Nowruz

On March 20, Iranians will kick off the Persian new year celebration known as Nowruz. This 13-day celebration begins on the Spring equinox and marks the arrival of a new season and new life. 

In Persian mythology, a great king saw a vision of rebirth for his people. He is hailed as the originator of this yearly celebration that incorporates themes of salvation, purity, and the triumph of light over darkness. 

Do those sound familiar? 

Denise Godwin and the team at International Media Ministries think so. As they minister to Iranians during Nowruz celebrations, they hope to point people to the true King of light and life: Jesus Christ. 

One way they are telling His story is through the Esther film series, which will be filmed in Farsi from a Persian perspective. Godwin says the project is from Iran, for Iran. 

“We are grateful for the opportunity to serve God and serve the Iranians in this way, though we are finding there’s a lot of spiritual conflict on the journey,” she says. 

Quran displayed during Nowruz celebration. Courtesy of Unsplash.

In the midst of that spiritual pushback, the IMM team is inviting believers to fast and pray during April leading up to filming in May. 

Iranian’s need for Jesus is widespread, whether they live in Iran or elsewhere. Godwin says many Iranian diaspora have identified as Christians mainly to gain asylum. Meanwhile, the oppressive Iranian regime has caused some Iranians living in their home country to question Islam. 

“It’s been so harsh for so long, and so many Iranians have embraced the idea of atheism or may be exploring other religions,” Godwin says. 

Please pray that through God’s Word and the ministry of His church, Iranians celebrating the themes of Nowruz would come to understand the true source of them. Pray that God would open hearts and minds to receive the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Ramadan

The observance of Ramadan during March adds yet more spiritual weight, along with outreach opportunities, to believers working in Iranian ministry. Muslims resolutely seek to hear from Allah during this time, fasting from food and drink during the day and feasting after sunset.

Muslim man praying during Ramadan. Courtesy of Unsplash.

 “We fast as Christians to draw close to God: to know Him, to know what He’s saying to us. They fast for different reasons and don’t have that grace and that mercy from God that we have,” Godwin says. 

She points out that this is an important time to pray for the Islamic community and to “seed the internet” with the Gospel. 

“So we expect evangelism to start on the set, and we are excited about that and inviting other Iranians that we know to make sure there’s that atmosphere,” she says.  

Please pray for the IMM filming team, including the Iranian actors. Pray also that those seeking Allah during Ramadan would find Jesus.

Purim

More integral to the Esther story than the location, Persia, is the people: the Jews. 

In the midst of Muslims observing Ramadan and Christians observing Lent, the Jewish community will celebrate Purim, a festival commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman in the days of Queen Esther of Persia. The name “Purim” means “lots” in ancient Persian, referring to the lots Haman cast to select the date of his proposed genocide. 

Hamantaschen, or “Haman’s ears,” a pastry eaten during Purim. Courtesy of Unsplash.

Purim customs include reading the Esther account, giving monetary gifts to the poor, giving food gifts to friends, and feasting together at the close of the celebration. While Purim is a reminder of God’s protection of his people, most Jewish people still celebrate it without knowledge of their ultimate deliverer: Jesus Christ. 

“What a great time to also be praying for their community to think about God’s salvation: that one person stood up for many,” Godwin says. 

Please pray that God would reveal Himself to Jewish communities through their Purim celebrations on March 13. Pray that the hearing of His Word would prick hearts and minds.

“As they explore the idea of Purim and Esther, they can glimpse Jesus Christ,” Godwin says. 

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash

As the world watches headlines, Life In Messiah is on the ground. They have their own legacy – they’ve been showing Jesus’ mercy to the Jewish people for over a century. That means they’re in a position to help communities they’ve already poured into for generations.

