Refuted by history & fact
In June 2010 an article, in the immediate aftermath of the ‘Flotilla' episode, appeared in the Irish Times written by Zion Evorony, A m b a s s a d o r of Israel to Ireland. In it he suggested that "future historians will puzzle over the western media's portrayal of the flotilla activists as humanitarians, ignoring evidence of motive. An impartial historian analysing, 20 years hence, the events ... will be perplexed by several aspects of the media's coverage of the episode." (Irish Times Jun, 2010). Well, it has not needed 20 years to elapse before analysis. The Palmer Report (Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident July 2011) which expressed the c o n c l u s i o n s of the UN c o m m i s s i o n chaired by the former New Zealand PM Geoffrey Palmer is now public. The report states that, "Israel faces a real threat to its security from militant groups in Gaza. The naval blockade was imposed as a legitimate security measure ... and its implementation complied with the requirements of international law ..." Yes, there are aspects upon which Israel is criticised, but these criticisms could only be made with hindsight and I am sure Israel will learn from an event in which a regrettable loss of life occurred. Now you may wonder why, when there are such immediate pressing issues once more being confronted by Israel and the Middle East, I should focus upon this historical, if recent, event. Well the reason is that we must always be careful, as apostle Paul writes in (1 Corinthians 4:5), not to judge anything before its time or in other CFI-UK's Chief Executive Jacob Vince teaches on the importance of seeing the big picture words arrive at premature conclusions. This is a lesson we must learn, but even more so those who report and interpret events in the media. They, with their position of influence and privilege, carry a much greater responsibility and, as a consequence, much more is expected from them. Moses, when instructing upon how to determine whether a message that has been spoken is of the Lord, suggests the hearer wait to see whether what has been spoken of takes place. The instruction goes on to suggest that as events unfold, if something has been spoke of incorrectly then the speaker should be ignored. (Deuteronomy 18:17-22) Likewise we must not let the immediate, and at times frenetic, happenings distract from seeing the broader overview events as they unfold. Neither should those who commentate on such events get away with claiming presumptions and perceptions as fact, in the expectation that by the time they are fully known they will be lost in the avalanche of the next pressing issue. So, as we consider the more immediate prevailing events of our day, we too must be careful not to jump to conclusions in our own strength. We are to bring matters before the Lord in prayer and at times intensive prayer. Remarkably, He persists in graciously choosing his Church and Israel in different ways to accomplish His outcome. This is not without cost and doesn't happen immediately or when we might like. But God has a strategy and will work it out. Our prayer is that we all may be working with Him in this, but should He wish to work in spite of us then may it be His will that is done. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13)
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CFI-UK Annual Conference
This year’s conference, at Victoria Baptist Church in Eastbourne, featured the UK premiere of Hatikvah Film Trust’s new documentary: ‘Blessing, Curse or Coincidence - Vol. 1 - Israel: The Womb of the Kingdom of God on Earth’. This is now available on DVD (including a study guide for small-group use) from CFI-UK. There were three update and teaching sessions on the current situation in Israel from David Dolan, and his new novel: “Millennium - The LORD Reigns” went on sale there for the first time anywhere in the world. Our Chief Executive, Jacob Vince, also gave a review of the work of CFI-UK over the past 12 months. Thank you to all who attended. If you were not able to be present, all the three main teaching sessions were recorded and can be ordered on audio CD using the enclosed order form, or from our Eastbourne office and/or the CFI-UK webshop (including MP3 audio file downloads).
