God's Providence in the affairs of man
God's purposes are often achieved by the most simple events directed by His Providence in ordinary ways that lead unerringly to the fulfillment of His will and purpose.
Take, for instance, the meeting between Saul, the soon-to-be-king, and the prophet Samuel. If you take time to read the account, (1Samuel 9:1-10), you will see that God had already made a choice, this is why the chapter begins with a description of Saul. 
But then, what leads him to Samuel and his anointing as king, begins with the loss of 3 donkeys. Actually, it probably starts with a negligent servant who forgot to tie the donkeys or put them in their corral.

This is Providence: "The continuing and often unseen activity of God in sustaining his universe, providing for the needs of every creature, and preparing for the completion of his eternal purposes." (1) Or, "that continued exercise of the divine energy, whereby the Creator preserves all His creatures, is operative in all that comes to pass in the world, and directs all things to their appointed end." (2)
Although people are free to act as they please, God weaves it all to fulfill His own will and purpose. Ordinary decisions, failures, and even wrath, (See Psalm 76:10 and the comment below (3), are all woven, by the Lord into the story of His unfolding and unfailing Will. 

Psa. 135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.

In other words, God accomplishes whatsoever He wants without difficulty. (About that last verse, just ask Jonah re the fish that was there just where they tossed him out of the boat, and just in time to swallow him before he drowned.
Encouraged by this view of God's sovereignty and Providence, we prayed in the faith that God is moving to fulfill His plan, in spite of what it looks like to us.

We prayed for the elections
Most of those who pray for Israel, think they know quite clearly what God's next step should be; we are no exemption many times. But God's Wisdom far surpasses human ways, and we pleaded with Him to exercise His providential interventions in the affairs of man.
Much of our system is corrupt, there is an enormous volume of wheeling and dealing between the parties, manipulation of the media is a daily occurrence. And yet, God is sovereign and though unseen He is working out His purposes according to His Word!

• We thanked God for His Providence in our lives
• We thanked God for His Providence in our nation
• We asked the Lord to work, in and through all of what "man" is doing, and bringing about the right coalition, that will serve the nation best.
• We prayed the manipulations of man will actually end up bringing His will to pass
• We upheld before the Lord His many promises to Israel (you can pick any that are on your heart and mind to pray into.)
• We prayed for God's agenda to come to pass, although each party has its own agenda for the nation
• We thanked God for his amazing Providence in the time of Esther. Ezra and Nehemiah would not have been had it not been for her and Mordechai. We cried out to the Lord for His overruling in all of Israel's affairs. 

We prayed for the security of this nation in the light of Providence.
"The army's Northern Command said Thursday it had canceled all leave for combat brigades on Israel's northern border, just hours after the military's commander in the north warned Israel would offer a "harsh" response to any Hezbollah attack." (4)
"The fact that Israel has found it necessary to attack targets so far from its traditional area of military operations close to its immediate borders is indicative of the alarming escalation that has taken place in recent months in the threat Iran poses to Israeli security." (5)

• We thanked God for the recent successes Israel has had in thwarting a significant terror attack from Syria, and the destruction of a munitions facility in the very heartland of Hezbollah.
• "Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him." (This was Moses' declaration whenever the cloudy pillar moved ahead to the next resting place, all towards the promised land (Psalm 68). We declared it, thanked God for His moving to fulfill His Word, and pleaded with Him that he will also cause those who hate Him to flee from His presence.
• We asked the Lord to cause our army providentially to be placed in strategic places
• We asked the Lord to providentially, work out Israel's readiness for the promised Hezbollah retaliation
• We prayed for all the intelligence Israel needs regarding the enemy's intentions and plans
• We asked for the Lord Himself to show up on the battle field as in 2Chro 20:22, or Zechariah 12:4, 8-9
• We prayed for God's Providence in protecting the people if and when the rockets start flying
• We expressed our faith and trust and confidence in the Almighty, Sovereign, Merciful Redeemer of Israel

We prayed for Israel's redemption
The scriptures describe a sudden providential opening of the heavens and a colossal outpouring of the Holy Spirit of Grace and Repentance. It will be as shocking as the Day of Pentecost was to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The main feature of this outpouring will be the revelation of the Son of God as the one we pierced, (crucified.) For those of us, who live in the daily grind of this land, it's hard to imagine such a sudden change. Yet it will be!!!
We prayed into this "suddenly" of Zechariah 12:10

• We thanked God for the Grace it will be - such an outpouring!
• In a moment the veil will be taken off our people's eyes
• In a moment we shall see Him, our King and Redeemer
• We thanked God for the coming end of our estrangement from Him
• We pleaded for the heavens to open and for the "rain" to come — we do not want just a "revival," we are not looking for some excitement, we are looking for HIM! It is Yeshua we want, it is for Yeshua we plead
• As the famine drove Jacob's family to the arms of Joseph, so dear Lord let the hunger for the Word of God compel us to your feet
• Lord, the Day of Atonement, Oh let it be a day of desperation, a day of feeling the hopelessness of sin and let this desperation drive us to you!

