PRAYER POINTS

 

With all of the threats targeting Israel, both near and far, we begin by reading Psalm 124 and blessing God for His eternal Word.

Except that it was YHWH who was for us, O may Israel say; except that it was YHWH who was for us when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; then the waters would have flowed over us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the proud waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed is YHWH, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of YHWH, who made the heavens and earth.

Psalms 124:1-8

Thank You for being on our side as we choose to side with You.

 

Thank You for protecting Israel during this time of her restoration.

 

We bless You for watching over Your Word. Has YHWH's hand become short? You shall see now whether or not My word shall come to pass to you. (Numbers 11:23)

 

Hallelujah! Our God is a prayer answering God!

 

Using Psalm 124, we turn our prayerful attention to Israel's current government.

 

Thank You for supporting all that this government does and decrees that is in line with Your will for this nation at this time in history.

 

Lord, strengthen and encourage us to intercede continuously for Israel's government to make God-guided decisions. (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

 

As You have done so often in Israel's past, lead Israel's leaders by Your Spirit.

 

Place Your fear in their hearts to keep them from the traps of the wicked one. The fear of YHWH is a fountain of life to turn aside from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)

 

Help them to see that You are on their side when they lean upon Your revealed will in Your word.

Abba, expose and break all secret snares that the enemy has set for this nation. They encourage themselves in an evil plan; they talk of laying snares secretly; they say, Who shall see them? (Psalms 64:5)

 

We pray for Israel's government ministers by name - asking God to bless and guard them and lead them in paths of righteousness - for His name's sake (Psalm 23:3b)

 

Benjamin Netanyahu - Prime Minister and temporary Foreign Minister

Moshe Ya'alon - Defense Minister

Yair Lapid - Finance Minister

Naftali Bennett - Trade and Economy Minister and Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs

Gideon Sa'ar - Internal Affairs Minister, which includes the Interior Ministry

Tzipi Livni - Justice Minister

Benny Gantz - the IDF's Chief of Staff

 

Lord, as You did with the elders of Israel in the wilderness, place Your Spirit on them all. YHWH said to Moses, Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and the officers over them. And bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation so that they may stand there with you. I will come down and talk with you there, and I will take of the spirit on you, and will put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you so that you do not bear it alone. (Numbers 11:16-17)

 

Israel is under constant pressure because of the world's 'obsession' with trying to divide this land and see a 'Palestine' created. US Secretary of State Kerry has made several trips to Israel already in 2013 to try and resurrect negotiations between Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority head Abbas. So far, praise God, the Palestinians have put so many pre-conditions on the talks, that Kerry just wastes his and Israel's time.

 

Lord, stand between Israel's leaders and the rest of the proud and arrogant world rulers who are pushing them to do that which is against Your will. The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is Mine. For you are strangers and pilgrims with Me. (Leviticus 25:23)

 

Abba, open up the eyes of Kerry, EU Foreign Policy Chief Ashton, UK Foreign Secretary Hague and all other Western leaders to see who Abbas really is - a holocaust denying terrorist chief who was Arafat's right-hand man and is continuing the PLO's phased plan for Israel's destruction.

 

Bring all of Kerry's plans concerning Israel that do not line up with Your will to nothing, and hedge him in.

 

Open the eyes of Israel's leaders and the media who push for Israel to divide its land. Help them to face the truth that there is no partner for peace among all current Palestinian leaders.

 

Continue to strengthen all Israeli leaders who stand against this land being divided (2 Chronicles 32:7).

 

Lord, this is Your land and Your purpose is to settle Your people here. Therefore, do whatever it takes to prevent the establishment of a Palestine in this place (Isaiah 14:29-32).

 

We declare that the so-called 'peace process' is dead. Abba, please prevent anyone in Israel's - or any other government - from resurrecting that which is truly dead

 

portions taken from Intercessors for Israel

Standoff between Hamas, Islamic Jihad behind Rocket Fire on Israel

 

 

Prayer Focus:

Thank you Lord for the period of quiet that southern Israel has enjoyed since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense. (November 2012) Ask the Lord to shield this part of the country from the violence in Gaza and calm their hearts.

 

Scriptures:

"Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their hearts; they continually gather together for war."  Ps 140:1-2

 

"For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders, and fills you with the finest of wheat." Ps 147:13-14

 

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

Zech 2:5

 

Surprising though it may be, there is a close connection between the civil war raging in Syria and the Monday [June 24] overnight shooting from Gaza at southern Israel. The direct cause of the shooting is a skirmish between Hamas and the second largest group operating from the Strip, the Islamic Jihad.

 

There have been considerable tensions between the two terror organizations, as Hamas supports the Sunni Syrian rebels, while the Islamic Jihad remains faithful to the Shiite regime of Iran, a supporter of Bashar Assad's Alawite regime.

 

In fact, Iran and Hezbollah have given financial support to the Islamic Jihad, while before the Syrian uprising and Hamas' subsequent turning against Assad, the Islamic Republic has bankrolled both Gaza-based groups.

 

As things stand, there is a profound rift between Iran and Hamas, which has forced the Palestinian group to seek other sponsors and produce its own artillery as a substitute for the shipments from Iran, which have grown increasingly rare—though haven't come to a complete halt; whereas the Islamic Jihad and other Salafist groups at the Strip are enjoying massive support from Iran.

Iran is apparently pushing the Islamic Jihad to act against Israel in order to turn some of the international spotlight away from Syria. It's important to emphasize—both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are of the Sunni persuasion, yet while Hamas decided to pledge its support to the Sunni rebels in Syria, the Jihad remained faithful to Iran.

