Salute to Israel
What a wonderful day it was in London on June 29th! Supporters of Christian Friends of Israel from Hartlepool, Hereford and Hitchin, and across the nation, joined with thousands from the Jewish community in a parade down Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square to celebrate Israel's 60th anniversary as a modern state. The inspiring address given by the Chief Rabbi to a crowd of 30,000 people is reproduced opposite, by permission. We would love to share with you also the many touching comments we received, like the following message: "May I as one Jewish voice amongst many, thank you all for showing your solidarity with Israel on Sunday...I must say I was moved to tears, as were several people around me." As Christians we have so much for which to thank Israel and the Jewish people! Through the generosity of you, our Christian supporters, our salute to Israel in the first half of this year is the largest ever! From CFI-UK we have forwarded to Israel over £250,000 in six months. By far the largest part of this is given to CFI Jerusalem to support the Distribution Centre (which has helped 250,000 new immigrants since it was opened) and for outreach projects in Israel, including: - Project Open Gates
- helping to meet the needs of new immigrants - Project Doors of Hope
- helping the needy from many walks of life in Israel - Bridal Salon
- (headed by Pam Bird from the UK) provides bridal gowns with accessories, plus clothing for grooms, mothers and guests - Project Forsake Them Not
- helping the survivors of the Holocaust - Wall of Prayer
- links Christians from the nations with every town, city, village, kibbutz and moshav throughout Israel for prayer covering - Project Under His Wings
- brings comfort and practical help to victims and families of terror attacks in Israel - Project Hope for the Future
- supports needy Ethiopian Jews in the Land
It was a special joy to see some of these projects in action when a group from the UK visited Jerusalem for their annual CFI Conference. Highlights from that tour are reported in this issue. In addition we have been able to support Shevet Achim (How blessed it is when brothers dwell together in unity) in bringing babies and children from Israel's neighboring Arab countries to receive cardiac care from Israel's specialist doctors, and to support soup kitchens for the poor operated by Jewish charities. No deductions are made for administrative costs in forwarding these gifts, but there are real costs to be met for overhead expenses here in the UK. We need your help for this and for important educational outreaches each summer at Christian conferences, as well as development work in progress on a new DVD version of Kesher - our favourite tool for teaching about Israel and the Church. Throughout the year our Area Representatives are active from Scotland to Cornwall. As David Soakell explains later in this issue, we need even more Representatives to help inform and mobilise the Church across the nation. May the Lord bless you as through giving time and finances you bless His people Israel! Geoffrey Smith, Director ~ Christian Friends of Israel-UK
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Israel ... Our People’s Home
For 2,000 years, the Jewish people had no home. For 2,000 years, it was shattered into a hundred fragments and scattered around the world. For 2,000 years it suffered exiles and expulsions, persecutions and pogroms. Then Hitler came to power. The world knew something terrible was about to happen to Jews. In 1938 the nations of the world gathered in Evian. Nation after nation closed its doors. Jews knew that there was nowhere on earth they could go. Therefore we say: Barukh she-hecheyanu...thank you God for bringing us to this time. Today, because of Israel, the Jewish people has a home. In 1945, the world began to understand what had happened at Auschwitz, Bergen Belsen, Treblinka. They began to realise that what had taken place was the most systematic, sustained crime of man against man since Man first walked on earth. The Jewish people might have been paralysed by grief or worse than grief, by anger, and hate, and the desire for revenge. But they did not. They did something astonishing. They looked forward, not back. They said: we have lost our parents and grandparents. Let us make somewhere safe for our children. Let there be one place on earth where Jews can defend themselves. In the face of death, the Jewish people chose life. Today, because of Israel, the Jewish people have life. In 1948, the day Israel was born, it was attacked on all fronts by the armies of five nations: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq. Three years after the Holocaust murdered one third of the Jewish people, Israel's neighbours tried to murder the Jewish State. Since then, from