We prayed for the Body of Messiah

• Lord let the hope of your coming revelation be the vision of the Body in the land
• Let this hope and vision sober the Body up to get ready for such a Day of Revelation
• Lord, bless our congregation (El Roii) with an awakening and anticipation for your coming
• Lord shake the Body awake
• Let the believers take you seriously and prepare by yielding to your spirit, soul, and body.
• Refresh your Body in the things of God dear Lord Psalm 68:9
• Luke 21:34 Lord let us be sobered up to greatly anticipate your coming Glory

Thank you for praying and standing for God's purposes to be fulfilled, all for His Glory!

Blessings,

_____________________________________________________

1. Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.

2. Cairns, A. (2002). In Dictionary of Theological Terms (pp. 350–351). Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International.

3. 'The fierceness of man shall turn to thy praise'. This statement of God's providential control (to have its supreme demonstration at Calvary, cf. Acts 2:23) is the main thrust of the verse.

4. https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-tensions-spike-in-north-idf-cancels-leave-for-combat-brigades/

5. https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14784/israel-proxy-war-iran

Dear Fellow Intercessor and Pray-er: This blog is meant to be a teaching tool, rather than just a list of prayer points. We sincerely pray and hope that you will be enriched by it and provoked to a deeper walk with God. Too, we pray that it will aid you in your own growth as a believer and a pray-er.

1Tim. 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

What this verse seems to be emphasizing is that we must internalize the truth of this statement, that Yeshua came into the world to save sinners; that is what the cross is all about. And as exalted as Paul’s position, and as profound as His experience with the Lord was, he never lost sight of His own need as a sinner saved by Grace. Notice that his statement regarding himself is in the present tense, “I am chief,” not “I was chief.” This does not mean that he continued in sin, but rather, that, once saved,” he never lost sight of the Grace he received at the cross.

Christians often lose sight of this, and as a result, rather than be moved with compassion for those caught in the chains of darkness, they respond in self-righteousness. Paul’s response to the Grace he received, on the other hand, was to give himself to proclaim the good news of the gospel, continuing in the same heart as his master, Yeshua. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,  Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives  And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

In Luke 9:56, Yeshua said that He “did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” Rather, He came to “destroy the works of the devil.” 1John 3:8

When you see people on the streets of your town, can you hear the sound of dragging chains? Do you see their slavery? Is your heart aroused in an anguished cry to God for mercy? Or do you only congratulate yourself for not being like them, and move on with your life? [Read Lamentations to see how Jeremiah identified with his sinful people.]

We prayed for the “shackled” in the Land
Primarily we were led to pray for those caught in the LGBT movement. Israel is a champion of gay rights, our education system is full of this. The internet and media are so full of confusing messages to youth that it is no wonder that they are utterly confused and bewildered as to the meaning of gender, sex, etc.

• We prayed for mercy on this Land regarding the bondage to sin all around us
• We prayed for the youth of this Land - that God might pour out His Spirit upon them (Joel 2:28)
• We prayed for the education system that seems bent on sowing more “confusion” among children and youth.
• We prayed for mercy and light to come upon those caught in the chains of LGBT
• We prayed for the gospel to go out with power, especially the young
• We prayed from Ezekiel 36:25, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.” [Water and the Spirit are two aspects of one reality: namely, God’s renewal of the fallen and unresponsive human heart. See John 3:5]
• We cried to God to fulfill His word in Deuteronomy 30:6
• We cried for God to supply our nation with the one thing we do not have: A Spirit of Repentance, but he has promised to supply this too! Psalm 80:3, 7, 20 [The word there in Hebrew is to return us, turn us, bring us back to you. How? By shining your face upon us = Grace.]
• Lord you did this for us
• Lord, you revealed yourself to us, we are no better or different. Have mercy on your people.
• Lord supply the repentance we do not have, give us the brokenness we cannot accomplish by ourselves. 
• Work through the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin, and at the same time, He is the power that sets us free! John 16:8-10

We prayed for the Body of Messiah in the Land
Matt. 5:15, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”

The Body of Messiah is meant to be a lighthouse for the nation, that people may see the light and come to the “harbor” of salvation and safety. The Light is Messiah shinning through His Body. We, as intercessors, are to be as lighthouse keepers, keeping the “glass’ clean for the light to shine through. Removing the “bushel basket” [Worldliness in the Body, preoccupation with self, sin…etc.]

• Lord cleanse your Body in the Land and make it a Lighthouse for you
• Lord shine through the Body with the gospel in great power
• Lord let your people turn from preoccupation with themselves and dedicate their lives anew to you
• Lord, we want to respond to your call on the mount to “watch” with you at this hour
• Lord let us be imbued with the Spirit of Prayer and Intercession for the people of Israel
• Lord let us stand with you in your own intercessions for this nation and people unto salvation
• Lord teach us how to pray your heart
  

Can you watch "one hour" with your Lord?
Mat 26:40

Psalm 98
Psa. 98:1  Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!  For He has done marvelous things;  His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
Psa. 98:2  The LORD has made known His salvation;  His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
Psa. 98:3  He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;  All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Psa. 98:4  Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;  Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Psa. 98:5  Sing to the LORD with the harp,  With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
Psa. 98:6  With trumpets and the sound of a horn;  Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.
Psa. 98:7  Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,  The world and those who dwell in it;
Psa. 98:8  Let the rivers clap their hands;  Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD,
Psa. 98:9  For He is coming to judge the earth.  With righteousness, He shall judge the world and the peoples with equity.

