BOWLS OF INCENSE

 

Prayer is something  central to human life. Nearly all humans instinctively pray to some kind of higher being, even atheists pray when under threat of death, yet as Christian or Messianic believers do we really understand the power of prayer?

 

I do believe that the impulse to pray is a God given gift to all humankind, so why then do I find it so difficult to be constant and serious in my prayer life? I know I am erratic at best, often neglecting to pray until I reach some crisis point. I think one of the reasons, I and so many others, struggle with prayer is that we don't  really believe in its power. We often don't see the results immediately so ,when our prayers are answered, we don't remember or notice. Then what about all those  times when it seems that our prayers merely bounce off the ceiling without result? 

 

 The apostle Paul exhorted us to pray always saying,

 

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 6-7

 

What a great promise this verse holds. If we can only take all our worries and concerns to the Lord in prayer, we can know that perfect peace even in the most distressing of times. Yet how often do we experience this 'peace that passes all understanding'? Why do we allow the busyness of this world and its constant distractions to prevent us from praying as we ought? Why do so many of us, myself included, persist in trying to solve our own, and the world's, problems in our own strength?

 

I think one of the reasons I so often fail in prayer is that I often don't truly believe that my prayers matter.  Does God really hear my prayers? Why do I need to bring my worries to Him when He, the all-knowing God, must know about them anyway? And yet apparently He wants us to pray. That's a mystery.

 

In the Book of Revelation we see some answers. In two parts of John's revelation we see golden bowls of incense rising up before God and these are identified as the prayers of the saints.



 

 Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals; ² and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁴ And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. ⁸ When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ They sing a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
    saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;
¹⁰ you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving^[our God,
    and they will reign on earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² singing with full voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,

“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!”

¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Revelation 5

 

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

³ Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth; and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Revelation 8: 1-5

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WvJumQjvJTc/hqdefault.jpg

In the verses I have highlighted we can see how the prayers of the saints were mixed with fire from heaven and brought about acts of great power on Earth.  Our prayers, somehow, in a way I do not  fully understand, have prophetic power in the heavenly realm, and God uses these, mixed with his own power, to work great things on Earth. We should not therefore underestimate the importance and power of our prayers.

Some years ago I would often walk past a photography shop on my way to work. It  puzzled me as it was always closed and yet it had no air of abandonment about it. Then one night, coming home at a very late hour, I walked past this shop and was surprised to see lights shining inside. Then I saw several small children being taken into this shop. Suddenly it dawned on me that this was a place where child pornography films were being made. I prayed that God would destroy this shop and save the children from this abomination. I got a big shock the next morning when I read in the newspaper that a fire had broken out in the shop later that night and razed it to the ground. Thankfully all the people inside, including the children, managed to escape through a window. That shook me, and made me realize that I must not be casual about my prayers, they are effective and powerful.  We can never know what effect they may have.

This week too, here in Jerusalem, we saw again the effective power of prayer. In my last post I wrote about the Tomorrowland Electronic Music Festival which took place in here in Jerusalem last Saturday. Much prayer went up here and all around the world against this demonic event. It worked. In an auditorium that seats 15,000 only 1,132 turned up and the concert was delayed about 1 1/2 hours because of technical problems with the satellite feed from Belgium, so most of the live-feed concert was missed.  You could say it was the greatest non-event of the year. It did not even get a mention in the following day's press. Hallelujah and thank you to all who prayed. For a fuller report go to: https://kehilanews.com/2016/07/25/update-on-prayer-about-occult-music-festival-tomorrowland-in-jerusalem/

God is all powerful and, for some reason I do not understand, He has decided to work through the prayers of his people. I thank you, all who pray for this nation, Israel, and the great work that God is bringing about through your prayers bringing the whole world to final redemption. We do not need to fear the attacks of the Enemy, which will come, but we do need to keep praying and working with God to overcome this Enemy and his works. Our prayers have more power than we can ever imagine.

This week in Jerusalem has been relatively quiet as we swelter under the full blast of the summer heat. At night the colorfully lit and decorated streets are full of families and groups of friends wandering about enjoying the cool air, or gathering at cafes, restaurants and parks. It all has a rather festive air. Today I visited my local shopping mall and saw there, to my amazement, what must be the tiniest ice skating rink in the world. The kids seemed to be enjoying it anyway.

