Ukraine In Crisis

Ukraine in Crisis

by John Prosser, OEUSA President

Look, I’m bringing them from the northern region, and I’ll gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. among them will be the blind and the lame, together with the pregnant woman and the woman in labor. A large group will return here. Jeremiah 31:8 ESV

The travesty taking place in Ukraine for the last few weeks is appalling and incomprehensible. Our hearts break as we watch and listen to the cries of everyday Ukrainians pleading for help from other nations to come and help them survive this demonic invasion. We thank God for their bravery and for those in the Ukrainian church praying around the clock.

What a glorious time for the true Church of our LORD to rise up and pray for God’s deliverance and protection for all His children, especially for the Ukrainian people, including the 200,000 Ukrainian Jews. May this crisis be the catalyst propelling the second Exodus from the nations, particularly from the West!

The first refugee flights carrying Ukrainian Jews landed at Ben Gurion on Sunday, March 6, 2022. Three planes departed from Moldova, Romania, and Poland, carrying close to 300 Ukrainian Jewish refugees. Orphan children between the ages of two and twelve (close to 90 of them) were part of this first round. We thank God for the great work the Israeli government is doing in rescuing their people to bring them home to Israel. They expect a wave of thousands of Ukrainian Jews to make Aliyah in the coming weeks and months.

The Ebenezer Operation Exodus International team is still operating in Ukraine out of the city of Lviv, helping Jewish people cross the border to neighboring countries. Johannes, who is spearheading this complex operation, is expanding operational bases in Poland, Moldova, and other regions. This expansion is necessary to meet the growing needs of those fleeing from the carnage of the Russian invasion.

Our international teams continue to help displaced Ukrainian Jews by providing basic needs, such as food, transportation, and warm and safe housing. Most of all, they are comforting God’s people. We encourage you to watch this powerful video from our international teams about their work in Ukraine:

This is a humanitarian crisis of unimaginable proportions! We thank God for the faithful and courageous volunteers from various European nations who are willingly stepping up to help and comfort God’s people through the horrors of this unprovoked war. Let us continue to join our voices with the Church of our LORD, praying for the manifestation of God’s miracles and His perfect will to be done! May His Truth and Light penetrate through this darkness, bringing hope and comfort to all those in peril.

At Operation Exodus USA, we consider it a privilege to stand side-by-side with Ebenezer Operations Exodus through this crisis. We are praying for all team members on the ground and helping to finance the operational needs to assist and comfort Ukrainian Jewish refugees.

We are grateful for the generosity of so many of you, our friends and partners, who are giving above and beyond to meet this urgent need. Thank You!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement. He encourages us in every trouble, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any trouble, through the very encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. For just as the sufferings of Messiah overflow into us, so also through Messiah our encouragement overflows.  2 Corinthians 1:3-5 TLV

 If you would like to contribute to this cause financially, you can do so over the phone or on our website. These funds will be used to purchase vehicles and clothing, rent housing facilities, and fill other needs as they arise. If you have already donated funds to support this effort, thank you! The Lord will surely remember your acts of charity towards His people.

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Aliyah and the Church

Aliyah and the Church

by Adrianne Prosser, Outreach Development Director

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. … I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”  
Jeremiah 29:11, 12, 14 NIV

The LORD warned the Israelites about the severe consequences of rebellion and disobedience against Him. He banished them from the Land, but His desire was always to gather and carry them back to ISRAEL – to prosper and restore them unto Himself! 

Operation Exodus USA has chosen to be active participants with God as He carries the exiles HOME to ISRAEL, fulfilling the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Aliyah reverses God’s banishment of the Israelites from their Land. The LORD, through His faithfulness and love, has never stopped carrying His people HOME, restoring them to their God-given land and their God! Israel is strengthening and flourishing as the exiles return HOME to be deeply rooted in the Land, never to be uprooted again. (Amos 9:15)

As members of His Church (Gentiles), we are responding to God’s mandate (Isaiah 49:22) to support and bless Jewish people making Aliyah. What an incredible privilege and honor we have to serve the LORD at this crucial time in the Aliyah of His people! This holy work is at the forefront of God’s agenda. One central prayer in the hearts of Jewish people, both in exile and in the Land, is to pray for God’s redemption and the coming of the Messiah! AMEN! 

