Saturday, March 26, 2011

Lift up prayers for the victims(our brothers and sisters)

Let us hold the victims and the families in prayer in the recent terrorist attack in Jerusalem as well as the bombings in additional parts of Israel.

Below you will find details about the life of Mary Jean Gardner. She died in the terrorist attack in Jerusalem.

For more than 20 years Mary Jean served the Lord through Bible Translation.

In the recent bombing in Jerusalem only one person died, and she was a Bible Translator.
(Thirty-nine were injured, and we need to remember to keep them in our prayers).

Mary Jean Gardner was here in Jerusalem as a Wycliffe Bible Translator studying Hebrew
at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, and worked with other Israeli Messianic Scholars and Bible Translators
She loved Yeshua (Jesus) and wanted others to know that He was their Messiah. She was
originally from England, and 59 years old when she passed away a few days ago.

Mary Jean spent many years in Togo, West Africa doing Bible translation work, and came to
Israel to study and work with other Bible translators in order to translate the Hebrew Jewish
Scriptures (Tanakh) into the lfe tribal language which is spoken in both Togo and Benin, Africa.

"She was a quiet, sensitive and introverted person, highly motivated. She had a
seriousness and commitment that is to be admired, being over 50 and coming to
study Hebrew, archaeology, the land of the bible and the history of the land.
You need a commitment for that, and you saw that language was really her life,"

said Miriam Ronning, a Messianic Bible translator who co-founded the center in 1995.

Eddie Arthur, executive director of Wycliffe Bible Translators, described Mary Jean
as a "lovely lady who was very popular" and will be "sorely missed."

Let us pray:

Psalm 29:10-11: "The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace."
God, we lift up our voices with the cries in the land of Israel today. We come into agreement with our brothers and sisters and cry for mercy. We cry for strength to be imparted into Israel. This death and all injured affects an entire nation as well as the remnant across the nations. We grieve and mourn with them before Your throne of grace. Engulf us with Your presence. Come quickly, Lord.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Terrorist Bombing in Jerusalem

One woman was killed and about 50 wounded when a bomb weighing between 1-2 kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) exploded at 3 p.m. across the street from the Jerusalem Convention Center, near the Central Bus Station. The bomb exploded at a crowded bus stop next to Egged city bus #74. The explosion was caused by a bomb placed at a telephone booth near the bus stop. The victims had been standing at the bus stop or nearby when the device exploded.



The woman (59) was critically wounded as a result of the bombing, and rescue services transferred her to hospital, where doctors fought for her life for about an hour and ultimately were forced to declare her dead.

David Amoyal worked at the kiosk at the bus stop where the bomb exploded. The kiosk had been rebuilt after being completely destroyed when a suicide bomber detonated next to it in 1994, and renamed "Pitzuz Shel Kiosk," which literally means "an blast of a kiosk." He saw a suspicious bag and told some youths who were nearby to move away while he called police. During his call, the bomb exploded. Amoyal was only a few feet away from the bomb when it detonated, and suffered moderate injuries.

Please Pray:

Psalm 122:6-9 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity with your palaces. For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say Peace be within you. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good."

Lord, we lift up Israel to you today. Prince of Peace come in the midst of this situation and hear the cry of your people to defend them. We pray for Your perfect love which casts out all fear to come and fill the Jewish people. Lift up their eyes to see You in the midst of the battle. We prophesy "Peace be within your walls, O Israel."

Psalm 125:2, "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.

Psalm 124 "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, Let Israel now say-
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul. Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers(persons who catch birds in a trap or snare); the snare is broken, and we have escaped. OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH."

Lord, we speak that Your people will be as birds that have escaped from the fowlers. We declare that the snare of the enemy is broken in Yeshua's name and Israel has escaped. We proclaim help comes in the Name of the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Rocket Fire

There has been much activity in Israel this past week. Hamas has been firing grad missiles and qassam rockets into Israel.

In Response to Rocket Fire, IAF Targets Terror Sites Across Gaza Strip

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Israel Defense Forces

Overnight, IAF aircraft targeted two terror tunnels, two weapons manufacturing and storage facilities and two additional terror activity sites across the Gaza Strip. Direct hits were confirmed.

