Inside Israel – IFI notes

Hi and welcome to a look inside Israel! Today I’m posting the Intercessors for Israel’s prayer notes. We’re giving J the day off. Thank you for your prayers for J and for Israel too! God bless you!

· Thank You for being the same yesterday, today and forever (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8).
· We love being able to depend on, and trust in, Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).
· What a privilege to be alive in these days and see You restoring Israel (Psalm 147:2).
2. The ultimate goal of God’s Kingdom, the ultimate goal of our salvation, is His glory. One of the ways He accomplishes that in the end-times is through all Israel being saved.
· Great God of mercy and grace, reveal Yourself to Your people.
I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.
Jeremiah 31:3
· Thank You for all those whom You have saved recently. Guide them to the fellowship of Your choice and help them be built up in the faith.
· Save Israelis who are in the security forces. As they are willing to lay down their lives to protect/save this people, open their eyes to see that You have already done just that.
· Lord, Israeli teenagers are being inducted into the IDF this summer. Use any Messianic Jewish youth who are in their units to provoke them to jealousy (Romans 11:13-14).
· Abba, save multitudes of Holocaust survivors, terror victims, and widows and orphans.
· God of Israel, reveal Your Son to Israeli politicians, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family.
· Abba, many Orthodox Jews know about You, but they do not know You. By Your Spirit, unlock their hearts to see Your Son.
Yeshua said… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father, but by Me.
John 14:6
· Lord, bring into Your Kingdom unsaved loved ones of Messianic believers (Acts 16:31).
· Turn us again, O God, and cause Your face to shine; and we shall be saved… Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause Your face to shine; and we shall be saved… Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause Your face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Psalms 80:3,7,19
3. While we bless God for the many Jews who are entering Yeshua’s kingdom in exile, the Word is clear that “all Israel gets saved” in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 36:23-28; Zechariah 12:2-10, etc). So we prayed for aliyah – the return of Jews from exile back to their land.
· Thank You Lord for all of the Jews who are coming home this summer.
· Help those who have come home to get settled, never to be uprooted again (Amos 9:18).
· We bless You that the numbers of Jews returning have been steadily increasing for the past several years. Increase the numbers exponentially this year. Since this is all for Your glory, we ask You to do this with hearts full of faith that You will hear and answer us.
· Thus says the Lord GOD; When I have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob.
Ezekiel 28:25
· Fear not: for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, Give up; to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory…
Isaiah 43:5-7a
· Abba, we ask specifically for You to draw home Jews living in New York, in Florida and in California, and all other places in North America.
· Touch the hearts of Israelis living outside this land, that this is the year to return.
· Bless all of the programs that bring young Jews to tour and learn about the land. Marry many of these youth to this place (Isaiah 62:4-5).
· Use the current global economic shakings to shake Jews out of the nations.
· Bring home Jews who have been financially successful so that they can contribute to the strengthening of Israel’s economy (Isaiah 60:9).
· There are still multitudes of Jews in the former Soviet Union. Please help them to return.
· We also ask that the remaining Ethiopian Jews, and all Jews in nations being ruled over by Islam, would be released to come home.
· Speak to all Messianic Jews in exile that Israel really is their home. Help them prepare, so that in Your timing they are ready to make aliyah (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11).
4. Israel’s security situation is precarious. Israel could be attacked by a missile barrage or find herself in a full blown war almost any day. And rockets from Gaza, as well as terror attacks, occur with sickening regularity. We need to lift up in constant intercession those in Israel charged with her safety.
· We bless You for Israel’s security forces and the outstanding job they do in providing protection to this nation.
· We see them as a fulfillment of Your prophetic word which says that when Israel comes back home, You make her a mighty army (Isaiah 41:10-16; Ezekiel 37:10; Micah 4:11-13; Zechariah 12:2-9).
· Quicken all of Israel’s soldiers, police, etc. to any danger, and protect them.
· Do not allow for there to be any further successful kidnapping attempts.
· Set Gilad Shalit free supernaturally.
· We bless IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz in the name of Yeshua, the Lord of Hosts.
· Enable there to be clear communication between Gantz, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and PM Netanyahu at all times.
· Provide for all of Israel’s intelligence agencies all the intelligence they need to know the true situation surrounding this nation.
· Give Israel’s leaders wisdom on how to deal with the current threats coming from Gaza’s Hamas, Lebanon’s Hizbullah, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Syria and Iran.
· As You have done both in biblical and in modern times, turn Israel’s foes on each other.
· Thank You for enabling Israel to be at the forefront of developing new weapons – both offensive and defensive.
· Enable Israel’s homegrown military industry to not be hindered in anyway from being able to grow and develop whatever Israel needs to defend herself.
· Thank You that ultimately, whether You do it through the IDF or sovereignly, You are the One who protects this nation (Psalm 121:4; Jeremiah 31:10).
5. The only “peace” plan the world understands is to divide this land which God has sworn to give to the children of Israel over 40x in His Word, and then to expect an Israel sitting on an indefensible piece of property to live in “peace and security”! What foolishness! And to those of us who see through the lens of scripture, what arrogance to think that man can cut up God’s land at will. We prayed for Israel’s God and Israel’s leaders to defeat this global attempt at trying to prove the Bible is not the Word of the living God.
· Lord, bring the counsel of the nations to nothing. Make the thoughts of man to have no effect. Lord, watch over Your counsel forever. Make the thoughts of Your heart to stand throughout eternity (Psalm 33:11-12 paraphrased).
· Abba, bring all of the anti-Israel plans at the UN to nothing.
· Deal with the Palestinian plans to have the UN unilaterally recognize a “Palestine” this coming September.
Rejoice not… Palestine… I will kill your root with famine, and he shall slay your remnant. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; you, Palestine, are dissolved…
Isaiah 14:29-31
· Enable Israel’s UN Ambassador Ron Prosner, to have great wisdom and courage to defend Israel’s status before a mostly anti-Zionist organization.
· Thank You that the recent Middle East Quartet [US, EU, UN, Russia] meeting could not agree on a statement about furthering the Israeli-Arab “peace” process.
· Do not allow US President Obama’s push for Israel to negotiate “peace” by returning to the 1967 armistice line get any traction among Israelis.
· Lord, do not allow Your land to be divided, but deal with the nations who are attempting to do this.
For, behold, in those days… when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and divided My land.
Joel 3:1-2
We also prayed for PM Netanyahu and all the challenges he is facing – both internally and externally – as the leader of Israel. We asked for God’s protection over him and his family, physically, emotionally and mentally, and for their salvation.
We ended our time praying for the salvation of multitudes of Moslems at this time of upheaval in the Middle East. We asked that in the midst of this God-ordained shaking, the foundations of Islam would come down. Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, is observed this year from around August 1 to August 29. We asked God to give many Moslems dreams and visions of Yeshua during this time, and that ex-Moslems believers would have a deep revelation and love in their hearts for Israel. Our God is able to do all of this and so much more.
Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made
the heaven and the earth by Your great power…
there is nothing too hard for You.
Jeremiah 32:17
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.
Is there any thing too hard for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27
Please keep Eliyahu and Hannah Ben-Haim in prayer as they minister in the Far East for the next week or so. Thank you.
Shabbat shalom,
The IFI Team
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
unto Him be glory in the congregation by Messiah Yeshua throughout all ages,
world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