Of course under it all the forces of evil are constantly trying to destroy our life here. Terror attempts continue though more and more are being thwarted, our borders are uneasy with the rumors of war, ISIS is on our doorstep and infiltrating the minds of our young Arab people,  and Iran is actively supporting it all. There is always tension and anxiety in the air, but Israelis are tough, resilient people who in spite of all not only survive but flourish.

Attacks by lone-wolf terrorists, in the wave of terror that began last October, are diminishing. We are seeing fewer attempts, and of those more and more are being thwarted. As of the end of June, 38 Israelis have been killed and another 290 injured, in some 2000 separate attacks, according to the figures released by the Shin Bet security services. In June there were only (!) 103 attacks compared to 620 at the height of the terror wave last October.

Why the drop? Of course I put it down to the power of prayer, but also we must give a lot of credit to our security forces, the police and soldiers, and vigilant civilians too. Fewer and fewer attacks are  successful and this in itself serves as a deterrent.  As Shlomo Brom, a retired Brigadier General and an analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies put it, "There is a limit to the number of even frustrated young people who are willing to give their life and to achieve nothing. So it makes sense that over time, the numbers of attacks are fewer and fewer.” Keep praying for attacks to fail, for the vigilance of our security forces and the general public. As the risk decreases so does our vigilance often and we cannot afford to let down our guard.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-has-had-success-against-lone-wolf-terrorists-heres-how/

One of the terror wave hotspots has been road 443, the main road between Modi'in and Jerusalem, which has experienced dozens of attacks. This is one of just two main arterial links between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv region and about 15km of it passes through the West Bank. The road is is overlooked by Palestinian villages on either side, and runs near Ramallah. I used to use this road in preference to Highway 1 which is dangerously busy, winding and steep, made even more dangerous by long-term roadworks being carried out.  Since the terror wave began however I, like many others, have been avoiding travel on route 443. The speed limit on that road is 120kph and at that speed even a small rock hitting a windshield can be deadly. This week I was pleased to learn that the IDF will be stepping up its surveillance on this road by installing some 255 new day and night vision cameras and two more surveillance balloons to supplement the existing one. Some 50-70 combat soldiers already patrol the road at all times. Perhaps soon I will feel able to use that road again!
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4832520,00.html

Route 443
http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.671235.1439629479!/image/736903263.jpg_gen/derivatives/headline_609x343/736903263.jpg

Another topic for fervent prayer is the upcoming elections in the West Bank. In October both local and municipal elections will be held in the West Bank, currently controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and the terror organization, Hamas, has decided to participate in these elections in order to gauge Palestinian public opinion.  In addition Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, will also be holding internal elections towards the end of the year. It would be a disaster for the Palestinian people if Hamas were to gain control of the West Bank as well as Gaza, but widespread dissatisfaction with the Palestinian Authority (Fatah) may make this a possibility. These elections could precipitate much internal unrest and social chaos in the West Bank and such conditions would encourage the growing influence of Day'ish ( ISIS), especially the amongst the dissatisfied youth. Of course Israel  would not be too happy to have Hamas in power in the West Bank.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4832520,00.html
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4832520,00.html

Finally here are some links to some YouTube videos you might find informative and interesting: 

 The Wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ph9g39muwo

Video about 10 misconceptions  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdtGOY8T5XE

 What happens to aid money  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJdQ7Bx0av4

Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

 

 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May they prosper who love you

Psalm 122:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

 

It may come as a surprise to many who read the news these days  that in many respects Jerusalem could be held up as a model of peaceful coexistence. I live in a Jewish suburb surrounded by Arab villages. The large  majority of my Arab neighbors  live, work, shop and play quite peaceably with their non-Arab neighbors, and want nothing more than to get on with their lives in peace. I shop in the same shopping center  as my Arab neighbors, a center where shops are owned and operated by both Jews and Arabs. We get along just fine and I often see the little acts of kindness that ordinary people, both Arabs and Jews, carry out towards each other: a sympathetic smile for the mother with a crying baby, a seat for the elderly and so on.

 

However, sadly, there is another face of our city.  Recently there  has been a significant increase in the number of  incidents of violence, perpetrated in the main by a small minority of angry, disaffected young men.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/24932/Default.aspx

Scenes such as the one above are becoming a daily event in Jerusalem but are largely going unnoticed by the press and even  by the residents of the city.  In the last two months there have been some 152 incidents of stabbings, rock-throwing and firebomb attacks, mainly occurring when Jews dare to stray into Arab-dominated neighborhoods.

