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.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]There was a man who had four sons, and he wanted them to understand the importance of not rushing to judgment. So, he sent each one on a journey to view a pear tree that was far away. He sent the first son in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer, and the youngest in the fall. After they all returned, he gathered them together to hear what they had seen.
The Hebrew letter mem, equivalent to our English letter “M,” has a fascinating characteristic: it has two forms. The “open mem” appears at the beginning or middle of a word, with a small opening in its design. The “closed mem,” however, is used exclusively as the final letter in a word, fully sealed in its appearance. This distinction is consistent throughout the Hebrew language—except for one extraordinary exception found in the Bible.
Yeshua (Jesus) gave a remarkable parenthetic instruction in the middle of His Olivet discourse on the time of His coming and the end of the age. While it is unlikely that He himself said this, He certainly inspired Matthew to insert, “..let the reader understand”, concerning this critical event prophesied by Daniel, the Abomination of Desolation. His exhortation intended us (the readers of Matthew’s gospel) to learn what this means.
In John Bunyan’s best-selling book, Pilgrim’s Progress, the central character, Christian, begins his journey leaving the city of Destruction and ventures on his way toward the Celestial City. Early on his journey, Christian decides to depart from the narrow path onto an easier one which leads him to the territory of Despair and its stronghold, Doubting Castle.
The United States is currently experiencing a polar vortex—a surge of frigid air from the Arctic circle that blankets the country, bringing massive winter storms in its wake. As of now, over 350,000 people are without power. This sudden and unexpected cold snap brought to mind a story I’d like to share.
During this frigid weather across the United States and the devastating fires in California, millions have been grappling with widespread electricity blackouts. Thousands of people across the country remain without power. Across the United States, many teens are experiencing life without electricity for the first time—an adjustment that also means living without their cell phones. Can you imagine?
Mount Ibu, a volcano on Halmahera island in Indonesia’s North Maluku province, erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and sending a column of smoke and ash soaring over three miles into the sky. It’s a reminder of how volatile Indonesia can be as it has nearly 130 active volcanoes. All of this volcanic activity reminded me of another explosion that took place in 1991.