The Church needs to embrace God’s Word regarding Israel’s physical and spiritual restoration. This is of extreme importance to the LORD, and therefore should be of the utmost importance to His Church. Unfortunately, many Christians are completely ignorant of the tremendous debt we owe the Jewish people and our responsibility to support and bless them as they return home from their exile. 

A great London preacher from the 1800s, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, made a remarkable statement one hundred years before the birth of the state of Israel:

“I think we do not attach enough importance to the restoration of the Jews, but certainly if there is anything promised in the Bible, it is this: the day shall yet come when the Jews, who were the first apostles to the Gentiles, the first witnesses to us who were afar off, shall be gathered in again. Until that time shall be, the fullness of the church’s glory can never come. Matchless benefits for the world are bound up with the restoration of Israel; their gathering shall be as life from the dead.” 

Today, this marvelous revelation should be echoing in the hearts of Christians in every church! Sadly, we see the ideology of replacement theology still blinding most of today’s church – it has dug its heels deep in the hearts and souls of many Christians. Our fervent prayer must be that the true Church of Jesus Christ recognizes the integral part the complete restoration of Israel plays on God’s eternal redemptive plan for all peoples! We are in this together! Our partnership with the LORD represents a cord of three strands that cannot be easily broken! 

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

God is fulfilling His promises to His first-born, ISRAEL! He is restoring His covenantal relationship in preparation for His soon coming! We join our prayers with our Jewish brothers and sisters, and we say, “Come Lord Jesus!” May the grace of our LORD Jesus be with God’s holy people! Amen!

Thank you, dear friends, for your love and support! We cannot do this work without your commitment to fervently pray and bless the Aliyah of our Jewish brothers and sisters! We stand with you in prayer, trusting the LORD will carry us through the many difficulties and hardships some are facing! To our God be all the praise, glory, honor, and praise!

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Hearts Stirred for Aliyah

Hearts Stirred for Aliyah

by Pete Stucken, Chairman of the International Board

“The LORD said, ‘I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to rescue them . . . ‘” Exodus 3:7-8 NASB

In calling Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, the Lord made it clear that it would take a series of severe judgments to unlock the gates of Egypt and free His people from slavery. The Lord also said that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. This was already evident in the brutal slavery conditions he imposed on the Israelites.

Above: Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh

As Moses stood before him, asking for Israel’s release, Pharaoh hardened his heart (literally “made his heart heavy, stubborn”) on five consecutive occasions. After this we read that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. He scarcely needed to. There was no fear of the Lord evident in Pharaoh despite the dramatic plague judgments. His heart was indeed hardened.

With an outstretched arm, with signs and wonders, with devastating destruction upon Pharaoh and his army, the Lord released His people from Egypt. This first Aliyah into the Promised Land was an Aliyah of rescue.

Not all Egyptians shared Pharaoh’s hardness of heart. Some recognized that the Israelites in Goshen were spared the worst calamities. Israel’s firstborn were safe through that first Passover. There grew a cautious respect in Egypt for the God of the Israelites, in some even a reverential fear of Him. Neighboring Egyptians allowed the departing Israelites to help themselves to stock and valuables. Some joined the Israelites as they left. Their hearts had been stirred to reverence Israel’s God. They were willing to assist, even participate in, this first Aliyah.

The Israelites possessed the land of Israel, but over the ensuing centuries they drifted into idolatry. In the 8th century BC Isaiah foretold destruction and exile from the Land but also prophesied of God’s grace, mercy and redeeming love. In one prophecy, precise in its detail, Isaiah spoke of a king named Cyrus, who would rise to help the sons of Jacob (Isaiah 45).

The fulfilment would follow after some 200 years. Those who had survived Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of the southern Kingdom found themselves in Babylonian exile. By the rivers of Babylon they wept as they remembered Zion. In this setting Daniel studied the Scriptures and found Jeremiah’s prophecy that

Jerusalem’s desolation would cease after 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). Daniel prayed, his face towards Jerusalem.

