Letters from Jerusalem
May 18, 2018
"So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Greetings from the land where the hot, dry, dusty east wind is blowing off the desert trying to suck up all of the moisture…BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY AND KNOWS ALL THINGS WILL HAVE HIS WAY. It is in HIS NAME that I greet you and pray that you may be blessed and encouraged and that The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The Creator of heaven and earth, and His Son, Messiah Jesus, Yeshua…be blessed and glorified and seen!
SHAVOUT! YES! In the midst of all of this is SHAVOUT! This is one of the THREE 'high' holydays for which GOD commanded that ALL males should come up to Jerusalem and offer the prescribed offerings in the place where God would put His Name. (the other two being Passover and Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles) Shavuot means 'weeks' and it is 'the feast of weeks' which…as you know…is also Pentecost in the Church…the day when The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the people who had gathered in the prescribed manner at the temple in Jerusalem!
ACTS 2:1-4 "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Deuteronomy 16 and 26 gives us some background into this day commanded by God: 16:9-12 "“You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. (the day after Passover) Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes."
and
26:1-11 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.“Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. Then we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”; and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me.’“Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God. So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you."
Some of you who have been reading my letters for a long time may remember when I wrote during the last intifada…and it was Sukkot…and there we were- in the middle of a bloody painful war…stopping everything and building flimsy huts under the sky to remember that all of our provision and protection is from God Alone. We were at war and we simply stopped and rejoiced in The Lord in booths!…and it was quite a site in my opinion.
And so it is now. Everything appears intense and upside down…it is time to stop and remember GOD! It is time to offer a 'first fruits' offering and to rejoice before Him…because He SAID to. Exodus 34:22, Levit. 23:15, Numbers 28:26, Deut. 16:16, and 2 Chron. 8:16 are further references if you would like to look.
OTHER THAN THAT…or in other words 'in the natural'…things look rather bleak. The last that I wrote to you I asked for prayer as our borders were being threatened on all sides and our soldiers had been called up to protect them. Once again…(I have seen this before too many times now) our defense became an offense to the world…between the media and the UN and the nations of the earth the report is 'the Jews are slaughtering the poor, defenseless, hopeless, starving, peacefully demonstrating Palestinians that are under their occupation.'
One local journalist put the truth of the issue to some Jewish humor and said; 'The crux of the issue is that they want us dead and we do not want us to die…and the international community wants us to 'negotiate this' issue.'
I will not give you 'my opinion' concerning the explosion of events taking place right now in the Middle East. I WILL give you links to local news sources if you ask, that I believe to be FAR more balanced and honest than what is available to most of you. (I KNOW that some of you get fine ones and I'm glad for that). I will also attach this week's prayer notes that our pastor shares from our Wed night prayer meeting.
I see the faces of the people on the buses and the trains and I listen to the talk. I watch the many Moslems who I ride with and work with daily…I will report on what I see and hear and I will rejoice in The Lord…because, as with all of us, I had BETTER stay within my boundaries!
I was concerned when I went to the shuk the day following the big Gaza confrontation and the embassy dedication. I wondered what the feeling would be among the Arabs. I stopped for some grapes and apricots at an Arab vendor whom I don't know really well. 'Mah nish ma, ema?' he asked me (how is it with you Mama? Mama or Grandma or Cousin are affectionate terms used between Jews and Arabs) 'b'seder. vay at?' (fine…and you?) I asked? Then I 'grabbed his eyes with my eyes'…I don't know how else to describe it but I looked DEEPLY into his eyes and asked him 'how ARE you really?' He looked back and thought a minute and then said that he was fine, so I said 'But how is it in your soul and your heart?' and he stopped and stared at me and a large smile crossed his face and he said slowly 'Fine. Yes…I am fine!' And dare I say that our eyes 'hugged'? This is the response that I found throughout the shuk, and on the train and bus… a general calm among the Arabs instead of the anger that I expected. 'My beggar' came into work. That means that he was able to take his 'back path' from his place in the Bethlehem region (Bethlehem is NOT in Israel but the Palestinian Authority)…it wasn't closed off. He wished me a 'chag sameach' (happy holiday) AND an 'easy ramadan'! I smiled …they fast from sunrise to sunset so he was wishing me an 'easy fast'! I hear this from some Jews before the Yom Kippur fast and I always answer 'May you have a MEANINGFUL fast'. If it is 'easy' I wonder why we are doing it. It didn't occur to me that Arabs would have the same response at Ramadan.
All in all, people are a bit more edgy…a bit less patient (and it is NOT like we are known for being a 'patient people!' ). Everyone is 'waiting'. Wouldn't this be a good time for Him to pour out His Holy Spirit again?
I will attach my Pastor's prayer notes and send you my love as Shabbat settles it's quiet over the city…Jerusalem! Lovingly, your sister
Every Wednesday evening we gather for intercession for the restoration of Israel. The following is shared with you to help you in your own praying and interceding.
These are prayer directions rather than prayer points.
We want to leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead you and your group to pray as you are led.