The terror tunnels were intended for the infiltration of terrorists into Israeli territory and for the execution of terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

The targeting of these sites was in response to the barrage of mortar shells, Qassam and Grad rockets fired from Gaza at the Israeli home front over the past week.

Over 130 mortar shells, Qassam rockets and Grad rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip and landed in Israeli territory since the beginning of the year, 56 of which were fired just this week.

The IDF will not allow the Israeli southern communities to continue living under constant threat, and will respond with determination to any attempt to use terror against the citizens of Israel. The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.

The IDF warns Hamas not to continue its aggression.

This morning a Grad Missile hit 5km south from the center of Ashdod:

A number of hours ago, a Grad missile which was fired from the Gaza Strip
landed 5 km south of the center of Ashdod. Over 200,000 Israeli residents
live in Ashdod, a port city in southern Israel.

An Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft targeted a terrorist in the northern
Gaza Strip, in the same location from which the Grad missile was fired
towards Ashdod. A hit was confirmed.

Please Pray:

The Jewish people still fight for survival. They are surrounded by enemies within their borders and without, yet their desire and hope for peace remains as constant as their enemies' desire for their destruction. Psalm 121:4 "Behold He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

Zechariah 2:5 "For I," says the Lord, "will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst."

Psalm 91:4-6 "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday."

portions taken from the Israel Defense Force Blog

Friday, March 18, 2011

ENEMY EXPOSED!

Psalm 2:1-4 "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,against the Lord against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision."


Psalm 83:4, 13-18, "They have said, 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.' O My God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, that they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over ALL the earth."

Because Our God is good, the enemy has been exposed.
The vessel "Victoria" was stopped by the IDF and checked in the Ashdod port for weapons and items that could be used in a terrorist attack.
Below is a preliminary list of weaponry and weaponry systems discovered and
unloaded this morning(March 16) at the Ashdod Port hidden in the cargo of the
"Victoria" vessel.

* 230 mortar shells, 120 mm
* 2,270 mortar shells, 60 mm
* 6 C-704 anti-ship missiles
* 2 radar systems manufactured in England
* 2 launchers
* 2 hydraulic mounting cranes for radar system
* 66,960 bullets for the Kalashnikov, 7.62 millimeter

It is important to note that the C-704 shore-to-sea missiles have a range of
35 kilometers and according to assessments, their intended destination to
the Gaza Strip would have constituted a significant gain in the weapons
capabilities of terror organizations operating there.

The identification document for the anti-ship missiles was in Persian and
contained emblems of the Iranian government throughout. In addition, the
ship left from the Syrian port of Lattakia before stopping in Turkey to make
its way to Egypt. To the IDF's understanding, Egypt and Turkey had no prior
knowledge of the weaponry.

This incident further demonstrates Iranian and Syrian involvement in
strengthening and arming terror organizations in the Gaza Strip and
elsewhere.

PRAY THE ENEMY PLOTS AND WEAPONS CONTINUE TO BE EXPOSED!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Call to fast and Pray March 18-20

In the Spirit of Esther and Mordecai


It is time for us to pray, read, and live out the book of Esther again. God is raising up new Mordecais who have His grace upon them to prepare the corporate Esther (the Body of believers) to do radical exploits in His name on behalf of God’s purposes amongst the Jewish people worldwide and in Israel particularly.

The Holy Spirit wants to inject the burden of the Lord for the purposes of God among the Jewish people into the global prayer movement - like a nurse with a fully loaded needle. We need a potent injection of God’s heart into our heart! That is why God wants to raise up a Mordecai anointing to prepare Esther for a time of intervention. We know what Esther accomplished, but what was Mordecai’s task? What was his divine assignment?

Mordecai’s job was to raise up and prepare Esther for her hour of influence before the king. Mordecai raised Esther as his own daughter. He did not bow down or pay homage to Haman, who sought the destruction of the Jews, but worshipped the one true God only. He intercepted Haman’s scheme of the enemy and revealed it with wisdom to those in authority. He walked in prophetic counsel and instilled courage into Esther.

Esther, properly tutored and mentored by the counsel of Mordecai, seized the moment through prayer and fasting. Esther was anointed to intervene and stand in the gap, yet she had to walk in cooperation with the preparation of Mordecai, the spiritual authority God had placed in her life.

