Praying for Israel during Passover
While our nation sits down tonight, to celebrate our redemption from bondage to Egypt, 3000 years ago, it is still in bondage to sin and is far from God. Although God is not far from Israel, Israel is far from God. We await a greater Passover; we look with longing for the time when our God will reveal His Son to His people, and they shall turn to Him! 

Jer. 23:5  “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,  “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;  A King shall reign and prosper,  And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
Jer. 23:6  In His days Judah will be saved,  And Israel will dwell safely;  Now this is His name by which He will be called:   THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
​Jer. 23:7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’
Jer. 23:8 but, “As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

There is coming a day, according to this prophecy, that the exodus from Egypt will not be remembered anymore; replacing that memory will be a greater exodus and ingathering of the Jews to the land. What makes this ingathering so superior to the exodus from Egypt? (We have been celebrating that one for 3000 years!). The answer lies in verses 5 and 6, the coming exodus, is superior because it is redemption from sin and death! "THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" points directly to Yeshua, our Passover Lamb! We are not saying that the first Exodus was superfluous, not at all; what we are saying is that it was not the whole story. The coming redemption is not just a redemption from bondage to the nations, but from bondage to sin. The Jewish people will not only live in the land merely, but live in the presence of the Lord.  "I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Jeremiah 31:33 

• Pray with us in this season for the fullness of God's plans and purpose for our nation.
• Pray with us for the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah to His people, pray with us for the spirit of grace to fall upon our nation, bringing relief from bondage.
• Pray with us this wonderful promise from Jeremiah 24:7 Then 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."

Trouble in Gaza?
Thousands of Gazans are marching toward Israel on the eve of Passover. They call it the March of Return. There are already 5 dead from the clashes at the writing of this bulletin. 

For background on the March of Return: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5210084,00.html
For the latest news on what is happening: https://www.timesofisrael.com/6-gazans-said-wounded-as-thousands-flock-to-border-to-protest/
And here: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5210347,00.html
The real motive for this march: https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-leader-protests-mark-the-beginning-of-our-return-to-all-of-palestine/?

The situation in Gaza is nearing the boiling point; it may very well be that events are leading to an all-out clash with Hamas in the Gaza strip. Too, we should not forget the situation in the north of Israel. Things are very tense in Syria and Iran is relentlessly trying to advance towards Israel's borders. 

These protests are scheduled to last until May 15, Israel's Independence Day and the date in which the US embassy is relocated to Jerusalem. We expect that tensions will greatly escalate; no one can predict where this is going to end. This is why we should not be asleep spiritually at this crucial time. Let us all on the name of the Lord with all our hearts and be vigilant.

• Pray with us for the arm of the Lord to bring this to naught
• Pray with us that Hamas will fail in this attack
• Pray with us that the outcome will be decisive in Israel's favor so that the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria do not imitate this initiative. 
• Stand before the Lord, call on His name to fulfill His promises regarding Israel's protection, Israel's restoration and Israel's reconciliation to Him.

  To end this bulletin, here is a heartfelt story of grace and mercy in the midst of all this turmoil: https://www.timesofisrael.com/using-brazilian-procedure-israeli-doctors-save-filipino-newborn-in-jerusalem/


Blessings from Jerusalem,







 

Our bi-monthly Jewish-Arab pastors meetings
Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates!  Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?  The LORD of hosts,  He is the King of glory. Selah Psalm 24:7-10

To be sure, our bi-monthly Jewish-Arab meeting, held yesterday in Jerusalem, was unusually sweet. Once we started singing and worshiping in English, Hebrew, and Arabic, it seems the Spirit took over and poured faith and joy upon us. The verses above became our theme in song, proclamation, and prayer. There was a reality to our prayers as we called upon the King of Glory to come and rule in Jerusalem as King of Israel, and the ruler of the whole earth. How precious

None of the Arab brothers there had any problem asking that the Messiah would come and rule in the midst and take His place in the Land. 

