December 13, 2006

Israel Prayer Update -
December 13, 2006

FLEE BEFORE THE LIGHT!

“We have come to Drive Out darkness; in our hands is Light and Fire;
Each one of us is a small light—but Together a Strong, Steady Light.
Flee darkness into the Blackness! Flee from before the Light!”
(Translation from the Hebrew Hannukkah song “Banu Hoshekh Legaresh”).

Friday night December 15th through December 23rd is Hanukkah…the
Jewish Feast of Lights. Israel certainly needs a Light to shine in
its growing darkness. Ineptness, indecision, and careless blunders
in the upper echelons of Israel’s government and military are
fomenting a growing sense of aimlessness and foreboding among her
citizens; America is being asked by her advisors to withdraw from
Iraq, placating the hostile entities in the region into being
allowed to do so gracefully by coercing Israel to give up the Golan
Heights; yesterday the President of Iran at an internationally
attended conference of Holocaust deniers, which he organized, again
predicted Israel’s eminent annihilation. But there is a Light
shining in the darkness—and there are signs of an awakening vision,
focus and purposefulness among Messianic youth and young adults in
Israel.

On a Friday evening earlier this month, around 20 young adults were
meeting to pray, worship and strategize at a location in Jerusalem
(the following Thursday evening saw a profound visitation of the
Holy Spirit in that same group). On the same evening, in a different
location in Jerusalem some 40 believing soldiers were meeting for
fellowship and mutual strengthening in the things of the Lord. And
in yet another location in the Capital around 120 youth from all
over Israel were meeting for an evening of worship and praise. As
they fervently sang and worshipped in Hebrew (there were a number of
recently-written songs) there was a powerful sense of the presence
of the Glory of God. Later that evening two busses were transporting
some of the youth back to the Haifa area, when one of the busses was
hit by a car. Windows on the bus were shattered, but no one aboard
was injured. The car was totaled. It turned out it was a stolen
“get-away” whose occupant had just taken part in a robbery. He
escaped in the confusion. The Lord Yeshua came to “undo” the works
of the evil one, who is a thief and a robber. In this encounter
between light and darkness, there was a shattering collision—and it
was certainly the Light which was not overcome! (John 1:5).

In another recent instance, two new young believers (friends of
ours), one native Israeli, the other an Immigrant from Ethiopia,
were riding a Jerusalem bus, when they sensed the power of the Holy
Spirit come on the bus. They promptly stood up and announced that
Yeshua was Lord and that he was present on the bus to Heal the
Sick—was there anyone there who would needed healing and would allow
them to pray. A lady with a leg problem requested it. They prayed in
the name of Yeshua (Jesus)…and the woman announced that she had been
made whole! The God of Israel is a God who, through the name of His
Son Yeshua, Heals the Sick! (Psalm 103:3). On another day, these two
were at Zion Square in downtown Jerusalem and came alongside a poor
immigrant musician who was playing his violin for small coins which
were occasionally thrown into his case. They began to sing songs of
praise and the man began to accompany them….suddenly people began to
surge around—and in a short while, the man’s case was full of 100
shekel bills. The God of Israel is a God who, through the name of
His Son Yeshua, Prospers! (Psalm 118:25). These are just a few of
reports which we are receiving.

A young youth leader in Jerusalem has been allowed to book the most
notorious club in Haifa for several hours of youth praise and
worship—during regular hours—at the end of January. This is actually
intended to be the first in a series of such events – taking light
into the dark places of cities all over Israel during 2007. And for
June of next year, a One Thing, Jerusalem will gather youth from
Europe and the Americas for an intensive time of worship and
training in worship at a location overlooking the ancient city of
Bethlehem, where the True Light first shone into the world. This is
also an opportunity to impart a vision for Israel to a younger
generation. (See www.onethingjerusalem.com for more information on
this.)

This coming Sunday-Tuesday noon there will be a Hannukkah youth
retreat near the Sea of Galilee (See last Update). Around 125 teens
and 20 young adults will be gathering to be taught, strengthened and
equipped in an event centered on Psalm 91—the Secret Place in the
midst of conflict. AND to praise and shine brightly in the Darkness
with their worship. The Song of Moses speaks of God as being
“Awesome in Praise—doing Wonders”. Many years ago Steve Fry wrote a
song in which he spoke of an army of worshipers standing by Yeshua’s/
Jesus’ side—“baptized in His fire/Revealing His glorious light!”,
who “Lift up a Standard of Worship/ That shatters the darkness with
Light/ And God will arise on the wings of our praise/And march as a
warrior who’s Mighty and Able to Save” [We March to the Tune of a
Love Long: ©Steve Fry/Birdwing Music].

Please pray God’s covering over
these events—both those which have taken place, and those which are
on their way. That the youth of Israel will Arise, Shine…for their
Light has Come! (Isaiah 60:1).

PRIDE MARCH CANCELLED
We wish to thank those of you who prayed against the international
homosexual pride march in Jerusalem scheduled for last summer—and
against the local march which sought to take place this fall. In the
event, the first was cancelled—and the second was also
cancelled—settling for a gathering in a park, with a much lower
attendance than had been predicted.

ISRAEL NEEDS RAIN
After beginning two months ago, the annual “Former Rains” have been
practically nonexistent. These rains are essential for the wellbeing
of Israel and our neighbor Jordan. The Sea of Galilee is once again
getting low. Please stand with us in the gap to pray that God would
have mercy and send the rains in abundance.