Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper

2nd Quarter 2016 • No 187
Christian Friends of Israel UK
Instead of the thorn-bush
will grow the juniper
Isaiah 55:13
INSIDE
BRIEFING & PARLIAMENT LOBBY DAY - SPECIAL REPORT
HEBRAIC STUDY - HOW TO KEEP THE TESTAMENTS CONNECTED
YOM HASHOAH - HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
REPRESENTATIVE PROFILE - SOUTH WEST
HEBREW WORD STUDY - FEAR OF THE LORD
EVENTS & RESOURCES
Education • Advocacy • Aid
Shadow and
Reflection
Jacob Vince
About us
CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel by
means of practical and moral
support, and to serve the Church in
teaching about God’s purposes for
Israel and the Hebraic heritage
of our faith.
CFI also produces a monthly Prayer
Letter, an audio Middle East News
Report and distributes the Haverim
Hebraic teaching CDs/MP3s.
Please send for full details of
projects in Israel and also of the
many teaching resources available.
As an educational charity,
we carry a variety of
resources relevant to our
purpose. We do not
necessarily endorse every
view expressed by our
guest writers or authors
of these resources.
Published by:
CFI Charitable Trust
PO Box 2687
Eastbourne
BN22 7LZ
Tel: 01323 410810
Fax: 01323 410211
Email: [email protected]
Websites: www.cfi.org.uk
www.keshercourse.org.uk
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Front Cover Image:
The Juniper Tree
F
or a reason known to God alone, he decided to reveal himself to humankind
in a specific manner. He wanted to enter the world in human form and in
order to do so needed a family, nationality, history and country.
Having first set out the parameters in the
Law (Torah), he then foreshadows the
coming of his Son through the Prophets.
This is then recalled and reinforced
though the Psalms or writings (Luke
24:44), and finally its outworking is
shown through the eyewitness record of
the Apostles (Acts 2:42), which reflects
him. So in the context of Jesus, Israel
could be said to foreshadow and the
Church to reflect. In Hebrews it refers
to the law as a shadow (Hebrews 10:1)
and the sanctuary a copy and shadow
(Hebrews 8:5). In the apostle Paul’s
second letter to the Corinthians, the
Church is referred to as reflecting Jesus
(2 Corinthians 3:18). The outcome, if
one takes away Israel or the Church, is
that Jesus simply becomes a cardboard
cut-out, a one dimensional
character, who can be
manipulated however we
like.
Only
a
threedimensional person has a
shadow and a reflection.
Now, in a largely Gentile
Church, everyone is content
with the ‘universal’ Jesus.
However, it is vital to always
set this against the ‘distinctive’ Jesus.
This confirms Jesus as Jewish. He was
circumcised (Luke 2:27), orthodox (Matt
9:20) and even arguably followed some
intertestamental Jewish practices (John
10:22; Luke 22:14-20).
It is also important to see the ongoing
distinction made concerning the Jewish
people. We know that Paul writes to
the Galatians that there is neither Jew
nor Gentile, male or female, slave nor
free man. But he then spends most of
his letters showing how to deal with
the distinction. Male and female are
different but are there to complement
or bless one another in relationship.
Equally, Jew and Gentile are designated
as different, but also there to bless one
another. God’s intervention in the world
established a personal relationship with
Abraham in covenant terms. But this
2 IN TOUCH • 2nd Quarter 2016
was not only for Abraham’s benefit,
to his ethnic line and a few converts to
Judaism, it was to be a blessing for the
entire world. It should be seen as what
Kendall Soulen calls the ‘blessing of
difference’, in his seminal book ‘The God
of Israel and Christian Theology’.
In the main, Christendom has
been very critical of Israel’s role in
foreshadowing the Messiah, whilst at the
same time ignoring how poorly we have
been fulfilling our role of reflecting the
Messiah.
As mentioned earlier, a person without
a shadow is simply one dimensional.
Without the shadow we do not see
God in all his fullness. Likewise, a
person without a reflection is equally
one-dimensional, so if the
church doesn’t give a very
clear reflection, or reflects
only part, then how can we
expect anyone to see God in
all his fullness and unfolding
purposes?
In
the
foreshadowing,
God reveals himself very
specifically as a covenantmaking and keeping God.
If he doesn’t keep his covenants with
Israel then where are we in light of his
new covenant? This was also made with
Israel, as the apostle Paul reminds us in
his letter to the Romans (Romans 9:4).