In this Psalm we can see God as Savior (vs.2), Covenant God (vs. 3), The (one and only) King- vs. 6) and as Judge (vs. 9). Each one of these titles or descriptions are so full of wonder that we will never fathom the depth of them neither will we ever exhaust thanksgiving and worship of Him as He appears in this Psalm. Salvation and redemption from sin or from the enemy include God’s wondrous acts in all these aspects of His being.

We will leave it for you to ponder and explore. (It will be well worth your time!)

This Psalm may have been written after some specific deliverance of God’s people at a particular time, but since that event is not specified, the Psalm has an eschatological application for us.

God right hand and holy arm, is ultimately Yeshua.  His salvation is not just for Israel but for the world as well; the gospel has gone to the ends of the earth. His wonders are the miraculous interventions of God on behalf of His children. In His faithfulness, He has intervened to save the nation from her enemies.

There is great anticipation in this Psalm, as well. The whole earth is waiting to be delivered from bondage (Romans 8:21-22), Nature will be glad for His coming. His coming as the judge will be a great relief as he will bring justice and righteousness to the earth and to the nations.

Do you long for Righteousness and Justice in the earth? If you do, then you are longing for Yeshua to return in this way, as judge.

O’ how Israel needs her Righteous and Holy God to come to her! O’ how Israel needs deliverance, and God’s intervention!  O’ that the Lord would bare His holy arm again in this Land and rescue us from sin, from our enemies, from ourselves…..

We prayed along these lines using this Psalm as an inspiration.

We prayed for Israel’s restoration to God
Psalm 98 celebrates the revelation of the Son of God as the savior of Israel

• We prayed for the New Covenant’s fulfillment by our covenant-keeping God
• We prayed into Jeremiah 31:34 - the experiencing of the conviction and grace of the crucified Messiah by the nation. They shall all know me…..for I will forgive their iniquity…
• We cried to the Lord for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as light to the heart of many
• We prayed for the removing of the veil from the eyes of the people — to see that God has rent the veil and the way to Him is open in the blood of Messiah
• We prayed that the Lord will display His Power, Glory, Love in the revelation of Yeshua in the midst of His people
• We asked the Lord to cleanse us from our filthiness as a nation according to Ezekiel 36:25
• We asked the Lord to supply to Israel what it cannot produce by itself - Repentance. How lowly is our God, who not only sent His Son to be crucified for us, but is willing to supply us with the Repentance needed to turn to Him! Zech 12:10

We prayed for the Body of Messiah in the Land and in the world
Psalm 98 celebrates God’s revelation of His Son as savior and judge; Judgement unto life!
And it must begin in the house of God. 1Pet 4:17

• We cried to the Lord for the same spirit of Repentance to fall upon the Body of Messiah
• We asked the Lord for the Holy Spirit of God to fall upon the Body again and reveal the crucified Son of God (much of the Church today is anything but Christ-centered and cross-oriented.
• We pleaded with God to give the Body of Messiah a sight of Himself in His Glory, in His beauty, in the Cross, in His lowliness and humility.
• We asked the Lord to give us a sense of our need for the Blood of Messiah
• We asked the Lord to give us a sight of His our need for Him moment by moment
• We asked the Lord to give His children in the Body a deep appreciation and hunger for the Word of God
• We prayed for the shepherds in the Body of Messiah and asked Him to give them boldness to preach the whole counsel of God without respect of persons or fear
• We prayed for the Word of God to become a fire in the pulpits of the Land
• We begged for the Word of God to come with power and conviction, to give sight and light of Yeshua, to produce faith and hope in the hearts of those who hear
• We asked the Lord to call His people from the distraction of the world, and its entertainments to Himself, to the things of God, to the heavenly riches in Messiah
• We asked the Lord to give His people a hearing heart for the things they hear of the Word of God

We prayed for the Security of Israel, as Iran endeavors to squeeze Israel in its three-toed claws
Psalm 98, no doubt, celebrates God’s deliverance of Israel from her enemies. Our Covenant God remembers in His promised mercies to deliver Israel in His covenant faithfulness.

Iran continues to plan Israel’s end. With her two proxies (Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza) Iran plans to attack Israel at the right time. Recently it was reported that Iran and Hamas have come to an understanding that if there is war in the north (with Hezbollah), Hamas will join in it, to divert Israel’s strength between two fronts, at least.