God chose to work through Mordecai to alert Esther to her destiny and timing of her intercessory acts on behalf of the Jews. God is looking for modern day Mordecai’s to prepare corporate Esther - His people for such a time as this!
James W. Goll

WILL YOU BE A MORDECAI AND ALERT ESTHER? WAKE UP CHURCH! WE NEED TO FAST AND PRAY!

Answer to Prayer

God has heard our cries. The natural gas supply has started to flow into Israel again. Please continue to pray for this situation, as tension in Egypt in still there. This area is still very uncertain.

The flow of natural gas from Egypt to Israel resumed last night, after being
cut off for six weeks. Earlier yesterday, at around 15:00, Egypt renewed the
flow of gas to Jordan. The supply of gas to both countries was halted on
February 5 after an explosion on the Egyptian side of the pipeline to
Jordan.

Egypt has informed Jordan of its intention to raise the price of the gas it
supplies from $3 per million btu to $6-7, which it claims reflects market
prices. The price hike being demanded of Jordan raises the possibility that
a similar demand will be made of Israeli consumers. The Egyptians are
currently committed to supplying gas to Israel Electric Corporation (IEC)
and Israel Corporation (TASE: ILCO) at $4.5-5 per million btu. EMG (Eastern
Mediterranean Gas) signed a $15 billion gas supply agreement with IEC,
Israel Corp., the private power producer Dorad, and smaller business
customers.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com -
on March 16, 2011

Monday, March 14, 2011

Israel Mourns

ATTACK IN ITAMAR

"O, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" (Jeremiah 9:1).

"For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, the anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching our her hands, saying, 'Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers'" (Jeremiah 4:31).

"For there will be a day when watchmen on the hills of Ephraim call out, 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God" (Jeremiah 31:6).

Itamar is a small Orthodox Jewish community located with three other similar towns astride a ridge of hills along the ancient border between the Biblical territories of Ephraim and Manasseh. Shecham (modern Nablus) is below in the valley, and close by are the wooded heights of Mount Gerazim and the rocky slopes of Mount Ebal .the "mountains of blessings and cursings" to which Joshua brought the Children of Israel after their coming at last into Canaan. The community was established in 1984 and named after the fourth son of Aaron, Itamar the priest, who tradition says is buried in the area. Its economy subsists on the growth of organic crops and sheep and goats.

This past Friday evening after the beginning of the Sabbath, a terrorist infilterated the sleeping community, broke into the home of a young rabbi and his wife Udi and Ruth Vogel, and with a knife slaughtered the couple, their sons Yoav (11) and Elad (4) and their three-month old baby daughter Hadas. Two sons sleeping in another room survived; a 12-year old daughter returning home late discovered the carnage. As of now, the murderer or murderers have not been apprehended. The horrific massacre has shocked the nation, awakening a deep feeling of mourning. Tens of thousands attended the funeral for the family in Jerusalem Sunday afternoon.

Tragically, because much of the world sees this and other communities located in land taken by Israel from Jordan in 1967 as settlements occupying land stolen from Palestinian Arabs, there is often something of an "asterisk" accompanying the way in which such news is received-as though the Jews shouldn't have been there in the first place, and brought it upon themselves. (In many Muslim regions, this same "asterisk" accompanies news of similar atrocities taking place within Israel's internationally recognized borders.) The Netanyahu government has responded to the attacks by releasing permission for the building of 400 new homes in Judaea and Samaria (although within the large preexisting "blocks" which are not considered negotiable by Israel in any future agreement), a move quickly condemned by the UN and US.

Udi Fogel, a 36 year-old rabbi taught at a yeshiva in Itamar and when called to military service had served as an IDF tank unit officer. He and his wife Ruth were among those Jews uprooted from the community of Gush Katif in Gaza in August of 2005. Although the actions of some settlers have been used to characterize all as being racist and vengeful, a member of the yeshiva where Fogel taught yesterday said that a revenge or "price tag" attack would not be forthcoming from their community.that although there was shock and pain, anger could not be part of their reaction.

Please Pray:

*For the surviving three children of the Vogel family to be protected and nurtured.for angels to "minister on behalf of those who will inherit Salvation." That they will be healed of the violation and trauma.and guided into the destinies for which they have been spared.