Last  Monday (8 Sept) dozens of masked men stormed the gas station between French Hill and the Palestinian neighbourhood of Isawiyah, setting it on fire and looting the store, after a 16 year old Palestinian, Mohammed Sanuqrut had been killed during a riot earlier in the day. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.615781

A few days later a family coming to Jerusalem from Ramat Gan narrowly escaped a lynch attempt  when their GPS led them to  make a wrong turn and enter the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Joz, where rioters threw a volley of rocks and bricks at the vehicle  in which they were travelling.
Noam (Dabul) Dvir

Published:  09.12.14, 12:58 / Israel News

The main target of this 'silent Intifada' is the city's new light rail transit system.Since the beginning of July, there have been over  100 instances of stone-throwing, and the throwing of Molotov cocktails  and paint at the trains, which were meant to be a symbol of the city’s unification.  CityPass, the company operating Jerusalem's light rail system, announced last Sunday morning that "due to continued and repeated rock throwing that inflicts damage to the trains, this morning we only have 16 operable trains out of a total of 23."http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4570596,00.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.615781



ISLAM AND VIOLENCE



Obama speaking to the American people about Islamic State (Photo: AFP)http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4569912,00.html

On the 10th of this month, President Obama made a speech to the American people, "about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL."

In this speech, among other things, he said,

"Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents. And the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state".

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4569912,00.html

Is he right? Does Islam condone the killing of innocents, or not? We can analyze the Koran, verse by verse, we can study the Hadith and Sunna, and argue academically either way. However the 'proof is in the pudding' as the saying goes. Take a look around you. Where is there violence and warfare in our world today? What drives the main terror organizations that threaten us today?  Of the 10 most deadly wars currently in progress around the world, 9 involve violent Islamic terror organizations or militias,  or struggles between competing Islamic sects or ideologies . http://www.internationalrelations.com/wars-in-progress/#syria
   
True, not all Muslims are violent, and not all Islamic sects or movements espouse violence, however violence has been an integral part of the spread of Islam since its very inception. During his lifetime Mohammed ordered 100 military expeditions and he himself took part in 27  of these. By the time Mohammed died  Muslim forces had conquered most of  the western Arabian peninsula.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_expeditions_of_Muhammad. During the period of the first four Caliphs,(632-661 AD) Islam had conquered most of the Middle East and a large part of North Africa. Under the  Ummayyad Caliphs (661-750 AD) Islam had by force  spread across northern Africa and entered even into Europe,  conquering Spain.   

Map of the spread of Islam from 622-750 AD

 http://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=11393 

Certainly it would be difficult to convince anyone living in the Middle East today that Islam does not at least condone violence, even it does not actively promote it. 

Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of the five founders of the Hamas movement, put it this way:

"Islamic life is like a ladder, with prayer and praising Allah as the bottom rung. The higher rungs represent helping the poor and needy, establishing schools, and supporting charities. The highest rung is jihad.

The ladder is tall. Few look up to see what is at the top. And progress is usually gradual, almost imperceptible ... Traditional Muslims stand at the foot of the ladder, living in guilt for not really practicing Islam. At the top are fundamentalists, the ones you see in the news killing women and children for the glory of the god of the Qur'an. Moderates are somewhere in between. "

"Son of Hamas " Mosab Hassan Yousef , 2010,Tyndall, USA

The Salafist-Jihadist movements such as Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, and now ISIL, just to name a few, attract those zealous Muslims who are drawn to desire the highest spiritual levels of Islam, namely Jihad. Although Jihad is not necessarily violent, it  has the goal of spreading Islam to the whole world by any means available. Historically and still in our times, Islam does not prohibit violence and even condones it. In Islam there is no way to be certain of forgiveness of sin, or of everlasting life, except through active participation in Jihad.
 

The Koran says this in Surah 3:157  "And if, indeed, ye be killed in Allah's way or die, surely forgiveness from Allah and mercy is better than what ye could have had on earth"  and again in Surah 16:110, "Then, verily, thy Lord, will be forgiving and merciful for those who left their homes after they had been tried and then carried out Jihad and were steadfast".  (Palmer English Translation)

 

For a fuller exposition on the violent nature of Islam see  "Islam: Religion of Peace or War?    http://my.cbn.com/pg/file/06823b10-ae06-4364-be15-72e351272f98/read/11546237/islam-religion-of-peace-or-war/

 

Day  4 of the Ceasefire.