that day to this, Israel has lived with war or the threat of war...terror or the threat of terror. Yet Israel has sought peace. In 1948, under Ben Gurion. In 1967, after the Six Day War. In 1991, at Madrid. In 1993, on the White House Lawn. In 1998, at Wye Valley. In 2000, at Camp David. In 2001, at Taba. Yet Israel today is called the biggest threat to peace in the Middle East. Heaven forbid! Today, because of Israel, there is at least a possibility of peace. Yet every time Israel proposes peace, it is greeted with terror and suicide bombings, Katyushas and Kassams. Israel will continue to seek peace and we will continue to support it in doing so, and we pay tribute to the British government for its support for Israel and for peace. We say to the Palestinians: you have a right to a home. All you have to do is recognize that the Jewish people also have a right to a home. Let us live, side-by-side, in peace. What miracles Israel has achieved. Israel has gathered the Jewish people from every land under the sun and made them one nation again. Israel has taken the language of the Bible and made it a living tongue again. Israel has rebuilt the yeshivot destroyed in the Shoah and made the world of Torah flourish again. Israel has created a democracy in a part of the world that never knew it. It has created one of the great economies of the 21st century. It has given the world scientists and doctors, poets and novelists, musicians and artists, scholars and thinkers. Israel has more high-tech companies, symphony orchestras, universities and research institutes than countries ten times its size. Instead of nursing revenge for the past, Israel has sought to build a better future. Though it has walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, Israel has sought life. This is our people and this our people's home. This is where, 4,000 years ago, our people was born...and this is where, 60 years ago, our people was reborn. Israel is the land of our past. The landscape of our future. The dream of our parents. The love of our children. Yisrael hi tikvatenu...Israel is our hope. Yisrael hi admatenu...Israel is our land. Israel, we love you! The Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sachs (This is the text of the Chief Rabbi's speech given at the Salute to Israel Rally, Trafalgar Square, June 2008 - used with permission.)
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CFI ... On Tour In Israel
From May 4th to 16th 2008, CFI-UK Director Geoffrey Smith and his wife Margaret led a tour in Israel under the title: "A Nation Born In A Day: The Miracle Of Israel". The twelve days included participation in the annual CFI Jerusalem Conference, as well as visits to many places of interest from Beersheba to Dan. Below is an excerpt from a letter from one of the members of the CFI-UK group where she shares what being on this tour (her second visit to Israel) meant to her: "It is difficult for me to select just one highlight from so many. There were so many good things that I am still digesting and so many profoundly moving moments: the visit to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, the service in front of the memorial in the detention camp at Atlit (a chastening experience for those of us who were British... but there was healing too). Then there was the young Arab pastor who spoke to us when we visited the Ebenezer Home in Haifa, the trip to the Golan Heights, the Communion Service in the grounds of the YMCA in Tiberias, and the actual CFI Conference in Jerusalem. All of the speakers were inspiring, but one of the most moving talks was by Sister Joella of the Evangelical Sisters of Mary, Darmstadt. If I have to select just one highlight from among so many, then it must be the trip to the Golan Heights, overlooking the Vale of Tears and near the place on the Road to Damascus where Saul had his life-changing experience. Our guide, Hanna Ben Haim, told us how soldiers going into battle there, knowing they were out-numbered, and thinking they were going to die, had cried for their mothers. Clive Jones, one of the CFI-UK Trustees, greatly moved, said: "Now I know why, thirty years ago, God told me to pray for Israel ‘as a man cries for his mother'". Then with many of us in tears, Clive led us in singing the chorus: "He is Lord". Two young soldiers came over to see what we were doing and we said we would pray for them. The Holy Spirit was moving so powerfully while we were there that it was a healing experience for me, and one that I shall never forget. I am so grateful that I was allowed to go on this historical and unique tour. Although I did find it physically exacting at times, I would not have missed this opportunity for anything." Kathleen Blow, Eastbourne
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CFI...Be A Part Of The Solution!
