WATCH AND PRAY

Israeli Public Prepares for Possible Syrian Attack

1 [A Psalm] of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? {N} The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, {N} even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; {N} though war should rise up against me, even then will I be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: {N} that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, {N} to behold the graciousness of the LORD, and to visit early in His temple. 5 For He concealeth me in His pavilion in the day of evil; {N} He hideth me in the covert of His tent; He lifteth me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; and I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound; {N} I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I call with my voice, and be gracious unto me, and answer me. 8 In Thy behalf my heart hath said: ‘Seek ye My face’; Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9 Hide not Thy face from me; put not Thy servant away in anger; {N} Thou hast been my help; cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 For though my father and my mother have forsaken me, the LORD will take me up. 11 Teach me Thy way, O LORD; and lead me in an even path, because of them that lie in wait for me. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries; for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out violence. 13 If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!– 14 Wait on the LORD; be strong, and let thy heart take courage; yea, wait thou for the LORD. {P} (Psalms 27)

During the weeks preceding and following the Jewish New Year, beginning this year on the evening of September 4, Jews around the world recite this psalm twice daily.  In light of rising tensions with Syria, this seems particularly apropos.

As the governments of the US, Britain, France and Turkey move towards authorizing a strike on the abusive Syrian regime, Israel is bracing itself for the potential fall-out.

“The state’s duty is to be ready for any scenario,” MK Eli Yishai, chairman of the Knesset Homefront Preparedness Subcommittee, said.  The subcommittee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to examine the homefront’s readiness.  This follows a pre-planned drill Tuesday in the Golan Heights region, involving security and emergency forces, and, according to Army Radio, a surprise meeting of the security cabinet, presumably to discuss the current situation with Syria.

After the meeting,Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “The State of Israel is prepared for every scenario.  We’re not part of the Syrian civil war, but if we’ll spot an attempt to harm us we’ll respond with great force.”

Residents have also responded to the impending danger.  About 40% of Israelis do not have their gas masks, distributed since 2010 by the Israel Postal Company.  In recent days, however, demand has increased to the point where people are being encouraged to use the website or call center to order their kits, to reduce strain at the distribution centers.  As one resident of Zichron Yaakov told Ynet, “Though the risk is low, it still seems more probable than before.  The Americans are going to attack and we already know that Assad has chemical weapons, so why take the risk?”  Homefront command has not yet issued new instructions to citizens to obtain gas masks, but the Israel Postal Company has prepared for the increased demand.

Other preparations being taken include putting Haifa’s Patriot anti-missile batteries on alert and aiming them towards the north.  Along with Iron Dome, the Patriot batteries are part of Israel’s extensive missile defense system, responsible for stopping incoming Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War.

On Wednesday, according to The Times of Israel, reported that the Syrian opposition on Wednesday charged that regime forces had unleashed a chemical attack on civilians in Damascus overnight Tuesday. They claim the attack has left 20 dead. The reports are thus far unconfirmed.

Israel expects to be alerted ahead of any US attack on Syria.  The defense establishment is considering every scenario, including a moderate Syrian retaliation, possibly without direct involvement, in the form of rocket fire or an attack at the border.

portions taken from Breaking Israel News

HIGH ALERT in Middle East and Israel

Monday night, Aug. 26, saw one Middle East country after another, including Israel, going on high military alert after they learned that US President Barack Obama had failed to come to an understanding with Tehran on Syria and so avert a US-led operation against Syria over its chemical attacks.

Obama had hoped this understanding would also pave the way to direct dialogue on the nuclear issue with the new Iranian president Hasan Rouhani.

ebkafile's intelligence sources report that the US president delegated two emissaries for two separate tracks.

He found cause for optimism in Tehran's consent to receive Jeffrey Feltman, UN Deputy Secretary, Monday, Aug. 25, although in his former capacity as US Undersecretary of State and US ambassador to Damascus, Feltman was viewed as an adversary of Iran, Syria and Hizballah.

Feltman arrived suddenly in Tehran Monday and was received by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif without delay.

The other intermediary was Sultan Qaboos of Oman, who arrived in Tehran Monday for a visit with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He too made no headway in his attempt to persuade his host that the US was amenable to a last-minute understanding on Syria for holding back an attack.

