For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore, …you…are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6)

This new year has turned out to be not so new after all. The same old hatred, violence, and greed for power and dominance continue as usual. The same old mankind, ever falsely believing, and hoping in its own goodness to make things better, is hopelessly in need of God but does not know it. 

We are grateful that something else has not changed this year, God's sovereignty, God's faithfulness, and God's goodness. Thank God!

He continues as ever to unfold His plan for this earth. He will not leave the earth, or mankind for that matter, forever in the hands of man. He is working providentially to fulfill His purposes on the earth, and that also means Israel. He reigns! 

Thus says the Lord
For our prayers, we considered the ten "thus says the Lord" declarations in Zechariah 8. They unfold the amazing and marvelous power and goodness of God. You will have to read chapter 7 to understand the flow of the mind of God in this chapter, and you might as well read beyond chapter 8 to see where it is going. 

I am jealous for Zion (Zech 8:2-3)
God is "red hot" and determined deeply to return to His chosen abode to dwell amongst His people.

Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city (Zech 8:3) 
When was Jerusalem ever a faithful city? But this is her destiny. It is only possible when Messiah will rule in our midst. 

• We deeply acknowledged our need of Messiah
• We owned up to our unfaithfulness to Him, as a nation
• We acknowledged our rejection of Messiah
• We cried out to the Lord for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon Israel, in great conviction, in a tremendous, overwhelming flood of grace to bring about a brokenness of heart that acknowledges our rejection of our King and Savior
• We recognized this has to be the work of God, and that our nation is unable to produce this turning by ourselves. We cried out to God, to do the impossible. (Zech 8:6)

Old men and old women,,, boys and girls will fill the streets… I will bring them from east and west (Zech 8:7)
Looking at Israel today, we may miss the wonder of its restoration. But looking back in history, even 150 or 200 years ago, the land was desolate, and the Jewish people were hopelessly and helplessly at the mercy of the nations, they resided in.
But there is more here. Jerusalem is called the Faithful City, the Holy Mountain. This means not only a people returned, but a people transformed! A holy people, a people, reconciled to their God in Messiah.  

• We thanked God for the wondrous restoration of Israel to the land, it is all His Work, it is all His faithful fulfillment of His Word and Promise
• We asked the Lord "turn us, and we shall be turned, restore us, and we shall be restored
• We cried out to God for this wondrous work of the physical restoration of the Jewish people to their land
• We prayed for these words to be fulfilled to the fullest, to fill the land with a transformed people who rejoice in their Messiah and King.
• We asked the Lord to break through the bondage of a religion that relegates Yeshua to being a blasphemer instead of acknowledging His Messiahship
• We asked the Lord to break through the culture bondage that has kept Yeshua out!
• We prayed for a greater fulfillment yet, of the ingathering of His people to the land

As I have plotted disaster to you….so again I have plotted good to Jerusalem (Zech 8:14-15)
The word "purposed" (ESV) in those verses is a word that means to plot. Usually that word is used in a negative way, but here it is God who is plotting! And His purpose is to plot good! The sense is that 'with resourcefulness and discretion, God will (is) carry on His plan. It is all there, plain as can be for anyone to see, in scripture, but it is hidden from man who is blinded by his own wickedness and rebellion against the Lord and against His anointed (Psalm 2)

• We prayed for the Lord's plots to be carried out in great success
• We prayed for the goodness of God (in Messiah and in His cross) to overwhelm every evil plot of the enemy who is dead set on our destruction
• We prayed for the providence of the Lord to guide His mercies and grace to their ultimate goal (Hab. 2:14)

We prayed briefly into the new situation regarding Iran in light of those verses. 
We prayed in light of His eternal plan, and in light of the prophecies of Zechariah.
We see God's sovereign hand in the affairs of the world, and in the Middle East in particular. The Lord may be "dragging" the US into the fray to help Israel handle Iran. Everything is too fresh right now to make assessments, and we all need the patience to see how things will develop. Meanwhile, we can continue to pray into the Will of God as it is made plain in the scriptures regarding all of these things, and then, we must wait for wisdom and light, rather than rush to predict or find a verse or two that might fit into the situation. 

We prayed briefly for the (third) coming elections in March.
​

Dear friends, the one most important thing that needs to change is you (and me). And the only real agent of change is the Lord. 