*For supernatural comfort, guidance and direction for the community in Itamar. That they will be protected from spirits assigned to inflame responses anger, vengeance, hatred and dispair.

*For the 'veil' to be taken away and for a supernatural revelation of Yeshua among the teachers and yeshiva students in Itamar and the surrounding communities.whose Blood cleanses, brings life and protection from darkness.

*That the Righteousness of Messiah will exalt the community, after which it can and will become rooted in the Land.

*For revelation amongst the Arab peoples living in what they call Palestine.of the God who loves them, can set them free, and has a Way of life for them and their descendants.

*For Prime Minister Netanyahu that he will seek and receive Divine guidance in responding to this attack, and in dealing with the thorny issues surrounding Israel's positionings in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.

*That watchmen and watchwomen will arise and be positioned on the Mountains of Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:6), calling and admonishing their fellows in the way of the LORD. Numbers 4:28b relates that certain "watches" in the Tabernacle were under the authority of Itamar (Ithamar).


portions taken from Israel Prayer list

Friday, March 11, 2011

Prayer for Israel's natural gas supply

Israel Sees First Worrying Sign of New Mideast-Cut Gas Supplies

Israel's energy industry looks like it's on its way to becoming the country's first casualty of the emerging new Middle East, where governments are responding to public pressure for an end to secret deals and taking a harder line on the Jewish state.

More than a month after militants attacked a key pipeline in Egypt's Sinai Desert, the flow of natural gas to Israel has yet to be resumed. In Israel, industry officials and experts now admit that the shutdown isn't due to technical problems but the changing political environment in Egypt since Husni Mubarak was forced to step down last month.

Ampal-American Israel Corp., which owns a 12.5% interest in the pipeline running from Egypt's Al-Arish to the Israeli port city of Ashkelon, said last Thursday [March 3] that repair work on the pipeline was complete, but that final testing has been delayed. After promising repeatedly over the last month that supplies would be resumed shortly, Ampal conceded it could no longer offer any assurances.

"In the short term, there will probably be a renewal of gas deliveries, but in the long term, it's going to be a big problem. I don't think Egypt will be a reliable source for Israel," Brenda Shaffer, an energy expert at the School of Political Science of Israel's University of Haifa, told The Media Line.

The gas crisis has major economic and political implications for Israel. Over the last several years, the country has made a rapid switch from oil and coal to natural gas for electric power, and it was counting on Egypt as a major source of energy. But just as critically, the cutoff may also signal cooling political ties with Egypt, which Israel has seen as a key regional ally.

The two countries signed a gas accord in 2005 under which Israel agreed to import 1.7 billion cubic meters (60 billion cubic feet) of Egyptian gas annually. Since then, Israel has found increasingly large quantities of its own gas off its Mediterranean coast, but the government encouraged imports to create competition in the gas market and as a stopgap until domestic supplies can come on stream.

Until last month, pipeline operator East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) supplied 45% of the energy needs used by Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), the country's government-owned power monopoly. Without the gas, IEC has been forced to burn coal and diesel fuel at a cost of about US $1.5 million more a day.

Higher costs and increased air pollution aside, Israel can manage for now, analysts said. But if Egyptian supplies don't resume by the summer, when electricity demand peaks as Israeli switch on their air conditioners, the country could face a power shortage. The only solution will be to relax environmental regulations, said an industry source who asked not to be identified. He said Israel will only be able to breathe easier when its next big field, Tamar, begins to pump gas sometime in 2013.

The gas deal with Israel faces a further problem because it is secret. No one knows the price Israel pays or other key terms, but industry sources suspect it is probably low by global standards and less than Egypt's other neighbors (Jordan, Syria and Lebanon) are paying for their imported Egyptian gas. Even when Mubarak was in power, the matter of the price was fuel for lawsuits and opposition grievances in Egypt.

(Excerpts by David Rosenberg, The Media Line, March 7, 2011)

Prayer Focus
Pray that plans for the Tamar gas find will progress rapidly and successfully so that Israel does not need to be dependent on an unstable Egypt.