According to Levi Hazen, Life In Messiah’s current active projects include:

• A soup kitchen in Tel Aviv that serves “those who have been caught up in the world of drug addiction and sex trafficking, so that these folks can not only come inside and get a hot meal, maybe a shower, but of course, they’re going to hear the good news while they’re there.”
• Men’s and women’s rehab centers for those battling addiction. They host daily Bible studies, and “each one of these places is connected to a local congregation where people can continue to hear the gospel and fellowship and meet believers.”
• A recovery house for Russian-speaking men battling addictions to drugs or alcohol. “When people think of the Holy Land, they don’t oftentimes think that those things would be happening, but it absolutely happens, just as it does in every society,” Hazen says.
• Churches led by congregational leaders from Life In Messiah’s staff “leading churches that are full of Jewish people and Gentiles who believe in Yeshua.”
• Media ministries, including the Tov Podcast. “Tov is the Hebrew word for good, and that podcast is focused on yes, sharing the good news, but also biblical teaching concerning God’s heart for Israel and the Jewish people.” Life in Messiah also has a YouTube channel and an evangelistic website.

Life in Messiah has always faced an uphill battle. There is history between the Jewish and Christian communities, and that history is filled with bloodshed. “Things like the Crusades, the “Christ-killer” charge, blood libels, even in recent times, during the Holocaust when the majority of Christians chose to do nothing despite the drastic rise in anti-semitism – our Jewish friends are very much aware of those things,” Hazen says. “So there’s already a further barrier that is present that we don’t see amongst other groups.”

Jewish theology presents an obstacle, too. “There’s a common belief that Jesus is not the Messiah, he’s a man. He’s maybe the God of the Gentiles, but not for you, not for Jewish people. We have to overcome that hurdle as well.”

And of course, the challenges that come with constant conflict are devastating in their own right. But in the middle of cultural, political, religious, and even physical suffering, Life In Messiah is watching God open doors.

“When people are hurting, they tend to be more open to having conversations about things that otherwise they may not have thought about,” Hazen says. “Our staff are reporting more conversations with Jewish people, yes, in Israel, but around the globe – more than we ever have before, because Jewish people are realizing that there’s a lot of evangelicals who truly love them and desire the best for them, desire their safety and protection.”

If you want to support hurting civilians and refugees in Israel, you can contribute to a relief fund right here. Whether you provide financial support or not, please pray. 

“God is faithful, even if we are faithless,” Hazen says.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

It’s a generation-defining conflict, and Jews For Jesus is responding to its aftermath. According to Aaron Abramson, the organization’s CEO, Jews For Jesus is “a group of Jewish people from Jewish backgrounds from around the world who have come to understand that Jesus is their Jewish Messiah, the foretold and promised Messiah they were waiting for.”

The organization’s efforts in Israel have expanded over the past ten years, especially in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. “We have a diverse range of ministries that we provide, anything from Russian-speaking ministry to Russian speakers; ministry to Israeli soldiers […] as they’re trying to figure out life and what faith looks like; ministry to children and youth, especially messianic families; ministry that is digital in the online space; and we have a whole bunch of other like arts ministries. Really all of that is contextualized to share the hope that we have.”

All of this has helped Jews For Jesus build the network and resources to be especially potent in the wake of the October 7th attacks and their aftermath.

“We were able to mobilize a whole bunch of Israeli volunteers, so not just believers in Jesus but volunteers who were able to say, ‘Hey, what does it mean to love your neighbor, and can we come alongside these people who are in need?’” Abramson says. “We reached out to provide that support for Israelis and they were desperately looking for hope. […] I was so encouraged that our teams were able to step up, help out, provide, and meet a need.”

That’s not to say everything has been easy. Anti-semitism has been on the rise at a global level. Jewish communities in Israel continue to feel more and more isolated as they lose resources and loved ones.

“It can be very difficult to stand in that space to say, ‘Hey, we want to be the hands and feet of Jesus in these contexts. We want to serve our people, but we also want to represent Jesus in these difficult contexts.”

In the face of that challenge, pray. 

“Praying is very, very powerful because there’s a spiritual component to all of this,” Abramson says. “Throughout this period, I’m encouraging Christians to say, ‘Let me reach out to the Jewish people in my community, wherever that may be, and say, maybe you’re hurting right now. I’m praying for you.’”

Learn more about Jews For Jesus here and consider how you might connect with their work. Ask God to use their team to work through the volatile crises in the places they call home.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Since God called Abram to father His chosen people, Abraham’s lineage has faced hatred and persecution based on the sole fact that those people are Jewish. That hatred has led to some of the most devastating atrocities in world history. And tragically, antisemitism continues to persist even in our current culture.