Now the time had come: in a most remarkable turn of events, the Lord stirred up the heart of a Persian king, the ruler of the great Babylonian empire — Cyrus.

“…in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom … ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to rebuild for Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Go up [literally ‘make Aliyah’] to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel … the people of that place are to support him with silver and gold, with equipment and cattle, together with a voluntary offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites rose up, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up [make Aliyah] to rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And all of those around them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with equipment, cattle, and with valuables, aside from everything that was given as a voluntary offering” Ezra 1:1-6 NASB.

Cyrus’s heart was stirred up — and so were the hearts of the Jews. During the exodus from Egypt no stirring of hearts had been needed. The oppressive conditions of slavery in Egypt made Aliyah the obvious choice.

It was different in Babylon. This profoundly pagan city had become somewhat of a safe haven for Jews. They had settled, established communities, taken up occupations, ran businesses, married and started families. There was no urge to leave. Yet the God of Israel responded to faithful prayer, moved to fulfil His word and stirred the hearts of His people for Aliyah.

A resonance of the exodus from Egypt came when Cyrus ordered the surrounding peoples to support the departing Jews with silver and gold, equipment, cattle, even a voluntary offering! Those living around the Jewish communities were being stirred to help them generously.

This Aliyah continued for over a century as more Jews decided to uproot settled lives in Babylon and go. Their hearts were stirred and were willing. Governmental authorities had been stirred to endorse their Aliyah, while the surrounding Gentiles were stirred to offer them provisions.

What an inspiration for us! Let’s pray that in the growing modern-day Aliyah the Almighty God of Israel will stir the hearts of governments and Jewish communities in the diaspora, and a multitude in the nations, to be willing participants in making or helping in a mighty Aliyah of choice while time remains.

Original article published in issue 3/2021 of Ebenezer Operation Exodus’ International Bulletin.

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Offering Hope in an Age of Genocide

Offering Hope in an Age of Genocide

“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 

Genesis 12:3 NKJV

In August, we had the privilege of hosting a zoom conference call with Dr. Susanna Kokkonen. She spoke to us about “Offering Hope in an Age of Genocide,” a message we all need to hear in the face of rising anti-Semitism worldwide.

Dr. Kokkonen has her degree in Holocaust Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and worked as the Director of Christian Friends of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem from 2008 to 2018. She frequently travels around the world speaking about anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, and the persecution of Christians.

The word brought to us by Dr. Kokkonen gave hope to everyone on the call that night, including our team here at Operation Exodus USA. We have made this call available for you to watch online so you may be encouraged and blessed by this word of hope.

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From Hope to Home – Hope for God’s People

From Hope to Home – Hope for God’s People

by Quay Messner

“From Hope to Home” is more than a catchy phrase attached to the OEUSA logo.

“Ha Tikvah,” translated as “The Hope,” is the national anthem of Israel. Written in 1886, it expresses a graciously given supernatural hope that resides deep in every Jewish heart — the hope of being restored to their God-given homeland.

The Hebrew word “Tikvah” is Strongs’ Concordance  #8615 and means “a cord” – as an attachment. It comes from the primary root “Kavah,” which means to bind together by twisting; to expect; to wait patiently.

“Ode lo avdah tikvatenu; Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim.” In English: “Then our hope – 2,000- year-old hope – will not be lost.” This hope is based on faithful covenant promises from God written in the scriptures. It is a sure hope – it is a cord between the Jewish people, God, and the Land.

Through His faithfulness and enduring love, He is making the 2,000-year-old hope a reality one by one, family by family. This hope is an essential ingredient of Aliyah. Despite the turmoil in the world, hope is blossoming profusely, shining brightly, and causing the Jewish people to return to Israel. Hope is alive and well in Jewish hearts. Let us bless this godly hope and pray that many more will go “from hope to home.”

There is a supernatural grace of hope for us Gentiles as well. “Put on salvation as your helmet.” Eph. 6:17a, NLT. A companion verse provides greater clarity: “and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” 1 Thes. 5:8, ESV.