• We looked to the God of the armies of Israel to save Israel (and not merely to the armies of Israel)
• We put before the Lord His great promises and reminded Him of His covenant with Israel
• We looked to God according to Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple 1Ki 8:44
• We called upon the Lord for deliverance in the day of trouble Psalm 50:15
• We prayed with the words of Jehoshaphat, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?” 2Chro 20:16 and context
• We prayed for the leadership of the Land that they might not act out of fear nor provocation but from a well thought out plan and purpose
• We prayed that the coming elections and personal calculations, will not be a factor in weighing a preemptive strike if necessary

Its wonderful that we can stand together in the things of God. May you be blessed and encouraged as you look to the Lord in prayer. Psa. 34:5  They looked to Him and were radiant,  And their faces were not ashamed

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Last week we wrote: “Israel seems to be in a difficult place, both within and without.”  The situation continues to be perplexing and even confusing. Much is at stake, both because of pressure from the enemies of Israel, as well as the struggle within Israel for the path it should take.

We read Psalm 77 together and looked at its various sections, this to gain a foothold for our faith as we set our faces to pray and intercede for Israel. We will not quote the psalm here, but will only give the several sections and what we emphasized.

Psalm 77:1-4 The occasion of this psalm is some great trouble, either for the writer or the entire nation. He is under enormous pressure and anguish.  It is a day of trouble, and thus, in his anguish, he seeks the Lord through the night. His hand is stretched out to God, His soul is inconsolable. He feels overwhelmed and is so troubled that he is speechless.

Psalm 77:5-9 To his circumstantial troubles, is added the anguish and torment of inward thoughts. Has God cast me out? Am I out of His will and pleasure? Have his mercies ceased, has his promises failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Is He angry at me? All these kinds of thoughts greatly add to the anguish of one going through pressure, trouble, difficult circumstances. This is a double whammy for the believer.

Psalm 77:10-18 The writer turns to God. He begins to meditate and think along two lines: One - God’s great acts of redemption, His wonders, His acts, His works. Did not God redeem His people from Egypt? Did He not open the waters? Did not the earth shake at His appearance in Glory to redeem them? The second line is God’s own being, character, and nature. “Your way O God is in the Holy Place" (sanctuary). There He reveals Himself in His holiness (which is the sum total of all His attributes and being.) That, by the way, is what makes holiness beautiful, for it is Himself.

O what a double knockout to doubt and anguish. We remember what God has done (his track record if you will,) and we remember what He is like and how He is!

Psalm 77:19-20 God’s ways are hidden from us, we cannot see all His footsteps, we do not understand all His ways and what path He takes. But one thing is sure: He leads us as a shepherd does his flock, Not aimlessly, but with a purpose — He leads us to our inheritance, not just the Land, but our inheritance in Messiah. We have One who is better than Moses an Aaron. We have Messiah!

The psalm ends without resolution. We don’t know what happened. But by the end of it, we are confident that it is God who is the ruler of our circumstances, and no, He is not angry, nor has he forgotten his mercies, nor His promises!

We prayed along familiar lines, but so necessary to persist in: The Great Need of the Salvation of Israel. The great need of Israel for true leaders, statesmen and not just politicians. Israel's need regarding the great danger that is brewing from Iran and the like. And lastly for the Body of Messiah to awaken to its calling and position.

Praying for Israel’s spiritual redemption

• Lord, we are troubled by Israel’s condition, we have come back to the Land, but are in great bondage, we are as slaves to sin and unrighteousness. We are at enmity with you. We are blind, and we call upon you to open our eyes.
• We cried to God for Mercy
• We cried to God to reveal His Son and Our King and Redeemer
• We cried for the Lord to breathe on the dry bones, standing as a great army but lifeless
• We cried for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on our Land and that He might convict Israel of sin, and of Righteousness and of Judgment (John 16:8)
• We cried for the Word to rise in the Land with great power (we are the people of the Book, but it remains sealed to us!)

Praying for our leaders and for the coming elections
Ezekiel 34:10 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.” (And chapter)

• We prayed for leaders who will truly care for the nation
• We prayed for leaders who will be statesmen and not just politicians
• We prayed for leaders who will care for the weak and poor and powerless
• We prayed for leaders who will not sell out to the religious for power
• We prayed for integrity among the leadership
• We prayed for leaders with a vision for the country and not for their own greatness and success
• We reiterated Psalm 135:5 - God had a right to do whatever He pleases
• We declared that Yeshua is the true king of Israel, and thus, all of our leaders are ruling on borrowed authority!
• We pleaded with God for the outcome of the elections to be one that will set Israel right on the road God wants her to take through this time of turmoil and danger

Praying for our existential dangers
If Iran continues to go on the path it is on, war will inevitably break out. We are told that they can have a nuclear bomb within a year. Will Iran continue to do all in its power to desire to destroy Israel? Will it be allowed to develop an atomic bomb? Will Israel attack Iran? Will the US attack Iran? Where will Russia stand in all of this? What will the EU do, if anything?  

