Ebenezer Operation Exodus

Ebenezer Operation Exodus
Issue 1/2013
A ministry of Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA
…I will gather you and
your children from
east and west and
from north and south.
I will bring my sons and
daughters back
to Israel…
(Isaiah 43:5–6 NLT)
your giving
Is helping to fulfill his word to his people
Ebenezer Operation Exodus — A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel
Ebenezer Operation Exodus USA
Your giving is a
memorial before our God
I
n the days of the apostles there was a man named Cornelius; he was
a Gentile and a centurion. He was an earnest and sincere man who
feared God, gave many gifts to the Jewish people, and prayed to God
continually. God responded to Cornelius’ gifts and prayers by giving him a
greater revelation of God’s plan of redemption for both the Jew and Gentile.
How humbling it is for us to know that
the Lord God views the blessing of
the Jewish people through supporting
their return to the Land of Israel as a
memorial before Him. These are His
words twice recorded in Acts 10.
USA
Dear Gentile Brother and Sister,
in 2012 your gifts and prayers
played a vital part in the return of
3,372 people to the land of Israel
from the former Soviet Union and
North America. You are serving
our Lord, fulfilling His will for His
people and the Land. Your giving
is a memorial before your God.
We at Ebenezer Operation Exodus
say “Thank you.” Weekly at our staff
meeting we give thanks for you, and
we ask that God’s blessing be upon
you. Please continue to pray that
Jewish hearts will be stirred to make
aliyah, and that when they return to
Israel they will prosper there.
By Debra Minotti
National Director
We anticipate another year of
increase in helping the Jewish
people return to Israel. We value and
appreciate your continued monthly
support. If you are not presently
giving regularly, would you be willing
to commit to a monthly amount? No
gift is too small or too large.
Thank you.
Shalom
Your prayers and alms have ascended as a
memorial before God. (Acts 10:4b NASB)
Aliyah, Be Part of the Miracle (Isaiah 43:5–6)
USA 2013 Summer Aliyah Alert
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I will beckon to the Gentiles,
I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.” (Isaiah 49:22, NIV)
2
Thousands are preparing to make
aliyah (immigrate to Israel) from the
USA throughout the coming summer
months, and some need financial
assistance. The Lord is calling His
people back to the land of their
forefathers; prophecy is being fulfilled!
occasion in their lives!
Please consider making a special
donation to help a family or
individual return home. Your gift
will make a difference by promoting
a successful aliyah and absorption
into the Land of Israel.
What a privilege and opportunity
we have to help and be a part of
this momentous and challenging
For more information, please
call our National Office at
716.681.6300.
A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel
Ebenezer Operation Exodus USA
Thank you for your
obedience to the Lord’s Call
G
90
reetings from the Aliyah Department at Ebenezer USA
Operation Exodus. I would like80to thank you for your
prayers and financial help, and report to you everything you
70
accomplished in 2012 through your obedience to the Lord’s call.
By Kathy Ardino
Aliyah Department
60
▲82
50
40
30
25
23
20
Steven, a single man who recently
applied, shares: “I have been asked
so many times by my mother and
friends why I would leave America
to go to a country like Israel, where
there is constant political turmoil.
The only answer I could give them
was that I just feel right and at home
when I am in Israel.”
8
1
1
WI
3
VA
TX
1
PA
OK
1
OH
1
NV
NJ
NM
MO
MI
MN
1
WA
6
1
NY
7
3
MD
IL
FL
GA
DC
1
CT
AZ
CA
AR
1
5
USA
I also thought you would like to hear
from some of those you have helped:
0
3
9
5
MA
12
10
5
Do any Jewish people live near
you? Perhaps someday we can
call on you to drive someone to the
airport to catch their aliyah flight!
20
16
Canada
Aliyah (immigration to Israel) from
the USA for Ebenezer is up. In 2011
we were able to financially help 194
people immigrate to Israel. And
in 2012 the numbers grew to 241!
