Significant Update! We sent this out about a month ago. Since then, Asher Intrater and I have three significant meetings with two other Israeli leaders. These meetings have been characterized by love, graciousness and mutual respect. We have made significant progress in finally getting on the same page where see what we really believe and what others claim we believe. We have met three times, each meeting being better than the last. In fact, the March 20th meeting that I mention below, has been postponed in light of these positive developments, so we can finish these discussions.
Please keep praying, because there are few leaders here, that have already made up their mind regarding Tikkun—even to the point of spreading false information. We need God to break through.
This was something I did not initially plan on sharing publicly.
The Tikkun Israel leadership team has been seeking to discreetly work through a conflict with some other Israeli leaders over the past two years. The reason I am writing about the matter now is because an article has been written in a magazine seeking to inform the outside world of this process. At least now, I can ask you to pray.
About two years ago certain Messianic leaders in Israel began to voice concerns regarding things they read in Asher Intrater’s book Alignment—an amazing book, by the way! Many of these brothers are non-charismatic and believe that when the original 12 apostles died, that specific gift was no longer needed. In Tikkun, we have long maintained, along with millions of other believers, that the gift of apostle is still a necessary part of ministry to the congregations, just like the other four mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-13.
“So Messiah himself gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers…”
And these gifts are needed:
“…to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Messiah may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Messiah.”
Unfortunately, misunderstandings of our teachings led to accusations (and I will try not to laugh here) that we see ourselves as equal to the 12 original apostles, and even surpassing them. Furthermore, it was claimed that we see Tikkun leaders in Jerusalem as eventually having authority over all of the entire global body of Messiah.
To be clear, these are crazy ideas and not ours, but getting our brothers to understand that we don’t believe such nonsense has been immensely difficult. It would seem that some of the accusations have become very personal, even seeking to hurt our reputation abroad. So, let me say three things:
We 100 percent forgive anyone who has tried to hurt us.
We have a final meeting (because we said that after two years, we are not being good stewards of our time by devoting so many hours to this) on March 20th with the national council of Messianic elders.
I want to enlist you to intercede!
We are not fighting to defend our reputations, but for unity in the body. The enemy wants to cause division between brothers in the Land of Israel. He hates God’s plan for His people here in Holy Land.
How can we reach a nation, if we are divided? Will you please pray?
Thank you.
Ron Cantor