If you would like to read this Prayer Directions Update in your browser click here
If you would like to receive these Prayer Directions regularly, or
If at any time you want to be removed from the list, please write us at:
ofer@israelprayercenter.org
****
Momentous events in Israel this week
This week has seen some momentous events in Israel. The battles at the Gaza borders, the moving of the US embassy in Jerusalem, the expelling of diplomats between Turkey and Israel, and this week is not even over.
Some light as to what really happened in Gaza - The nations lost no time in condemning Israel for its "barbaric" killing of innocent Gazans who were "peacefully" marching by Israel's borders. But had they waited a day or two, they would have learned that the Hamas itself admitted that 50 of the 61 who died on May 14, were its operatives (who were sent to attack Israel under the cover of women and children). (Read this here.)
Furthermore, a captured Hamas terrorist exposed Hamas tactics and motives behind recent events. He said, "They control the Gaza Strip, and everything that happens there goes through them." He further explained Hamas' reasoning behind events: "Hamas organizes these riots so that the people won't revolt. Hamas tell themselves, instead of having people revolt and turn against us, we'll send them to the fence and let them 'revolt' there freely," (to read the article and watch the video click here).
As Mark Twain said: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."1 But of course, what the nations do and say are not about truth at all anymore, but about manipulating words to achieve a self-serving agenda. No one really cares about the Palestinians in Gaza; otherwise, they would do their utmost best to free the Gazans from Hamas rule.
We were led to pray for Israel and the nations from Isaiah 2
Is. 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Is. 2:2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
Is. 2:3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Is. 2:4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.
In these verses, we see that in the last days, God would cause Israel to rise above other nations (mountains here are nations, hills are smaller nations O.A.) and be established at the very top. Israel's rising, rising from the dead as it were, has caused and continues to create, huge political quakes; and tremendous opposition. It is clear that this move is against God as much as it is against Israel.
Verse three shows the nations coming to Jerusalem to hear the word of God to learn His ways. We don't see that today do we? What causes the change of heart? Verse four reveals it: God sends His Word (law) from Zion, this word is a rebuke and a judgment that causes the nations to change their ways, turning their weapons to useful instruments. That is the only true "peace process" that will work! What a Word must it be, to change nations!.
We prayed for the Lord to continue to watch over His Word to perform it
We prayed he would continue to bless this land and continue to raise it
We prayed for a change in leadership in many nations. (Think of how the Lord caused leaders to change in some countries to support His plan for Israel - in Canada, in Australia, in the US., even if it was temporary
We prayed for the leaders of nations to humble themselves and take God's advice from Psalm 2
We prayed for the Church in nations to rise and be a light in these matters
We prayed for the Church in nations to take its place in mighty intercessions
We prayed for the mighty preaching of the Word of God from the pulpits of the Church in the different nations
We prayed for leaders in different nations to have someone close to them advise them godly advice (President Truman had Edward Jacobson who urged him to recognize the establishment of Israel and to support it. Trump has Jared Kushner, etc.
We thanked God for the moving of the US and the Guatemalan embassies to Jerusalem and prayed that many more nations would follow suit (it will do good to those nations)
We continued with Isaiah 2:5-11 and prayed for Israel's salvation.
Some of these verses describe modern Israel: Rich, strong, but also full of idols and self-admiration. Our leaders are expressing some of these attitudes. And while Israel can be proud of its achievements, wrong pride can lead to idolatry, and so:
We gave God the glory for what Israel has become
We thanked Him for making Israel prosperous and strong
We recognized Israel's achievements as a result of God's blessings and help
We prayed that the Lord would rain upon us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, the spirit of prayer and beseeching and humility
We prayed He would reveal Himself to our nation and that this revelation would bring us to our knees in adoration and admiration and wonder -- thus ascribing all the greatness and great goodness to our God and Him alone
We recognized our need for salvation as a nation
We prayed for the US president, Trump
President Trump is a bit like Jehu who rode furiously. He has done things such as move the US embassy to Jerusalem, withstood North Korea, pulled out of the agreement with Iran; these were all unthinkable only a few months ago. We were reminded of Jehu because Jehu was a man outside of the system. He came from "nowhere," and so did things that were unthinkable. Trump, also, has come from outside of the "system" and is doing things that everyone says he cannot do. We recognize that this can be an extraordinary period and that at some point it will pass.
We prayed for the Lord to achieve all that He wants to through Trump; as it concerns Israel.
We prayed for the maximum benefit for Israel from this period
We recognized that the world is in turmoil and that this particular time is essential for Israel and the US as well.
We thanked God for the truth that this administration is speaking in the public arena such as the UN Security Council, and other UN forums.
We prayed for the Lord to guard this time and bring it to fullness so that it will accomplish all that it is meant to.
Finally, we prayed for Israel's security
We prayed from Ezekiel 38. We are not thinking or saying that we are at that time, but we recognize that some of the same principles are at work already and we acknowledged that the Lord is sovereign over the nations and enemies.