 

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
² Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.

³ For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
⁴ Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth

Psalm 31: 1-5 (NJKV)

When I pick up my Bible these days, its so like reading the latest news paper!

On Tuesday night of this week I opted to skip the city-wide prayer meeting that was being held here in Jerusalem to pray concerning  the current Israel-Hamas confrontation. It was Day 50 of  Operation Protective Edge, and rocket fire from Gaza was coming in fast and furious. Every two or three minutes the orange and blue popups were flashing onto my TV screen announcing yet another "Code Red" warning of incoming fire. Residents in the south were having to dive for cover every 10-15 minutes. It was quieter in the center but nevertheless residents of Ashdod, Asquelon, Beer Sheva and Tel Aviv and other central towns also were coming under periodic attack.

Just as rumors of an  imminent ceasefire were beginning to be heard, I watched in horror as mortar fire on Kibbutz Nikim, near the Gaza border, struck a team of men who were repairing an electrical transformer that had been struck by a rocket earlier in the day. Two of the team, kibbutz members,  were killed and several injured, bringing the toll of Israeli civilians killed during the Operation to 6.  Then the news came in - a ceasefire had been declared by both sides and the firing was to stop at 7PM. A steady salvo of rockets kept coming over Israel right up to, and even for a few minutes after, the 7PM deadline, but then all fell quiet. Was it a coincidence that just at that moment believers from all over Jerusalem were beginning their prayer meeting?

At first it was hard to believe that the rocket fire had stopped. I kept watching with bated breath as the minutes ticked by, one hour and the ceasefire was still holding, two hours and three. It was hard to know what to think. I kept having to remind myself to breathe!

Now 4 days have passed and the Ceasefire is holding. An uneasy calm has settled over the Land.  It is time to take stock. Who won this war? Did anyone?

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565603,00.html

Of course, Hamas claims that it won. Minutes after the ceasefire, celebrations erupted on the streets of Gaza, proclaiming their victory over the 'Zionist Entity' (Israel). No one there was asking why Hamas had put the citizens of Gaza through 50 days of terror and bloodshed only to accept the identical terms proposed in the very first ceasefire suggested by Egypt and agreed to by Israel. Here is Ismail Haniyeh, the former Hamas Prime Minister of Gaza, giving the V sign of victory while standing in the ruins of his home.  Is this victory?  Or is this victory? See the article below for a video of an aerial view of  the ruins of the Gazan suburb of Saja'iyah? It looks like an earthquake hit it! There is hardly a building undamaged.  Is this victory?
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565726,00.html

Hamas not only brought unimaginable suffering to  all Gazans, its attempts to wreak similar havoc on Israel were foiled over and over again.  During the 50 days of Operation Protective Edge  4564 rockets, mortars and missiles were fired at Israel, but only 224 of these struck built up areas, and  735 of the larger, longer range missiles were shot down by the Iron Dome System.  In spite of this heavy barrage of fire, 'only' 71 Israelis, including 64 soldiers, one soldier on leave, and 6 civilians were killed during the Operation, and 469 people wounded.

In contrast the Israeli forces  attacked  some 5,226 targets in Gaza, destroying 1,814 targets linked to rocket firing, 109 weapons depots, 85 weapon-making factories and  312 houses belonging to people who were involved in terrorism. The air force also carried out 840 strikes to support ground forces, and 192 attacks on Hamas military or training sites. 32 tunnels designed to carry out infiltrations and terror attacks in Israel, were also destroyed, and several attempted infiltrations blocked.  
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/50-days-of-Israels-Gaza-operation-Protective-Edge-by-the-numbers-372574
It is difficult to know just how many Gazans were killed, given the inflated figures reported by Hamas *, but it seems likely that around 1000 Hamas operatives and a similar number of civilians were killed. (* for more on this see http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2014/08/12/hamas-lies-about-the-gaza-civilian-death-toll-and-the-media-bought-it )