This is the covenant into which Gentiles
are engrafted (Romans 11:17). What is
more, in the foreshadowing, God reveals
himself as one who makes promises and
keeps promises.
The Church so easily misappropriates,
ignores or re-defines the Law, Prophets
and Psalms; whilst Israel finds it difficult
to see the continued unfolding in the
apostles. If we did a better job in our
reflecting then maybe things would
be different. As is always the case with
Scripture, we must be doers as well as
hearers (James 2:22), thinking on these
things and putting them into practice
(Philippians 4:9).
Without the
shadow we
do not see
God in all his
fullness
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SPECIAL REPORT
Briefing and Lobby Day
T
his year’s Briefing was an
excellent foundation for the
Lobby event in Portcullis
House in the afternoon. The whole
day was chaired by CFI’s Chief
Executive Jacob Vince and Professor
Eric Moonman, Co-President of the
Zionist Federation. It was attended
by up to 200 people, some travelling
over night from as far away as
Glasgow, and a coach full coming
from Norwich.
We also had CFI Area Reps from
Essex, Norwich, North and North East
Wales as well as David and Julia Soakell
and staff from the CFI office. Those
attending came as supporters both
of CFI and of the Zionist Federation.
All were impressed and challenged by
those who spoke in preparation for the
Lobby of Parliamentary Members and
Speakers.
Itamar Marcus of the Palestinian
Media Watch spoke clearly and concisely
about monitoring the Palestinian
Authority (PA) through the window
of Palestinian Media in sport, culture,
poetry, entertainment, music and video,
TV sermons, book reviews, crossword
puzzles, children’s pages, school books
and social networks. He showed how
the PA seem to be creating teenage
terrorists, and how this affects both
the English-speaking world and the
Arabic world. He showed examples of
demonisation of Jews, claiming Zion is
Satan and that they target children in
attacks; also the hero worship of martyrs
who have killed innocent Jewish citizens
and then have sports tournaments and
schools named in honour of them. He
explained that the continuing trend of
paying terrorists a salary – even though
this was reportedly stopped – has been
traced. The funding now goes through a
different department. He also suggested
that individuals in Palestinian areas are
being taught how to stab, in what has
become known as the Knife Intifada,
claiming thirty lives between Sept 14th
and Jan 28th, and injuring 291, through
113 stabbings and 39 shootings, as well
as 22 car rammings.
Gillian Merron vice President of the
Board of Deputies of British Jews and
the acting Israeli Ambassador to UK,
Eitan Na’eh, both expressed their deep
appreciation of all present and of those
who support Israel and the Jewish
people in ways such as advocacy. Each
of the speakers generously answered
questions from the floor. They were
rewarded with an appreciative round of
applause for the tremendous amount of
relevant information communicated.
The group then walked on through
Westminster, had photos taken in the
Square, and went on to Portcullis
House, and then some went to individual
meetings with their constituency MPs.
Many had good conversations with their
MPs and shared concerns about EU
money, the increase of violence in Israel,
media reporting, and other issues. The
large afternoon meeting was addressed
by over a dozen MPs from across all
parties and by two House of Lords Peers
as well as Jerry Lewis - a journalist with
Israel Radio.
Issues addressed covered the new
stance on BDS, actioned recently
by Matthew Hancock, the decline of
Labour MPs supporting Israel in the
new parliament, the turning down of a
new desalination plant (to be built by the
Israeli Government) by the PA because
they thought of it as ‘dirty money’,
the need to use social media better in
support of Israel, and the growing trends
to use terrorist martyrs as role models
in Palestinian schools and sports events.
Most of the speakers encouraged UK
voters to use their democratic rights
to challenge MPs and to “hold them
accountable”, to quote Luciana Berger
– Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree.
And as Paul Charney of the ZF said,
Israel’s enemies are “relentless and
organised” so we must continue to
make voices for Israel heard and make
a difference.
Parallels from the recent worsening
environment around Israelis, antiSemitism and continuing hatred towards
Israel could be made with the story in
Exodus when Moses led the Israelites
out of Egypt with Pharaoh’s army in
hot pursuit. The scriptures say “Don’t
be afraid …. The Lord will fight for you”
(Exodus 14:14). Please pray about
these issues and see the specific prayer
pointers on the prayer page of the CFI
UK website (www.cfi.org.uk).
