THE NEW YEAR OF THE TREES

Happy New Year! "New Year?", you might be saying, "What New Year?" - it is already almost the end of January. Of course, January 1st is the New Year according to the Gregorian calendar in common usage in most countries, but here in Israel there is another calendar, the Jewish calendar and it has several 'new years'. This is not as odd as it sounds. In other parts of the world we also have 'school years' and 'tax years' which do not all begin on the first of January.  In ancient Israelite society there were a number of 'new years' based on different social and agricultural cycles. We are coming up to one of these, the New Year of the Trees, which falls on Tu B'Shvat (15th of the month of Shvat- 31st January this year). This marks the time when the first trees, the almonds, burst forth in blossom and represents the awakening of the trees after the long summer dormancy.  In ancient times the calculation of the annual tithe for tree produce was initiated on Tu B'shvat. Since the fall of the second Temple this tithe has not been collected, and today we celebrate mainly by eating the dried fruits and nuts of the trees of the land, mainly dates, almonds and figs. Many people also mark the day by planting trees, something akin to Arbor Day we celebrated as children growing up in New Zealand.  

Almond blossoms

For some of you it may seem odd that this occurs in the middle of winter, but in Israel summer is the dormant period and it is only after the first good rains of winter that plants 'wake up' and begin to grow. Straight after the first winter rains the browns of summer give way to lush green pasture and all the glorious wildflowers begin to bloom.  Today, in the rain, I went out for a walk in the forest behind my house and discovered that the almond trees along the path have all burst forth in flower. The almonds are always the first trees to bloom. 

Trees have always held a special place in Jewish thought. Visiting Israel for the first time you will be surprised just how many trees there are everywhere. Israel is the only country in the world that has had a net gain of trees over the last century. Trees are held in high regard. You have to have a permit to cut down any tree, even in your own property.  At the beginning of the 19th Century, Mark Twain toured the "Holy Land' and remarked on the fact that at that time the land was barren and almost devoid of any trees. Early lithographs of Jerusalem picture an almost treeless landscape. 

Jerusalem in 1839 Lithograph by David Roberts

When the Jews began arriving in large numbers at the end of the 19th Century one of the first things they did was to start planting trees. Since the founding of Keren Kayemet L'Israel - Jewish National Fund in 1901, some 240 million trees have been planted by this organization alone.  Now I can glance out my window and see the Jerusalem Forest stretching far off into the distance. 

The Jerusalem forest  view from my house

This is all the more amazing when you consider that during the same time the population of Israel has risen 10 fold from 806,000 to 8.4 million from 1948 to the present time. Israel is now ranked the 34th most densely populated country in the word - far ahead of the USA  (179th) and (NZ 202nd). It amazes me just how much open space there still is thanks to the forward thinking and planning of the early settlers who set aside large areas for reserves and parks right from the beginning. Nevertheless the continuing immigration and high birth rate means that these open areas and much agricultural land are being nibbled at by the spread of residential areas and industry. 

Jerusalem today

As I write this I am reminded of the prophecy that after the ingathering at the end time the Land will become too small for its inhabitants, but also that God would expand the borders of the Land. 

For your waste and desolate places,And the land of your destruction,Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;And those who swallowed you up will be far away. The children you will have,After you have lost the others,Will say again in your ears,‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwellGive me a place where I may dwell.’

Isaiah 49: 19-20

You have increased the nation, O Lord,You have increased the nation;You are glorified;You have expanded all the borders of the land

Isaiah 26:15

This is truly coming to pass. Today's young people are indeed crying 'Give me a place where I may dwell". In spite of frantic building activity, the housing shortage is chronic, pushing prices way beyond the possible for most. 

Israel's national bird - the crane!!!
http://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2016/07/Data-Dearth-Hangs-Up-Housing-Reform-1024x683.jpg

I love winter. I really do. Readers in many countries would probably think I am crazy to say such a thing. It was hard for me to appreciate winter growing up in the southernmost reaches of New Zealand. Winter seemed to go on forever,  with long stretches of gray drizzle interspersed with long stretches of bitter frosty, though sunny, days - all without the benefit of central heating. It was something to be endured but not enjoyed. In Israel I have learned to enjoy winter. 