We could ask, "What was it that caused Hamas to call for a ceasefire that they had previously rejected?" Could it be that they were in dire straights? Their operational abilities were being drastically eroded and several of their leaders killed. Perhaps their rocket supply was running low? One thing is sure however, that whatever the reason, they called for the current ceasefire because they believe it to be to their advantage, and for no other reason. They do not care about the plight of their civilian population. Only one thing is important for them, and that is the destruction of the Zionist Entity, Israel, and Islamic Jihad. They would only agree to a ceasefire if it served that end. They wanted time to regroup and rearm so that they can continue the fight. Already they are boasting of the 'next round' with Israel.  On Thursday evening, just 48 hours after declaring the Ceasefire, Khaled Mashal, the Hamas political chief who sat out the war in his perch in a hotel in Qatar, had this to say,"This is not the end. This was not the last campaign to liberate Palestine – it was an important stop on the road to victory." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4565395,00.html

Remember what is written in the Hamas Covenant  about negotiation:

'[Peace]  initiatives,   and   so-called   peaceful   solutions   and

international conferences are in contradiction to the  principles  of

the Islamic Resistance Movement... Those conferences are no more than

a means to appoint the  infidels  as  arbitrators  in  the  lands  of

Islam... There is no solution for the Palestinian problem  except  by

Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a

waste of time, an exercise in futility.' (Article 13)

 In a war against such an ideology there is no military solution.  The question we should be asking is  not who won the war, but what will happen now.

The mood in Israel is not one of victory celebrations. We mourn for our dead and suffering, and for those of the people Gaza.  We do not trust Hamas and do not believe the Ceasefire will hold long-term. At the same time events taking place  in the wider region  around us are of great concern. Even as we were getting used to the idea that the rocket fire from Gaza had stopped, for now,  a number of rockets were fired over the northern border from Lebanon and Syria. Israeli farmers were told to stay out of their fields and sirens blared in some northern communities. An army officer was injured. On Thursday Al Qaida affiliated rebels captured the Syrian side of the border crossing at Quneitra in the Golan Heights. This is getting too close for comfort. ISIL is promising to take Iraq and Syria and then Jerusalem, while the Western world is only just waking up to the threat on its very doorstep - perhaps too late.

As happens here after every war we are also indulging in a great deal of self criticism and the casting of recriminations. At the beginning of Operation Protective Edge Israeli citizens, well-known for their normally divisive and argumentative natures, were uncharacteristically united behind the war effort. We saw for the first time a real opportunity to crush Hamas once and for all. The international community seemed to be, if not behind us exactly, at least not very vocal in its opposition. We definitely had the military might to do the job, and felt we occupied the moral high ground. At this point polls showed 89% support for Netanyahu and his leadership.  As casualties rose in Gaza, and the international press began once again to present its lopsided 'take' on events, world opinion began, as always, to swing away from Israel. Even the USA, our only reliable friend in the past,  began to waver. Our leaders consequently hesitated to order another ground incursion, which seemed to be essential if we were to strike a fatal blow to Hamas. And then, just as such an incursion seemed to be about to happen, suddenly the Ceasefire was declared.

Many Israelis were shocked that we agreed to it. It seemed like failure. All those long days of fighting, destruction and death, and what did we have to show for it? Hamas was still in power and still armed. Although Netanyhu has repeatedly stressed that we have dealt Hamas a terrible blow,  we all know it was far from a fatal one. At this point, polls are showing only 39% support for Netanyhu's leadership. It is my feeling that most Israelis feel bitter disappointment that once more 'we didn't finish the job'. There is a lot of anger and a sense of betrayal.

I think we were caught up with a high degree of optimism at the beginning and it was not really based on reality. We dreamed of a Hamas-free Gaza, and one day a Gaza rebuilt and friendly, or at least not aggressive, towards us.  We wanted to totally destroy Hamas politically and dismantle its military apparatus. A bit of a pipe dream I think. Now we are beginning to realize that this was not really possible without the resolve and support of the rest of the world. There are those still hoping for the disarmament of Hamas when talks to bring about a permanent ceasefire begin in about a month, but this dream seems to be rapidly fading. The best we can hope for is a few months, perhaps years, of quiet before Hamas rearms and regroups and starts the next round of hostilitiesZ.