• We prayed for wisdom for our government
• We prayed for the right reading of the situation
• We asked the Lord to navigate Israel through these choppy uncertain waters (His way is in the sea!)
• We prayed that it will be the enemy that makes mistakes and not Israel
• We prayed that Israel will not hesitate to bring plans to action if and when the time comes
• We prayed into the US’s role in all of this
• We prayed for the people of Iran that they might be delivered from that monstrous regime
• We prayed for all the intelligence Israel needs
• We prayed for the Church in Iran
• We reminded the Lord of His redemptive plan for the nations (See Jeremiah 49)

Praying for the Body of Messiah

• We prayed that the Lord would awaken the Body here to its high calling as a priesthood
  
• We prayed that the Lord would awaken the Body to its calling to be part of the Kingdom of God and not of this world.
  
• We prayed that the Lord would, by His Word awaken the Body and call it to intercede and to serve Him as a priesthood.
  
• We asked the Lord to stir up the Body as in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah and Haggai and Zechariah. Turn your people from self purposes to serving You, O Lord.
  
• We asked for an undivided heart to walk with the Lord in this Land and to serve Him.
  

Thank you for standing with us. God bless you, abundantly.

Blessings from Jerusalem,

 

A time of perplexity
Ex. 14:1 Now, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Ex. 14:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea.
Ex. 14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, "They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.'

The word for 'bewildered' in Hebrew can mean confusion (Est 3:15), perplexity. The NIV has it as, "wandering around the land in confusion."  

Leaving Egypt, Israel had come to a place, where the sea was before them, and the enemy was behind them, they had gotten themselves into an impossible situation, and to the Egyptians, it seemed as if Israel was just wandering around the desert in confusion.

Of course, they could not see that the same God who redeemed Israel from Egypt was leading them in the desert. But that is another story.

What we were struck with is that, at this present time, Israel seems to be in a difficult place, both within and without. There is political and moral confusion within Israel; [Bibi has just appointed two homosexuals to ministry posts, probably to win over the LGBT community]. What direction is Israel going to go? Super right, super religious, super left? There is confusion in the Land. Too, there are Israel's enemies who seem to be slowly gaining a better position to close in on Israel. No doubt this uncertainty, and confusion is weakening Israel, perhaps not militarily but certainly in its resolve to deal with its enemies.

Of course, you know, that although Israel was quite helpless and truly stuck, the Lord wasn't and isn't! He was the one who led Israel to the sea, to open it!  The Egyptians had it wrong, they were the ones who were walking (galloping actually) into a trap. In the end, it proved that they were the ones who were confused!

We prayed for Israel from this scripture along three lines: Political, Military, and Spiritual.

Political:

• We cried out to God regarding the moral confusion (as explained above) in the leadership of Israel.
• We pleaded with the Lord for His intervention in the affairs of state, to raise a coherent leadership that will have a clear view of Israel's needs and the many challenges she faces
• We prayed for the Lord to providentially cause the circumstances in the Land that will necessitate a balanced government.
• We prayed for the upcoming elections in September - and into the possibility of a unity government that will represent the whole nation without allowing extreme agendas such as the Far Right, or Orthodox or Extreme Left.
• We cried for a government that will not ignore the needs of the weaker population, that will be just and fair, that will have society's best in mind and practice
• We cried for God to deliver us from the deep corruption that seems to hold the government in its tentacles.
• We cried to the Lord for leaders who will have true vision and idealism to lead the country with responsibility and dignity and honor (we have too many officials who have served prison time, including a former president and a former prime minister.)

Military
Iran-Hezbollah-Hamas-Syria is a formidable enemy, sophisticated and cunning, possessed and fueled by a seemingly unending deep-seated hatred towards Israel and the Jewish people. They seem to be consumed one hatred - Israel.

• We thanked the Lord for our history - He has opened the "sea" for us many times.
• We thanked the Lord that He has led us to the Land (some of our enemies think we are "stuck" here, with nowhere to go or flee from them.)
• We blessed His name for the gathering of the Jewish people into the Land from the nations
• We expressed our faith in His sovereignty
• We expressed our faith in His power
• We expressed our faith in His Will - Mercy, and intention — Restoration
• We cried out for that 'sea' of impossibility to open
• We asked the Lord to deal with the enemy and fulfill His Word (Ezekiel 36:12-15)
• We thanked the Lord for the exaltation of His name in His dealing with those nations around us - Ezek. 36:36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.

Spiritual
As a nation and a people, we do seem to be confused and bewildered. We are stuck in every way. Our long-standing rejection of Yeshua as Messiah still stands as a formidable barrier to entering our full inheritance. But as impassible and impossible as all this seems, God has promised to open the way, for He is The Way! He only can reveal His Son to our nation, He alone can pour out from heaven clean water, He only can evaporate 2000 years of estrangement from Him, to a reunion with Him in Messiah that is as miraculous and unthinkable as the opening of the Red Sea!

Zechariah 12 and Ezekiel 36 stand as great monuments to the Will, Power, and Faithfulness of God. We prayed much into these things.