In Israel winter is short, only about 3 months long, and provides a welcome respite from the monotonous months of clear blue skies and soaring temperatures. In winter there are clouds in the sky and beautiful sunsets. Rain comes to wash away the accumulated dust of summer, cleans the sky and scrubs the leaves of the trees. Life is renewed and the landscape turns green. Beautiful flowers spring up painting the ground with every color imaginable.  In winter too we can cosy up under duvets and wear warm cuddly clothing, and eat bowls of hot steaming soup.

A recent sunset from my home

Another reason I love winter is that it speaks to me about the majesty and power of our Creator God. 

“At this also my heart trembles,

And leaps from its place.

2 

Hear attentively the thunder of His voice,

And the rumbling that comes from His mouth.

3 

He sends it forth under the whole heaven,

His lightning to the ends of the earth.

4 

After it a voice roars;

He thunders with His majestic voice,

And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard.

5 

God thunders marvelously with His voice;

He does great things which we cannot comprehend.

6 

For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;

Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength".

Job 37: 1- 6 

Since my last posting, we have had three winter storm systems pass by. They have brought some problems, at least one death - a woman crushed under a fallen tree, flooding and other damage. As usual, the emergency services were busy rescuing those who had driven into flood waters and become stranded. Yesterday alone they answered some 30 calls to rescue foolish people who had gone hiking and become stranded or who had driven into floodwaters. 

Two children waiting to be rescued from flood waters

And what happened to the police who came to rescue them - duh!

The last few days have brought a gratifying amount of rain and snow particularly in the north. Some streams are flowing for the first time for several years, waterfalls have sprung to life, the skifield on Mt Hermon will have enough snow to open its season once the weather settles, and the Sea of Galilee has risen some 5 cm. We are rejoicing in answered prayers (even the Jewish and Muslim leaders were calling for special prayers and fasting for rain), but we are also being warned that it is not enough.  The Sea of Galilee is still more than 1m below its lowest red line and is in serious risk of suffering permanent ecological damage come summer.  It will rise some more as streams empty into it and when the snow melts, but we need to keep praying for more good rains like this last one. 

As usual when we get heavy rain it overwhelms the drainage systems and roads and homes get flooded. Most of the rain fell in the north and center. This is a street in Tel Aviv. Please pray for all the people who have had their homes flooded and cars ruined. I also just read a report about some 50 dogs desperately needing temporary adoption from a shelter in Yakum, a kibbutz near Netanya, as their shelter lost its roofing material. It is likely some of the smaller dogs will not survive the night unless someone takes them in.  

(Photo: Amnon Sha'arvi)  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5076038,00.html

In my last post I wrote about the film, A New Spirit, the story of the life of Messianic pastor and evangelist, Yaacov (Jacob)Damkani. This film was shown in movie theatres around Israel, and I was privileged to be able to see it. It was very well done and I would recommend you see it if opportunity arises. It is soon to be available as a DVD and the book on which it is based "Why Me?" is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Why-Me-Jacob-Damkani/dp/0883684403 .   Here is a trailer about the making of the film:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvg1h5l8xFY. The film is no longer in Israeli movie theatres but please pray that many people will see it when it comes out on DVD or on YouTube, or will read the book. It is just an amazing thing that it was allowed to be screened here in Israel at all, and a sign of the slow, but certain opening up of Israelis to the person of Yeshua. 

There is nevertheless always opposition, especially from certain streams of religious Judaism. About 6 months ago a congregation in the south opened a meeting place in the Negev city of Dimona. They encountered strong opposition resulting in damage to the homes of the people connected to the center, and the bullying and traumatizing of their children. Consequently, they chose to close the center for a while. After a 'cooling off period,' the center was reopened this month, again resulting in serious acts of persecution. Posters have been put up around town warning people to watch out for them and vicious lies spread around about them. The leaders were interrogated for hours by a delegation of rabbis, and one day later one of the rabbis wrote in a local newspaper, "We went to that house in order to silence them by force, but that woman would not stop talking! She should know about that other verse of Psalm 23: about the valley of the shadow of death. Let her go through it, together with her husband.”http://kehilanews.com/2018/01/23/center-run-by-believers-under-attack-again-in-dimona/
Hardly a veiled threat. 

As is usual with this kind of persecution, it often backfires. In this case too it has prompted support and curiosity from the other people in the city, those who are appalled by the behavior of the extreme religious leaders. Nevertheless, we need to pray for these believers for their protection and continued courage, and that the children will be healed of their trauma. Pray too that the meeting center will be able to operate freely. We need also to pray for those who persecute them, that they will not resort to violence and that their eyes will be opened to the Truth. 