What apparently caused the rocket fire on Israel overnight Monday was an incident on Sunday wherein Hamas operatives shot dead an Islamic Jihad official. Hamas denied the allegations, saying he was shot accidentally from his own gun; yet the rival group says he was killed because he was one of the main operators of the rocket launch team.

Hamas is seeking to establish itself as Gaza's legitimate ruler, one that cares for the welfare of its citizens, whereas the Islamic Jihad is guided by Iran and Hezbollah.

The Islamic Jihad has not assumed responsibly for the overnight attack, yet it issued a statement to the effect it terminates its relations with Hamas and thus no longer sees itself as bound to the understandings achieved between the Gazans and Israel in the wake of Operation Pillar of Defense.



SHABBOT SHALOM! THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURES

 

 

 

A narrow gorge near SdeBoker in the Negev south of Beer Sheva.

 

 

The reading for this week of June 23-29 is called Pinchas-"Phinehas":

TORAH: Numbers 25:10-29:40
 HAFTARAH ("Haftarah of Affliction"): Jeremiah 1:1-2:3

(Usual Haftarah: I Kings 18:46-19:21. During the three-week period "between the straits", two of the normal Haftarah portions are replaced by readings calling Israel to sober contemplation of her sin and deserving of severe judgment, of the Love of her God which is calling her to repent and return to Him.)

*Numbers 25: 11, 13. "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aharon the Priest has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with my zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. He was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel".

  The Hebrew word kinah may in Biblical usage be translated either zeal (NKJV) or jealousy (NASB). Holy zeal is a burning passionate jealousy on behalf of something or someone good and deeply loved. It is important to know that the same word when ignited by the flesh refers to mere envy (Proverbs 23:17). . David sang of his zeal for God's House (Psalm 69:9) which consumed him, a song which would be found to be prophetic of the Messiah, Who was to come (John 2:17). Zechariah 1:14 records YHVH's zeal for Jerusalem-and Isaiah 9:6-7 speaks of His zeal for His Son and the establishment of His Righteous Kingdom on Earth. Phinehas was zealous for "the honor of his God" (25:11,13 NIV). 
 
PLEASE PRAY: For the awakening of a burning zeal, a holy jealousy in believers in Israel for the things of God-based on truth and knowledge (Rom 10:2)-a zeal which will be necessary in turning away God's wrath so that his people in this later generation are not consumed.

*Numbers 26:1-2: "And it came to pass, after the plague, that the LORD spoke to Moses and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: 'Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and above, by their fathers' houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel."-Numbers 26:64-65: "But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest (Numbers 2) when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said to them, 'They shall surely die in the wilderness.' So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun."

 With the 24,000 who died in the plague brought on by the seduction of the women of Moab, the older generation which had rebelled is finally passed. A new numbering takes place.

*Numbers 27:16. "Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying 'Let YHVH, the God of Spirits of all Flesh set a man over the congregation.'"

This name, almost exactly the same as was used in Numbers 16:22, only this time using the personal name YHVH, implies the sovereign knowledge the LORD has of the inner workings of all human beings. It is noteworthy that Moses uses this name in requesting the LORD's appointment of a new leader-and the Lord responds by referring specifically to the "spirit" within Joshua (27:18).

*Numbers 27:18-20: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient."

It was not enough that Joshua was skilled and experienced after serving over forty years under Moses' leadership. Something more was necessary; something beyond Moses' natural abilities, something bespeaking the high authority of Heaven had affected the rebellious people in such a way that they had continued to follow and respect him in the desert for 40 years. This particular "authority" (NKJV) of which he was to pass some on to Joshua is Hebrew hod -"a grandeur or majesty related to royalty" ("splendor" in Psalm 45:3 NASB); this would result in the congregation listening to and obeying his word. This sovereign enabling for leadership was passed on here by the laying on of hands and public releasing of God's charge ("inaugurating") into Joshua.

PLEASE PRAY: For leaders in the five-fold offices of the Body of Messiah in Israel, that they will be faithful in mentoring and in God's timing "passing on" their mantles to faithful ones God shows them in the generation rising up behind.

*Numbers 28:2. "Command the Children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time."
Timing is an important aspect of our worship. Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 speaks of times and seasons, and of the necessity of timing in the manifesting of the beauty God desires to bring forth in His creation. Here in Chapters 28-29 are presented anew for the next generation the "appointed times" of the LORD: Daily (morning and evening), Weekly (Sabbaths), Monthly (Rosh Chodesh-Head of the Month), Springtime: Pesach (Passover), Matzot(Unleavened Bread), Shavuot (Weeks, Pentecost); Fall: Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Feast of Booths/Tabernacles, containing instructions for each of the eight days)-all these times of the Lord and their relevant offerings are here laid out fresh before His army goes into their new Land.

*Jeremiah 2:1-3 (ESV): "The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Go and proclaim in
the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD,

"I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest. All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the LORD.'"     

portions taken from Israel prayer list 

TWO THOUSAND YEAR OLD EVIDENCE

OF THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM

 

 

Recently a small cistern belonging to a building was exposed in an archaeological excavation directed by Eli Shukron, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, near the Western Wall in the vicinity of Robinson’s Arch. Inside the cistern were three intact cooking pots and a small ceramic oil lamp that date to the time of the Great Revolt. The vessels were discovered inside the drainage channel that was exposed in its entirety from the Shiloah Pool in the City of David to the beginning of Robinson’s Arch.

 

According to archaeologist Eli Shukron, “This is the first time we are able to connect archaeological finds with the famine that occurred during the siege of Jerusalem at the time of the Great Revolt. The complete cooking pots and ceramic oil lamp indicate that the people went down into the cistern where they secretly ate the food that was contained in the pots, without anyone seeing them, and this is consistent with the account provided by Josephus”.