• We cried to the Lord to open the eyes of blind Israel
• We cried to God to unstop the ears of deaf Israel
• We cried to God to return with great Mercies (Zech. 1:16)
• We prayed for the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon this People to give them repentance unto life
• We prayed for the Son of God to be revealed in all His majesty and beauty to our nation
• We prayed for the Word to arise and be made alive in the midst of our nation
• Salvation is all of God, all by Grace, all by your Sovereignty, all by your Power to save O’ Lord. Set the captives free dear Lord, reveal thyself that we might fall at your feet, shine your light in our darkness and set us free to be yours and forever yours alone. Come, dear Lord, and save your people!

 We prayed for the Body of Messiah in the Land
There seems to be much confusion and bewilderment in the Body, along three lines:
Confusion regarding the Word of God - much false teaching and error….
Confusion regarding what is truly of the Holy Spirit and what is not, in these days
Confusion about the life we are to live here on earth, as believers. We seem to be happy  with a blend of world and kingdom, all the while we are called to a sanctified life!

• We prayed for the Word to rise again in the Body as central in authority and power
• We prayed for the Word to be preached clearly in the pulpits
• We prayed for the cleansing of the Bride by the Word of God and by the blood of the Lamb
• We prayed for the work of the True Holy Spirit in our midst to sanctify and separate each believer from the flesh, dead works, and the love of the world
• We prayed for a genuine revival in the Body of Messiah, the return of confession of sin and for the humbling of ourselves when we gather together as a congregation or congregations.
• We prayed for a renewed passion for seeking the Face of our beloved Lord
• We prayed for a renewed desire for prayer in the Body
• We prayed for the leaders of the congregation — to lead in these things

Blessings from Jerusalem,

 Why trouble the Teacher any further?
(The story of Jairus’ daughter Mark 5:21-42)

So long as Jairus’ daughter was alive, people believed she could be healed by Yeshua. But having been detained by the woman with the issue of blood, it seemed that it was all too late. Jairus’ servants came to tell him the bad news of her death, and added their opinion in the form of this question, “why trouble the teacher any further?” 

Most of us, if not all, are of the same faith. We can believe for things so long as they are possible. But it is challenging for us to believe and trust in a situation that seems to us beyond help. Our familiarity with the stories of the Bible, and our knowledge of how they end, can serve to dull our minds to the wonder of such a faith as, say, Abraham’s, who “not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead……, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb, … did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.”  (Romans 4:19-20)

Such faith is needed when we come to pray for Israel.
Our condition as a nation is so far from the reality of the promises, that one is stretched and challenged to have that kind of faith that Abraham had….  It is one thing to say, ‘nothing is too hard for the Lord’, it is another to believe it, live it, and pray it with real faith (the only kind that actually touches God.)   

Yeshua’s response to this kind of ‘possible-only’ faith, is very sweet. He immediately turns to Jairus and says, ““Do not be afraid; only believe.” (Mark 5:36) and to the Possible-Faith crowd, he answers with a question of His own: “why do you make such a commotion ….?”  (Mark 5:39)

It all ended very well, of course. What a victory of Life, Grace, and of the power of God; the God with whom “all things are possible."? (See Matt 19:26 and story)

But this is not all.

What about today? What about Israel and God’s astounding promises such as found in Jeremiah 24:7, "I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart." Or, Jeremiah 32:38, “ then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.” 

These promises are so staggering! He will give us a heart to know Him? He will give us One Heart as a nation!? To those who are praying far away somewhere, this may all seem so easy, so lovely, so possible, but to those of us living here and who feel and know our own condition, these are staggering promises. 

Well, to an astounded Jeremiah, who could hardly digest the amazing Goodness promised by God, (he could see the Babylonians surrounding the city, out of his window,) God revealed something so awesome, so astounding as to stagger one’s heart. He revealed the work of the crucified Messiah to Jeremiah. See Jeremiah 33:15-16, and of course, also Jeremiah 31:31-34.

This is the root of our faith, this is the faith in our praying, this is where our hope rests. Because of the cross we can believe that it shall be done, no matter how impossible naturally it is. We, therefore,  take Yeshua’s word to Jairus for ourselves, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 

Praying for Israel’s restoration to God
We will not enumerate prayers here, but recommend that you open your bibles to Jeremiah 31, 32, 33 and pray out of these texts. 

These chapters open up an amazing vista into the work of God in the land and its people. They include physical restoration, spiritual restoration, safety and security (such as Jeremiah 33:9, 16), 

They include the revelation of the cross and the work of the cross in the heart of the Jewish people, (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  

They of necessity include good government, justice in the land, and the general flourishing of God’s people.

As you pray these scriptures, may you also be awakened to appropriate these precious promises, at least the spiritual ones that are all yes and amen in Messiah. 

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Praying for Aliya in light of a recent visit in Bulgaria
On a recent visit to Bulgaria, I was astounded to find that during the Second World War the entire Jewish population was protected by the Bulgarians from being shipped to Germany for extermination, as Hitler demanded. 

Although the story is not that simple, and it is a fact that the Jews of Bulgaria suffered privations and mistreatment, the reality is that the Bulgarian government refused to ship the Jews to Germany. 

Prominent in that resistance was the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church, Stephan I, whose outcry against the deportation, tipped the scales. 

