Prayer Alert: Obama, Netanyahu, Israel and Iran

05.03.2011

I want to encourage everyone to be praying for Obama and Netanyahu today as the two heads of state will be meeting, presumably talking about the current Iranian threat. Please spend some time today praying for wisdom for our leaders and for God to direct them in His will.

Israel, Iran, and Syria

There is a lot of talk flying around about Iran these days, Israel going to be attacking them, wars and rumors of wars. I’ve had numerous people ask me what it’s like here and Israel and what is really going on. I don’t claim to know much about politics and international affairs, it’s never quite been my cup of tea, but I will give you a few thoughts for the purpose of prayer.

Question: Is our current situation serious?
In my opinion: Yes, of sorts. From what I’ve heard, the American media is making it a more dramatic situation than I have heard from other sources (British / Israeli primarily. For those of you interested in reading the Israeli news in English, visit www.haaretz.com). Most Israelis that I know aren’t all that concerned – though the reason isn’t because of a lack of real intensity in the current situation. It’s primarily because we/they have lived in a constant state of threat ever since the nation’s inception into the modern world in 1948. Every month or three there is some new potential threat or reason war could break out. After a while, you don’t hear as much of the chatter about it – when it happens (as it has and assuredly will), it will happen, and we’ll do all that we can. In the meantime, to put our full attention and hearts into everything that is said in the rumors of war would mean we have to live in a constant state of fear, and in the end be no more prepared. All that to say: Yes. In my opinion, the tension with Iran is quite serious and could even possibly escalate to war or crisis.

Question: Why don’t you leave?
Answer: Very simply, because God hasn’t told me to. Sometimes He gives people warning telling them to leave when judgment is coming, sometimes He tells people to go to the place where judgment will happen in order to be a vessel of mercy. There are only two places I can think of in Scripture that give direct instruction to flee from a city in a time of destruction. The first is in Matthew 24, where Jesus tells us to flee from Jerusalem (and arguably many other cities) at the time that the Antichrist shows up on the scene and commits the abomination of desolation. Seeing as how there is currently no temple, I’m not worried about that one. Secondly, in Revelation 18:4 when the believers are instructed to flee Babylon before the final judgment around the time of the second coming. Those are the two large-scale directives we have from the Word. In my opinion, any other situation is going to be a matter of personal revelation and wisdom. And both of those right now tell me to stay and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Question: Syria? What? That’s not in the news.
In my opinion: It’s not in the news, and I don’t have a good historical reason for it. However, my personal belief is that one of Israel’s primary threats working alongside Iran is Syria. Between some leading in prayer, a few shady things in the news over the past ten years, and the advice of a few friends, a number of us in the house of prayer are making it a point to pray for Syria in this time as well. Never hurts to pray

Question: What do we do?
Answer: Well, little will be accomplished by boycotting oil and having public demonstration rallies. I do think there is wisdom in being prepared with basic supplies (having some water and food, and being knowledgeable about what to do in the event of a disaster). I also believe it is wise to watch what is going on, though honestly more for the point of prayer than knowing how to react to the situation. The primary thing that we as believers can do, is pray. We have very little influence in the world, when it comes down to it. There are few things that a single person can do to have impact in the natural. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times when men and women can rise up and change the course of history – but I believe for every Esther or William Wilberforce out there, there are ten thousand more praying for the purposes those few would so boldly champion. Prayer is the way that God has given us to exercise the authority of His government and kingdom in our world today. And it really does change things.

On Tuesday evening, the fast of Esther will be starting – this is the annual time of remembrance when Esther called a three day fast, won the heart of the king, and saved her people from destruction. Please stand with us in prayer – and I encourage you to fast in some way too – for the deliverance of Israel in this hour.

Please pray:
- For the peace of Jerusalem – that Israel would be blessed with Peace
- For Netanyahu and Obama, that God would give them clear revelation
- For Iran, that God would change the hearts of the leaders in the nation and bring them to repentance (see Dan 4)
- For Syria, that God would reveal any secret plots of the enemy and that the wicked would be exposed

Prayer Alert – Update on Palestinian Statehood Bid

26.09.2011

I jumped the gun last week when I said that the UN vote would be happening. The word had been stretched a bit on the grapevine, and the news articles were also unsure of what’s going on. Here’s the run-down of what is going on with the UN and the bid for Palestinian Statehood, and some ways we can be praying for it.

