FIRST NATIONAL-LEVEL GATHERING OF MESSIANIC LEADERS IN ISRAEL -- PRAY FOR UNITY AMONG THEM AT THIS CRITICAL HOUR TO SEEK THE PURPOSES OF GOD PLUS "JUST IN"-- REPORT REGARDING EMERGENCY FLASH-POINT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND SYRIA!!

***LATE-NIGHT AIR RAID ON SYRIAN RADAR BASE--NO LONGER BUSINESS AS USUAL!!***

A report from INSIDE Israel -- Reported by Global Harvest Ministries www.globalharvest.org Global Harvest email: to info@globalharvest.org

PRAYER UPDATE FROM ISRAEL, 15 APRIL 2001

1. NATIONWIDE PRAYER SUMMIT OF LEADERS IN ISRAEL.

"...standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God . . . being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." Philippians 1:27b; 2:2b (NASB)

From noon Monday until Wednesday afternoon, some 60 Messianic leaders from the nation will be meeting at a location in the Negev for a Summit in which they will pray and wait upon the Lord. Similar "summits" have taken place in recent years among the leaders in Jerusalem and have resulted in a wonderful advance in the unity of the Body here. There have also been similar meetings in the north; however, this is the first to take place on a national level. This is a critically important time in the history of this young nation in which the leadership of believers in Messiah have chosen to come together in oneness to seek the purposes of God.

Please Pray:

*For a spirit of humility and love to rest on these leaders as they come before the Lord to "hear what the Spirit is saying to the congregations." Revelation 2:29 *For much patience and forbearance. There are many "streams" of thoughts and opinions concerning a number of sensitive issues coming into this summit. Pray that personal agendas would be laid aside, and that only those issues which the Spirit wishes to address would be brought up. *For great discernment, wisdom and courage on those who will be moderating the summit. *That God would quicken "rhema" words and strategies to equip, encourage and knit the Body for days ahead.

2. MY PEOPLE, ISRAEL.

We continue to see signs that there is a stirring of the Spirit in the Land, especially among the young. During this Passover season we know personally of four young people who have come to confess Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah and Lord. Two of these were at the conference for which many of you prayed two weeks ago. Then, a little over a week ago, a secular young Jewish man from a kibbutz in the south happened to make his way to an outreach in an Arab area near the Gichon Springs at the base of Mount Zion. This young man had begun to believe that Yeshua was the Messiah, but had never confessed this. Within twenty four hours he had made this confession, been filled with the Holy Spirit and immersed (baptized). His name is "Ami", which means "My People". A few days later a teenager who had been brought up in an Orthodox Jewish family, rebelled and ended up out on the streets, prayed to receive Yeshua at a praise gathering for youth in Tel Aviv. This young man's name is "Israel".

Please Pray:

*That the names of these two together, "My People, Israel!," will in fact be realized in an impending great awakening to the identity awaiting Israel in Her Messiah. *For these four new Believers, that they will be protected from the evil one, become quickly grounded in their faith and began to grow.

3. "WEARY ISRAELIS SEARCH FOR ESCAPISM"

So ran the headline on a front-page article in today's (Apr 15th) Jerusalem Post. The article examined the "much-discussed trend among Israelis to seek escape from the cycle of violence that has gripped the land for more than six months." One such escape was a "Boombamela Festival" over the holidays which featured "alternative music, alternative healing, and spiritual renewal." Some 25,000 people attended last Wednesday. Organizers said that the festival was inspired "by the 43-day Kumbh Mela ritual along the Ganges River in India, the world's largest religious gathering, where nearly a million Hindus plunge into the river's holy waters." Four similar large festivals were scheduled for last week. Many of these and other "spiritual" and new age solutions to dealing with day-to-day life in Israel are imported by Israeli's returning from an almost ritual trip to the "Far East" to celebrate completion of military service. Israel's Ha-Aretz newspaper recently offered a "four-page 'guide to escapism' that listed 50 popular ways to get away from it all."

The Post article continued, "In recent years, such festivals were explained as a product of the Jewish state's increasing prosperity and openness and the seeming approach of peace with the Arabs. But now the driving force seems to be the collapse of the peace effort." And Ha-Aretz concluded, "It's easy enough to figure out why escapism is flourishing in Israel. The fighting with the Palestinians combined with political instability would have generated hyper-escapism anywhere."

Please Pray:

*Against the occult forces of witchcraft and perversion which are preying on the weary bewilderment of the Israeli public. *For courage and focused vision on the part of the growing army of Believing youth in the land. That their zeal in worship would be matched by a "warrior spirit" to not only resist the great temptations towards these "escapes", but to begin warring against them in the Spirit, exposing their fallacy, and rescuing their peers from their snares. *For a spirit of evangelism to be released in the Land, pointing the way to Israel's only Deliverer, one who delivers first from the sins which make us prisoners of fear.