God brings the nations against Israel (Eze. 38:4)
God calls them to prepare themselves (Eze. 38:7)
God will rise in a fury against the enemies of Israel (Eze. 38:18)
God will deal with the nations who come against Israel (Eze. 38:20)
The nations will know that He is the LORD (Eze. 38:23)
We acknowledged God's sovereignty and lordship over the nations
We acknowledged God's control of the nations
We thanked Him for giving Israel victory over its immediate enemies (Iran, Hamas)
We prayed that the Lord would continue to protect our borders and people
Blessings from Jerusalem,
"So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Greetings from the land where the hot, dry, dusty east wind is blowing off the desert trying to suck up all of the moisture…BUT GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY AND KNOWS ALL THINGS WILL HAVE HIS WAY. It is in HIS NAME that I greet you and pray that you may be blessed and encouraged and that The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, The Creator of heaven and earth, and His Son, Messiah Jesus, Yeshua…be blessed and glorified and seen!
SHAVOUT! YES! In the midst of all of this is SHAVOUT! This is one of the THREE 'high' holydays for which GOD commanded that ALL males should come up to Jerusalem and offer the prescribed offerings in the place where God would put His Name. (the other two being Passover and Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles) Shavuot means 'weeks' and it is 'the feast of weeks' which…as you know…is also Pentecost in the Church…the day when The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the people who had gathered in the prescribed manner at the temple in Jerusalem!
ACTS 2:1-4 "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Deuteronomy 16 and 26 gives us some background into this day commanded by God: 16:9-12 "“You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. (the day after Passover) Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes."
and
26:1-11 “And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.“Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God. And you shall answer and say before the Lord your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. But the Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. Then we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”; and now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me.’“Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God. So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you."
Some of you who have been reading my letters for a long time may remember when I wrote during the last intifada…and it was Sukkot…and there we were- in the middle of a bloody painful war…stopping everything and building flimsy huts under the sky to remember that all of our provision and protection is from God Alone. We were at war and we simply stopped and rejoiced in The Lord in booths!…and it was quite a site in my opinion.
And so it is now. Everything appears intense and upside down…it is time to stop and remember GOD! It is time to offer a 'first fruits' offering and to rejoice before Him…because He SAID to. Exodus 34:22, Levit. 23:15, Numbers 28:26, Deut. 16:16, and 2 Chron. 8:16 are further references if you would like to look.
OTHER THAN THAT…or in other words 'in the natural'…things look rather bleak. The last that I wrote to you I asked for prayer as our borders were being threatened on all sides and our soldiers had been called up to protect them. Once again…(I have seen this before too many times now) our defense became an offense to the world…between the media and the UN and the nations of the earth the report is 'the Jews are slaughtering the poor, defenseless, hopeless, starving, peacefully demonstrating Palestinians that are under their occupation.'
One local journalist put the truth of the issue to some Jewish humor and said; 'The crux of the issue is that they want us dead and we do not want us to die…and the international community wants us to 'negotiate this' issue.'
I will not give you 'my opinion' concerning the explosion of events taking place right now in the Middle East. I WILL give you links to local news sources if you ask, that I believe to be FAR more balanced and honest than what is available to most of you. (I KNOW that some of you get fine ones and I'm glad for that). I will also attach this week's prayer notes that our pastor shares from our Wed night prayer meeting.
I see the faces of the people on the buses and the trains and I listen to the talk. I watch the many Moslems who I ride with and work with daily…I will report on what I see and hear and I will rejoice in The Lord…because, as with all of us, I had BETTER stay within my boundaries!
I was concerned when I went to the shuk the day following the big Gaza confrontation and the embassy dedication. I wondered what the feeling would be among the Arabs. I stopped for some grapes and apricots at an Arab vendor whom I don't know really well. 'Mah nish ma, ema?' he asked me (how is it with you Mama? Mama or Grandma or Cousin are affectionate terms used between Jews and Arabs) 'b'seder. vay at?' (fine…and you?) I asked? Then I 'grabbed his eyes with my eyes'…I don't know how else to describe it but I looked DEEPLY into his eyes and asked him 'how ARE you really?' He looked back and thought a minute and then said that he was fine, so I said 'But how is it in your soul and your heart?' and he stopped and stared at me and a large smile crossed his face and he said slowly 'Fine. Yes…I am fine!' And dare I say that our eyes 'hugged'? This is the response that I found throughout the shuk, and on the train and bus… a general calm among the Arabs instead of the anger that I expected. 'My beggar' came into work. That means that he was able to take his 'back path' from his place in the Bethlehem region (Bethlehem is NOT in Israel but the Palestinian Authority)…it wasn't closed off. He wished me a 'chag sameach' (happy holiday) AND an 'easy ramadan'! I smiled …they fast from sunrise to sunset so he was wishing me an 'easy fast'! I hear this from some Jews before the Yom Kippur fast and I always answer 'May you have a MEANINGFUL fast'. If it is 'easy' I wonder why we are doing it. It didn't occur to me that Arabs would have the same response at Ramadan.
All in all, people are a bit more edgy…a bit less patient (and it is NOT like we are known for being a 'patient people!' ). Everyone is 'waiting'. Wouldn't this be a good time for Him to pour out His Holy Spirit again?