2Cor. 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Perhaps, this year can be a New Year for us after all, if we turn to Him, and if we behold Him, and if we yield to the Holy Spirit as He transforms us from the inside out, till we shine, transformed and conformed to His image.  (Romans 8:29) 

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Recently, I found an American Bible Society bookmark, from 1959, in one of the used books I bought some years ago. It is a Bible reading plan to be read between Thanksgiving and the end of the year; November 26 to December 31.
Looking closely at it, I saw that the readings for December 1-3 were from the book of Romans as follows: December 1 - Rom 8:1-17, December 2 - Rom 8:18-39, December 3 - Romans 12:1-21.

Romans 9 to 11 is skipped entirely; Israel’s restoration is skipped entirely, and its place in world redemption ignored, this by the Bible Society. How tragic!

This kind of thing is also true of the Jewish yearly cycle of daily readings, which include readings from the Torah, and from the prophets (and other portions.) Isaiah 53 is skipped over! One of the greatest prophecies that describes the Savior, is ignored! 

Skip over Yeshua? Can’t be done, it will do no good. Skip over Israel’s restoration, the same thing; it will do no good. 

Without Yeshua, there is no salvation, and God’s plan regarding Israel’s place in world redemption cannot be changed by man. Romans 9-11 describes some of the most profound things regarding the fullness of God’s eternal plan.

We read: Romans 9:1-8, Romans 10:1-4, Romans 11: 11-12, 15

Rom. 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
Rom. 9:4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;

Paul’s wish to be accursed for his own people if it could help in their salvation does not stem from some sentimental emotion. Rather from a profound recognition that those things that belong to Israel’s restoration are absolutely central to the fullness of God’s plan. Think of it; he was willing to be separated from Messiah forever if it would further God’s global and eternal plan.

O’ may we at least have a zeal to live for Him and give our lives in His service! How few of us actually have a revelation of God’s purposes on the earth and then give ourselves to intercede for its fulfillment!

Adoption speaks of sonship, and of a full and complete inheritance—the fullness of salvation, body soul and spirit! It is the fullness of God in His saved ones. Of this, Paul declares, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1Corinthians 2:9)

We prayed into the eternal purpose of God and cried for its completion

• We thanked God for the cross of Yeshua, for the salvation we have in Him
• We thanked God for Yeshua who became accursed for us and for His eternal plan that God may fulfill His will on the earth
• We prayed for the fullness of salvation to be fulfilled in the earth and for Israel to be restored that those things may come to pass.
• We were moved by the realization that God is moving with a purpose to fulfill His purpose. “You have a purpose, Lord, you have a plan. We thank you for it and ask for it to come to pass, as you have spoken.” 
• Lord, you put in Abraham’s heart hope for a son, for an heir, and he did not give up believing and hoping and waiting upon your Word to be done. Birth within us the same expectant faith and desire for the fullness of your Son’s reign in our lives 

We prayed for Israel’s restoration
Rom. 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

• O’ Lord, what vanity! How futile is the pursuit of establishing our own righteousness! How horrific it is that we, as a nation, have not submitted to the righteousness of God
• We cry for our people, secular and religious, we are always correcting each other, teaching each other, always trying to be the ‘right one.’  
• Lord, Israel is so full of self-righteousness, how odious this must be to you!  
• Open our eyes, Lord! Let us see that all our righteousness is as filthy rags. 
• Let a deep conviction come upon us as a nation, by the holy spirit, of our need, of our nakedness before you. 
• Lord, open the eyes of our nation to see the gift of God in Messiah as you have been offering it for two thousand years now. 
• Let a great humbling of ourselves come at the sight of you, the one who was crucified. 
• Thank you, Lord, that you have loved us with an everlasting love in spite of this folly.
• Thank you, Lord, that you keep your covenants and are faithful to them
• We thank you that your plan cannot fail! Because you will keep and fulfill all your promises. It cannot fail! Isaiah 49:13-16

We prayed for the Church

• Lord, Paul wrote the gentiles because they have a role in the fulfillment of your end-time purposes. 
• Lord bring the Church to an understanding, light, godliness that she may fulfill the role you have called her to!
• May the Church understand your Word and respond to the altar call of Romans 2:1-2
• Thank you for those in the Church who know, who intercede, who teach without apology those things
• Lord, remove the opinionated attitude of the Church that is informed more by the media than the Word of God
• Lord let the Church do mercy as it is called to in Romans 11:30-31 (See the ESV for a very good translation of these verses)
• Lord, the Church is so filled with false teachings, bring light dear Lord. 
• Let the Church come back to the Word, let the Word become central in it preaching
• Let the Church desire, like Paul, to get a hold of your heart and lend itself for the fulfillment of your will in the same passion

We prayed for the formation of a government in Israel
We are just a few days before the time to form a government runs out, and new elections are declared. Avigdor Liberman has promised that his party will make some fateful decisions during this coming weekend, all to avoid the 3rd election. 