The LORD has made provision for the protection of our minds (spiritual, soul, and physical) against discouragement, despair, apathy, inaction, paralyzing fear, being overwhelmed (and more) by the formidable and potentially exhausting events in the world. In addition, the helmet of the hope of salvation provides the power to dwell on that which is of the living God. The helmet enables us to “fix our thoughts on what is true… honorable… right… pure… lovely… excellent… worthy of praise.” Phil. 4:8, NLT

In his excellent treatise on the “helmet of the hope of salvation,” the 17th-century pastor William Gurnall writes: “This hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eyes – sign and sing all in a breath.” 1

I find it easy to have faith, hope, and love for God’s Aliyah. There are many scriptures, historical and current examples of His faithfulness to His promises. However, the battle against the mind in other personal, family, church, relational, national, and international matters is more challenging. Let us avail ourselves of the priceless provision of God’s full armor – and note that He is currently emphasizing our need for the helmet of salvation. We all personally need the sure hope that is “an anchor for our soul” that takes us directly into His Presence (Heb. 6:19, NLT). This hope gives us personal confidence during conflicts that we encounter.

“But now these three remain – faith, hope, and love.” 1Cor.13:13a, TLV.

Godly hope is alive and well in the Jewish heart. May godly hope be alive and well in our hearts and minds also. We earnestly pray for you:

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, NLT. Amen.

1 The Christian in 1Complete Armour, William Gurnall, 2nd Volume, page 144.

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Removing the Stones Through Prayer

Removing the Stones Through Prayer

by Quay Messner

…Remove the stones.
– Isaiah 62:10b

There are numerous external stones — some boulder-sized — that resist the work of Aliyah. They attempt to hinder, delay, and prevent the Jewish people in exile from returning to the Land. As an Aliyah ministry, we undermine them and remove their influence against Aliyah spiritually through praise, proclamation of the Word, and prayer. A few examples are Freemasonry, Communism, Globalism, and recently Covid and lockdown restrictions. Two examples of hindering stones through the Church are anti-Semitism and Replacement Theology. These obstacles are formidable if we face them in our own strength, but as we come against them through our faith, His strength, and the power of the Spirit, they cannot and do not prevail against Aliyah.

The stones that are more pernicious than the external ones are those in the heart. Psalm 84:5 underscores the role of the heart in making Aliyah: “Blessed are those…in whose heart are the highways to Zion.” (ESV). The original context speaks of those making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Zion) for the thrice-yearly Feasts. It is not much of a stretch to correlate this with making Aliyah from the nations today. Assimilation in the host country is a heart issue. The roots can go down very deep.

Another “heart stone” in certain branches of Judaism is a strong “Anti-Israel” or “Anti-Zionist” belief system. One branch holds firmly to a religious belief that modern Israel is sinful, wicked, and ungodly; therefore, it is not legitimate in their view. Another branch is more secular and espouses humanistic and sometimes globalist attitudes, such as “Israel is unfair to Arab minorities” or “Israel ‘bullies’ its neighbors.” Both branches speak out with harsh and condemning words against Israel. Sometimes they demonstrate these heart attitudes through anti-Israel rallies that even include burning the flag of Israel. This information can be shocking to Christians, but it is not surprising to God, who is always searching the hearts of the inhabitants of the earth.

To our God, these heart attitudes are simply stones He foresaw and spoke of through the prophets. He has the remedy in which He has called us to participate! Whether it is assimilation, anti-Israel, anti-Zionism, or any other heart stone, He has provided for its removal. “And I will give you a new heart…I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a new heart…” Ezekiel 36:26, NLT. “I want you to understand this mystery…some of the people of Israel have hard hearts…and God’s mercy has come to you so that they too will share in God’s mercy.” Romans 11:25,31 NLT. It is such a joy to pray with great compassion and faith that God will remove these stones and give the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a new heart according to His promise. He is not offended by their rabid unbelief — He has clearly outlined His intentions through His word. He simply needs us to be in full agreement and give of ourselves in prayer for them.