I will attach my Pastor's prayer notes and send you my love as Shabbat settles it's quiet over the city…Jerusalem! Lovingly, your sister
Every Wednesday evening we gather for intercession for the restoration of Israel. The following is shared with you to help you in your own praying and interceding.
These are prayer directions rather than prayer points.
We want to leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead you and your group to pray as you are led.
If you would like to read this Prayer Directions Update in your browser click here
If you would like to receive these Prayer Directions regularly, or
If at any time you want to be removed from the list, please write us at:
ofer@israelprayercenter.org
****
Momentous events in Israel this week
This week has seen some momentous events in Israel. The battles at the Gaza borders, the moving of the US embassy in Jerusalem, the expelling of diplomats between Turkey and Israel, and this week is not even over.
Some light as to what really happened in Gaza - The nations lost no time in condemning Israel for its "barbaric" killing of innocent Gazans who were "peacefully" marching by Israel's borders. But had they waited a day or two, they would have learned that the Hamas itself admitted that 50 of the 61 who died on May 14, were its operatives (who were sent to attack Israel under the cover of women and children). (Read this here.)
Furthermore, a captured Hamas terrorist exposed Hamas tactics and motives behind recent events. He said, "They control the Gaza Strip, and everything that happens there goes through them." He further explained Hamas' reasoning behind events: "Hamas organizes these riots so that the people won't revolt. Hamas tell themselves, instead of having people revolt and turn against us, we'll send them to the fence and let them 'revolt' there freely," (to read the article and watch the video click here).
As Mark Twain said: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."1 But of course, what the nations do and say are not about truth at all anymore, but about manipulating words to achieve a self-serving agenda. No one really cares about the Palestinians in Gaza; otherwise, they would do their utmost best to free the Gazans from Hamas rule.
We were led to pray for Israel and the nations from Isaiah 2
Is. 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Is. 2:2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’S house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
Is. 2:3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Is. 2:4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.
In these verses, we see that in the last days, God would cause Israel to rise above other nations (mountains here are nations, hills are smaller nations O.A.) and be established at the very top. Israel's rising, rising from the dead as it were, has caused and continues to create, huge political quakes; and tremendous opposition. It is clear that this move is against God as much as it is against Israel.
Verse three shows the nations coming to Jerusalem to hear the word of God to learn His ways. We don't see that today do we? What causes the change of heart? Verse four reveals it: God sends His Word (law) from Zion, this word is a rebuke and a judgment that causes the nations to change their ways, turning their weapons to useful instruments. That is the only true "peace process" that will work! What a Word must it be, to change nations!.
We prayed for the Lord to continue to watch over His Word to perform it
We prayed he would continue to bless this land and continue to raise it
We prayed for a change in leadership in many nations. (Think of how the Lord caused leaders to change in some countries to support His plan for Israel - in Canada, in Australia, in the US., even if it was temporary
We prayed for the leaders of nations to humble themselves and take God's advice from Psalm 2
We prayed for the Church in nations to rise and be a light in these matters
We prayed for the Church in nations to take its place in mighty intercessions
We prayed for the mighty preaching of the Word of God from the pulpits of the Church in the different nations
We prayed for leaders in different nations to have someone close to them advise them godly advice (President Truman had Edward Jacobson who urged him to recognize the establishment of Israel and to support it. Trump has Jared Kushner, etc.
We thanked God for the moving of the US and the Guatemalan embassies to Jerusalem and prayed that many more nations would follow suit (it will do good to those nations)
We continued with Isaiah 2:5-11 and prayed for Israel's salvation.
Some of these verses describe modern Israel: Rich, strong, but also full of idols and self-admiration. Our leaders are expressing some of these attitudes. And while Israel can be proud of its achievements, wrong pride can lead to idolatry, and so:
We gave God the glory for what Israel has become
We thanked Him for making Israel prosperous and strong
We recognized Israel's achievements as a result of God's blessings and help
We prayed that the Lord would rain upon us the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, the spirit of prayer and beseeching and humility
We prayed He would reveal Himself to our nation and that this revelation would bring us to our knees in adoration and admiration and wonder -- thus ascribing all the greatness and great goodness to our God and Him alone
We recognized our need for salvation as a nation
We prayed for the US president, Trump
President Trump is a bit like Jehu who rode furiously. He has done things such as move the US embassy to Jerusalem, withstood North Korea, pulled out of the agreement with Iran; these were all unthinkable only a few months ago. We were reminded of Jehu because Jehu was a man outside of the system. He came from "nowhere," and so did things that were unthinkable. Trump, also, has come from outside of the "system" and is doing things that everyone says he cannot do. We recognize that this can be an extraordinary period and that at some point it will pass.
We prayed for the Lord to achieve all that He wants to through Trump; as it concerns Israel.
We prayed for the maximum benefit for Israel from this period
We recognized that the world is in turmoil and that this particular time is essential for Israel and the US as well.
We thanked God for the truth that this administration is speaking in the public arena such as the UN Security Council, and other UN forums.
