Showing posts with label Christian Arabs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Arabs. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Messianic Jews, Christian Arabs Reach Out to Syrian Refugees

Messianic Jews, Christian Arabs Reach Out to 

Syrian Refugees

Tuesday, October 14, 2014 |  David Lazarus  ISRAEL TODAY
A team of Israeli Messianic Jews and Arab Christians have been assisting Syrian war refugees. The group recently visited a church where 219 refugees families (over 700 people) were taking shelter after fleeing from ISIS and other Islamist groups.
“These people lost everything,” says one member of the Israeli group, whose names need to be protected. “They even saw family members murdered or kidnapped.”
The Arab and Jewish team are working together with local Christians who are doing what they can to care for the needs of the multitudes of children who have been devastated by the war. The team brought a large financial gift from the Body of Christ in Israel, Jews and Arabs who wanted to reach out to the Syrians in a practical way.
“We brought milk for children, diapers, jackets, warm clothes, toys and candy; we purchased heaters and blankets, small cooking stoves and cooking pans. What a joy to see the faces of the young ones that walked around barefoot, having lost everything, receiving new sandals,” the team member recalls.
In addition to the practical humanitarian needs, they are also supporting educational opportunities for the multitudes of displaced children, including Bible teachings. “We do not want to pass the pain to our children,” said a local Arab Christian working with the refugees.
Many of the refugees the team has helped are educated people with good professions who lost everything. They told us about Mohammed (not his real name), a successful businessman originally from the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.
The Israeli team recounted Mohammed’s own story, which is representative of thousands of Syrian refugees, thus:
"Due to the war, he had to relocate several times during the past 3 years, but eventually had to run for his life with his family to Jordan. While attending a funeral of one of the young men from his village with 3000 people, a missile hit the crowd and Mohammed found himself lying over the dead bodies of 403 people, 15 of them members of his extended family.
"Mohammed, his 4 daughters and 3 sons, a daughter-in-law and several grandsons then walked the cold desert to cross into Jordan, all while facing death threats. [During the journey], some of their number were killed by wild animals. A pregnant woman had to deliver her baby in the freezing cold desert. They burned their jackets to make a fire to keep the new born baby warm. Hope was waning.
Desperately, Mohammed left his family alone in the dark, cold desert and walked for five hours until he reached a Jordanian army border post, which provided assistance bringing his family into the country. A month later, we visited the family and brought them jackets to replace those they had burned. We shared the Gospel with them and prayed for the family.
The team also visited a church that was filled with refugees, reporting:
“They slept in the pews, offices and every available place. The church has rented a wedding hall for the people to live in. What dedicated people that understand what is happening is an opportunity rather then a curse! We were able to help with medications for a medical team that travels and takes care of refugees in different places.”
At one point, several refugees became angry when a team member identified as a Messianic Jew began to speak to them. “But then I saw many people getting touched and crying,” said the Messianic believer. “Many of the people came and said, 'When you first started to share, we wanted to kill you, but now we know that Jesus is real and want to accept Him as our Lord.'”
“I’ve never seen a church full of Muslim women wearing the hijab,” said the Israeli team leader.“We could see the joy in the eyes of frightened children as we ministered to them. We saw hunger for the truth as people started to question Islam.”
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Friday, November 1, 2013

ISRAEL TODAY: Israeli Christians Seek Official Christian School Curriculum

Israeli Christians Seek Official Christian School Curriculum

Thursday, October 31, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  
The growing movement of local "Arab" Christians who identify with Israel are now asking the state to establish an official school curriculum.
The Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum, which encourages young local Christians to join the Israeli army, is behind the new petition.
"As many know, the Arab schools only teach the history of the Arabs and Islam," the group posted on its Facebook page. "We do not learn anything about the history of the Christian community."
The Forum has teamed up with the Israeli Zionist movement Im Tirzu to prepare a position paper to present to the Ministry of Education requesting the establishment of an official, state-backed Israeli Christian school curriculum.
Opponents of the move would argue that these local Christians are Arabs, so should be satisfied with learning Arab history in the region.
But, in a recent interview with Israeli media, Father Gabriel Nadaf, one of leaders of this new movement, said it was wrong to classify local Christians as Arabs, since the Christian community in the Holy Land far predates the Arab Muslim conquest.
Israel Today interviewed Shadi Haloul, director of the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum, in our October 2013 issue. Don't miss future stories regarding this movement - SUBSCRIBE NOW >>
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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Israeli Newspaper: Must Protect Christian Arabs With Our Lives