Pray with us for God to release His mercy to those afflicted with stones in their hearts. May they all have the blessing of “having the highways to Zion” in their hearts — then it will manifest in their literal return to the Land.

Article originally published in “Against All Odds”, OEUSA Newsletter Issue 3/2021
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The Sacred Vision of Aliyah

The Sacred Vision of Aliyah

by Evangelist Blake Lorenz

“I will accept you with your sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you were scattered; and through you I will manifest my holiness in the sight of the nations. “‘You will know that I am Adonai when I bring you into the land of Isra’el, into the country which I pledged, by raising my hand, to give to your ancestors.”
– Ezekiel 20:41-42 CJB

I sat in my office trying to hide my ignorance when two inspired leaders came and shared about Aliyah. After about ten minutes, I had to humble myself and ask them what the word Aliyah meant. I had no idea what they were talking about.

They graciously then explained about their ministry of helping over 50,000 Jews worldwide return home permanently to Israel. This work was symbolized by the word Aliyah, which means to go up to Jerusalem.

God told one of the men in my office to move from Seattle to Orlando and connect with me to teach me about Aliyah. This began a wonderful friendship and partnership in helping Jewish people return to their native land from the four corners of the earth.

From then on, God had my heart for Israel and the Jewish people and their destiny to return to the Promised Land. Through ministries like Operation Exodus USA, I began to grow in my love for God’s chosen ones and get out of my comfort zone to be involved in this end-time mission.

When I went to the Holy Land, God continued to open my eyes to His beautiful people and what He was doing around the world to bring them home. I met people of all ages in Israel who had made Aliyah. I sat in their apartments and heard their stories of how God had rescued them out of poverty and persecution and brought them to their new home to live in love and security.

My love for them increased, and so did my knowledge and involvement in helping to send Jewish people home from the nations of the world. As my wife, myself, and our people stepped out in faith, God used us to increase the joy of blessing the Jewish people so they may discover their God-given destiny.

In one event we sponsored in Orlando, we raised over $150,000 for Aliyah through Steve Strang and Charisma Media. We are a small family ministry, but God did through us what we could not do on our own for the Jewish people.

After that miracle, we were asked to host the first Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in the USA. These 2 – 3 day events, in part sponsored by the Knesset, are held around the world to inspire global leaders in politics, business, and religious faiths to teach them about God’s plan for Israel.

They have been instrumental in helping move embassies to Jerusalem, assisting the US in 2018 and Honduras just recently. We even received a call from the White House that President Trump might be interested in attending our last one, but it had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aliyah is God’s sacred vision for these last days to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah. Our Lord is looking for those who will step out in faith to join Him in His strategy to enable the Jewish people to come home.

I challenge you to pray today how God would use you to fulfill His vision for the Jews around the world, then hear His answer, and step out in faith. God promises to do more than you could ever imagine!

Evangelist Blake Lorenz, the President of Awaken Ministries, has been doing world evangelism for over 20 years. He ministers around the world, especially in Zambia, Cuba, Israel, and the United States. Blake partners with churches, missionaries, crusades, and leadership conferences, especially Holy Spirit encounters and end-time messenger equipping. He has helped plant over 500 churches worldwide over the past 20 years, ministering to the poorest of the poor, chiefs, and leaders.

Blake has been married to Beverly Brackman, a fellow ordained minister, for 39 years. Together they have three adult children and six grandchildren.  

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Knowing God’s Ways

Knowing God’s Ways

by Merrill Bolender

“He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.”
– Psalm 103:7 NKJV

When we understand God’s ways, we won’t fear or complain like the children of Israel did in the wilderness. God wants us—His people in these last days—to know His ways so we can be involved in what He is doing.  

As Christians, during these times of “shaking of everything that can be shaken,” we need to understand God’s ways. The difference between knowing God’s works and knowing His ways is like the difference between peace and panic, involvement and passivity.

“…The sons of Issachar understood the times, they also knew what they should do…” 1 Chronicles 12:32 (paraphrased).