We prayed for the Lord to guard this time and bring it to fullness so that it will accomplish all that it is meant to.
Finally, we prayed for Israel's security
We prayed from Ezekiel 38. We are not thinking or saying that we are at that time, but we recognize that some of the same principles are at work already and we acknowledged that the Lord is sovereign over the nations and enemies.
God brings the nations against Israel (Eze. 38:4)
God calls them to prepare themselves (Eze. 38:7)
God will rise in a fury against the enemies of Israel (Eze. 38:18)
God will deal with the nations who come against Israel (Eze. 38:20)
The nations will know that He is the LORD (Eze. 38:23)
We acknowledged God's sovereignty and lordship over the nations
We acknowledged God's control of the nations
We thanked Him for giving Israel victory over its immediate enemies (Iran, Hamas)
We prayed that the Lord would continue to protect our borders and people
Blessings from Jerusalem,
May 12, 2018
May The Lord be glorified.
It is 2:30 am and I should be asleep. I need to work tomorrow, Sunday, Jerusalem Day, and I love to write about Jerusalem and Jerusalem Day in particular, but this prayer request is pressing me to write. Perhaps prayer request is the wrong word…it is more of a call to pray!
I told you that this week would possibly be pivotal here…for the Middle East…for the world. You probably know by now that Israel struck some 70 mostly Iranian bases in Syria this week after 20 missiles from Syria were fired at us. It was a major confrontation. That was Thursday (I think…).
On Friday was the continuation of the Hamas Gaza 'days of rage' dubbed 'the march of return'. It has gained momentum (and much false news reporting).
TUESDAY 15TH OF MAY (please note that we are some 8-12 hours ahead of North America according to the clock) the call has gone out to Palestinians and their supporters worldwide to come to the borders of Israel and storm them…tear them down. This Friday saw some 15,000 rioters at the borders causing fires (setting their own gas pipe line on fire!) along the fence and setting wheat fields in Israel aflame using 'kites' with incendiaries attached into Israel. (this has been going on for several weeks and this was the 7th - I think- week of Friday riots) I understand that there are gatherings at the borders of Lebanon and possibly Jordan as well. Also within the Hamas run Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria there is definitely the strong possibility of participation.
The 15th of May is called by the Palestinians 'Nakba' Day (catastrophe day) and they call it a day of rage that commemorates the birth of the modern State of Israel according to the Gregorian Calendar. Hamas has fanned it into a 'major day' over the past 10 years.
So…today…Sunday 13th of May is Jerusalem Day.
Tomorrow … Monday the 14th of May, is the day that the US Embassy is formally opening in Jerusalem.
Tuesday the 15th of May is the day set to be 'the mother of all days of rage' with the storming of the borders of Israel from all sides and within lead by the Gaza Hamas leadership.
Wednesday the 16th of May begins the month of the Ramadan fast.
"The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: “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, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness;…" ZECHARIAH 12:1-3 (ofcourse, great promises follow this section)
There is NO FEAR and surely without a doubt we have many promises that HE WILL BE GLORIFIED and that ALL OF ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED. But we also see that many many things will happen and many waters will be passed through.
BUT HE HAS TOLD US TO PRAY…AND TO WATCH AND PRAY. Habakkuk prayed without apology "Oh Lord, In wrath remember mercy." It is time to pray the scriptures on our faces.
PLEASE DO NOT PRAY 'ON EMAIL' but enter your closets and pray before Him Who hears, those of you who are called as watchmen for the Lord on the walls of Jerusalem. I believe that we are entering that time.
In my take of things, we are a body, but individually all rather 'little and simple'. We are not called to leave the battle to the 'spiritual giants' whoever they are, but to each do our part. It is not up to us to decide how small and insignificant it is. I think of the disciples told to feed the multitude and they said 'Lord! I have NOTHING! Only this small insignificant amount!', but HE took it…HE blessed it …HE broke it…and it was MORE THAN ENOUGH. Each of us has our portion…be it 'big guns' or a piece of bread and a small fish. We can pray…even a little.
As I said, it is now…well…3am so please forgive that this is poorly and incompletely written. I felt that this call to prayer had to go out now. I hope that we see no need ultimately. I will now try to sleep. May The Lord be glorified on the borders of Israel and in Jerusalem!...and in each of us!
Lovingly, a sister in Jerusalem.
May The Lord be glorified.
It is 2:30 am and I should be asleep. I need to work tomorrow, Sunday, Jerusalem Day, and I love to write about Jerusalem and Jerusalem Day in particular, but this prayer request is pressing me to write. Perhaps prayer request is the wrong word…it is more of a call to pray!
I told you that this week would possibly be pivotal here…for the Middle East…for the world. You probably know by now that Israel struck some 70 mostly Iranian bases in Syria this week after 20 missiles from Syria were fired at us. It was a major confrontation. That was Thursday (I think…).
On Friday was the continuation of the Hamas Gaza 'days of rage' dubbed 'the march of return'. It has gained momentum (and much false news reporting).