The bar chart at right shows the
numbers of olim (immigrants) in
2012, broken down by area:
The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for
one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40 NIV)
Shari writes
on October 10,
2012: “Words,
thank you, just
don’t seem
enough! I am
truly a bundle
of emotion after
reading your approval. This will
make such a difference! Bless you
and your organization for the work
you are doing. Once again, THANK
YOU for helping make my lifelong
dream come true!”
whole sense for us. Life in America
is good, but feels very empty.” And
on January 14, 2012, Sholom wrote
to us: “I just wanted to drop a line
and tell you again thank you. So
far acclimating has been going well
and we are looking forward to the
future. Thank you for helping us get
here; it was a huge help.”
Sholom, his wife and small
daughter made aliyah in December
2012. He shares: “My family and
I are making aliyah because we
believe the quality of life will be
more meaningful and better in the
A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel
3
Ebenezer Operation Exodus USA
Bnei Menashe, Sons of
Manasseh, Return from India
T
hrough your financial giving, we are able to support the work of Shavei Israel,
helping to bring back the Bnei Menashe from India. The Bnei Menashe are
descendants from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, which were sent into
exile in Assyria more than 27 centuries ago.
Their ancestors wandered through Central Asia
and the Far East for centuries before settling
in what is now north-eastern India, along the
border with Burma and Bangladesh.
Bnei Menashe shed many tears of
joy — and so did I! We plan to bring
more Bnei Menashe back home. I just
want to say thank you for your prayers
and support. I hope we will continue to
partner together — Jews and Christians
alike — in the unfolding of the Divine
plan and the return of the people of
Israel to their ancestral homeland.”
india
Michael Freund, Chairman
of Shavei Israel, rejoiced with
53 of this ancient tribe when
they arrived in Israel on
December 24, 2012.
He writes: “It was a long
and tiring journey but
extremely moving. The
Thank you for your continued support
and prayers, and for standing with us
as “watchmen on the wall.”
2012 Humanitarian Aid in
the former Soviet Union
Ebenezer USA continues to support the ongoing work in the former
Soviet Union (fSU), helping the Jewish people return to Israel. Humanitarian
aid is often the key that opens doors into many Jewish communities.
Through these programs, we are
able to demonstrate the love of
God and share with Jewish
people about the promises of
God. Many families have gone
to Israel because the aid we
provided opened their hearts
to the message of aliyah. Some
didn’t know they had the right to
make aliyah.
4
In 2012 Ebenezer
Operation Exodus
helped 3,131
Jewish
people return to Israel from the fSU — a vast area spanning 10 countries.
Your financial giving enabled us to expand aid
projects to nearly all the countries in the fSU:
• We carried out nine different projects in 10
Ebenezer base areas.
• We blessed hundreds of Jewish children
with winter boots and vitamins.
• Thousands of Jewish families received
food parcels.
• About 1,000 Holocaust survivors were given
medicines and/or food parcels.
This work would have been impossible
without your sacrificial giving and the work
of our foreign volunteers. THANK YOU for
your faithful prayers and support!
Ebenezer Operation Exodus USA
© PA Photos in collaboration with Sword Magazine.
The People Who
Know Their God
1
Rockets being fired from Gaza towards Tel Aviv, November 2012.
E
verywhere we see increasing abandonment of Christian
values, often followed by abandonment of Israel. The UN’s
response to 1,000 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel was
to grant the Palestinian Authority non-member observer status.
Sadly, some church movements
have turned against Israel. People, it
seems, are becoming more deceived
and do not know what they are doing.
Daniel 12:1 explains, “At that time
[of the end] Michael shall stand up,
the great prince who stands watch
over the sons of your people” (NKJ).
1
This article is extracted from the Operation
Exodus International bulletin, Issue 1/2013.
For the complete version, please go to our
website www.ebenezerusa.org and click
on News and Events; International Bulletin.
international
So how do people who know their
God respond to all this? The book
of Daniel gives us some clues. The
prophet describes the events to
come in our time, stating “… the
people who know their God shall
be strong, and carry out great
exploits” (Daniel 11:32).
The consequences for worldwide
aliyah are that God is bringing back
His chosen people now. One place
they are returning from is India: the
Bnei Menashe tribe are going home!
Nobody will stop God’s plan. He will
use people who know their God
and will enable them to carry out
great exploits.
By Markus Ernst
Chairman of Ebenezer
Emergency Fund International
We need to become such people
for the days ahead and for the great
task the Lord has entrusted to us! He
wants us to deeply know and trust
Him. If God is speaking to you, I invite
you to rededicate your life to serve
Him and His purposes for such a time
as this!
