One of the most sobering truths in Scripture is that how we treat Israel directly affects how God deals with us. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is unambiguous: those who bless Israel are blessed, and those who curse Israel come under God’s judgment. This principle is not a relic of the Old Testament but a timeless spiritual law that continues today. I for one do not ever want to be cursed by God, yet some would invoke such a curse on their lives.

God’s Covenant Promise

When God called Abraham, He declared:

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
— Genesis 12:2–3

This was not merely a promise to an individual but a covenant binding God’s people Israel to His eternal purposes. To curse Abraham’s descendants is to oppose God’s chosen instrument for blessing the families of the earth (and nations) – including the very Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came through Israel.

Balaam’s Warning

The prophet Balaam learned this truth the hard way. King Balak of Moab hired him to curse Israel, but every attempt failed. Why? Because God Himself had blessed Israel:

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
— Numbers 24:1

Balaam finally declared:

“Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
— Numbers 24:9

Balaam recognised that to curse Israel was to invite disaster upon oneself. The same principle holds today: nations, leaders, and individuals who speak curses or spread hatred against the Jewish people bring spiritual consequences upon themselves.

The Danger of Modern Anti-Semitism

We are witnessing in our own day a disturbing resurgence of anti-Semitic rhetoric—even among influential media figures. Commentators like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson have platformed dangerous stereotypes and conspiratorial attacks on the Jewish people. Such rhetoric is not merely political speech—it is aligning with the spirit of those who have historically sought Israel’s destruction.

Christians must be clear: anti-Semitism in any form is a direct affront to God’s covenant and invites His judgement. As Paul warns in Romans 11:18, Gentile believers must “not boast against the branches,” for it is God who sustains Israel in His redemptive plan.

Standing with Israel: A Biblical and Moral Imperative

On the other hand, there are courageous voices like Charlie Kirk who boldly affirmed Israel’s right to exist and defend itself as the only democracy in the Middle East. Such a stance reflects the heart of Genesis 12:3—those who bless Israel will be blessed.

Supporting Israel does not mean ignoring its imperfections, but it does mean recognising God’s eternal covenant, defending the Jewish people against hatred, and praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).

The Choice Before Us

Every believer and every nation stands at a crossroads: bless Israel and align with God’s promise, or curse Israel and invite judgement. Scripture leaves no middle ground.

Jesus Himself affirmed that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). To despise Israel is to despise the very root of our faith. To bless Israel is to walk in step with God’s eternal plan of redemption for all nations.

Please take note that the last supper was shared with Jewish men, Jesus disciples. The new covenant was promised in Jeremiah and was FIRST to the Jews (Romans 1:16). The birth of the Ekklesia (Church) was on the day of Pentecost where120 Jewish believers, waiting in the upper room, received the Holy Spirit; and then Peter preached boldly and 3,000 were added that day.

The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah
— Jeremiah 31:31

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
— Romans 1:16

As Christians, let us reject the poisonous curse of anti-Semitism, stand boldly with God’s people, and be among those who receive the blessing promised to Abraham.

I choose blessing over cursing, life over death, truth over lies, and the Kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness.  Please pray for repentance in the heart of those who are cursing Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure.
— Psalm 122:6

Harry Bell

16 year old Christian – Harold Wickham (Bell) who gave his life for his mates and for Israel was a young farmer who attended a Presbyterian Church.

John 15.13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Harry enlisted under his uncle’s surname and lied about his age. On the 31st October 1917 he charged Be’er Sheva with the rest of the Australian Light Horse.

He could see little orange flashes and could hear whistling overhead. “I wonder what that is?” Harry thought. His answer came all too soon, as a machine gun round smashed into his leg. He never thought such pain existed – the force of the round threw him from the horse. He bounced along the ground and came to a halt in the dirty, broken soil. The sound of thundering hooves warned him to cover his head as another wave of horsemen galloped over him.

He glanced down at his leg, it lay at a grotesque angle, the result of the bullet shattering his femur. Then things started to blur as he succumbed to the pain, which lapsed him into unconsciousness.

As he struggled to regain consciousness, he felt the warmth of morphine, interrupted intermittently by the sharpness of excruciating pain.

As the padre sat next to him, Harry asked how the regiment had fared. “We took the town Harry, and the blokes and horses are enjoying a good drink.”

Harry lapsed in and out of consciousness throughout the night. In the morning he was still alive but only just. The padre again called on him. “Make sure they get the headstone right,” Harry screamed, and with that the young trooper went limp.

Harry (Harold Bell) wanted his real name on his tombstone.

Exactly 100 years later, to the day 31/Oct/2017, we see the fruit of Harry’s and others sacrifice in the following photograph at the Be’er Sheva street parade held after the memorial service.

Australia and New Zealand win together

The capture of Beersheba (Be’er Sheva in modern Israel) was a turning point in the struggle between the British and Ottoman Empires in the Middle East in the First World War. The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade played a key part in the capture of the town by the Australian Light Horse.

Twice in 1917 the British-led Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) had failed to take Gaza, the gateway to Palestine. Its third attempt focused on Beersheba, on the eastern (inland) flank of the Ottomans’ defensive line. While three British infantry divisions attacked the main Ottoman defences on the outskirts of Beersheba, the Australian Light Horse rode in a wide arc to the east to attack the town from the rear.

On the morning of 31 October 1917 men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade attacked Tel el Saba (now called Tel Be’er Sheva), a fortified hill 3.2 km north-east of Beersheba. After six hours of hard fighting the New Zealanders captured the hill which was held by 3 Turkish heavy machine gun companies.

Of biblical note is that Tel Be’er Sheva is the ancient Be’er Sheva of Genesis where Abraham dug wells and made covenant.  These wells have been re-dug by the Israeli government and have sweet water once again.

The way was now clear to attack Beersheba itself, but daylight would soon fade. In a daring action, the 4th and 12th Australian Light Horse regiments charged in from the south-east with bayonets drawn, taking the Ottoman defenders by surprise. The town and its important wells were soon secured and the enemy retreated. By the end of the day at least eight New Zealanders had been killed and 26 wounded.

Without the brave action by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade the 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade charge would have failed miserably due to withering Turkish machine gun fire.

With time running out for the Australians to capture Beersheba and its wells before dark, Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel, the Australian commander of the Desert Mounted Corps, ordered Brigadier General William Grant, commanding the 4th Light Horse Brigade, to make a mounted attack directly towards the town. Chauvel knew, from aerial photographs, that the Turkish trenches in front of the town were not protected by barbed wire. However, German bombing had forced the 4th Brigade into a scattered formation and it was not until 4.50 pm that they were in position. The Brigade assembled behind rising ground 6 kilometres south-east of Beersheba with the 4th Light Horse Regiment on the right, the 12th Light Horse Regiment on the left and the 11th Light Horse Regiment in reserve.

The Australian Light Horse was to be used purely as cavalry for the first time. Although they were not equipped with cavalry sabres, the Turks who faced the long bayonets held by the Australians did not consider there was much difference between a charge by cavalry and a charge by mounted infantry. The Light Horse moved off at the trot, and almost at once quickened to a gallop. As they came over the top of the ridge and looked down the long, gentle open slope to Beersheba, they were seen by the Turkish gunners, who opened fire with shrapnel. But the pace was too fast for the gunners. After three kilometres Turkish machine-guns opened fire from the flank, but they were detected and silenced by British artillery. The rifle fire from the Turkish trenches was wild and high as the Light Horse approached. The front trench and the main trench were jumped and some men dismounted and then attacked the Turks with rifle and bayonet from the rear. Some galloped ahead to seize the rear trenches, while other squadrons galloped straight into Beersheba.

Nearly all the wells of Beersheba were intact and further water was available from a storm that had filled the pools. The 4th and 12th Light Horse casualties were thirty-one killed and thirty-six wounded; they captured over 700 men. The capture of Beersheba meant that the Gaza-Beersheba line was turned. Gaza fell a week later and on 9 December 1917, the British troops entered Jerusalem.

And one of the things that is very interesting is that the Light Horse had the highest number of Indigenous soldiers in any regiment within the AIF in WWI.

Fighting Mac (Chaplain)

In August 1914, war was declared and Fighting McKenzie (William McKenzie, Chaplain thanks to Warwick Marsh) was one of 416,809 volunteers who served in the Armed Forces. The population of Australia was fewer than 5 million people at the time. On a country by country basis, Australia had more troops at war per head of population and suffered higher death rates and casualty rates, than any other country that fought in the first World War.

Fighting Mac personally buried hundreds of young Anzacs, often in the middle of a hail of bullets. During this period, he developed a life-long hatred for war. He wrote:

“Many of the bravest and the best are gone… War is nothing short of insensitive folly. It is inconclusive in its results and devastating in its ultimate consequences.”

Other soldiers described the duty and demeanour of this humble but courageous chaplain:

“Among the duties of this Anzac chaplain – dubbed ‘Anzac Mac’ or ‘Fighting Mac’ by the men who had grown to love and respect him – was searching for the wounded and dead, as well as identifying bodies and giving them a decent burial and advising relatives by letter. Although officially forbidden from remaining in the front lines or from taking part in battles, Mac had no intention of standing idly by while, ‘my boys fight’.”

Prayer

The mateship, self-sacrifice and bravery, in the face of impossible odds, shown in the battlefields of World War I, exemplifies the values that have made Australia great.

May the Anzac and Light Horse anointing of God, mateship, honour, strength, service, bravery, and self-sacrifice rise in Australia for the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

We pray that these eternal values rise again in Australia, that the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ stand and proclaim the truth of the Gospel, that this nation of Australia repent of its sins and fully turn back to the Lord.

We also call forth the Joseph calling and anointing that Australia will fulfil its God given call to provide to the nations, both physically and with Christian mission.

Father in heaven, we ask that you be the head of this nation of Australia, and that you bless us your sons and daughters in service for your Kingdom.

Lest we forget.

Photos from October / November 2017 Israel trip.

Background

As a bit of background, we will quickly look at Malachi 4:2. Once we understand this passage, we will be able to see the basis of the woman’s faith that caused her reach out and touch the hem of His garment.

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;

First, the translation of ‘sun’ can also be translated ‘servant’ as it is the same word (shin mem shin) with different vowel pointings (which were added around 600AD).  This then renders as the servant of righteousness which is clearly Yeshua or Lord.