Khamenei responded with a cold threat: If the Americans attack Syria, "the entire Middle East will suffer from burns," he said.

This response was the signal for orders to American military assets in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf to go on a state of high preparedness Monday night, debkafile's military sources report. Iran, Russia and Syria deployed their forces in readiness for a US-led attack on Syria. Syrian units were ordered to leave their bases and spread out across the country's broad open areas.

The ten military chiefs meeting in Amman focused on coordination of the joint operation against Syria which is expected to begin very shortly.

Participating in the meeting chaired by US chief of staff Gen. Martin Dempsey were the top commanders of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Canada.
The powerful message coming from US Secretary of State John Kerry and the White House spokesman Jay Carney Monday night indicated that the Obama administration was not about to back off its promise of consequences for those responsible for using chemical weapons against civilians and "shocking the world's conscience."

Both bluntly accused the Assad regime of the heinous crime of chemical warfare on civilians. "Our understanding is grounded in facts and common sense," Kerry said: This regime held custody of those weapon stockpiles, had the rockets to use them and was capable of doing so. "Basic humanity is offended by this crime and even more by the attempts to cover it up.

Kerry added: "We have additional information about these attacks. It is being reviewed with our partners and will be released in the coming days."

PLEASE PRAY:

*That He who watches over Israel will be her protection from the gathering storm. Pray that He"who makes His messengers/angels winds, His servants a flame of fire" (Ps. 104:4) will guard the winds over Israel, and not allow them to sustain any substance which might be toxic to her people.

*For God's guidance sovereign guidance over the actions of western leaders-that no actions will be allowed to be taken outside of the determined purposes of the Lord.

*For the Prince of Peace to command Shalom! over the hearts and spirits of His people. He will keep them in perfect peace whose hearts are stayed on Him.

* Jeremiah 9:23-24 . "Thus says the LORD, 'Let not the wise boast in his wisdom, Let not the mighty boast in his might, nor let the rich boast in his riches;  But let him who boasts boast in this, that he has insight and knows Me, Yehovah who does loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these I delight,' says Yehovah."  Pray that the LORD will give to believers in positions of authority in the Middle East grace to not trust in their own wisdom, but to receive and be activated in His insight (ability to reason) and grounded in their knowledge of Him, Who delights in loving kindness, justice and righteousness in the earth.  

*God's redemptive purposes over Egypt, Lebanon and Syria. Isaiah 19 gives incredible guidance for understanding and praying into what is currently going on in Egypt. Last week's Haftarah

spoke of a 'glory of Lebanon' which is destined to one day beautify the place of God's feet in Jerusalem (Isaiah 60:13). Isaiah 17:1 speaks of Damascus ceasing to be a city. We feel one should be cautious regarding modern-day interpretations of this prophecy attributing the destruction to a nuclear attack at the hands of Israel. Historically, it is almost certainly alluding to Damascus' destruction at the hands of Assyria in 732 B.C. For one thing, it is less than 40 miles from our border, and such an attack would likely have terrible consequences on Israel itself. What we find important to address in the passage is the close of verse 3, "And the remnant of Syria will be like the glory of the children of Israel," declares the LORD of Armies.Yes, pray against a lethal exchange between the two countries-but pray for the preservation and strengthening in the Spirit of God's remnant in Damascus and all of Syria.

Rockets Launched against Israel from Tyre

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that rockets fired into Israel will not be tolerated. In his statement on Thursday, August 22, he said, "Our policy is clear—to defend as well as to thwart. Anyone who harms us should know, and anyone who tries to harm us should know—we will harm them back."

Four rockets fired into Israel territory Thursday caused air raid sirens to sound in the Galilee area for the first time since the Second Lebanon War. The Iron Dome that is to protect the northern part of Israel intercepted one of the rockets, but failed to stop two rockets that hit inside communities. The IAF is investigating why the Iron Dome did not intercept them.

One of the rockets landed in Kibbutz Gesher HaZiv and the other in Moshav Shavei Zion. Both communities are in the western Galilee area.

No one was injured directly in the attack, but there was property damage. A kitchen in an inn for Holocaust survivors was hit. Ynet news reports that “GOC Northern Command Major General Yair Golan arrived at Shavei Zion and talked with the Holocaust survivors. Several of the survivors told Golan: ‘Perhaps on the radio there is panic, but we are calm and in control. We've seen worst.’”