As you may have read in an earlier edition of "In Touch", David Soakell was asked to take on the role of Church Liaison in the recent restructuring of CFI-UK. Some of you may know David and his wife Julia through CFI circles but for those who do not, they have been part of CFI since 1986, and David has been the CFI Area Representative for the North East of England since 1995. In 2000 they felt called to move into the ministry of CFI full time, living by "faith", which they believe God had prepared them for in the many years before. Since that time, the Lord has greatly increased the work and the fruit yielded has been very encouraging, both here in the UK and internationally. At present, along with David & Julia (NE England) our CFI Area Reps are: Elspeth Masson (Inverness); Brian Taylor (West Yorkshire); Sharn Asbridge (NE Wales); Roy Thurley (North Wales); Pam and Barry Smith (Monmouth); Shirley Webb (Avon); John Gillmore (Bristol); Carol Edwards (Stoke); Moira Dare-Edwards (Essex); Robert Figures (West Sussex); Shirley Needham (Dorset); Tim Sinclair (Wiltshire) and Don and Dawn Fallon (Devon). However, as you will realise from the above list, in many parts of the UK we simply do not have anyone representing CFI. These areas without Reps include London, much of the Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, Norfolk, the North West of England, and vast areas of Scotland. Today, there is great opportunity for committed men and women to promote a Christian understanding of Israel in their local churches and communities in a way which cannot be accomplished by the main CFI-UK office. But what does it mean to be a CFI Area Representative, and is God calling you? The following are some of the ways in which you can be involved: - Serving as a local resource centre for information about Israel, Judaic-Christian Studies, CFI publications.
- Active steps can be taken to set up meetings in churches in your locality and CFI would be glad to assist with speakers.
- On occasions churches set up special conventions/conferences/area and national gatherings. Representatives could take a display to such special events and thus stimulate an interest in Israel and the work of CFI.
- The setting up of local CFI Prayer Groups where none exist under another organisation. CFI is here to edify the Church by teaching on her Biblical roots, in many forms, and you can be a part of this movement.
Church Agents are also needed throughout Britain. A Church Agent works under the guidance of an Area Rep. Maybe the Lord is calling you to be such a person. We would like to help where we can to facilitate every opportunity God gives, to encourage you, to make your role as a Representative in your area fruitful, and to enhance the work of CFI. Ultimately the goal is to bring the restoration of honour of His Name in the Church and to bless Israel and the Jewish people. David Soakell ~ Church Liaison Officer, CFI-UK
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Unveiling The Kingdom Of Heaven
Ever since Dr. Dwight Pryor's second DVD-based teaching series "Unveiling the Kingdom of Heaven" was released over a year ago, we have eagerly anticipated the accompanying study workbook, similar to that for his first series "Behold the Man! Discovering Our Hebrew Lord, the Historical Jesus of Nazareth". We are happy to announce this new study workbook is now in stock, and below we have reproduced the Introduction as a way of getting you acquainted with its contents. The extraordinary witness of Scripture is that the child born to Mary was none other than the Son begotten of the Father. As the eternal Word, His "goings forth were from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2 KJV). But as the incarnate Son, He entered space, time and history in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to live a life to the glory and honour of the Father. In the land of Israel where Yeshua lived and within the fervent firstcentury Jewish faith that He learned, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was revered as the "King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God" (1 Timothy 1:17). In His public ministry, at every place and on every occasion Rav Yeshua (Rabbi Jesus) spoke compellingly of His Father the King and of His character and dynamic reign, the Kingdom of Heaven. The importance of the Kingdom message