Secondly, the word wings in Hebrew is kanaph and can be translated corner or skirt, as well as the wings of a bird. The knots of the tassels at the corners (wings) of the prayer shawl, were called tsiytsiyt, or fringes.

Refer to Ancient Hebrew Research Center – The Tsiytsiyt and the Sun of Righteousness this for a detailed look at Malachi 4:2.

This prophecy of the Messiah from Malachi was fulfilled when the woman who had the issue of blood touched the ‘hem of his garment’ which can also be translated from the Greek as fringe or corner.

So when the woman reached out to touch Yeshua’s tsiytsiyt, she was acting on the word of God. It was not just a random idea, but a purposeful, faith based action based on scripture.

Daughter

I have been looking at these passages of scripture over the last few weeks, and came to an amazing revelation!  All sermons I have ever heard on this story focus of the woman’s faith, yet miss a key word. The faith message is true and powerful but misses something much more important.

They key word of this passage is the word Daughter!!  Let me explain…

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Due to her condition, this woman was continually ceremonially unclean.  This meant she was disconnected from her family and community. She was ostracized, rejected, shunned, treated as unclean, and unable to attend temple or synagogue to worship for 12 long years.

Further, if she touched a man such a Pharisee, especially if that happened in Jerusalem, she, under the Pharisaical interpretation of law could have been whipped and possibly stoned. So when she touched Yeshua’s tsiytsiyt she was taking a huge risk as she technically made Yeshua unclean until sunset. The Pharisees could have had her whipped, yet she knew she would be healed if she acted on His word.

Yeshua’s first word to her was Daughter (Hebrew: בַּת (Bat) ) !!  In that one word every rejection, every hurt, all loneliness, all pain, and all disconnection was made whole.  Yeshua did not call her woman, but the intimate family word Daughter.  Such freedom, such deliverance, such life came from using that one word.  Her relationship with God changed in an instant. This was and is an eternal miracle that completely transcended the physical healing she received.  Yeshua was 100% representing Abba (Father) when He called her Daughter and recognised her as part of the family of God.

Understanding

The change of perspective of this amazing account is quite revolutionary. It leads us to see again that the basis of faith is relationship – i.e. not something we work or strain for but something we live in due to who our Abba is.

Often we hear ‘just have faith’, or ‘only believe’  etc. yet this, for some, leads to some sort of works in terms of something we seem to need to do.  Once we know we are sons and daughters we believe without struggle as we know and trust our Lord.

At anytime we can just touch His tsiytsiyt and be made whole.  Healing is the children’s bread, and again children trust their mums and dads.  We trust Abba as children for all of our needs.

What was her name?

The scriptures do not explicitly tell us the lady’s name. However, let me share a story from a trip to Israel. We were hiring a car from El Dan car rentals in Jerusalem and the young  lady serving us had a name tag that said בַּתאֵל, and in English ‘Batel’ , that was her name. It stuck with me as it literally means Daughter (בַּת Bat) of the Lord Almighty (אֵל El) . I thought that was a wonderful and awesome name, we even chatted about it briefly.

My name for the woman in the scriptural account is Batel, Daughter of the Lord Almighty!  It is easy to infer this name, at least as a new name for her.   I’m sure this is a good extrapolation from scripture that is part of her story of healing and restoration. No longer the unclean woman, but instead Daughter of the Lord Almighty. In an instant, with one word from the Lord she is transformed.

Prayer

Papa God I come to you as your son/daughter and receive your love afresh at this time.

I reach out and touch your tsiytsiyt and receive Your healing for all my needs.

I thank you for the power released to me, and see that I am made whole.

You are awesome, and I love being in Your presence. Let me go out and bless others with your healing word, your love, and your power.  Amen!

There is much spiritual warfare in this season. This is evident by assassination attempts, Israel fighting for its survival, fraudulent elections, abhorrent laws being put forward by godless politicians (late term abortion, babies surviving abortions left to die, euthanasia, gender issues, legalising prostitution etc.).  We need to be able to fight, not flesh and blood, but in the heavenlies.

Habakkuk 3 – A Hymn of Faith

Let us look at Habakkuk 3 – a passage entitled ‘A Hymn of Faith’ and in particular v19.  Verses 17 and 18 are well known and a great statement of faith.

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labour of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls –
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician (or Chief Singer) . With my stringed instruments. ESV

A while ago Nel and I were discussing v19 and Nel quoted Habakkuk 3:19 from the Septuagint:

The Lord God is my strength, and He will perfectly strengthen my feet; He mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by His song.

We also looked and v19 from the OJB:

Hashem Adonai is my strength, and He will make my feet like the feet of a deer, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. 

Let’s look at the last part which is an instruction (don’t ignore the instructions like ‘selah’ etc.) – ‘To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.’ which comes from two Hebrew words:

נָצַח natsach to excel, be bright, be pre-eminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring
a. (Niphal) enduring (participle)
b. (Piel) to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief

and

נְגִינָה nĕgiynah music, song, taunt song
a. music (of stringed instrument)
b. song
– taunting or mocking song

From drilling down we see idea of going to high places (where our authority and victory are). This is done via a song and music from the chief singer which in itself carries the idea of authority.  We have the ability to be the chief singer in our lives and metron (the realm of authority we are given by the Lord). This is worship (thanks and praise) which we know is key of Da’vid.  All the time we spend in worship brings forth His agenda and entering into His authority.

We also have the powerful idea of mocking our enemy.  As we worship the Lord the enemy is mocked!  We are seated in heavenly places with Christ! We enter into our rest, power, authority, all the promises we have in Christ when we are in Him; we connect via worship.  We are independent of our circumstances!

This is the word for this season.  We mock the enemy with a song of faith, thanks, praise and worship.  By doing so we mock the enemy as we overcome in Christ!

Eight Keys to Standing Strong in God’s Steadfast Authority

Psalm 144:1 Praise be to the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle

1. Abide in Christ – As you abide (rest), you are able to pray the things that are on God’s heart (agenda).  This is our starting point.
2. Mix praise and thanks and prayer together – Worship is the atmosphere where truth dwells. There is power released in worship warfare. God is greater than all enemy attacks.  This is the key of Da’vid.
3. Be steadfast in prayer and ready for battle – Know that you are in enemy territory, and you are here to fight for God’s Kingdom in prayer. Watch for those fiery darts, hold up your shield of faith, and put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6).  Hang in there!  The Lord is with you.
4. Stand upon the promises of God – Do not listen to the enemy. Speak God’s promises over your family, neighbourhood, city, and nation.
5. Know and Pray God’s Word – The Bible is filled with Scripture you can pray. Declarative prayer is a key way to exercise your authority in prayer. Try praying Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:3-19.  Declare the promises from the Pauline epistles.
6. Focus on God during times of warfare – The enemy will try to discourage you as to your authority. Focus on God instead of the things you see happening in the world. Remember, we have all authority in Christ.
7. Practise fasting on a regular basis – Fasting gives us spiritual power and strength to steadfastly stand against the enemy.
8. Let God’s peace rule in your heart – Come in the opposite spirit of the world system. An attitude of peace and joy in the midst of darkness is powerful (Colossians 3:15).  The shalom of the Lord comes as we spend time with Him.

This is how we battle, this is how we are victorious, this is how we prevail in prayer!  Singing our high praises and worship to the Lord.

We win by changing our focus from the issues to focussing on the Lord Jesus and our standing in Him.  We also must do this both individually and corporately as the Ekklesia.

Join Together for Prayer

If you do not have a good regular corporate prayer connection please consider joining us on the regular Canberra Declaration Zoom prayer meetings. Normally Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday nights 8.00pm AEST (Sydney Time) and other special prayer times.

It is really important that we pray together – the Kingdom is not about lone rangers; but that we should be one together.  This is where we gain power in prayer especially when dealing with major community and national issues. We support and encourage one another when we are family.

[Updated September 2024, Hebrew Elul 5784]

As requested, here is a copy of the blessing plus some explanation of the Awesome Power of Blessing (a book by Richard Brunton https://www.richardbruntonministries.org/  , bulk order here https://ruach-hakodesh.com/book-order/ ).

Richard writes in his book about the French words for cursing and blessing; ‘malediction’ (bad speaking) for curses and ‘benediction’ (good speaking). He says if ‘bad speaking’ was powerful, then ‘good speaking’ should be at least as powerful and, with God, much more powerful!

We know this is true from the bible which tells us to watch what we speak. It is best understood from Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Also Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

As Dads what we say matters, our words impact our family especially our children.  Controlling our words helps us control all aspects of our lives.

In Genesis chapter 25 Jacob gets Esau to sell his birthright, and in Genesis chapter 27 Isaac blesses Jacob.  I will not go into the details, but Jacob valued his father’s blessing and Esau traded it for a pot of red lentil stew. Blessing matters and has power! Jacob later becomes Israel.

I asked the group at the Men’s Leadership Summit if they had ever been blessed by their own fathers.  Only a few put their hands up, which was to me quite sad.

I asked a couple of Fathers with their sons to stand with the fathers’ hands on their sons’ shoulders as an example (thanks Warwick & Nathaniel, Rodney & Luke). We then declared a Father’s blessing over everyone and recommended they then bless their children individually when they got home.  This was an impactful moment for many.

Here is the blessing we declared over everyone; please take it, adjust/adapt it personally for each of your children, and use it to bless each child separately.  As you speak this blessing over each child in faith expect the Lord to answer this prayer and see what God will do. You can also pray a blessing over your wife!

I pray that our Father in heaven blesses each one of you who blesses others.

The Father’s Blessing

My child, I love you! You are special. You are a gift from God.
I thank God for allowing me to be a father to you.
I am proud of you, and I rejoice over you.

And now I bless you….
I bless you with overflowing peace, the peace that only the Prince of Peace can give.
I bless your life with fruitfulness: good fruit, abundant fruit and fruit that remains.
I bless you with success. You are the head and not the tail; you are above and not beneath.

I bless the gifts that God has given you.
I bless you with wisdom to make good decisions and to develop your full potential in Christ.
I bless you with overflowing prosperity, enabling you to be a blessing to others.

I bless you with spiritual influence, for you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
I bless you with a depth of spiritual understanding and a close walk with your Lord.