Three people were treated for shock and taken to Nahariya Hospital along with a teenage girl who suffered head injuries when she fell while running for shelter.

In retaliation to the attack, an IDF spokesman says that the Air Force carried out a direct hit on a “terrorist” target at a site south of Beirut. News agencies are reporting that the target hit was an area of tunnels that were thought to be the launching pads for the rockets.

According to the IDF, Israel is holding the Lebanese government responsible for the attacks, while at the same time, Lebanon is condemning the rockets fired at Israel and blames it on in-fighting between Hezbollah and several Al-Quaida groups in Lebanon.

Ynet News reported that “The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command of Ahmed Jibril issued a statement following the IDF attack on the organization's south Lebanon base, ‘The response will not be in the way that the Zionist enemy wants to drag us into, but in the right place and at the right time.’"

Because of the missile attacks, Israel has decided to suspend air traffic in the northern part of the country. Haifa Airport will remain closed until Sunday.

Prayer Focus

Pray that God will keep all of Israel under His protective dome. Pray for calm and peace for Israel as they fortify their country.

Scripture

 Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.

- Psalm 61:1–3

Another Timely Discovery in Israel!

"THE LORD REMEMBERS--GOD SEES!"

On Sunday archaeologists working in Jerusalem's City of David announced the discovery of a pottery shard bearing ancient Hebrew letters and thought to be 2,700 years old (700 BCE). The nine letters form three words which could conceivably form the name "Zechariah Son of Benaiah". An article in The Times of Israel cites II Chronicles 20:14, which mentions someone bearing this name as being the father of Yahaziel, upon whom the Spirit or YHVH fell with a message of hope for Judah, Jerusalem and the king Jehoshaphat during a tie of severe national crisis ("2,700-year-old Hebrew inscription found in Jerusalem": The Times of Israel, 18 Aug    2013, 11:20 am.).

Whether or not the lettering on this particular piece of pottery actually had anything to do with Yahaziel's father, we have learned to take notice when such artifacts surface here in Israel, especially when their appearance stimulates the Israeli news media to the quotation of a passage in Holy Scripture which might be related to it. Might not the Author of that Scripture be through it seeking to awaken the attention of some of His people?

II Chronicles 20:11-12:

"Here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You!"

That is verses 11 and 12. In verse 13 "all of Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children" are standing before the LORD. What immediately follows is the passage called attention to by the inscription on the pottery shard: "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Yahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah.a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's." (II Chronicles 20:14-15).

The people of Judah under Jehoshaphat (as Israel today) were in a seemingly hopeless situation where nations were "coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit"-but they humble themselves and cry out to God, standing with their families before Him, confessing that they, in and of themselves, "don't know what to do-but our eyes are upon YOU!" And God sends Yahaziel! His father Zechariah's name means "Yehovah Remembers", and "Yahaziel" means "God (El) Sees (Yachazi)"; or "God Gazes Upon". When Israel arrives at the end of her rope, when she comes to a point of desperation so as to confess her inadequacies, and to lift her eyes to seek God's face, she will find that His loving gaze is already resting upon her. And He does know exactly what she "needs to do"-for in the end, the battle is not hers, it is God's!

PLEASE PRAY:

*For the remnant in Israel to raise up children like Yahaziel upon whom the Spirit of the LORD may fall with a message of hope and instruction for Israel and her leaders.

*For a deep desire to seek the Face of the LORD (Psalm 27:4,8).and revelation that His gaze of Love and Hope and Victory is resting upon us.

*For God to raise up leaders in Israel during the last days like Jehoshaphat who will humble themselves before God and hear and honor His prophetic word when it is released.

*For revelation and insight from the Holy Spirit regarding the "signs" he sends His people-and how to interpret and walk in what He is saying through those signs.

Egypt

1. This week's events in Egypt were heavy on our hearts. We have read reports of our Christian brothers and sisters being persecuted and killed by the Moslem Brotherhood [MB]. Two Egyptian Bible Society bookstores that have been there for years were burnt down with a loss of all materials, but thankfully no lives. Yet most politicians and mainstream media in the West continue to ignore this aspect and see the Egyptian army as the 'bad guys'.
   