ani b’derek

You did WHAT?

“And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him,
saying, ‘You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!’” Acts 11:2-3

Some things that are wrong for me to do, are not necessarily wrong for someone else to do.

Lord, thank You for reminding me not to hold others to the same standards You hold me to. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Personal Precepts

You write Your word
upon our hearts

so we know
what to do

to love our God
and each other

to listen
and obey You.

Two Visions

“About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!’” Acts 10:3
“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.” Acts 11:5

Both Cornelius and Peter were in prayer when they received a vision from God.

Lord, we desire to be people of prayer whom You can trust to send visions to, knowing we will respond. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Open Our Eyes

You gave Cornelius a vision
telling him what to do

while Peter saw the Gentiles
were clean too.

Open our eyes, Lord
to what You want us to see

please give us visions
for Your Kingdom’s glory.

Chosen Vessels

“Then Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem, and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.
But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel’.” Acts 9:13-15

Ananias might have chosen a different vessel than Saul of Tarsus.

Lord, we desire to be the vessels You’ve chosen us to be, bearing Your name to those we are placed among and to those You send us to. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Authentic

Often those that run
away the furthest
turn and run
the farthest for You
authentic vessels
who aren’t afraid
to carry Your name
and do what You want.

A Great Joy

“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.” Acts 8:5
“And there was great joy in that city.” Acts 8:8

Where there is Jesus, there is joy.

Thank You, Lord, for filling us with the joy of Yourself! And here’s a simple poem . . .

Jesus Joy

The lame walk
and the paralyzed stand

demons cry
and come out of a man

the Word is preached
and the Spirit flows

Jesus is alive
and, my, how it shows!

