Let me tell you a little story.


Back in 1943, in the most deadly ever Nazi death camp (Auschwitz) in Poland, a man and a woman became casually acquainted. At this point, they had both lost every member of their families that had been sent to the camps with them. What was it that they had in common? It appeared the most prevalent common denominator was that they were born Jewish. As time went on they did small little things for each other (like, he would steal bread and potato skins from the garbage, and she the odd cigarette from the officers quarters ). Both of them in their loneliness, were trying to beat the odds of not surviving Auschwitz. With God's help they did survive, and when they got strong enough after the liberation of the camp in 1945, they headed off to northern Greece (his place of birth) to try and start a new life in his former hometown of Salonika.

Their first child brought more pain as he was still born (a boy of 13 pounds), and then about a year later they had a daughter. But around this time tensions were beginning to grow and it looked like trouble would once again come their way. It seemed their being Jewish just continued to haunt them.  So it was decided that they would make the big move back to the “Promised Land.” In the few years since the war had ended there was so much talk about the recreation of the state of Israel, and the Jewish people; it seemed they were headed home from every corner of the earth. It appeared there were very few places on earth where Jews were welcome. Hoping to finally find that place of refuge, the Jewish people had long sought after. Many thought, could it truly be possible after 2700 years?  So off this couple went, arriving in Haifa Israel, and later discovering that low and behold another child was on the way. Mom was convinced that this child would in fact be a boy, and would ultimately one day fulfill the promise she believed God had given her.  

But as the months went on it became clear that this place Israel was going to be a hard place to live, a hot place and an economically dry place as well. A place where little Caroline (my sister) would not be able to endure her illness.  So my dad set off looking for work possibilities, knowing that it would be hard to live in Israel. And in his absence, on a cool November night in Haifa that little boy that mom was so sure would come, arrived on the scene. Dad was far away somewhere, no one really knew where or what he was doing. So mom, little Caroline and the new arrival went home from the Ram Bam hospital to their shared apartment without dad. But her faith, in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, mom just trusted that the Lord would work all things out for good. 

Dad eventually returned home from his absence and tried to make a go of it in Israel. And a couple of years passed selling BBQ fish on the streets of Haifa, but dad finally went  to Germany where he made plans for us to head for Canada, and he sent word, “come meet me here and we'll sail for Canada from Germany.” Selling everything (which was not much) mom raised some money to pay to have her and the children smuggled into Germany; where they met up with dad, and ultimately sailed for Canada, and yet another brand new start in life.  It was hard at first, as none of them knew any English; and trusted solely on the help from the Jewish agency, also being supplemented by an organization called, ‘The Scott Mission’ (A Christian-Jewish outreach to Jews).   It was hard for them to accept help from the mission at first, help from people who related their faith to Jesus Christ.   Seeing so many instances where their people were murdered and persecuted throughout history by people that called themselves Christians (as many Nazis did). They settled in and the years began to pass. And soon it was time for the kids to go to school, and start their process of learning.

But in those days, there still were some ugly remnants of anti-Semitism in Toronto as well, and racial slurs were quite common. There were times when moms little boy would be chased home by bullies crying out,  "Filthy Jew" and "kike". So this little guy spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out how he could avoid this treatment, which he had now become accustomed to.  Ultimately he felt he had found the answer to his problem. Since other people who were not Jewish rarely ever seemed to get this treatment, and it appeared most of them were Christian. The little boy decided he would change his name to something that sounded ‘Christian’, hoping he would be spared this treatment in the future. So how could a child of  8, change his name and have the school authorities acknowledge this name as being real? It soon became clear, he would start by telling the teachers that his name wasn't Simantov, but was actually Siman Tov, Tov being a middle name; and not knowing any better the school soon acknowledged his name to be Siman, pronounced Simon, with a middle name of Tov. And there it was his answer, now he had a Christian name and identity, and until 1990 when he met the person of Jesus Christ, he was known by all his friends; and even family as Siman.  

In 1998, “Siman” following the leading of the Holy Spirit; left behind all of his friends and even his own two children (Jack and Rachel), and made Alyiah (going up) back to his homeland Israel. No longer carrying the name Siman, but once again after more than forty years was Simantov.  And now he is trusting the Lord, to make a way where there seems to be no way. To live in the land of his ancestors, Israel. Simantov in obedience to God was fulfilling God's call on the Jewish people to come back home to their land Israel. There are literally hundreds of verses in the bible promising the ultimate return of the Jewish people back to their promised land. In the book of Ezekiel chapter 36, God declares He will bring His people back to the land: “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” ( Ezekiel 36: 24 )

Over sixty years have passed since world war two and the holocaust ended. But the spirit of hatred towards the Jewish people has never ended. In the 1930's and 1940's it was called Nazi-ism. Today through the teachings of Islam and various other sources around the world much the same hate is being dispelled to the world. And as this hate spreads, it will ultimately touch and effect even ( truly ) born again Christians as well. Because the mystery of the scriptures is that, those who are in Messiah are "fellow citizens in the commonwealth of Israel" (Ephesians 2:11-3:6. & Romans 11:17-30). And as more and more Christians begin to understand their intimate relationship with Israel through Messiah, they will also stand with Israel in her tribulations. For that is God's plan, to "provoke Israel (the Jewish people) to jealousy" (Romans 11:11) through the gentile Christians unconditional love shown towards Israel and the Jewish people. God forbid, that ignorant Christians would once again sit and do nothing as was the case with many (not all) during WW2.

