O COME, O COME, IMMANUEL

Carol singing at Christ Church on Christmas Eve

I started writing this on Christmas Eve just before I set off into the Old City for the carol singing at Christ Church. Christ Church was the first Evangelical church to be built in the Middle East and it has played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Jewish State since the early 1800s. Situated just inside Jaffa Gate in the Old City, it is still a hub for evangelical Christians, Jews, Arabs and others in the city. The Christmas Eve carol singing and service is very popular and draws many Jewish Israelis who are curious about Christmas and who enjoy the songs, the hot mulled wine, soup and homemade Christmas cookies that are served.  This year there were record crowds.  


I just love the relaxed atmosphere, catching up with friends and singing all the good ol' Christmas carols. One of my favorite carols is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and one of the best renderings is by Anna Hawkins, who sings it in both Hebrew and English. You can see and listen to it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD-jBLZSZNU . I wonder how many times I have sung this beautiful song and not really paid attention to the lyrics. It is a prayer and expresses great longing for the coming of  Emmanuel (God with us), the Rod of Jesse, the Key of David, Yeshua, to set free his people, Israel. Below are the lyrics. Take a minute or two read the lyrics and to pray this prayer along with us here in Israel.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny

From depths of Hell Thy people save

And give them victory o’er the grave

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, Thou Day-Spring

Come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death’s dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heavenly home

Make safe the way that leads on high

And close the path to misery

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height

In ancient times did’st give the Law

In cloud, and majesty and awe

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, o Israel

The Christ, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), did come once to Israel but, although many of the ordinary people did receive him with joy, the leaders and the religious establishment did not. They looked for a conquering king to set them free from the oppression of the Romans, but Yeshua came instead as a tiny baby, born to an ordinary young woman, Miriam, in a stable in Bethlehem. Yeshua came to set Israel and all the world free. He did not come at that time to set us free from cruel oppressors, but to set us free instead from the far worse oppression of Satan, sin and death. To those who can receive this and accept forgiveness in Yeshua there is much reason to rejoice, but let's also remember at this time those who are still in bondage and subject to sin and death. We look forward to the second coming when Yeshua will come as the long-awaited conquering King, who will bring peace to the suffering world. May this Day come soon, but not until the full number of those whose names are written in the Book of Life come in.  

Christmas Day is a normal workday here in Israel and, of course, as a Jewish nation we do not celebrate Christmas. When I first came here we Messianic believers did not celebrate Christmas. Most of us were glad to escape all the intense commercialism and hype of Christmas in our lands of origin, and many rejected the pagan roots of many of the Christmas traditions. As time has gone on some of us began to miss Christmas and it has always seemed to me sad that we did not celebrate the coming of God in bodily form as the baby Yeshua. Bit by bit some of us began to quietly celebrate Christmas in our own homes and in recent years more and more of my friends have been too. Without all the commercial hype and pressure, it is just a lovely time to be with good friends, eat good food and remember the birth of Yeshua, when God came down to mankind to set us free.  

Of course, Yeshua was not born on 25th December or the 6 January, or probably any time in winter, as the Bible tells us the shepherds were out in the fields of Bethlehem that night. It is way too cold to be out in the fields at this time of year here and the flocks would have been safely tucked up in their sheepfolds if it were winter. The actual date of Yeshua's birth is unknown and it's not important, but what is important is the fact of Immanu El - God with us, Yeshua who came into the world to save us. 

Christmas too is the time when our thoughts turn to peace. Indeed Yeshua did bring peace, the peace that passes understanding, into the hearts of those who follow Him, but we do not yet see peace reigning in the world. In fact, the world seems to be gripped in great darkness, full of the suffering of wars, refugees and migrants, sickness, poverty and natural disasters. How we all long for the time of Yeshua's rule and cry out "How Long?" 

Peace seems far away here in Jerusalem this year. Tensions continue to mount as threats grow in every direction. Every day I turn on the news with trepidation. What new atrocity, disaster or calamity will have happened? 