“It’s become a legitimate phenomenon, once again, a rise of global hatred of the Jewish people,” Richardson says. “It’s not simply directed toward Israelis, but all Jewish people, and it’s becoming incredibly, incredibly concerning.”

This hatred has escalated beyond name-calling and prejudice – although those are bad enough – to physical violence. “We’ve seen the murder of Jewish Americans simply because they’re Jewish,” Richardson says. “But it’s said to be all done under the guise or under the banner of protest of the State of Israel.”

That is the elephant in the room. The politics of the Gaza conflict have led many to protest the actions of the Israeli government. Protest is one thing. Unfortunately, some have taken things a step further, conflating Jewish people with the state of Israel and enacting violence.

That is unacceptable, especially for the Church. In Richardson’s words: “Our ultimate job is not to be political commentators, our ultimate job is to seek the reconciliation of all people to God to their Creator.”

As followers of Jesus – who himself was Jewish – we must show compassion. We are called to love neighbors, enemies, and anyone made in God’s image. Fortunately, some Christians are already following through on that duty. “In the land of Israel, we’ve seen some beautiful efforts to reconcile believers, Jewish and Arab,” Richardson says. “Ultimately, it’s only in Christ that we see real reconciliation.

“We as followers of Jesus need to express compassion. We must express understanding when people have different opinions than us.”

If you’re fortunate enough not to see antisemitism in action, pray for those who do. “I’m praying for those that are on the ground, those that are proclaiming the gospel that are making disciples that are pursuing reconciliation[…] I’m praying to support the fruit and the boldness and the courage of those disciple-makers, those gospel Proclaimers that are on the ground, preaching the only message whereby mankind might be saved and ultimately find reconciliation.”

Learn more about Global Catalytic Ministries.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Pastor Israel Pochtar of Beit Hallel Congregation says 80,000 Israelis have evacuated their homes in northern Israel, moving to central cities away from the border with Lebanon.

“It’s like we have two fronts. Officially, the war is only in Gaza. But in fact, it’s both Gaza and Lebanon,” Pochtar says.

Meanwhile, in the city of Ashdod, Pochtar’s church lives out its daily mission as the church, preaching and building up the church body. They pray about ways they can reach out to those trapped in conflicts farther away from their region, and they actively serve their neighbors.

(Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

Pochtar thanks God that there is no longer a need in their area to deliver food to people living in bomb shelters.

“We right now (are) focusing on the poor and needy, widows and single mothers, but also aliyah, or immigration. The Jewish immigration keep(s) going, even during the war, praise the Lord,” Pochtar says.

More than 44,000 people, the majority of them Jewish, are estimated to have immigrated to Israel from January to November of 2023. When they arrive in Israel, they are in a key transition time where local believers can share the love and hope of Christ.

This Christian witness is important among rising expressions of anti-Semitism in other parts of the world.

“When you live in Israel, and you see the international social media, you (get) kind of (a) crazy picture, and you feel like ‘all the world is against us.’ So when we help people, we always tell them, ‘This help come(s) from Christians. Christians are with you, they care, they love,'” Pochtar says. 

Praise God for this church’s faithful ministry, and join in praying for the peace of the Middle East in these ways:

“First of all, (pray for) shalom — Israel need(s) peace, Israel need(s) shalom. Number two would be (the) salvation of Israel. Yeshua said, ‘Pray for the workers. (The) fields are ready. They are ready to be harvested but pray for workers in the harvest.’ So we pray for more people with a passion for evangelism,” Pochtar says.

Click here to learn more about Beit Hallel Congregation’s ministry.

Header photo of war relief action teams delivering much-needed essentials to soldiers at the Israeli army bases in the south of Israel, courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation.

Meanwhile, the mood is heavy as Israeli troops prepare to invade Rafah. Death is an ever-present possibility.

“I heard someone say once, ‘There are no atheists in the trenches of war,’ and I can say that for a fact,” says Zev Sigulim, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces. He partners with MegaVoice to distribute audio Bibles among IDF troops.

Presenting “non-Jewish” ideas isn’t always a popular task.