You will not stumble or falter, for the Word of God will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

I bless you with good friends. You have favour with God and man.
I bless you with vision, direction, protection, health, healing, compassion, care, love, fulfilment, prosperity and all that God has for your life.
I bless you with an abounding and overflowing love, from which you will minister God’s grace and Gospel of salvation to others. Many will hear of the Lord from your mouth.

You will minister God’s comforting grace to others.

May you have intimacy with the Father in heaven and that this will lead to knowing His heart in all matters.

You are blessed, my child!

You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

I bless you with all of these good things in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Genesis 18:18 – “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.”

Genesis 22:18 – “..and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Genesis 26:4 – “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,..”

Genesis 28:14 – “Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”

Exodus 9:16 – “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

Joshua 4:24 – “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

1 Kings 8:43 – “..then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”

1 Kings 8:60 – “..so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.”

1 Chronicles 16:23 – “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

1 Chronicles 16:24 – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.”

2 Chronicles 6:33 – “..then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”

Psalm 2:8 – “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

Psalm 22:27 – “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,..”

Psalm 33:8 – “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.”

Psalm 47:1 – “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

Psalm 48:10 – “Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.”

Psalm 64:9 – “All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.”

Psalm 67:2, 3 – “..that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”

Psalm 67:7 – “God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.”

Psalm 72:11 – “All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.”

Psalm 72:17 – “May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.”

Psalm 82:8 – “Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.”

Psalm 86:9 – “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.”

Psalm 96:1 – “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”

Psalm 96:3 – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

Psalm 97:6 – “The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.”

Psalm 98:3 – “He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

Psalm 102:15 – “The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.”

Psalm 117:1 – “Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.”

Psalm 145:21 – “My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

Psalm 148:7, 11 – “Praise the Lord from the earth, …kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,..”

Isaiah 2:2 – “In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.”

Isaiah 25:6 – “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.”

Isaiah 25:7 – “On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations;”

Isaiah 34:1 – “Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!”

Isaiah 40:5 – “And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 42:10 – “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth…”

Isaiah 43:6 – “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.”

Isaiah 45:22 – “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 45:23 – “By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.”

Isaiah 49:6 – “(The Lord) says: ‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Isaiah 52:10 – “The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.”

Isaiah 56:7 – “..these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Isaiah 61:11 – “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”

Isaiah 66:18 – “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.”

Isaiah 66:20 – “And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD — ..”

Isaiah 66:23 – “‘From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’ says the LORD.”

Jeremiah 3:17 – “At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”

Jeremiah 33:9 – “Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.”

Ezekiel 39:21 – “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them.”

Daniel 7:14 – “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Zephaniah 2:11 – “The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the land. The nations on every shore will worship him, every one in its own land.”

Zephaniah 3:9 – “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.”

Haggai 2:7 – “‘I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Zechariah 8:23 – “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, “Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”‘”

Zechariah 9:10 – “I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Malachi 3:12 – “‘Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

Matthew 24:14 – “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..”

Mark 11:17 – “And as He taught them, He said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations“? …’” (Isaiah 56:7)

Mark 13:10 – “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.”

Mark 13:27 – “And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.”

Mark 16:15 – “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.’”

Luke 2:31, 32 – “‘which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’”

Luke 3:6 – “And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”

Luke 24:47 – “..and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

John 17:23 – “…to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Acts 1:8 – “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”

Acts 2:17a – “‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people.’”

Acts 3:25b – “He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’”

Acts 10:35 – “…but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

Acts 13:47 – “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Romans 1:5 – “Through Him and for His name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.”

Romans 14:11 – “It is written: ‘”As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.”‘”

Romans 15:11 – “And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.’”

Romans 16:26 – “..but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him– …”

Galatians 3:8 – “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’”

Philippians 2:10, 11 – “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

1 Timothy 2:3, 4 – “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

1 John 2:2 – “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Revelation 5:9 – “And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”

Revelation 7:9 – “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

Revelation 12:5 – “She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.”

Revelation 14:6 – “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth– to every nation, tribe, language and people.”

Revelation 15:4 – “Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Understanding the Gaza Conflict means acknowledging an unpopular truth: Palestinians are responsible for everything that is happening to them.

Up front I am a Zionist! To some this maybe a controversial statement for a Christian leader to make.  Let’s consider what it means: A Zionist is simply someone who supports the idea of a Jewish nationalist movement that has as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in the ancient traditional homeland of the Jews (Hebrew: Eretz Yisraʾel, “the Land of Israel”).

It is time to get the facts regarding the root of the Israel Gaza conflict. So here is a short summary that hopefully will clear up some misconceptions.

Palestinians are still whining about a war they lost 75+ years ago (1948/1949) and are unable to move on. Imagine if Germany would still bombard Russia and Poland daily out of spite for losing WWII. Every nation moved on from losing wars, even Egypt and Jordan, but not Palestinians.

Theodor Herzl – Father of Zionism

Theodor Herzl talked about returning to the homeland of the Jewish people, and he advocated doing this by buying land from Arab sheikhs, which Jews did.

This is what Theodor Herzl said: “It goes without saying that we shall respectfully tolerate persons of other faiths and protect their property, their honour, and their freedom with the harshest means of coercion.”

Now what did the Arabs do? They committed multiple massacres against Jewish immigrants, which naturally led to radicalisation from the Jewish side which is why militias like Haganah and Irgun emerged. Did Palestinians really think they could get away with murdering and massacring Jews for decades? What happened in 1948 was very much a story of reaping what you sow.

But what about the Balfour Declaration?

Nothing in the Balfour Declaration implies or suggests that there was any kind of colonization master-plan to expel Arabs. Also it was literally just a letter, and this is what was written: “It being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed in any other country by such Jews who are fully contented with their existing nationality.”

The state of play in 1967

Now fast forward to 1967 the “Palestinian” land is controlled by Egypt and Jordan, Palestinians never owned the land or had sovereignty. Israel won again and legally annexed territories (from Egypt and Jordan) just like any other country during a war. Now pro Palestinians would like you to think that Israel has been brutally occupying, oppressing, and killing Palestinians between 1967 and 1987 (the year Hamas was founded) which is false, there is zero evidence that Israel was targeting Palestinians during this period. These are just lies common in muslim nations to demonise Jews.

Occupation?

There’s no occupation. They have their own governments (albeit dysfunctional and corrupt). In the Judea/Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza. They are not living in a prison. The wall around Gaza is on Israeli soil and it was built in response to terror attacks, and Gaza receives millions of dollars each year and Hamas leaders are billionaires. Not to mention they have 5 star hotels and resorts. They have schools, hospitals, they have everything. It was possible to turn Gaza into another Dubai but they chose not to do this. The people in Gaza chose and voted for Hamas, a group that is hell bent on destroying Israel and the genocide of the Jews.

Palestinians are responsible for everything that is happening to them. Israel should not be blamed for the bad choices that the Palestinians have made.

Further we must consider the historical Arab attempts at colonising from the 7th century onwards.   Refer: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1061707164860545

It is worth considering Prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s comments on the subject.

“Until 1967, Israel did not hold an inch of the Sinai Peninsula and the West Bank, the Gaza Strip or the Golan Heights. Israel held not an acre of what is now considered disputed territory. And yet we enjoyed no peace.

Year after year Israel called for pleaded for a negotiated peace with the Arab governments. Their answer was a blank refusal and more war.

The reason was not a conflict over territorial claims. The reason was, and remains, the fact that a free Jewish state sits on territory at all.”

The question of Genocide?

Right now Hamas are the genocidal ones. A ceasefire enables Hamas who will continue to attempt to kill all Jews (which is their well published manifesto). Israel must end Hamas once and for all for everyone’s security.
Reference:  Israel is not committing genocide, but Hamas is.

To quote the article:

The crime of genocide, coined in 1944 by the Polish-Jewish jurist Raphael Lemkin to describe the systematic extermination of Jews by the Nazis, is one of the most serious accusations that can be leveled in international law. Today, it has a very specific definition under Article II of the Genocide Convention of 1948, meaning committing acts, including by killing, that are intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

It is important to underscore that the commission of genocide has nothing to do with the number of civilian casualties; the key element of the crime is the need to possess relevant “intent.” Whatever criticism one may have of Israeli policies or Israel Defense Forces (IDF) actions in Gaza, Israel is not seeking to destroy the Palestinian people, whether in whole, in part, or in any manner.

During a Nov. 20 briefing, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby eviscerated the inappropriate use of the term genocide to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza, forcefully stating:

“Israel isn’t trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel isn’t trying to wipe Gaza off the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat. So, if we’re going to start using that word, fine. Let’s use it appropriately.”

Whose land is it anyway?

Israel owns the land legally!
While there are some disputed territories; pro-palestinians saying ‘”From the river (Jordan) to the sea (Mediterranean), Palestine will be free” is in fact calling for the genocide of the Jews. The phrase is a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) to Hamas, which called for Israel’s destruction in its original governing charter in 1988.

Here is a detailed documentary by Hugh Kitson explain in great detail why Israel own the land legally:

Here is a much shorter presentation that also answers the question:  Melanie Phillips explains Israel’s right to the land.

In addition, this article (PDF) adds light to the subject.

How do we pray?

Please pray for peace by all means. We must pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). But, we must also pray that Israel prevails and that they will quickly put and end to Hamas which will help stabilise everything in the long run. Any long term peace deal must include Israel’s right to exist.

Finally עם ישרעל חי Am Yirael Chai – the people of Israel live.
All Israel will be saved Romans 11:25.

We are coming to a time of transition into a greater authority and visible victory. We will see people and situations set free by the hand of the Lord. We will see the Lord in His Glory.

Let’s look at the scripture directly.

2 Chronicles 20:22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

We (prayer networks/Ekklesia et. al. in the region and nations) have been praying, interceding, repenting, and above all worshipping in 2022.  The Lord is using that high praise as a weapon on our behalf.

The battles over life issues seem to have been difficult. Abortion laws, euthanasia, the rainbow and gender bending ideologies, and the agenda to destroy families and especially vulnerable children via confusion and lies has been plainly evident. At times things have looked grim.

Ablaze

We have not been idle, the Gospel of John project (thanks Jane B and Marty W and all who have helped) has got the word out (1.25 million and growing) and this continues. The ACL also with their distribution of the Gospels have been wonderful.  The Northern Rivers outreach with the 72 hours of continual prayer and worship was a model of prayer covered evangelism.