Israeli Newspaper: Must Protect Christian Arabs With Our Lives

Monday, October 07, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  
Israel’s largest daily circulation newspaper, Israel Hayom, carried in its weekend edition a moving story regarding the growing group of “Arab” Christians from northern Israel who are increasingly identifying with the Jewish state.
The newspaper was covering a conference where Greek Orthodox priest Father Gabriel Nadaf reiterated his position that “Jews and Christians are of the same covenant.”
Father Nadaf also again took issue with the term “Arab Christian,” noting that Christians were present in the land long before the Arab Muslim conquest. “We are not Arabs,” he said. “We are simply Christians who speak Arabic.”
The priest and those siding with him have faced fierce opposition even from within their own communities, and have received many death threats. Nevertheless, as Father Nadaf noted, “we have broken through the fear barrier,” and many more “Arab” Christians will now start taking a stand for Israel.
Also speaking at the conference were retired IDF officer Bashara Shlayan, who recently formed a Christian political party in Nazareth, and Shadi Haloul, who represents the Christian Maronite community in Israel. (Israel Today interviewed Haloul in our latest magazine issue - CLICK HERE to read it.)
These brave Christians have been at this now for a while, and Israel Today has covered their activities on several occasions.
What is encouraging to see is that the mainstream Israeli press is really starting to take notice and spread the word to average Israeli Jews that they have a new ally.
Israel Hayom’s conclusion was that Israelis “must embrace these courageous people. …We must help them, improve their circumstances and integrate them into our society. And, most important of all, we must guard their lives with ours.”
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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Restoration of Israel & The Jews - Shmuel (Samuel) Suran speaks at Highway To Zion

Shmuel (Samuel) Suran 
- 40 year resident of Jerusalem

YouTube: Restoration of Israel & The Jews - Samuel Suran from Jerusalem



Worship was led by the Ahava Love Band, with Steve Martin (lead vocals), Ron Bowen (drums), Wane Daroux (bass), Patty Paquette (keyboard and vocal), and Tom Fahey (guitar).

YourTube: Ahava Love Band leading Messianic Praise & Worship


Steve & Laurie Martin


Ron Bowen, Wane Daroux, Patty Paquette

Tom Fahey

Cathy Hargett, Founder of Highway To Zion ministry, invited Israeli Messianic Jewish speaker Shmuel (Samuel) Suran from Jerusalem to speak at the assembly meeting in Charlotte, NC on Aug. 23, 2013. He has been a resident of the capital city of Israel for 40 years now. 

Shmuel shared his testimony of how he met Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) in a very powerful way, after realizing that Jesus was (is) a Jew, and is The Messiah (HaMashiach). The Lord (Adonai) then had him move to Jerusalem with only a backpack and $100, in 1974.

Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.


Cathy Hargett - Highway To Zion Founder/Director

Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.

MORE ON Samuel (Shmuel) Suran:

Director and Founder
CHAZON YERUSHALAYIM MINISTRIES
Jerusalem, Israel
www.jerusalemvision.com
www.jerusalempropheticart.com

Shmuel and Pamela Suran are the Founders and Directors of Chazon Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Vision) and serve the Lord in Jerusalem. Their unique calling is "to bear witness to Yeshua, our Lord and King" in the Land of Israel.

They are also Directors of the Jerusalem Prophetic Art and the Jerusalem Healing Rooms. Pamela is an internationally recognized Israeli Artist and licensed Israeli Tour Guide.

They minister together in Jerusalem, U.S. and Europe representing Messianic Congregations, speaking about Israel, Jerusalem, Messianic Jews, prayer and intercession, the end times, and reconciliation between Messianic Jews and Christian Arabs.

On a Personal Note - from Cathy Hargett, Highway To Zion Founder/Director

It has been a very great blessing for us at Highway to Zion Ministries to know the Surans - we truly consider them mishpocha (family) and praise the Lord for knitting us together with them as one new man.

When we visit Israel, Pamela guides our tours and we always visit with Pam and Shmu at Chazon. Our relationship with them deepens each year and their insights and perspectives as those who have been on the forefront of the Messianic movement in the Land of Israel are so encouraging and exhilarating as we all walk out the endtime Word of the Lord.

This Assembly was a time of gaining great insight from Shmu about the progression of growth, both spiritually and physically, in the Messianic community in the Land and also of hearing from Shmu about his testimony - a very compelling story!