TUESDAY 15TH OF MAY (please note that we are some 8-12 hours ahead of North America according to the clock) the call has gone out to Palestinians and their supporters worldwide to come to the borders of Israel and storm them…tear them down. This Friday saw some 15,000 rioters at the borders causing fires (setting their own gas pipe line on fire!) along the fence and setting wheat fields in Israel aflame using 'kites' with incendiaries attached into Israel. (this has been going on for several weeks and this was the 7th - I think- week of Friday riots) I understand that there are gatherings at the borders of Lebanon and possibly Jordan as well. Also within the Hamas run Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria there is definitely the strong possibility of participation.
The 15th of May is called by the Palestinians 'Nakba' Day (catastrophe day) and they call it a day of rage that commemorates the birth of the modern State of Israel according to the Gregorian Calendar. Hamas has fanned it into a 'major day' over the past 10 years.
So…today…Sunday 13th of May is Jerusalem Day.
Tomorrow … Monday the 14th of May, is the day that the US Embassy is formally opening in Jerusalem.
Tuesday the 15th of May is the day set to be 'the mother of all days of rage' with the storming of the borders of Israel from all sides and within lead by the Gaza Hamas leadership.
Wednesday the 16th of May begins the month of the Ramadan fast.
"The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: “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, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness;…" ZECHARIAH 12:1-3 (ofcourse, great promises follow this section)
There is NO FEAR and surely without a doubt we have many promises that HE WILL BE GLORIFIED and that ALL OF ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED. But we also see that many many things will happen and many waters will be passed through.
BUT HE HAS TOLD US TO PRAY…AND TO WATCH AND PRAY. Habakkuk prayed without apology "Oh Lord, In wrath remember mercy." It is time to pray the scriptures on our faces.
PLEASE DO NOT PRAY 'ON EMAIL' but enter your closets and pray before Him Who hears, those of you who are called as watchmen for the Lord on the walls of Jerusalem. I believe that we are entering that time.
In my take of things, we are a body, but individually all rather 'little and simple'. We are not called to leave the battle to the 'spiritual giants' whoever they are, but to each do our part. It is not up to us to decide how small and insignificant it is. I think of the disciples told to feed the multitude and they said 'Lord! I have NOTHING! Only this small insignificant amount!', but HE took it…HE blessed it …HE broke it…and it was MORE THAN ENOUGH. Each of us has our portion…be it 'big guns' or a piece of bread and a small fish. We can pray…even a little.
As I said, it is now…well…3am so please forgive that this is poorly and incompletely written. I felt that this call to prayer had to go out now. I hope that we see no need ultimately. I will now try to sleep. May The Lord be glorified on the borders of Israel and in Jerusalem!...and in each of us!
Lovingly, a sister in Jerusalem.
May 8, 2018
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." MATTHEW 7:13-14
Blessings to you, dear brothers and sisters in Yeshua. May The Lord be blessed and glorified and may you be edified and blessed…greetings!
What a time we live in, eh?
And who are we? And I begin to wonder if that really ever mattered…who I was.
It is hard to be a bridge. Bridges are things that hold on to two ends of a place, stretching… and people and carts and vehicles and animals pour over them. A bridge simply is part of a span of a journey…just like a gate…and a path…they are access routes for others. They are useless if they don't retain their 'plumb line', their purity of purpose; if they shake or cave in or divert the way…they are even dangerous if they become weak - and collapse taking many to perish with them.
'Am I a bridge?' I wonder as I look at the small book that T.... (name means the purity of God) gave to me as a gift of affection. I turn it over in my hand and think of how to dispose of it in a place where someone might find and enjoy it. T.... knows two things that confuse her about me: One, she knows that I am Jewish…but that I love Jesus…Yeshua. She is confused. She also knows that I am a native English speaker, so to her, the fact that this little book with the cross on it is written in German doesn't register…the letters are 'English letters' and it has a cross…so it must be for me. My heart sank. I realize that she still does not understand the gentle message that I have shared with her over the years and have tried to display. I have not been a bridge.
On the train in the morning many of the passengers are saying their morning prayers. Some men put on their tefilin (the small leather box containing specific portions of Deuteronomy goes on the front of their forehead and leather strips are carefully wrapped around the head and armTEFILIN - this little description (open link) is quite American but easy to understand), and most stand and face Temple Mount to pray. Most are fairly obviously religious …men wearing a kippa or other hat, women with head coverings…there are others less obvious who sit and read their prayers from their cell phone or a book of Psalms. Last Friday morning I watched a handsome police man rise to his feet and solemnly face the Temple Mount and begin to quietly but fervently pray …a man without a kippa. His presence was somehow strong (but not 'religious') in the train car. Suddenly his cell phone rang and without looking at it he silenced it and put it into his pocket. I was impressed. We constantly pray for our soldiers and police to have both discernment and compassion…to keep sharp but to keep a tender heart. I prayed for him to come to know Yeshua…along with the others in the car.