I want to thank all of the Canberra Declaration zoom prayer team – you are mighty worshipping warriors. Let’s also thank the Australian Worship Network (Josh and team), The Worship Connection (Charlotte and team) and all who have led worship. Your leadership before the throne of grace has been awesome.

For all who have been politically active, expect fruit from your labors, we are in for the long run to  see Godly righteous government.

The good news is that many humbly have cried out to the Lord, spent time in worship and prayer; and the Lord has heard our cry.

2 Chronicles 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

The Lord will cause His enemies to destroy each other!  The battle is the Lord’s. 2 Chronicles 20:17

I see a year [2023] of breakthrough, turn around, especially in the proclaiming of the Gospel of His Kingdom, planting of local Ekklesia, the Ekklesia rising in authority, a voice of hope for the lost, a voice for the downtrodden and helpless, a voice for life.  We need to expect to see the agenda of death be overturned.  This is an ongoing process.

Sadly, many will keep trying to bring the agenda of the enemy. Why? John 3:19-20 – people choose darkness. But! We prevail when have the Lord’s agenda and strategies.

Our job is still to pray and proclaim the Gospel, to worship the Lord, and to take authority over principalities and powers in the awesome name of Jesus as we worship and pray.

We do this as the family of God, His body, His Ekklesia that Jesus is building.  Our strength is in Him and being His family.  I cannot over emphasize that we need to build relationally, connect as family (not just meetings), and really trust and love each other.

Being grounded in His family that we are born into by the Holy Spirit is the foundation of our authority.  It is who we are, not what we do that gives us authority to pray.

So for 2023 be encouraged, don’t waiver in your faith, but continue to look to the Lord for he is our salvation and victory.

Notes:

Ekklesia: The word translated “church” in the English Bible (“gathering of those summoned”). Ekklesia in ancient Greece was the assembly of citizens in a city-state with authority. Jesus said I will build My Ekklesia. Matthew 16:18

Canberra Declaration  – Regular National Prayer on Zoom
8.00pm Sydney Time (AEDT) Regular: Sun, Mon, Wed
ZOOM 776 881 184 LINK: https://zoom.us/j/776881184

The question of why we sacrifice is one that confronts Christians as we go forward with the Lord.  It is often difficult to see why sacrifice is needed, or even the benefit of the sacrifices we make.

We see the example Jesus set in Hebrews 12:2 which explains why He suffered and died for us.  This is the most awesome example of pure sacrifice of a innocent, pure, and holy person.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The photo at the top of the article is of the Be’er Sheva war graves memorial in Israel representing the sacrifices made in WWI for what would become Israel.

When imperfect people sacrifice

We see what Jesus did, but what happens and why do we need to sacrifice? Although we are not perfect of ourselves , we do willingly sacrifice. There are many expressions of sacrifice in the Christian walk, some much more consequential than others. Some examples:

• Giving of time and finances (e.g. volunteering and serving our local community)
• Serving in difficult situations (Doctors and Nurses come to mind, especially those on the missions field)
• Putting your life a risk for others, even unto death (I know persecuted Christians in several countries who follow the Lord faithfully)
• Speaking the truth when people hate and revile you (Cancel culture etc.)
• Prayer and Fasting

Why do we do these things?

We sacrifice because of the Love of God, 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. Also John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. It is clear the the Love of God drives us to love without measure, and love sometimes requires sacrifice.

Harry Bell – Sacrificed and we see the Fruit

Here is the account of a 16 year old Christian – Harold Wickham (Bell) who gave his life for his mates and for Israel. He was a young farmer who attended a Presbyterian Church.

Refer to https://www.lighthorse.org.au/harold-thomas-wickham/ for more information about Harry.

He could see little orange flashes and could hear whistling overhead. “I wonder what that is?” Harry thought. His answer came all too soon, as a machine gun round smashed into his leg. He never thought such pain existed – the force of the round threw him from the horse. He bounced along the ground and came to a halt in the dirty, broken soil. The sound of thundering hooves warned him to cover his head as another wave of horsemen galloped over him.

He glanced down at his leg, it lay at a grotesque angle, the result of the bullet shattering his femur. Then things started to blur as he succumbed to the pain, which lapsed him into unconsciousness.

As he struggled to regain consciousness, he felt the warmth of morphine, interrupted intermittently by the sharpness of excruciating pain.

As the padre sat next to him, Harry asked how the regiment had fared. “We took the town Harry, and the blokes and horses are enjoying a good drink.”

Harry lapsed in and out of consciousness throughout the night. In the morning he was still alive but only just. The padre again called on him. “Make sure they get the headstone right,” Harry screamed, and with that the young trooper went limp.

Harry (Harold Bell) wanted his real name on his tombstone and so it is.

Exactly 100 years later, to the day 31/Oct/2017, we see the fruit of Harry’s and others sacrifice in the following photograph at the Be’er Sheva street parade held after the 100 year memorial service.  This is an amazing demonstration of the fruit of sacrifice as Harry and others sacrifices eventually led to the restoration of Israel in 1948.

For reference here is some information about the Australian Light Horse Charge  https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/the-charge-of-the-4th-light-horse-brigade-at-beersheba

Summary

We are called to sacrifice.  It is part of our normal Christian life. Sacrifice is not always a popular sermon topic, but is very important to the Lord.

During this month of May we are praying and fasting for the federal elections, and the GO Movement (please sign up https://www.gomovement.world/en) to support the proclamation of Jesus in this region and the nations.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Let my life be a living sacrifice to You. Take me, make me, mold me and use me for You Kingdome purposes. Let me be salt and light to a sick and dying world. Amen.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Let this Keith Green song help you pray

During WWII many B17 bombers returned from missions with flak and machine gun damage.

The USAAF decided to analyse the damage patterns and increase armour/protection for the damaged areas.

Before the planes were modified, a Hungarian-Jewish statistician named Abraham Wald reviewed the data. Wald had fled Nazi-occupied Austria and worked in New York with other academics to help the war effort.

Wald’s review pointed out a critical flaw in the analysis. The researchers had only looked at bombers who’d returned to base.

Missing from the data? Every plane that had been shot down.

But the research wasn’t a wasted effort. These surviving bombers rarely had damage in the cockpit, engine, and parts of the tail. This wasn’t because of superior protection to those areas. In fact, these were the most vulnerable areas on the entire plane.

These areas were not obvious but had much greater damage which caused a loss of aircraft and crew.

The researchers’ bullet hole data had created a map of the exact places that the bomber could be shot and still survive.

With the new analysis in hand, crews reinforced the bombers’ cockpit, engines, and tail armor. The result was fewer fatalities and greater success of bombing missions. This analysis proved to be so useful that it continued to influence military plane design up through the Vietnam war.

How we deal with battle scars and wounds

It is not the obvious battle scars we carry, but the hidden ones that need attention.

The Lord is bringing deep healing to the deepest wounds. He is healing the most broken parts of us.

We need to see the depth of some wounds and welcome Holy Spirit healing.
Trust the Lord with your most vulnerable issues, a bruised reed He will not break nor a smoking wick will he extinguish.  Isaiah 42:3

His deep love makes whole again, rest in Him, allow His healing balm to come and flood you with His Power and Love.

One of the most insidious effects of the coronavirus pandemic that has held our world in a vice like grip for nearly 2 years has been an incredible spirit of fear.

Fear of the virus, fear of global agendas, fear of vaccines, fear of not being vaccinated, fear of Government overreach, fear of others with a different view, fear of authority, etc.

The fruit of fear is division and a complete lack of trust in the Lord. The level of fear, vitriol, and distrust between fellow Christians astounds me! So many spend more time chasing conspiracies (see below) than seeking and worshipping the Lord. We must not live in fear, but live in the love and fear of the Lord !! The fear of the Lord brings His peace.

We are exhorted on how to live in Romans 12 and the essence of this is God’s family love to Him and one another. Coronavirus fear has taken so many away from this core message. It’s time to repent from fear and start loving !!

Fear – Here is the cure

I understand the phrase, “Fear not” appears 365 times in the Bible – one for every day of the year.
It appears numerous times in the Psalms and was the anthem of Jesus’ ministry.
That phrase implies we have some control over the level of our personal fears.
Maybe we can ease the torment by guarding the information we ingest.

We can minimise and eliminate our fears by changing our focus and dwelling on the Lord and His word !!
We do this by praise and worship, reading the word, and spending time in His presence.
The victory over fear and situations is well illustrated by the account in 2 Chronicles 20:20-24 where the worshippers went out in front of the army and brought a massive victory without Israel having to fight.

A child may awaken in the night terrified by a nightmare or a scary noise outside the window.
They cry out to their father, who would come sit on the edge of their bed and reassure then that everything was all right.
Knowing he was there beside them, they feel secure enough to fall back asleep and rest in peace.

The answer to our fears is the presence of our heavenly Father.  He is with us even before we pray.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Jonah 2:2 In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 

Romans 8:35, 37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

John 13:34  A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Romans 8:39 Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Conspiracies

While conspiracy theories often have some elements of truth, upon which supposition and lies are built, there is a bigger question…

How do we as Christians respond?

1. Don’t re-post them !!!
2. Point people to the truth of the word of God and especially the Gospel
3. Minister Truth, Love, Hope, Faith, Healing, Provision and above all the message of Salvation
4. We have the answer and His name is Jesus !!!
5. Our focus is the Kingdom of God
6. Our security is completely in Jesus Christ, crucified, raised, and ascended
7. We carry the word of God to a sick dying world !!!

Matthew 24:6 And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. *See that you are not troubled*; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “*All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth*. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 8:12  Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus,

You are the Prince of Peace. You came to give us your peace. It’s nothing like the world gives. It is peace born in the freedom we have in you, a gift to all God’s children—to guard our hearts and minds.

I can’t escape the troubles of this world. I may face financial difficulties, relationship breakdowns, a health crisis—so many scary challenges. But you tell me to “take heart,” to be encouraged, because you have overcome the world. You have overcome all the things that would discourage and defeat us. I am grateful for your peace that is beyond all my circumstances.

The deep longing and desire for us to have a significant and meaningful relationship with God and each other is a major driver for our lives.  This is a God given call in our lives.  When we have genuine connections with God and each other there is real joy.

We then (sometimes) play at church; we sit in a pew looking at the back of someone’s head, sing a few songs, shake hands and say God bless you. But! How often do we walk with people through their troubles, how often do we get to heart issues and really carry each other? 