The whole thing points to the rather awful condition in which our political system finds itself. It also points to the deep philosophical differences and visions regarding Israel's character and future.

• We thanked God for His eternal plan, using Romans 9:4-5
• We thanked God that His Word cannot be broken
• We thanked God for His promises regarding this land and its role in the world
• We prayed for God to move sovereignly to align Israel with that role
• We prayed that God will give us a government that will even unwittingly carry out His will for this time
• We prayed that He will provide us with a government that will fit His own prophetic time 
• We prayed for the Lord to move and give us governors after His own heart, and that will be aligned with Him. 
  
• Egos -Lord deflate egos, bring down the pride of man
• Remove the impasse 
• Lord give us a government that will do much good for this country, according to your promises

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Is. 3:4  “I will give children to be their princes,  And babes shall rule over them."

This week will be a week to remember in Israel. Two momentous events have revealed a deep crisis in leadership.

One was the failure of any leader to form a government in Israel, for the second time, after two elections. The second announced on the same day, is the decision to take our prime minister to court over allegations of corruption and bribery.

The verse quoted above is what came to us as we were praying on Wednesday. That was before the bombshell announcement of the AG of the decision to indict our PM.

Two statements. One regarding the failure to form a government, the other is of the AG regarding Netanyahu's indictment.

Our president, Mr. Rivlin, rebuked the politicians saying:
"Let there be no illusion, this politics of disruption has to stop," said, telling political leaders: "Your political fate is no more important than the old person in hospital, than the children in special education, than the victims of violence in the Arab sector, than the residents of the south – Jewish, Arab, ultra-Orthodox and secular – who need protection from rocket fire, and than the women who need shelter. Over these next 21 days, do not be blocs or parties. Each one of you should look to their conscience and answer one question: What is my duty to the State of Israel." (1)

Attorney General's statement regarding the decision to indict Netanyahu:
"In the prime minister's affairs, I found there was evidence pointing to grave actions allegedly being committed, which carry a reasonable likelihood of conviction," Mandelblit said. "For this reason, it is my duty by law to indict. It is not a choice. It is an obligation. Thus it is in the case of any citizen, and thus I acted here.

"Law enforcement isn't optional. It's not a question of politics. It's a duty incumbent upon us…. We were not swayed by slander from all sides, and acted only to enforce the law," he said, referring to criticism from Netanyahu supporters who have accused prosecutors of conducting a witch hunt to unseat the prime minister." (2)

To understand the next phase of the political process to form a government, read at the following link:  jpost.com 

Surprisingly, we were felt upbeat when we began to pray.

Thankfully, the destiny of Israel is not up to our leadership nor even up to our people. It is in the hands of God. Therefore we were in an upbeat mood to turn to God and turn to His Word in our praying. 

We were led to the following verse as we began to pray:
Jer. 32:27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?

The sense of the words "too hard" is: "Is there anything that is beyond my power? Anything beyond my reach or ability or wisdom to do?"

If you want to enjoy the full impact of this verse, read Jeremiah 32-33. Israel's salvation and restoration is not a fruit of any worthiness, but of God's mercy and faithfulness to His covenant! Thank God! Is it not so with you?

The whole thing is centered, you will find, on the work of Messiah! (Jeremiah 33:14-16) On Him, all the promises of God hang, and in Him, they are Yes and Amen! And it is all for His Glory! That is why we can be upbeat in the midst of a problematic situation Israel finds itself in.

We prayed for our government

• Arise O' Lord, in your sovereignty and make an executive decision regarding our government
• Lord, you can move without needing anyone's agreement, or voting, in matters of state. You are our King. Thankfully we don't get to elect you, and you have complete sovereignty in the Land.
• Choose our leaders O' Lord, put together - through providential means, the government you want for this Land.
• You are a compassionate God; your desire is to take care of your sheep, and to secure your flock's safety. Move O' God mightily at this time.
• Save us from religious coercion dear Lord, save us from fanaticism and fanatics who will assuredly lead us to disaster
• Expose corruption, deal-making and any other corrupt thing hindering the formation of a unity government, or a government that will be good for all the people, not just sectors of it
• Show your loving-kindness to us, dear Lord, give us statesmen who are true leaders, mature and visionary, not gripped with their own welfare or promotion.
• Lord, you promised good shepherds, we stand before you on this promise and ask you to bring it to pass.

