於2010-11-08發佈

為以色列時事禱告˙2010年11月1日

                          
                                位在別是巴的古井

以撒從那裡上別是巴去。當夜耶和華向他顯現,說:我是你父親亞伯拉罕的神,不要懼怕!因為我與你同在,要賜福給你,並要為我僕人亞伯拉罕的緣故,使你的後裔繁多。以撒就在那裡築了一座壇,求告耶和華的名,並且支搭帳棚;他的僕人便在那裡挖了一口井。』(創世記26:23-25)

1.光對抗著在森林之城日益增加的黑暗
基列耶琳(Kiryat Ye'arim意指森林之城)是一個山丘上充滿樹木的地區,位在耶路撒冷西邊六英里處。一般人最常記得基列耶琳的地方,就是約櫃從伯示麥帶回後的停留之處(非利士人將約櫃擄去後的歸還之地─撒母耳記上7:1)。約櫃放在亞比拿達的家中長達二十年,直到大衛王來將約櫃帶到耶路撒冷。

今日這地方有天主教教會與女修道院、新移民兒女的『青年村莊』,以及極端猶太教派城鎮特拉茲.史東(Telz Stone)。女修道院是極其祥和之地─場地與客房主要供給當地的信徒使用,包括彌賽亞信徒。基列耶琳位在阿拉伯城鎮阿布古實(Abu Gosh是一個對猶太人特別友好的地方)與芬蘭和猶太信徒的社區亞德.哈許莫納(Yad Hashmona)之間。

上週極端猶太教社區想要將四千位居民的小城鎮擴大為二萬人的城市,擴建受到環保人員的反對,因為會破壞珍貴又稀有的林地。阿布古實的領導也反對,他們宣稱擴建會侵佔他們的土地,這些地將作為他們自己人口成長所需。據報導在亞德.哈許莫納附近的基督徒與彌賽亞信徒也受到極端猶太教社區的侵害,倘若他們的小城鎮變成大城市,侵害只會更加激烈。內政部下週要檢視整個情況,但目前掌控內閣位置的正是極端猶太教成員。

我們對此狀況的擔憂是在背後的屬靈實況,『因我們並不是與屬血氣的爭戰(原文作摔跤;下同),乃是與那些執政的、掌權的、管轄這幽暗世界的,以及天空屬靈氣的惡魔爭戰。』(以弗所書6:12)。極端猶太教稱自己為哈勒定(Haredim),意指『戰兢的人』,出於以賽亞書66:2, 5『但我所看顧的,就是虛心(原文是貧窮)痛悔、因我話而戰兢的人。你們因耶和華言語戰兢的人當聽祂的話。』然而這些猶太人所戰兢的話並不是約翰福音一章1節的話(道),此道『太初』就與神同在,道『就是』神,萬物是藉著祂造的。

約翰壹書2:22則清楚聲明:『誰是說謊話的呢﹖不是那不認耶穌為基督的嗎﹖不認父與子的,這就是敵基督的。』在哈勒定裡面運行的靈痛恨耶穌的靈與那些跟隨者,因為那是光明的靈。有趣的是,那些被這樣的靈掌控的人已經有效地掌管伯示麥─約櫃彰顯神同在之地,早在搬到基列耶琳前就住在那裡了,那是極為黑暗的靈。生命在祂(耶穌)裡頭,這生命就是人的光。光照在黑暗裡,黑暗卻不接受光(約翰福音1:4-5)。當然,這靈最終的渴望就是佔有位在耶路撒冷聖靈永遠居所的聖殿山(列王記上8:10-15),神的靈從聖殿山離開(以西結書10:18),應許有一天還會回到那裡(瑪垃基書3:1;詩篇2:6)。

請禱告:
* 榮光之神保護基列耶琳遠離黑暗,此黑暗不怕生命的道,就是在人裡頭的光。禱告這地區的信徒擁有屬神的智慧並發出光芒(但以理書12:3)。
* 公義與公平的神以公平介入當地的阿拉伯人中間,他們不斷祝福回到那地的猶太人,也介入當地的信徒中間,他們服事了來自以色列與世界各地的其他信徒。
* 為著極端猶太教派禱告神的憐憫,他們中間有人能領受『道』就是神的本質;神的光照進他們的黑暗,曝光裡頭恨惡神、恨惡人並尋求掌控他們兒女的敵基督的靈。
* 神的國降臨在基列耶琳,使祂的旨意行在地上如同行在天上。