Derek Prince stated that the central purpose of the local church (local ekklesia) is fellowship supported by these 4 points:

1. 1 Corinthians 1:9 — We are called to the sharing together of Christ.
2. 1 John 1:3 — The New Testament was written to bring us into the fellowship of the apostles, sharing with them the fellowship of the Father and the Son.
3. 1 John 1:4 — This fellowship brings full joy (compare 2 John 12).
4. John 3:6 — Out of this fellowship the Holy Spirit brings to birth the purposes of God (compare Acts 2:1; 13:1–4). Without fellowship there can be no spiritual birth.

Local church is great! And a good worship service and a good preach is great value; but if we do not have real relationships then it is a game.   If we don’t open our homes, wallets, and hearts then we are missing the true purpose and connection between Christians.  When we get it right then there is purpose, life and joy.
Ref Matthew 7.

Obviously the level of relationship with people will vary, it can’t be the same for everybody, but if we don’t have some deep connections we are in big trouble.
If all our Christian relationship is contained within formal meetings then we are missing God’s love.

If we do not really know some of our brothers and sisters journey, including the ugly bits, then we are not living as Jesus has called us to.
If we have no-one to share our journey with, including the ugly bits, then we are missing a fundamental foundation.

We need to have people to speak into our lives, people to share our lives with and people we are speaking into.  Over the last few years Nel and I had the privilege of spending time with some global leaders including some from the Chinese underground church.

What made all of these leaders different was the very genuine heart relationship that was obvious and opened up for us.  There were true fathers and mothers in the faith and lived a reality that we in the west desperately need.

Above all we need to have the foundation of our Father’s love underpinning all our relationships. We love because He first loved us.

So why don’t we have these sort of relationships? This is the pressing question of modern western local churches.

In a word, fear!

We fear rejection and emotional pain!  It would seem we are scared to be open, because it means from time to time we will be hurt.
We need to take a risk! And be open and even allow being hurt.
When we get hurt, we learn to forgive and heal. It is (in part) how we grow.

Not having pain means not growing.  This is the price of maturity.  When we take relational risks we find that there are people we can share life with and our calling and purpose become manifest.

When we are hurt, we have a healer – the Holy Spirit who carries us when needed; we also have good people that God has put into our lives to help in the healing process. But if we don’t have the right relationships we are alone – which is so wrong.  But in relationship we have the life of God and things really start happening.

John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has to do with punishment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.

Being alone is the worst situation we can be in; we have been designed to be in relationship.  We need to build our relationship with the Lord and each other.  This is not a chore but fun!

Fellowship is not just church meetings, it is about just hanging out and being together. We need to make time for each other beyond formal meetings.
It is the only way we can build meaningful relationships!  We have real relationships with several small groups and in turn connect with the wider Church in this city and nation.

Once relationships get real, Papa God will enable a whole bunch of fantastic things to happen!

On to fathers and mothers in the faith

Being fathers and mothers in the faith is where we all need to get real.  This is the natural outworking of relationships in the body of Christ.  Without this relational base to our walk with the Lord forget any aspirations to revival etc.

1 Corinthians 4:8 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

I would have one real father than 10,000 teachers/instructors!  We are privileged to have some genuine fathers in the faith.  In our most difficult times and when we need these fathers are there for us.  Also they celebrate our good times and we theirs.

This blog is a call for fathers and mothers in the faith to rise and turn their hearts to their children.  This is the imperative of the last verse of the old testament.  Without the reconciliation of generations, reconciliation of intercessors and church leaders, reconciliation of first nations in the land and so forth we cannot really progress.

Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

When the Lord’s reconciliation comes, and we pray, He will move in our land and the nations!  Now is the time Malachi 4:6 is being fulfilled.  The age of the Church, the Bride without spot or wrinkle is here!

How do we make this happen?

It is very simple!  We can start by spending regular time with other Christians, have a meal, or a tea/coffee, talk with each other, and even pray together.  Just be real with each other.  As Danny Silk said “If you minister to someone they might feel loved. If you love someone they will be ministered to”  In other words don’t try to be ‘spiritual’ just be a friend first.  Everything else will flow from loving each other.

There is always a good number of people praying each night on Zoom, and some are there every night.  Warwick even had to purchase a larger package on Zoom to accommodate even more intercessors the time when our Prime Minister Scott Morrison came on the call to pray during the prayer intensive 29th March 2020.

Kym and I have walked with Jesus since the seventies and in more recent times the Lord has placed us with different prayer ministries and so our prayer journey has deepened.

The people who really rule the world are those who know how to pray.
~ Derek Prince

Why prayer?

Prayer is the cry of the human heart to Creator God.  It can come in many forms; verbal, silent, groaning or tears.  Jesus, Our Lord taught us to pray to Our Father and many of us know the words of this prayer off by heart.

He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged.
~ Luke 18:1 HCSB

We pray because we want and need answers for the things that we cannot change on our own in this world.  Because God is a good Father, we know that He hears us and answers us.

And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.
~ 1 John 5:15 HCSB

I am sure that many of us have prayed and prayed until we have peace and then we know that the answer is on the way.  And when the answer comes, we rejoice and tell others about the goodness of Father God.

Effects of prayer

Prayer does not only change an individual, but it also changes nations.  When an individual believer is in the place of prayer with the Lord, he is transformed.

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 HCSB

After walking with Jesus for several years and having had various encounters, the cry of my heart was “Lord, I don’t want another experience – I want a changed life.”  The Lord took me very seriously, and so my journey has been perhaps a bit different from the experience of others.  We can minister from a place of His grace and He will bless others, but there is a greater spiritual authority when one has experienced the Father’s power in a certain area of life.  This gives us keys to share with others to help them with their breakthroughs.

Rees Howells, in his book Intercessor, shared many examples of prayer that made a difference in WWII and ultimately gave the victory to the Allies. We also have seen the turnaround for national issues through corporate prayer. It is a season to come together and see Australia changed.

The power of corporate prayer by the Ekklesia in unity and oneness is unstoppable.

Calling the Church to prayer

Even before my conversion, my friends who were sharing Jesus with me took me to a Tuesday night prayer meeting, and I had not even attended a Sunday service.  Right from the beginning, Father has been immersing me in prayer.

I was born again in 1971, and Ps Reg Klimionok was the Pastor of the Mt Gravatt church in Brisbane.  I walked a journey with this man, and he modelled to me and the congregation what a life of prayer looked like.  There were regular fasting times, all days of prayer for him in the church building alone on Saturdays. Sunday mornings, even before the service commenced, he was on the front steps of the church by the altar about half an hour before the service, kneeling and praying, and we joined him on those steps.  This was an awesome example of faithful prayer, and without it all other gifts will be lacking.

Jesus Himself did not draw strength from the Synagogue or Temple, but He drew aside frequently to pray to His Father in Heaven.

Yet He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed.
~ Luke 5:16 HCSB

How much more do we need to be in that place of prayer and remain like it says in Psalm 91:1?

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.
~ Psalm 91:1 HCSB

The first verb here, yashav  יָשַׁב means to sit, sit down, remain and the second verb, dwell, Lun לוּן means to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.  So, one goes from sitting and staying, to lying down and staying for a while.  To stay in His presence and not leave that intimate place is the ideal place for a believer.

Individual, congregational, and unity prayer

Many of us understand the benefits of individual prayer and intimacy with Jesus.  Fewer understand the importance of congregational or corporate prayer.  Many pastors have a prayer life and in some places there are prayer meetings before the service, which is great; however, prayer has been declining in churches over decades to the point now where many churches do not have a weekly congregational prayer meeting at all.

This photo shows us more clearly the prayers of years gone by where groups prayed on their knees for hours and found not only sweet consolation but glorious results.

So where to from here?

On Monday 25th May, as I was waking up I had a vision and a message from the Lord, which I shared with Warwick Marsh on the phone, and he encouraged me to write this article as I feel that the Lord has a message for us in it.

These are some of the salient points that the Holy Spirit showed me.  I saw a picture of a cul-de-sac which looked like a U-shape on the right-hand side.  The Lord was sharing with me that the churches were enjoying the benefits of the combined prayer of the people during this Covid-19 season.  He went on to share with me that now in order to maintain this current move of the Holy Spirit, congregations need to have their own prayer meetings, or the results will not last.

The right-hand side represents God’s side.  The cul-de-sac is a dead-end street. Combined prayer is really powerful, and each one of us who has been interceding on these Zoom prayer meetings knows that things are changing now as we come out of the Covid-19 season and back into a “new normal” routine.

The “now” message which I believe the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate to us is that the prayer in the next season needs to move back into the congregations.  Perhaps you could invite other believers to your homes to pray, or you might like to share with your Pastor the blessings of what we have learned through the Zoom sessions and request a weekly prayer meeting in your congregation.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned from being with mainland Chinese believers is that continual repentance sustains revival.  Many of us have been in moves of God that dissipate and we need to seek God for another move.

It is all about the heart, dear one, it is all about the heart.  May we learn from our Chinese brothers and sisters, how to cleanse our hearts with repentance, keep a clear channel with the Lord and with each other, then together we will see Father God move in our lives, congregations and nations to bring wonderful transformation that only He can bring about, and He will receive all the glory.

Well family, we have been travelling on this prayer journey together and now the “take home” message I received from the Holy Spirit is that we need to take this new level of prayer back to our local congregations.

Let’s consider what the true Passover is. First, it is the story of the final plague of Egypt (Angel of Death) passing over the Israelites who were captive in Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13) All who had the blood of a sacrificial lamb painted on the door posts were saved from the death plague. It is in the Passover Lamb we are delivered.

Secondly, we need to also understand Yom Kippur ( יוֹם כִּיפּוּר ), the Day of Atonement. It is the most solemn religious fast of the Jewish year. Yom Kippur held on the last of the ten days of penitence that begin with Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year). It is the day when a lamb, and other blood sacrifices, were made by the High Priest to cover the sin of the Jewish people.

Our understanding starts in John 1:29 where John the Baptist announced Jesus as the Lamb of God.  John was the final Old Testament prophet, the son of a priest, and as the chosen forerunner of Christ. He declared Jesus as the Passover Lamb of God. This is an absolutely powerful, complete, and transforming truth. Think of the awesome sequence of events God had planned just on the day of Christ’s crucifixion. On the day Christ died on the cross for our sins, it was the fourteenth day of Nisan, A.D. 33 (best understanding).

