~ Thursday 18th March 2010 ~

Compiled by David Soakell Tel: 01323 410810

E-mail david@cfi.org.uk Website: www.cfi.org.uk

The Word: …'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, and they helped--but with evil intent." 'Therefore thus says the LORD: "I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it," says the LORD of hosts… My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem."'" (Zechariah1:14-17)

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth -- if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:5-6)
I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart… "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets… Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come...” (Habakkuk 2:1-3)

• Pointers for prayer: Once again, as we continue to stand with Israel, may all our actions, support & prayer be lead by the Holy Spirit. Please pray that we would have ears to hear, and hearts open to the areas the Lord wants us to be effective in. Pray that the whole Nation of Israel, from the Politicians, through the IDF, to every woman and son, would look to the Lord their God to renew their vision. May the nation of Israel turn to the LORD God of Israel to wait upon Him and seek His face.

• Please pray for accurate and honest reporting. As Jerusalem comes under violent Arab protests as a Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter is dedicated, the media tell a different story.

• Please continue to pray that Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria & the Golan Heights would remain in Jewish hands, now and until the Messiah returns. But pray too, that the Arab communities would recognise and receive their blessing in wanting to live in harmony with Israel.

• Please continue to pray that all Christian Israeli ministries would see a mighty move of God, and that He would be our strength and provider. Pray that He would open the floodgates of heaven for all our areas of ministry.

Though it tarry... I recently heard a comment on today's modern emerging/cafe churches, which stated, "Could the church be relying too much upon incense, art, images, and experiences to draw near to God, rather than on His Word and intimate worship?" And before I get hundreds of emails in defence of the modern emerging/cafe churches, can I point out that I don't have a problem with these... providing they are Biblically based and truly serving God. Indeed, as soon as my own Church fellowship closes the "service" section, we sit around tables in a "cafe style" having quality time with one another. Yet on my travels, I sometimes wonder what the vision or backbone is of some of these places. As you will no doubt know, some of my favourite "men of God" ~ the people who have inspired me over the past 26 years, are people like Spurgeon, AW Tozer and of course Bob Gordon. Where are the Bob Gordon's in today's church? If all we become is a gathering of people who rely upon incense, art and images... then should it really surprise us that a large part of today's church has no real understanding on God's everlasting relationship with Israel? If we water down the Word of God, leave out parts that we either don't like or don't understand, are we really standing upon the Rock?

Another favourite teacher of mine is Oswald Chambers. This man of God (1874-1917) was a Scottish minister whose teachings on the life of faith and abandonment to God have endured to this day. His daily devotional is a collection of his teachings compiled by his wife into a daily devotional format, and one I use often. In one of this week’s readings, Oswald Chambers states, "If we lose the vision, we alone are responsible, and the way we lose the vision is by spiritual leakage... The only way to be obedient to the heavenly vision is to give our utmost for God's highest, and this can only be done by continually and resolutely recalling the vision. The test is the sixty seconds of every minute, and the sixty minutes of every hour, not our times of prayer and devotional meetings." This really challenged me regarding our vision with Christian Friends of Israel. Recently, the work has been tough. The financial situation is extremely difficult. We are losing staff if Jerusalem due to farcical government restrictions... and the world and the devil appear to be giving many a good kicking. So where is God in all this? Where is His resurrection power that is available to all who trust?

Well... Oswald Chambers continues...""Though it tarry, wait for it." We cannot attain to a vision, we must live in the inspiration of it until it accomplishes itself. We get so practical that we forget the vision. At the beginning we saw it but did not wait for it; we rushed off into practical work, and when the vision was fulfilled, we did not see it. Waiting for the vision that tarries is the test of our loyalty to God. It is at the peril of our soul's welfare that we get caught up in practical work and miss the fulfilment of the vision. Watch God's cyclones. The only way God sows His saints is by His whirlwind. Are you going to prove an empty pod? It will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of what you have seen. Let God fling you out, and do not go until He does. If you select your own spot, you will prove an empty pod. If God sows you, you will bring forth fruit. It is essential to practise the walk of the feet in the light of the vision." Wow... that's strong words... especially when one is in the midst of the battle. And in truth, the last thing we need are sermons and "pious/religious platitudes" as one colleague stated recently! Yet for those who stand with us, we do require a lot of intercession. Indeed we "beseech thee" to cry out to God, that we may continue to run with this vision. As the battle increases, may all of us who stand in the gap for Israel, be seen to be keeping our eyes on the One who called us into being. And though it tarries, may we not give up.