This kind of activity against believers in the Land is nothing new, but there is a growing openness to the gospel in Israeli society and this is bound to alarm the religious leaders who oppose Yeshua. It also provokes attacks from the enemy Satan. As I said in my previous blog, many believers here are undergoing serious attacks in the realm of health and family relationships especially. Please pray for us. 

 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6: 10-12

To finish up I am including some online links which will inform and inspire. 
1. Here is a link to a documentary about the Messianic Jews in Israel today. It is only 12 minutes long - take a few minutes to watch it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w6KjU1evTIzaQQQQ

2. If you would like a more in-depth look at the history of the Messianic movement in Israel I would strongly recommend this lecture by Dr. Erez Soref. He takes us from 1948 when there were only 30 Jewish believers in Yeshua in Israel up to the present day where there are at least 30,000. When you see how the Body has grown here in this time it is very encouraging. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_k6L0TBEzM 

3.Another sign of the maturing body is that more and more the gospel is going forth out of Jerusalem. Believers here are making full use of modern media and the internet to reach many people. Here is an example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDvyotUW2dM

4. And now to finish, my favorite Christmas Carol, with words that make me weep. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a85WDuJdbXM

Prayer points:

1. Continue to pray for a good rainy season and the replenishment of the Sea of Galilee and other reservoirs and aquifers. 
2. That the ecological health of the Land will not be compromised by our continued population growth, and that at the right time, and in the right way, the LORD will expand our borders as He has promised, so that all of the scattered Jews will be able to come home and prosper in the Land.  
3. For the protection of believers in the Land, both physically, emotionally and spiritually, especially those facing active persecution in Dimona and elsewhere.
4. Give thanks for the amazing growth and maturation of the Body of Yeshua here in the land. Pray that many more will be added to our number and pray for the young leadership rising up now - that they will adhere closely to the Scriptures and the basic tenets of our Faith while developing an authentic Israeli expression of that faith. 
5. Pray that the gospel will go out from Jerusalem with power, effectiveness and wrapped in love, for Jews and Gentiles everywhere. 
6. Keep praying for our leaders that they will seek justice, truth and righteousness as they make decisions, and that they too will one day come to know their Messiah, Yeshua. 

WINTER IS HERE - AT LAST

Today, 2 Jan 2018, we are enjoying our first real taste of winter here in Israel. Outside it is 8 degrees Celsius and foggy with light rain. It is so lovely to see the rain. We need it so badly. So far we have had only 8% of our annual rainfall, whereas we would normally have had at least 30% by now.  This is especially hard on the farmers who rely on the early rains to get their winter crops started and the latter rains (in Feb-March) to finish them off.  It has been so warm until now that the almond trees are blooming already, a good month before they should. 

Fog in Mevaseret today

Yesterday the rest of the world celebrated the incoming of the New Year. In Israel very few people celebrate the Gregorian New Year. I never really understood why Israelis, and Jews in general, were so opposed to celebrating New Year, which here in Israel is called Sylvester, a name I had never heard of until I came to Israel.  For me, New Year is a totally secular celebration with no links to any religion, so I did not understand why so many Jews object to it.  Yesterday, however, I was sent an article (1) by a friend which explains why Israel does not celebrate the New Year. 

Apparently, New Year is called Sylvester in German-speaking countries and Poland after Saint Sylvester who was a Catholic Pope from 314 - 355 C.E (AD).  Once the Catholic Church finalized the Gregorian calendar, and Christmas Day was fixed as the 25th December, then they calculated that New Year's Eve was the day on which the Christ child would have been circumcised according to Jewish Law. Pope Sylvester died on the 31st of December, 355 C.E. and thus New Year's Eve was nominated Saint Sylvester Day in the Catholic Church. From that time on, and all through the Middle Ages, Sylvester Day was an occasion for revelry which inevitably led to attacks on Jews, the burning of books and Synagogues, public torture and humiliation, and just plain murder (1).  

It was Pope Sylvester who convinced Emperor Constantine to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem and who at the Council of Nicea introduced vicious anti-semitic legislation.    Later, on New Year's Day 1577, Pope Gregory XII decreed that all Roman Jews, under pain of death, must listen to compulsory Catholic conversion sermons given in synagogues after the Friday night services. On the same day one year later, Gregory signed a tax law forcing Jews to pay for a 'House of Conversion' to convert Jews to Christianity. Then on New Year's Day in 1581, Gregory ordered his troops to confiscate all the sacred Jewish literature, and during this campaign, thousands of Jews were murdered (1). 