In his book The Jewish War Josephus describes the Roman siege of Jerusalem and in its wake the dire hunger that prevailed in the blockaded city.

 

In his dramatic description of the famine in Jerusalem he tells about the Jewish rebels who sought food in the homes of their fellow Jews in the city. These, Josephus said, concealed the food they possessed for fear it would be stolen by the rebels and they ate it in hidden places in their homes.

 

 

“As the famine grew worse, the frenzy of the partisans increased with it….For as nowhere was there corn to be seen, men broke into the houses and ransacked them. If they found some they maltreated the occupants for saying there was none; if they did not, they suspected them of having hidden it more carefully and tortured them.”

“Many secretly exchanged their possessions for one measure of corn-wheat if they happened to be rich, barley if they were poor. They shut themselves up in the darkest corners of the their houses, where some through extreme hunger ate their grain as it was, others made bread, necessity and fear being their only  guides. Nowhere was a table laid…” (Josephus The Jewish War. Translated by G.A. Williamson 1959.  P. 290).

This press release was dated for today, June 27, 2013



OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

We can see throughout the Old Testament that there were always those who were anointed to bring Israel back into covenant alignment with God. Understanding covenant alignment is to understand consecration before the Lord and a willingness to keep His commandments. Israel often strayed from these principles, falling into various types of sin and failing to uphold the covenant God made with them.

While reading through the Old Testament, it becomes clear that the Word of God goes hand in hand with the anointing to return to a place of covenant. All of the Prophets, Kings, and Leaders who fully consecrated themselves and followed the Laws of Moses became instrumental in the building of a nation.

 

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses addresses all Israel and makes it known that God has chosen Joshua to lead them across the Jordan and take possession of the land. In the next section, Moses decrees a public reading of the law to be conducted every seven years, when all Israel gathers in a place chosen by God.

" Assemble the people - men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns - so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 31:16

In Joshua 8, Joshua builds an altar on mount Ebal and renews covenant with the God of Israel, in accordance with Moses' instructions in Deuteronomy 27. After offering sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord, Joshua wrote a copy of the Law of Moses on stones and set them up for all Israel to see.

"Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law - the blessings and curses - just as it is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them." Joshua 8:34-35 

So we can see that Joshua faithfully honored the word of God and the Law that was given to Moses. Joshua went on to fulfill all that God had called him to do!

There are several accounts in the Old Testament that make it clear how important it was for the Israelites to have an understanding of the law in order to maintain covenant and walk in a right relationship with God.

One of my favorite examples is the reign of King Josiah in second Kings 22 - 23. In the eighteenth year of Josiah, the book of the law was found, and Shaphan the priest's secretary read the Law to the King. Upon hearing the law, Josiah tore his robes and wept, because he realized that the people had not been acting in accordance with all that the law commanded.

After seeking the Lord, Josiah humbled himself and renewed covenant with the God of Israel. Josiah then destroyed all of the idol worship and burned the articles of Baal and Asherah in the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. Josiah also tore down the high places, as God had commanded, and did away with the mediums and spiritists and other detestable things found in Jerusalem and Judah.

After Judah and Samaria had been reconsecrated to God, Josiah gave this order: 

    "The king gave this order to all the people: 'Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this book of the Covenant.'Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed, but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem." 2 Kings 23:22-23

I like the story of Josiah so much because it provides a clear example of how the anointing and the Word work together to restore a covenant alignment. Josiah was only eight years old when he came to the throne of Judah, but God had a plan to reveal His word and restore the land to a right covenant before the Lord. Josiah was one of the last Kings to sit on the throne of Judah, before the people were taken into exile in Babylon. He came to power in a very dark time in Israel's history and succeeded several Kings the Bible described as evil in the eyes of the Lord.

For generations leading up to this time, Israel had not celebrated the Passover as Moses commanded and the Kings consistently refused to tear down the high places of worship. During Josiah's reign, the high places were removed and the Passover was restored in Jerusalem.

God knew that the time was right to reveal His word and that Josiah was a man who would repent and bring Israel and Judah back into relationship with Him.

Please Pray:
That during this season of dire straits, God would reveal His Word and the leadership across Israel would bend their knees in humility and repentance.

That God would raise up the Messianic community to come together in unity. The anointing and the Word would work together and restore covenant alignment in the land.

Let the Jewish people look upon the Word of God with fresh eyes. Write it upon their hearts as You declare in Your Word.

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:33-34

portions taken from Israel prayer list

A TIME OF DIRE STRAITS

 

PART TWO

 

 

June 25 to July 16: It Is Time To Stand in the Gap!

 

“I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it.”(Ez 22:30)

 

A Time of Danger

 The Three Weeks are historically a time of misfortune, since many tragedies and calamities befell the Jewish people at this time.

These tragedies include: the breaking of the Tablets of the Law by Moses, when he saw the people worshipping the golden calf; the destruction of both Temples on the 9^th of Av. The Romans defeated the Bar Kochba rebellion on the 9^th of Av in 135 CE. The following year, Jerusalem was leveled to the ground on the 9^th of Av. All Jews had to leave England on the 9^th of Av 1290, and later on Spain in 1492 on the same date. The outbreak of World War I, which overturned many Jewish communities, took place on the 9^th of Av 1914. Heinrich Himmler presented the Nazi “Final Solution” to wipe out all Jews in Europe on the 9^th of Av, and on the 9^th of Av 1942 the Nazis began to deport all Jews from the ghetto in Warsaw.
It was also on the 9^th of Av that the deportation of all Jews from Gaza should have taken place in 2005. In the end, when the Israeli Government discovered that it fell on that date, they postponed the deportation to the following day.