Riots in Jerusalem over ancient synagogue According to sources at least 50 Arabs have been injured around the Old City and other parts of Jerusalem on Tuesday. Dozens of Palestinians clashed with Israeli police in Jerusalem after Hamas declared a "day of rage" to protest Israel's consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city of Jerusalem on Monday. Sources state that Arab Palestinians also took part in a rally in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, again in what appeared to be ugly demonstrations against Israel's consecration of the synagogue. On Sunday, thousands of Jews from Jerusalem had to be guarded by hundreds of police just to celebrate the entry of the first Torah scroll in the synagogue. Following this, they held a festive evening service. On Monday, the dedication of the restored Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City took place. The Hurva, considered the most important synagogue in the country for many years, was destroyed at the end of the War of Independence, but has been totally restored during the last five years. The synagogue was rebuilt to match the original model identically. This was done with the help of old photographs, plans and drawings. It was formally dedicated by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not attend the ceremony, but did deliver a pre-recorded video greeting.
However, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) said on Tuesday that Israel's reopening of the synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem risked "dragging the region into a religious war." OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that the rebuilt Hurva synagogue was on land historically under a "waqf," or Islamic trust. "The synagogue is erected in the heart of the Muslim Quarter, just dozens of metres away from the Western Wall of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, making crystal clear the grave implications of Israeli schemes that target the Noble Sanctuary and the future of the city of Jerusalem", he said in a statement. Yet for those who have been there and know the location of this synagogue, will know that this is in the heart of the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, well away from the "Al-Aqsa" compound, which is bordered on one side by the Western Wall, a major Jewish pilgrimage site not connected to the mosque itself.

First built in 1694 and destroyed 21 years later by Ottoman authorities who held power at the time, the synagogue site lay empty for many years, and acquired the name "Hurva," which is Hebrew for ruin, before being rebuilt in 1864. It was then blown to pieces in 1948, after Jordanian forces captured the Old City from troops of the re-established state of Israel. For centuries, the Hurva Synagogue was the largest and most important synagogue in Jerusalem, towering high above the rooftops of the Jewish Quarter. During the very first time I went to Jerusalem, I remember the Hurva Synagogue being commemorated in the Old City with a huge 16-metre arch, which itself became known as a landmark of the Jewish Quarter. That arch has now been incorporated into the restoration process.

Knowing the background to this fresh Arab uprising ~ one which was based on lies by the Hamas by whipping up those who don't need an excuse to riot ~ the battle for me took on another dimension on Tuesday night as I watched the late BBC news broadcast. The BBC portrayed the events in a strange way. They completely omitted the fact that Hamas had, shall we say "encouraged" the Arabs, to vent their anger, and mentioning nothing of the dedication of the restored Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter ~ which was the real reason the Arabs kicked off, and seemed to suggest that this whole uprising was simply down to Israel building more homes on what the media and Arab world term "occupied territory".

So once again, as ones blood starts hitting boiling point, I find myself enraged by offensive sloppy journalism, if indeed we can actually call it journalism. But then a thought occurred... can we really expect anything else. Is not the world's media exactly that... part of the world, the fallen world? Can we fight carnality with carnality? Can we fight the worldly errors with earthly minds? Surely, are we not fighting on a spiritual dimension here? 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 6:12-13) So in many ways, we shouldn't expect anything other than what we get from the media. However, neither should we just accept this.

According to sources, pamphlets distributed in East Jerusalem claimed the opening of the synagogue was the first step toward the reconstruction of the Temple, while senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan and Hatem Abdel Kader, who holds the Jerusalem affairs portfolio in the Palestinian Authority, called upon Israeli Arabs to go to the Temple Mount and protect it from Israel. Israeli security sources speculated yesterday that the PA is trying to leverage the unrest in East Jerusalem to promote its political agenda and tighten the connection between Jerusalem and the "West Bank". Dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Tuesday on a "day of rage" encouraged by Hamas.

Speaking at the Western Wall on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen said, "We see signs of riots, but this is no third intifada... Police will remain on high alert near the Temple Mount until this Friday. We intend on restoring calm at the site by next Sunday." Earlier on Tuesday Cohen commented on the situation in Jerusalem while attending a conference in southern Israel and said, "The Temple Mount is a national challenge for the police, and an international challenge. Every incident has significant ramifications on the situation. It is our job to maintain the relative calm. At this time, and in recent times, there are a number of signs of attempts to disrupt the order at the Temple Mount. This is why we have prepared in massive numbers, including today, to enable the freedom of worship."

Jerusalem is of course always the centre of world attention. But what are the conflicting claims of the Jewish people, the Arab world, the Church and major world powers to this city, and what significance do they have to the concerned Christian? Can Israel legitimately claim an undivided Jerusalem as her capital; do the Palestinians have a just claim to the same city; what stake does the Christian church have in this city where Jesus died and rose again; and what will be the future of this the most hotly contested city on earth. Does it matter who owns it? Well, Jerusalem has been continuously inhabited by Jewish people for the past 3,000 years, in fact ever since its conquest by King David. By virtue of continuous occupation, the Jewish people have an unassailable claim to this city. Also, it has never been the capital of any other nation, least of all any Arab/Moslem nation. It has only ever been a capital of a sovereign Jewish state. When, during the 20th century, it was under the control of Muslim (Turkish or Jordanian) powers it was allowed to remain in a decayed state, and under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967 was divided, deliberately mutilated and its synagogues destroyed and graves desecrated. The Arab concern for and care of Jerusalem can be judged by the description of the Old City by Mark Twain in 1869 in his “The Innocents Abroad”: “Rags, wretchedness, poverty, and dirt, those signs and symbols that indicate the presence of Moslem rule more surely than the crescent flag itself, abound. Lepers, cripples, the blind, and the idiotic assail you on every hand ... Jerusalem is mournful, and dreary, and lifeless. I would not desire to live here.”

