This week in Israel:
ELAV ("Unto Him")-DRAWING TOGETHER THE CRACKS OF SEPARATION- "OUT OF THE WOMB OF THE MORNING WILL COME YOUR YOUTH LIKE DEW."
"Judah mourns.they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land.Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name" (Jeremiah 14:2,4,7).
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!...It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1,3).
This Thursday evening, August 27, begins the three-day youth gathering at an outdoor venue in the center of Israel. Approximately 1000 Israeli Jewish and Arab young people are expected to attend, with 350 spending the nights on sight. The rooms are already all booked and several tents are being set up to handle the overflow. For the meetings, a huge tent-like awning has been erected-beneath will be over 1000 chairs; many, many fans; and large screens so that everyone can see.
There has been much prayer and fasting over this conference-and some remarkable things are starting to occur. A week ago it was discovered that because of the drought, huge cracks had opened up in the ground where the meeting tent was to be erected. These would require the laying down of some kind of board flooring in order to set up chairs. People began crying out to the Lord for rain, even though it is totally out of season. Instead, after several days we received a call from the site that there had begun to come unseasonably heavy dews each morning, so saturating the earth that the cracks were beginning to close up of themselves. Yesterday, in fact, there fell such heavy dew that there was fear whether the truck coming with the tent would be able to get in without getting stuck!
Besides a wonderful answer to prayer, we see these dews and what is happening to the cracks as a sign:
*Psalm 133:3 speaks of dwelling together in unity as being "like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion",a place wherethe LORD commands a blessing-Life forevermore. As we wrote last week, this conference has an unusually large number of both Jewish and Arab young people attending. Some of the Arabs are from the territories outside of Israel's currently recognized borders, and this past week have miraculously been able to receive all the paperwork to enter for the conference.
PLEASE PRAY: For a God-ordained spirit of unity to cover Elav. Pray that cracks which have separated generations from finding their place together would come together in the LORD's love and grace, that low places would be raised up and high places brought down, that there come forth from the conference a new one-ness among the young of God's army in His ancient land.
*Exodus 16:13-14 tells of God sending a dew around the camp of the Israelites in the desert. When it lifted, His daily manna was left behind! Deuteronomy 8:3 relates this to knowledge of the truth that "man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. PLEASE PRAY: For nourishment from the mouth of the Lord to be released into those attending the conference.that which will strengthen and bring LIFE and carry them forward with confidence and faith into the new year.
*Psalm 110:3: "Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, your youth are to You as the dew." PLEASE PRAY: For a preparation, equipping and royal clothing of these young people, which will find them there, ready and in their places in the day of battle.
In addition, we encourage you to continue to pray as last week
*For efficient completion of the enormous work required - setting up a huge tent and preparation of the grounds, co-ordination of lodging, busses from the city each morning and evening, meals, security; organization of the program...and receiving of the remaining funds required (mounting such an event here is very expensive).
*For physical, emotional and spiritual protection over each leader, teacher, musician -- that the Lord release in and through them all that He has for this young generation of Israeli Believers.
*For angels guarding and protecting the conference, attending all transportation to and from, stopping any spiritual attack from without or within. Grace for sensitive yet vigilant watchfulness on behalf of the guards overseeing the grounds and borders.
*Health and protection for everyone; this is an outdoor event in August in the heat of the Middle East.
*That a great move of the Ruah haKodesh (Holy Wind/Spirit of God) would blow through the camp-awakening, convicting, revealing, igniting, equipping!
*For walls to come down between Jewish and Arab believing young people-for guidance from the Holy Spirit as how to move forward as brother and sister in Messiah in this land!
*For special protection and favor for those believing Arab young people coming in from the territories. Some of them are from Muslim backgrounds, have already suffered persecution for their faith-and by coming to a meeting like this during Ramadan could be special targets for the enemy. Pray that the Lord Himself will be a wall of fire around His people!
This week's Torah Portion:
From ancient times there has been a weekly portion from the first five books of Moses (The Torah) and from the prophets (Haftarah) read on the Sabbath in synagogues around the world. This portion is given a Hebrew name taken from the opening words of the passage. An illustration of this practice appears to have been recorded in Luke 4:16 where Yeshua (Jesus) arrived in the synagogue in Nazareth and was asked to read the portion (Isaiah 61) from the Prophets. We have found that in perusing these weekly readings, not only are we provided opportunity to identify in the context of God's Word with millions of Jewish people around the world, but very often the Holy Spirit will illumine specific passages pertinent that week in our intercession for the Land and people of Israel. All texts are those of English translations of the Scriptures.
The reading for 23-29 August 2009 is entitled: "Ki-tetzeh-When you go out (to war)".
Torah: Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10
*Deuteronomy 22:21 & 23:14: A key phrase repeated several times in this week's portion is "Thus you shall purge away the evil from among you". The word for "purge" may also be translated "to burn, kindle or root out". There are many situations and circumstances dealt with in these passages, all pointing to the fact that it is of great importance that God's people be 'set apart' and clean-both morally and physically, personally and as a community, "since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you"(23:14).
*Isaiah 54:2-3. "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited." PLEASE PRAY: That Israel will come into that place of righteousness in her Messiah which will allow God to extend her borders to encompass the territory which He has ordained for her, a territory from which she will never be plucked up.
*Isaiah 54:5. "For your Maker is your husband, YHVH of Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth." PLEASE PRAY: For revelation in Israel that God loves her in an intimate way-and has provided a "Redeemer" for her, who is One with the Father. "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
*Isaiah 54:7-8. " 'For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,' says the LORD, your Redeemer."
*Isaiah 54:10. "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