As a result of these misfortunes, Jews are particularly careful to avoid all dangerous situations during the Three Weeks. It is, however, precisely during this time period that Secretary of State John Kerry is planning to unveil his idea of how a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria can be established.

The fast of the fourth month falls this year on June 25 and the fast of the fifth month on July 16. These dates correspond to the two most severe cases of rebellion of the Jewish people against the LORD during their wilderness journey to the Promised Land: the worship of the Golden Calf and the evil report of the ten spies, which caused the children of Israel to decide to go back to Egypt rather than to go in and conquer the Promised Land. As a result God told Moses that he would wipe out the nation and begin all over again with a new nation from Moses. Moses refused the offer. Instead he interceded for Israel putting his own destiny on the line.  See Exodus 32:9-14,31-32 and Numbers 14:11-23

It is time now for us to stand in the gap for Israel just as Moses did, both on the fast of the fourth month and on the fast of the fifth month.

Despite the failures of earlier negotiations, Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to start negotiations right away to give away major parts of the Promised Land to the Palestinian Arabs bent on Israel’s destruction. Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) told Army Radio this week that Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered him to freeze construction bids in Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, following United States President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel. And Finance Minister Yair Lapid said this week that Netanyahu is taking steps behind the scenes to advance the diplomatic process in ways that are unknown to the public. It is an extremely dangerous situation. Some of Israel’s political leaders are repeating the sin of the ten spies, speaking evil about the Land. It is time to stand in the gap and pray! Israel is in great danger!

We hereby call on everyone to join us in a Daniel fast for Israel during the upcoming crucial period of 21 days between June 25 and July 16. It is a partial fast from delicacies, meat and wine, when we also take extra time to pray for Israel three times a day. It is time to stand in the gap for Israel during this crucial time with prayer and fasting just like Moses and Daniel did. Spread the word to as many people as possible that loves Israel to fast and pray. Israel is being tested again at this time, just as they were after the evil report from the ten spies.

Prayer Points
• Pray that many followers of the Messiah of Israel in the nations will stand in the gap for Judea and Samaria at this crucial time through fasting and prayer like Moses and Daniel!

“Moses implored the LORD his God and said… ‘Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” (Ex 32:11,13)

• Pray that God will frustrate all the planes of the nations to force a two state solution on Israel during this time period will fail!

“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” (Ps 33:10-11)

• Pray that more leaders in Israel will act like Joshua and Caleb and speak out against the Two State solution!

“’Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.’ Then the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.’”(Num 13:30-31)

• Pray that leaders that speak out against the Two State solution will be strong!

“In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.”(Isa 28:5-6)

• Pray that secret agreements against God’s will, will be exposed and rejected!

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,”(Eph 5:11-13)

• Pray that many Israelis will not be fooled!

“He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand.”(Dan 11:32-33)

• Pray that God will give wisdom to Israel to deal with the dangerous situation in Syria as well as in Iran!

“There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy.” (Deut 33:26.27)

portions taken from Elijah Prayer Army

If you want to post a prayer please do so in the comment section under anonymous.









 
     



A TIME OF DIRE STRAITS

 

THIS WILL BE IN TWO PARTS

 

TUESDAY WILL BE PART TWO
 

 

 June 25 to July 16: It Is Time To Stand in the Gap!

“I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it.”(Ez 22:30)

The nations are determined to divide the Land of Israel. Israel is the Holy Land, the land that God calls His own. This is an extremely serious issue that involves His judgment on all the nations of the world. God says through the prophet Joel,

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with themthere, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land.”(Joel 3:1-2)

 In 2002 Saudi Arabia put forth a so called peace initiative, saying that if Israel retreats to the borders it had before the Six Day War in 1967, the Arab nations will consider normalizing its relationship with Israel and end the conflict. This initiative is what President Obama is supporting, and it recently received renewed attention when the Emir of Qatar said that he could accept minor changes in the 1967 borders by swapping territories, accepting some of the larger Israeli settlements in exchange for the same amount of areas within Israel proper.

The famous Israeli UN ambassadors Abba Eban called Israel’s 1967 borders “Auschwitz borders,” since they are indefensible and would eventually lead to a second Holocaust. Besides, the prophetic word speaks time and time again about that it is specifically the area where a Palestinian state would be established and no Jews would be allowed to live, that God has promised His people to return to.

June 20 this year, US Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to be back again in the Middle East to push this peace initiative. It will be his fifth visit to Israel since he took office in January. In this short time period he has visited Israel just as many times as Hillary Clinton did during her entire time as Secretary of State. It is remarkable that when so many serious things are happening in the Middle East, he devotes so much time to this particular issue.

The Time Between Dire Straits
John Kerry has announced that he is planning to unveil the details of his peace initiative to push Israel back to her Auschwitz borders at the end of June or beginning of July. This is no coincidence. On Tuesday, June 25, begins the annual, difficult time period for the Jewish people of 21 days, called “The time between the straits” or “The time between dire straits.” The dictionary defines dire straits as: “a state of extreme distress, desperate straits, straits, strait, pass, meaning a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs.” The expression “The time between dire straits” is taken from the Book of Lamentations.

“How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.”(Lam 1:3)

King James Version translates the last phrase as “all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.” The New King James Version says, “All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.”

This difficult time period of 21 days falls between the fasts of the fourth and the fifth months mentioned in Zechariah.“Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth... shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.” (Zec 8:19)

It is a period of mourning commemorating the destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples. The Three Weeks start on the seventeenth day of the Jewish month of Tammuz — the fast of the fourth month — and end on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av — the fast of the fifth month, which occurs exactly three weeks later. Both of these fasts commemorate events surrounding the destruction of the Jewish Temples and the subsequent exile of the Jews from the land of Israel.