To the Jew, Jerusalem (or Zion) is a major theme in the Bible. It is first referred to as “the place which the LORD your God chooses” (20 times) until the designation changes to “Jerusalem”, which itself occurs 811 times plus 161 times as Zion, a total of 972 times. It is abundantly clear that God chose Jerusalem. “... Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there.” (I Kings 14:21) “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.’” (Zech 1:17). Should Christians be concerned for this place? Well if they believe in the Word of God, YES! So let us rise up and pray against this uprising, and pray that the media would stop distorting the truth, and report what is really happening.

Jewish Jerusalem “untouchable”? In a complete reversal of statements, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday switched from apologies to the Obama administration for building for Jews in Jerusalem and went on the offence. Buoyed by virtually unanimous Cabinet support, he told Likud Knesset Members at a party meeting, “Building in Jerusalem and in all other places will continue in the same way that has been accepted in the last 42 years.” He added that the construction does not harm Arabs. Last week, the Prime Minister apologised to visiting U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over the "timing" of a government announcement that 1,600 new housing units which will be built in the Jewish neighbourhood of Ramat Shlomo.

Ramat Shlomo shares the same status as French Hill, Ramot and Gilo, totally Jewish areas that are considered to be politically “untouchable” by any agreement for a new Palestinian Authority state within Israel’s current borders. The neighbourhood is not far from the largely Arab-populated area of Shuafat, but is surrounded on all other sides by the Jewish areas of Ramot, Ramat Eshkol and Golda Meir Blvd. Netanyahu’s sudden change of pace came in response to a Likud caucus question by strongly nationalist MK Tzipi Hotovely concerning the 10-month building freeze on new homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria (otherwise known as the "West Bank"). He stated that the freeze, which was a “goodwill” gesture to U.S. President Barack Obama to entice the PA to resume negotiations, is "binding” and will not be extended.

Celebrating martyrdom and no place for Israel In related news, leaders of the Fatah party, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, waited for U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to leave the region before they honoured the terrorist who carried out the massacre on the Coast Road in 1978. They arranged a day of study in praise of Dalal Mughrabi, who murdered 37 people in the bus-hijacking massacre before she was finally killed. Fatah leaders last week quietly named a Ramallah square after Mughrabi despite earlier statements by the Palestinian Authority that it would postpone the ceremony, which was scheduled at the same time Biden was in the country. The PA originally announced a delay due to “technical reasons” but then recognized the new name after Fatah activists arrived at the square and carried out a ceremony.

A poster at the scene proclaimed, "On the anniversary of the Coastal Road Operation we renew our commitment and our oath that we uphold the charge and that we will not stray from the path of the Shahids - Shahida (Martyr) Dalal Mughrabi Square, Shabiba students' movement.” What we need to remind ourselves here is that Fatah are supposed to be the "moderate" group ~ the very same people that Israel is supposed to shake hands with and give them Jewish land for "peace". Even though the PA has allegedly committed to halt violence and incitement against Israel, they still declare "we renew our commitment to uphold and not stray from the path of the Shahids..." meaning they are still willing to do what they have always done ~ attack Israeli civilians by terrorist acts of violence. Fatah spokesman Dr. Faiz Abu Aytah called Mughrabi "a symbol in the history of our national struggle" and emphasized "the right of Fatah, of the Palestinian Authority, and of the Palestinian people to celebrate the anniversary of her martyrdom."

According to an article by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, the Palestinian Authority has made no attempt to educate its people towards peace and coexistence with Israel. On the contrary, from every possible platform it repeatedly rejects Israel's right to exist, presents the conflict as a religious battle for Islam, depicts the establishment of Israel as an act of imperialism, and perpetuates a picture of the Middle East, both verbally and visually, in which Israel does not exist at all. Israel's destruction is said to be both inevitable and a Palestinian obligation. In a new Palestinian Authority TV kids' show, they show children a picture which wipes Israel off the map. The program, Chicks, includes a regular segment that introduces viewers to a particular area of "Palestine." The map that PA TV has chosen for this educational program includes all of Israel, yet is labelled "Palestine… Explore Your Country." According to Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, maps showing all of Israel as "Palestine" are an important element of the PA's campaign that reinforces the message to Palestinians not to recognize Israel.

David Soakell

Sources: Unless otherwise stated: Personal sources throughout Israel along with The Jerusalem Post, BBC News, Arutz-7 News, Israeli Embassy London, Independent Media Review and Analysis & Israel National Radio