Maoz: Celebrating 40 Years of Messianic Ministry in Israel - SHIRA SORKO-RAM CHARISMA NEWS

Maoz: Celebrating 40 Years of Messianic Ministry in Israel

 9/21/2016 SHIRA SORKO-RAM  charisma news

Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram (maozisrael.org.)

Maoz: Celebrating 40 Years of Messianic Ministry in Israel

 9/21/2016 SHIRA SORKO-RAM  CHARISMA NEWS

I arrived in Israel, just for a visit, in October 1967—four months after the prophetically shocking Six-Day War.

But His Land captured my heart, and for nine years I lived in Israel as a single girl. Yet at times, I wondered what I was doing here. Except for isolated believers such as the Smadja and Haimoff families, there were very few believing Israeli Jews in the Land.

I did what little I knew to do: pray, witness to whoever would listen, travel from time to time to the U.S. looking for born-again Jewish believers who were willing to immigrate to Israel to help get a Jewish Messianic core group established in the Tel Aviv area.

It was on a trip to the U.S. in 1976 that Ari and I met—with the help of Pastor Jack Hayford! Within three months, Ari left his successful film-acting career and moved to Israel. Even before we were married, Maoz was established and provided us a structure to begin to work together as a couple when we married in February 1977.

And now—we've made it for 40 years and feel we have yet more years of strength to conquer new horizons. When I think about the cardinal essentials that have given me the strength to overcome the strategic attacks we endured—as have all the Messianic pioneers in Israel—I believe my foundational understanding of faith for miracles and breakthrough came through the ministry of Kenneth Hagin Sr. Although some people practice their faith to acquire material goods, that had little interest to me. But I did want to use this God-given faith to see many Israelis come to know their God through Yeshua, King of the Jews.

The other most important pillar in my life (influenced, I'm sure, by my mother) has been to read the Bible through every year. I have found there is no substitute to being able to understand world events around us. Nor is there any other way to be anchored in clearly hearing the voice of God.

There is nothing that gives me a passion to keep my eyes on eternal values than the Bible, which constantly reminds me that there is a heaven for those whose hearts cling to the God of Israel, and a hell waiting for those whom Satan deceives into believing his is the truth.

Most importantly, I hope from this anniversary issue of the Maoz Israel Report you will clearly discern that the pioneers here in Israel who have written these (way-over-the-top) gracious notes, are huge heroes themselves! Every one of them! They have gone through the same fires of testing—different issues, but the same need to stand against the black clouds that would overcome them. And stand they have!

And our friends from abroad who have stood with us—without their prayer and financial backing, we would never have been able to do these things by ourselves. We always remember that "our generosity" is really their generosity and yours. We are simply a conduit—and we pray and strive to be wise stewards of what has been entrusted to us.

Ours is the privilege and His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Still in Israel Ministering

By Ari Sorko-Ram

1. In the mid-1970s, I found myself falling in love with Shira and, at the same time, began falling in love with my people and the nation of Israel.

2. I soon began to love teaching and equipping young Israelis.

3. I had a passion to see them come to faith in Yeshua.

4. It wasn't long after that I began to love pastoring this new fledgling group of new believers.

5. I love having spiritual children and grandchildren.

6. I love seeing the body of believers grow and expand throughout the country.

7. I love being a part of developing leaders for this and the next generation.

8. I love helping the needy and giving them hope and a future.

9. I love helping others in the body see their dreams and visions become a reality.

10. If I can help those in the body of believers reach their destiny, I have fulfilled a great part of my destiny.

That is why I am here and I'm still in love. 

Ari and Shira Sorko-Ram are the co-founders of Maoz Israel Ministries, a Messianic Jewish nonprofit organization founded in 1976 and whose ministry headquarters is based in Tel-Aviv.

For the original article, visit maozisrael.org.

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Through Her Singing, Israeli Youth Continues to Boldly Proclaim the Gospel - Shai Sol

Through Her Singing, Israeli Youth Continues to Boldly Proclaim the Gospel

 5/8/2015 MAOZ ISRAEL STAFF  charisma news

Through her singing talents, 20-year-old Shai Sol continues to proclaim the gospel of Jesus. (Facebook)

Twenty-year-old Shai has a very unusual and wistful sound. And the songs she writes are top of the line! Bottom line, she appeals to youth!

Last December she was a candidate on the popular show Kochav Haba (similar to American Idol), auditioning to be one of the contestants.

Her pre-audition interview on TV was widely watched in this country. She got right to the point when she told her two hosts, "I think I will reveal that I am a Messianic Jew."

The interviewers were confused and asked, "What does that mean?" Shai responded, "Jews who believe in the Tenach (Old Testament) and the New Testament... We believe in Yeshua..."

One of the hosts then encouraged her not to share her faith with the judges until after they judged her song. "Let them judge you according to your music." The male host, openly gay, told her that the culture of Israel has a very accepting side, but as someone who is part of a minority he said he knew that it also has an ugly side ...