Daniel Prayed for Israel

We read in the Book of Daniel that he stood in the gap and fasted and prayed for Israel during 21 days. It is described first in chapter 9 how he interceded for his people,

“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules… O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.’” (Dan 9:3-5,16-19)

Then it continues in chapter 10 to describe what happened two years later, when he fasted and prayed for 21 days.

 “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks… And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees… Then he said to me, ‘Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.” (Dan 10:2-3,10,12)

 We need to learn from Daniel’s example of prayer for Israel.

Tuesday's post will explain this three week period in history. With additional prayer points from scriptures.

portions taken from Elijah prayer army

If you want to post a prayer, you may do so in the comment section using anonymous.

PRAYER POINTS

 

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:4

 

Thank You, Lord:

• That You are King over the nations.
• That Yeshua died and rose again.
• That Your word is stable and sure and doesn't shake in a shaking world.
• For the glory of Your creation.

For mercy and grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
• As You live we live. You give us true life in union with Yourself.
• You watch over Israel and neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:4)
• You call us out of darkness into Your glorious light. (1 Peter 2:9)
• That we can come before Your throne and speak to You, and You make a way

 

 

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercies endure forever (Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, ki leolam chasdo).

  Psalm 118:1

Syria

• The leaders of the G8 nations met this week, plainly revealing the opposing views of Russia and the USA over the conflict in Syria. While Russia's Putin clearly aligns himself with Syria and with Iran and the Bible is clear that there will be a war as outlined in Ezekiel 38 and 39, we need to pray that this will only take place in God's perfect time. Our sense is that this is not yet the right time.

   Pray:

• That the war in Syria would not spill over into Israel nor expand into a regional war.
• For God's will to be done in and through the Syrian conflict.
• For God's perfect timing of the Gog-Magog war.
• Keep Israel's leaders and soldiers watchful and ready for the war when it comes.
• Keep Israel's northern border secure. Plug the gaps which the IDF cannot cover.
• Provide Israel with accurate intelligence, particularly regarding Syria's chemical weapons.
• May these weapons be found and destroyed.
• Contain and hold back the supplies of more weapons.
• Following more "stray" shooting this week coming into Israel, protect the Israeli residents of the Golan Heights.
• Make the believers on the Golan Your light to all those around them.

We have been hearing some reports of Syrian Christians being targeted and murdered.

   Pray:

• Make Your people ambassadors for Your kingdom. Make them lights in the darkness of hatred all around them.
• Help them to know that You will never leave them nor forsake them. (Hebrews 13:5)
• May they know when to stand, when to hide, when to flee.

 

Israel and the Palestinians:

The Israeli government is coming under ever-increasing pressure from the USA (John Kerry) and the EU (Catherine Ashton) to engage with the Palestinians. Meanwhile the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Rami Hamdallah, has become the former Prime Minister, resigning after only two weeks in office. There has been some public discord within Israel's government as Naftali Bennett has spoken of the idea of a two-state solution reaching a dead end.

   Pray:

• Give Binyamin Netanyahu and the members of his cabinet Your divine wisdom for how to act and what to say regarding the Palestinians.
• Give strength to Netanyahu and use him as an instrument in Your hand.
• Protect Israel from the attempts at manipulation by the nations of the world.
• Thank You for Naftali Bennett's stand on the two-state solution.
• Cut off Israel from all unhealthy dependence on the other nations and from her desire to be like all the other nations. (see 1 Samuel 8)
• May Israel's leaders turn to You and to Your word. May they come to know Your Son, Yeshua.
• Thank You for regular Bible studies in the Knesset and in the Prime Minister's residence. Speak to the leaders of Israel in these gatherings and most of all meet with them in private when they are alone!

portions taken from Intercessors for Israel

 

 

Moscow Sets Up Russian Golan Brigade

 

 

Isaiah 43:1-7 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, Your Savior;...since you are precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you;...Fear not, for I AM with you,...everyone who is called by My Name."

 

 

Moscow is not ready to give up on getting Russian troops posted on the divided Golan as part of the UN force policing the Israeli-Syrian separation sector, even after rejections by the UN and Israel. Monday, June 10, the Russian lawmaker Aleksey Pushkov, an influential foreign relations policy adviser to the Kremlin, said: “The issue has not been yet solved, it is being considered. We must take some real action because we cannot exclude that the Syrian-Israeli topic would be involved in large-scale military action.

 

Shortly before he spoke, the military announced in Moscow that the Russian Airborne Troops had formed a separate brigade especially designed to serve as peacekeepers “under the aegis of the United Nations or as part of the force set up by the Russian-led CSTO (Russian-Asian) security bloc for combating terrorism. Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan contribute special units.

 

Vladimir Shamanov, commander of Russian Airborne troops, said the new brigade had been awarded the status of “a peacekeeping unit” on June 1. He did not say by whom. debkafile’s military sources disclose the Moscow proposes to give the “peacekeeping” brigade from the Russian Airborne Troops “teeth” in the form of of MI-24 combat helicopters.The idea of placing Russian peacekeepers on the Golan was first voiced by President Vladimir Putin on June 7, after Austria decided to withdraw its 377-strong contingent from the area over an outbreak of fighting there between Syrian troops and rebels.

The idea was quickly shot down by the United Nations and Israel on the grounds that the Israeli-Syrian 1974 ceasefire accord barred veto-wielding UN Security Council members from participation in the peacekeeping force.

