Hag Purim sameach! The God of Israel continues His sleepless watch over His people. . .and because of such sovereign grace and power, we are not consumed but prevail! Hallelu-Yah!
Next Tuesday, March 9, at 9:00, in Beer Sheva Court Shalom, 4th Fl, Room #44, our scheduled last appearance before Judge Iddo Ruzin takes place in our lawsuit against Beer Sheva Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri and against the organization Yad L’Achim. Alex Artovsky, their director for the department, The Struggle Against The Mission, is scheduled to testify, after which the three principal attorneys will present their closing arguments before the judge, who will then have up to 30 days to give his verdict in our civil suit.
The courtroom is very small, holding at most 20 people on a first-come basis. For Hebrew speakers who would want to be in the court, it is advisable to be at the court building by 8:15; the building opens at 8:30. Go up to the courtroom and be in a position to enter when it is possible. We do not know whether friends of our adversaries will also want to attend the hearing, but, again, it is on a first-come first-in basis. In any event, we do not want any provocations on our part, whether inside the courtroom or outside.
For those who do not want to, or can not, enter the proceedings, but would like to still join directly into events, please participate in the prayer and worship gathering at Ha-MaKoM. Whether present or absent, we would all very much appreciate your remembrance of us in your thoughts and prayers before the Throne of Grace that morning. Our hope and trust is in our Heavenly Advocate and Intercessor, even as He works through each of you and us simultaneously. (Wonderful, isn’t it!?)
Although our case has been in process for three years now, and arises out of the illegal events from more than four years ago, I believe the over-riding sovereignty of Yeshua has been at work. It is interesting that it is the time for Yad L’Achim to give testimony, now that more light has been shed in their works of darkness, “Jewish terrorist” Yaakov Teitel’s active involvement with them, and the Jerusalem Institute of Justice letter to the Attorney General to outlaw and to dismantle the organization. YHVH, God of Hosts, is aiming at His target from within His people, with the intent that more Israeli Jewish people be set free to hear, repent from unbelief, and to believe unto salvation in the glad tidings!
Some specific prayer points until the verdict is given:
–for our lawyers, Marvin Kramer and Kevork Nalbandian, that they know how to question Artovsky, and in a manner acceptable to the judge in his courtroom, and that the closing arguments will be convincing to Judge Ruzin to aid him in ruling in our favor
–for Judge Ruzin, that he would pay attention to not only what he hears and sees, but to intangibles that help him to discern who is of the truth and who is not; that God would strengthen his heart to rule sufficiently in our favor that the two defendants will know and feel that they have been held accountable to existing law, for him to fear God more than man or devil
–for the unholy alliance between Rabbi Deri and Yad L’Achim is broken; that they would not be able to trust each other, even if they continue to have similar objectives
–REMEMBER: This is a spiritual battle; no arm of the flesh can defeat a spirit. . .it will simply find another outlet until Yeshua Himself puts away the evil one and evil-doers. But in the meantime, we can submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from us. We are called to be salt, light, and a fragrance of Messiah in the world, ant to believe the Lord to use us to help set people free in a redemptive way. We have a prophetic gifting and calling to speak on God’s behalf and to call people to repentance and to righteousness from the sin of unbelief in Yeshua for Who He Is.
–for the Lord’s intervention to make known to the general Israeli public the issues in these lawsuits by believers against those opposing our legitimate liberties–that our case will have a positive effect upon the believers in Arad, and in other cases now proceeding, such as Pnina Conforti, the Ortizes, and before the Attorney General
–that no matter the verdict, if we have believed and supported this lawsuit to be obedience to the Lord in this particular situation, then that we accept the verdict as also being His for His own purposes beyond our own knowledge and understanding. If the verdict seems favorable to us, that we guard against pride in whatever form it may try to uncover itself; should we feel that the judge ruled in an unjust way against us, that we would commit it to Him who judges righteously, and guard against criticism against any of us. The devil wants to sow discord amongst brethren, and, if he can not defeat us one way, he will subtly and craftily look for another way to make us fall to the dishonor of ourselves and especially of our Father in Heaven and the Lord Yeshua, in whose name we trust and whose name is upon us. When Yeshua was crucified, even His closest companions and chosen vessels to proclaim Him to Israel and to the world, all thought that He had lost and that their hope had been in vain. Let us, too, learn to let God work through the appearance of defeat (if that should be the case) to show, in truth, that He has won!
Shalom upon Israel, and we thank-you and bless you for your support in the battle,
Howard