It is now the 27th and Christmas is behind us.  I am dog-sitting for a friend and it is pouring rain, so I will try and get this finished by giving a quick rundown of the news. 

Operation Northern Shield

The IDF is continuing to uncover and destroy tunnels dug under the border from Lebanon into Israel by Hezbollah. So far they have found five and have destroyed them, using explosives and pumping concrete into them (2). They have been careful not to cross into Lebanese territory in the process and consequently have not invoked the criticism of the world powers. Hezbollah has not reacted and a tense calm is being maintained. Pray for all those working up there. It is cold and wet and very, very muddy. It must be miserable. Added to that they are easy targets for a sniper should any decide to attack. Hezbollah had built these tunnels in preparation to send an incursion force into Israel or possibly take an Israeli town hostage. The destruction of the tunnels is a big set back for them. 

The American pullout from Syria

This past week came the surprise announcement of the pullout of American troops from Syria. Trump appears to have made this decision on a whim, without discussing it even with his own advisors and certainly without consideration of the effects of his decision on his allies, or more importantly the people in the region who look to the USA for their protection. What will happen to the Kurds at the hands of the Turkish army? Will Iran or Russia fill the vacuum? There are only around 2,000 US troops in Syria but they are stationed near the Iraqi border fighting ISIS, thus strategically blocking the land corridor from Iran to the Mediterranean. Their absence will make it much easier for Iran to ship weapons into Syria bound for the Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

Attack in Syria

In response to the imminent American pullout from Syria Israel has made it very clear that they will not stop their attacks on arms shipments from Iran intended for Hezbollah. An unnamed Israeli official has confirmed that Israel carried out such an attack on the night of the 25th, destroying Iranian storage and logistics installations being used for transferring arms to Hezbollah.  Recently there have been reports of civilian airliners being used by Iran to transport weapons systems. A US Defense Department official claimed that several high ranking Iranian officials were targeted as they boarded a civilian cargo plane bound for Iran (3). Advanced GPS components for advanced strategic munitions were also targeted. A Syrian surface-to-air missile was fired towards Israeli territory triggering our missile defense system.The missile was shot down and no damage was done to Israeli planes or on land. Israeli aircraft attacked and destroyed the Syrian missile emplacement. Israel warned Russia in advance of their attack on the Iranian plane so that no other civilian aircraft were endangered, contrary to reports going out from Syrian and other Middle Eastern media. 

Gaza Protests

The weekly "March of Return" protests at the Gaza border are continuing in spite of Hamas' promise to phase them out according to the terms of the latest ceasefire. Each week around 10,000 Palestinians are coming to the border and throwing Molotov cocktails, grenades and rocks at IDF soldiers. Some also attempt to cross the fence and infiltrate Israel. The IDF is being forced to use live fire to stop them, mainly shooting at their legs, and as a result, there are some deaths and many injuries each week. Gazan hospitals are complaining they are unable to cope with the quantity of those needing treatment.  My answer to that, is "if you don't want to get hurt, don't protest at the fence!!!"   

A Fresh Wave of Terror?

In the last few weeks we have had a wave of terror attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank. On the 9th of December seven people were shot from a passing vehicle at a bus stop at a junction near the West Bank settlement of Ofra on the notorious route 60 highway. One pregnant woman was seriously injured, her husband and another man moderately injured and four teens lightly injured. Three of the wounded were IDF soldiers. The woman, 21-years-old, is now out of danger but her baby died three days after being delivered prematurely by emergency Cesearian section. The perpetrators were shot at by nearby IDF troops but they managed to flee the scene and disappear into the Palestinian city of Ramallah. The IDF is still searching for them. Hamas has claimed responsibility and it is believed that the shooters belonged to a Hamas terror cell. 

This attack follows an attack, on the 7th October, in the Barkan Industrial Park in the West Bank in which 4 were wounded, two fatally. The hunt for the terrorist, an employee at the Park, ended last Thursday when he was captured, more than two months after the attack. His home was subsequently demolished by the IDF. The Barkan Industrial Park employes some 7000 workers, about half of whom are Palestinians, and it has been hailed as an example of successful coexistence. The terrorist has been identified as Salah Omar Barghouti, 29, the son of a senior Hamas member currently in prison (4).