Another amazing fact is, that most of the Bulgarian Jews immigrated to Israel en-mass, after WWII. The communist regime allowed them to leave, for a price, and from 1948 to 1952 and even beyond that time, almost 45,000 Jews made Aliya. Many settled in Jaffa and till this day there is a large Bulgarian Jewish population there. It is of personal interest to us because our son-in-law is Bulgarian from his father’s side. 

You can read more about this here: The Jews of Bulgaria. 

But, I was just as astounded, to hear the young Jewish guide, who guided us on the ‘Jewish Tour,’ plead with us to fight for equality, goodness, and decency in the world. He believed in the goodness of Man and passionately challenged us to change the world so Jews can live everywhere in peace! 

I approached him after he finished his speech and urged him to make Aliyah!  

With anti-Semitism and neo-Nazi ideology on the rise, the Jews of the world can ill afford to entrain such thinking as the ‘goodness of Man’, and hope for some bright future for the families of the earth where mankind lives in peace and security and happiness. All indications are to the contrary. 

Only God is Good, and only God can save this earth and the human race, from destroying itself. 

We thank God, therefore, For His Word. It is the only Hope for Man and the only Hope for Israel. We thank God for His promises, for His Word is unchangeable and cannot return to Him void. It must be fulfilled to the letter! 

Psalm 126 (Please read it) speaks in the first part of the Act of God to bring His people back, and the second part is a great encouragement not to let up in prayer…those who sow in tears shall reap with joy! 

• We prayed for the Lord to break the strongholds that are keeping the Jewish people from making Aliya
• We prayed for the Lord to make the Jewish people in the diaspora uncomfortable in their spirit regarding the rise of anti-Semitism
• We prayed for the rest of the Jews in Bulgaria to make Aliya (including that young Man who guided us).
• We prayed for the Good Shepherd to seek out the lost sheep of Israel
• We prayed for the fulfillment of the promises from a covenantal perspective

We prayed for the salvation of the Jewish people
Jer. 31:9  They shall come with weeping,  And with supplications, I will lead them.  I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters,  In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;  For I am a Father to Israel,  And Ephraim is My firstborn.

The return of the Jewish people home to the Land has a spiritual aspect to it, that of salvation. The weeping and supplications in this verse, indicate repentance and a broken heart. This will only come with the revelation of Yeshua to His people. 

Zechariah 12:10 is intimately tied with this repentance as you can read. 

Eventually, it will be apparent that the Return to Him and the Return to the Land, are but two aspects of His work with His people. Both will be completed by the grace and power and intervention of the Lord.

• We prayed for brokenness and repentance to flood the Jewish people
• We prayed and pleaded for the Lord to reveal Himself to our nation
• We prayed for this outpouring of the Holy Spirit and asked for help to persist in it, even though we have not seen even a small could in the heavens yet. (1Kings 18:43-45)
• We prayed that the Lord would cut through the Lie, so many believe in, i.e., that good works will get them to heaven. (One political party put out a video of a Rabbi, already dead, that promised that anyone who would vote for them, would go to heaven!)
• We prayed that just as Adam knew he was naked, so would we as a people come to the shocking reality that we have no covering for our nakedness as a people (sin=nakedness) 

We prayed for the Body of Messiah in the Land
Gal. 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

Two more quotes:
“The reason Paul insisted on the centrality of the cross in polemical terms was that the Corinthian Christians wanted to pass over it altogether. This tendency persists in the American church today. H. Richard Niebuhr put it unforgettably in The Kingdom of God in America: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.” When this happens, we may have religiosity, we may have uplift, we may have spirituality, but we do not have Christianity.

“Taking up the cross, as Jesus himself called us to do, means a total reorientation of the self toward the way of Christ. Long before he knew his own destiny, Dietrich Bonhoeffer memorably wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”’” (1)

While some of you, reading this may feel these quotes are too strong. Personally, I think that these things need a constant emphasis lest we stray away from true Christianity. It is a very foolish thing ( unintelligent, foolish, dull-witted) to abandon, or leave behind the cross as the center of our communion with the crucified one, as the light on our path, as the source of our understanding and walk with Him. 

• We prayed for the Body to experience a visitation from God in this way: The Revelation of Yeshua the Crucified and Resurrected Messiah.
• We prayed for a genuine revival where conviction brings God’s people back to Himself as the sole object of their love and affections.
• We prayed for a great victory for God in the lives of His people here in the Land. 
• We prayed for good, in-depth, and balanced teaching in the Body  - 1Cor. 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness

May you experience a real revival in your soul and spirit as you pray these things for us. Thank you for standing with us for the full counsel of God to be fulfilled.

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Ofer  

___________________________________________________
1. Rutledge, Fleming. The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ (p. 65, 44). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Kindle Edition. 

