Blessing Israel in word and action

Folks in the Messianic and Hebrew Roots Christian world really do love Israel.

Last week, some friends from my congregation approached me and asked for help in starting a non-profit organization, Bless Israel. The idea is, get lots of people together and raise money to bless the Jewish people and the land of Israel in tangible, material ways.

This week I filed with the federal and state governments the non-profit 501c3 organization, Bless Israel. Got an EIN, got a bank account, started work on a website. (Slightly surprised the name Bless Israel is not already taken, but hey, we’re honored.)

This weekend, we pulled in Hebrew Roots teacher Brad Scott to bring some people together to the Bless Israel event. People came from all over Minnesota, packed our little congregation to standing room only.

We sang some songs of Zion:

Myself and a few others singing “Am Yisrael Chai!”

We prayed for Israel.

We studied the Scriptures together.

We spoke of the miracle that is Israel. Recounted God’s hand in preserving the Jewish people until now.

We read Psalm 122, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may all who love her prosper.”

Psalm 137, “If I forget Jerusalem, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth and my right hand lose its skill.”

Isaiah 49, “I, the Lord, have engraved Israel on the palms of My hands – she will never be forgotten.”

Jeremiah 31, “When will I forget Israel? Only when the sun goes out, and the moon and stars cease to be.”

Something very right about that, people who follow Jesus as Messiah praying for Israel and helping Jews in tangible ways.

After all this, the people – Messianic folks, Hebrew Roots folks, Christians – donated money (several hundred dollars last night alone!) to Bless Israel, 100% of which I will personally funnel to our first Israeli charity recipient: Shilo Israel Children’s Fund (SICF).

SICF is a wonderful Israeli charity. They help Jewish families who have been victims of Palestinian terrorism.

The head of that fund, David Rubin, former mayor of Shilo, Israel, visited our congregation a few weeks back, and we felt God pulling on us to help them.

More and more, people are turning against Israel; you see it here in the US particularly among the political left. Universities are increasingly anti-Israel and even boycotting Israeli products and businesses. Media outlets like CNN and the New York Times are increasingly turning against Israel and trying to find ways to validate opposition to Israel while veiling the underlying anti-Semitism, encouraging their vast American audiences to do the same.

Think of Bless Israel as a righteous countermeasure. Disciples of Jesus helping Jews in Israel. It ain’t no heavyweight CNN or NYT, but it’s something and it’s grassroots. And I am glad to be a part of it!

Thanks to all my Minnesota Messianic and Hebrew Roots friends who prayed, gave, and joined in agreement in blessing Israel. And thanks to my friends, Jerry and Gloria Whittlef, who lead the charge and started this Bless Israel event and invited me to help start this organization.

Something very right is happening among Messiah’s people in Minnesota.