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Interview with David Dolan
David Dolan is a Christian Journalist who has been reporting on Israel for over 30 years. Sam Hailes spoke to him to find out more about his career and the situation in the Land. SH: What's it like to be a journalist in Israel? DD: I would say it's the most exciting place on earth to work as a journalist. We actually have the third largest permanent press corps in any one country. There's always something new happening. On the other hand it's a difficult assignment because so much of the news is about struggle and violence and war. It can get a little depressing at times but it's also exhilarating so I wouldn't exchange it for anywhere else. SH: What's it like to be a Christian in Israel as opposed to in the Palestinian territories? DD: The legal systems are quite different. Israel is a western style democracy and for the most part the benefits and freedoms we have in the West are there. Having said that, Christians are a small minority and some of the Orthodox groups are not so happy to have Christians there. As a whole the laws are fair and people are able to exercise their faith quite freely. Officially in the West Bank that's the case as well but the Islamic influence there is much stronger. Hamas has persecuted various pastors there too. It's not frankly easy on either side. On the Arab side one can be killed for one's faith. SH: You have lived in Jerusalem for over 30 years, is it a dangerous place to be? DD: I find Jerusalem to be a very easy place to live in terms of personal threats. I tell people who are concerned about coming to Israel that I have been physically attacked three times - all of them in the States. I actually have a scar on my head from where I was mugged last Easter weekend in South Florida. Having said that you do have to be careful and when there are periods of uprising or intense violence, certainly riding the buses at times can be risky and challenging. But overall it's a fairly safe place. The crime rate is certainly much lower than most American cities. SH: What has been your involvement in CFI? DD: I was one of the first people to be involved in CFI. I was there at its founding in Jerusalem in early 1986. Several months later I was asked by the directors if I would write a monthly news report summarizing what had happened over the month. Towards the late 90s I had been doing it over a decade I approached CFI and said: "Don't you think this is now maybe becoming passé, because there's so much now on the Internet?" So they surveyed people and they found that yes they do appreciate it because there's so much. My report is an overview of what's gone on with a focus on the highlights. Having the years as a journalist there, I'm able to sort through things. It still seems to be blessing many people, as they use it for prayer and information, and I've been doing that for 25 years now. SH: People talk a lot about ‘God's purposes for Israel'. What does that phrase mean to you? DD: The Hebrew Bible makes clear that Israel would be God's witness on earth. Witness to His existence, the reality of that. Witness to the fact that He is God, He would demonstrate His power through them, in miraculous ways. And witness to futuristic prophecies coming true as well. And of course Israel is the vehicle in which the Messiah comes to earth. Now obviously there's a dispute as to whether He's coming back or coming the first time between Jews and Christians. But those who take their faith seriously in both camps realise this is spoken of in Scripture. So Israel is a witness above all and it's a great place to live because to my mind it is a living Bible to be there. SH: Is there anything else you want to say to CFI supporters? DD: The Scriptures request prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and I tell people that that's ultimately, probably not this or that peace plan, but that the peace of God would come into their lives and that's the only wholeness there is. That's something I would encourage everyone to do.
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Netanyahu, Abbas and the Day of Atonement
As Israel enters turblulent times, Chuck Missler considers the significance of Yom Kippur This year, Jews in Israel celebrate the High Holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur during a time of uncertainty. On September 23rd, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian State without having made even the most basic of concessions toward peace with Israel - like recognising Israel's right to exist or denouncing terrorism. Yasser Arafat may be gone, and Mahmoud Abbas may want to settle things peaceably, but the true heart of the Palestinian Authority has not changed over the decades. At the bottom of their hearts, the Arab world considers Israel an infected sliver that wants a good pinch. "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's speech leaves little hope for the future," said Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) on Monday while meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Israel Haruhisa Takeuchi. Rivlin said, "(Abbas) cries over the loss of his home in Safed in ‘48, and not the establishment of the settlements in ‘67. Abbas's speech illustrates in the best way why today, 63 years later, there isn't peace between the sides." