Israel Summit Ends with Praise, Pledge to Prayer

By John Waage

CBN News Sr. Editor

Monday, February 09, 2015

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LOVELAND, Colorado -- Participants in the first gathering of FIRM, the Fellowship of Israel-Related Ministries, closed their three-day summit Friday evening with the launching of a new website and an affirmation of founder Wayne Hilsden's call to pledge 1 percent of his day -- 14 minutes daily -- to pray for Israel and the Jewish people and for God's purposes to be fulfilled on earth.

One of the youngest members of FIRM, 22 year-old Michael Mistretta, introduced the closing speaker, 80 year-old Pastor Jack Hayford, founding pastor of Church on the Way in Van Nuys, Calif., who told several hundred people in attendance that the future of Israel is one of the central spiritual battles of our generation.

The leaders placed special emphasis on the younger generation throughout the summit, and on the last day, hundreds of high school students heard an exhortation from Calev Myers, an Israeli human rights attorney and activist dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism around the world and spotlighting injustices against Palestinians by their own people.

Hilsden, co-founding pastor of King of Kings Community, stressed the importance of humility for Christians in approaching the global conflict over Israel.  One of FIRM's central scriptures is from the apostle Paul's letter to Ephesians:  "Remember that at one time, you were separated from the Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in the Messiah Jesus -- you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah."  (Ephesians 2:12-13).

Hilsden says the group will expand its outreach through the website and other projects, but that the success of the collective effort to bless Israel and the other peoples of the Middle East in a time of growing persecution is prayer from individual Christians and Messianic believers on every continent.

Christians, Jews Urged to Unite as Ominous Era Dawns

By John Waage

CBN News Sr. Editor

Friday, February 06, 2015

LOVELAND, Colo. -- A group of Christians and Messianic Jews is concerned about the growing hatred of Jews around the world. At a Colorado summit, the leaders plan to fight anti-Semitism by standing on the scriptures and with the nation of Israel.

As conditions get worse globally for Jews and Christians, the message from the Israel Summit is clear: it's time for those who believe the Bible to stand with Israel.

At Resurrection Fellowship, hundreds of Christian and Jewish believers are on hand to witness the launch of a global effort called FIRM -- the Fellowship of Israel-Related Ministries.

Jerusalem Pastor Wayne Hilsden founded FIRM to be a bulwark against hatred and to bless the world by supporting Israel and the Jewish people. He says it will come with a cost.

"Certainly among many in the Islamic world, we, the Sunday people, are viewed as just as bad as the Saturday people, and there may come a day when our lives will be at risk because of our commitment to love and bless the Jewish people," Hilsden, founder of the Fellowship of Israel-Related Ministries, told the gathering.

Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, president of Jewish Voice Ministries International, says the hatred of Jews is an outgrowth of a fierce spiritual clash between God and Satan.

"Folks, we are in a battle. We are facing a very real enemy who is wounded and who truly believes he can stop God's plan from being fulfilled," Bernis said in an address to the summit. "What's our job? Fulfill the plan."

Anti-Semitism is at its strongest on many college campuses. So the summit is paying special attention to young people. Michael Mistretta, 22, has a key role in reaching them with a message that's more spiritual than political.

"As a young person, when I think about God -- how He forgives me, how He shows me mercy -- how much more will he do the same for Israel? How much more will His love endure forever?" Mistretta said.

The Stand with Israel Movement is worldwide, and the people who came to Colorado are from at least a dozen countries and many U.S. states.

"Gathering together with others that have the same heart and same mind to see God's purposes fulfilled, to see Israel supported, to see the Jewish people come back to their own Messiah," explained Chris Schear of Kansas City, Missouri.

Beth Scheer says the summit changed her perspective.

"Knowing that times are going to be coming when they're not really even going to like us for what we stand for, but that we still need to stand for them and know that our God is for them," she said.

Rabbi Bernis told CBN News he believes uniting Jewish and gentile leadership can solve many serious problems.

"Like the rise of anti-Semitism, the growth of Replacement Theology [and] anti-Israel attitudes, we need to deal with this together, and we need to deal with this now," Bernis said.