A defaced Israeli flag lies on the ground during
a protest against Israel’s military operations
in the Gaza Strip, in La Paz, Bolivia, November 2012.
© PA Photos in collaboration with Sword Magazine.
A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel
5
Ebenezer Operation Exodus USA
Why do we emphasize
prayer so much in Ebenezer?
W
hen Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray,
the first petition He mentioned was, “Hallowed be Thy
Name.” We often think of these words as not taking His
Name in vain, or honoring and exalting His Name more fervently.
However, there is a specific moment
in history referred to in Ezekiel 36–39,
especially 36:23, where the Lord
speaks of aliyah as hallowing or
sanctifying His holy Name (NKJV).
Aliyah demonstrates to Israel and the
nations that He is God.
Israel
The enemy knows his time is short
when the Gospel spreads to every
people group (Matthew 24:13) and
the fig tree* reappears and prospers
(Matthew 24:32). Therefore, great
is the opposition to the return of
the Jewish people to their Land.
Hence the need for much prayer
and intercession (standing between
God and the people prayed for). Our
Lord has systematically shown us
the enemy boulders preventing aliyah
By Wendy Beckett
National Prayer Coordinator
(Isaiah 62:10 & 56:14). Every prayer action
brings more victory.
You all can participate to the extent you are
able — even a few minutes daily, calling
out for the fulfillment of God’s purposes
in aliyah. Because He limits Himself to our
prayers, we in the Church who understand
have an obligation to our Master to pray
“Hallowed be Thy Name.”
*The Jewish people in the first century AD understood fig tree to mean the nation of Israel
“Thanks to Ebenezer, we
twins are together again.”
Shalom from Jerusalem!
Carolyn made aliyah two years ago with help from Ebenezer USA. She
contacted me after hearing that a group of Ebenezer supporters were
coming to Israel. She wanted to thank them for helping her come home and
be reunited with her twin sister Judy, who has lived here for many years.
Reunited: Carolyn (left) and Judy
6
Carolyn said:
“Although I know in our Tenach it
mentions that in the end of days
the Gentiles from the nations will
help the Jews in many ways,
even carrying them on their
shoulders to get them home,
I am still amazed and
humbled at such love …
Thanks to Ebenezer, we
twins are together again for
the first time in many years.”
Carolyn and Judy came
to our office before the
By Shirley Lawrenson
Olim Liaison, Jerusalem
Ebenezer group arrived. We had great
fellowship as they shared how blessed
and happy they are here. Carolyn lives
in Ashkelon and Judy in Jerusalem.
They regularly meet and walk the
streets of Jerusalem, which they long
ago dreamed of doing.
They met the tour group and thanked
them for all Ebenezer does to help
Jewish people return to Israel. They
were moved by the group’s kindness
and deeply touched by meeting
people from so many nations who love
and pray for Israel.
Ebenezer Operation Exodus USA
A Smile on My Father’s Face
O
ctober 6, 2012, was a special day for me as Ebenezer
Operation Exodus USA held a conference in Madison,
Wisconsin. Just over one hundred people gathered for the
conference, and we were blessed by some excellent messages,
worship and prayer.
I remember the days thirty years
ago when, as a teenager and nonbeliever, I helped set up and pack
away chairs, first in our family home,
and then in a room in my father’s
business. I look back on the hours I
spent duplicating tapes and sending
out mailings.
It was thrilling to hear testimonies
of the Lord’s miraculous answers
to prayer in Israel and the former
Soviet Union. I could have listened
for hours. I will long remember
the prayer time, forming a bridge
between generations for the Lord’s
purpose of aliyah.
By Peter Scheller
Senior Pastor, Destiny
Christian Fellowship
All of those were things that happened
before Ebenezer drew her first breath,
but out of which she was birthed.
In 1991, the same year as Ebenezer
was born, my wife and I left England
to minister with Youth With A Mission
and then in local churches.
