This situation of the coronavirus is driving the whole world mad! Today I got my second coronavirus vaccination. In about 10 days I ought to be relatively safe from this scourge on humanity. I plan to keep wearing the mask and being wise in closed crowded places.

The USA has a new president, President Joe Biden! The turtle has won the race against the rabbit! It often happens in history and now we all ought to be prayer for the new president and bless him and his presidency over one of the great nations in the world.

The world is going through a plague for almost a whole year! This plague is horrible and cruel and up to today the statistics of this plague called “corona” are truly in Biblical proportions:

1. The number of dead in the world from this coronavirus pandemic until today is over 2,000,000 people.
2. The number infected around the world is: 94,124,612
3. The number of confirmed infected people in the USA on January 17, 2021 was 246,485 people.

I could give you the whole load of statistics, but for me the worst part of this plague is that it is grimly reaping living souls without distinction of race, color, social status, education, wealth, university degrees, and of all religions, and clerics of every faith.

The voices of the religious leaders in the USA, Europe, Russia, Israel, and Africa have generally-speaking been silent, quiet, they swallowed their tongues. A few individual religious leaders have said a little with anaemic verbiage.

I would have expected the famous, the powerful, the pastors of the big churches that are on Christian television every morning and every evening to open the Bible and to tell the world, or at least their own churches, that this plague is biblical, and that the Lord God who created the world is giving it a major shakeup, a wake-up call, a warning to let us know that He is still in power and that He is not happy with humanity.

The message of repentance, and the recognition that the “church” - the whole Christian world - has to refocus from involvement in church growth and the wealth paradigm to the True Church and its calling, and to faithfulness to God and to His Word! No, the so-called spiritual leadership is still under the illusion that wealth, and rich churches, full of warm bodies, are the goal and represents victory!

No, dear brothers and sisters, in this case I must say that most of the Jewish people and religious institutions are doing much better, although the rabbis, like the pastors, are the same in relationship to the coronavirus. Neither the Jews nor the Christians are confessing their sins and their departure from plain biblical instructions. The Messianic Jews are no exception to this.

I suggest that all people, or all faiths, unite (even if it is virtual) in calling their own flocks and their own institutions to look deep inside and confess their sins and to fast, and pray and repent, and seek to rebuild their relationships with both God and men.

Joe Biden was installed as the 46th President of the United States of America. The importance of this nation for the world is unmeasurable. The important role that the USA has in the Middle East and for Israel is so very important. We must pray for the USA and for its relationship with Israel.

We are at home still and the closure has now been extended to at least the end of January! We are both staying at home and working from home. I am recording teachings on the Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry face-book page almost daily. I am working on my book almost dally and cooking and helping Marcia with some of the house work.

Bathsheba Derbaremdicker, Zvi’s wife, is recovering well from her surgery. Please keep her in your prayers and keep Zvi in your prayers.

Please consider as a church or as individuals to add something extra for the elderly saints of Jerusalem.

I am asking you to pray for a very special kindergarten in Jerusalem “Little Hearts.” The director of this special kindergarten is one of our own from the congregation.

Keep praying for a dear sister, Livia Schnell Nothen, who has been with us in Portugal and has stood with our brothers in Brazil and with us on the issue of the Anussim (the “coerced ones”, descendants of 15th century Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were forced to convert to Catholicism and who continued to secretly practice their Judaism - getting the State of Israel to accept them as Jews under the Law of Return has been an issue) and their plight…

Please keep brother Philip Marc in your prayers. Pray for Paulo C. Pereira Braga Dias. He is the father of a dear sister in Brazil.

Pray for Marcia! She can’t take the vaccine. Marcia has many allergies and other issues so that receiving the vaccine might be dangerous.

1. Please keep doing intercessory prayer for the whole world, concentrate on your country, but do not forget Israel.
2. There is a blessing from God to those who pray for other brothers and sisters and intercede through the Holy Spirit for the body of the Messiah.
3. It might seem like a small thing for us to pray a few minutes for brothers and sisters around the world, but in the Kingdom and in the Heavens attention is paid by the authorities of Goodness to the caring and sincere intercessory prayer that conforms and confirms that the body of the Messiah Yeshua is truly one body.

• Pray for the former board members of KIBI and those who need to repent and restore their relationship receive power from on high to do so.
• Pray for those members and academics that are and were a part of the Israel Forum.
• Pray for those who have prayed so faithfully for the salvation of Israel and the peace in Israel.