A... came in to the Dr. office where I work yesterday. I have asked over the years for much prayer for him and his family. He even told me that he had given his life to The Lord…but I waited to see fruit and time goes by. I have invited him many times to kehila. His family has been to our home and us to his. His family walked out of Persia (Iran) by night in the late 1940s or early 50s)… A.....! He told me that things are very tough at home. His wife (they are in their 50s!) has been diagnosed with parkinson's and dementia now, and he, who has had very bad diabetes since childhood, has just developed a rare disorder akin to muscular dystrophy! BUT …He said 'Do you know that we got a metapelet?' (caretaker) for Bella? No, I hadn't. 'How is that working?' I asked. He smiled broadly; 'You won't believe this but she is a Christian! I mean a REAL Christian! She doesn't watch t.v. or computers and doesn't have a smart phone…all she does besides work is to read her Bible and pray! We have Bible studies now. She knows both the Old and New Testaments so well!' My heart jumped! God had not given up on A.... …HE had come in through another door.
Christian…Jew…and who am I and who am I to 'be both' (as some say)? I 'understand' what it is to be a Jew 'from the inside out'…and I also understand what it is to be a disciple of Yeshua, Jesus, 'from the inside out'…and that makes me into sort of a bridge between two groups who really don't understand one another generally. That's nobody's fault…it just 'IS' what it 'IS'. I can try to 'explain' but I fall woefully short. The best that I can do is to be a bridge.
And what will I be if this season that we are in brings us to war?
Well…I hope to be (PRAY to be) a faithful disciple…nothing more and nothing less.
"I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected." HABAKKUK 2:1
"When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”" PSALM 27:8
We have quite a week ahead of us. As if the Lord were blowing a shofar, the weather has been spectacular, intense, extreme, going from hot to cold, from sun to hail, from wind to unrelenting thunder and lightning…floods and sand storms. It seems that each place to which I open my Bible I read of The Lord expressing Himself through the drama of His nature. He does not work without announcing His intent. What is He going to do? I wouldn't be so presumptuous nor arrogant to say that I 'know'. But I will 'stand my watch and wait to see…'
Perhaps you remember (as I have posted it 3 or 4 times over the years) the dream that I had in 1988 about Iran. I will re-send it if you ask for it. I do not generally share my 'dreams'… but over the more than 40 years I have had 3 that I KNOW were from Him, and this was one. Please request it if you don't remember it and would like it.
The city is flooded with tourists. I am not sure what is going as I think that our city is actually a very dangerous place (I feel) at the moment. Not all of the tourists appear to be believers by a long shot! Many are drunken and partying…so grievous! Our borders have been on HIGH alert. With the announcement concerning the Iranian nuclear pact coming at 9pm tonight Middle East time, tensions are high. Many Iranian missiles in the hands of Hisbolla are sitting on the Syrian border and are aimed at us. Saturday night through Sunday night - 13th of May - marks Jerusalem Day. The 14th of May is set for the moving of the American Embassy to Jerusalem. (this is also Hebron Day) The 15th of May is the day that the Palestinians call 'the nakbah' or 'disaster'…marking the establishment of the Jewish state 70 years ago according to the Gregorian calendar…AND…the 16th of May begins Ramadan! (actually the evening of the 15th). INTENSE! Do tourists come to 'get a front row seat'? I have been impacted at how 'lightly' these events are being treated by many of those visiting right now. (SURELY not ALL! Some have sincerely and prayerfully come to pray.) In many ways it reminds me of the inhabitants of 'Vanity Fair' in 'Pilgrim's Progress'. PLEASE do not think that I am 'afraid' or 'fearful'. Thank YOU LORD that I am NOT. It is ALL HIS GRACE AND MERCY. My heart is at peace.
May yours be as well. HE IS our Peace and how precious that Peace is…not as the world gives! Let not our hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid.
I have been EXTREMELY fatigued and also busy by necessity. Thank you for praying for a space of quiet rest, if it is His will. Thank you for having a heart to pray for God's will for Jerusalem, Israel and His chosen people to know His Name.
LOVINGLY, your sister in Jerusalem
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." MATTHEW 7:13-14
Blessings to you, dear brothers and sisters in Yeshua. May The Lord be blessed and glorified and may you be edified and blessed…greetings!
What a time we live in, eh?
And who are we? And I begin to wonder if that really ever mattered…who I was.
It is hard to be a bridge. Bridges are things that hold on to two ends of a place, stretching… and people and carts and vehicles and animals pour over them. A bridge simply is part of a span of a journey…just like a gate…and a path…they are access routes for others. They are useless if they don't retain their 'plumb line', their purity of purpose; if they shake or cave in or divert the way…they are even dangerous if they become weak - and collapse taking many to perish with them.
'Am I a bridge?' I wonder as I look at the small book that T.... (name means the purity of God) gave to me as a gift of affection. I turn it over in my hand and think of how to dispose of it in a place where someone might find and enjoy it. T.... knows two things that confuse her about me: One, she knows that I am Jewish…but that I love Jesus…Yeshua. She is confused. She also knows that I am a native English speaker, so to her, the fact that this little book with the cross on it is written in German doesn't register…the letters are 'English letters' and it has a cross…so it must be for me. My heart sank. I realize that she still does not understand the gentle message that I have shared with her over the years and have tried to display. I have not been a bridge.