Out of Oppression

“He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.” Acts 7:36

Could times of oppression bring forth even more of His signs and wonders?

Lord, in the midst of our own situations, help us hold on to the miracle of You and Your deliverance. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Ripe For Wonders

Oppression comes from outside us
and pushes us to the ground

it laughs in the face of Jesus
and kicks us while we’re down

but it’s out of these places
that signs and wonders are seen

as His people cry out for deliverance
to the glory of their King.

Full of Faith

“And Stephen full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” Acts 6:8

Stephen was one of seven chosen from the multitude of disciples to serve and over see at the distribution tables.

Lord, let us not underestimate Your power within us, regardless of our position within the congregation or place in life. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Like Stephen

Full of faith and power
in Jesus who was raised

doing signs and wonders
giving Christ all the praise

one among the multitude
gathered in His name

what keeps us from believing
that we can do the same?

We are house sitting again for the next couple of weeks, and I will try to keep up if I can! If I can’t, thank you for your patience until we get done! God bless you!

Inside Israel – Shabat

Hello dear readers!
Thank you for coming by for another look inside Israel through the eyes and faith of J of Jerusalem. Today J shares about a very interesting meeting and conversation in the check out line!
God bless you and yours, as you pray, praise and worship Him!

It is almost sundown. Shabat will be announced by the ‘shabat horn’ blown through out the country shortly and the quiet that dignifies shabat is already settling around us. May HIS Peace fill each one of you, and may HIS Peace be known throughout this nation … even now…even this shabat, Lord, reveal Yourself!

HIS Peace; what a GIFT that is!

Neta approached me earlier today while I stood on the check out line at the store. “I can only buy these at the sale price if I spend 70 shekels, and it looks as if you will be spending that much. Would it be ok if I put my items in your basket and give you the 26 shekels?” This is common practice at the market, so of course I told her yes. She was a slim religious woman of Yemenite background, with piercing eyes.

“Would you happen to know of an apartment for rent around here?” she asked. “I’m 36 and STILL single.” She continued, rolling her eyes…obviously not happy to still be single.

“No. Apartments are a real problem.” I told her that I also rent and had just gone to Bituach Leumi (our National Insurance) this week to see if there was any way I could possibly work one day less a week, as I am so tired and I am past 65.

“I see I will have to work until the end just to pay the rent” I told her.

There was a mess at the checkouts and we were told that ‘this would take awhile’…It looked as if we would be together longer then we had expected so I asked what she did… if she was a student or working. That opened the door for a VERY interesting conversation!

Neta used to be a psychology student, but had become religious (this is called ‘ba’al h’troova’…or ‘repentant one’) and joined the ultra religious ‘Hassidim’… her particular group follows the teachings of the, now deceased, Menacham Shneerson, the Lubavicha Rabbi. If you have visited here (or NY City for that matter) you likely saw posters of an elderly man with a white beard and a black hat… his hand raised in what might be a wave, or an attitude of giving a blessing. He was believed by so many to be King Messiah! When he died in June of 1994 and did not raise from the dead, many explanations were given, the most common that I have heard is that his ‘incarnation’ lives on and is always among us. He was, apparently, a very wise man who shared much wisdom from the scriptures. His followers are very charismatic and enthusiastic; Neta was one of them.

She began sharing with me the wonders of following this ‘messiah’ and I asked her if she reads, also, the ‘Tenach’ (Old Testament books of the law and history) and the ‘Ne’vi’im (Prophets).

“Oh yes!” she answered. “It is so important that we read constantly or else we will not recognize Messiah when He comes!”

Good answer…I agreed. “Yes. It is written in the Psalms ‘In HIS Light we see Light’.”

She agreed and lit up with joy.

“I, too, believe and love Messiah, but I do not follow your Rabbi. I am a Messianic Jew.”

She looked at me with disbelief. “What do you mean?! Are you a follower of Jesus??” she looked stunned.

“Yes.” I answered, with new strength: “He IS The Messiah and He has come and will come again.” To my surprise she smiled and asked me if I were Jewish from a line of Jews. (as opposed to a convert) “Yes. As far back as we can go” I answered. “Then it is okay” she said, “for you will keep reading and you will find the error of your way as more Light comes in.”

I smiled back “Or, perhaps, YOU will find Him Whom your heart seeks, because He said ‘Seek and you SHALL find’.” She beamed…I beamed back. This was a SURPRISING check out line conversation!