A month after the Barkan attack an IDF reservist was stabbed and moderately wounded outside the Samaria Territorial Brigade base near Nablus in the West Bank. and when IDF soldiers fired at the fleeing terrorist, a woman standing nearby was lightly injured by shrapnel. The terrorist fled into a nearby village and has not yet been apprehended as far as I know. 

Two days later a terrorist attempted to stab an IDF soldier at a bus stop at the Gitai junction on Highway 5. Other soldiers nearby shot and killed the terrorist (5). 

Several more terror attacks have occurred this past week. Last Tuesday there were two separate attempted car ramming attacks. In one the terrorist was killed and in the other, the terrorist was arrested.  On Thursday, the 13th, two border police personnel were wounded in a stabbing attack in the Old City of Jerusalem. One of those injured, a woman police officer, sustained moderate injuries and the other light. The terrorist was shot and killed (5). 

This upsurge in attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem is creating much concern especially amongst West Bank settlers who have been demonstrating against the government with the claim that not enough is being done to protect them.  Hamas and Islamic Jihad are intent upon stirring up trouble, calling for more attacks and activating its sleeper cells,  in order to destabilize the Palestinian Authority

Hamas responded to the killing of two of their terrorists by saying, 

 "The fire of resistance in the West Bank will not die until the occupation is lifted. The death of the two soldiers proves that the option of the Palestinian people is defiance. The West Bank will continue to support the forces of resistance and the blood of Na'alwa and Barghouti has not been spilled in vain. Hamas and the other resistance factions will continue to support activity to avenge their death."

Early Elections 

It is now official, the Knesset has been dissolved and there will be early elections scheduled for 9th April.

Tourism 

In spite of all the tension in the region, Israel  has seen a record year in tourism, with arrivals in 2018 expecting to top the 4 million  mark any day now, representing a record-breaking growth of some 38% over last year, and making Israel  one of the most popular and the fastest growing tourist destination in the world (6).  In recent years much effort has been made to improve the infrastructure and services provided for tourists in Jerusalem and to increase the range of options for accommodations, from the super luxurious hotels to the backpacker hostels.  Tourism brings in much-needed revenue to this city, which is the poorest in Israel. 

Poverty in Israel

A recent announcement that the price of many basic food items were about to rise caused great consternation among the population here.  We already have the highest cost of living, and the widest gap between income and the cost of living, amongst the developed nations, and some 1.8 million Israelis live in poverty. Jerusalem is the nation's poorest city and some 55% of our children live in poverty. The poverty line is set at a monthly income of 3000 shekels, and this means that these figures are a drastic understatement of the true level of suffering. Given that even the cheapest apartment in Jerusalem costs around 5000 shekels a month to rent, not including utilities and other costs, there are many more than 1.8 million experiencing poverty. In response to the announcement of further food price increases organizers threatened to begin 'yellow vest' demonstrations such as are occurring in France. Fearing a general uprising the government has put a hold on at least some of these price rises. The problem lies in that the food industry is in the hand of a few massive companies which act as monopolies and can pretty much do as they please. One can only ask why they want to raise the prices even more, given that they already make billions of shekels in profits and their top officials receive more in salary in a month than most of us make in a year. 

You might be wondering why Jerusalem is so poor. Twenty percent of our population is ultra-orthodox and 30% Arab. Amongst the ultra-orthodox only 20% of the men and 50% of the women work (7). The men study Torah all day and the women work to support the family. However they also have large families so often cannot work full time and, in addition, few have a secular education which can enable them to work in well-paying jobs. 

Amongst the Arabs about 60% of the men work and only around 23% of the women (7). Most of these workers are in low paying jobs because they lack the educational level to get into the higher paying positions. 