Whose vision for Jerusalem
Sitting in a Christian Missionary Alliance church in Jerusalem, (I was there for a meeting), I was struck by the many, and often conflicting visions people have and have had for the city. 
CMA, for instance, built the property in 1906 when the Land was under Turkish rule. Their vision was to create an outreach center that will evangelize Muslims. Did they understand they were living in momentous days? World War I was around the corner, and so was the Balfour declaration (1917). Maybe, or maybe not. Certainly, the Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church who own vast stretches of Land in Jerusalem had their own vision for the Land and the city. Muslims have their own vision, and even among the various Jewish streams, there are multiple and often conflicting visions for the city and the Land.

But God has His own vision, and that is the only one that counts. 

We prayed from the scriptures into God’s vision as it is clearly declared in the Word. 

Ezekiel 37:21-28 
Ezek. 37:21  “Then say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;
Ezek. 37:22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again.
Ezek. 37:23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Ezek. 37:24 “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them.
Ezek. 37:25 Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.
Ezek. 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.
Ezek. 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Ezek. 37:28 The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”

Simply put, God’s vision for Israel is to send His Son back to rule over a gathered, cleansed, sanctified people who will walk with God in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit unto obedience and the knowledge of God. The fulfillment of this vision will, also, be a clear revelation of God to the nations: He alone is God, that He is Holy (He sanctifies) and that He is the God of Israel. His presence amid His people will prove it! Worthy is the Lamb! 

We prayed God’s vision for the Land from these verses

• Lord let it not be our own vision, nor the nations’ vision, but only your vision that is established. 
• Lord everyone is trying to define your city, shape it to their own vision. They fight each other to gain control of the city. The Orthodox Jews, the Liberal Jews, all nations, settlers, tycoons, the Palestinians. Oh God deliver us from man’s vision altogether and establish your own plan
• Lord no might or power of man or the enemy can long resist your Spirit. Let it be not by their power nor by man’s or satan’s might, but by your Spirit
• Lord, we pray you will break the strongholds that are keeping Messianic Jews from coming to the Land to live here. 
• Eze 37:23 Lord show the power of your blood and the cross in cleansing your people. Display this nation as a trophy of Grace to the world, that they too may turn to you in repentance
• Eze 37:24 Lord, we long for the rule of your Son over us. We long for the day that righteousness will be the air we breathe in this nation. We long for the day in which your people will obey you and follow you and love you
• Eze 37:26 Lord we long for your presence, your nearness, your great Glory. We long to be ruled by our King, and we long to see our King! 
• We cry to you: Come, Lord Yeshua! 
• Lord establish your own plan and vision for this Land and overrule even our own government in any place where they are not doing what is in your will for the people. 
• Lord you promised blessing, prosperity, joy and happiness and relief to your people (see Jeremiah 31), overrule this government in anywhere they are establishing a plan that is not of your vision for the Land.
• Lord, we plead with you to direct the forming of this government according to your own Word 
• Lord have mercy on Israel and keep it on track according to your plan and Word. We give you our own worries and fears as to who will have what ministry in the government. You see your people are like sheep without a shepherd. Have mercy on Israel.

We prayed for the Body from these verses

• Lord you are the head of your Body, we cry to you to shape it according to your own will
• Lord, we pray for the same gathering, cleansing, sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit to be at work in the Body of Messiah in the Land. 
• Let your bride come to her full
• Let your bride shine in your beauty
• Let your bride have a heart just for you
• Lord, clearly from these verses we see how you long to reunite with your people, we believe you desire deeply to be glorified in your Body, you want to come near to us, to reveal yourself to us, to appear in your Glory. Have your way, dear Lord
• Lord give your Body a deep longing for Truth.
• Lord give your Body a deep longing for her Messiah
• Lord give your Body a broken heart, a contrite spirit
• Lord give your Body a desire to obey you

The vision of the nations
If you read the next chapter, Ezekiel 38, you realize right away what the nations’ vision is: to conquer the Land! It is Gog and Magog, and without getting into interpretations of Who, What, Where and When, we can just simply say that this chapter describes the ultimate goal of the nations and it is in direct opposition to God’s own plan.

• Lord disappoint the nations and establish your own purpose
• Lord, keep Israel as the apple of your eye 
• Lord, humble the nations so that they may know they are but men (Psalm 9:20) and let them see your Glory (Psalm 102:15), that they may seek your face (Psalm 83:16)

Gaining God’s Vision from the Word
The meeting in CMA was a meeting of Jewish and Arab pastors in the city. Those who come are clear on the restoration of Israel, as they see it clearly from the scriptures. One brother recounted his recent visit to Finland where he also spoke in some refugee centers, preaching the gospel. He recounted his astonishment, that while visiting some of the already converted refugees, he found an Israeli flag on the wall. These refugees, from Iraq, Iran and from the Kurdish parts of Turkey, told him, “we love Israel!” 

This was my own experience as well, when I visited a church in Hamburg several years ago. After the service several Iranian brothers approached me with the biggest smiles and biggest hugs possible. They expressed the same thing; "we love your people". ​ What a joy we experienced together! 

We are all astounded by this, yet, isn’t it natural for a new believer, untainted by replacement theology, to read the Word and believe what it says? God’s vision is in plain sight! Would to God the Church will also just read and see and understand. 

Blessings from Jerusalem,