So where does this leave us, we who believe in the God of Israel and pray for His will to be done on Earth as in Heaven? We need to remember that the bottom line is that He is in total control. It is He who raises up leaders and kings, and brings them down. If he has spared Hamas for now, there is a good reason. It is  all part of His plan. We may not understand the timing or the details, but it is sure that He will bring about the final redemption of the world through the Messiah King, Jesus, and he will vindicate Israel in the end. Indeed in the spiritual realm he has already done so. It just needs to work its way out in the physical world.  This calls for much patience and longsuffering, and may test our faith to its limits. Please pray for all us who stand here on the front line of this battle, both physically and spiritually . We who live in the Land of Israel, and love her, face many difficulties every day . We need your prayers. However pray fervently for those others in the Land who do not yet know their God and do not have His comfort in these dark days. Pray that they will turn to God, acknowledge his sovereignty and find salvation through his Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), to the Jew first but also the Arab and all other Gentiles. Only when this occurs, and the Enemy Satan, manifesting in these days through the Spirit of Islam, is defeated, will the world know any peace.

I will finish with the prayer of  David, in Psalm 31 (NJKV), which seems so immediate and relevant to our situation today:

I am a reproach among all my enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
Those who see me outside flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
¹³ For I hear the slander of many;
Fear is on every side;
While they take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.

¹⁴ But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
¹⁶ Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
¹⁷ Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
Let them be silent in the grave.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

¹⁹ Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
²⁰ You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
²² For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.

²³ Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
²⁴ Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

Day 47 of Operation Protective Shield.


Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
² When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
³ Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

It is a hot and sleepy Shabbat afternoon here in Jerusalem. In my neighborhood the only sound is the gentle cooing of doves and the occasional chirping of a bird.  As I look at the beautiful and deceptively peaceful view across the neighboring Arab villages and the distant, hazy hills of Jordan, it is hard to believe we are in the middle of a war.

                           http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx

Just 50 km away, all is not so tranquil. As I write orange and blue pop-ups appear regularly on the TV as 'code red' sirens sound in Ashdod, Ashqelon and the towns and kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip, warning of incoming rocket fire.  Close to the Strip the sirens sound every 10-15 minutes, each one giving the residents only 10 to 15 seconds to find shelter. In the days since the collapse of the last ceasefire, we have had record numbers of rockets raining down- around 140 per day.  Little wonder that most of the towns down there are like ghost towns. Over 80% of the residents have fled to the north, and those few who remain must stay indoors, close to their 'safe rooms'. Businesses and factories lie idle and late summer crops are rotting in the fields. 

Last night the first Israeli child, Daniel Trergerman, aged just 4 1/2 was killed when a mortar hit his home. It was Friday night and the children were playing outdoors in a moment of quiet. The parents managed to get their two younger children into the shelter but Daniel just couldn't run fast enough. He died. Put yourself into his parent's shoes this morning. They had been up north in relative safety for some weeks, but had decided to return home to try and put their lives back into some semblance of normality. After two days of constant rocket fire they had begun to pack up to return to the north, but too late. Daniel is dead, another little life cut off way too soon.  Here is a facebook post about Daniel. Read the small print.

Its an impossible situation for the citizens of the south. And an even more impossible situation for the citizens of Gaza who are suffering even more. It cannot go on.  Our government is again and again telling us that we need more patience. They say that it will all end but not yet. But how long can people hang on?

The mood here is changing. People are losing patience with the slow process of negotiation and counter negotiation in the search for peace. We don't believe that Hamas will honor any negotiated deal even if agreement is reached. After all, they have broken every one of the 11 ceasefires that we have had so far, even though they themselves were the ones to call for the ceasefires . The cry is getting stronger for a quick and decisive incursion into Gaza to 'finish the job', that is to say to disarm and cripple Hamas to the extent they are no longer able to fire rockets into Israel.   There is a feeling now that this is our ONLY real option, in spite of the fact we all know that this would cause a great many casualties on both sides, and would probably isolate Israel  even more in the international community. At the beginning over 80% of Israelis were in support of Netanyahu's approach to the situation but only around 56% support it now, according to polls.  

Meanwhile the world's eyes have been distracted by the events in Iraq, as the ISIL (ISIS) forces continue their relentless march to take over Syria, Iraq and eventually the entire Islamic block. ISIL has killed thousands of innocent people, massacring whole villages, raping and selling women and children into slavery, crucifying, beheading and stoning others, yet the world paid little attention until one poor American journalist is brutally beheaded.  The Western world is suddenly shocked and appalled by their medieval barbarism, but we here in the Middle EAst are not at all shocked. We have been trying to warn the West of this threat for years. After all Hamas is but a branch of the same tree that has given birth to Al Quaida and ISIL. The same ideology, jihadist fundamentalist Islam, committed to world domination, drives them all. Its time for the Western world to open up its eyes. Their whole civilization is facing an existential threat and for the most part they are blissfully unaware.
http://libertyunyielding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Iraq-ISIS-ISW-BBC-map.jpg

