisters you don't know personally are pure love and building of the Body of the Messiah. It is Agape Love since you are doing this without any selfish interests and casting a vote in Heaven for someone who is your brother. Still, you don't know them, and God looks at these prayers that are unselfish and genuine expressions of love and care for another link in the long chain of love and faith that binds us together even though we might not know each other in this world.
When we all get to Heaven, it will be a joy to meet people we prayed for and sometimes even cried for. Brothers and sisters who are physically strangers but spiritually a part of the same body of Christ, I believe that one day we will have the privilege to sit together and share: "I remember praying for you to be healed!" "I remember praying for you to be safe when you were fighting in Gaza to free the hostages from the cruel hands of the terrorists of the Hamas in Gaza."
Pray for the following brothers and sisters who need divine grace and the gentle touch of the hand of God for healing and strength.
In Jerusalem:
Yehuda is back into military service next week. Pray for his safe return home.
new Reuven is also back from military service.
Yehuda Levi is in the hospital with stage 4 lymphoma for the fourth week. We ask for prayers for his family. Especially the difficult time that Elisheva is experiencing. A reminder - in past JPL (in 2010) Yehuda is the father of Major Emmanuel Levi , who died in a tragic training exercise.
Joseph & Marcia Shulam
new This morning Joe woke up with tooth pain and had to have a wisdom tooth extracted. Some other work needs to be done on other teeth. Marcia's health needs have not changed and we pray for strengthening her health and memory.
Ilana Ahijervie is a dear sister who is 98 years old and suffering from memory problems.
Please pray for our dear sister, Lea Kurkey.
Pray for Adam's father and mother, Barry and Dalia. They have some health problems and challenges.
Pray for Hannah suffering from Migraine Headaches. Miriam is a dear sister old age dementia.
Pray for Daniel S. and his children.
Pray for Gary, our dear leader in the Ro'eh Israel congregation, and his health, as well as for his wife Melanie and their family.
Pray for Um Mahmud Abu-Eid, Jimmy Abu-Eid, and all of the family. This is a dear family of old friends that needs healing and wisdom for the children and for their work.
Please pray for the Romero family, who live deep in the Negev desert. It is hot there, and they are far from our congregation, and we miss them.
In the U.K.:
Pray for Deborah Isaiah. I pray for the Lord to find Deborah Isaiah and lead her to a blessed life, family, and a solution to her problems.
In Finland:
Mauno Lemponen has been diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages. We are asking for God's Will to be done, giving him healthy days with family—prayers for Hilka, Miika, and Ester, who support each other.
Pray for Keijo and Salme, our dear partners and fellow workers in God's flock. Both Keijo and Salme have some challenging heart issues.
Pray for Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters
Pray for Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia, Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.
In Brazil:
Max Rodrigues. his mothers health issues. she has stomach problems that have yet to be diagnosed. The hospital is taking a long time to complete tests. Pray for her salvation. Pray for Max as he navigates a challenging period in his life. He has confidence Gods victory in his life.
Pray for the Congregations related to Netivyah in Brazil to have the strength and stamina to face the challenges ahead of them with courage and strength of faithfulness to the Lord and to the vision of the restoration of the church and Israel.
Pray for the millions of victims of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition who have been forced to convert to the Catholic church and now want to return home to the land of Israel and the faith of our fathers.
Pray for a dear young man, Paulo, from Curitiba, Brazil, who seriously needs our prayers for sanity and mental health.
Pray for a dear sister named Claudia Rita Souze Arau. She has cancer and needs God's healing hands to touch her with healing.
Pray for Fatima Maria Docarmo Guimararaes - pray for her health and her granddaughters' twin babies.
Guilherme Antonio Nothen Becker is suffering from back problems.
Aratuza de Oliveira and his wife. Pray for their 3-year-old child, Caique de Oliveira Becker, who has severe problems with his eyes, and ask the Lord to give healing to his eyes.
In Asia:
Pray for Pastor TJ in Taiwan.
Pray for Deborah Ruth, a dear sister from China.
Pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan.
Tony Tam, his wife Luisa, and his son Marco need special prayers for their situation.
We continue to pray for Zhou Wenrian, the Abe family, Toru San, Yumi Ohara, and her family: Deborah Ruth, Ayla, Daniel, and their daughter.
Pray for Dr. Song and his wife, Sister Harriet Kim and the KIBI Ministry.
in Denmark
Gurli has reached out and asked for prayers to deal with persecution they are facing. However the request for family members to know Yeshua is a heavy concern for a mother and father. When our influence is struggling the prayers of the body strength us.
In the United States of America:
update Hester H is home from the the hospital. Please pray for her continued recovery and strength.
update Pat R the returned for a brief period to deal with an infection and is now home.
Sarah Sacks has received the news that she has stage 1 cancer and a treatment plan is in the works. I am asking that you raise your prayers for Jonathan & Sarah as they begin the road of diagnosis and treatment for Cancer. However we believe in the power of healing that only God can provide.
Elisheva is studying for passing Financial certifications in September. Please pray for calmness in her studies and confidence in passing her exams next month. also for health and her household.
Jerry Rogers - a long time prayer warier and supporter in Dallas has been diagnosed with cancer. he is starting treatments and we lift up his doctors and medical team & family in prayer.
Larry is asking for prayers for his grandchildren. I would say most of us that have grandchildren are concerned about the states of the world. The state of intolerance. The temptations out there. Please pray for the holy sprit to guide them in making good choices.
Bill C. is doing well. I received wonderful news that his cancer markers continue to trend to the normal states. A true answer to prayers. Please pray a thanks to God and continue to ask for success of the treatments..
Juli Please continue to pray for the daughter of Bill Culwell, her white count is low and additional testing is scheduled. Please pray for God to provider her strenght and healing.
Brother Philip Slate and his wife. She is suffering from several physical and mental health challenges.
Barbra and Angie in Alaska. Barbra has some pains and discomfort related to old age. Please lift them in prayer for strength and reduction in pain.
Jonathan Bernis is continuing recovery from a liver transplant. Please pray for Elisangela and the girls and the doctors and nurses attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis.
Please pray for Danah, my daughter's health issues. I pray for the Lord to give Danah wisdom, peace, and calm in life and her work.
Aaron Hook, Nancy Hook's oldest son, needs our prayers for wisdom and healing from past life issues.
Lift for blessing and healing Jonathan B., his wife Aviva, their new baby, his mother, and his brother Daniel.
Pray for these important men of God: Rabbi Salt, his family, and Rabbi Hasselblad. They are both older and need protection and blessings.
Also, pray for Ilana Avramov, who is married to my cousin Nissim and lives in New York City. Ilana has fallen and is now in rehab, learning how to walk again. We pray for her full recovery. She and Nissim both need our prayers.
Pray for Steve Mock - His cognitive condition has declined, and we ask for the grace of God and His Healing and strength. Steve and Josie's son Joseph has received a wonderful and glorious report. After the last bone marrow transplant, the report is that the doctors didn't find any leukemia in his body! Praise the Lord!
I am asking for a special prayer for a dear brother and friend who is now doing very important work in a very dangerous and precarious part of the world. Just mention DadyLion in your prayers and ask for divine protection and angelic accompaniment for this man of God.
For updates or requests please email us at:Prayer@netivyahinternational.org
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