for Jesus therefore can scarcely be overestimated. In His preaching, He proclaimed the Kingdom; in His teaching, He explained the Kingdom; in His parables, He illustrated the Kingdom; and in His healings and deliverances Jesus demonstrated the present, powerful and in-breaking Kingdom of Heaven. In short, Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom, He prioritised it and He personified it. Surely the disciples that bear His name and share His mission should do no less? Regrettably, a survey of Church history past and present reveals a significant discrepancy in this regard. The Church has always proclaimed Christ-but Christ continually proclaimed the Kingdom! "Unveiling the Kingdom of Heaven" (in book and accompanying DVD format) attempts to rectify this imbalance and restore proper perspective and priority to Jesus' most essential teaching. This will necessitate a return to the very foundations of our faith in the fertile soil of first-century Judaism and the original historical setting and Hebraic matrix from which Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven emerged. That process of return began with our earlier book and DVD titled, "Behold the Man! Discovering Our Hebrew Lord, the Historical Jesus of Nazareth". There we introduced readers and viewers to Jesus' Jewish world and His rabbinic style of teaching. With "Unveiling the Kingdom of Heaven" we take the process a step further by delving in-depth into Yeshua's most central yet often confused and controversial teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven/God. We cordially invite you to join us in this ongoing adventure of learning more about our Lord and Messiah, Yeshua mi- Natzeret. The spiritual aim of our work is to help you grow both in the grace and in the knowledge of the Master, to equip you as disciples to follow ever more faithfully in His footsteps-i.e. to be "covered in the dust" of Rav Yeshua. We do not claim that the Hebraic hermeneutic we utilise in this study is superior to all others or the only valid approach to Scriptural interpretation. On the contrary, spiritual treasures should be gleaned from the studies of devout and scholarly men and women throughout the centuries and in diverse religious settings. Indeed we do well to heed the wisdom of Israel's ancient Sages, who remind us that a truly wise person is one who learns from all. Nor would we argue that the Hebraic perspective is the "last word" on the subject of the Kingdom. But surely it is an essential starting point, even as it was for Jesus Himself ! It was the firm foundation upon which He built His teachings inspired by the Spirit. Yeshua's Hebraic heritage was a storehouse of spiritual treasure from which He brought forth precious and powerful insights. Many can attest from experience that which this author has discovered in twenty-five years of searching out the Scriptures from a Hebraic point of view: that recovering the Jewish mind of the Messiah can be profoundly enlightening and spiritually nurturing to believers. It deepens one's discipleship to the living Lord. By going back to the Jewish roots of our faith, we can indeed go forward in greater Christian growth, understanding and faithfulness. As you study "Unveiling the Kingdom of Heaven", please search the Scriptures to see if what we share is clear, coherent and compelling-that to which the Spirit bears witness. Does it honour the Lord? If so, then seize this unique opportunity to see Jesus of Nazareth more clearly and love Him more dearly than ever before. In other words, engage in this study as an act of worship, eager to hear and determined to heed the words of the Anointed One who said, "Learn from me!" May your life be edified by this study, and the name of Yeshua lifted up. And "unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." Dr. Dwight Pryor One of our CFI supporters recently sent a copy of an email he received from a lady in Eire. Included in her correspondence was this comment about Dwight's first DVD series: ‘About two years ago I watched Dwight Pryor on Revelation TV as he taught the "Behold The Man" series... my life was changed. From there I have read so much and am now doing a degree online with Hebraic Heritage Christian Centre. I have taken early retirement from nursing (I'm 49) and if it is God's will want to dedicate my life to "get dusty" with Yeshua'.