Amongst Christian and Messianic believers here in Israel there is a growing awareness that the battle lines are being drawn up for the great and final showdown between the spiritual forces of  evil and the forces of the living God of the Bible, the God of Israel. It is time for all of us to get off the fence and decide which side we are on. There is a desperate need for Christians everywhere to go back to the Bible, read it as it is written, and not to listen to the myriad voices of liberal humanism in the media and the pulpits of many churches. I challenge every Christian to read the Bible literally. Where the words say "Israel" read it as "Israel" and not the "Church" as replacement theology teaches. The place and role of Israel in God's plan for the redemption of the World has not been replaced by the Church. God's promises and plans for the people of Israel are not void. God will not abandon his people at this time, just as His word says over and over again. Israel will survive and her enemies will be destroyed. The nations will be judged by their stand at the end. Will your nation stand with Israel or against her? Will you stand with Israel or against her?

Prayer points:

• Continue to pray for God's supernatural protection on the people of Israel. We have seen many miracles during this war and it is amazing that to date only 4 Israeli citizens have died in spite of  the more than 4000 rockets and missiles fired from Gaza since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx

• Continue to pray for our leaders who are under incredible pressure from every quarter, both within the country and internationally. May they make wise and righteous decisions and not allow themselves to be swayed by personal or political considerations or threats.

• Pray for the civilians of both Israel and Gaza, who are suffering daily physical danger, privation and economic tragedy.

• Pray for the  brave and selfless soldiers of Israel who are willing to suffer and sacrifice their lives minute by minute in order to protect us and allow us to more or less go about our lives as normal. Another 10,000 reservists were called up to supplement the 70,000 already called up, and the regular army. All these men and women have left behind mothers, fathers, siblings, wives and children, businesses and careers. Some have not been home for over 40 days, and are sitting out in the open with little or no  respite from the searing heat and dust of our late Summer.

• Pray for truthful, honest and unbiased reporting in the media. This issue is addressed very eloquently in this video by a Maori woman in New Zealand. http://www.israellycool.com/2014/08/10/a-maori-woman-stands-up-for-israel/

• Pray for church leaders and congregations that they will interpret Scripture according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and not according to erroneous traditions and philosophies of men.

• Pray for your own nations and leaders that they will be found supporting the right side in this war.

• Pray for the enemies of Israel. They are the true victims in all this. They have been deceived by Satan into believing they are doing Good, destroying the infidel and winning the world for their false god, Allah. They will get a great shock when they meet the true God on Judgment Day. Pray that many will receive visions and revelations of the Truth, as some have already. Pray that they will be rescued from the Deceiver and the Father of Lies.

• Pray against the advance of the ISIL forces in Iraq and Syria,  and that the Western world will move to stop them before it is too late. Today it is Iraq and Syria, tomorrow Jerusalem and the next day, Europe. As someone in my congregation recently remarked "I am not afraid for Israel, but I fear greatly for Europe".

Psalm 27 (NJKV) from verse 11.

Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
¹² Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.

¹⁴ Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

DAY 34 OPERATION STRONG ROCK (PROTECTIVE EDGE)


Isaiah 5:20 New King James Version (NKJV)

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
           Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!   

 

 

 

 

We are now over 9 hours into the latest Ceasefire and our leaders and the leaders of Hamas are negotiating to try and resolve the mess we are in. 

 

 

 

I would like to urge all those who take seriously our LORD's command to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6) to pray fervently for God's will to be done.  

 

 

 

Here in Israel there is a sense of deep disappointment that after 33 days of warfare we are pretty much back where we started it seems. In spite of all the destruction and loss of life, Hamas is still firing rockets and missiles into Israel, the threat of the underground tunnels remains, and the lives of Israeli citizens, especially those living in the south, and also those of the people of Gaza are still unbearable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore we feel  pain that, once again,  world opinion is turning against us, blaming Israel for all the deaths and destruction - calling good evil and evil good. It shows us that the old-fashioned anti-Semitism that bred Nazism is far from dead. 