Winter rains

As I write this the rain is just bucketing down outside. Praise God that so far this winter the rains have been abundant.  Two weeks ago we had a 3-day long storm that brought around 1/3 to 1/2 the average annual rainfall to most parts of the country. There was much flooding and damage to homes and cars, and 4 people died as a result of the heavy rain. Some snow also fell on Mt Hermon. Today the rain is also heavy causing floods, hailstorms hit several places in the Sharon region, and snow is falling on Mt Hermon. I feel for all the people whose homes and cars get flooded when we have rain like this, but apart from that it is a joy to see so much rain. Keep praying for it to continue and for our lakes, reservoirs and aquifers to fill up. 

It is God's Battle

 Today I was reading in I Chronicles an account of a battle between the northern tribe of Reuben against the Hagrites and their allies. Because the Reubenites called out to God and trusted Him, God gave them a great victory over their enemies - "because the battle was God's".  As I write about all the threats to our existence here in Israel it is good to remember that the battle is the LORD's and he has armies innumerable and he fights on the side of those who trust in Him. Pray that we as a nation will take that attitude, calling upon the LORD and not just relying on our own strength.

They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God’s.I Chronicles 5:20-22

ANNOUNCEMENT:  I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF MY NEW WEBSITE. IT CAN BE ACCESSED ON  https://taliasjoy.com . IT IS STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION BUT YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT AND SEE MY PROGRESS. HAPPY READING! (For now I will continue to use this google blogsite for my blogs as I am still learning how to use the Wordpress program). 

References: 

1. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5422732,00.html

2. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5434028,00.html

3. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-official-says-top-hezbollah-officials-hit-in-alleged-israeli-strikes-in-syria/

4. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5425139,00.html

5. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5371369,00.html

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5368484,00.html

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/two-injured-after-being-stabbed-in-suspected-terror-attack-in-jerusalem-1.6743295

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/256094

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/two-attempted-car-ramming-attacks-in-west-bank-palestinian-shot-and-killed-1.6739825

6. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jerusalem-worlds-fastest-growing-tourism-destination-573653

http://nocamels.com/2018/12/jerusalem-top-tourist-destination/
7. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/ANALYSIS-Why-is-Jerusalem-the-poorest-city-in-Israel-457522

https://www.timesofisrael.com/1-8-million-israelis-842000-of-them-children-under-poverty-line-report/

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5425341,00.html

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

The Wheat and the Tares

THE WHEAT AND THE TARES

Winter has finally arrived here in Israel much to our relief. However we all had to laugh when our pastor remarked the other day, "There is no people like we Israelis who long so fervently for the arrival of the rains, but when they do arrive, have so little idea what to do with them!"  Oh so true.

Well at least here are a couple of guys who got it figured out

https://framasphere.org/camo/

This week brought deluges of rain mainly along the coastal plain and in the north, where flooding occurred in many places. At least two people died, one of hypothermia when his car got trapped in a flooded tunnel in Haifa, and another when a wall collapsed on him on a building site.  Here in Jerusalem we didn't get so much rain but the temperatures suddenly dropped to single figures, and we had to scrummage around in our closets for appropriate clothing. 

On these cold, wet nights, as I snuggle gratefully into my warm bed my thoughts and prayers turn to those less fortunate, the homeless, the soldiers and police on duty, and most of all this year, the refugees in freezing tents or survivors huddling in the mud and dirt of the devastated ruins of Aleppo and other cities in Syria.

Refugees from Aleppo

http://www.20read.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Refugees-fleeing-the-northern-Syrian-city-of-Aleppo.jpg

One wonders how this boy can still manage a smile. How grim it must be, cold , wet, muddy, hungry and homeless. My heart goes out to these people, especially the children, the elderly, the injured and the sick. Please pray for them and for all the brave people desperately trying to help them.

Its rather hard to get into a celebratory spirit this year with so much suffering right here on our doorstep, not only in Syria but also here at home. Figures released a few days ago say that some 21% of Israel's population are living below the poverty line, that is 1.7 million people. Compared to other OECD nations, Israel has the highest poverty rate of any of the developed nations. This is shameful for there is much money in Israel, it is just poorly distributed. The gap between rich and poor is inexcusable. 

An elderly homeless woman begs for food on the street.