At the third hour (9:00 AM), Israel’s High Priest placed the paschal lamb on the altar for sacrifice. At that exact moment outside the city walls of Jerusalem, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was nailed to the cross.

For six hours both the paschal lamb and Jesus the Lamb of God, awaited death. Finally, at the ninth hour (3:00 PM), the High Priest ascended the altar in the Temple and sacrificed the Passover lamb.

God the Father allowed the total sin of the world to descend upon His Son Jesus and it was at that exact moment, from the cross, Jesus Christ’s words cried out over Jerusalem and echoed to the whole planet, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Passover the most pivotal moment in all of history, as it is the work of the cross and Jesus’ sacrifice that frees us from sin and death.

Three days later, after burial, descent into Hades setting the captives free, and His resurrection; that we have healing, deliverance, provision, and above all salvation in Christ Jesus.

This is our prime focus, His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. He is the Lamb of God. It is from this place we have been given eternal life and all the benefits of the Cross which include healing and healing of the nations.

Our response is simple: recognise our wretchedness, sin, and our need for God’s forgiveness; then we repent from our sin believing in Him, receiving His grace through faith.

We proclaim the incredible Good News of God’s forgiveness to all the world, lifting up the Name above all names, our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all this in mind and celebrating Passover (aka Easter) in a few weeks, we pray that the current plague will pass over.  We (the Ekklesia) stand in the gap and repent for the sins of our nation, and as grievous as those sins are, we ask for God’s mercy and grace at this difficult time.

We declare Passover for Australia.

We call Australia to repentance, faith, and salvation.

We call Australia to its Joseph anointing, a provider of things physical but more so a nation sending the Gospel of Jesus into the region (South Pacific) and to all nations.

This is the time for us, the Ekklesia (body of Christ), to shine, because we are salt and light, we have the answer to all the world’s issues, and that answer is complete in Jesus Christ, the crucified Lamb of God.

Matthew 24 tells of wars, rumours of wars, pestilences, earthquakes, lawlessness, and deception.
It is obvious that these things are happening, and time is short. The key to navigating all of these things is in Jesus’ words in verse Matthew 24:6 ‘See that you are not troubled’.

Also Luke 21 speaks of the end times. We need to especially focus on Luke 21:28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

Jesus gives us a key to life in John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace (Shalom). In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
We must live in the truth of Jesus’ words.

All of the bad things that are happening in the world (and especially wild rumours i.e. conspiracy theories etc.) bring fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). FUD is not the fruit of the spirit!
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Let’s apply this verse to overcome FUD.

We must not focus on the things happening as much as we should be lifting up the name of the Lord, worshipping Him, praying for one another in love, and preaching the gospel of His Kingdom.  Psalm 100 As we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise we will see His salvation.

Let’s pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters, many of whom have been praying for Australia in regards the drought and fires, the following verses:
Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty… My God, in Him I will trust.
Psalm 91:9-10 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.

We declare our love and the love of the Lord over our Chinese family and all affected by the virus. We pray that through these situations people will turn to the Lord and find Him and His salvation.  We humbly ask for healing of the people and the nations.

Update: Christian Family in Wuhan report that persecution has reduced and there is an increased ability to share the Gospel due to the virus.

Thank you God our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all your gracious blessings. We look to You the Author and Finisher of our faith for all strength, life, Shalom peace in the mighty and wonderful name of Jesus.

Amen!

Here is a video from our Chinese family in Wuhan:

It is all about our daily walk with the Lord and Him outworking His purposes in our lives.

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength Luke 10:27
2. Love your neighbour as yourself
   …then flowing from those two…
3. Preach the Gospel, making disciples of all nations Matthew 28:18-20

All these predicated on the fact we love because He first loved us !!!  1 John 4:19
In fact I see that ALL of our Christian activity must be based in the big three commands.  If our activity does not reflect at least one of these then why are we doing it?

We also need to fully understand that love is holy, i.e. to love requires holiness, and holiness requires love. They are inseparable.  We are called to both love and holiness.  This is in direct opposition to the spirit of this age.

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

The words of Jesus are self-explanatory. This is an outworking of His grace.  As Danny Silk says “Keep your love on” #KYLO

Of course, we are made righteous in Him by His grace. But grace, as we well know, is not licence to do what feels good, as the spirit of this age would try to impose on the Church.

We are called to repent, where we receive His grace through faith. It is His love that calls us to repentance and faith.  Repentance, often seen as a negative, is the door to fulfilment in Him.  When we have a clean heart He can do anything through us.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8 and Galatians 5:22-23

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30

As the year ends it is a time to reflect on His goodness in the last year and also look forward to the new year walking with the Lord and living out the Big Three Commandments through his love and grace.  As we do He will do great things.

As we enter the next year, be strong in the Lord, walk with Him, and expect Him do do mighty things.

Let’s pray:

Dear Papa God

Thank you that you make all things new. Thank You for all that you’ve allowed into our lives this past year, the good along with the hard things, which have reminded us how much we need You and rely on Your presence filling us every single day.

We pray for Your Holy Spirit to lead us each step of this New Year. We ask that You will guide our decisions and turn our hearts to deeply desire You above all else.

We ask that You will open doors needing to be opened and close the ones needing to be shut tight. We ask that You would help us release our grip on the things to which You’ve said “no,” “not yet,” or “wait.” We ask for help to pursue You first, above every dream and desire You’ve put within our hearts.

Forgive us for the times we have worked so hard to be self-sufficient, forgetting our need for You, living independent of Your spirit. Forgive us for letting fear and worry control our minds, and for allowing pride and selfishness wreak havoc over our lives. Forgive us for not following Your ways and for living distant from Your presence.

Help us to be known as great givers, help us to be generous and kind, help us to look to the needs of others and not be consumed by only our own.

May we be lovers of truth, may the fruits of Your spirit be evident in our lives – Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Shine your light in us, through us, and over us. May we make a difference in this world, for Your glory and purposes. Set Your way before us. May all Your plans succeed. May we reflect Your peace and hope to a world that so desperately needs Your salvation, presence, and healing.

To You be glory and honour, in this New Year, and forever.

In the mighty and wonderful name of Yeshua HaMashiach, Amen !

The challenge of the drought, strength of the Church and the humility to ask for rain relying on God’s grace.
Refer here to Canberra Declaration 

Key Scriptures

• 2 Chronicles 7:12-16
• Ezekiel 22:30
• Acts 14:17
  

  Reflection

We, in Australia are a nation of sinners who have sinned against God; including murdering our children and elderly, ignoring God’s moral law, and all manner of other actions against the Lord and His word.

So, do we have a right to pray for rain? Quite simply we do not deserve rain or any of the blessings we have from living in this amazing land called Australia. It is only by God’s grace that we have life and all the blessings of this land. It is His grace that allows us to ask for rain.

We the Ekklesia^#1 can stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30) in identificational repentance for Australia. Unlike Ezekiel there are people willing to say we will pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 and we are so grateful to all who stand with us for Australia during this month of prayer and fasting.

When we pray on behalf of someone else (the nation in this instance), we are standing in the gap on behalf of that person/nation before God. We are engaging in spiritual warfare on behalf of that person/nation.

Standing confidently in His grace and love enables us to pray effectively in faith. We have no other right than the shed blood of Jesus to ask for anything. But! What a right His sacrifice has won for us in that we have open free access to His throne.

Paul preaching to the pagans in Lystra Acts 14:17 says “He (God) did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness”.

So, we can ask for rain as a blessing and also ask for repentance and renewal in this land of Australia. In fact, it is incumbent upon us as believers to pray for the nation.

^#1 Ekklesia – Jesus used the Greek word Ekklesia to describe the Church. The word means “assembly, congregation, council”, or “convocation”. It carries a meaning of governmental authority. Jesus said Matthew 16:18  “on this rock I will build My Ekklesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Prayer

Lord God, revive and renew your Ekklesia (the Church) beginning with me that we may stand in Your righteousness and grace.
Forgive us our sins and the sins of this land of Australia.
Heal our wounds, give us joy in our faith, draw all to share your life, and use us all in your service.
We humbly ask for rain in the time of rain; we give thanks for this land of Australia and all the good gifts you give us.
For Jesus Christ’s sake, Lord of the Ekklesia, build us the Ekklesia together in unity and oneness in You, that we may declare the gospel of Your Kingdom.
Amen.

Daily Prayer Points for October

1. REPENTANCE – Father, give us the grace to repent as a nation in Jesus’ Name. Acts 3:19
2. RENEWAL – Lord, we pray for renewal in our hearts, in the church, in the community and in the nation. Numbers 14:17-20
3. RAIN – Father, we pray as we unite together to pray the first two prayers, that You will give us the rain because of Your abundant mercies. Matthew 5:45

Some of this word may apply to you or not; we trust that the part the Holy Spirit quickens what you need to hear.

Here is a quick study on the name Deborah and what I felt the Lord is encouraging this generation of women of God to pick up.

Deborah in Hebrew is Dev·ō·rä’ דְּבֹרָה

The name Deborah is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Deborah is: Bee. Deborah was the Biblical prophetess who summoned Barak to battle against an army of invaders.  After the battle she wrote a victory song which is part of the Book of Judges ch 4 and ch 5; please have a read of this mighty account.

The Hebrew meaning of Bee can be:

1. an ordered set of insects
2. a place of order
3. things brought into order.

The shoresh (Hebrew root) of Deborah is Dabar – dä·var’ דָּבַר
which has a complex meaning: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, to lead away, put to flight, or sing.

From this understanding I feel this is what the Lord is encouraging mighty women of God with:

First, each of you has been raised as a commander and are bring order to people with great gifts that don’t have a constructive way to use those gifts. You are ordering things for Kingdom purpose, arranging people so they are in the right place, with the right support, at the right time to fight the battle, but also to build the house of the Lord in an ordered and glorious manner.

Secondly, your song and command has great power.  Understanding the shoresh (Dabar) of the name Deborah is a key. There are hidden attributes and gifts in each of your lives that need to be brought forward. Those hidden promises of the Lord are either ripe and ready or soon will be. It is time to speak His word to people with great power and authority.

Thirdly, you are giving good wise counsel and judgement to people in your care. This is the mother’s heart; you are mothers in Israel. People will come to you seeking advice, you hear from the Lord and always guide them to the Lord. The Lord is looking for hearts open to Him and wants an even more intimate relationship that you can also impart to others on their journey.