Scripture
"The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you…if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:8-9).
portions taken from Bridges for Peace newsletter

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Esther Intercession Post 1

The Battle Against Amalek

Haman, who devised the plan in Persia to wipe out the Jewish people 2500 years ago, was a descendant of Amalek. Amalek attacked Israel when they came out of Egypt. We read about Amalek in Exodus 17:14-16:
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’ Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’" (Ex 17:14-16)

Based on this passage the Jewish sages say that there will be an Amalek in every generation who will try to destroy the Jewish people. Less than one year after Yasser Arafat died in 2004, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became the President of Iran and immediately began declaring his intention to "wipe Israel off the map."

The passage in Exodus 17, tells us that as long as Moses held up his hands in prayer, Israel was victorious in the battle against Amalek.
Today there is definitely another Amalek/Haman on the loose again. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is driven by an apocalyptic vision to prepare the way for the Muslim "Messiah," who will conquer the world for Islam. Part of this preparation is to destroy Israel.
We must continue pray for Israel daily in the battle they are facing with their enemies.

Psalm 94:16 says,
"Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?"

This is a spiritual battle and Paul tells us,
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:10-12)

portions taken from Elijah Prayer Army

Esther Intercession Post 2

Prayer points for Esther intercession against the threats from Iran:

• Accept the challenge to rise up and pray against the plans of Iran and fanatical Islam to destroy Israel!
“Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?” (Ps 94:16)

• Confess and renounce all sin and disobedience!
“Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.” (Ps 110:3)

• Pray for humility before God with fasting that will lead to effective intercession!
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. …Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia." (Dan 9:3; 10:12-13)

• Pray for strength and protection to stand in the battle!
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:10-12)

• Pray the prayer of Hezekiah against the threats of Iran and the Islamists!
"And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 'O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words [Iran and the Islamists] has sent to insult the living God. …Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.'” (Isa 37:16-17,20)

• Lift up holy hands before the Throne of Grace and pray that God will defeat Iran’s agenda just as Joshua defeated the Amalekites as long as Moses prayed!
"For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.’" (Ex 17:14-16)

• Pray that God’s name will be sanctified and glorified in all the earth!
"It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, …Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes." (Ez 36:22-23)

• Pray for Israel’s salvation based on God’s mighty promises!
"'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

"The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. They will say, 'This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden;' …Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.” (Ez 36:24-28, 34-36)

• Pray for wisdom and courage for the new General Chief of Staff over Israel’s army Benny Gantz!
"I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a …man from among the people.…My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. The enemy will not get the better of him; the wicked will not oppress him.” (Ps 89:19,21-22)

• Praise God for the victory!
“Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. …May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them — this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the LORD.” (Ps 149:1,6-9)

portions taken from the Elijah Prayer Army

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Poured out for Yeshua's purpose

This Torah reading speaks of the burnt offering. When we allow Him to do this in our lives, He can pour us out for His people. Will you allow Him to break you apart to do all that He desires to do through your life?

VaYikra 24-1

And (he) called

Leviticus 1:1-13

By Ketriel Blad



it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (Lev 1:13b ESV)


How can the principle of the burnt offering be applied to our personal lives?


The olah offering (burnt offering) symbolizes the complete dedication of our lives. We give HaShem everything we are. We give ourselves to Him. The main thing that we give is not our possessions or our abilities, but ourselves as an ascension offering that burns before him until nothing remains. We do not belong to ourselves.

When we dedicate ourselves, we are presented before him. After that we will, piece by piece, experience the olah offering. It begins with us giving our lives, which is symbolized by the blood.

After we have given him our lives, he will cut us into parts. First he takes our head, our mind, and consumes it until there is nothing left. Our prayer will then be, “Not my will, but Yours be done. Things are not as I understand them, but as you understand them and as they are revealed in your Torah”.

The next step in the offering of our being is when fat is removed. This is the protection that covers our intestines (our motives, purposes, and emotions). Thus we become sensitive. Our numbness toward heavenly things is removed. We can compare this to the circumcision of the heart, compare with Deuteronomy 10:16. It can also be likened to a protective wall of arguments that is removed from our emotions and our mind, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before Elokim to the throwing down of strongholds, throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of Elokim, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah; and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.”(HNV revised)

The next step in the ascension offering is when the intestines and feet are washed in water. This represents the cleansing process of the Torah, as it is written in John 15:3, “You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”(HNV) In Ephesians 5:26, it is written, “that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word” (HNV)

The intestines represent motives, emotions, desires, and so on. The feet represent our lifestyle, our walk and our way of life. Our motives and our walk must be cleansed by the Torah in order to be offered up to the Eternal as a pleasing sacrifice. HaShem will never be pleased with our own desires if they have not first been washed by the Torah. Neither does he accept our lifestyle when it has not been purified by the Word. Everything must go through the correction process that takes place in a Spirit-led Torah study. Both the Torah and the Spirit are symbolised by water in the Scriptures.