On June 8, debkafile reported exclusively that Putin was determined to override Israeli and UN objections and get Russian troops deployed on the Syrian Golan by hook or by crook.

On June 9, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the Putin offer, saying Israel could not afford to place its security in the hands of international forces.

Speaking at a Moscow press conference on Monday, MP Pushkov went on to say that it was too early to say that Vladimir Putin’s suggestion of placing Russian peacekeepers on the Golan Heights lacked perspectives or could not be implemented.

As though on cue, the Hizballah-controlled Lebanese Al Akhbar Monday quoted President Bashar Assad as warning that, for him, opening a front on the Golan against Israel was “a serious matter” and would not just consist of firing a few improvised rockets from time to time.

This gave Pushkov the opening for his warning to Israel: That Israeli authorities would oppose this step (Putin’s offer) was not surprising, he said, but he warned about possible consequences: “Assad could be replaced by radical Islamists in comparison with whom Assad would seem an angel from heaven,” said the Russian lawmaker.

“The people who are now offering friendship to Israel would not necessarily see Israel as their partner when they come to power, rather they would see it as an enemy,” the Russian MP said, hinting at the references made by Hizballah and Syrian government spokesmen to the relations Israel had purportedly formed with certain Syrian rebel groups. Hizballah broadcasts even depicted outdated Israeli tanks and other equipment, booty captured in its 2006 war with Israel, to prove its point.

Therefore, Pushkov advised Israeli leaders to pay more attention to the possible future scenarios in Syria and take into account that Russia could play a positive and stabilizing role in the region.

Debkafile notes that this was the first time any Russian official had mentioned the unmentionable: a possible future turn in the wheel of the Syrian conflict that would oust Assad and bring his foes, the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda, to power in Damascus.

PLEASE PRAY:

*That the mercies of He who "makes peace in His high places" (Job 25:2) will hold back the forces of war from being totally unleashed in this region outside of their season (Job 25:2; Eccl. 3:8). 
 
*That the United States will not come into this conflict if it is out of the wisdom and timing of the Lord

*For the Body of Messiah in Syria to rise up within the carnage in courage, hope, life and healing in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

*For Angels to minister on behalf of "those who will inherit salvation"-for visions of life and truth amongst Muslims in all of these countries-and the courage to come out of the darkness and into the light of Yeshua/Jesus.

*For Israel's borders to be protected from breaching (Psalm 147:14).

*For wisdom in Israel's leaders regarding the warfare across her border. For strategic intelligence as to where and when to strike if it becomes necessary to destroy the stockpiles of poisonous gas.

*For many Jewish Israelis to turn to Yeshua, the Light of the World, as they see darkness closing in on all the lands surrounding them.

*For revelation and insight for the Body worldwide as to the significance of what is being played out in the Middle East today, and for the unction and understanding to pray.

portions taken from Debkafile special report and Israel prayer list.

If you desire to leave a prayer, enter it into the comment section under anonymous.



SHABBOT SHALOM THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURES

 

 

The reading for this week 16-22 June is called Balak:

TORAH: Numbers 22:2-25:9

HAFTARAH: Micah 5:7-6:8 
 

This week's Portion focuses upon the story of the pagan prophet Balaam (Hebrew: Bil'am), called from his homeland in the Euphrates area by the Moabite king Balak to come and curse Israel, at this time spread out on the plain just across the Jordan from Jericho. But Israel's God is in charge of the vocal chords of Balaam, and the intended curses pour forth as blessing, the oracles being amongst the most magnificent examples of Hebrew poetry in the Hebrew Bible. Some of these blessings continue to resound prophetically today.

 

*Numbers 22:20. ".only the word which I speak to you shall you do." In the Hebrew, this is not a command; rather, it is a simple statement of fact-"This is what is going to happen".

  PLEASE PRAY: that God's living, creative Word be released in Israel. It comes best through His willing servants-but He is Lord, and as such exercises sovereignty over the lips of all humankind (and even the beasts).
  Pray for spiritual discernment among the Body in Israel-to recognize His Word, to discern "between the righteous and the wicked- between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him" (Malachi 3:18).

*Numbers 22:22. "But Elohim was angry because he [Balaam] was going, and the messenger/angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary [Literal Hebrew: as a satan] against him."The Hebrew word "satan" originally meant "one who is an adversary". In this case, the adversary was good- "The Angel of the LORD". In Zechariah 3:1-2, "The Satan" standing to accuse Joshua the high priest was evil. Against whom one stands as adversary is the issue. Better that the LORD's adversaries be also ours and His angel standing with us against them, than that the Holy One Himself come to be revealed as adversary against us

 

*Numbers 22:31. "Then the LORD opened [Hebrew: revelated] Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face."

  PLEASE PRAY: that God will open the eyes of those who are allowing themselves to be spokespersons to the church in the nations regarding Israel, albeit with impure motives-that they will see that they are playing with fire. Pray that the eyes of the hearts of Israeli believers be opened to see into the heavenlies, where we are seated with Messiah-and that we will flow with God's heavenly armies rather than contrary to them (Ephesians 1:3,18-21; II Kings 6:16-17).

*Numbers 23:3b. "So he went to a desolate height."This is exactly the same word (only in the singular) used in Isaiah 41:8, "I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys." What God is about to release through Balaam is a torrent of prophetic truth which will stream through the centuries, still nourishing Israel today.

*Numbers 23:9. ".Behold, a people who dwells apart[isolated, secluded], and will not be reckoned [Literally: "thought of, considered"] as being among the nations [Hebrew: goyim].

  PLEASE PRAY: that modern Israel would rise up to her place of calling-that God would wean us away from the habitual longing to be "like other nations." Pray for believing brothers and sisters in the Nations to release Israel to "be set apart" to what God has called her to be.

