Matthew 9:36-38 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
I’d like to preface this devotion by offering a few disclaimers:
1. One thing I’ve always stood firmly on, as founder and director of Worthy News, is that we will not report on ministry scandals until investigations have been fully released and the facts are established.
2. I refuse to participate in tearing down a fellow believer— because the enemy does enough damage without me in the mix.
3. I recognize that this devotion is abnormally long and may stir up some emotions, but please bear with me— it’s very important to grasp the full scale of what’s happening so that you can pray with understanding.
As a pastor who has traveled extensively and also met and ministered to believers from all walks, backgrounds, and denominations, I feel I have a unique perspective on what is happening in the world and among the Body of Christ.
As I look at the big picture, I have noticed that since the recent war broke out in Israel in October of 2023, several ministries that have played a key role in Israel’s spiritual revival have come under intense attack.
In April 2023, Mike Bickle, leader of the International House of Prayer, led a massive, unprecedented global prayer effort to mobilize MILLIONS worldwide to pray for Israel (specifically pray for their salvation). Just months later, at a time when Israel needed intercessory prayer the most, a scandal erupted with him that left thousands of his ministry’s young intercessors and those committed to joining in prayer worldwide shocked and discouraged.
Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, a leading voice in Jewish evangelism and the head of Jewish Voice Ministries International, which has reached countless Jewish people with the gospel, suffered a sudden life-threatening health crisis just weeks after the war in Israel began. He was on the verge of death until he received a miraculous liver transplant. Still recovering a year later, he, as well, was silenced at a time when Israel needed it the most.
Gateway Church in Dallas, one of Israel’s biggest financial supporters, was caught in controversy when its lead pastor, Robert Morris, had to step down. As a result, millions of donor dollars that were helping spread the gospel in Israel and providing aid for Israelis in need were cut off.
DayStar Television, the first Christian broadcasting network to ever bring the gospel into Israel— and a generous source of provision for Israel was also hit with controversy.
Most recently, Dr. Michael Brown, a well-respected theologian and host of In the Line of Fire, also found himself facing allegations. Brown’s Fire Ministries has been instrumental in discipling countless Messianic Jewish ministry leaders and equipping them to share the gospel more effectively with Jewish people. Dr. Brown has spent years countering the arguments of Orthodox Jewish leaders who reject Jesus and has debated atheists and rabbis alike. Now, at a critical time, his voice, too, is threatened to be silenced.
These are just the well-known situations. I know of other circumstances behind the scenes that greatly affect believers in Israel, especially right now. As a pastor, my heart is heavy. I’ve spent a lot of time grieving over and praying through these situations and ministering to people who are struggling in the aftermath.
I’m not here to excuse any wrongdoing or weigh in on specific allegations. I am sharing all this to highlight the fact that at a season when Israel is facing the most difficult challenges in her existence and walking through a period of great uncertainty, she has lost a key source of intercession, some major financial supporters, a leading evangelist, a respected theologian, and advocate, as well as a Christian broadcasting network— all at the same time. While Israel is fighting a seven-front war in the natural, she is also facing a massive spiritual battle on every side.
These ministries that are under attack have been ministries fully committed to sharing the gospel with the Jewish people. I want you to understand how intense the spiritual assault is against those fighting for Israel’s salvation. True restoration of Israel will only happen when the Jewish people return to their Messiah. Not only that, Israel’s revival is directly connected to our own revival as the Body of Christ – it’s one of the key factors to sparking the next great awakening!
Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers of the 1800s, understood this when he said:
“I do not think we attach enough importance to the restoration of the Jews. Those who were the first missionaries, the first apostles to us who are afar off, shall be regathered again. Until that shall be, the church’s glory can never come. Matchless benefits are tied to the restoration of the Jews, for their regathering shall be as life from the dead.”
The enemy is prowling, looking for whom he may devour. But know this: God is not finished with the Jewish people!
Will you set aside time this weekend to pray? Pray for the salvation of the Jewish people. Pray that God would raise up new leaders, evangelists, intercessors and voices to speak truth in this hour. Pray for the harvesters in Israel and around the world. God has placed you here for such a time as this!
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Thousands of people all over the world will celebrate Pesach (Passover) tonight, commemorating the day the Angel of Death passed over the Israelite slaves in Egypt, sparing their firstborn because the blood of a lamb was applied on their doorposts. Many believers in Yeshua (Jesus) also recognize this as the day that Messiah was crucified, offering Himself as the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, which reconciled man to His Maker, and restored them to close relationship.
Tomorrow night, thousands will begin celebrating the feast of Pesach (Passover), the day we remember God’s merciful redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt. When the final plague struck Pharoh and the Egyptians in Exodus, those who were spared were the ones who applied blood to their doorposts as God warned. Interestingly, the blood that God required them to apply then was the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb.
In the parable of the unmerciful servant, the servant mistakenly thought that he could demand justice from another servant all the while asking mercy for himself from the king. When the king found out about this servant’s awful behavior, he became enraged and said to him “You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to; couldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?”
There are two kinds of birds that roam the desert: vultures and hummingbirds. The vulture thrives on a diet of rotting meat. He flies overhead searching for traces of leftover carcasses from slow-footed critters eaten by wild animals who’ve already had their fill.
In Biblical Hebrew, the verb tenses are not like our “past”, “present”, and “future” – there are only two: “perfect” and “imperfect”. The “imperfect” tense is that which is not yet, not done, or not completed. The “perfect” is that which is done, complete and finished.
In 2nd Samuel Chapter 9 we read of the story of King David and Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of the first king of Israel, King Saul. After Jonathan’s death, David went forth to show kindness to Saul’s house. Mephibosheth had become lame at the young age of five — he had lived his entire life as a cripple.
The burglar froze in place, allowing the woman to call the police and report the burglary calmly. When the police arrived and detained the man, the officer curiously asked him, “Why did you stop when she cited scripture?” The burglar, still shaken, replied, “Scripture? I thought she said she had an ax and two .38s!”