We pray your are encouraged and built up in your faith through this word.

Judges 4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time.  5 And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgement.

Judges 5:7 Village life ceased, it ceased in Israel, Until I, Deborah, arose, Arose a mother in Israel.

• How Australia prays and intercedes for the Israeli elections (9th April) will affect our election in May (Maybe 18th)
• There is a spiritual linkage which is the Anzac spirit and the liberation of the Holy Land in WWI also Tobruk etc WWII
• Australia has supported Israel consistently since 1947 (the original UN vote etc.)
• Now is decision as to whether we Aussies are sheep or goats

Joel 3:14 says, “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”
Many evangelists have drawn from this passage to challenge audiences to “make a decision” for Christ. Others view this valley of decision as a time of judgement when the Lord decides the fate of the nations.
Which is it? An invitation or a prophecy of doom?
Either way it for us to choose and pursue the Lord and His ways.
It is time to pray for both nations and that righteousness reigns in both nations.

The focus of Joel 3 is on the soon coming Day of the Lord. This time will include a gathering of the nations (verse 2), a judgement on wickedness (verse 13), and astronomical signs (verse 15). Joel’s prophecy of the valley of decision finds its counterpart in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse and the judgement of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46).

This is a Holy Call to the Church in Australia to seek His face, to stand on the walls, to sound the alarm, and stand in the gap and repent for our national sin. 2 Chronicles 7:14

It is also time to pray from Heavenly places. Psalm 2 is a key understanding.

The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom
2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”?

4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:
6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

The battle is the Lord’s however He calls us to participate and to the level we enter into His call is how much we will receive. It is a choice. Choose HIM !!!

The Lord has given us (His Church)  the nations (for the gospel), but we need to appropriate His word, declare His word, and walk it out in prayer, intercession, and even travail.  Our thanks, praise, and worship is our best weapon. This call is more about lifting up the name of Jesus (Yeshua HaMashiach) than the politics going on at this time.

I saw a long line of people standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, dressed in white but also wearing armour, each holding a large sword.
I then saw the faces and I recognised many of these people being members of our home group, local congregations, and others from the prayer houses etc.
Each looked strong and carried a look of love and joy, faces shining with God’s glory.

Then in front of the line was a dark seething mass of darkness full of demonic activity including dark snakes hissing. This was the most horrible tangled mess of depravity.

Then as one, the line of saints stepped forward, the darkness started screaming. Then another united step forward as one. Each step forward caused the dark mass to recede. On each step forward various scriptures were being declared as if the word was being released over the darkness.

As the line stepped forward there were people trapped in the darkness being set free. They rose up, were cleansed, and came in behind the line and then joined in. Many many people were being set free.

I had a great sense that this vision was an insight into the wave that is happening in Australia (Awakening, Graham Tour, etc.). That we need to stand side by side in oneness prophesying and declaring the word of the Lord. It is a time to stand together as one in Christ.

AMEN

Hebrew letters are not just ordinary letters. Each letter is a symbol, full of many inner meanings, from literal straightforward meaning, to deeper spiritual meaning. Understanding the letters provides a wonderful insight into the deeper meanings of the Word.

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Background understanding

Let’s have a deep look at two key words in this verse, brethren (אָח – ‘ach) and unity (יַחַד  – yachad).  [read Hebrew right to left]

The word ‘ach has the meaning of:
Noun:
– brother of same parents
– half-brother (same father)
– relative, kinship, same tribe
– each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

The word yachad has the meaning of:
Noun: union, unitedness
Adverb: together, altogether, all together, alike

The Hebrew letters for the word ‘ach are Aleph אָ and Khet ח which have the root meanings of strong and wall. Thus the root image of brethren is a strong wall.

Yachad contains Khet ח and Dallet ד. Dallet has the root meaning of door. Thus the root image of unity is a wall with a door.

Insight

True brothers and sisters are a strong wall that is a place of strength, covering, protection, and provision.  In the body of Christ we are to be that place of love, acceptance, and strength to each other.  We know that the world will know we are His disciples by our love.

Jesus is our older brother who is the ultimate strong wall and fortress that we can run into.  He is our first and best example of brotherhood and unity.

The greatest love we can have is to lay down our lives for each other as Jesus modelled to us.  There is a cost that we are called to pay to love one another.

Understanding that unity is pictured as a wall with a door shows us that unity is about connection and relationship.  Unity must become practical on the ground not just some theological concept.  The outworking of unity will be laying down agendas, control, selfishness, and then to serve one another personally and corporately.

When another person or congregation has success or is stepping out in a faith initiative we come and support, celebrate, encourage, and sow into them.  The time for jealousy, criticism, selfishness, and doubt is over.

On a personal level we need to ensure we have good relationship with other brothers and sisters in Christ as far as it is possible for us to do so.  It is time to heal hurts, release, forgive, and above all love.

It is time to genuinely love one another, not just seek ministry. As Danny Silk once said: ‘If you minister to people they may be loved, if you love people they will be ministered to.’  #KYLO (Keep Your Love On)

On a corporate level the Church, made up of many congregations, needs to come together as brethren in unity and each local congregation needs to support other congregation in a local geography and beyond.

This unity is beyond just the occasional joint event, but leaders in regular fellowship and prayer, then local congregations relating and working together for gospel transformation of their geographic region.

Psalm 133:3b For there the LORD commanded the blessing – Life forevermore.

The end of Psalm 133 has a commanded blessing when brethren dwell together in unity which is ‘Life forevermore’.  Unity is not an option, but is an eternal mandate.  It comes from us being a strong wall to each other and being connected in both an agape (God like selfless) and phileo (brotherly)  love for each other.

Prayer

Abba Father ! We pray as Jesus prayed…

John 17:20-23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

We ask that we all receive a deeper revelation and understanding of brethren dwelling together in unity.
We repent of selfishness, control, jealousy, denominations, agendas, and above all not loving one another.
We repent of not fully recognising Your body the Church.
We ask again for the gifts and blessings we need to serve one another in love.

We declare that we are one in Christ Jesus!

We bless the reader of this prayer in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen!

Numbers 6:23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:’
24 ‘The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’

A much fuller translation of the blessing based on the full Hebrew rendering is:

24 Yahweh will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.
25 Yahweh will illuminate the wholeness of his being toward you bringing order and he will give you comfort and sustenance.
26 Yahweh will lift up his wholeness of being and look upon you and he will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.

This full translation gives us a deep insight into the heart and ways of the Lord.

In this part 1 I will unpack verse 24.

Two phrases stand out in vs 24 – bless you (בָּרַךְ baruch) and keep you (שָׁמַר shamar).

First, the full meaning of baruch is to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit).

The idea of the Lord kneeling before us is very confronting, and when I first considered it I felt that I should be kneeling before Him and worshipping Him.
I felt the Lord say that I needed to let Him to wash my feet, and as soon as I knew that I realised that it was exactly this that Jesus did at the last supper.
It is the nature of the Lord to bless and then in turn, as we receive His blessing, we are then well able to bless others.

We need to humble ourselves to allow the Lord to bless us! He wants to bless us and we often are too hung up with issues that prevent His blessing. Don’t reject the Lord’s blessing, receive it with humility and grace and then give it to others.

If you want a really good understanding of blessing check out Richard Brunton’s book ‘The Awesome Power of Blessing’.

James 1:17 Every good gift (blessing) and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Of course blessing is outlined in Matthew 5:3-11 (the beatitudes).

Secondly, the full meaning of shamar is to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, observe, to preserve.

As we come into His blessing we also come into His protection. This protection of the Lord is something we need to actively receive and apply in our lives.
When life issues come along, we need to run into His protection. He wants to guard us, but often we go outside His boundaries and protection.

We can stay within his protection by simply following Him. The shortest sermon ever was when Jesus said ‘Follow me’. When we obey that call we come into His protection and have the ability to deal with anything in His grace and His strength.

Proverbs 4:6 Do not forsake her (wisdom), and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Psalm 5:11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Prayer

Dear Abba Father
We humbly pray for people reading this that You will kneel before us presenting gifts and You will guard us with a hedge of protection!
Allow our hearts and minds be open to Your word, Your truth and Your life.
Let us humble ourselves and receive all that You have provided for us.
We bless the reader in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; amen!

Releasing the Aaronic Blessing – Part 2

This video from the Ancient Hebrew Research Centre will bless you…

We desperately need to know that Father God is so much more about restoration than punishment. The wages (and consequences) of sin is death, but the Lord wants us to receive His life and restoration via repentance and belief in the Lord.

The word restore means ‘to return someone or something to a former good condition, place, or position.’

If we think about cars and furniture, two things you often hear about as being restored. At some point in the past, every car and every piece of furniture was brand new. But, with use and wear’n’tear, they will become worn out and sometimes degrade into a state of disrepair.
If they aren’t restored, they often end up in the Sims scrap metal yard or the rubbish dump left to rust and rot away.

The are skilled people who restore old cars and furniture. We have seen rust buckets turned into show cars (with some significant TLC). We have seen restoration shows on TV where rotting furniture is brought back to life and use by the hands of a skilled restorer.  Jesus is the ultimate restorer.

Sometimes Christians fall into a useless state due to sin and failures. Long after the joy and zeal of knowing Jesus has faded, and after we’ve allowed sin to cripple us, we find ourselves in need of restoration.  Sadly, once we reach this point, we often allow Satan to accuse us and shame us into thinking we could never be of any use to God’s kingdom. ‘Look at you,’ he says. ‘What good are you? You’ve sinned/failed/crashed, you haven’t followed, and you’re worthless. God will never use you again.’

I’ve been there.  We’ve all probably been there.

Thankfully and graciously the Lord doesn’t see things this way. In John 21:15-19 we see the restoration of Peter after he did what he said he would not, that is he denied the Lord.

Jesus can and does restore the worst of us to a brand new life, holiness and usefulness.  I’m totally convinced that the Lord desires for those of us who’ve failed, slipped, messed up, and crashed to live completely restored lives.

In John 21 Jesus asks Peter three times ‘Do you love me?’.  The the first two time Jesus asks Peter, the Greek word for love is agape, i.e. Do you love me with God’s sort of selfless love.  Most of us understand this.

