2. GAZA: THE FUSE IS LIT
3. GAZA: AN INTELLIGENCE DISASTER
4. KATYUSHA ROCKETS FROM LEBANON FALL ON ISRAEL
5. ISRAELI PM EHUD OLMERT ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON ON TUESDAY
6. GAY PRIDE MARCH IN JERUSALEM ON THURSDAY
7. PRAY FOR THE CHRISTIANS OF GAZA
..to give you perspective .. for prayer.1. EXPLOSION DESTROYS SUNNI MOSQUE IN BASRA
An explosion leveled a Sunni mosque Saturday in Basra, residents said, in the second retaliatory attack in as many days for the toppling of minarets at a prized Shiite shrine in Samarra. Iraqi police did not immediately respond to the bombing of the al-Ashrah al-Mubashra mosque, witnesses said, raising fears that the city's Shiite-dominated security forces were unwilling to stop sectarian attacks on Sunni landmarks.
Meanwhile Defense Secretary Robert Gates was in Baghdad, where a citywide curfew remained in place to prevent mosque attacks or other retaliatory violence. He was expected to press the Iraqi government to move more quickly toward political reconciliation and other vital reforms that many see as critical to gaining control of violence in the country.
On Friday, police said bombers posing as television cameramen destroyed another important Sunni mosque near Basra, the Talha Bin al-Zubair shrine. Afterward, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered an indefinite curfew in Basra, which remained in effect Saturday. The attacks were in apparent retaliation for the suspected al-Qaida bombing of the Shiite Askariya shrine in Samarra three days earlier. Wednesday's explosions brought down the mosque's towering minarets and stoked panic that Iraq could fall further into a spiral of sectarian killings. (Associated Press)
· Pray for all the citizens of Basra, both Shi'a and Sunni, that they can reach some enduring cessation of violence. Forgiveness, like Father and love, is not known in the Koran. Pray for a knowledge of forgiveness to enter into the hearts of the Moslems. God loves these people and wants them in His kingdom also.
· "The Lord will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways." (Deuteronomy 28:7)
2. GAZA: THE FUSE IS LIT
As predicted, the Gaza Strip has gone the way of radical Islam and is today under total Hamas control. For all practical purposes, Israel now has to deal with another Islamic terror state on its southern border, located only 45 miles from the main population centers of the Tel Aviv Metro area where nearly 2.5 million Israelis reside. Not a very appealing scenario.
The internal Palestinian violence began in earnest when Hamas fighters (the radical Palestinian wing) attacked gunmen from the rival Fatah (comparatively moderate) movement in early May. Apparently, it was the discovery of a Hamas plot to assassinate Fatah leader and Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, which triggered the recent takeover. With Abbas' security forces raiding Hamas positions throughout the Gaza Strip, Hamas fighters responded with an all out offensive, virtually closing down the Gaza strip to all civilian activities including commerce and education. Once again, the Palestinian population is being held hostage and is sacrificed at the altar of their leaders' brutal ambitions.
· While the intercessors should not be surprised at the unfolding of events (we have been commenting on the progressive nature of the crisis for many months), we are nevertheless called to hold our positions "on the walls" in prayer for God's purposes to be accomplished in the midst of the continual crisis.
· "'Comfort, O comfort My people,'" says your God. 'Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.' A voice is calling, 'clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.'" (Isaiah 40:1-5)
[This is an excerpt from a report issued by Reuven and Mary Lou Doron, One New Man Call Ministries. To read the article in its entirety, go here.
3. GAZA: AN INTELLIGENCE DISASTER
The worst and most devastating blow since the Hamas takeover of Gaza is to US, British and Israeli intelligence services, for after capturing Fatah's Security Services headquarters, Hamas seized hundeds of documents, tapes, and records of intelligence material of American, British and Israeli origin. Never before has such a windfall of Western intelligence secrets fallen into the hands of a terrorist organization bitterly hostile to America, Israel and indeed, all of the western world. The seizure of the building went so quickly that there was no time to shred documents, or destroy computer disks and archives. The entire collection is now in the hands of Hamas.
Hamas has taken possession of hundreds of thousands of documents cataloguing the clandestine operations of Western intelligence services in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the oil emirates. They include complete archives of Palestinian undercover links with foreign intelligence services going back decades, with names of spies, political trustees and double agents. They cover the secret ties Palestinian intelligence maintained from the 1970s, when Yasser Arafat was based in Lebanon, with the Americans, the British, the French, the Israelis and many others.
Hamas is delirious with excitement. The treasure they seized is better than gold and silver - but will also bring them plenty of the same. Iran will readily pay massively for such an explosive collection of western secrets. Tehran - with these documents and computer disks - will have every means available to pre-empt and/or sabotage US operations in the region, not to mention being able to liquidate secret agents.