   • Abba, have mercy on the Body of Messiah in Egypt.
   • Use this very fearful life-and-death situation to cause those who are Christian in name only to call upon You and reveal Your Son to them (Psalm 50:15).
   • Lord, protect and defend Your people. But You, YHWH, are a shield for me; my glory, the One who lifts up my head. (Psalms 3:3)
   • Send forth Your ministering angels to help Your children (Hebrews 1:14).
   • We do thank You for the reports of many Egyptians coming to know You recently.
   • Guard Your people against all Islamic-driven violence.
     
     
2. Friday is the Muslim day of 'prayer', when Muslims attend mosque services and often hear incitement and anti-Semitic sermons. Today, mosque sermons throughout the ME, especially in Egypt and most likely in Israel - will be stirring up passions against the Egyptian army and, of course, the Zionists. We prayed for the head of Egypt Sissi to remain firm in his intention to deal with the MB.

Lord, we plead for mercy and ask that You would keep the loss of life in Egypt to a minimum.

Enable Egypt's security forces to righteously defend the people from the violent spirit of Islam - especially the women, children and non-Muslims (Romans 13:3-4).

We recognize that what we are seeing could be the continuing fulfillment of Isaiah 19. In the face of that, we ask for mercy on the people as You judge the idols of Egypt. The burden against Egypt: Behold, YHWH rides on a swift cloud and comes into Egypt. The idols of Egypt shall tremble at His presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in its midst. I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; and they shall fight each man against his brother… The spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst of it, and I will destroy its wisdom… (Isaiah 19:1-3a)

Wake up even more of the Egyptian people to the real aim of the MB - a worldwide Sunni caliphate.

Keep Israel's security forces on high alert against any evil plans of the enemy that would use Muslims in this nation to wreak havoc among its civilians.

We ask for You to especially keep Your eyes on Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

We remind You of Your Word to King Hezekiah: For I will defend this city to save it, for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.(Isaiah 37:35)

One of the problems for those in the West is that there are hardly any true reports in either the media or from governments about what is actually happening on in Egypt - or, for that matter, in any of the 'Arab Spring' nations. The reports we get of what has happened in these MB sit-in camps is horrific - including torture, mass murders and sex-jihad [where women must give their bodies to Muslim 'warriors' and if they refuse, they are tortured or killed.] Even if some of this is exaggerated, to see the MB as the 'good guys' in this scenario is the height of deception.

• Lord, wake up Your Church to the idol of democracy that too often determines its thinking.
• Enable believers to understand that Islamic Sharia law, which is what ex-President Morsi was trying to legislate for Egypt, actually outlaws freedom - freedom of speech and the free rights of women and all non-Muslim minorities.
• Abba, for Your holy name's sake, wake up some Western politicians to this truth.
• May more Western leaders be willing to say openly, like Tony Blair did recently, that the real problem lies in Islam.
  
  
• We prayed next for protection along Israel's border with Egypt, the Sinai, as well as with Gaza.
  
  • God, please continue to watch over all of Israel's borders (Psalm 121:4).
  • We want to see the fulfillment of this promise: And your eyes shall see, and you shall say, YHWH will be magnified upon [or beyond] the border of Israel. (Malachi 1:5)
  • Lord, thank You for the apparent working together of the IDF and the Egyptian army against the terrorists in the Sinai area.
  • Help the Egyptian police and soldiers realize that Israel is not their enemy.
  • Use this to bring forward the fulfillment of Isaiah 19:24-25: In that day Israel shall be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land; whom YHWH of Hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be My people Egypt, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance. (Isaiah 19:24-25)
  • Protect all Israelis - both citizens and soldiers - who live in the Sinai/Gaza border region.
  • Thank You for causing the Egyptian army to close the border with Hamastan, i.e., the Gaza Strip, indefinitely and for them finding and destroying hundreds of Hamas' smuggling tunnels.
  • Impart wisdom and alertness to the IDF - especially in the severe heat of August.
  • We bless You for the hi-tech fence that was built by the previous government to stop illegal immigration. It has been super successful doing that and now is also a barrier against terror attacks from the Sinai.
  • Lord, reveal to Israel what is happening in the Sinai. Use its drones and satellites to shine light on the plans of the enemy. He discovers deep things out of darkness, and brings the shadow of death to light.(Job 12:22)
• Abba, prevent any confusion from landing on the Israel leaders - politically or militarily - regarding the Egyptian situation, even if most of the world sides with the wrong side - the MB.
  