In the olah offering, everything must be consumed. This means that you cannot save anything in your life for yourself if you are to be pleasing to the Eternal. Everything must be consecrated to your heavenly Father, part by part.

When you come to the Eternal the first time, with joy and longing to serve him, to be his servant and friend, he receives your life. He gives you a new life instead of the one that you gave him. This new life is the resurrection life through Yeshua the Messiah. Thereafter he will demand one part after another of your being, so that you can deepen your dedication until there is nothing left of you. Then you will be completely dependent on the new resurrection life in Messiah. When you have come to this level of the ascension offering, you are saying that your life holds no value to you, as it is written in Acts 20:24, “But I put no value on my life, if only at the end of it I may see the work complete which was given to me by the Lord Yeshua, to be a witness of the good news of the grace of Elokim.”(BBE revised) In Matthew 10:39, it is written, “He who finds his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”(HNV) In Luke 22:42, it is written, “saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’”(HNV)



Those who totally surrender their lives to the Eternal will be immensely lifted up.

portions taken from the Messianic Torah Study

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Activate your voice

Ezekiel 13:5 "You have not gone up into the gap (breach) to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord."

Workmen were busy repairing the physical wall of Jerusalem and the prophets should have strengthened the moral and spiritual defenses as well.

Gap (perets in hebrew) means a break, gap or breach, especially a gap in a wall.
Two verses show that gaps need to be repaired. (Isaiah 58:12 and Amos 9:11)
The former verse refers to the physical and spiritual ruins of Zion, and the latter to the Tabernacle of David.

Will you be committed to intercession?

Ezekiel 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."

There is a gap between God and man that an intercessor tries to repair.

Isaiah 43:10 "You are My witnesses," says the Lord, And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me."

Israel speaks of security concerns time and time again. She is building a "security fence." She needs built up in the gaps, strengthened in the moral and spiritual defenses as well.

Can God count on you to stand in the gap for Israel? Will He have to look for another? Will you activate your voice in prayer on her behalf? Become a watchman on the wall for Jerusalem and Israel.

BE AN ACTIVATED VOICE!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Resurrection in Joppa

GOD IS DOING SOMETHING AMAZING IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF ISRAEL!

TABITHA IN JAFFA.

A committee of Tel Aviv's municipality responsible for supplying or changing names and commemoration recently approved eight new names for the city neighborhoods. One of these neighborhoods lies in old Jaffa (Biblical: Joppa) and, very unusual for Israel, it has been decided that it be recommended to be named for a figure in the New Testament, Tabitha. The name is Aramaic (the Greek form is Dorcas), and means 'gazelle' or 'doe'. Tabitha's story is related in Acts 9:36-42. She was evidently a gifted seamstress, and is called a "disciple.full of good works and charitable deeds." But she became sick and died. Peter, living in the town of Lod, was sent for. After arriving, he put all the people out, knelt down and prayed, "And turning to the body he said, 'Tabitha, Arise!' And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord."

It is interesting that Tabitha is replacing the neighborhood's older name Abu Kabir, related to the name El-Kebir. When Egypt briefly conquered the Land of Israel from the Ottoman Turks in 1831, they uprooted an Egyptian village Tel el-Kebir and literally transplanted it as a settlement in this area in Jaffa. El-Kebir, meaning, "The Great" is the 37th of the 99 names for the Muslim deity mentioned in the Koran.

PLEASE PRAY:

*For life from the dead in this neighborhood of Tel Aviv.

*For signs and wonders to take place in the name of Yeshua (Hebrew)/Ya'suah (Arabic) in this part of Tel Aviv. Pray that, as in ancient times, these wonders will be known throughout all of Jaffa and many will believe in the Lord.

