This week in Israel:
We want to thank you who prayed for the Elav conference for youth and young adults which ended last night. At this time it we may only begin to tell of what happened during those three days. The Lord came in powerful life-changing ways. There were moments when the Spirit took the music of the native Israeli worship teams, of the Jewish Russian immigrants, of the Arab believers-and poured it through the young people, they becoming lost in abandoned worship and praise-times when some were dancing and others were on their knees out on the grass beyond the tent; there were moments when the instruments themselves began to prophecy; there were times of deep and challenging teaching, there were people getting healed-and it all came to an end late the last night with awakened prophetic song followed by a long Spirit-filled silence. We will share more later-as we receive more reports. But for now, we only want to testify that what God began, through the intercession and outpouring of His people here in Israel and outside He brought to birth. PRAISE HIM!!
1. SCHOOL STARTS
"All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you"(Isaiah 54:13-14).
The new Israeli school year begins this Tuesday. There has been a sharp rise in violence in secular schools in the past year, which resulted in the unveiling this week of new and stronger guidelines for teachers in regards to classroom discipline. It has become an almost annual ritual in Israel to brace for a strike at the scheduled opening of the schools. At this point, it looks that it may actually not happen this year. As hundreds of thousands of the nation's youth go back to school this week
PLEASE PRAY:
*That schools will open orderly and safely on time.
*For merciful protection over the minds of Israeli young people as they come under bewildering array of attacks from the Enemy, who hates the idea of Israelis developing any capacity to "Love the LORD their God with all their hearts, souls and minds.
*Courage, vision and strategy for believing youth in the schools. Some are the only ones in their entire school.yet they are beginning to network with other believing students around the country.
*For the youth who were touched by the Holy Spirit in the Katzir and Elav camps this summer-that what was deposited in them will burst into a flame of godly integrity, conduct and vision.
*For godly believing teachers to be prepared by God and thrust into the education system.
2. MADONNA
"And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh" (Jude 22).
"Madonna" arrived in Israel today for the final two concerts of her current "Sticky & Sweet" world tour. The singer, who in recent years has embraced a form of Judaism and immersed herself in Kabala, was originally scheduled for one concert at a park in Tel Aviv on the 1st of September. With all the tickets for that concert sold out, she has agreed to extend her celebration of sexual seduction and witchcraft for a second night-which is also expected to sell out. This sort of thing is nothing new in the Evil One's arsenal for weakening the seed of Jacob (cf: Numbers 25). But we know of Messianic believing young adults who feel compelled to go to the venue for the event in order to offer a narrower, but truer, purer Way to some from among the tens of thousands who have fallen under her spell.
PLEASE PRAY:
*For courage, protection and leading in the love and zeal of the Holy Spirit on the believers who go to witness at this event.
*For sexual purity amongst believing Israeli youth-such which will allow them to stand strong as lights to their generation. Revelation 14 tells of 144,000 standing with the Lamb in the latter days-who have kept themselves pure. Some of that throng may well be going through their teens today.
*For prophetic anointing and power in the music of the young Messianic Youth in Israel-For creativity and excellence in the worship bands which have formed and are forming-for a SOUND that which will not only entertain those who hear, but release a creative, living, motivating Word from heaven into the spirits of those who hear.
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.
NOTICE: The writers will be traveling out of Israel for the next two weeks; the next Update is planned for 14 September. We are therefore supplying the Torah Portion readings for this week and that of 6 September together below.
August 30-September 5
The name of the portion is "Ki Tavo-When you Come"-into the Land.
TORAH: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:9
HAFTARAH: Isaiah 60:1-22
6-12 September-(Double Reading)
I. "Nitsavim-You Stand"-today before the LORD your God.
TORAH: Deuteronomy 29:10-30:20
HAFTARAH: Isaiah 61:10-63:9
II. "VaYelech-Went"-Moses and spoke these words to all Israel.
TORAH: Deuteronomy 31:1-30
HAFTARAH: Hosea 14:1-9; Joel 2:11-27; Micah 7:18-20