  Portions taken from Intercessors for Israel
  
  
  

This week's Scriptures

The readings this week are called Ki-Tetzeh-"When you Go Out":

Torah: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10

*Deuteronomy 21:21, 22:21, 22:22, 22:24; 24:7; 23:14. "Thus you shall purge away the evil from among you". As mentioned last week, the word for "purge" may also be translated "to burn, kindle or root out". There are many situations and circumstances dealt with in these passages (some of necessity not making for the most pleasant reading) pointing to the fact that it is of great importance that God's people be 'set apart' and clean-both morally and physically, personally and as a community,"since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you".

*Deuteronomy 23:5. "Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you."

*Deuteronomy 23:7. "You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land." We believe this admonition to still be in effect today.

 PLEASE PRAY for a love for Egypt among the Body in Israel, even as political relations appear to be moving in a dangerous direction. Pray for the Body in Egypt to rise up in faith and love and hope.and moving in the miraculous power of the Spirit of God.

*Isaiah 54:2-3. "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.

" PLEASE PRAY: That Israel will come into that place of righteousness in her Messiah which will allow God to extend her borders to encompass the territory which He has ordained for her, a territory from which she will never be plucked up.

*Isaiah 54:5. "For your Maker is your husband, YHVH of Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth."

PLEASE PRAY: For revelation in Israel that God loves him in an intimate way-and has provided a "Redeemer" for him, who is One with the Father. "All things came into being through Him (i.e. Yeshua/Jesus), and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3).

*Isaiah 54:7-8. " 'For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,' says the LORD, your Redeemer."

*Isaiah 54:10. " 'For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has mercy on you."

portions taken from Israel prayer list

Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, A HEAVY STONE CAUSING A SEVERE WOUND

Sunday morning Israelis awakened to the headlines that our Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu had undergone unanticipated emergency surgery overnight for an umbilical hernia. The operation, thankfully, was considered mild and a success-but it was enough to make him miss his weekly Cabinet meeting, which was to have been centered round the confirmation of the first 26 of 104 convicted terrorists who are to be released as Israel's "confidence-building measure" for the current peace talks with the Palestinians. Today it was clarified that the list included 17 names of prisoners who murdered Israelis. The families of terror victims have 48 hours to appeal the government's decision and demonstrations continue to take place-but few expect the decision to be rescinded.

We are in sympathy with Mr. Netanyahu and pray for his healing and health-but found our minds being drawn anew towards the 12^th chapter of Zechariah. For all the fact that the talks are ostensibly related to establishment of a "state" in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, no one questions that the ultimate contention involved has been and will be Jerusalem- specifically, the ancient part including the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives which the Palestinians and much of the world demand Israel withdraw from.

Zechariah 12:2-3 (NKJ) reads, "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces(or: "tear rents for themselves"-David Baron), though all nations of the earth are gathered against it." Might the "rent within himself" at the beginning of the negotiations serve as a warning to our Prime Minister? This object of the Biblical warning is not just to the "nations" (Hebrew:goim)-Jerusalem will be made a heavy stone for all the peoples (Hebrew: l'chol-ha'amim), including Israel herself if she attempts it.

PLEASE PRAY:

*For Prime Minister Netanyahu, that he will seek and hear God regarding Jerusalem, and not be a party to attempting to move her from her God ordained positioning.

*For God "Who makes peace in His high places whose armies are innumerable" (Job 25:2), to oversee both the Israeli and Palestinian delegations to the peace talks-and not allow an alliance or agreement to be made which violates His sovereign design, decree and timing for the lands in question.

*That believers in Israel seek to understand and pursue God's priority for "peace" during this season. "Stand therefore, having.shod your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace."(Ephesians 6:14-15); "How beautifully the feet of those bringing good news adorn the mountains-those who proclaim Shalom (peace), who bring glad tidings of Good-who proclaim Salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (Isaiah 52:7).

portions taken from Israel prayer list