Now, as God is shaking every facet of society worldwide, He is orchestrating His purposes and fulfilling prophecies of the restoration of all things, as spoken by all the prophets. Israel’s restoration is taking place in our lifetime.

2020 proved to be a year of earth-shaking times. If we don’t understand God’s ways, it can be a time when, “Men’s hearts are failing them from fear and the expectation of those things, which are coming on the earth…” Luke 21:26a NKJV.

I believe the Lord God wants His people to understand the times and know what He wants to accomplish during this worldwide shaking. Each of us lives for a time, with a very limited perspective, but God sees the completed picture. 

To know God’s will, we must know God’s ways. It takes “revelation.” “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.” Proverbs 29:18a. If God’s people have no revelation of what God is doing, they don’t know what to do, don’t do anything, or just do as they wish. Paul told the Gentile Roman believers, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery (of Israel), brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited…” Romans 11:25a NIV. Ignorance leads to pride, which is spiritual blindness.

God is looking for laborers with whom He can share His purposes. Have we caught the vision? If we have the vision and begin to feel God’s heart, no sacrifice is too great for our involvement. 

Dear Lord, open my understanding of the mystery of Israel’s restoration. In these last days, as You are planting Your people back in the Land with all Your heart and soul, help us to feel that love and desire to partner with You in this miraculous, holy work of Aliyah.

 

Article originally published in “The Season of the Lord’s Roar is Upon Us”, OEUSA Newsletter Issue 1/2021
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The Deep Roar of Compassion

The Deep Roar of Compassion

by Quay Messner

“My heart is torn within me and my compassion overflows.”
– Hosea 11:8b NLT

In prayer we connect with the heart of the LORD. Hosea 11:8 reveals the extraordinary depths of His love for His people in exile. In verse 10 we are shown His motivation for the roar: compassion. His people have been unfaithful to Him, disobedient, rebellious, and unwilling to repent, yet His compassion overflows.

The Tree of Life Version expresses another facet of His love and compassion: “My heart is turning over within Me. My compassions are kindled.” The love in His heart causes compassion that flows like water but also burns like holy fire, eliciting His roar from an unfathomably deep place in His heart. It is an awesome honor to be filled with—and flow in—His compassion as it fuels our prayers.

In context, His people had been unfaithful to Him—comparable in human terms to an adulterous wife. Any human heart would have given up on them and given them over to their deserved consequences. But He says, “No, I will not unleash my fierce anger…for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you…” Hosea 11:9 NLT.

Combine this deep eternal love and holy compassion with royal authority and power, and the result is: “For someday the people will follow me. I the LORD, will roar like a lion.” Hosea 11:10a NLT. The LORD who is roaring is the Lion of Judah! Jacob prophesied, “Judah, my son, is a young lion…The scepter will not depart from Judah…” Genesis 49:9-10 NLT. The book of Revelation confirms: “…Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has won the victory.” Revelation 5:5 NLT.

This roar is compassionate beyond human comprehension; it is also authoritative above all human authority. It is a royal roar that will not fail in its purpose. “And when I roar, my people will come trembling from the west.” Hosea 11:10b NLT. He is simultaneously calling His people out of exile from the west with compassion and authority, plus confusing and paralyzing every enemy attempt to stop the Aliyah.

Why are His people trembling as they return? Perhaps the answer is as deep as the roar itself and beyond human comprehension. The Jewish people are responding to a call that is inexplicable. Although the days are dark and very compatible with ungodly fear, we perceive His people are responding to something else—to the roar of The Holy One of Israel (Hosea 11:9)—an unmistakable signal in the depths of their hearts and a powerful release to return to Him from exile.

We invite you to join us as we join the LORD in compassionate, authoritative intercession for the Aliyah. 
Please visit our Get Involved page or call 716.681.6300 to find out how you can help today.

 

Article originally published in “The Season of the Lord’s Roar is Upon Us”, OEUSA Newsletter Issue 1/2021
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The Revelation of Aliyah

The Revelation of Aliyah

by Matthew Grim

Before I stepped into Operation Exodus USA’s national office for the first time, I didn’t know much about the work done here. I was aware of the promises that God made the Jewish people thousands of years ago. Still, I had never given much thought to what those promises could mean today. I didn’t even know what the term “Aliyah” meant. As I imagine in the case of most Gentiles (Christians) in America, I saw myself as outside the original covenant made with Israel, so I never thought it would be important in my walk with Christ. I can confidently say now that I was wrong about that.