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b71f69e20167689178dc970b-600wi

For many of us the end of the calendar year prompts us to pause and review the passing year. This is also true for many organizations. On the official website of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement is one such review.   They claim that "Throughout this year, BDS has grown stronger and stronger, " and then they go on to detail all their successes. It makes for sobering reading. In 2016 the BDS movement has garnered the support of many companies, organizations, nations and, sad to say, churches.

https://bdsmovement.net/news/2016-bds-impact-round-up

http://spme1.chaptersync.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/03/Divestment-Sign-Christians-620x428.png

In  the latest edition of "Israel Today" (1) Ryan Jones had this to say:
" For decades after its modern rebirth, Israel enjoyed overwhelming support from Evangelical Christians. And that followed nearly a century of strong Christian involvement in helping the Jewish people return to and reclaim this land in the first place. But as a younger generation of Evangelicals , the so-called 'millennials' have come of age and taken their place among the Church leadership, many of the more traditional and conservative doctrines - like viewing modern Israel as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy - have fallen out of favor or been renounced altogether".

Claude Ezagouri, pastor of Morning Star Fellowship in Tiberias, in the same article quoted above, put it this way:
" There needs to be a wake-up call, based on both Scripture and experience, proving that the topic of Israel in God's plan is exciting and will bring blessing, even if it seems to counter mainstream thought".

Jurgen Buhler, the Executive Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, went on to note that "While support for Israel in the West is in decline, other parts of the world are waking up". This year, two thirds of the participants in the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem were not from the so-called Christian West but from Latin America, Asia and Africa.

There seems to be a watering down of the gospel in the West and a lack of in-depth study of the Scriptures. Even in Bible Schools and Seminaries, the place of Israel in the God's plan, is ignored. A few years ago I was invited to speak in a tiny country church in New Zealand on a icy-cold, winter evening. I was surprised to see so many braving the conditions. After I finished my talk several men came up to me to thank me for opening their eyes to what the Bible had to say about Israel. They had never heard such teaching before, they said. I was astounded. They were all Presbyterian ministers! How is it they had never heard it before? It is nothing new. It is clearly written in the Bible (I taught on Romans 9-11) - there for all to read.

Many Bible teachers either ignore the passages relating to Israel, or teach their hearers to substitute the word 'church' whenever the word 'Israel' appears. This is a subtle form of replacement theology, which holds that the Church has replaced Israel in God's plan. This is nothing less than a lie of the Enemy. The Church (the Body of true believers) and Israel both have a pivotal role to play in God's plan to redeem the world. Neither is 'disposable'. To deny the place of either is dangerous heresy.

There are some very good reasons why Christians should care about what happens in the Middle East, and specifically to Israel.  Our lives are intimately linked to Israel whether we know it or not. What has happened in Israel in the past has determined who and what we are today. What will happen in the future with respect to Israel will directly determine, not only our personal fate as believers, but also the fate of the entire world.  Day after day, year after year, this tiny, seemingly insignificant nation of around only 8 million people, constantly features in the world's headlines. It's as if even the world intuitively knows and understands the importance of Israel. If they have ‘got it’ all the more reason that we Christians should grasp it too, and what is more, we need to go further, grappling with it until we find understanding far beyond that of the world's.

In Hebrews 5:12-6:2 it is made clear that after we are saved we are expected to mature, come to desire the solid food of the Word of God, and progress beyond the elemental principles of repentance, salvation, judgment and the resurrection of the dead. I believe that part of that 'growing-up' involves understanding the revelation given us regarding the redemption plan of God, its outworking in human history and coming to a clear understanding of our role and responsibility in working alongside God to bring about its fulfillment and completion.

What is more, in the words of I Peter 3:15 we are exhorted to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you”. What is the basis of our hope? Surely it lies largely in the demonstration of God's love, faithfulness and power as it has been demonstrated throughout history in the fulfilling of his promises to Israel as recorded in the Bible.