 

 

 

 Since 2001 Hamas militants have fired around 15,000  rockets, mortars and missiles into Israel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel#Casualties.2C_Fatalities_and_rockets_fired,) killing  31 people and injuring thousands. In the period between July 8 and August 6 this year, a total of around 3360 rockets were fired into Israel http://www.idfblog.com/blog/2014/08/05/operation-protective-edge-numbers/.  Although Israel has exhibited extreme restraint throughout the 13 years of this bombardment, the situation could not be allowed to escalate further, and it came to the point that we had no choice but to respond. What would your country have done if it had been your town or city being attacked?

 

 

 

The IDF is the most moral army on Earth and has gone to great lengths  to spare civilian lives, but yet we are told we should do more!  I want to ask our critics, "What more could we do? We warned people to flee with pamphlets, phone calls and texts. We fired warning shots. We held our fire when civilians were detected in the area. What other army in all of human history has done so? Yes, it is tragic that civilians have died, but when you consider scale of the bombing and shelling, the number of civilian deaths is extremely low, compared to other recent wars ( 20,000 in Afghanistan, 600,000  in Iraq, for example). It is also low considering the fact that Hamas deliberately uses its own population as human shields, and in this confrontation this has been proven over and over. Let us not forget also that civilian casualties are a tragic fact of war. It happens.

 

 

What of the privations and suffering of the people of Gaza? It was Israel who called for several ceasefires in order to send supplies and aid to the citizens of Gaza. How many  other armies  have fed and supplied the citizens of their enemy countries? The first ceasefire called was to enable Israeli technicians to go in and repair electric cables severed by Hamas rockets, so that the people would have electricity. In the period between  July 8 to August 5 the IDF transferred 1,856 trucks carrying 40,550 tons of supplies into Gaza. Every humanitarian ceasefire we called was broken by Hamas. What did Hamas do to help its own citizens?

 

In spite of all this, the world is shouting that Israel has committed terrible war crimes and is to blame for bringing this tragedy on the innocent people of Gaza. We could ask,"How innocent are the people of Gaza?" There is the saying " people get the government they deserve".   In 2005, Israel withdrew its soldiers from Gaza and  all Israeli settlers evacuated the area. The Palestinian Authority called an election the following year, and Hamas,  won a majority of seats in parliament. By 2007 Hamas had totally taken over the Gaza Strip by violently ousting its rival Fatah. Of course one cannot blame the little children who have been killed and injured, but to blame Israel for something the Gazans have essentially brought upon themselves is twisted in the extreme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It defies belief that so many can be so blind and so deceived. The Western media is largely to blame, but the truth is plain to see for anyone who wants to see it and is willing to search just a little. Here are some useful and reliable websites:    

 

 

 The Jerusalem Post   

The Official IDF Blog 

 

Ynetnews

Israel Today

 

How to pray today?

 

So how can Christians pray into this situation? Here are some suggestions:

• Pray for those individuals and nations who are believing the Lie and the slander against Israel, because they are essentially calling down a curse on their own heads:
  ² I will make you a great nation;
  I will bless you
  And make your name great;
  And you shall be a blessing.
  ³ I will bless those who bless you,
  And I will curse him who curses you;
  And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:2-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

 

 

 

 

As one of the women in my congregation remarked," I am not worried for Israel, but I am worried sick for Europe, the UK and USA."

 

The Bible teaches that God will judge the nations on the basis of their actions towards Israel :

 

 For behold, in those days and at that time,

When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

     I will also gather all nations,

And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

And I will enter into judgment with them there

On account of My people,

My heritage Israel,

Whom they have scattered among the nations;

They have also divided up My land…

 

 

 

Joel 3: 1-3, 12-21.

• Pray for protection over Jerusalem and the whole people of Israel, both here in the Land and abroad.  We have seen many amazing miracles of protection here. May we not neglect to give fervent thanks that God has watched over us - our spiritual 'Iron Dome'.

 

• Pray for our leaders that they will have great wisdom, divine inspiration, patience and courage during the current negotiations.

 

• Pray that God will take away the veil that covers the eyes and minds of the leaders of Hamas, that they might see what evil they have done to us and to their own people, repent and be saved. Pray that God will supernaturally reveal himself in Yeshua (Jesus) to them.

 

• Pray for the people of Israel that they will continue to draw near to their God, cry out to Him, give thanks to Him and also have the blinding veil removed and find salvation.

Finally, I just want to say a big THANK YOU  to all you who are praying to the God of Israel at this time. Your prayers matter and they are making a difference. You are front-line soldiers in the spiritual battle. Stand firm, don't stop praying and watch your back.