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Avad
This is the second of a two-part study in which we are considering two Hebrew roots, commonly translated as ‘worship'. In the previous issue we looked at shachah, from which is derived the verb hishtachavah, meaning ‘to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to worship'. It speaks of humbling oneself in complete submission to God alone: "Don't hishtachavah to another god, for Yahweh, Whose name/character is Jealous, is a Jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). In this study, we will examine the verbal root avad. The Hebrew verb avad means ‘to labour, work, serve, worship'. It includes labouring/working/serving as subjects, as slaves, as priests, and in a military capacity. Worship, in the sense of avad, is serving, working, or labouring for God. The noun eved, derived from the same root, means ‘slave, servant, subject, worshipper'. The phrase Eved Yahweh, ‘Servant of the LORD', is a title used especially of Moshe (Moses), but also of Yehoshua ( Joshua), David, the prophets, and Yisrael. In addition, there are several names which incorporate the root avad, including Oved (Obed) ["Worshipper, Servant"], Eved Melekh (Ebed-Melech) ["Servant of the King"], Avde'el (Abdeel) ["Servant of God"], and Ovadyahu (Obadiah) ["Servant of Yahweh"]. The act of ‘labour, work, service', including ‘service of God' (ie worship), is expressed in the Hebrew word avodah. In modern Hebrew, the word avodah is in frequent use, referring to all kinds of ‘work'. In what capacity, then, do we avad (serve/worship) God? (1) We avad Him as subjects: He is our King, so we ‘worship' by keeping the ‘laws' of His Kingdom. (2) We avad Him as slaves: He is our Master, so we ‘worship' by listening, and obeying His instructions. (3) We avad Him as priests: He is our God, so we ‘worship' Him in our regular sacrificial ‘offerings', and in representing Him to those who do not know Him. (4) We avad Him as soldiers: He is our Captain, so we ‘worship' in our discipline, and in our determination and boldness in fighting the Enemy. So are we good and faithful servants and worshippers of God? The problem for many of us is that we have our priorities mixed up. As someone has aptly said, "We worship our work; we work hard at our play (leisure); but we only play at our worship (service of God)". There is only one way to arrange our priorities, and that's with God at the top of the list! "Worship the LORD your God and serve Him only!" (Matthew 4:10), for "no-one can serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24). If you or I have failed to put service of God first, then we must repent. We must recover our ‘first love' (Revelation 2:4); we must again offer ourselves as sacrifices, living and set apart for God, for this will please Him, and it is our logical ‘Temple worship/service' (Romans 12:1); we must continually be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we will know what God wants (Romans 12:2); we must remove ‘self ' from the number-one spot, and daily take up our execution stake in following our Master and Messiah, Yeshua. If avad is to ‘labour', then what is the ‘work' of God? The answer may surprise you! Yeshua was asked a similar question: "Then [the crowd] asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?' Yeshua answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe/trust/ have faith in the One He has sent'" (John 6:28). Faith is essential for anyone who wishes to truly worship or serve Yahweh: for "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebrews 11:6). A lack of faith or trust in God, dishonours and displeases Him. Repeatedly, Yeshua bemoaned the paucity of His disciples' faith: "You of little faith" (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 16:8; Luke 12:28); "You of little faith... why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31); "You have so little faith" (Matthew 17:20); "He reproached them for their lack of trust and their stubborn refusal to believe" (Mark 16:14). Conversely, having faith and trusting God, honours and pleases Him. The Scriptures use betrothal as a symbol of our covenant with God, and central to that relationship is trust-He is utterly faithful in His commitment to us, and He wants us to place our wholehearted trust in Him: "I will betroth you to Me in emunah [ faithfulness, faith, trust]" (Hosea 2:20). God esteems those who trust in Him completely: "My righteous one will live by faith" (Hebrews 10:38). All the great Biblical ‘heroes' were those whom God considered righteous, not on account of their ‘works', but on account of their trust in Him, despite their circumstances: "By faith...Noah...Abraham...Isaac...Jacob... Joseph...Moses..." (Hebrews 11). If you and I have submitted our lives to God, then we have become His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). And the work of God is done by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us, therefore, honour Him by trusting Him: "If you believed, you would see the glory of God" (John 11:40). Let us step forward in the leading and power of the Spirit, and trust God to work in us and through us, to His praise and glory, for He is worthy of all worship: shachah and avad! John C.P. Smith is Director of Jot & Tittle, PO Box 21, Sawtry, PE28 5WD; (01487) 830-092 (weekdays, 2-5pm); www.jotandtittle.org
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Replacement Geography?