Several of the Arab brothers shared that many within the Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria are disillusioned with Islam and are open to hearing about Jesus. Not religion, he emphasized, but to hear about Jesus. 

• We prayed for the spread of the gospel within the Palestinian areas, especially at Easter time, as this is when many of the Arab churches have outreaches. 
• We prayed for the Word to be preached with power from on high to break every barrier to the gospel in these areas
• We prayed for Gaza (one brother shared with us the under the radar work that is going on there.
• We prayed for the Lord to, not just open the doors in Gaza, but to spiritually yank the city gates altogether; as Samson did to the physical ones. (the enemy’s grip seems so solid there, doesn’t it? But the Lord is at work in the midst of darkness!) 

It was truly a remarkable time of worship and prayer; may the Lord give us more such breakthroughs as we meet. 

Our Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
All of God’s promises are yes and amen in Messiah (2Cor. 1:20). This means that the restoration of Israel, as well as God’s entire plan in the earth, is based on the work of Messiah on the cross. This is the firm foundation on which we base all of our praying for Israel and the Kingdom of God.

Isaiah 49 expresses this truth in a beautiful way. There are three sections to that chapter. 

The first, Isaiah 49:1-7 describes the identity and work of Messiah (we cannot take space here to expound on these passages.) 

Isaiah 49:8-14 describes the work God will do through the Messiah, in Israel and the nations. This section is most wonderful in that it describessd God’s will as mercy, compassion, and grace; all in the giving of His servant, His son to His people in the covenant. “In an acceptable time” (Isaiah 49:8) means literally: In the time of my will, in the day of salvation. His will is Mercy; His will is Salvation; all through His Son.

Isaiah 49:14-26 describes God’s word of comfort to Israel who feels forlorn. God speaks to her with the tenderness of a mother assuring her that she is not forgotten. “I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands” He assures her. (Could this be an allusion to the nail prints of Yeshua on the cross?)  These words are a description of the work of God in the last days, and they became our “platform” for prayer. Paul quotes Isa 49:8 in 2Cor. 6:2, and adds: “Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"​. indeed it is, and therefore we pray! 

• We gave God thanks for His Son
• We gave God thanks for the work of His Son’ His Servant - our Messiah
• We called on the name of the Lord to hasten the Day of salvation for Israel
• We prayed for a revelation of the Love of God to Israel as His people (see how spiritually depressed she is (Isaiah 49:14, Ezekiel 37:11) the restoration of Israel is also the resurrection of her hope in God.
• We prayed for the physical restoration of the land: From destruction (Isaiah 49:19) to construction; From gloom to bloom; from desolation to rehabilitation.
• We prayed for God to lift up His hand to the nations that they might bring His people home (Isaiah 49:22)
• We prayed for the revelation of Messiah to break through all the religiosity that takes over during the feast of Passover.
• We prayed for the revelation to many in Israel of their need for Yeshua as their Passover.
• Lastly, we prayed for Israel’s protection and security, both generally and at this time, especially during Passover. (The Palestinians are planning a Day of Rage to be held on the eve of Passover next Friday. Read here about it: https://www.timesofisrael.com/security-forces-gear-up-for-violent-passover-palestinian-march-of-return/ )
• We prayed into verse 25 (Isaiah 49:25) “I will contend with him who contends with you,  And I will save your children.” The word "contend" means to quarrel, conduct a legal suit (NIDOTTE),The verse could be read in this way: "I will fight with all those who accuse and oppose you!" 

We say this to Israel, in the spirit: 
Israel you are not alone, God has taken your cause and will bring it to completion. He will turn all your disasters and failures to victory by His mercy and grace which shall shine throughout the world, bringing great glory to God and His name. He will demonstrate to the world what His power to save looks like, what His blood can accomplish. He will pour upon you the spirit of repentance and prayer. He will bring you back from the dead and settle you. He will fight for you and see you through. He will not forsake you, and He will not fail to complete His Work. He will reveal Himself to you, and you will know the Lord. You shall be His people, and He will be your God! 