“There was some religious Jewish radio station warning soldiers of being targeted for missionary work, which makes you think twice about going into the trenches and giving soldiers audio Bibles,” Sigulim says.

However, now is the prime time to introduce Scripture because “Jewish people are all interested in this subject of the Messiah,” he continues.

“God is right now being talked about in the trenches; you’ve got people who are semi-religious talking with secular Israelis, and then there are those who are genuinely interested in knowing about God and Jesus in the New Testament.”

MegaVoice’s solar-powered audio Bibles typically bring God’s Word to unreached groups of people in the world’s most remote locations. More about that here. Today, MegaVoice is providing God’s Word in audio to those on the frontlines of freedom in Israel.

Admittedly, not all IDF soldiers are initially drawn to the audio Bibles because they want to hear Scripture. “Some of the units have a flashlight and a radio … and having that ability creates somewhat of an interest for a secular person,” Sigulim says.

“A lot of the IDF right now is war, fighting, and shooting. But a majority of it is guard duty and standing watch. You can’t watch TV or be on your smartphone, but you can have a radio. You can put your earphones in one ear, listen to the radio, and hear what’s going on.”

(Photo courtesy of MegaVoice)

Believers have distributed more than 1,500 units so far.

“There are two types of missionary work you can talk about in the Israeli army. There’s missionary work by Israelis, like me, who are friends with non-believing Israeli soldiers saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got an audio Bible here; would you be interested in it?’” Sigulim says.

“Then, there are organizations who come with their people [and] they want to serve … giving soldiers food and tactical gear and medical equipment that is much needed, [as well as] handing them an audio Bible,” he continues.

“The Christian community at large has made a huge impact because even the religious soldiers, they don’t care about the rabbis [who say], you know, ‘No, no, don’t accept help from these nice Christian people!’ When you’re in the trenches, you’ll take what you can get.”

Pray IDF soldiers who want to know the truth will receive a MegaVoice audio Bible.

Additionally, “pray for Israel, pray for the soldiers, and pray for Israeli believers who are fighting for their country,” Sigulim requests.

“Pray for this spiritual war that is going to affect all of us.”

Header image depicts IDF Multi-Dimensional Unit fighters maneuvering on the ground in the Gaza Strip in the Iron Swords War.(Wikimedia Commons) 

With Houthis joining the fray, world leaders face growing fears of all-out regional war in the Middle East. It also brings Houthi-sponsor Iran closer to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Meanwhile, Israelis continue to watch the skies for increased rockets and missiles that make it through Israel’s defense system. The southern city of Ashkelon continues to suffer direct hits. In Tel Aviv, a Hamas-claimed rocket hit an apartment building on Friday, injuring four people.

In Ashkelon and other southern Israeli towns, people have started living in bomb shelters.

Pastor Israel Pochtar with Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashdod says, “People actually run into the bomb shelter but eventually, they stop running because it’s too much. Now, they live in the bomb shelters.

(Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

“Here and there, they go out to take a shower or grab some stuff, grab some food from the house, also risking their lives because there are all sorts of rockets falling in Ashkelon. They just literally live in bomb shelters.”

Christians in Israel are visiting these bomb shelter residents in Ashkelon to deliver relief supplies, while at other times encouraging them with God’s Word.

Pochtar says, “Today, I’m going to visit another one (bomb shelter) at nighttime. I’ve been there in the daytime, but I’m going to visit them at night and bring them some more pillows [and] water. Because they also don’t go to get groceries, we bring them food.”

“We have one [Christian] sister in this bomb shelter, so she said, ‘I want to tell them that’s my [Christian] brothers together with American Christians who help!'”

Beit Hallel Congregation raises funds for Israeli humanitarian aid through their War Relief Project. You can donate to the War Relief Project here!

(Photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation)

“It does create lots of opportunities just to speak the Bible, to speak prophecies, and just to love on them and tell them about Christians. Really, it’s opened up doors once again to share why — and it’s all about Jesus.”

Israel’s population is 73% Jewish and 21% Arab. Of the Jewish population, nearly half identify as secular, and 21% as traditional but minimally observant. The other 35% identify as traditional and observant, religious, or ultra-Orthodox. Some may be familiar with elements of the Bible but not the promises and hope of Jesus Christ.