Google Earth: A New Platform For Anti-Israel Propaganda And Replacement Geography Whether we realise it or not...whether it matters to us or apparently not, the stark fact is that the influence of the Internet on our lives is increasing. News, advertising, employment, education, and networking are being affected. The online world allows the creation of a virtual reality that at times bears only passing resemblance to facts on the ground. The gap between reality and virtual reality is exploited by political activists promoting "Replacement Geography". The concept of "replacement geography" replaces the historical connection of one people to the land with a connection between another people and the land. The inclusion of virtual Palestine, superimposed on Israel in Google Earth, is an example of "replacement geography" advanced by technology. One inevitable result is that those wishing to explore Israel in Google Earth are immediately taken to a politically motivated narrative unrelated to their quest. The virtual representation of land is being controlled in place of the land itself. In an information age, control on the common map may be worth more in negotiations than control on the ground. Google Earth For those who have never visited Google Earth (or maybe never even heard of it), this interactive website has a user base of 400 million, and uses satellite imagery combined with maps, terrain, and 3D buildings to present the earth at various levels of magnification. Key features (geography, place details, pictures, etc.) are included with the software download of Google Earth in what is known as a "core layer." Users can also download "custom layers" created by other users, which provide educational, historical, or special interest information to be accessed by those wishing to take the Google Earth experience further. Virtual Reality Israel Virtual Israel, as represented by Google Earth, is littered with dozens of orange dots. Orange dots represent contributions from the user community, and those appearing by default have been accepted into the core community layer by Google Earth. In the case of Israel, most of these dots claim to represent "one of the Palestinian localities evacuated and destroyed after the 1948 Arab- Israeli war." While Google Earth does not erase Israeli towns and kibbutzim, it has heavily integrated a politically motivated Palestinian narrative into the map of Israel. As a result, Israel is depicted as a state born out of colonial conquest rather than the return of a people from exile. Early press reports portrayed the virtual Palestine initiative as documentation of fact and included Israeli comments that it was "biased but legitimate." Later research showed that many of the claims staked out in Google Earth were presenting misinformation. The Google Earth initiative is not only creating a virtual Palestine, it is creating a falsification of history. In recent weeks these locations have been changed to read "Nakba - The Palestinian Catasrophe", clear evidence of the propaganda usage to which Google Earth is being put. Main Implications It is disturbing that Google has incorporated the Palestinians' overlays and their accompanying narrative into its core maps of Israel. As Google maintains editorial control over its core layer, it has responsibility for its content, which it clearly has not adequately exercised. This also presents a tremendous challenge by allowing historical revisionism and rather than serving as an educational resource, Google Earth could simply evolve into a website for political warfare. For those who do not physically visit Israel, the "facts" on this virtual ground are real. It is to be expected that people will form their opinion on issues such as borders, land rights, and historic connection based on sources like Google Earth. The social propagation of a narrative of Israeli aggression and ethnic cleansing through Google Earth is therefore alarming. Without a response that includes new information about the historical connection of the Jewish people to Israel throughout the ages, as well as modern Israeli history and the Israel of today, the world's opinion of Israel can only grow dimmer. An increase in content - assuming Google will eventually add it to the core layer, something that is far from certain - would address the vast imbalance, yet do little for the user experience. A far better solution would be for Google to remove the narrative and treat Israel as it treats every other country on the globe. The core layer of Google Earth should be ideology free and not serve as a platform for indoctrination or a campaign to wipe Israel off the virtual map. This article has been condensed from a much fuller report published under the same title in June 2008 on the website of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs / Institute for Contemporary Affairs (http://www.jcpa.org/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=1&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID =376&PID=0&IID=2250&TTL=Google_Earth:_A_New_Platform_for_Anti-Israel_Propaganda_and_Replacement_Geography). The original article was written by Dr. Andre Oboler, a social media expert, who is currently a Legacy Heritage Fellow at NGO Monitor in Jerusalem and who edits ZionismOnTheWeb.org - a website countering on-line anti-Semitism and hate. Used with permission.
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