“You should be a sheliach! “ (‘sent one’… this is the Hebrew word used in scriptures translated as ‘apostle’, but in modern terminology it would be a person sent on a mission – I don’t write the full word…ending in ‘ary’ on email as it is a key word to trace) she said to me. “I don’t think I would be accepted!” I laughed. “Oh! But you WOULD! You seek Light! You would be a WONDERFUL sheliach!”

The line began to move and our discussion ended…but not without some soul searching on my part. I DO believe that I planted some seeds and that she will be the one to ‘find’… but ‘sheliach’…’sent one’… ‘one sent on a mission’… yes…I am this… (you are too) and what kind of job am I doing for my Master? She was so diligent and full of passion, although I don’t think many would have been ‘won’ to her Rabbi… but where is MY passion?

I have found that I face a number of questions. No…NOT concerning Messiah!… but concerning my fatigue… concerning my lack of full fluency in language…concerning my seeming inability. “Lord? YOU sent me, and I long to be faithful! Teach me from this meeting.” So I want to commit to pray for Neta and also to be lead in the path that He has for me.

I sense that it (my path) is changing. As part of my daily devotions I was reading Psalm 71 this morning. I was praying about v 16 “I will go in the strength of The Lord. I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.” As I looked at the original Hebrew, I was struck by the meanings of the words which are translated: “I shall come (and confront my enemies) with the mighty deeds of The Lord Elohim.” As opposed to our English translation ‘the strength of The Lord’ (don’t be too impressed by my knowledge… I was aided by an interlinear translation!)

Have I had a wrong understanding of the ‘strength of The Lord’? I have been expecting Him to infuse my weak physical body with His strength, but I began to see that His strength is already with me… in His mighty Wow! This was a new focus for me… recount…and walk in (as if it were a physical path) His mighty deeds! That brought to mind the scripture (Rev 12:11 I think) “And they overcame him by The Blood of The Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and loving not their lives unto the death.”

Now, before you say ‘I don’t follow you, and now I KNOW you have gone over the edge’, I will confess to you that I still see this ‘through a glass darkly’…but I am excited by it! I see that there is a place of strength available for me beyond the understanding that I have had…and that is SO GOOD TO KNOW! If any of you have understanding to share with me, PLEASE do so!

On to another topic: I shared recently about our ‘cottage cheese’ war here. I told you how ‘our revolution’ was taking a different tone then those going on in neighboring countries and we were asked to refuse to buy cottage until the price went down. It worked, and the price dropped (for now)!

Meanwhile, our doctors are striking for really necessary changes in the national health system that haven’t been addressed since the 70s and need to be.

This boosted some ‘action’ concerning a GLARING, actually alarming need; the cost of housing. Our last administration (Olmert) allowed for a huge increase in the building of exclusive, shockingly expensive apartments that were priced for overseas investors rather then locals. Combined with that was the spiraling cost of rents and purchase apartments, even the middle class has been priced out of apartments. This week saw tent cities springing up all around the country as the dissatisfaction grows louder. Since most of us love our country, almost no one wants to destabilize the government so these actions are interesting for me to see…they lack to bitterness and hatred of what we are seeing in countries nearby, but simply are addressing real needs. Whereas Israel is said to have an excellent economy, this has to do with investment and larger issues and is not filtering down to the people. So we are experiencing our ‘social changes’ here as well as in neighboring countries. But as I said, no one wants to destabilize the country.

Rockets have been falling steadily on our south again, coming from Gaza and our borders are far from quiet. Relations with Egypt have grown very bad since their ‘revolution’ and our gas supply (an agreement signed with Mubarak) has been stopped 4 times due to the pipeline being bombed in the Sinai by Egyptian Moslem groups who want to see the ‘peace’ with Israel overturned. Israelis are vigilant and want to see justice without putting ourselves in further jeopardy.

Again, thank you so much for your prayers for our family and for our people and nation.
God BLESS you and keep you in the center of His heart! Lovingly, your sis

Let Them Alone

“And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;
but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it – lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38-39

I’ve had some plans come to nothing. I’m so glad.

Lord, how exciting it is that Your work and plans cannot be overthrown. And here’s a simple poem . . .

The Difference

I wonder if
the plans I have

are from God
or just my own.

My own plans
will fade away

God’s can’t be
overthrown.

You Judge

“But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge’.” Acts 4:19
“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20

I love listening to my family and friends.

Lord, You know I need to listen to what is being said to me today. Please give me ears to hear Your voice in and through it all. And here’s a simple poem . . .

Listening

So many voices
telling me what to do

not all understanding
I must first listen to You

and if what You say
rubs someone the wrong way

I know You’ll cover me
as I trust You and pray.