為以色列時事禱告 (May 24, 2011)


在耶路撒冷橄欖山上方的雲層
(這座山在1967年前是在以色列國界之外)

『神啊，求你憐憫我，憐憫我！因為我的心投靠你。我要投靠在祢翅膀的蔭下，等到災害過去。』(詩篇57:1)

『以色列和巴勒斯坦的邊界應當以1967年的邊界為基礎，透過雙方同意換地，由此替兩國建立安全與獲得公認的邊界。（歐巴馬總統演說的一部份）』

歐巴馬是美國第一位公開提議以色列回到1949到1967時期邊界的總統，那十八年間以色列持續受到三個充滿敵意國家的攻擊和騷擾；直到她受到毀滅的威脅，她還擊了，在六天裡神蹟地驅逐敵軍離開耶路撒冷、猶大、撒瑪利亞、迦薩走廊、西乃半島與哥蘭高地。現在，美國總統要所有猶太人退回當時的邊界（在他演說裡繼續苛責『以色列屯墾區活動』）。以色列事先得到演說的草稿，迫切想要說服美國政府更改『1967』的說法，卻完全無用。

以色列總理納坦雅胡在前往美國之前，立刻強硬回應：以色列不會退回1967年的邊界。隔天他在美國首府會見歐巴馬總統，隨後他與媒體會面，納坦雅胡藉此機會公開表達，他強烈不同意歐巴馬先前的部分演說。他說到：『以色列預備為和平做出大量的妥協，卻無法回到1967年的邊界，這些邊界無法防禦，因為沒有考慮到這些年間在土地上所發生的變化─人口的變化。』

在歐巴馬強調領袖必須像朋友一般『說真話』之後，納坦雅胡提出一個歐巴馬說會日後解決的『情感』議題，就是巴勒斯坦人要求在1948年逃離以色列的數百萬人可以『回去』，倘若同意此要求將有效終結猶太國─納坦雅胡說：『這絕不會發生！每一個人都知道這不會發生。我想現在是直接告訴巴勒斯坦人的時候了，這絕對不會發生。』正如以色列總理談論中所指出的：『以假象為基礎的和平最終只會擊碎瀕於破裂的中東實體。』

美國總統的評論和提議並非全然令人憂傷；我們在此的目的不是要檢視這些提議，所有的演說在網路上都看得到。當歐巴馬總統隔天在美國以色列公共事務委員會演說時，他的修辭緩和許多，他談到1967年的邊界被誤解了；以色列和巴勒斯坦會協商出一個邊界，不同於1967年六月四日所存在的邊界，那是『許多人一個世代以來努力在此問題上，所達成的一個眾所皆知的方案』，他不過是公開表達私下談了好多年的事情。

這次總統的演說考慮到『人口變化的問題』；他並沒有預期以色列花如此長的時間與巴勒斯坦領袖協商，中間還有一個不願改變的哈瑪斯。他也強烈重申：他反對巴勒斯坦人單方面的在今年秋天宣布建國。他談到三年前的西牆經歷，他說：『當我的手碰到西牆，在古老的石頭上放進我的禱告，我想到以色列兒女長久以來一直渴望回到他們古老的家園。』言外之意說明以色列的確擁有對這古老土地的連結，這是來自美國政府新的公開承認。

這星期一（5/23）納坦雅胡總理會在美國以色列公共事務委員會上發表演說，星期二（5/24）他受邀在國會對參眾兩院的議員發表演說，談論上週所發生的事，我們絕不是要指控與譴責美國。然而，我們相信美國總統的提議所影響到不只是以色列，也讓美國成為非常危險的區域。從現在開始，以色列必須必須面對的一個協商伙伴，會要求以美國總統的新提議為依歸。對美國而言，我們相信神嚴肅看待1967年所發生的事：當特別的事發生在錫安（這個名字與另一個字『指標』有關，釋放出一個特別的重要意義讓世界觀看。

在1967年，是以色列2400年以來第一次，得到古老家園的核心，包括耶路撒冷、聖殿山和橄欖山，接著聖靈新一波的能力席捲全地，越過了教派間的分界線；點燃了『耶穌運動』；最棒的是，二千年以來猶太人第一次開始大量進入神的國，在一個世代猶太人承認耶穌是他們的彌賽亞和救主，也發現自己裡面有一個覺醒，他們留意到自己和神對亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各與土地古老之約的關係─在以色列的彌賽亞肢體將甦醒過來！

神是這一切事的作者，凡是想要翻轉此局面的將使自己陷入極大的危險。儘管我們猜想上週四美國所宣告的事情，天上可能已經終止，我們並不認為情況是毫無盼望！我們已經看到整個政府可以被神影響；自從加拿大有一位屬神的領袖，按著神的目的為以色列站立，我們見證了這幾年在加拿大所發生的事。當美國還有其影響力，現在是美國人民選出為真理站立的屬神領袖的時候了。

請禱告：

*當納坦雅胡總理星期二在國會對參眾兩院的議員發表演說，求神賜下更多的勇氣，他的話能傳來正直和勇氣的響聲。

*為著國會裡的男女有耳可聽神現在的帶領，並充滿勇氣朝著那方向前進。

*為歐巴馬總統瞭解他走錯方向，求主賜下憐憫引導他改變方向，原來的方向無法祝福他所帶領的國家。

*以色列至高者釋放啟示和引導，讓以色列知道要如何因應六日戰爭所得來的土地。

*求主憐憫在猶大、撒瑪利亞、迦薩走廊、哥蘭高地、黎巴嫩、約旦以及其他地方的巴勒斯坦人─找到可以潔淨內心、釋放他們得自由的生命源頭，也求主關照他們的需要，使他們有容身之處、豐盛生命，對未來充滿盼望。

馬汀和娜瑪‧賽維士（Martin & Norma Sarvis）
於耶路撒冷


PRAYER UPDATE FROM ISRAEL (May 24, 2011)

"Be Merciful to me, O God, be merciful to Me! For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by." (Psalm 57:1)

"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."