An overview of the status of the Palestinian Statehood bid:

The twentieth of September was the alleged day that Mahmoud Abbas was planning on presenting his country’s bid for recognized statehood before the UN. It actually didn’t happen till the 23rd. Now we are waiting for the UN Security Council to schedule a vote and go through with it. “The UNGA meets each year in regular session, intensively from September to December, and resumes in January until all issues on the agenda are addressed – which often is just before the next session starts.” (http://www.un.org/en/ga/sessions/) Basically, the vote is likely to happen within the next three months, it could be next week or near the new year, the Lord only knows at this point – I have not been able to find an official release of any dates.

A little more about the vote – there are 15 members on the Security Council (the United States being one of them). In order for the vote to pass, 9 of the 15 members will have to vote for it. Currently, it is expected that the vote will pass 9-6, however nothing is set in stone. Also, there are 5 members on the Council that are permanent members and have the ability to singlehandedly veto a decision – the UK, France, China, Russia, and the US all have this power. In an interesting turn of events, the US has declared intentions of  vetoing the vote if it is passed, claiming that only direct negotiations between Israel & Palestine will ever solve anything. “President Barack Obama says that now the US will veto the application if ever it comes to the vote in the Security Council. He made a speech that was so pro-Israeli it shocked even the Israelis.”  -http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15045011 

If you’re interested in learning more about the Palestine UN Statehood happenings, here are some resources to get you started:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Palestine#Planned_2011_United_Nations_recognition_vote
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13701636

My thoughts on the issue:

I still am rather undecided on many factors of the Israel/Palestine conflict. Obviously I have a bias favoring Israel: between being a Christian(opposed to replacement theology), living in Israel, and being engaged to an Israeli, my natural leanings toward Israel should be more than expected.

I am not innately opposed to the existence of a Palestinian state, however I do think that it would be very unbalanced to grant them a recognized statehood while they still officially do not recognize Israel as a nation. Fun fyi – only 2 of the 22 members of the Arab League have recognized Israel and have some sort of peace treaty with her (Egypt & Jordan). Living in Israel, I can tell you that it would be awful for us if Palestine became a nation while there was no existing peace treaty with Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the UN on the 23rd, I highly recommend it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebOsg9CCj6c. He states why he believes it would be immature to give Palestine statehood now and in this way, and I (for the most part) agree with him.

However, God really loves the Palestinians and the Arabs. He does not love any of the injustices that have been committed against them, nor does He want delight in their suffering. God created them for a great purpose.

How to pray:

I don’t believe this is as simple as a “Yes/No” vote and one answer is the one that will please God. I think it largely has to do with the heart behind the vote, and that is therefore how I would like to direct you to pray:

- For the UN and national leaders from Psalm 2, that they would be wise and instructed and worship the Lord with their decisions
- For the nations to receive God’s heart for Israel and to stand with her rather than assail her
- That the leaders would be motivated by love, compassion, and the fear of the Lord rather than elections, finances, or wickedness
- For Palestine, that God would bring those beautiful Arabs into their calling and their destiny
- For the peace of Jerusalem

I’ll let you know as more develops on this. Thank you all for your prayers! We appreciate them so.

 

 

 

Prayer Alert – UN Vote for Palestinian State Tomorrow

19.09.2011

Many of you have probably heard of the vote that is going to take place in the UN tomorrow for the statehood of the Palestinian people. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14951026

I’m neither a political guru nor biblical scholar, so I will not even begin to try to unravel thousands of years of racial tension and decades of the most complicated of modern politics. I’m going to keep my position quite undefined on this issue – though not due to a fear of stepping on people’s toes. I honestly don’t know what God thinks about all this – and any guesses I could make are uneducated and more founded on popular opinion that on Scripture and historical knowledge.

I will say that I believe with my lack of background on the issue, it would be very immature of me to declare it is ungodly and any nation who accepts the Palestinian bid and that they will be judged. I also know that God has put nations into a role of authority over Israel before, both to keep her as well as judge her. God poured out wrath and crushed any of them who judged harshly or had their own agendas.

The world is in a position to judge between Israel & Palestine tomorrow. I don’t know exactly what their decision should be – but I do know that they need to come to it through the fear of the Lord, otherwise He will bring judgement on the nations. Please pray that God would have mercy on the nations by visiting their leaders and filling them with the fear of the Lord. It says in Proverbs that when a righteous ruler is in place, the people rejoice. Pray that God would give the UN members dreams tonight, that He would encounter their hearts and cause them to do His will.

Aba, I pray that Your will would be done tomorrow in the UN. Have mercy on the nations by causing their rulers to reign in righteousness. Please fill them with the fear of the Lord. God, give them Your heart for Israel, as well as Your heart for Palestine. I ask that You would cause the plans of the wicked to cease, that any votes tomorrow that are from bribes or treachery or other unrighteous and hidden agendas would be silenced and brought to nothing. Let Your will be done tomorrow. Bashem Yeshua, in the name of Jesus, Amen.