We want to thank you once again for your faithful support, prayers, and for always being aware of the battles we face in Israel due to our faith in Messiah Yeshua.
As many of you know, we have been going through difficult times because of the constant pressure from local authorities, influenced by ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremist groups (such as the anti-missionary organization Yad L’Achim), who are trying to close our distribution center and stop our congregation activities. They see our work and the love and support we receive from thousands of local residents as a threat.
We would like to remind you that this court case began four and a half years ago when the chief rabbis of the city unified their efforts and organized a major demonstration in front of our ministry building. During this protest, a large number of ultra-Orthodox leaders publicly declared that they would not stop until they expelled the Messianics from the city. This demonstration was accompanied by an extensive media campaign, with articles in major newspapers like Yediot Aharonot, where they spread lies about our ministry and myself. They even went so far as to compare us to Hitler, claiming that while he killed Jewish bodies, our “crazy missionary church” is killing Jewish souls by leading them to the Messiah.
All of this is happening while, at the same time, more and more families love and support us, relying on our ministry to help them navigate their daily lives, especially during these incredibly difficult times on the border with Gaza.
Despite doing everything according to the law, we continue to be treated unfairly because of our faith. We are being taken to court for issues that, in other similar cases, have not been a matter of conflict. Clearly, this is not just a technical matter but an ideological persecution against the message of salvation that we proclaim.
We know that the Lord is with us in this battle. And while this brings pain and concern, we remain steadfast in the promise that “He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion.
Because of this situation, we believe that the Lord is opening a new door and leading us down an unexpected path. We feel in our hearts that He is challenging us to dream of something that once seemed impossible: acquiring our own building. This new challenge fills us with hope, as it will allow us to overcome our current limitations and secure a permanent place where we can continue serving our community and proclaiming His name openly as Messianic believers.
Having our own building will give us the freedom to fully use the space for all the purposes we were called to: helping the needy, supporting the traumatized through our projects, and bringing the hope and life of the Kingdom of Heaven to those around us.
Today, we ask you to join us in prayer, interceding for the Lord to grant us favor in the courts and wisdom in every decision. But we also invite you to be part of this new chapter for our ministry, believing together that this dream of having our own building will become a reality.
Michael Beener. Pastor, City of Life Congregation – Sderot. Southern Israel.