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu followed Abbas with his own speech, describing the dangers Israel faced to its security and calling for a return to negotiations. The United States has promised to veto the Palestinian statehood bid, but the whole charade demonstrates how futile attempts at negotiating have become. Everybody senses it. There are certain items on which neither Israel nor the Arabs are willing to budge. East Jerusalem appears to be one of those items. Since 1967, the Jews have had control over all of Jerusalem, including the Old City with the Western Wall and Temple Mount. Although the Islamic Waqf controls the actual Temple Mount, the site remains Judaism's holiest as the location of the ancient Temple that once housed the Ark of the Covenant. No Hebrew prayer is permitted on the Temple Mount, but many Jews don't mind; they do not want to accidentally tread across the spot that once held the Temple's Holy of Holies. The Palestinians may want East Jerusalem back as part of a peace agreement, but nobody should ask the Jews to give up the part of Jerusalem that holds the Western Wall or the ancient site of the Temple. For Netanyahu, it's not a remote option. Yom Kippur is the most holy day of the Jewish year. The Day of Atonement is observed on the 10th of Tishri, which this year starts at sunset on Friday, October 7th and ends at sunset on October 8th. All day on the 10th of Tishri, Jews will take off work and fast for this holy and most solemn day of repentance and reconciliation. When the Temple still stood, it was on this day - the only day - that the High Priest was able to enter the Holy of Holies, and then only after elaborate ceremonial washings, offerings, and associated rituals. This was also the day that two goats were selected. One goat was killed as an offering to atone for sins, and one, the "scapegoat," had the nation's sins ceremonially placed on it and was sent into the wilderness in order to remove those sins far away from the people. The ceremonial acts that were to be carried out by the High Priest on Yom Kippur are described in Leviticus 16 (see also Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 23:27-31, 25:9; Numbers 29:7-11). Yom Kippur traditionally ends with one long note of the Shofar, a musical instrument made from a ram's horn. The significance of the ram's horn is traditionally rooted in Genesis 22. Here God commands Abraham "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of," (Genesis 22:2). Abraham is called upon by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a test of his faith. After God halts the sacrifice at the last minute, Abraham spies a ram trapped by his horns in a nearby thicket and offers the animal instead of his son. It is interesting to note that this is the first instance in which the word "love" appears in Scripture. God commands Abraham to sacrifice "thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." In this passage Isaac is identified as Abraham's only son, without mention of Ishmael. Isaac was the son of promise, and Abraham was acting out prophecy. When Isaac asked his father where was the lamb to sacrifice for the burnt offering, Abraham said, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb..." That day, God provided a ram to take the place of Isaac, but He ultimately had another Lamb to take the place of Isaac and Abraham and the rest of us as well. It is suspected that the particular mountain Abraham took Isaac in the land of Moriah is the same mount on the eastern edge of what is now Jerusalem where Solomon built the Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1), and the uppermost part of that mountain is believed to be the very spot where the "only Son" of God was later crucified. Woven throughout the Old Testament feasts is the foreshadowing of God's plan for the redemption of mankind. Those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ are able to enter behind the veil and stand in the Holy of Holies. We have forgiveness because of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He is our scapegoat. Our sins are placed on him and sent far far away. His blood was sprinkled for our atonement, and because of him we are cleansed and made holy before God. May Israel continue to trust in the LORD as did Abraham, and may the Messiah soon come and reign in torn and weary Jerusalem. The heathen may rage and plot, but God is in charge. He says, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." (Psalm 2:6-7) As Israel enters turblulent times, Chuck Missler considers the significance of Yom Kippur Taken from khouse.org used with permission
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A Scarlet Thread of Redemption
