60 WAYS TO BLESS ISRAEL AT 60
BREAKING NEWS:
Israel's celebrations were, unfortunately, short-lived. New corruption charges against Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have calls for his resignation coming from the left-wing of the political spectrum, as well as the right. Meanwhile, Lebanon is going up in flames as Hezbollah appears to mount a coup effort against the pro-Western government. And Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eschatology is making big news again.
* New York Times: Israel Readying for a Post-Olmert Era
* Washington Post: Coverage of growing controversy over Ahmadinejad's eschatology (end times theology)
* The (UK) Sun: Burma death toll worse than tsunami -- 200,000 dead, but number could rise to 500,000
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ORIGINAL POST: Israel turns 60 today on the Jewish calendar. The Joshua Fund team salutes the brave men and women whom God brought back to the Holy Land to fulfill the prophecies of Ezekiel 36 & 37 -- to rebuild the ancient ruins, make the deserts bloom, create an "exceedingly great army" and forge a homeland to protect and defend the Jewish people from all enemies, foreign and domestic. We also salute all those Jews, Christians and other "righteous Gentiles" in the U.S. and around the world who have shown unconditional love and unwavering support to Israel in the face of tremendous opposition. Last month The Joshua Fund gathered 2,000 Christian and Jewish leaders at the international convention center in Jerusalem for the inaugural "Epicenter Conference." We celebrated Israel's birthday, examined the threats facing her at present from radical Islam, and discussed ways Christians could bless Israel at this critical hour. Out of that conference came "60 Ways To Bless Israel At 60." We hope you will be moved to pursue some of these ways in the days and weeks ahead.
- Help provide brand new backpacks and school supplies for needy Israeli school children. The Joshua Fund has committed $100,000 to this project, working with Jewish and Christian allies in Israel. The backpacks need to be purchased soon and in bulk to get the best prices. They will be distributed in September, when the new school year begins. Would you consider signing up to make a monthly donation to The Joshua Fund of $25, $40 or $60? All donations are tax deductible. For more information on how to make contributions by mail -- or by secure on-line credit card transactions -- please click here.
- Stock one bomb shelter in northern Israel with food, water, a first aid kit, other emergency supplies and a secure storage locker. There are currently some 5,500 bomb shelters that need to be urgently stocked with supplies before the next war. The Joshua Fund is currently raising funds to stock 100 as soon as possible. Cost per bomb shelter: $5,500.
- Provide one ton of food to care for needy families in northern Israel who were hit by 4,000 rockets and missiles during the 2006 war with Hezbollah. These families are still recovering from that war. Many live on less than $500 a month. And food prices are rising in Israel, as they are around the globe. Every month, therefore, The Joshua Fund pays for about 10 tons of food to be purchased by one of our allies in Israel, distributed to the needy in the north, as well as stockpiled for the next war. Cost: $2,500 per ton.
- Help purchase desperately needed medical equipment such as respirators, ventilators, operating room lamps, mobile x-ray machines and the like for under-funded regional hospitals in Israel. At the request of hospital administrators, The Joshua Fund has adopted the Barzilai Medical Center in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon to help them raise funds for such equipment. Barzilai is the only hospital and trauma center serving the 500,000 Israelis living near the Gaza border and facing a nearly constant barrage of rockets, missiles and mortars. They are doing heroic work, but they do need our help. Cost: Some of this equipment is very costly, averaging between $20,000 to $80,000 each. A donation of $5,000 would help significantly towards meeting these vital needs.
- Help provide food baskets to needy families in Jerusalem on Jewish holidays. Working with our local allies, The Joshua Fund recently helped finance the distribution of 680 food baskets to needy Israeli families for Passover.
- Provide food, blankets, wheelchairs and other assistance to Holocaust victims in Israel, many of whom tragically live at or below the poverty level, even within the Jewish State.
- Help care for the homeless in Israel.
- Help finance soup kitchens in Israel.
- Help care for Sudanese refugees in Israel.
- Help provide blankets and heaters for the elderly in Israel during the cold winter months, since many do not have -- or cannot afford -- central heating.
- Help finance the purchase of vans for Israeli organizations that distribute humanitarian aid so they can get supplies to the people that need them most in a more efficient manner. The Joshua Fund is involved in all these areas of relief work -- caring for Holocaust victims, the homeless, refugees, and others -- and we would be honored to get you involved in funding critically important projects such as these.
- Track daily news coverage of Israel in English through The Jerusalem Post.
- Track daily news coverage of Israel in English through Ynetnews.com.
- Track daily news coverage of Israel in English through Haaretz, one of the leading papers in Jerusalem.
- Track the latest statements and interviews by radical Islamic fanatics -- translated into English -- at the website of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
- Become a faithful prayer partner for Israel and her neighbors. The Joshua Fund is looking for 100,000 partners to sign up for free "Flash Traffic" email alerts that include analysis and commentary on events and trends in Israel and the epicenter, Joshua Fund project updates, and prayer requests. More than 52,000 people from all over the world have joined already. You can join the team by clicking here.
- Take your family on a tour of Israel.
- Join us on a future Joshua Fund "Prayer & Vision Trip" to Israel.
- Take Hebrew classes for the summer at your local Jewish Community Center.
