About a week ago many of you joined in prayer, asking God to move on behalf of One for Israel. Their commitment to share the Gospel of Yeshua landed them in a courtroom, defending against those attempting to silence their efforts.

Dr Erez Soref reports some positive news:

Dear Friends, 

We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for standing with us in prayer for the trial these past two weeks. Below is a brief update, and we ask you to continue to pray with us for wisdom and protection.

We praise God that the sole charge brought against us—claiming that we are targeting minors with our evangelistic videos, an activity which could be interpreted as illegal in Israel—was strongly refuted. Although the judge’s final verdict won’t be decided for at least another twelve to twenty-four months, the testimonies of all those questioned by the attorneys, including experts on social media platforms, made it quite clear that these charges were completely false.

In fact, the testimonies of the plaintiffs were full of contradictions, and completely unreliable. As one of their key witnesses against us, the prosecution brought an “expert” in stopping the spread of the gospel in Israel from the largest “anti-missionary” organization in the land. This expert, along with the plaintiffs, openly admitted in court that this anti-missionary organization is spearheading this lawsuit against us and also funding it.

It has also become quite clear to us that there are those seeking to use this trial to delegitimize, demonize, and silence the Body of Messiah in Israel—those of us who see ourselves as united in faith with our evangelical brothers and sisters around the world, while continuing to identify as Jewish in both our biblical faith and ethnic heritage. Unfortunately, one of the witnesses at the trial, who has become increasingly antagonistic toward followers of Messiah in Israel and evangelical theology, publicly attacked us both in the courtroom and afterward. Without a doubt, this public alignment with an anti-missionary organization will only serve to fuel further persecution of the church in Israel.

We praise God for the privilege of following in the footsteps of Apostle Paul and also of our Messiah, for both of them were also falsely accused of preaching a non-biblical faith and of being against the Jewish people. So, to borrow the words of Paul at his trial, we joyfully proclaim:

“[W]hile Paul said in his own defense, ‘I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar’” (Acts 25:8). “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23). 

We truly thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue praying for the Body of Messiah in Israel, that we remain faithful to God, and to our Great Commission calling. We also ask you to pray for continued freedom of religion, speech and worship in Israel as these basic human rights are being challenged and put to test in trials such as this.

Clearly, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil spiritual authorities. And in the midst of this spiritual battle, the gospel continues to be proclaimed loudly and clearly to the people of Israel! Pray with us and partner with us as we fulfill this calling.

Because and for the sake of our Messiah, 

Erez Soref,
On behalf of the ONE FOR ISRAEL team

Indeed, God was faithful to reveal truth in the testimony heard by the judge. Now, please continue praying that the judge will choose righteously. God’s Word teaches believers to share the Gospel, and I believe He will bring about victory in this case. Jump on board the victory train by praising God for His faithfulness, and asking Him to bring about the right verdict from the judge!