The late Dr Dwight Pryor explains the meta-narrative of scripture: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our LORD and of His Messiah..." (Revelation 11:15) Is it true, as is widely held in Christian circles, that the thematic unity of the Bible is to be found in its story of redemption? From the time of the Church Fathers to today's televangelists a "Scarlet Thread of Redemption" has been touted as the main storyline of Biblical revelation, weaving itself through the tapestry of Scripture in diverse images and incidents. It proceeds from the blood shed to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve in the Garden, to the blood applied to the doorposts of Israelite homes in Egypt, to Rahab's scarlet thread in Jericho signalling Joshua's men, to the blood shed at Temple sacri.ces for the sins of Israel. All these, it is said, are precursors to the real story of the Bible, namely, Jesus and His blood shed at Calvary for the redemption not alone of Israel but of the whole world. The Golden Thread As marvellous and indisputably central to God's purposes in the earth as is the story of redemption, I would suggest nonetheless that another theme surpasses the "Scarlet Thread of Redemption" as the overarching metanarrative and unifying motif of the Biblical story. We might call it the "Golden Thread of the Kingdom." God's reign in and over the earth pervades the Biblical account from Genesis to Revelation. In the Garden the Almighty shared His dominion with Adam and Eve, commissioning them as agents of His rule over the earth and all its creatures great and small. In rebellion, however, they forsook covenant with their Creator and chose instead to serve another god, namely Self; they chose autonomy and independence-the power to declare for themselves what is good and what is evil-rather than humble service to the gracious King of the Universe. When the Last Adam appeared, He not only redeemed those enslaved to sin by the First Adam, He also restored His Father's kingdom to its rightful place in human affairs. In His preaching, teaching, parables and deeds the Messiah continually and insistently emphasised the in-breaking reality of the Kingdom of God. And when His Messianic task will be fully accomplished at the Last Day and death is no more, then the Son will hand the Kingdom back to the Father, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24, 28). The LORD Reigns! The consummation of the Creation will occur when every rule, authority and power is subject to God. Then the seventh angel shall sound the great shofar and the heavens shall rejoice because: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our LORD and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshipped God..." (Revelation 11:15-16). Let us never forget that the consummation of the Kingdom of God will occur in Zion, not in heaven. Yes, there will be a "new heaven and earth," but a renewed Jerusalem will still be at its centre and the Jewish nation still central to the purposes of the Creator. In that great day, the .rst proclamation of God's Kingship by Israel at the Sea -"The LORD reigns forever and ever!" (Exodus 15:18)-will .nd its .nal fruition when the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob becomes King over all the earth: "The LORD shall be one and His Name one!" (Zechariah 14:9). So while the "Scarlet Thread of Redemption" is at the core of God's story, it's not its circumference. The "Golden Thread of the Kingdom" precedes, succeeds, and indeed surrounds it. Redemption is an integral and essential sub-narrative to the even grander story of God's reign in and over the earth. Only with such an overview can we begin to glimpse the gravitas of the Kingdom message for Jesus of Nazareth, why He prioritised it and personalized it throughout His life and ministry, and why it is so important-nay, urgent-for the Body of Messiah to lay hold of His teachings on this subject. We truly will become agents of redemption and restoration in our world when we are seized by the power of the Kingdom. Then we will live our lives in the name of the Son and to the praise of the Father's glory. This article is an extract from "A Continuing Quest" Available from CFI-UK for £11.50 incl UK p&p
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Olam