2. 在梵諦岡宗教會議裡所表達出來的『取代神學』
上週在中東的梵諦岡宗教會議裡,Cyril Salim Bustros大主教發表下面的陳述:『身為基督徒,我們不能說應許之地是給猶太人的,他們不再是被揀選的族群。所有國家的男女已經成為被揀選的人,應許之地的觀念不能被當作猶太人回以色列、取代巴勒斯坦人的正當理由。以色列佔領巴勒斯坦土地的正當性不能基於聖經。』梵諦岡發言人Federico Lombardi神父發表一份陳述,和緩地偏離梵諦岡官方立場,同意宗教會議所呼求的『結束佔領』。在會議中,一份『巴勒斯坦的關鍵時刻』文件公開否認以色列人成為猶太國的權利,據報導這是第一次在梵諦岡發表。

反毀謗聯盟主任Abe Foxman在寫給梵諦岡委員會的一封信中,談到與猶太人的宗教關係,他寫著:『藉由陳述神立約給猶太人的應許之地因著基督而廢棄了,並說他們不再是被揀選的族群,Bustros大主教實際上在說猶太教不應該存在』(文章出自『猶太人領袖猛烈攻擊大主教的論述』:耶路撒冷郵報(JPost.com);10/26/2010)。

與去年教皇到以色列拜訪一致的是,他代表梵諦岡要求在以色列一些土地的統治權應給予(羅馬天主教)教會,其理應是正當的監督者與管理人。當此要求提出時,很諷刺地,就在同一時間在金門下面的約沙法谷,正為著教皇隔天的演說搭建台子。(約珥書3:2 我要聚集萬民,帶他們下到約沙法谷,在那裡施行審判;因為他們將我的百姓,就是我的產業以色列,分散在列國中,又分取我的地土。

請禱告:
* 求主啟示全世界彌賽亞肢體關於神重建以色列的目的。詩篇25:4-5以祂的真理與受教的靈引導那些有耳可聽的人。
* 繼續在猶太人與阿拉伯人當中給予重建以色列的啟示─啟示關於我們在這裡的地方,以及如何在這塊土地上行出愛與正直。
* 神的光照亮在羅馬天主教教會的信徒,讓反閃主義古老的堅固營壘被暴露出來。
* 為世界的信徒為他們城市與國家的分辨力禱告,他們與神立約之地和立約百姓的聯盟或抵擋將成為一條分界線,而耶路撒冷將成為『一塊重石頭』(撒迦利亞書12:3)。

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


PRAYER UPDATE FROM ISRAEL (November 1, 2010)
                   
                 Well at the site of ancient Be'er Sheva

"Then he [Isaac] went up from there to Beersheba. And YHVH appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake.' So he built an altar there and called on the name of YHVH, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well. (Genesis 26:23-25. From this week's Torah Portion-See below).

1. LIGHT AGAINST GROWING DARKNESS IN THE CITY OF FORESTS
Kiryat Ye'arim (English Bibles, "Kirjath Jearim") is a wooded area (the name means "City of Forests") in the hills a little over six miles west of Jerusalem. It is most often remembered as the place where the Ark of the Covenant rested after having been brought from Beit Shemesh (where it had been returned after being captured by the Philistines-I Samuel 7:1). The Ark remained there in the house of Abinadab for 20 years until King David came and transferred it up to Jerusalem. Today the area is occupied by a Catholic church and convent, a "youth village" for functionally challenged children of new immigrants, and an ultra Orthodox town called Telz Stone (named after a Lithuanian yeshiva and the late philanthropist Irving Stone). The convent is a marvelously peaceful place-its grounds and guest rooms often serve as a place for retreats by believers in the land, including Messianic Jews. Kiryat Ye'arim is located between the Israeli Arab town of Abu Gosh (a place notably friendly to Jewish Israelis), and Yad Hashmona, a community of Finnish and Israeli Jewish believers.

This past week it was publically revealed that the ultra-Orthodox community there is seeking permission to expand from a small town of 4,000 inhabitants into a city of 20,000. The expansion is strongly opposed by environmentalists for the destruction of valuable and rare forests it would entail. It is also opposed by the leaders of Abu Gosh who claim it would encroach on land they consider theirs, and which is needed for their own natural growth. The Christian and Messianic believers in nearby Yad Hashmona reportedly cited abuse from the residents of the present ultra-Orthodox community, abuse which they can only assume will intensify if the town becomes a major city. The Minister of the Interior is to examine the situation next week-but the party presently in control of that Cabinet position is itself ultra-Orthodox.