Thus President Obama on Thursday realized the apprehensions we sought to express in last week's Update. He is the first American leader to publically propose that Israel basically return to the borders she had between 1949 and 1967, a period within which she endured 18 years of continual attacks and harassment from three hostile nations; until, threatened with annihilation, she struck first, and in six days miraculously drove the armies of those oppressing nations out of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Sinai and the Golan Heights. Now the President would have these borders serve as a point for withdrawal of virtually all Jews now living beyond them (in his speech, the President spoke critically of the continuing of "Israeli settlement activity"); and in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, they would become the defining lines of a new state totally unrelated to the armies which occupied them during those 18 years.
Having obtained a draft of the speech beforehand, Israel tried desperately to convince the US Administration to change the"1967" wording-but to no avail. With the mention of pre-'67 borders, a line was crossed. Before travelling to the US, Prime Minister Netanyahu responded immediately and forcefully: Israel will not be withdrawing to the 1967 borders. The next day he met for two intense hours with the President in Washington. At the public press meeting in the Oval Office which followed, a meeting where leaders are usually expected to highlight areas wherein they have come to agreement, Mr Netanyahu took opportunity to speak out publically his strong disagreement with certain tenets of Obama's speech the day before, "While Israel is prepared to make generous compromises for peace, it cannot go back to the 1967 lines. These lines are indefensible, because they don't take into account certain changes that have taken place on the ground, demographic changes." Following Obama's emphases that leaders must as friends "tell the truth", Netanyahu addressed one of the "emotional" issues which the President had suggested be solved later, the Palestinian demand that millions of descendants of those who fled Israel in 1948 be granted "right of return", a demand which if granted would effectively spell the end of the Jewish State-"It's not going to happen!" said Netanyahu, "Everybody knows it's not going to happen. And I think it's time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly that it's not going to happen." As the Israeli Prime Minister pointedly remarked, "A peace based on illusions will crash eventually on the rocks of Middle Eastern reality."

All of the President's remarks and propositions were not distressing. It is not our purpose here to examine them; the speech is readily available on the internet. When President Obama the following day addressed a conference of the Jewish lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), he had noticeably softened his rhetoric. His remarks on the '67 borders had been misunderstood; the Israelis and Palestinians would negotiate a border which was different than the one existing on June 4, 1967; he had only been expressing publically what had been spoken privately for years, "a well known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation". And the President this time spoke of taking into account "new demographic realities on the ground"; of not expecting Israel to negotiate with the Palestinian leadership so long as it included an unreformed Hamas. He also strongly reiterated his opposition to the Palestinians unilaterally declaring statehood this fall. And he spoke of his experience at the Western Wall three years ago, when he "touched my hand against the [Wall] and placed my prayer between its ancient stones, I thought of all the centuries that the children of Israel had longed to return to their ancient homeland." This implication that Israel actually had an ancient connection to the land was a welcome new public acknowledgment from this Administration.

Today (Monday) Prime Minister Netanyahu himself gives a speech before the AIPAC; and tomorrow (Tuesday 24 May) he has been asked to address the joint chambers of Congress. In mentioning our concern about what took place this past week, we are certainly not seeking to bring accusation and condemnation against America as a whole. However, we believe that the President's latest proposal may have moved not only Israel but America into very dangerous territory. From now on, Israel must face a negotiating partner who will demand for a starting point its interpretation of what the President verbalized on Thursday. And for America-we believe that God takes what happened in 1967 very seriously: When special things happen in Zion (the name is related to another word meaning "signpost"), there is a special significance released for the world to see. When in that year Israel, for the first time in over 2,400 years, was granted sovereignty over the heart of its ancient homeland, including Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives, there followed a powerful new release of the Holy Spirit which circled the globe, leaping across denominational boundaries; the "Jesus Movement" was ignited; perhaps most telling of all, for the first time in two millennia Jews began coming into the Kingdom in great numbers, Jews who, within a generation would along with the recognition of Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah and Savior, find also awakening within themselves an awareness of their connection to God's ancient Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob regarding the Land-and a Messianic Body in Israel would awaken! God was the author of this, and anything which presumes to attempt to turn it back will find itself in great danger. Although we suspect that a breach may have been made in the heavenlies over America by what was declared last Thursday, we do not think that the situation is hopeless!! We have seen how entire governments can be changed by the influence of the godly; witness what has taken place in Canada in recent years since a godly leader took a stand on behalf of God's purposes for Israel. It is time for the godly leaders elected by the people in the U.S. to take a stand for Truth while there is still time for their influence to be felt.

PLEASE PRAY:

*For Prime Minister Netanyahu as he speaks to the two chambers of the US Congress on Tuesday-that God give him more courage, and words which ring of integrity and truth.

*For men and women in the houses of Congress to have ears to hear how God is guiding right now.and to move courageously in that direction.

*For President Obama to realize when he has stepped in a direction which is false, and to have the mercy to be led to change direction when that direction will not bless the nation he has been raised up to lead.

*For revelation and guidance from the Most High in Israel to know what to do regarding the lands taken in the '67 War.

*Mercy for the Palestinian peoples in Judea, Samaria, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and other places-to find the Source of Life which cleanses and sets them free inside, and also cares about their need for a place of acceptance and prosperity and a future hope for their families.

Martin and Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem