Watchmen, Be At Your Station!!

Chose Life

"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you [i.e. Israel, descendants of Jacob] may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them"


(Deuteronomy 30:19-20-closing the first portion of this week's Torah reading.).

"You are stationed here today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives-also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water." (Deuteronomy 29:10-First verse of this week's Torah Portion. "Nitsavim", the title of this reading, is a military term (today as in ancient times) meaning to "be stationed", to "be positioned.").


If events continue on what appears to be their present course, the end of this week will find representatives of nations facing a choice, the results of which we believe could indeed mean "life or death, blessing or cursing" for the prosperity of their citizens and lands both now and for generations to come. Friday PA President Abbas plans to present to the Security Council at the UN a request that Palestine be granted recognition as a new member state of the United Nations with borders along the '67 lines and with Jerusalem as its capital. Voting to accept this (the vote itself would likely take place a few weeks later) would essentially be countenancing placement of a permanent Muslim sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria, all of Hamas-held Gaza, and over vast portions of Jerusalem, including the Old City (with the Temple Mount) and the Mount of Olives. The Security Council consists of five permanent members-the US, China, France, the UK and Russia (each of which is endowed with a power to veto), and ten non-permanent members, elected for two-year terms. Only the Security Council can grant full membership of a newly-declared state to the General Assembly. As of this writing five nations on the SC have indicated a willingness to vote for Palestinian membership-Lebanon, Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa and India. Of the other nine members France, Britain, Germany, Bosnia, Portugal, Gabon, Columbia, Nigeria and the US, only the US has firmly stated it is against granting membership; the US has further indicated that if pressed with a majority vote in favour of statehood, it will exercise its veto power-a move it dearly desires it will not be forced to make. It was during the past week that President Abbas made a decision to first bypass calling for a vote in the General Assembly (which does not have power to grant full citizenship) and to go straight to the Security Council. Presently the so-called "Quartet" has been working furiously on a last-ditch effort to come up with a proposal for restarting some sort of negotiations which persuade Abbas to at least postpone his present plan.

In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is flying to New York to first confer with President Obama on Wednesday, then to address the General Assembly on Friday. His stated purposes for making this trip, 1. To use all his influence to make sure that the Palestinian move to circumvent negotiations does not succeed, and 2. "To present the truth, which is that we [i.e. Israelis] are not foreigners and we have rights going back 4,000 years."

This past week has seen groups of believers from around the world gathering in New York to take part in strategic intercession, moving about the area of the UN, conferring those who may have influence, watching, praying. A rally is planned for Wednesday, standing against the unilateral statehood request, and also against the racist "Durban III" conference also set to open this weekend.

We find it remarkable that the same week as so momentous a choice appears to be rising into place before the nations, from the week's Parashah rings out the solemn call, warning and encouragement of Deuteronomy 30:19-20, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

PLEASE PRAY:

*That President Abbas' plans to demand Palestinian statehood at the UN this Friday will be called off-but not at the expense of unrighteous concessions being forced on Israel.

*That if the matter is to be brought to a vote in the Security Council, a majority of countries will vote against recognition. Pray that some of those which have already indicated they will vote for statehood, will reconsider.

*For Prime Minister Netanyahu's meeting with President Obama and for his speech on Friday.that he receive divine guidance of thought, comprehension and words. Pray Deuteronomy 31:7 from this week's Torah Portion, that he be "strong and courageous".and that the fear of the God of his fathers will rest on him. Pray mercy over President Obama that he will also sense the fear of the Lord.that he will honour the Prime Minister of Israel and not seek to coerce him. Pray courage to follow through with his promise to veto if the circumstance warranting it should arise.

*God's watch and protection over Israel. Guidance for authorities in Israel in guarding her borders and quelling any violent disturbances the enemy is planning in relation to the happenings at the UN.

*Pray against hatred and violence over those Palestinian Arabs whom God is calling to rise up out of the darkness which for the most part rules that people. Pray for the Palestinian Arab young people who were touched by the Holy Spirit at the recent Elav conference.that they will be led in truth in the God who has a way of hope and a future planned for them and their families.

*For the believers which God has placed in strategic positionings around the UN this week. Pray for their protection, and for the Holy Spirit to release on them words and declarations which it is God's will to release into this situation, "On Earth as it is in Heaven!"

PRAY FOR BELIEVERS ALL OVER THE WORLD WHOM GOD HAS CALLED TO INTERCEDE OVER ISRAEL DURING THIS SEASON TO "BE AT THEIR STATIONS"-"STANDING IN THEIR POSITIONINGS ON THE WALL" (See Torah section below, Deuteronomy 29:10; also Habakkuk 2:1 where a form of the same word is used for setting oneself in ones positioning on the rampart).

portions taken from Israel Prayer List