It is therefore no wonder that Jews should be opposed to celebrating the New Year or Sylvester. In the light of such a bloody and shameful history, we who profess to be Christians should pause and reflect on these appalling acts carried out,  in the name of our Lord Yeshua, but certainly not sanctioned by Him. The church needs to repent and apologize to the Jewish people for these terrible things, but more than that, we need to expunge every vestige of anti-semitism from our churches and our own thinking. 

The Bible speaks of the veil which prevents Jews from understanding the Holy Scriptures. I believe that a very big part of that veil is the historical, and current, antiSemitism in the worldwide Church.  

 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 

 2 Corinthians 3 : 14-15  

Thankfully though, that is not the end of the story for the writer goes on to say, in the following verse(v 16),

 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

 When a child of Israel turns to the person of Yeshua, the veil is ripped away and they will see clearly. This is really not very different for people of other nations.  We all have our own veils. No one can really understand the Holy Scriptures until they are born again of the Spirit in Yeshua the Messiah. The nature and cause of that veil may vary but it the same for all of us in that it is only when we draw near to Yeshua that that veil is torn away, and we can begin to see clearly. 

Many Messianic believers here in Israel are remarking that we are seeing a huge change in the way that many Israelis are relating to Yeshua. They are not interested in the church nor in Christianity as such, but more and more are being drawn to the person of Yeshua. We are seeing much greater openness. For many years we had to be content with preparing the ground and sowing seeds, but I rather feel that many of those seeds are now beginning to sprout.  

One sign of the growing openness in Israeli society is the debut of the feature film, "A New Spirit" now showing in major movie theatres all around Israel. This film is based on the life of Yaakov Damkane, who is a well-known Messianic evangelist and pastor in Yaffo-Tel Aviv. Not so long ago, this could never have happened. Now it is receiving good audiences and publicity, and even a 13-minute review on Israel's main news channel, Channel 12 (2) . For more on this film see the article: 
http://kehilanews.com/2018/01/02/now-showing-in-israel-a-new-spirit-a-movie-about-jacob-damkani/

The Enemy, Satan, is not too pleased about all this of course. He is roaring around like a lion, looking for every weakness, in order to bring us down. Many believers here, especially those in leadership, are experiencing extreme levels of spiritual attack in the form of marital problems, divorce, serious life-threatening illnesses, the death of loved ones, family problems etc, etc. I have never seen such a vicious all-out attack as I am seeing in these days. Please pray for our protection from this spiritual warfare. We here, especially in Jerusalem, are in the center of the vortex. We need to make sure our lives are pure and that we keep 'short account' of sin in our lives. Any chink in the armor makes us vulnerable. 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5: 8 

I am glad to say that we believers in Israel are becoming more aware of the need to stand together and support one another. For example, I have been encouraged recently to hear about several initiatives around the country to provide help and support for the elderly amongst us. Until now there were very few elderly folk in our congregations, but now the generation that came here in the '70s and '80s is growing old. These were the people who were instrumental in starting up the Messianic congregations in Israel, and we owe them a lot. The congregations are beginning to wake up to the need to provide for this generation, many of whom have no family here, nor were able to provide for their old age. Few own their own homes, have savings or sufficient pensions to live on. The National Insurance pension is tiny and nowhere near enough to even pay the rent on an apartment. There is an urgent need to provide suitable housing, finance and practical care for these people. 

Another change is the establishment of a growing number of local Messianic organizations giving aid to the poor and needy in the Land, and the acceptance of this by government and other professional agencies. You can read more about these in the following articles: 

http://kehilanews.com/2017/12/22/five-believing-organizations-that-minister-to-the-poor-in-israel/

http://kehilanews.com/2018/01/02/pray-for-israel-hatikva-project/


As we enter into 2018 many of us are wondering what this new year will bring.  Israel is standing strong, though in a precarious position. Since Trump's announcement that the USA would recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital there have been ongoing riots throughout the West Bank and Gaza. These have not had a big effect on us in Israel as most have been confined in those areas. In fact, if I didn't watch the news on TV I would not even be aware they were happening. As usual, it is the Palestinians themselves who are suffering the most for their actions. 