To do so was a special honor for
me because I was not only given
the privilege to share the Word of
God about something so dear to the
Father’s heart, but I was also given
the opportunity to put a toe in the
shoes of my father, Gustav Scheller,
founder of Ebenezer
Emergency
Fund.
usa
Despite keeping up with
developments, we were
not directly involved
with Ebenezer for 20
years. Then in January
2011 I attended the 20th
anniversary celebration in
Jerusalem with my dear
mum and felt the stirrings
to reconnect in a new way.
I was excited to share a message
myself, outlining how the return of
the Jewish people to Israel is directly
related to God’s other end-time
purposes: spreading the gospel to
the ends of the earth and raising up
a mature and glorious bride, fit for
the King of Kings.
Early days – Gustav welcoming olim into Israel, 1991
I remember collecting offerings,
helping my dad and the volunteers
count them (which invariably
concluded with dad’s “rounding-up
ceremony”), and adding another
couple hundred British pounds
joyfully donated by him and the
others. I remember some large
gatherings with Steve Lightle and
how, even though no event tickets
were issued to control the number
of people, the halls would fill
miraculously just to capacity, but not
exceed it.
So it feels like I have come full circle,
from pre-Ebenezer gatherings in my
original home town of Bournemouth,
England, to an Ebenezer conference
in my adopted home town of
Madison, Wisconsin. I was delighted
that all four of our children attended
and were able to see their father
bless the work started by his father.
Perhaps, through this experience,
they have started to understand
one of the reasons why we are so
blessed by our heavenly Father and
live under His smile.
Gustav and Elsa Scheller, 1991
A Christian ministry helping the Jewish people return to Israel
7
with Us!
E
benezer’s International Young Adults Program
is reaching the Next Generation. Join us for 14
action-packed days in Israel, July 15th – 29 th, 2013.
We invite you to be part of
engage:israel 2013 — an actionpacked trip to Israel for young adults.
Your Bible will come alive as you
discover God’s heart for the land and
its people. You’ll take part in some
great activities, receive excellent
teaching, and make new friends
NEW Engage:Israel Advanced Tour
3rd – 10th November 2013.
Visit engage-israel.org for more information.
For more information please visit
our website: www.ebenezerusa.org
You can also call our National Office in
Lancaster, NY: 716.681.6300
for life along the way! The trip will be
physically, spiritually and emotionally
charged, so get ready!
engage
Join with young people from around
the world for an adventure of a lifetime.
Get ready to be challenged physically,
spiritually and emotionally!
Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA
PO Box 568
Lancaster, NY 14086
Phone: 716.681.6300
Fax: 716.681.6304
[email protected]
www.ebenezerusa.org
Ebenezer Emergency Fund
International
Ebenezer House, 5a Poole Road
Bournemouth BH2 5QJ. UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 1202 294455
[email protected]
www.operation-exodus.org
Name________________________________
Address______________________________ _____________________________________
Zip___________________________________
Operation Exodus is an instrument
of the Lord to encourage and help
the Jewish people to return to
the Land of Israel from the land
of the north and all the nations
and to proclaim God’s Kingdom
purposes for their return.
Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA
is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity.
We are affiliated with Ebenezer
Emergency Fund International,
which started in 1991 with just
three people but now has
representatives in over 50
countries worldwide.
All articles in this publication © Ebenezer
Emergency Fund International and
Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA.
Please contact our US office if you would
like to be added to our mailing list. This
publication is FREE, but donations are
warmly welcomed.
Nonprofit corporation, contributions are deductible to the extent provided by law.
q YES, I want to support the work of Ebenezer Operation Exodus
with a gift of q $5 q $10 q $25 Other $ Make checks payable to Ebenezer Emergency Fund USA
I want to make my q Monthly Auto Deduction q One-Time Gift
q Automatic checking/savings (ACH) q Credit/Debit
Please circle credit card
Evangelical Council
For Financial Accountability
Acc #:_______________________________Exp. Date:__________CSC#:______________
E-mail________________________________
(Security Code)
Signature:___________________________________________________________________
For Automatic Checking/Savings Monthly or One-Time Donation. Please contact the National Office @ 716-681-6300 to obtain Authorization Form
Ebeneze r Emerg ency Fun d U S A • P.O. Box 5 6 8 • L a n c a s t e r, N Y 1 4086 • Te l : 71 6. 681 . 6300 • w w w. e b enezer us a. or g
Issue 1.13
Phone________________________________