That first visit catalyzed a spiritual journey that I am still traveling as I seek to better understand God’s heart for Israel in this day and age. I realized that God is still working in His chosen people and that His promises are still being fulfilled today. I was encouraged by this revelation and decided I wanted to learn all I could about Operation Exodus USA’s calling to fulfill God’s promises by helping the Jewish people and Aliyah.

So what exactly is Aliyah?

Aliyah is a Hebrew word used to refer to the act of moving to Israel. It was used for generations even before Israel was reformed after WWII but wasn’t a formal legal term until 1948. In 1948, Israel passed the Law of Return, which gives any Jewish person worldwide the right to settle in Israel and become an Israeli citizen. On paper, it seems like that’s the end of the story, but I learned very quickly that it certainly was not. To the Jewish people, Aliyah isn’t just a legal term and a right – it gives them hope.

Aliyah is the hope that our God keeps His word and that He will fulfill His promises. Throughout scripture, the Lord promises to “gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them” (Jeremiah 23:3 ESV) back to the Promised Land, to Israel, and in my time here, it’s become quite evident that He still is fulfilling those promises to this day. I’ve learned that to the Jewish people, the hope of Aliyah brings with it the hope that all of God’s promises will be fulfilled, and those hopes are realized when His people are brought home.

In my time here I have also realized that Aliyah is the heart of the story of God and His people. From the beginning of time to the modern-day, the story of our existence has always been about God’s longing to be with His people. Time and time again, the Jewish people have been torn from their land only to be brought back because of God’s love for them. While there were times that God punished Israel for their disobedience, He always made it clear that “I will not remove from him [Israel] my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips” (Psalm 89: 33-34 ESV). The story of the Lord and His people is a beautiful picture of reunion and reconciliation; I see it as a reminder of God’s love for all of His creation.

Why is this work important?

As I learned more about Aliyah and the Jewish people’s desire to return to the land of Israel, I became more unsure of what to do with this information. As a Gentile I couldn’t see at the time what my role could even be in God’s plan for the Jewish people. I was aware of God’s promises to Israel in the past, and I believed God still had plans for the Jewish people. Still, I had never considered that those plans were in motion today. I decided to accept that God wanted me to serve His people through Operation Exodus USA and to answer a vital question I know many others have asked: Why, as a Gentile, should I spend my days helping the Jewish people?

The answer was simple – I serve the God of Israel.

The God that I worship, praise, and seek to serve is the same God that brought the Jewish people out of Egypt and the same God who said He would gather His people from across the world back to the Promised Land. Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord has called upon the Gentiles to “prepare the way for the people…” (Isaiah 62:10 ESV) so that His chosen people might return to the land He promised them. I have spent my life pursuing God and wanting to serve Him wherever He would have me, and I believe He is calling me to help the Jewish people return home.

Ultimately, I choose to help the Jewish people to bring glory to our God. Time and time again, when the Lord has brought His people back to the Promised Land, it was done for His glory. Making the way for the Jewish people to return to Israel will reveal the glory of God, and as a result of this great Aliyah, “…the nations will know that I am the Lord…” (Ezekiel 36:23 ESV). I want to serve the Lord and His chosen people to that end, for His name’s sake.

The journey of discovery and understanding I started at the end of last year has not ended. I am still praying and seeking the Lord to understand His purposes and His eternal plan better. Still, I am confident that this great regathering of the Jewish people is a part of God’s will. I praise God for this revelation and for allowing me to contribute towards fulfilling the promises He made to His people. If you’re new to all of this like I am, I encourage you to pray and seek God for understanding and revelation. The further you travel on this journey, the deeper your understanding of God’s heart will become.

Let all glory and honor and praise be to our Lord! He is a faithful and loving God who will not abandon His people!

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