In 2012, through prophetic words and extraordinary leadings, God began to invite us to build a relationship with Dan Juster, leader of Tikkun International, and his son, Ben, leader of Tikkun America.  (Incidentally, the leadership structure of Tikkun is changing just now as I write this; Ben is moving to Israel, and Asher Intrater has been appointed to head Tikkun International.)

At the same time, we became more strongly reconnected to our friends at PRMI (Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International), who have a growing ministry bringing mainline denominational people into the fullness of the Holy Spirit and a deeper life of prayer.  Soon it became clear that we McMurrys were to stand between these two ministries to be a bridge between them, to build a “ligament.”  

This calling that we have been pursuing in recent years fulfills the vision of God expressed in Ephesians 2:14 about Jews and Gentiles:  “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility….”

The Christian Church has been running away from this divine decree as fast as it can for 18 centuries.  But God is telling us to be the generation that turns around and brings this vision to pass. By reading each others’ books and attending each others’ conferences, we have been listening to each others’ hearts and growing together by degrees.  During a video recording session at PRMI headquarters in 2014, in which Dan Juster was participating by Skype, Dan invited us to visit him in Israel. This happened early in 2015.

Several new developments have emerged from this initial trip to Israel.  First, Carla and I received a mandate on February 1, 2015 to pray for Israel “until further notice.”  We were overwhelmed with God’s grief during our visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a very similar experience to that which empowered us to pray for First Nations people years ago.

Second, we believe that we are to actively pursue a linkage between Messianic Jews in Israel and PRMI, because putting Jews and Gentiles together is God’s will in our time. This is His urgent will—the fulfillment of God’s vision for the end times, prior to the return of Yeshua (Jesus). We have learned that Messianic Jews are given certain gifts and insights that we Gentiles need, and we are not complete without them.  

Jesus’ main word to our generation, prior to His return, is that we must “buy oil.”  Oil refers to the life in the Spirit and the deeper life of prayer, which we Christians need as we face the challenges of the near future.  So our two ministries are somehow to be involved in the work of equipping saints on the work of “buying oil,” and we will do it better if we are connected together by a “ligament.”