* For a new "changing of names" to that of the Most High God! Muslims call "great" a god who teaches his followers the falsehood that a divine covenant of life passed through Ishmael rather than Isaac. Pray for revelation in this neighborhood amongst Muslim people of a God who is Greater.whose Son was born of the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob on behalf of the whole world!

*For Women to be awakened to their place in the Kingdom of God in Israel as "disciples, full of good works and charitable deeds"-that they be granted "Hinds' feet" (Tabitha means 'gazelle'!) to rise and do exploits for God!

Portions taken from Israel Prayer list

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Truth Going Forth

"Israel's Army needs faith in God more than tanks" --Major General Yair Naveh, IDF Deputy Chief of Staff



WARSHIPS, MISSILES, AND A GOD WHO IS HIGHER!

"No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength; Trust in a horse for salvation is a lie, and by its valor none will be delivered. Behold, the eye of YHVH is on those who fear Him, on those who yearn for His lovingkindness." (Psalm 33:16-18).


"It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever." (Psalm 44:3, 8 NIV).


This past week two Iranian warships, were allowed by Egypt's military administered interim government to transit the Suez Canal, the first Iranian vessels to do so since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The ships proceeded on to Syria's Latakia seaport where they arrived on Thursday. Two days later an agreement was signed by the commanders of both navies stating that "The two parties will cooperate with each other in training issues and the exchange of personnel." An Iranian naval commander was quoted as saying, "The message of the ships is to announce the peace and friendship to Islamic countries and the region and attempt to strengthen relations between the countries." Analysts see the agreement as further strengthening ties between the two countries, both hostile to Israel, as Iran seeks to bolster its image as a regional force to reckon with, in the midst of all the present upheaval in Middle Eastern states. Transit through the canal is also seen as an overture towards Egypt. Ties have been cut for decades because Egypt was seen as a close ally with Washington as well as under Mubarak honoring the treaty with Israel. Iran is now seen as welcoming the fall of Mubarak as an indication that Washington's influence in the Middle East is waning ("Iran and Syria agree on Military training cooperation": (Reuters) HAARETZ.com,26 Feb 11). Meanwhile, Russia yesterday divulged that a contract made in 2007 (and strongly opposed by both Israel and the US when disclosed in 2010) to send Syria 72 cruise anti-ship missiles has been finalized and is now in "implementation stage". These missiles are likely meant to arm two coastal defense systems, most of the components of which it is believed Russia has already supplied. From the start, Israel has been concerned that such advanced weapons might end up (as has happened in the past) in the hands of the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. The revelation came as a surprise to the West, which had speculated that with the turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East, the deal had been annulled.

"Ordained from Above" There are words of truth going forth across the military forces in Israel. Pray for Words of Truth to become louder across Israel. Let God release His voice through willing vessels.


With such unsettling news, it was heartening to spot the following headline in the on-line 21 February 2011 HAARETZ.com: "IDF deputy chief: Israel's army needs faith in God more than tanks." To quote the lead sentence of the article, "The events currently shaking the Arab world 'were ordained from above' by a guiding hand, Israel Defense Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Naveh said on Sunday. Naveh added that the Israeli army needs faith in God now more than its supply of planes and tanks." The Major General made the remarks to two rabbis visiting the chief military rabbi at the Tzrifin military base. The article referencing another news source Arutz-7, says that "Naveh called Israel an island of calm in the storm of the Middle East, turmoil that had not been foreseen by intelligence officials despite their good work. 'But it was ordained from above,' he said, 'and we don't know where it will lead, but it's clear to us that there is a hand from above.'" (Emphases ours).


PLEASE PRAY:


*That Israel would be guarded (Psalm 121) as "sharks" are beginning to proliferate and circle off of her coasts.that she will be protected from "arrows that fly by day" (Psalm 21:5) which are beginning to be multiplied in the batteries of her nearby enemies.


*That God would give integrity and strategy to Israel's new military Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, to her Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, and to all of her military--but that these leaders would realize that in the end, He is Israel's Defense.


*For Deputy Chief of Staff Ya'ir. His name Ya'ir means "to light up, illuminate, ignite, explain." Pray that he would have special "illumination" of the words which he spoke last week-that He would believe them, and besides speaking them to religious rabbis, that he will "ignite" them into the understanding and trust of his "secular" officers and men as well.

Portions taken from Israel Prayer list