Visit your people - praying for Israel's salvation
Ex. 4:31 So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

There is always a communication of Grace and Mercy in God's visitations when it comes to His people (you too). Within God's move, there was a communication of His deep love and understanding of their affliction. It is this that made them bow in worship. It is this that brings us down on our face to worship Him who has loved us. It is this that gives us a desire to break away from our sins. Yea, a longing for Him

• Hear the cry of your people dear Lord, those who are bowed under the burden of sin
• Visit your people again, as you did in Egypt and lead us out of bondage
• Communicate this Grace and Kindness, dear Lord, to your people. Show them you understand their sorrows and their bondage
• Create in your people a longing for you dear Lord
• Show them your compassion by revealing the cross — your sufferings for them, in order to save them

Visit our enemies — Praying for protection
Is. 24:21 It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD will punish (visit) on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth

God will deal with all the forces that come against His work and agenda in the earth, human and not human. (The word "punish is the same word as "visited" in Exodus 4:31, see also Isaiah 10:12, Isaiah 13:11)

• Lord, save us from our enemies who hate us without a cause, those who have day and night only meditate on our demise and destruction.
• Lord, you promised to be a wall of fire around your nation. We cling to that as a great hope and plead with you to be that to your people. Be our "Fire Dome" O' Lord
• We pray that you will send your light among our enemies, to display your Glory and save them from the darkness they are in, especially the citizens of Iran who are suffering greatly under the regime
• Lord save us from our enemies that we might serve you without fear (Luke 1:68-75)

Visit your Body - Praying for the completion of the "House" - Luke 1:68-75

• Lord, we beg you to make Yeshua The Center of every congregation in the Land
• Lift Yeshua high dear Lord in the Body of Messiah and make Him very precious to every believer
• Lord, we plead with you that you will cause your Word to arise greatly in the Body of Messiah
• Be zealous for your Body, dear Lord, and visit us. We need you, we need the fire of your holiness, the fire of your love, the fire of zeal in our hearts towards you
• We want to be alive to you and dead to the world O' God. Grant it we plead
• Judge and separate from us all that offends you in the Body
• Let us build according to the Pattern, according to the Corner Stone
• Help us not to compromise our faith with the world, our self-desires
• Build us to be your dwelling place, make us a house of God
• Give us a heart for you dear Lord, only for you
• Grant us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only
• Teach us your ways and grant us the surrender to follow you with the whole heart

May the Lord bless you and reignite in your own heart a great fire of love for Him, for His Word and for His ways.

Blessings from Jerusalem,


_________________
1. https://ejpress.org/israeli-president-reuven-rivlin-strongly-deplores-politics-of-disruption-in-failure-to-form-government-new-elections-in-march/

2. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ag-announces-netanyahu-to-stand-trial-for-bribery-fraud-and-breach-of-trust/

A Cease Fire has been reached
A Cease-Fire has been agreed on between Islamic Jihad and Israel.

Here are the conditions:

• Islamic Jihad will cease launching rockets into Israel, Israel will cease its counter attacks
• Israel will cease with targeted assassinations of armed Islamic Jihad members
• the IDF will not use live fire against demonstrators during the Friday demonstrations. Islamic Jihad will keep the protests peaceful.

The toll of the two-day fighting:

• 34 Palestinians have been killed, 25 of them were terrorists
• 450 rockets were fired at Israel. 90% were intercepted

Two articles for those who desire a deeper understanding and analysis:

• 1. The Gaza strike and what it means: click here
• 2. The unprecedented security threats Israel is facing: click here

Our Intercessions
Wednesday was the second day of the battle, so we kept praying regarding the conflict, as well as for Israel as we usually do. We read Psalm 47, and Psalm 67

Psa. 47:0  To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Psa. 47:1   Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!  Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
Psa. 47:2  For the LORD Most High is awesome;  He is a great King over all the earth.
Psa. 47:3  He will subdue the peoples under us,  And the nations under our feet.
Psa. 47:4  He will choose our inheritance for us,  The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.     Selah
Psa. 47:5  God has gone up with a shout,  The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Psa. 47:6  Sing praises to God, sing praises!  Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Psa. 47:7  For God is the King of all the earth;  Sing praises with understanding.
Psa. 47:8  God reigns over the nations;  God sits on His holy throne.
Psa. 47:9  The princes of the people have gathered together,  The people of the God of Abraham.  For the shields of the earth belong to God;  He is greatly exalted.