However his female co-host interrupted and said, "This is who she is. If people don't receive her that's not her problem."

Israel Today's Ryan Jones wrote, "So intriguing was the revelation by 20-year-old contestant Shai Sol that she believes in Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah that the top-rated Kochav Haba made her pre-audition interview the focus of its promotional commercials earlier in the week."

Messiah's Mandate's Ron Cantor, who watched the show with a team of Congregation Tiferet Yeshua's leaders, remarked, "Shai has a very unique style. The judges were enthralled by her—as were the interviewers backstage as they rooted for their new Messianic friend."

And she advanced over the next few weeks on the show. Facebook lit up with Messianic Jewish teens thrilled that one of their own was so bold on TV. Others came out in the open with their faith saying, "I too am a Messianic Jew!"

Cantor went on to say, "You have to understand the significance of this. If someone on American Idol in a country with millions of believers testifies to their faith, it is a big deal. I remember Colton Dixon singing a worship song on American Idol and it was amazing. Believers felt empowered to see someone take such a bold stand.

"But imagine doing that in a country where people are taught that you are an apostate; where your community of faith makes up less than one quarter of one percent of the population. And let's not forget the hostility, harassment and persecution from the ultra-Orthodox. No, this is a big deal!"

Messianic ministry Maoz Israel is producing a video of her song, At the Train Station, to reach Israel's youth and to encourage Messianic Jewish young people that the sky is the limit in opportunities to reach our people with the Good News of the gospel.

For the original article, visit maozisrael.org.

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive Charisma News by email.

Was Matthew a False Prophet? - Ron Cantor

Was Matthew a False Prophet?

November 17, 2014 — MAOZ ISRAEL MINISTRIES

By Ron Cantor

In Matthew 2:23 the gospel writer makes a confusing claim. He suggests that Yeshua’s going to live in Nazareth was a fulfillment of an Old Covenant prophecy:

[Joseph] went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that [Yeshua] would be called a Nazarene. (Matt. 2:23)

Anti-Messianics have sought to use this verse to confuse young Jewish believers, by claiming that the New Testament is false. After all, there is no prophecy from the Hebrew Scriptures that claims that Yeshua would be called a Nazarene… Or is there?

First of all, what is a Nazarene? In the context of the Matthew verse it would be someone who lives in Nazareth. However, one must look deeper to see the wordplay—something that was very common in Hebrew literature.

The word for Nazarene that is use in the Hebrew New Testament is natsri (נַצְרִי). The root of this word is natsar (נַצַר). From this root we get the Hebrew word netser (נֵצֵר). And a nester is a branch.

With this information, let’s see if there is anything regarding a Branch and the Messiah in the Hebrew prophets:

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” (Jer. 23:5)

“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.” (Jer. 33:15)

“Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.”
(Zech. 3:8)

“Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is theBranch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD.’” (Zech. 6:12)

Ok problem solved, right? Not exactly, you see in all these verses the Hebrew word for branch istsemach (צֶמַח), not netser. In Modern Hebrew tsemach means plant, but since virtually every English translation of the Bible uses the word branch for tsemach, we can be quite sure that branch is the proper meaning in the Old Covenant. So despite being two different words with the same meaning, it could still be a clever wordplay between the name of the city and the Messianic prophecies:

• Yeshua is from Nazareth,
• So he is a Nazarene (natsri),
• Which is the same as netzer (branch),
• And the prophets spoke of a tsemach (branch) coming forth to be the Messiah and King.

Well, that is enough for me to see that Matthew was referring to these prophetic passages when he said that Yeshua would be called a Nazarene according to the prophets. But isn’t there even one verse that uses the same word netser for branch and refers to the Messiah? Yes!

One of the most famous Messianic prophesies of all is in Isaiah 11:

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch (netser/נֵצֵר) will bear fruit. (Is. 11:1)

So if we had any doubts about Matthew’s use of the word natzri meaning branch, they should be definitely be put to rest. And most scholars believe that Matthew had the deepest knowledge of Old Covenant prophecies. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology states, “Matthew has a special fondness for the Messianic prophecies in Isaiah and other prophets.” It is noteworthy that they point out Isaiah from all the prophets, the book where we find the branch/netser verse.

Scholars agree Matthew was writing to Jews. He uses prophecy from the Old Covenant 62 times. It makes no sense to add the verse about the Nazarene, if it wasn’t clear to his Jewish readers what he meant. If he is making it up to hoodwink his readers, he has no need with 61 other prophecies. It would only cut at his credibility. Clearly he was referring to Isaiah 11:1 and possibly the other verses that we mentioned as well.

An interesting footnote is that the same root is used in the verb l’natser (לְנֵצר) which means to guard, to keep, to maintain. Yeshua was the only human that was able to l’natser the Law of Moses completely. So not only is Matthew not mistaken, who quotes Yeshua as saying that He “came not to destroy the Law of Moses, but fulfill it” (Matt. 5:17), he also comes across as brilliant in his ability to write in such a way that was very common in his day, and do it masterfully.