“We have dozens of thousands of secular people in my city. People [are] just caught by surprise,” Pochtar says. “They don’t know biblical prophecies. They don’t know biblical promises. So obviously, there is an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and even depression. I can tell you the atmosphere is heavy, truly heavy, because it’s wartime.

“But now, because of that, people are also open. People ask questions, and when they see Christians — or we call ourselves Messianic believers, Israeli Christians — we have answers. We act like one who has answers because we have answers in the Bible — both Old Testament promises about our days, the prophetic promises on that, and New Testament hope and salvation and God’s goodness.”

Please pray for Israeli hearts to be opened more than ever before to salvation in Jesus Christ. Pray for God’s glory among the nations in the midst of conflict in the Middle East. Ask the Lord to spiritually strengthen Israeli Christians who are living as Christ’s ambassadors.

Header photo courtesy of Beit Hallel Congregation.

When asking our partners to discuss the issue, we encountered a field of rhetorical landmines. So, how do we discuss a situation that directly affects the body of Christ when words get in the way?

Uncharted Ministries works in both Palestinian and Jewish communities. Learn more here.

Drawing upon decades of experience, Uncharted co-founder Tom Doyle describes four ways to navigate divisive issues like these. Listen to the full interview here.

1. Refuse to give labels.

“As believers, we have to avoid labels because Jesus has given us our full identity,” Doyle says.

“I go back to an old quote by Chuck Colson, who said, ‘If I can label you, then I can dismiss you as irrelevant and cease any kind of dialogue.’”

2. Define your worldview by God’s Word, not man’s.

Opinions vary widely regarding the Israel-Palestine issue and cover the entire political and spiritual spectrum – even within the Body of Christ. “We don’t want to define issues solely by politics; we, as believers, need to define issues spiritually,” Doyle says.

“But the world tries to force us into political identities. Our identity is found in Jesus Christ and not our political beliefs.”

3. Don’t let headlines cause you to despise either side.

Words matter and inflammatory rhetoric can cause substantial social divides. “You have brothers and sisters on both sides. Love them. Pray for them,” Doyle says.

“I see Christians that tend to side with the Jews over the Palestinians; or, [they side with] the Palestinians over the Jews because of some of the social issues. God’s heart is big enough to love both of them, and I pray for the body of Christ to love Palestinians and Jews together.”

4. Weigh the facts, and consider more than one source of information.

Amnesty International’s report presents one side of a highly complex story. “The Amnesty International report is not a fair presentation of the state of Israel,” Doyle says.

“Israel is not an apartheid state. Consider this quote by [Bassem Eid], a Palestinian activist: ‘While it is not a perfect country it is definitely not an apartheid state.’ Eid is right.”

Furthermore, “21-percent of the population of Israel is Arab, and they have full rights and voting privileges with Arabs in the governing body, which is the Knesset. Several Arab nations have fully normalized relations with Israel as of today,” Doyle continues.

“But as believers, we are called to have compassion on all people. Jesus did. Palestinians in Gaza are in a horrible situation because of the Hamas government and being trapped inside. Our hearts break for Palestinians in Gaza who just want to live a normal life. One thing Palestinians and Jews can agree on is this – Hamas is not good for anyone. Please pray for the people of Gaza who want nothing to do with the ongoing war between Gaza and Israel. They are trapped in the middle and suffer daily. Pray for Jewish people, especially near Gaza, who endure rocket attacks from Hamas. Pray for Israel, that there would be a sustainable peace between Jews and Arabs.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Jorge Fernández Salas/Unsplash)

The question came from Sarah Rabinovitch, a Holocaust survivor living in Israel. She lived through the Nazi reign, a harrowing ship journey to Israel, and extreme poverty.

Growing up, Sarah’s main exposure to Christians came through Germans and Russians who claimed the name of Jesus while murdering her people. She was suspicious of Christians and especially of Messianic Jews who followed Christ.

But when Sarah went to a Holocaust Survivor banquet hosted by Uncharted Ministries, her heart stirred when she heard Jesus’s words read from the New Testament.

