Last Tuesday International Atomic Energy Agency released a report, claiming for the first time to have "credible evidence" pointing towards a conclusion that Iran's nuclear activities are by no means focused exclusively on development of nuclear power for peaceful uses; it is now a virtual certainty that the focus is on production of a nuclear weapon. The uneasy speculation highlighted in last week's Update regarding Israel's intentions given these circumstances, has only increased this week. A fascinating and informative article in Sunday's British Telegraph spoke of President Obama's "alarm" at Israel's refusal to bow to Washington's demand last month that the White House be notified before any Israeli strike be made against Iran (Google: Israel refuses to tell US its Iran intentions). After examining a number of opinions pro and con about the possibility or effectiveness of such an attack, the article ends by stating a factor very real to Israelis, while of little concern to others: "In Mr Netanyahu's eyes, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is another "Hitler" whose aim is to complete what the Holocaust failed to do by wiping out the Jewish race. 'People outside Israel don't understand how profound memories of the Holocaust are, and how they affect future policy making.At the end of the day, this policy of "never again" would dictate Israel's behavior when intelligence comes through that Iran has come close to a bomb.'" ("Israel refuses to tell US its Iran intentions": Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph; 7:49PM GMT 12 Nov 2011).
Meanwhile, an enormous explosion occurred this past Saturday at a military base 28 miles outside of Tehran, killing at least 17 Revolutionary Guards and being felt strongly in the capital. Among those killed was Brigadier General Hassan Moqaddam, whom one senior military official called "the main architect of the Revolutionary Guard's' canon and missile power and the founder of the deterrent power of our country." This figure was so highly esteemed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended the ceremony mourning his death. The Iranians are officially calling the blast an accident occasioned by the repositioning of conventional explosives. Yet one western intelligence source told Time magazine that the Israeli Mosad was behind the explosion; and certain popular speculative sources are even claiming access to information that it was caused while a nuclear device was being placed on a missile. Sunday Prime Minister Netanyahu suggested to his government that Israel has information beyond that released by the IAEA report, "The IAEA's report only detailed information that can be proven; facts that can be presented in court. In practice there are many other things we see, and hence the leading states in the world must decide what to do in order to stop Iran.The efforts thus far did not prevent Iran from progressing towards a bomb, and it is closer to acquiring it, sooner than what people think."
IN LIGHT OF THIS, WE BELIEVE IT APPROPRIATE TO REPEAT THE PRAYER POINTS FROM LAST WEEK:
PLEASE PRAY:
*That Israel will move in the timings and purposes of God regarding a response to the threats coming against her from Iran. "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.a time for war, a time for peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:1,8b).
* That the Lord would "Scatter the peoples who delight in war" (Psalm 68:30b).
*That Israel's leaders will look to the LORD as our rock, who trains our hand for war and our fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1). That they will realize, with David, that "the battle is the LORD's" (I Samuel 17:47). During the flight of the jets which destroyed Sadam Hussein's Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981, Prime Minister Menachem Begin spent the entire time pacing back and forth alone, deep in prayer.
*That the God of Abraham will be a shield around Israel (Genesis 15:1), that she will look to Him to protect her from fear of the "terror of the night, from the arrows that fly by day" (Psalm 91:5).
*That Believers in Israel will not be distracted from dwelling in the "secret place of Elyon (the Most High), abiding under the shadow of Shaddai (the Almighty)"-and that their faithfulness in this will draw others to desire to do likewise!
*That God would protect His remnant in Iran-from denying their faith in the times of persecution, and from destruction should war break out.
*That the godless leaders tyrannizing the people of Iran and cursing Israel would be replaced; that the bondage of a religion set against the covenant purposes of the Most High God would be broken.
*That revelation would be released among the masses of that enormous land that the God of Israel is a God of Love, and that He has sent a Saviour to free all Humankind from the bondage of sin and despair.
portions taken from the Israel Prayer list
nice post
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