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Being on vacation in South Africa at the moment, we have time to be before the Lord with no agenda, with no particular burden except to seek His face, to draw close to Him with a simple cry: "That I may know you, Lord!”

So much is going on in the Body of Messiah in Israel, and in the world, that those who are called to wait on God, and pray, may feel greatly insecure about their calling. It seems to them, sometimes, that they are doing nothing; and perhaps those who are ‘achieving and doing,’ look at them in that way too.

Thus, I was much encouraged upon reading the following verse:  Deut. 10:8 "At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day."

The Hebrew for ’to minister unto him’ is literally ‘to serve Him.’ This description is all-encompassing. “Servant” is not only a title but a job description; the servant’s job is to wait on the master for whatever he needs or wants. His work is to please His master by doing whatever the master tells him to do, with the masters’ best interest in mind. So it is said of Joseph (Genesis 39:1-4).

But the KJV here is wonderful in that it describes the heart’s intention as well: Unto Him! 

Standing before the Lord means to wait upon Him continually until. Ministering unto Him, meant to administer the atonement to the people through the sacrifice; praying for the people before the Lord at the altar of incense, and keeping the testimony of the Lord in worship, reminding the people of God’s holiness and grace and teaching them His Word.

And they were to bless the people in His name, that is they were authorized to represent Him who sat on the Mercy Seat in the Holy Place. God apparently delights in bestowing His blessings on His people, through others, instead of only directly. Does this not show His nature of love.

Of this verse Matthew Henry comments: “And now, under the gospel, when the pouring forth of the Spirit is more plentiful and powerful, the succession is kept up by the Spirit’s work on men’s hearts, qualifying and making some willing for that work in every age.”

And thus this verse is applied to us, all those who are willing to heed His call and humble themselves to serve Him.

I wonder how many ministries in these days, are indeed founded on this understanding of ministry.  Even the prayer ministry can become just a busy-ness and a thing we ‘do.’ Many years ago, the Lord warned me, “Ofer don’t organize prayer, just pray.” It sometimes seems that so much of current ministry is based on doing, achievement, results, increase and doesn’t have its root in standing, or waiting, or ministering before the Lord. 

Those of us who are called otherwise, need to be reminded and encouraged to continue to stand before Him, wait upon Him, seek His face, intercede, and do whatever else He calls us to do. 

The great pivotal points in the history of the world have been a result of prayer! Daniel prayed for the restoration of Israel and saw Babylon fall, Cornelius prayed, seeking God, and Peter was sent to his house; thus the gospel began to flow to the Gentiles from that moment on. And the greatest of all prayers; Yeshua prayed in the garden before He died on the cross. 

Some of the most significant events in the history of God’s people have been a result of prayer. Where would Israel be if Moses did not ascend the mountain to intercede for it for forty days and nights? The Sinai Covenant was given to Moses as he was with God for forty days and nights. Yeshua was transformed while praying on the mount. God revealed to Yeshua who his disciples would be, while he was praying in the night. Isaiah was before the Lord in the temple when God showed Himself in glory and holiness. Jacob was changed while he battled in prayer at Peniel. We could go on, but these are enough to make the point. 

We are not saying that this is the only sort of ministry there is, not at all. Bezalel, for instance, was imbued with the Holy Spirit and given great wisdom and ability to do the work of building the tabernacle. Some of God’s people have been anointed to lead Israel in battle, others to do or accomplish great things. 

But we are saying that it is vital for those who are called to wait on the Lord, seek His face, pray and intercede, and hold a position, to do so. 

God’s unfolding plan is vitally connected with prayer, and those who are called that way need to be encouraged and upheld to do so (Remember Aaron and Hur who supported Moses’ arms on the mountain, while Joshua battled in the valley?)

May you be encouraged, renewed, re-determined in your resolve to heed God’s call on your life, to stand before Him and pray.