Israeli flags (Photo courtesy of Cole Keister via Unsplash)

JoAnn with Uncharted Ministries lovingly replied to Sarah’s question:

“Of course you will still be Jewish! Following Jesus is the most Jewish thing you can do! It doesn’t change your ethnicity, but it does trade in religion for a relationship with the Living God.”

As Sarah spoke with JoAnn, she felt the movement of the Holy Spirit. There, Sarah began a relationship with Jesus. Uncharted Ministries’ Tom Doyle says their outreach to Holocaust survivors like Sarah is crucial in this generation.

“The Israeli comptroller estimates that all Holocaust survivors will be gone in about eight years. Some are even saying it may be five years and there won’t be any more Holocaust survivors in Israel. They’ll be gone. The average age [of a Holocaust survivor] right now is 88.”

Doyle says most Holocaust survivors today come from an atheist background. Like Sarah, they tend to be wary of those who call themselves Christians.

“Because of what they endured, they can’t fathom there is a God. But through love and reaching out to them and just spending time with them, they see it in people. They start to have that spark again. ‘Okay, maybe there can be a God.’ And then of course, the Father draws them to Jesus.”

Last year, Uncharted Ministries saw over 60 Holocaust survivors begin relationships with Jesus and get baptized.

You can follow more stories with Uncharted Ministries and get involved at their website here!

Meanwhile, Doyle asks, “Pray for Holocaust survivors. It’s a short fuse on this ministry. We don’t have a lot of time left, but they need Jesus.”

Header photo of Jerusalem courtesy of 8thirty8.

David Curry, CEO of Open Doors USA explains, “Recently President Trump has announced that the US government is going to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the American Embassy, over time, is going to be placed there in Jerusalem.

“Now this is very volatile and controversial issue in many parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East.”

This announcement comes after nearly two decades of different administrations signing waivers to put off the move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv in accordance with the Jerusalem Embassy Act. 

The international response was mostly critical– major EU players believe such a decision will constrain peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel. The two groups have been fighting over east Jerusalem, a significant religious site for both Muslims and Jews.

It’s not surprising to find, at the juncture of politics and religious beliefs, a particularly violent debate, especially when it’s centered on one of the most notorious land disputes of our time. Throw in thousands of years of history and prophecy and a foreign power already dealing with major political polarization of its own, and you’ve got a situation on your hands ready to explode.

While Open Doors does not get caught up in political disputes, Curry does offer some reminders to the Church.

First of all, he asks us to remember that decisions like this can often negatively impact Christian communities around the world. This is because many societies view Christianity as a western religion. And when a western nation makes a move they find distasteful, they may take it out on their Christian neighbors. It’s important to know this dynamic so that we remember to be praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“From Open Doors’ perspective, what we look at in the Middle East is where are Christians persecuted within that region? What are the issues, what are the tension points? How can we support persecuted Christians, to first survive, in many parts of the Middle East, and then thrive, hopefully, eventually, over time?

“And so, obviously, this is a thing that we’re going to be looking at over time as to whether or not it plays a part in increasing persecution of Christians in the Middle East, whether it draws attention to these issues in a different way,” he explains.

This particular situation is further muddied because it’s hard to draw a line between political and religious motivations in the United States-Israeli relationship. Many Christians in the United States support the alliance with Israel based on biblical prophecy while others support Israel in the Palestinian conflict based on historical facts.

But wherever you stand on that issue, Curry encourages us to align ourselves with Jesus and make sure our faith doesn’t get confused with our political stance, even if it does influence it. If the Body of Christ in the west is consistent in this, it might help dispel the idea that Christ is tied to a culture or a region of the world.

“I want people to see Christianity as a movement of the teachings and following of Jesus. It’s a spiritual thing, in our mind. So we can’t, sometimes, understand why people would see a political calculation by an administration, any administration, as somehow having a direct effect on Christians.”

Finally, he urges us to keep in mind that there are Christians among the largely Jewish and Muslim populations in this part of the world. The tension between these two nations puts incredible pressure on them, too.

Here’s how you can pray, “Pray for these people, try to be an outspoken person for Jesus and not, maybe necessarily, always tie it to the political agenda.”