Psa. 67:0 To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
Psa. 67:1 God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
Psa. 67:2  That Your way may be known on earth,  Your salvation among all nations.
Psa. 67:3  Let the peoples praise You, O God;  Let all the peoples praise You.
Psa. 67:4  Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!  For You shall judge the people righteously,  And govern the nations on earth.  Selah
Psa. 67:5  Let the peoples praise You, O God;  Let all the peoples praise You.
Psa. 67:6  Then the earth shall yield her increase;  God, our own God, shall bless us.
Psa. 67:7  God shall bless us,  And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

We took time to declare that the Lord is Most High--this does not mean that God is a little higher than everybody else; He is Supreme. God is in a class of His own! How can He be compared with the creation?! Psalm 113 says that God has to humble Himself to look into the heavens (Psalm 113:4-6,) yet He lifts up the poor out of the dust. How wondrous is our God!  He is awesome, meaning that people are struck with awe and fear when they see the mighty works of God in the earth! Psalm 47:3, but also Jeremiah 33:9

• Lord you are supreme, there is no one like thee in the heavens
• You are before all, and above all, you are the beginning and the end - you are awesome!
• Lord, you have chosen this nation and people for your own purposes, and many are the nations that oppose your purposes. Be thou exalted O Lord in the situation
• Lord use this situation to bring glory to your name — fulfill your purposes despite the terrific opposition to them
• Lord let the situation serve as a catapult to the formation of the government you want for this nation
• Rule over our enemies, take their diabolical wisdom from them, let the darkness they have chosen to imbibe, turn to confusion
• Yours are the shields of the earth dear Lord, protect your people

We prayed for Israel in the light of Psalm 47 and Psalm 67
“God will be gracious unto us, and He will bless us and will shine His face upon us.” So goes the verse in Hebrew. It is an emphatic declaration of faith—our covenant God will fulfill what He has promised. His grace will win the day in Israel and for Israel. 

O’ what a shining this will be! The Glory of God shining in the Face of Messiah, beaming His Holy Grace, and Holy Love, and Holy Judgment on sin and darkness as it appears at the cross. (Rev. 5:6 A Lamb as though it had been slain!)

• Lord shine your face upon Israel. Surely this is the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Yeshua the Messiah! Shine, dear Lord, shine the glory and beauty of you Son upon this nation.
• Be gracious unto us dear Lord, destroy our self righteous by the revelation of Yeshua crucified
• Shine the Light of Messiah into the heart of darkness this nation dwells in (Isaiah 9:2)
• Lord, you are the God of the “again”, you will gather us again, cleanse us again, covenant with us again (the New Covenant in Yeshua), sanctify us again, and best of all, you will come to dwell in our midst again!

We prayed for the nations in this light
Especially those nations around us, who do not rejoice but rather hate the people of God and the plan of God.

Note  in Psalm 67 the effect Israel’s salvation will have on the nations, they will know His way; His salvation. Don’t fail to note this simple and wonderful truth: God’s blessing and saving Israel, will make His salvation known in the earth, again. (The world has rejected God and the whole Judeo-Christian ethic, as a myth, and have turned to darkness as their light and understanding.)

“The nations will praise you, O God, the nations will all praise you.” The earth will yield her increase! God will get the harvest He has desired.

• Lord, let Israel become a place of the shining of your glory, beaming your grace, your salvation into the nations that surround us.
• Lord, those nations that are around us have made it their goal and purpose to destroy your work in the land, to destroy the very people who will be the means of blessing to them. Shine your truth, your light, into those nations. Let them see the power of your grace toward Israel and let them turn. Shine, dear Lord, into Gaza, into Syria, into Iran, Into Lebanon and Jordan, into Egypt and Saudi Arabia
• Lord you are the Lord of the harvest (Matthew 9:38), send laborers to those darkened nations and bring Your Light

We prayed for the Body of Messiah in this light

• Lord make us a place of the shining of your face, to Israel
• Trim our wicks, fill us with oil, burn within us and through us dear Lord
• Shine your truth in our midst, let us live out the Word unto you and to one another
• Let us be good ground for the seed of your Word dear Lord, not hard ground, not shallow ground, not thorny soil, but a good soil that you might receive the full grain in the head (Mark 4:28)
• Prepare your body for the harvest that is surely coming, dear Lord
• Prepare the Church in the Arab nations likewise, dear Lord

Thank you, dear friends, for sticking with us in prayer. May the Lord Himself shine His face upon you, revealing Messiah to you in ever deepening ways. May His light upon you be a source of great blessing and great joy, and may you delight in Him as your chief joy and bring Him much glory.

Blessings from Jerusalem,