I would therefore propose that a clear understanding of the place of Israel in God's redemption plan, his dealings with her, and how this all relates to the events in the Middle East today, is essential for the Christian believer for at least four reasons:

·                 It gives us the 'big picture', which forms the context of our individual salvation and faith. The historical record of God's workings in relation to Israel and the nations around her is one of the most powerful testimonies to His existence and character. It increases our knowledge of God himself, his nature, his love and his power. It encourages and builds faith.

·                 Knowledge of God's promises and plans provides stability and builds courage. It provides us an anchor, and an antidote to fear and anxiety, in the perilous times in which we live. Christians need to be strong and calm in the face of turmoil, so that we can give light, strength and comfort to those around us.

·                 We have responsibility to participate with God in the outworking of his Redemption Plan, which is intimately linked to the fate of Israel. Our first responsibility is to pray, but also to speak out and act in our own area of influence, as He leads and empowers.

·                 What is more, if we claim that we love Jesus, how can it be that we do not love those He loves? In the flesh, Jesus was an Israelite, through and through, and he is the King of Israel, past, present and future. We can glimpse Jesus' love and compassion for Israel as he cried out in lament over Jerusalem saying, “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...” (Matthew 23: 37). Jesus loved Israel so much that he was willing to suffer crucifixion and death that she might be saved. The Holy Scriptures are saturated with declarations of God’s love for Israel.  For example, in Zechariah 2:8 Israel is described as the “apple of His (the LORD’s) eye” (my insert).

I believe that at this present time the battle lines are being drawn up for a very great battle. I do not know whether this will be one of the final battles prophesied in Scripture or not, but surely the present troubles are leading in that direction and each day takes us closer. Israel has never had to confront so many or such powerful enemies as she does today. When I look at the sheer magnitude of hatred directed towards her, and the sophistication of the weapons aimed in her direction, listen to the rhetoric of the leaders of her enemies and consider the weakness and ambivalence of her friends, I tremble. In the natural, there is not much hope that she can survive. Yet I believe she will, for God is greater than all of these. He has promised in Scripture that Israel will be established in the end, with the Messiah as her King and Jerusalem as her heart (Revelation 21 and 22). I believe that every Christian believer has a role to play. We must decide whether we are for God or against Him. There will be no neutrality - no sitting on the fence. It is therefore imperative that we each decide on which side we are, and to make such a significant decision we need to be informed and have a clear understanding of Scripture.

The Bible teaches that judgment begins with the house of God. Let us be found on the right side of the battle between Good and Evil. I don't mean to suggest that Israel is 100% 'good' and our enemies 100% 'evil'. Its not that simple. However the Enemy Satan is doing everything possible to derail God's plan for redemption and one way he is doing this is to attack Israel by every means possible, by direct physical warfare and terror, by polluting the doctrines of the church, by undermining her economy and reputation by means of lying propaganda and movements such as the BDS. If you are for God, then you need to be very careful you are standing firmly on His side.

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;  but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Matthew 13: 24 - 30

http://www.creationliberty.com/images/trib28.jpg

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God;

I Peter 4 : 17

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

1. Jones, R. "Has Christian Liberalism Harmed Support for Israel?" in Israel Today, January 2017

1.

We must then ask

–

does God take sides in the Middle East? This

very idea is repugnant to most Western Christians. After all, isn

’

t God

a God of justice, fairness and love? How can He take sides? As one

who believes that God loves all men, women and children equally,

how then can He favor one nation over others?

To answer these difficult questions we must turn to the Scriptures. In

writing this book I seek to expose the spiritual roots of the conflicts

between Israel and her enemies, outline the outworking of this enmit

y

through history and come to a clearer understanding of the

true

nature of the present hatred and violence. Once this foundation is

laid

we can each begin to define our own position and response, and

identify our role and responsibility in God

’

s eternal plan. In so doing

we each need to confront the question of where we, as Christian

believers, should stand in all this? Should we take sides? Whose

side? Does it matter in the great eternal plan? Why should we car

e

anyway?

There are some very good reasons why we Christians should care

about what happens in the Middle East, and specifically to Israel.

Our lives are intimately linked to Israel whether we know it or not.