Perhaps of more concern is the escalating barrage of rocket and mortar attacks across the border from Gaza. Since Trump's announcement more than 40 rockets have landed in Israel, prompting retaliatory attacks by Israeli tanks and aircraft, wounding many in the Gaza Strip. No Israelis have been injured or killed in these attacks but it is nerve-wracking for the residents of the border area. Ironically several of the rockets launched from the Gaza Strip have failed to reach Israel and instead fallen in Gaza damaging homes and schools.  Yesterday three rockets were fired at a ceremony marking the would-be 24th birthday of  IDF soldier, Oron Shaul, killed in the Operation Protective Edge, and whose body is still held in Gaza by Hamas. As the people ran for shelters or lay on the ground the Iron Dome system intercepted two of the rockets but the third hit a structure nearby. No one was hurt but it was a very frightening experience (4).  Today a further two rockets were fired into Israel (5). 

Families take cover during rocket fire on Friday (Photo: Roee Idan)
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5065037,00.html

However in spite of all the tension life in Israel is as always full of many complexities. Two weeks ago, on the 18th December, when I began writing this blog update, I wrote this:

Yesterday, at about the time of the end of the Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount, I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop waiting for my coffee to be served. A Jewish family walked in the door and the smallest child, a girl of about 3, tripped and fell. She was in tears. One of the staff came to her with a smile and gave her and her sister some chocolate. The tears were replaced with a smile. A simple act of human kindness? Yes it was, but it was remarkable because the staff member who comforted the little girl was an Arab. Even more so because, right at that moment, other Arab residents of Jerusalem were rioting and calling for death to the Jews, just down the street from where I sat.  The riots got full press coverage but there was no mention of the hundreds of such positive interactions between Jews and Arabs that occur every day here in Jerusalem.

Following US President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, many Arab leaders have called for a Third Intifada, or general uprising, against the Jewish State. So far anyway it hasn't happened. There has been rioting, some terror attacks and several casualties, including deaths, but what we are seeing is very far from an Intifada. According to Ynetnews, the IDF estimated that yesterday some 3,500 Palestinians were rioting in 9 different locations across the Gaza Strip and another 2,500 were rioting in various locations in the West Bank, burning tires and throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at IDF and Border Police personnel (6).  These rioters represent but a tiny percentage, about 0.1%, of the total population of the West Bank - hardly a general uprising! I suspect that most of the people of the West Bank are tired of all the violence and just want to get on with their lives. They know that Jerusalem has in fact been the capital of Israel for a long time and nothing has really changed with Trump's announcement. They also know, deep down that Israel is here to stay and as long as Israel is here Jerusalem will be its capital, even if they will not admit it publicly.

I will end this update with this photo - which I think sums up the absurdities we take as normal here in Jerusalem. This is why I love this place!

In case you are wondering - yes, Santa comes to Jerusalem too!

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5060414,00.html

Issa Kassissieh, an Arab Christian,- dressed as Santa, hands out free Christmas trees to Jerusalem residents

Prayer Points

1. Pray that the veil will be lifted from the minds of many and that the film "A New Spirit" will cause many to draw near to Yeshua.
2. Pray for the protection of the believers here in the Land, especially for the leadership. Pray that we will resist the temptations of the Enemy and not allow him access into our lives to destroy. 
3. Pray for abundant winter rains. We are still in a very serious drought situation. 
4. Pray for the needy in Israel. One in three Israeli children live below the poverty line. Israel's elderly have the highest poverty rates in the developed world (7). Pray for those Messianic organizations that are reaching out to try and ease these needs. 
5. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all Israel. Pray that the Palestinians will not rise up in a third Intifada and will begin to work for a better future, rather than concentrating on anger and revenge. Above all, pray that  Islam will be exposed as the Satanic Lie it is. 
6. Pray for our soldiers, police and other security and emergency personnel who daily risk their lives and work day and night, often in the cold and wet conditions at this time of year, so that we might go about our lives in safety. Pray especially for the young believers in the army, not only that they may be physically safe but also that they will be safe spiritually, as they come under the influence of their peers.  

1. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/21485
2.  Channel 12 news clip (in Hebrew only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8FyyHXw0pg
3. http://kehilanews.com/2018/01/02/now-showing-in-israel-a-new-spirit-a-movie-about-jacob-damkani/
4. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5065037,00.html
5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5065906,00.html
6. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5057380,00.html
7. http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Israels-elderly-poverty-rates-highest-in-the-developed-world-339026