1. THE 17TH OF TAMMUZ TO THE 9TH OF AV.
Tonight (19 July) begins the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, the day on which in 586 B.C. the wall around Jerusalem was breached by the Babylonians. Three weeks later on the 9th of Av (10 August), the Temple of Solomon was destroyed. These two days (mentioned as the "Fasts of the 4th and 5th months" in Zechariah 8:19) are traditional "fast" days for observant Jews, and marriages or other religious celebratory events are not held during the period between them. Although much superstition and myth has certainly grown up surrounding these days, the three-week period seems nevertheless to be historically one of heightened, recurrent demonic activity towards Israel and the Covenant People around the world. We believe that it is a time each year for especial watchfulness over Israel-a time to pray Psalm 91 and 121 over the seed of Jacob, to proclaim in faith the oracle forced out of the mouth of the pagan Balaam in Numbers 23:21-23, "The LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.for there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel."

2. A NATION IN MOURNING.
As Israel enters the period mentioned above, it is with a heavy heart. This past week has been one of great pain in our land. There are times of grieving in Israel in which everyone feels the distress. In a so-called "prisoner swap", the Israeli government 'pardoned' and returned to Lebanon Samie Kuntar, a terrorist convicted 29 years ago for the deaths of four people (including two children) in one of the most appallingly cruel attacks in modern Israeli history. Also returned were four Hezbollah soldiers captured during the war two years ago, along with the exhumed remains of some 200 slain Hezbollah soldiers. In return, Israel received the remains of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, the two reservists whose kidnapping two years ago precipitated the 2nd Lebanon War. Until the last moment, the terrorists cruelly left open the possibility that at least one of the men might still be living. In the event, they were slain at the very beginning. Friday's papers were covered with pictures of the funerals.

Israel is surely the only country in the world which would agree to such a lopsided deal. It is not the first time that a huge price has been paid to bring back the remains of a few of her citizens, and much has been written this week trying to explain, why? Some have pointed to the importance felt by officers in the military that their men know they will never be left behind on a battlefield-or if killed, that at least their bodies will not be left on foreign soil. Others have felt it may be a kind of consciousness formed in the Holocaust-the bodies of the parents or grandparents of countless Israelis were buried or destroyed in desolate places far from a Jewish community. And there is precedent in ancient times-Joseph himself made his brothers swear not to leave his bones in a foreign land.

And with the bodies of these two men seemed to descend a kind of dull depression at what little seemed to have been accomplished in the enormous effort which was launched two years ago to bring them home alive-a war in which so many others were killed, so much destruction was wrecked both in Israel and in Lebanon; and then there are the reports of Hezbollah build-up since the war, that despite the farcical U.N. presence there to prevent it, there are now far more rockets in position in southern Lebanon than there were in 2006. But still-the men have come home.

And there is a growing Remnant in the Land who are called to "weep with those who weep"-yet "not as those who are without hope."

PLEASE PRAY:
* For the families and loved ones of the two Israeli soldiers which were returned, and for the families of those killed by the murderer who was released.
*II Corinthians 1:3-7, that the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation will comfort the grieving in this nation-and that through the believers in His Son, hope and mercy will be released to those who are without hope.

3. A CAMP OF HOPE AND LIFE IN THE GALILEE!
We have received the following report on the youth camp currently taking place near the Sea of Galilee where some 70 teens and 20 young adult leaders are completing a nine-day time together:

The Lord is faithful to answer prayer. The leaders of the Katzir (Harvest) youth conference have seen amazing breakthroughs with the teens during the early days of the 9-day camp. Each day has had a theme-obedience, deliverance and freedom from shame, victory. God has truly orchestrated the order of the themes, speakers, and events of each day to revolve around the daily focus. There has been laughter, fun and also deep repentance and evidence of true life change. Most of the finance for the camp has come in (seven days ago, there was still an enormous deficit). Please pray that the remaining days will continue to impact the lives of Israeli youth who are attending.

The Katzir has proven itself to be influential among the ministries working with Messianic youth in Israel. It is interesting that during this week, which is literally seeing a passing of much of the leadership from the hands of an elder generation into the those of a younger, the Parasha (readings from the Law and Prophets) included the ordination of Joshua by Moses to lead Israel into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:15-23) and of Elisha by Elijah to carry on his office of Prophet in Israel during the time of the Kings (I Kings 19:15-21).

PLEASE PRAY:
*For God's power and protection over this camp during the remaining days (it ends Monday evening). Pray for the teens, that they will continue to be built up in their faith and in a desire to develop and release all their skills and talents as an offering of excellence to the Lord.
*Against division, confusion, rebellion or any other works of the enemy against the minds, souls, spirits, bodies of all those attending.
*Great love, wisdom, power and timing among the senior elder leaders in oversight of the young adult leaders, and in transference of godly authority for leadership onto their shoulders.
*For a new generation of leadership throughout believing Israel-who will receive and assume and walk in a royal, divine authority, while continuing to honor and learn from the authority God has in place over them until they are released.
*For the multi-media production which the youth will put on in Jerusalem Monday evening, that it will go smoothly, that the Lord would be glorified and that blessing will be released to all who attend.

4. WATER.
"Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see.You have polluted the land with your harlotries and your wickedness, therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain" (Jeremiah 3:2,3).

"Because the ground is parched, for there was no rain in the land, the plowmen were ashamed; they covered their heads.O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do it for Your name's sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against You" (Jeremiah 14:4, 7).

"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none.I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys.that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it" (Isaiah 41:17,18, 20).

Israel is rapidly finding itself in perhaps the most critical water shortage of her history. The 'latter' (spring) rains this year were practically nonexistent, and after several "dry" years, the Sea of Galilee is approaching a record lowness, and the aquifers upon which Israel depends for practically all of the water it uses which doesn't come from the Sea, are dangerously if not disastrously low. Water supply for agriculture and personal use far down into the Negev (southland) is piped from the Sea of Galilee. Yet soon the water will dip below the mouths of the pipes. Damage to the ecosystem may already be greatly damaged. The country has begun several desalinization plants (a couple of which are operable), but it will take years before there are enough operable to meet our agricultural needs.

There has been talk of some means of piping water from Turkey. However, although Israel has good relations with Turkey, recent developments there portend alarming possibilities with Muslim Fundamentalism. Israel could ill afford to become dependant for her water on a country in which a radical shift might ally them with the religious powers in Iran.

Although in a sense Israel has, through her technology and the development of drip-irrigation, caused her deserts to "blossom like a rose", this blossoming has all been done through her pre-existent water supply. Might we be approaching a point where this will not be enough?

We will pray for rain; and we will pray for wisdom in wrestling with the problem in the short term.

But some of us are also beginning to look at Isaiah 41:7-20 and similar passages in a different light. This passage is usually taken amongst Believers to apply to "Spiritual" awakening in Israel-and such an application is certainly valid. Yet it speaks of real water-of a time when there will be those in Israel who will be crying out for water-and how their God will hear and provide for them-miraculously-in high and low places, in desert and barren places. And it will be in such a way that they will "see and know and consider and understand together, that the Hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it." (We would point out that the word "created" here is the same in the Hebrew as that used in Genesis 1:1).

PLEASE PRAY: for an answer to Israel's water crisis. That she will awaken to her need, and cry out - that she will be heard, and answered in such a way that she will KNOW that it is the Hand of her God, and that it is the Creative Work of the Holy One of Israel (Yeshua/Jesus) which has provided for her!