What has happened in Israel in the past has determined who and

what we are today. What will happen in the future with respect to

Israel will directly determine, not only our personal fate as believ

ers,

but also the fate of the entire world. Have you never wondered why

day after day, year after year, this tiny, seemingly insignificant na

tion

of around only 7 million people, constantly features in the world's

headlines. One dies in Israel in a terror attack and it is major news,

while the death of thousands in another part of the world barely gets

a passing mention. It's as if even the world intuitively knows and

understands the importance of Israel. If they have

‘

got it

’

all the more

reason that we Christians should grasp it too, and what is more, we

need to go further, grappling with it until we find understanding far

beyond that of the

‘

World

’

.

In Hebrews 5:12-6:2 it is made clear that after we are saved we are

expected to mature, come to desire the solid food of the Word of God

and progress beyond the elemental principles of repentance,

salvation, judgment and the resurrection of the dead. I believe that

part of that growing-up involves grappling with the revelation g

iven us

regarding the redemption plan of God, its outworking in human

history and coming to a clear understanding of our role and

responsibility in working alongside God to bring about its fulfillment

and completion.

What is more, in the words of I Peter 3:15 we are exhorted to

“

always

be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for

the hope that is in you

”

. What is the basis of our hope? Surely it lies

largely in the demonstration of God's love, faithfulness and power as

it has been demonstrated throughout history in the fulfilling of his

promises to Israel as recorded in the Bible.

I would therefore propose that a clear understanding of the place

of

Israel in God's redemption plan, his dealings with her, and how this

all relates to the events in the Middle East today, is essential for th

e

Christian believer for at least four reasons:



It gives us the 'big picture', which forms the context of

our individual salvation and faith. The historical record of

God's workings in relation to Israel and the nations

around her is one of the most powerful testimonies to His

existence and character. It increases our knowledge of

God himself, his nature, his love and his power. It

encourages and builds faith.



Knowledge of God's promises and plans provides

stability and builds courage. It provides us an anchor,

and an antidote to fear and anxiety, in the perilous times

in which we live. Christians need to be strong and calm

in the face of turmoil, so that we can give light, strength

and comfort to those around us.



We have responsibility to participate with God in the

outworking of his Redemption Plan, which is intimately

linked to the fate of Israel. Our first responsibility is to

pray, but also to speak out and act in our own area of

influence, as He leads and empowers.



What is more, if we claim that we love Jesus, how can it

be that we do not love the things he loves? In the flesh,

Jesus was an Israelite, through and through, and he is

the King of Israel, past, present and future. We can

glimpse Jesus' love and compassion for Israel as he

cried out in lament over Jerusalem saying,

“

How often I

wanted to gather your children together, as a hen

gathers her chicks under her wings...

”

(Matthew 23: 37).

Jesus loved Israel so much that he was willing to suffer

crucifixion and death that she might be saved. The Holy

Scriptures are saturated with declarations of God

’

s love

for Israel. For example, in Zechariah 2:8 Israel is

described as the

“

apple of His

(the LORD

’

s)

eye

”

(my

insert).

I believe that at this present time the battle lines are being drawn up

for a very great battle. I do not know whether this will be one of the

final battles prophesied in Scripture or not, but surely the present

troubles are leading in that direction and each day takes us closer.

Israel has never had to confront so many nor such powerful enemies

as she does today. When I look at the sheer magnitude of hatred

directed towards her, and the ever growing sophistication of the

weapons aimed in her direction, listen to the rhetoric of the leaders of

her enemies and consider the weakness and ambivalence of her

friends, I tremble. In the natural, there is not much hope that she can

survive. Yet I believe she will, for God is greater than all of these. He

has promised in Scripture that Israel will be established in the end,

with the Messiah as her King and Jerusalem as her heart (Revelation

21 and 22). I believe that every Christian believer has a role to p

lay.

We must decide whether we are for God or against Him. There will be

no neutrality - no sitting on the fence. It is therefore imperative t

hat

we each decide on which side we stand, and to make such a

significant decision we need to be informed and have a clear

understanding of Scripture.