4. "FORGIVE US FATHER FOR WE HAVE SINNED"

This Jerusalem Post headline last week announced a significant conference that will be held in Jerusalem this week. Wednesday night to Thursday night is 'Yom HaShoah' or Holocaust Memorial Day. This yearly event recalls the horrors of the Holocaust with ceremonies at Yad VaShem, the Holocaust Museum here in Jerusalem. The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary (a Protestant denomination founded in Germany by Basilea Schlink) is sponsoring a conference here with the stated purpose of :"A time to reflect, to repent, to get right with God and our elder brother Israel, writing a new page in Christian history." The 700 believers attending this are coming to confess the sins of Germany and the anti-Semitism of Christianity through the centuries, to acknowledge before the nation those sins committed in the name of the Lord.

This is the largest conference for believers in Israel since the Intifada broke out in October. There will be a repentance service at Yad VaShem on Holocaust Memorial Day itself. It is significant that this meeting received a full page positive report in Friday's Jerusalem Post.

Please Pray:

*That many Israelis will be touched by this expression of repentance. Pray especially for those who work at Yad VaShem. *That this sincere corporate act will serve to further remove areas of reproach off of the nation of Germany. Much, much continues to be done by the German people in repentance and reparation for the evil upon their history. It is significant that among the most powerful intercessors visiting Israel to pray for this Land and its people are Believers from Germany who come in great humility and, therefore, authority.
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FLASH REPORT! AS OF 7:51 AM April 16, 2001

SPECIAL REPORT, 16 APRIL 2001

As happened 2 1/2 weeks ago with the Youth Conference, special developments have taken place since our report yesterday on the eve of the Leaders' Summit which we think warrant this Special Report, especially as pertinence to prayer for that summit is concerned.

NO LONGER BUSINESS AS USUAL--ISRAEL ATTACKS SYRIAN RADAR BASE

This past Saturday Hizbullah forces in Lebanon, fired missiles into an Israeli tank, killing the young commander, 21 year old Sgt Elad Litvak. Hizbullah is the militant Islamic group backed and trained by Iran, encouraged by Syria and tolerated by Lebanon in its long-term avowed aim of destruction of Israel and eventual capture of Jerusalem. The attack was entirely unprovoked, took place within Israeli territory, and was apparently filmed by the terrorists for use in propaganda purposes. The immediate response by Israel was the usual firing into Lebanon along with air attacks against possible Hizbullah hideouts. However, a decision reached by Prime Minister Sharon and his cabinet yesterday evening proves that with the new government things are not "business as usual." They resulted in an order for a late-night air raid on a Syrian radar base deep within Lebanese territory and near to Syria. The radar site was completely destroyed; three Syrians are reported killed and six wounded.

This marks the first time in five years (April, 1996) that Israelis have directly attacked a Syrian position in Lebanon. There are currently some 35,000 Syrians in Lebanon (it is in effect ruled by a puppet government operating under Syria's iron will). Syria is seen by Israel as being able to control Hizbullah attacks if it wants to. As author and journalist Dave Dolan writes, "The completely unprovoked assault . . . has raised fears that the growing Iranian-Syrian-Iraqi alliance may be plotting to provoke a major conflict with Israel." Indeed, today the Palestinian Authority cabinet chairman Abdel Rahim called on neighboring Arab states to prepare for "The upcoming regional war. . . ." (Jerusalem Post, Apr 16, Update 11:40, Internet Edition).

RE-DOUBLED CALL FOR PRAYER FOR THE MESSIANIC LEADERS SUMMIT

It is for this reason that we feel led to call for redoubled vigilance in prayer for the Leaders' Summit currently taking place in Israel. The summit began some four hours ago (Israeli Time) and will continue until mid-day Wednesday.

Please Pray:

*That the hand of the enemy will be restrained and no major regional conflict will be loosed out of God's timing. *That these Leaders will soberly seek instruction concerning this nation and their respective flocks and that all will be "in their place" before any major crisis is loosed. *That God would protect these leaders with his holy angels. This gathering in one place of so many of the shepherds of the remnant of Jewish and Arab flocks in Israel can't have gone unnoticed by the enemy. Pray also for their families at home. *That a spirit of holy worship and the fear of the Lord will descend upon the gathering. *That God would grant wisdom and guidance to the governmental and military leaders of Israel at this time. *That God's mercy would extend to the citizens of Syria and Israel's other neighbors -- a regional war would likely result in enormous loss of life for all involved. *That intercessors in Israel and abroad would be stirred to action, and seek through the Holy Spirit to be granted unction, clarity of focus and accuracy of timing in their prayers.