     Simantov Allalouf

     Jerusalem Israel

March 2 2000

 

Philippians 3:10-11

 

 

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

Back in 2002, I felt the Lord giving me a simple understanding of what He has been doing in and through His children the body of Messiah. And I began to realize that there were two verses that, in a simple way explains what's been happening since 1994.

On January 20 1994, I was one of the small group of people in attendance at the Airport Vineyard in Toronto. And for the first time in my life witnessed, both in the natural and in the spirit a powerful visitation of God's Holy Spirit. As the months went on I began to talk to and know Him in a way I never knew Him before. I began to learn and understand the Father heart of God. And I saw Him move in a power I had only ever heard and read about, but never actually experienced. I went with my daughter  to a hospital to pray for her dying friend and as my daughter prayed I watched the Lord open the blind eyes of her girl friend (she had been declared legally blind) but now she could see. Not only that, but she had been so badly disabled, that she could not walk or eat. But soon after our time of prayer she was walking and eating, and out of hospital.

That was only one of many miracles I witnessed of the Lord's resurrection power at work. As time went on many awesome things took place in my own family, some of the greatest being that my wife was apprehended by the love of God on May 22 1994 and as a result gave her heart to the Lord. And again in 1997 my son also had an encounter with the Lamb of God Yeshua. In my own life I saw many wonderful events unfold by the hand of God's power, such as divine appointments without question orchestrated by His loving hand of power.

But then the season seemed to begin to change at least for me. It seemed that this great new experience of His power was slowly shifting and changing. And I began to come into troubles and heartaches. Rachel's friend Sarah that we had seen miraculously healed fell ill again, and again lost her sight and came under greater spiritual attack than ever before in her life. I lost my job, and then my wife lost her job. We could no longer pay the mortgage or our bills. My son who had waited all his life to go to college and be a commercial pilot was released from his class because of medical reasons. And it seemed that all the people I knew in church were going through all kinds of sufferings. Some were involved in devastating car crashes, and others lost homes and businesses. Others went through painful divorces and physical loss, of loved ones and ministries.

And I began to wonder what happened to all the good times, and that rich loving presence of God in our lives? I was now beginning to see more and more suffering in my life (and in those I knew), than I had ever experienced in my life. The last two years since we decided to make Alyiah (going over) to Israel my wife and I have gone through the hardest time of our lives. The greatest place of attack being in our minds and our emotions, sometimes leading to severe depression. But without experiencing His awesome power and presence, through these sufferings I know He's been there with us all the way. Sometimes not understanding why have we (friends and family) been going through this "fellowship of suffering?" And it seemed the only answer I ever got was that He was putting to death in me all the flesh, and all of my own personal desires and plans. A dear and close friend mine that I hadn't heard from in a long time, finally did call just to say "Simantov the Lord spoke to me and said do not call Simantov I'm putting him to death." And I have since recognized as has many of my friends that the Lord is in the process of putting to "death" all of us, so that all that remains is Him.

I am the first one to admit that dying to self involves sacrifice and pain I really do not want to endure. It's a path I have never traveled before in my life, and one day while I was contemplating this new and scary journey He had put us on, these verses came into my spirit; Joshua 3:3-4 " And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore." The ark being a representation of the Holy Spirit's leading, taking us on a journey we have never before made, nor ever had planned on making.

But I am now beginning to understand that in order that "I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." I must first die (to self). All this you say from two verses in the book of Philippians? And where will all this death lead us to? Many of us may ask, the answer I believe is in the scriptures so clearly. I don't want to continue listing scriptures (of which there are many), because then this article will be too long. But the obvious answer is that the Lord is raising up His army of people (both young and old), who are totally sold out for Jesus Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me (and through me). We've all heard I'm sure the prophetic words going around, that we are entering a season of signs and wonders and miracles like the world has never before witnessed. A season that is going to shake the nations and see a multitude come to Christ. A season of great power when the Glory of the Lord will cover the earth the way the waters cover the sea. And the Lord desires to put this Glory in you and in me. But we must understand as Yeshua understood that, only dead vessels could ever carry this Glory of the Lord, because it belongs to Him.

 

     PS.  He's coming very soon....