Danah our daughter, needs much prayer for her situation as does our granddaughter Noaam. Please lift Danah and Noaam in your prayers. Please lift Barry our son and his family, Beth, and Joey our grandson who are also staying at home and working from home during this time. Marcia’s mother June is 91 years old and her health is failing. Our sister from Jerusalem, Hadassah, had her surgery for cancer and is now at home recovering. Please keep her in your prayers.

We are praying for a three-year-old little girl who is ill with a rare illness and cancer. She lives with her family in California and we need to pray for her and her family to receive attention and healing from the Lord and to be allowed to grow up to serve His kingdom.

I am adding a new prayer request from a leader of God’s people in India, Joy Mathew. Joy has a serious heart condition and has asked for prayer.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Brazil.

Please keep in your prayers our dear brother Pastor TJ in Taiwan.

Keep Ruby Little in your prayers, our dear sister from Oklahoma City, who is also battling against cancer and add to your prayers Allison Howard Williams. Allison is the daughter of one of my incredibly special teachers and friends, Dr. George Howard. Allison is also battling cancer.

Please keep praying for Samuel Lopes, a 17-year-old boy who is going through an extremely hard time. His father and mother are extremely upset that He is not walking with the Lord and I heard from his father he has joined with friends who are far from the paths of righteousness.

Please pray for the family of brother Joseph Kelber and especially for his son who is doing better but still needs our prayers.

Pray for Rachael and Daniel, a brother and sister who need jobs and emotional healing. Lift these brothers and sisters in your prayers: Angela Isby, Aries Franklin Mayers Sr., and Tony Black. Keep praying for Nancy, Don and their son Aaron Hook, Rachel David Kim’s wife – Jingyung Lee, Dr. Yuizawa, Tiz H., Lion H., Michael Schiffman, Joe Mays, Ilana Abramov, Cynthia Parveen’s sister, David Stern and his family, Anne West who is now 100 years old. Keep praying for Gary, and Melanie.

Remember the following brothers and sisters from the Roeh Israel Congregation in Jerusalem; Sarit, Gabriela, Ahuva, Leah, Ilana, Hannah, young Gabriela, Zvi D. and Bathsheba, Jonathan B. and his wife Aviva and their baby, and pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan. Sister Yoko had a stroke, and we pray that her recovery will be quick and full.

From Chennai, India, please remember Pastor Isaac. From Hong Kong, remember all of Hong Kong during these days of several different kinds of viruses and the coronavirus. Remember Tony and Louisa Tam, and our brothers and sisters at the 611 Church, and the other churches who love God and love Israel in that great city.

Just a word of grace before the mercy seat of the Almighty will be heard in favor of these brothers and Um Mahmud Abu-Eid and Jimmy Abu-Eid and his family, Keijo and Salme our dear brothers in Finland, Tim Tucker, Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli. Our other brothers and sisters in Finland who need our prayers, Evelina, and Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia and Victor, and Aaron Tani, and Hillel and his wife.

Around the whole world, we pray for Zhou Wenrian, Abe family, Toru, Takeo Sensei, Daisuke Sensei, Tomoko San, Yumi and her father Pastor Ohara, George, and Pastor Isaac in Chennai, India, Louisa, and Tony in Hong Kong.

I have just received a prayer request from a dear sister from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her father who is 70 years old and diabetic has contracted the COVID-19 virus. His name is Paulo C. Pereira Braga Dias. He is in the hospital and his condition is particularly challenging. Please join us in lifting Paulo C. Pereira Braga Dias in your prayers.

Please see your prayer as casting a vote for healing before the Lord and His angels in Heaven in favor of every brother and sister that you are praying for. Just a word of grace for all of us is a refreshing spirit. Take your prayers before the mercy seat of the Almighty to be heard in favor of those that you are lifting in prayer.

Please add to your prayers the family of Um Mahmud Abu-Eid and Jimmy their son. I believe that this is a good thing for us to pray for friends and acquaintances who are Muslims. It is an act of love and reconciliation to carry before the throne of mercy those dear people who are seeking peace and righteousness looking toward the Lord for mercy and healing.

Keep praying for Guilherme Antonio Nathan Becker and his wife Artuza de Oliviera, also add Rachael and Daniel Webster and Lizette Nancy, and Jose Carlos from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

By praying for people who are your brothers and sisters, and whom you do not know personally, you are exercising the right to be God’s ambassador in what is called “agape love.” “Agape love” is the highest form of love, a love that does not look for earthly rewards or give and take, but just does the service of intercession in the kingdom of God.

