March 2, 2007

Israel Prayer Update -
March 2, 2007

SUNDAY AND MONDAY ARE PURIM

This Sunday the Festival of Purim is celebrated throughout
Jewry--except in Jerusalem (a “walled” city), where, as with the
Persian city of Shushan in Esther 9:18, it is celebrated the
following day Monday the 5th. This is of course a season when we
remember the Lord’s deliverance of the Jewish people from a genocide
which satan sought to bring about in Persia in the middle of the 4th
century B.C. In religious circles, it is preceded by a day of
fasting and the Megilat-Esther (Scroll of Esther) is read. This
festival has come to be something of a “children’s holiday.” There
are Esther-plays for children, and masquerade parties in which they
dress as characters in the book. In secular circles the religious
flavour has been lost, and novelty shops do a big business in
peddling American Halloween costumes. Amongst the ultra-Orthodox,
drawing on the “feasts of wine” which Esther prepared for Haman,
this is a time in which there has come to be a special license for
drunkenness.

Yet if ever there was a time when Israel is in need of maturity and
alertness, it is now. Once again an influential leader has arisen in
Persia (Iran), calling for the annihilation of a Jewish entity, this
time located not within Persia, but within it’s own ancient homeland
of Israel. The powers of his nation appear to be on the verge of
developing a weaponry which, but for the grace of the same God who
moved in Esther’s time, makes his boasts no idle threats.

PLEASE PRAY:
*For the Holy Spirit to release revelation through the reading of
the Book of Esther in Jewish homes and synagogues.

* That those chosen of God “for such a time as this” to rise in
favour in the Land. For a sobriety of spirit to awaken among
believing Israeli Jewish hearts which will release a willingness to
humble ourselves, to fast and to cry out when the Spirit directs
this to the Congregations.

*For protection over Israel during this holiday…that during this
time of masquerade, evil plots would be un-masked.

THE WORD OF THE LORD OF ARMIES TO THE
ACADEMY

We spoke with a sabra (native-born Israeli Jewish) pastor in the
city last week who shared an amazing story with us. There is a
military academy which prepares selected Israeli youth for the army.
Successful completion almost assures officer status in certain
significant units of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). Last week they
had a full day with speakers from Jerusalem, rabbis, civic leaders,
etc. . . . and they requested that a Messianic Jew come share with
them! This pastor was invited to do so (His father was a famous
leader in the taking of Jerusalem in 1967, and he himself served
with distinction in the Yom Kippur War). His “slot” was at 8 p.m.
The room was extremely crowded and airless, and he was prepared that
the group might be tired and inattentive. But it turned into an
amazing evening! The group were quiet, respectful, and very
attentive. He shared about the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, and for an
hour they asked highly intelligent and thoughtful questions. Another
pastor who had come with him had brought 35 complete Hebrew Bibles
(including the New Covenant) in his car. When he asked if anyone
would like one, they took them all!

PLEASE PRAY:
*That the Word of Life which was released through this pastor would
continue to do it’s work in the spirits of these young soldiers,
that a longing will be awakened in them to come into relationship
with the Captain of the Hosts of the LORD, Yeshua!

*That the instructors who were present, would also be moved to
desire to know the God of the Hebrew armies of old…That they would
come to Know, to love and ally themselves with the One Who is coming
with a sword and holy fire.

INTO THE ISRAELI MEDIA

Recently a special was aired on one of the major Israeli T.V.
stations on Messianic Jews in Israel. It was certainly the most well
done and fairly-presented thing which we have seen. Believers were
allowed to speak openly of their faith as Jews in Yeshua (Jesus) as
Israel’s Messiah and Saviour. During part of the program, a
Messianic Hebrew praise song was being sung in the background, with
the words presented at the bottom of the screen; a husband and wife
and their children testified of their belief; there were shots of a
Messianic praise service at one of the Jerusalem congregations, with
mention made of how many such congregations exist in the city and in
Israel; and there was also footage of the persecution which some
such congregations are having to endure from ultra-Orthodox
factions.

PLEASE PRAY:
*For the seed of the testimony of Yeshua which went out over the
airwaves that evening to germinate in fertile souls—that angels
would minister to those who will inherit salvation.

* For more honest and factual testimony regarding Israelis who
believe in Yeshua to be released on the airways. It is amazing how
ignorant most Israelis are of the existence of Jewish believers in
Yeshua within Israel. Most have been taught that His Hebrew name is
Yeshu (which means nothing, but is an acronym put together by the
Orthodox for a curse)—and are not aware that He was a Jew and that
His real name, Yeshua (the LORD is Salvation) was given because He
would SAVE His people (the Jews) from their sins – as well as those
in the Nations who were not members of that “people”!

THE SANHEDRIN ON THE MOUNTAIN?

We have received enquiries about a proposed plan by the “Sanhedrin”
to purchase a herd of sheep to sacrifice on the Temple Mount on the
eve of the coming Passover. We have written of this organization in
the past. It was established a few years ago, and purports to be a
renewal of the ancient Jewish “high court”, which disappeared some
1600 years ago.

We would say first of all, that this “court” has no official powers
whatsoever in the elected Israeli government at the present time.
Nor is there any chance at all that they will be allowed onto the
Temple Mount to sacrifice sheep there on Passover. Religious Jews
(in fact, all non-Muslims) are not even allowed openly to pray on
the Mountain at this time. And with the row which has been recently
raised over the digging to prepare for a new ramp to one of the
gates, the authorities aren’t about to allow such fringe-groups near
the site.

Having said this, we certainly don’t lightly brush aside the raising
up of this council. There are Scriptures which suggest that such an
organization may well be in place in the last days…and, as in the
days of Yeshua, of Stephen and Paul, it will be used as an
anti-Messiah (anti-Christ) instrument of the evil one to persecute
those who walk in the Truth.

Seven years ago a friend of ours was present when a group made up of
various Temple movements gathered at a hill overlooking the mountain
and performed a symbolic sacrifice. A member of this new Sanhedrin
was quoted in the Hebrew newspaper HaAretz as saying that even if
this present attempt to progress to the actual Mountain proves to be
“merely symbolic, it is designed to demonstrate in a way that is
obvious to all that the expectation that Temple rituals will resume
is real, and not just talk.”

PLEASE PRAY:
*That the Lord will not allow any of these latter-day works
of the enemy to be allowed to arise before their time.

*That the way would be prepared for a powerful latter-day revelation
of the Book of Hebrews in Israel. Perhaps that treatise on the
finished work of Messiah has yet to come into the full ultimate
redemptive purposes of its writing to “The Hebrews.”