On the train in the morning many of the passengers are saying their morning prayers. Some men put on their tefilin (the small leather box containing specific portions of Deuteronomy goes on the front of their forehead and leather strips are carefully wrapped around the head and armTEFILIN - this little description (open link) is quite American but easy to understand), and most stand and face Temple Mount to pray. Most are fairly obviously religious …men wearing a kippa or other hat, women with head coverings…there are others less obvious who sit and read their prayers from their cell phone or a book of Psalms. Last Friday morning I watched a handsome police man rise to his feet and solemnly face the Temple Mount and begin to quietly but fervently pray …a man without a kippa. His presence was somehow strong (but not 'religious') in the train car. Suddenly his cell phone rang and without looking at it he silenced it and put it into his pocket. I was impressed. We constantly pray for our soldiers and police to have both discernment and compassion…to keep sharp but to keep a tender heart. I prayed for him to come to know Yeshua…along with the others in the car.
A... came in to the Dr. office where I work yesterday. I have asked over the years for much prayer for him and his family. He even told me that he had given his life to The Lord…but I waited to see fruit and time goes by. I have invited him many times to kehila. His family has been to our home and us to his. His family walked out of Persia (Iran) by night in the late 1940s or early 50s)… A.....! He told me that things are very tough at home. His wife (they are in their 50s!) has been diagnosed with parkinson's and dementia now, and he, who has had very bad diabetes since childhood, has just developed a rare disorder akin to muscular dystrophy! BUT …He said 'Do you know that we got a metapelet?' (caretaker) for Bella? No, I hadn't. 'How is that working?' I asked. He smiled broadly; 'You won't believe this but she is a Christian! I mean a REAL Christian! She doesn't watch t.v. or computers and doesn't have a smart phone…all she does besides work is to read her Bible and pray! We have Bible studies now. She knows both the Old and New Testaments so well!' My heart jumped! God had not given up on A.... …HE had come in through another door.
Christian…Jew…and who am I and who am I to 'be both' (as some say)? I 'understand' what it is to be a Jew 'from the inside out'…and I also understand what it is to be a disciple of Yeshua, Jesus, 'from the inside out'…and that makes me into sort of a bridge between two groups who really don't understand one another generally. That's nobody's fault…it just 'IS' what it 'IS'. I can try to 'explain' but I fall woefully short. The best that I can do is to be a bridge.
And what will I be if this season that we are in brings us to war?
Well…I hope to be (PRAY to be) a faithful disciple…nothing more and nothing less.
"I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected." HABAKKUK 2:1
"When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”" PSALM 27:8
We have quite a week ahead of us. As if the Lord were blowing a shofar, the weather has been spectacular, intense, extreme, going from hot to cold, from sun to hail, from wind to unrelenting thunder and lightning…floods and sand storms. It seems that each place to which I open my Bible I read of The Lord expressing Himself through the drama of His nature. He does not work without announcing His intent. What is He going to do? I wouldn't be so presumptuous nor arrogant to say that I 'know'. But I will 'stand my watch and wait to see…'
Perhaps you remember (as I have posted it 3 or 4 times over the years) the dream that I had in 1988 about Iran. I will re-send it if you ask for it. I do not generally share my 'dreams'… but over the more than 40 years I have had 3 that I KNOW were from Him, and this was one. Please request it if you don't remember it and would like it.
The city is flooded with tourists. I am not sure what is going as I think that our city is actually a very dangerous place (I feel) at the moment. Not all of the tourists appear to be believers by a long shot! Many are drunken and partying…so grievous! Our borders have been on HIGH alert. With the announcement concerning the Iranian nuclear pact coming at 9pm tonight Middle East time, tensions are high. Many Iranian missiles in the hands of Hisbolla are sitting on the Syrian border and are aimed at us. Saturday night through Sunday night - 13th of May - marks Jerusalem Day. The 14th of May is set for the moving of the American Embassy to Jerusalem. (this is also Hebron Day) The 15th of May is the day that the Palestinians call 'the nakbah' or 'disaster'…marking the establishment of the Jewish state 70 years ago according to the Gregorian calendar…AND…the 16th of May begins Ramadan! (actually the evening of the 15th). INTENSE! Do tourists come to 'get a front row seat'? I have been impacted at how 'lightly' these events are being treated by many of those visiting right now. (SURELY not ALL! Some have sincerely and prayerfully come to pray.) In many ways it reminds me of the inhabitants of 'Vanity Fair' in 'Pilgrim's Progress'. PLEASE do not think that I am 'afraid' or 'fearful'. Thank YOU LORD that I am NOT. It is ALL HIS GRACE AND MERCY. My heart is at peace.
May yours be as well. HE IS our Peace and how precious that Peace is…not as the world gives! Let not our hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid.
I have been EXTREMELY fatigued and also busy by necessity. Thank you for praying for a space of quiet rest, if it is His will. Thank you for having a heart to pray for God's will for Jerusalem, Israel and His chosen people to know His Name.
LOVINGLY, your sister in Jerusalem