You will be blessed by the almighty God who gives each of His children good for the good we do and recompense for the bad we do. Your sincere prayers for people around the world do the following things for the Kingdom, the King, and for the body of the Messiah:

1. They unite you and the body in a major transcendent bond of prayer.
2. They demonstrate the oneness of the people of God.
3. Your prayer shows that there are people outside the realm of the physical world and personal interests who have a sincere bond and relationship that is heavenly and not earthly.
4. The Lord knows His children and gives credit and reward according to His promises.

We have brothers and sisters in Israel and in China and I ask you to pray for their safety and protection: Deborah Ruth, Lydia, Sima, Laurel S., Naomi, Orna, David S., Daniel, Dalia D., Ayla, Hillel, Elhanan, Tony, Dr. Song, and his wife Sister Harriet Kim, Michael Knezevich, Ismael Alves, Asher Gabriel, M. Ahuva. Please pray for a dear brother who is well into his 90’s and lost his wife a couple of weeks ago. His name is Dov H. Please keep in your prayers a dear sister who attends our congregation in Jerusalem. Her name is Hadassah and she just had cancer surgery. Pray for Hadassah for a full recovery and remission from cancer in her body.

Pray for Israel. We are going through terrible riots and violence in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv and other places around the country. These riots are motivated by the fact that much of the populace of Israel does not understand what the government is doing in relationship to the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses are closing, and bankruptcy is happening to old established companies and businesses and even our national airline is on the verge of bankruptcy. People do not have money to put food on their tables. The number of people in need of basic food is growing.

Netivyah has been feeding the poor of Jerusalem for more than 25 years and we have a highly appreciated humanitarian ministry that is working with the Jerusalem municipality. As the demands for food for people who never before needed such help grows, I pray that the Lord will inspire and motivate brothers and sisters and ministries who can help with this to visit our webpage and do what they can to make it possible for us to double or more than double, the number of people and families that we serve.

Our prime minister’s case is still before the courts. I am not happy that this is happening in Israel, but I am praying that true justice and righteousness is exhibited in our court system. The truth must come out and I am not interested in a second prime minister of Israel going to jail. We have had a president in jail, a finance minister in jail, a minister of interior affairs in jail, and a member of the parliament in jail. Enough!

From our congregation in Jerusalem, we ask you to join us in prayer for the following dear brothers and sisters: Gary, Melanie, Sarit, Gabriela, Ahuva, Leah, Ilana, Hannah, young Gabriela, Zvi D. and Bathsheba, Jonathan B. and his wife Aviva and their new baby.

Pray for some dear friends, Rabbi Salt, and his family and Rabbi Hasselblad. They are both older and need protection and blessings.

I was asked by brothers and sisters of the Messianic congregation, Shoresh David (The Root of David) in Portland, Oregon, to pray for Portland. Anarchist elements have taken the center of Portland, OR, and turned it into chaos, and disorder. So, please pray for Portland, OR, and for our brothers and sisters in that city.

The coronavirus is threatening the economy of the world with a great recession and depression. Some of our major supporters have already lowered the amount of their support. They have done this not only toward Netivyah, but for all the ministries that they are supporting, and they are many. I would like to first ask you to pray about your part in supporting Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry.

Second, I would like for you who stand with us in prayer and financially to do your absolute best to stay on board with us and communicate. We realize that times will be hard for several years, but we also realize that God has chosen and blessed you for such a time as this.

Third please pray for a new project that we are starting in Israel in partnership with the Houses for Healing ministry from Abilene, Texas.

The aim is to provide hospitality for families of critically ill patients who are hospitalized in one of Jerusalem’s hospitals and who have no means to stay in hotels while their family members are in the hospitals.

This is a critical need especially in these days when there are hundreds of men and women who are in the Coronavirus ICU units for weeks and even months.

We need your prayer and your help to make this a meaningful and significant blessing both to the sick and to their families…

I wish all of you, who stand with Israel and who pray for Jerusalem, the best of the Lord’s blessings and the fulfillment of all His promises to His faithful children. Those who hear God and do His will are the ones who are called wise! Those who only hear His word and don’t do it are called foolish! Let us all strive to be wise and never foolish! The best is yet to come!

I want to bless all of you, our dear brothers around the world. I thank you who have prayed for Netivyah and for Israel, and have helped Netivyah to carry on with God’s work and a positive witness of God’s goodness by supporting Netivyah with prayer and with your generous gifts that enable the Lord’s work in Israel and around the world.

May the Lord God of Israel and the grace of Yeshua our Messiah, King, Teacher, Rabbi, and Lord be with you all!

Joseph Shulam