Hebrew Word Study with John C. P. Smith In PART 1 (In Touch no.168) we looked at the meaning of the Hebrew word olam, particularly in the light of popular American teacher Rob Bell's recent high profile book, "Love Wins", in which the author challenges the orthodox understanding of the word olam in support of his finite hell thesis. He writes: "...'forever' is not really a category the biblical writers used... So when we read ‘eternal punishment'... Jesus isn't talking about forever" (p.92). But Rob Bell's interpretation of olam is untenable on several grounds, including its lexical definition and its extensive usage to mean ‘forever' in mainstream translations. Yet more importantly, olam is a description of the unbounded, limitless, Eternal God, El Olam! What about the root meaning of olam? Hebrew root meanings are sometimes difficult to identify or define with certainty. But according to the Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, the root, from which olam is derived, means "hide". In relation to time this means "the unknown future" or "forever" (p.186). Similarly, the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis defines the verbal root as "hidden things, secrets" (Vol 3, p.425), and "the basic meaning of the noun olam] is farthest time, distant time"; adding that it is "widely attested" in other Ancient Near Eastern languages (p.346). Whilst it can sometimes refer to limited (though usually long) periods of time, "in many more cases, the noun is used with longer time periods in view-indeed, it often implies unceasingness or perpetuity" (p.348). The Greek word aion often parallels olam in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, and occurs 122 times in the Greek New Testament. (The Latin word aeon, also spelt eon, is a transliteration of the Greek word aion, and means ‘age; for ever, for eternity'.) Like olam, aion has several usages, but a central part of its meaning is "prolonged and unlimited time... eternity, age to come... forever, eternally... forever and ever, forevermore" (Friberg's Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament). Despite this, Rob Bell asserts that "aion... doesn't mean ‘forever' as we think of forever" (p.31). But if Rob Bell believes that the Bible teaches a finite hell, then he must also logically accept a finite heaven, since the same word is used to describe the resurrected life of the ‘righteous'. For example, Yeshua says, "Then they [the cursed] will go away to eternal/everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal/everlasting life" (Matthew 25:46), "Give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good; His love endures to olam (eternity)!" (1 Chronicles 16:34) "God may be extraordinarily loving and merciful, but He is also utterly just, and does not change or contradict Himself." the Greek word here translated twice as "eternal/everlasting" being the adjectival form of aion in both instances. The fact is, contrary to Rob Bell's thesis, there is nothing in Scripture to suggest either a finite hell or a finite heaven. On the contrary, death itself will be destroyed, logically implying an eternal existence: "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.'" (I Corinthians 15:54) Beyond death is either eternal life or "the second death", which is the "lake of fire" and "of burning sulphur" (see Revelation 20:10, 14; 21:8). The Bible couldn't be more clear on this subject. God does not want any to perish (2 Peter 3:9), yet He also says, "My Spirit will not contend with man for ever [olam]" (Genesis 6:3). This contradicts the "second chance" idea mooted by Rob Bell "for all kinds of people" after death, including some "atheists" and "people from other religions" (p.106). He asks, apparently rhetorically, "Could God say to someone truly humbled, broken, and desperate for reconciliation, ‘Sorry, too late... Door's locked'?" (p.108). Yet Yeshua did teach exactly this (e.g. Matthew 25:1-13). In His parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Yeshua makes it plain that there is no means of comfort for those in agony in Hades (hell). Indeed, He speaks of "a great chasm fixed" in order that none may cross from heaven to hell or vice versa (Luke 16:26). With the terrible realisation of this unending, unalterable state of pain and anguish there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; and Luke 13:28). No wonder Yeshua urged His listeners: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Hebrews states emphatically, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (9:27), and Yeshua declared "whoever believes in the Son has eternal [adjectival aion] life; whoever disbelieves/disobeys the Son will not see life, but God's wrath abides over him" (John 3:36). God may be extraordinarily loving and merciful, but He is also utterly just, and does not change or contradict Himself. We would all do well to "consider therefore the kindness and severity of God" (Romans 11:22). Tragically, readers of the book Love Wins who are not well versed in the Scriptures and who have little or no knowledge of Hebrew or Greek-including both Believers and non- Believers-will most likely take its hugely popular and influential author at his word, believing that neither olam nor aion mean ‘forever'. They may very well be deluded into thinking everything's going to work out OK, for everyone. Yet, even in this short study we have seen clear evidence to the contrary from a number of sources. Hebrew is important for the Believer, whether Bible-teacher or layman. In the case of Rob Bell's thesis, we might even go as far as to say that it's a matter of life and death-helping us to understand the full gravity of choosing between eternal life and "the second death."