The third time Jesus asks Peter He uses the Greek word phileo or do you love me as a brother.  My Australian paraphrase of this is ‘Are you my best mate?’.
This is really important to understand.
Most of us get the idea of God’s sort of sacrificial selfless agape love; but the Lord also wants us as His best mate! He wants us in a relationship of intimacy, love, meaning, and hope.

In our culture we understand what a best mate is; it is the person we can trust in everything, we can rely on our best mate, our best mate will be there when we are in trouble, and they will be with us when we celebrate high points in life.  Jesus is, and wants to be, our best mate.

We need to have both sorts of love. First the sacrificial selfless agape love of the Lord. Secondly, a deep relational ‘best mates’ kind of love.  The Lord has our back at all times, He is there even when we have crashed and burned.  He never leaves us even when we turn our back on Him.  He always wants to restore our souls.

When our love is flowing in the ocean of His love we are restored.  It is only in His love that we can be restored.

My prayer is that we all would simply turn to Him and receive His love and let Him work whatever is needed to change us to be more like Him.

This word has been stirring in my spirit for some time and this is a summary of what I have sensed in the Spirit.

The Lord has been saying it is time for us (His Church) to move forward in greater healing and miracles.
Healing and miracles will flow freely when we have humble, broken, contrite and willing hearts.

There is a direct link between our hearts and His pouring out of great and wonderful miracles.
This is not works!
This is grace as we simply need to open our hearts to His love for things to happen; it requires nothing of us except our openness to God.
Faith is part of being totally open to God; faith fully based in knowing His grace and love.
We can pray and believe and then see things happen because we KNOW He loves us with an unending love.

The Lord is not looking for a hyped up faith; but faith completely based in knowing His heart and His love.
We need time in His presence to know God and His heart.

In each of the three scriptures (below) the Lord has highlighted there are conditions on healing and miracles.
The conditions are simply the condition of our hearts.
(Exodus 15:26) To do right in His sight is to Love with His love.
(1 Corinthians 11) We can humble ourselves, search our hearts, judge ourselves and repent.
(Isaiah 53) We who are sheep gone astray come back to His love and His presence; His whipping (stripes) bring healing when we allow Him to take our sin and iniquity.

Everything that happens will be because of Jesus’ work in the cross and will to to the glory of God!

Not one thing is dependent on anything we do in the sense of works.
Only believe!  Only love God!  Only have our hearts totally open to Him in worship!

Go out from the place of worship, pray the love of God onto those in need, demonstrate His love, and then command healing in Jesus mighty name.

Scriptures

Exodus 15:26 If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you.

1 Corinthians 11:29 For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1 Kings 3:9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?
So we find in 1 Kings 3:12 that he Lord gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart because of Solomon’s request for an understanding heart.

The word in Hebrew for understanding is ‘shama’ which has quite a deep meaning of which three elements are:
a) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
b) to understand
c) to obey, be obedient (obey the Lord)

These are key things a leader needs.
a) to hear the Lord and His people. Being quiet and listening to the Lord is so important to be calibrated to His heart.
b) to have divine understanding of people’s needs and understand each situation they face. Our understanding can fail, but when we received divine revelation and understanding we can be Jesus to those in need
c) to obey the Lord and know and live in His ways.  Obedience of the heart, not just a mechanical following of law. This is so much about knowing Him and His ways. It is about having a heart like David, a man after the heart of God.

The idea of an understanding heart in leaders draws together two other thoughts that have been emphasised in the last couple of years.
These other thoughts are:
1) Leaders need to be shepherds first (2 Sam 5:2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’) Pastor Mark Baker taught this idea powerfully in 2015 at the Gathering of the Generals in Kenya then Uganda.  King David was to be a shepherd then to be a ruler.

2) You can’t be a shepherd unless you are also a Father.  (John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.) John 10 shows that Jesus the great shepherd is also manifesting the Father’s heart. (spiritual dad Graham Taylor asked me some time ago to think about the connection of shepherds to fathers, and John 10 became the key to this study)

So bringing all of this together we as leaders need to be fathers, shepherds; and to lead with a hearing, understanding and obedient heart to the Lord.

Further, Solomon had a conditional promise in 1 Kings 3:14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. This verse can be broken down into the following:
a) walking in His ways – this connects with the idea of Moses knowing the ways (heart) of God and Israel knew the acts of God. Solomon was to know God and the His heart.
b) keeping the Lord’s statutes and commandments which is summed up by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40.  We are to love the Lord with everything and also our neighbour. Having a loving heart is essential.  This also implies a humble, forgiving and repentant (soft and changeable) heart before the Lord.
c) as your father David walked – David of course was the LORD had sought for Himself a man after His own heart.  Again leadership is a heart issue.

So beyond the ‘shama’ understanding heart, there is the idea that we need to know Him more and that all Wisdom comes from knowing His heart.   We cannot have a wise and understanding heart without seeking Him and His ways.

I feel that the Lord is calling leaders to a deeper connection with Him so they might be more effective fathers and shepherds to the people God has given into their care.

The Lord is calling for the hearts of the fathers and the hearts of the children to be reconciled and again turn to each other. Malachi 4:6 has been a huge prophetic theme at this time going back a couple of years.  Reconciliation, repentance, and restoration are ministries of the fathers of the faith.
In a society where Godly morals and values are crumbling fathers and mothers in the faith are rising up in love, power, and strength to bring healing and restoration to lives.  Each of us are called to this purpose.

City and national transformation will come as the fathers and mothers in the faith bring the hearts of the children before the Lord.

*** As a side note (thanks Graham Taylor) we need to stop using the word mentor and use the word father/mother.  Let me explain.  Consider the following three models of teaching.

1) Guru/disciple (as in maybe a buddhist or other situation). If the disciple messes up (sins) then they get the left boot of fellowship and the relationship ends.

2) Mentoring. This is a secular business term. If the relationship between the mentor and mentee is strained, then they both just walk away. There is no deep abiding commitment in mentoring.

3) Father/son heart relational. As a father when my child sins I will continue to reach out in love.  Consider Luke 15 and the prodigal; the father never stopped looking for the return of his son, and when the son returned he was loved and restored.  The son can always turn to the father when things go wrong and be restored.  Sons need the input of love and discipline from their fathers.
So stop being a mentor and start being a father to those who God has put in your life.

Here is a blessing prayer for fathers and mothers in the faith!  I pray this for you all.

(More on blessing prayers here: The Awesome Power of Blessing – free book )

Abba Father I bless each father and mother in the faith in Jesus mighty name!
I bless each of you with a ‘shama’ understanding heart the you might lead with love, grace, and wisdom.
I call forth the Spirit of reconciliation, repentance, and restoration over your lives as Holy Spirit shepherds you on your journey by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I bless those fathers and mothers who have taken upon themselves, the responsibility of parenting many sons and daughters in the faith, in Jesus name!
I bless you fathers and mothers with vision, direction, protection, health, healing, compassion, care, love, fulfilment, prosperity and all that God has for your life.
I bless you fathers and mothers with all that God has for you in this next year and beyond; may His purposes be complete in your life.
I declare that you fathers and mothers are blessed and called of the Lord for His good purposes.
May you to be great speakers who do not flatter, but speak truth in love that is received.
May you be a fruitful bough by a clean and pure well, and may your branches run over the wall.
I bless you with forgiveness for people, mercy to be in your heart, and passion for the Lamb of God and Yahweh Almighty.
May you have intimacy with the Father in heaven and that this will lead to knowing His heart in all matters.
May grace flow from your family line in the favour of God.
May your bow remain in strength, and the arms of your hands be made strong by the hand of the Mighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in Jesus Christ’s Name.
May you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit clearly and obey at all times.
May you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour more deeply with a love built on the Heavenly Father’s Precepts.
I bless you each one in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

refer:  The Awesome Power of Blessing and in the context of the Paris conference 2017-01-15

Papa God thank you that we can come to You and present these requests!
We worship and praise You because You are the Lord God of Israel!

We bless Jerusalem and all the people and land of Israel in the name of Yeshua HaMashiach!

We bless Jerusalem with Shalom peace according to Psalm 122:6 in the name of the Prince of Peace!

May the people of Israel to come to know their Messiah, Yeshua according to Psalm 40:7 and Isaiah 53; in the name of Yeshua the Lamb of God!

We bless Israel’s borders that they may be secure and extended to all that you promised according to Exodus 23:31 in the name of the as Captain of the host of the Lord! – Joshua 5:14

We declare Exodus 23:27 “I will send my terror before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs unto you.” over the land of Israel and her people.  We declare this to the UN and Paris meeting of nations.  No weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17)

We declare Jerusalem and the whole land of Israel to be united and protected from being divided according to Joel 3:2 and the name of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

May the nations understand the depth of God’s wrath against those who don’t follow Him according to Isaiah 60:12 and they repent from their wicked ways.

We ask you Lord God Almighty to keep a watchful eye over Your People, and bind the schemes and resources of their enemies so they can do them no harm according to Zechariah 12:1-5 and Psalm 91!

We bless Bibi Netanyahu and all Israel’s leaders that they will first be shepherds and then to rule (2 Sam 5:2), so Israel’s citizens can live in Shalom peace and they will come to salvation (1 Timothy 2:1-4) in the name of Jesus our saviour.

May the Government of Israel be just and give their country stability, and be free from corruption (Proverbs 29:4)

We bless all the leaders that they would ask God for wisdom and follow His word and leading according to James 1:5

Community blessing for Israel
We bless every household in Israel.
We bless every marriage and we bless the relationships between family members of different generations.
We bless Israel health and your wealth.
We bless the work of your hands.
We bless every wholesome enterprise Israel is involved with. May Israel prosper outrageously!
We bless the pupils at your schools; we bless them to learn and to understand what they are taught.
May they grow in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man.
We bless the teachers in Israel and pray that school may be a safe and wholesome place, where belief in God and in Yeshua HaMashiach can be comfortably taught.
We speak to the hearts of all the people who are in Israel.
We bless them to be open to the wooing of the Holy Spirit and to become more and more responsive to the voice of God.

May the people and nations take this Scripture to heart and bless Israel, thus receiving a blessing and not a curse according to Genesis 12:3!

We bless you Lord! Bless the Lord O my soul … and we forget none of Your benefits; according to Psalm 103

We as intercessors stand together before you Adonai and we Bless the Land and People of Israel in the name of The Most Gracious Father, The Son Jesus and the The Mighty Holy Spirit – AMEN!