- Make friends with a local Rabbi, find ways to bless the synagogue he runs, and discuss ways to bless Israel together.
- Learn more about the Israeli economy and business opportunities through the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce.
- Consider investing in Israeli companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the help of knowlegeable, qualified financial advisors.
- Consider investing in Israeli high tech companies listed on Nasdaq with the help of knowledgeable, qualified financial advisors.
- Carve out 30 minutes a day to study the Bible, focusing on God's love and plan for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.
- Carve out 15 minutes a day to pray for peace in Jerusalem
- Learn more about efforts by Israeli and international politicians to divide Jerusalem, and why this would be such a disaster, by visiting Natan Sharansky's organization, OneJerusalem.org.
- Sign the One Jerusalem petition to keep Jerusalem the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish State.
- Pray daily for peace on Israel's southern border with Gaza.
- Pray daily for peace on Israel's northern borders with Lebanon and Syria.
- Pray daily for regime change to come soon in Iran to a moderate, pro-Western, democratic government that will abandon President Ahmadinejad's nuclear ambitions and live at peace with Israel and her neighbors.
- Pray daily for wisdom for Israeli, American and NATO leaders to know how to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
- As new elections approach in Israel, Pray for the Lord to raise up leaders like "the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (I Chronicles 12:32, NIV).
- Pray that a truly just, fair, and compassionate peace treaty could be forged soon between Israel and Lebanon.
- Pray that a truly just, fair and compassionate peace treaty could be forged soon between Israel and Syria.
- Pray for new leaders to emerge in the West Bank and Gaza who truly oppose violence against Israel, have the courage and ability to hunt down and imprison Palestinian terrorists, are dedicated to preventing Iran and al-Qaeda from seizing effective control of these disputed territories, and will work tirelessly to stop the incitement of children against the Jewish people in the Palestinian schools and refugee camps.
- Pray that a truly just, fair and compassionate peace treaty could be forged soon between Israel and the Palestinians, one that would give the Palestinians true autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza to run their own lives, lead their own government, and have full human rights, civil rights, freedom of religion and freedom of the press, without threatening Israel.
- Pray that U.S., European and U.N. leaders would stop pressuring Israel to make unwise concessions in the peace process.
- Pray that the U.N. would start fully enforcing the Security Resolutions that ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006, notably by disarming Hezbollah and other militias in the region.
- Pray for followers of Jesus in the land of Israel that they would draw close to the Lord, have courage in the face of opposition, be a light in the land, and be a true blessing to their neighbors.
- Pray for the followers of Jesus in the West Bank and Gaza that they would also draw close to the Lord, have courage in the face of opposition, be a light in the land, and be a true blessing to their neighbors.
- Pray for Israeli and Palestinian believers to find true reconciliation, to become dear friends, to worship the Lord and pray together, and find ways to love their neighbors and their enemies in the name of Jesus.
- Pray for evangelical Christians around the world to LEARN more about God's plan and purpose for the people of the epicenter.
- Pray for evangelical Christians around the world to PRAY for knowlegeably and consistently for the people of Israel and the epicenter.
- Pray for evangelical Christians around the world to GIVE generously and cheerfully to organizations that bless Israel.
- Pray for evangelical Christians around the world to GO visit Israel and bring many with them, both as tourists and as prayer allies for the Jewish and Palestinian people of the region.
- Visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
- Learn about Jewish holidays such as Passover, Purim and Hannukah and celebrate them with friends and family.
- Read A History of The Jews by renowned historian Paul Johnson.
- Teach a Bible study or Sunday School class about the history of the Jewish people, including Scriptures such as Genesis 12:1-3, in which God says He will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse Israel.
- Read From Beirut To Jerusalem by New York Times correspondent and columnist Thomas L. Friedman, one of my all-time favorite books about the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- Learn more about how important evangelical Christians were to the establishment and development of the modern State of Israel by reading Standing With Israel: Why Christians Support The Jewish State by David Brog.
- Read Two Nations Under God: Why Should America Care About Israel and the Middle East, an excellent primer written by my friendTom Doyle.
- Learn more about God's plan and purpose for Israel and her neighbors, and how Bible prophecy is being fulfilled even as we speak, by reading Epicenter: Why The Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future.
- Host a book club discussion about Israel -- or host a small group Bible study in your home about the future of the Jewish State -- using the Epicenter Study Guide, to be released in June.
- Consider showing the Epicenter documentary film on DVD at your church, or to your book club, home fellowship group, or small group Bible study.
- Organize and run a Joshua Fund event at your church, school, synagogue, or club to raise funds to bless the poor and needy in Israel and Israeli victims of war and terrorism. All kinds of events are possible, including: banquets, car washes, bake sales, golf tournaments, silent auctions, Bible memorization contests, and candy sales, just to name a few.
- Ask your pastor to host a Day of Prayer for Israel at your church once a year.
- Call into a local talk radio show and defend Israel and the Jewish people when you hear anti-Israel or anti-Semitic comments.
- Attend a future Epicenter Conference and track with the latest developments in Israel and the Middle East.
- Invite speakers to their churches and conferences to talk about how to bless Israel and herneighbors and to share what God is doing in the Middle East today.
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