June 14, 2007, will go down in history as a day of disaster, but how many Americans and Europeans, particularly British citizens, realize the gravity of what happened that day and the ramifications for their lives in the near future. (DEBKA-FILE)
· Pray that all the hard disks containing the intelligence will somehow disappear from the possession of the Hamas, never reaching Iran, nor any other enemy. Ask the Lord to intervene and to allow the disks to be destroyed before any harm can be executed. Pray that President Bush sees the significance of this take-over by Hamas and allows no more pressure on Israel to give up land for peace. A reality check is needed now.
· "But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, O God: Thou art my Help and my Deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying." (Psalm 70:5)
4. KATYUSHA ROCKETS FROM LEBANON FALL ON ISRAEL
Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon fell on northern Israel Sunday afternoon, police and the military said. No one was hurt, but there was some damage, they said. They were the first rockets fired from Lebanon since last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas, when almost 4,000 rockets were fired at Israel.
Sunday's attack raised the possibility of an Israeli reprisal raid and a new flareup between the two countries. It came as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was arriving in the United States for talks. In New York, an official with Olmert said the prime minister was briefed about the incident. "Israel will not succumb to this provocation but will monitor the situation carefully," the official said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, indicating that Israel would not hit back.
· This could well be the beginning of the "next round" of war in Israel. Continue in prayer for the safety of all Israeli citizens -- Arab and Jew -- in the days ahead. Offer praise that our Lord has an angelic host, ready to do His bidding on a moment's notice. Praise God!
· "Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word." (Psalm 103:20)
5. ISRAELI PM EHUD OLMERT ARRIVES IN WASHINGTON ON TUESDAY
According to the news daily, Haaretz (6/14/07) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert plans to recommend to President Bush during an upcoming meeting at the White House (June 19) that Gaza and the West Bank should be viewed as two separate entities.
As part of this new policy, the Israeli defense establishment is seeking to ensure that the factional fighting and Islamist takeover occurring in Gaza does not spread to the West Bank. (Haaretz, 6/14/07)
Prime Minisiter Omert still plans to give the Golan to Syria. This would be catastrophic for Israel, not only for those who live in the Golan but it is one of the main paths for both water and also for the Syrian armies is they were to move south in to Israel. Pray that:
- Omert will see that trying to appease our enemies only makes them hungry for more
- Omert will not continue with his plan to give the Golan to Syria!
- the residents of the Golan would not be passive - that they would have a strong resolve to resist forcing the government not to make these strategic changes. (Intercessors for Israel, www.ifij.org)
6. GAY PRIDE MARCH IN JERUSALEM ON THURSDAY
..Members of the ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem protesting Wednesday against a Gay Pride scheduled to take place in the city next week. (Richard Eriksen / BauBau)After a number of cancellations, next week the gay pride rally comes to Jerusalem. The march is now scheduled to take place in the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday, June 21.
Lord:
- we ask you even at this late date to stop this flood of sin coming sin into Jerusalem.
- if it does come, protect the younger generations.
- we want Jerusalem as a city of holiness. Please open the eyes of those in this city to see you. Reveal yourself to this city.
Orthodox demonstrations
The orthodox are already demonstrating against the rally. They are blocking roads and lighting dumpsters (which is known to bring disease).
Lord:
- give them a desire to speak truth from your word.
- give the Rabbis wisdom not to incite those under them.
- stop any sickness from spreading.
- give the police wisdom to know how to deal with these potentially inflamatory situations.
- bring the plans of those in the gay pride movement to nothing. (Intercessors for Israel; www.ifij.org)
· This kind of chaos is probably not the most effective way to protest, but at least the righteous are standing up against wickedness. Pray that even yet this parade can be stopped from polluting the streets of God's holy city, Jerusalem. Pray also that homosexuals will pursue healing and not think that this lifestyle (a sin) is acceptable or a right.
· "The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries" (Psalm 11:5; 1 Peter 4:3).
[Bridges for Peace]
7. PRAY FOR THE CHRISTIANS OF GAZA
Now that Hamas is in power, they will be organizing Gaza as an Islamic state. This puts those who believe in Yeshua at more risk than usual. Many are now in hiding. Please pray that:
- the believers would have great wisdom, to know what to do and when to do it.
- they would know if they are to leave Gaza or to stay (some have expressed a desire to stay to help new believers).
- they will not become discouraged and lose hope
- the Lord will protect them from the violence, that the blood of Yeshua would be on their doorposts
- that the Lord will lead them clearly every day, where to go and where not to go
- that they would have supernatural provision
(Intercessors for Israel, www.ifij.org)
· PLEASE READ ALL OF PSALM 91 ON BEHALF OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST WHO ARE NOW INSIDE GAZA.