Our concern regarding this situation is related to the spiritual realities we believe are behind it. "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against.spiritual armies of wickedness in the heavenlies" (Ephesians 6:12). Ultra-Orthodox call themselves Haridim. The word means "those who tremble" and is taken from Isaiah 66:2, 5: "On this one I will look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.Hear the word of YHVH, You who tremble at His word." Yet the "word" these Jews tremble at is not the Word of John 1:1, who was "in the beginning with God", who "was" God, through whom all things were made. I John 2:22 plainly declares, "Who is a liar but he who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah. He is anti-Messiah (i.e. "antichrist") who denies the Father and the Son." The spirit which operates through haridim hates the spirit of Yeshua (Jesus) and those who operate under it because that is a spirit of Light. It is interesting that those controlled by this spirit have already effectively taken control of Beit Shemesh, the place where the Ark of the Covenant, bearing the manifest Presence of the LORD, dwelt before being moved to Kiryat Ye'arim. It is a spirit of great darkness. "In Him (Yeshua) was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5). Of course, its ultimate longing is control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where the Holy Presence eventually dwelt (I Kings 8:10-11), from which it departed (Ezekiel 10:18), and to which it is promised to return (Malachi 3:1; Psalm 2:6).

PLEASE PRAY:
*That the God of Light protect Kiryat Ye'arim from a spreading darkness which does not fear the Word in whom is the Life, which is the Light of men. Pray that believers in the area maintain divine wisdom and shine brightly (Daniel 12:3).

*That the God of Rightness and Justice intervene on behalf of what is right and just for the Arabs in the region who have consistently blessed the Jews returned to the land, and the believers who have ministered on behalf of other believers from all over Israel.

*Mercy for the ultra-Orthodox, that there be ones among them who receive revelation about the true nature of the "word" which they consider themselves to revere; that light shine into their darkness, exposing the God-hating, human-hating nature of the antichrist spirit which seeks to control them and their children.

*That God's "Kingdom Come" in Kiryat Ye'arim-that there "His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."

2. "REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY" VERBALIZED AT VATICAN SYNOD
At a Vatican Synod on the Middle East last week, Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros delivered the following statement, "We Christians cannot speak about the promised land for the Jewish people. There is no longer a chosen people. All men and women of all countries have become the chosen people. The concept of the promised land cannot be used as a base for the justification of the return of Jews to Israel and the displacement of Palestinians.justification of Israel's occupation of the land of Palestine cannot be based on sacred scriptures". A spokesperson for the Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi, issued a statement gently distancing the official Vatican stance from that advocated by the Arab archbishop (though not specifically contradicting it), and agreeing with the Synod's call for "an end to the occupation." At the conference, a "Palestine Kairos" document openly denying the right of Israel to be a Jewish state was reportedly presented at the Vatican for the first time. In a letter to the Vatican's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, Anti-Defamation League national director Abe Foxman wrote, "By stating that God's covenantal promise of land to the Jewish people 'was nullified by Christ' and that 'there is no longer a chosen people,' Bustros is effectively stating that Judaism should no longer exist" ("Jewish leaders slam archbishop's remarks":The Jerusalem Post (JPost.com); 0610IST, 26 Oct 2010). Coinciding with last year's visit of the present Pope to Israel came a demand from the Vatican that sovereignty over certain plots of land in Israel be rendered up to the (Roman Catholic) "Church", their supposed rightful overseer and custodian. This demand came, ironically, at precisely the same time when a platform was being constructed for an address by the Pope the next day in the Valley of Jehoshaphat below the Eastern Gate (See Joel 3:2).

PLEASE PRAY:
*For revelation amongst the Body of Messiah worldwide regarding God's purposes for restored Israel. Psalm 25:4-5.guidance in His truth and teachable spirits for those with ears to hear.

*For continued revelation within restored Israel amongst both Jews and Arabs-about our place here, and how to walk in love and integrity in the Land.

*Light to shine amongst believers in the Roman Catholic Church.for ancient strongholds of anti-Semitism to be exposed.

*For believers around the world to pray for discernment for their cities and nations as alignment with or against God's covenant land and people becomes a dividing line and Jerusalem a "very heavy stone" (Zechariah 12:3).

Martin & Norma Sarvis
Jerusalem