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David Soakell writes about his visit to Israel
The future months ahead in Israel are very uncertain. However following the ‘Arab Spring' - otherwise known as the ‘Islamic awakening', one thing is for certain - the battle ahead could well take its toll. As the UN Security Council planned to meet regarding the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian State in the ‘West Bank', I flew out to Israel to see first-hand how the people of the Land felt about their future. I interviewed many people - some with connections to Arutz Sheva - others ‘the ordinary man on the street'. I had the opportunity to interview an "old school" kibbutznik, Lt.- Col. (res) Tzvika Levy, who works with the Israel Defence Force (IDF) Lone Soldiers. I was invited to an IDF Golani parade at the Jerusalem Western Wall; interviewed residents living close to Ramallah in Samaria and in Sderot, and spoke at length with someone who has his finger on the pulse of the Middle East daily, whose CFI UK tour I'd organised for 2011 ~ Jerusalem-based author and journalist David Dolan. I also managed to write my weekly News Report as I visited Sderot on the Gaza border. I was there when Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005 and returned again in 2008, but three years later, the Arab terrorists still attack the Jewish communities - so how do the people of Sderot cope? When I last visited Sderot I was struck by the concrete bomb shelters around every bus stop and the air of impending doom that hung over the city like a cloud. I was amazed to discover that this was once a beautiful town before Hamas took control of Gaza. Three years later in 2011, I was back wondering what changes I would see. Sadly, the progress was only a new school that was built less than a year ago with a ‘bomb resistant' roof... if that's progress, it is not too encouraging. Since 2005 over 11,000 Kassam rockets have been fired at Sderot, with over 1,400 hitting the town. As we travelled towards the area, we tried to eliminate all noise distractions - windows in the car should remain open so that any warnings about imminent attack sirens ("tzeva adom" - red alert) could be heard, for when that happens, one only has 15 seconds to run for cover! This appears to be the only place in the world in which rockets are regularly targeted on civilians yet the world's media regard this as a minor event. Many people have been killed, for others, the pain does not go away - families have to cope with the aftermath: on-going medical and psychological problems, loss of body parts, ended careers, financial ruin, and coping with grief/fears/nightmares. Here, I met with families having to cope with anything but normal life. One can view the damage of just what these Kassam rockets can do, and each family has a harrowing story. As each visit came to an end, I for one, felt at a complete loss as to how we can really make any difference to these families, though of course we can offer some assistance and support. Here at CFI, we can help... but we need you to help us, to help them! ‘Communities Under Attack' is a project set up to provide support to these very families that are under attack from Israel's enemies. Through this project financial assistance is provided to those who suffer, and of course, as we did during our time there, the CFI Jerusalem staff travel to these affected areas to personally visit families and bring much-needed comfort and blessings. Ultimately, the blame for the rocket attacks lies with the terrorists in Gaza and until something is done to curb these attacks, people in Sderot will continue to suffer from the trauma of living under constant threat. Solutions have thus far been fruitless, but that has not stopped some Sderot residents from attempting to find a sense of normality in a decidedly unnatural setting. Someone once said, "When you pinch the cheek of an Israeli child and you pinch the cheek of an Arab Palestinian child, it's the same thing. It's the same blood". The question many ask however is, why does Israel keep giving the Palestinians land for peace gestures, when the Palestinians don't offer anything in return? It all seems so unfair. Please do stand with us and pray for these families, for the Lord's hand to be with them every day - for healing and restoration in every area of their lives. We serve an all-powerful, almighty and awesome God whose heart is for all who suffer - and we believe He works in all circumstances.
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A Call to Prayer and Action
Julia Soakell shares her story of being provoked to lead others in prayer for Israel Earlier in the year I felt a clear word from the Lord that I should be ready to host specific events of prayer for Israel in the near future. In August I felt the confirmation came clearly that the initial date had to be 1st September. I felt there were clear directions to the programme including what we should pray about and how. Part of the instructions I felt God had given was: "Sit, Stand and Kneel". - "Sit" was a time of informing, specifically about the up to date situation of pressure to give away land in Judea & Samaria, and strategic insight.
- "Stand" was a time of proclamation - declaring how great God is.
- Finally, "Kneel" was prayer, both individually and corporately. All of this was to be underwritten by the Word.
Throughout the day we read aloud Psalms, looked at Daniel, Ezekiel and Elijah and were encouraged to be persistent, expectant and faithful. Although only 20 people had registered, the number attending the all-day event was around 60. We give honour to the Lord for the blessings he brought to so many. Here are two of the comments from those who took part. "We ....so enjoyed the day and we don't go to prayer meetings with the objective of enjoying them. However, as I said, it was the best prayer meeting I have attended for a very long time. The sense of the Lord's Presence was so real and the earnestness of His people so evident! I felt it was like old times!" "I must say it was a privilege to be at the ‘Call To Prayer' - It was so right to focus on The Word and Prayer and the sense of The Lord's presence was very real throughout the day and especially during worship. The Lord does inhabit the praises of His people!" The challenge to us all is stay faithful, persistent and expectant in the difficult days to come. I am sure there will be more need and opportunities to draw together again to bring the nation of Israel to the throne room of God. He will remain faithful and listen to the cries of His people.
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