*Numbers 23:21. "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, and the shout[or royal shofar blast]of a King is among them.

"PLEASE PRAY: "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done-in Israel-as it is in Heaven!"

*Numbers 24:7, 20. "His [i.e. Jacob's] King shall be higher than Agag, and His kingdom shall be exalted.Amalek was first among the nations, but shall be last until he perishes."As we have mentioned during our traversals of Exodus 17:8-16 and Deut 25:17-19, Amalek signifies a covenant-hating spirit which has historically manifested in seeking to destroy God's covenant-people Israel; this spirit is at the heart of all anti-Semitism. Agag was an Amalekite king (I Samuel 15:8) and Haman, the "Enemy of the Jews", who sought to exterminate them out of the Persian Empire, was a descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1, 10). God's covenants with Israel are covenants of Life, through which flows blessing for all humankind made in His image. Therefore, He has sworn war with Amalek from generation to generation until He has utterly blotted out his memory from under Heaven (Exodus 17:14-15). His King-His Son (Psalm 2:6-7) "was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14).

*Numbers 23:23. "For there is no sorcery[In Hebrew, the word used here for "sorcery" and that used for "serpent" are identical]in Jacob and no magic in Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'Oh, what God has done!'"

*Micah 5:12. "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no soothsayers. Your carved images I will also cut off, and your obelisks from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands.

Both this passage from the Torah and that from the Haftarah are very pertinent for us in Israel today. The enemy knows that his time is short-and he has sown sorcery throughout the land. In secular schools, children are often taught the horoscope and New Age in the early grades (we have seen the homework papers ourselves). Much of ultra-Orthodox Judaism is permeated with the occult. Often Israelis flocking to Asia (particularly India and Thailand) after military service, bring back Eastern mysticism to fill the void within. And there are New Age festivals several times a year which attract thousands.

  Please Pray: that the works of the serpent will be exposed and cut off in Israel. Pray for release of signs and wonders and deliverance from demons in the Name of Yeshua through the power of the Holy Spirit.

  Pray that curses made against this Land and people from outside will hit a wall and fall to the ground.

  Pray for God to raise up leaders like Josiah who will work with holy Zeal and Jealousy for the cleansing of our land.

*Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the YHVH require of you but to do justly, to love lovingkindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

  PLEASE PRAY this verse from over Israel-God "resists the proud but gives grace to the humble",and He longs to "walk" with her again!

REFLECTIONS ON SONGS IN ISRAEL

 

 

By Shira from the Land of Israel:

 



Songs have always had a place of honor in our history and in our service of G-d. The Levites’ main job in the Tabernacle was to sing, to raise their voices in praise and song to the Lord. And when the Israelites are standing on the banks of the Red Sea, after witnessing the Splitting of the Sea, Miriam the Prophetess, Moses’ sister, picks up her drums and tambourines and leads the Israelites in a song of praise to G-d.

The Book of Psalms is full of instances where Israel sings out to G-d with thanks for His salvation, with hymns speaking of His glory. Song is the obvious, most appropriate response to the need to express our love for G-d and His ways. “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my G-d while I have my being.” (Psalms 104:33) And in Chronicles there is a wonderful verse which declares, “Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.” (16:9)


I guess it makes sense, in our wonderful, wacky, and often difficult but always incredible country, that our songs will reflect how our despair is eternally mixed with hope, our prayers touched with pain. One of my favorite Israeli songs is called “The Honey and the Sting.” It is a song asking G-d in His benevolence to watch over us, and speaks of how we are grateful for our lives, even as we realize that a Jew’s life is a life of both sweetness and bitterness, like the bee that provides honey and a sting. A song we dance to in my Israeli Dance class, simply called “Land”, plainly states, with no apologies, “This is the land I was born in and I now live in, and I will continue to settle the land, no matter what happens.” A song of the most simple, basic faith in our right to be here.

Whenever things get complicated in Israel, with its stormy politics, its shaky security, its isolation among the countries of the world, I always think of a certain song and I am comforted. “I don’t have another country” cannot be seen as anything but a love song. The singer maintains that deep in his heart, in the very veins of his being, he will stand by his land because “Here is my home.”

One of my favorite songs is “If Only.” Probably one of the most popular Israeli songs in the last decade, it is a song sung by a secular singer, but in my mind, one of the most spiritually uplifting songs written. Its lyrics sound like a prayer…

“If only we will see a reform in the world…
If only one day, we will sit peacefully in the shade of the palm tree…
If only we won’t feel pain and people will love their fellow man…
If only the gates of the Garden of Eden will open once again…
If only are days would be renewed as in ancient times…
If only the nations will no longer lift their swords against us…
If only.

Our songs sound like prayers and our prayers are full of songs. There is nothing more emotionally moving, than to sit in synagogue and join with my friends and neighbors in raising our voices in powerful song, singing a wonderfully familiar melody from our prayer book. As far as I’m concerned, the older the melody the better, the strong tradition of the tune sending satisfying chills of belonging through me.

Imagine: What does God think of our songs? Remember He created sound. Make a joyful sound unto Him! Celebrate God with a song from your heart to Him! Join your voice with the melody of heaven in the power of the song! Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord!!!!


Shalom!

THE BATTLE FOR ISRAEL

 

Contending in Prayer against Principalities and Powers

 

 

"And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp." But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, nor the noise of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear." Exodus 32: 17-18.

 

There is no doubt that the Church in general needs to rediscover the role and power of prayer. Jesus said that His house should be “a house of prayer for all nations.” Today this house is mainly a house of singing!

Our prayer meetings are weak and badly attended and consequently our projection of ministry is greatly lacking in power. The early church by contrast made prayer a feature of every meeting. This is the testimony of the Book of Acts (Acts1:14).

We need to urgently adopt this way of life together as, if we don’t, we shall “win on the grandstand but lose, where it counts, on the field!” The words of Moses will thus continue to haunt us when he said that he doesn’t hear the sound of defeat or victory but that of a good time.

More important still is the fact that great events are taking place in the world that require our most urgent intercession. Israel is facing an unprecedented threat from more than one source but in particular from Iran. The President of this nation continues to call for Israel’s destruction and is rapidly developing the nuclear weaponry to make good this threat. Scripture has always warned that Israel, by virtue of her peculiar God given call and mandate for the sake of the world, has been subjected to programs of destruction. (Note Psalm 83)

History, sadly, well testifies to this.

While all men are entirely responsible for their actions it is true that behind these people are dark principalities of destruction and deception. Paul wrote that we are to recognize this and thus oppose these principalities through the struggle of prayer (Ephesians 6:10-12). Prayer is hard and demanding work and yet it constitutes the mighty power of God when discharged faithfully. We neglect it in our churches to our peril!

 Paul, writing to the Church at Philippi said, “In all things by prayer……” (Philippians 4:6). If we took this simple advice we would see so much more of the “hand of God” in our communities.

THIS LETTER IS THEN AN URGENT CALL TO PRAYER. PRAYER FOR ISRAEL, FOR YOUR NATION AND YOUR CHURCH.

WE BELIEVE THAT PRAYER CAN CHANGE ALL THINGS AND THAT GOD IN CHRIST IS CALLING HIS FAMILY TO FAITHFUL PRAYER.


RUMBLING INTO POSITION:

 

TWO SIDES COMING INTO ARRAY

 

 

"Then the Angel of YHVH went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left" Numbers 22:26

 

 

Last week we examined how, far from the mere rising up of an oppressed people against a despotic ruler, the conflict in Syria was in fact rapidly coming into focus as something far more vast-an awakening confrontation between the two ancient rival branches of Islam itself, centered in Syria. How the Iranian-supported Shi'ite forces of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon are coming to the aid of the embattled Alawite (a Shi'ite derivative) minority led by President Assad. This week Iran declared that its Islamic Revolutionary Guards will deploy 4,000 troops into the region to aid Assad.


On the Sunni side, the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist faction, affiliated with the Saudi-backed Al Qaeda is now considered the best-equipped arm of the Syrian opposition forces, with up to 10,000 on the ground inside Syria. Yesterday Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi severed diplomatic relations with the Assad regime and called for a no-fly zone over Syria. It is suspected that this may only herald the soon rumbling of the mighty Muslim Brotherhood into position in support of its Sunni brethren to the north.


Meanwhile, this past week the Obama administration announced that it has decided to begin arming Syrian opposition fighters in their battle against Assad. It appears that this is related to the President's declaration a few months ago that use of poisonous gas by the Assad regime against Syrian citizens would be a 'red line' over which the US would be forced to respond. The US now considers that it has evidence that some use of sarin has taken place against the rebels, and the President evidently feels obliged to make good on his pledge. However, given the expanded direction the war is now taking, voices are being raised in warning that America's coming into this conflict will in actuality be seen not as her protection of a besieged people from war crimes, but rather as the US coming down on the Sunni side of a burgeoning sectarian conflict. Even as Russia, which sided with Assad because of strategic interests in the area, is now being seen as arrayed on the side of the Shi'ites.

With these two great branches of Islam rising once again against each other, and nations being seen to ally themselves with either branch, it is a time for sobriety and seeking after God for insight and prophetic understanding as to what is taking place, and what the Spirit is saying to believers. It is interesting that there is teaching within both Sunni and Shi'ite Islam of the coming of a Messiah-figure called a Mahdi-who will redeem the world from evil before a Day of Resurrection/Judgment. The Shi'ites even teach of a return of Jesus (Isa) to assist this Mahdi (who is supposed to descend at a point east of Damascus!). How if a 'man of peace' were to actually appear on the scene, one of such charisma and supernatural power as to be able to unite the two branches? (There is already this which both branches share, a common hatred of Israel). Yeshua taught that such false messiah's would come, who would deceive many. We are not here saying that such a time is upon us.

  But we are convinced that powerful spiritual forces are behind the upheavals which are swiftly multiplying across the world; it is a time, as our Lord commanded us, to "Watch".

"The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who have insight shall instruct many" (Daniel 11:32-33).


PLEASE PRAY:

*That the mercies of He who "makes peace in His high places" (Job 25:2) will hold back the forces of war from being totally unleashed in this region outside of their season (Job 25:2; Eccl. 3:8). 
 
*That the United States will not come into this conflict if it is out of the wisdom and timing of the Lord.

*For the Body of Messiah in Syria to rise up within the carnage in courage, hope, life and healing in the Power of the Holy Spirit.

*For Angels to minister on behalf of "those who will inherit salvation"-for visions of life and truth amongst Muslims in all of these countries-and the courage to come out of the darkness and into the light of Yeshua/Jesus.

*For Israel's borders to be protected from breaching (Psalm 147:14).

*For wisdom in Israel's leaders regarding the warfare across her border. For strategic intelligence as to where and when to strike if it becomes necessary to destroy the stockpiles of poisonous gas.

*For many Jewish Israelis to turn to Yeshua, the Light of the World, as they see darkness closing in on all the lands surrounding them.

*For revelation and insight for the Body worldwide as to the significance of what is being played out in the Middle East today, and for the unction and understanding to pray.

portions taken from Israel prayer list