Itamar Marcus of the Palestinian Media Watch
The Briefing held at the Emmanuel Centre
Jacob Vince and Professor Eric Moonman of ZF
Arriving at Westminster for the Lobby
The meeting at Portcillis House, Bob Blackman MP
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2nd Quarter 2016 • IN TOUCH 3
James Whitman
serves as president
of The Centre for
Judaic-Christian
Studies (JCS)
W
Reading the Bible for all it’s worth! PART 1
How to keep the
Testaments connected
e encourage our four children to think carefully and ask clarifying questions. This morning my
thirteen-year-old son Nathaniel asked me why the Bible ended; why it’s no longer being written.
That’s a line of inquiry that deserves a thoughtful response, don’t you agree? Before telling you what
I told him, let me share a big idea that forms the background to my answer.
As my title indicates, we’re starting a
new series called, Reading the Bible for
all it’s worth! My prayer is that each
instalment serves as a treasure hunt
for you, a quest to uncover riches that
lie just below the surface. This month
I want to show you the substantial
benefits of keeping the two Testaments
connected. And give you some tips on
how to do just that.
The Christian Bible has two
major divisions described with the
venerable word Testament: the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
When I ask believers what the word
means, few can tell me and even
fewer can answer how they came to
carry that designation. My purpose
is not to criticise but to show that
this disconnect in our thinking is an
opportunity to know God more. Here
is a brief overview of the relevant
history.
Church father Jerome, famous for
translating the entire Bible into what
became the accepted Latin version
known as The Vulgate (AD 405),
coined “Old Testament” for the Jewish
Scriptures and “New Testament” for
the Christian Scriptures. Why did he
make that choice? The process began
when the Hebrew word for covenant
(berith) was translated by the Greek
word (diatheke) long before Jesus was
born. That use continued with the
apostolic writings. So far, so good,
because the subtle range of meaning
associated with covenant was able to
retain its biblical, Hebraic context.
The problem came when Jerome
made a choice to translate every Greek
use of diatheke in his New Testament
with the Latin term testamentum
(even though he used multiple words
to translate diatheke in his Old
Testament). Keep in mind that all
translation work involves an element
of interpretation as a necessary part of
the process. Unfortunately, Jerome’s
interpretive impact confined the word
to a legal context (think, last will and
testament) with a distinct connotation
to the Greco-Roman world. And it
4 IN TOUCH • 2nd Quarter 2016
severed the biblical ideas embedded
in the concept of covenant from their
Jewish roots, specifically as related to
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and his interaction with people.
Thankfully, translators have since
repaired this oversimplification in
the text (for an obvious example,
compare Luke 22:20 in the KJV and
NKJV). However, there remains a
misunderstanding that persists at
the core level of how we describe the
Word of God, which can even affect
our view of who he is and what he is
all about. For many Christians, there is
a vague, unspoken and unintentional
disconnect between the Testaments.
Why? Because in the non-Jewish, legal
way of thinking associated with the
We need to reject the
prejudice that sets the
Testaments in opposition
to each other
word testament, God seems to change.
In other words, he acts one way in the
old and another in the new. May it
never be!
Over the years, we have helped
many people experience increased
intimacy with God by teaching them
how to view the Holy Bible as a
whole—as The Book of the Covenants,
both old and new. Let me give you
three benefits followed by some tips on
how to be intentional as you read and
hear.
THE FIRST BENEFIT of keeping the
Testaments connected is that it helps
you grasp the Bible as one continuous
story—about the God of salvation and
the salvation of God.
Paul helps us get into the mindset of
the early church; all covenant history
is anchored to a promise that God
Almighty gave to Abraham (Galatians
3:29, Genesis 12:1-3). The heart of the
Father, evidenced by the heart of his
promise, is to bless—relentlessly—the
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work of his hands. Everything from
that encounter with Abraham forward
derives its meaning from the same
divine commitment, including the new
covenant foretold by Jeremiah and
inaugurated with the blood of Jesus
(Jeremiah 31:31-34, Matthew 26:28).
Jesus taught us that the object of our
worship and prayer is “our Father”
because he knew that the Holy Bible
is the story of God. When the Father
is the centre of attention, and we
understand it as one continuous story
about him, then the Spirit breathes
new life into the creedal text, “For I
the LORD do not change” (Malachi
3:16). We come to the stunning and
humbling realisation that God is being
faithful to his Word, even if we are not.
THE NEXT BENEFIT of keeping the
Testaments connected is that it helps
you read the Bible from the left to the
right. Nothing supports faith quite like
covenant history. From the beginning
of the Bible we can watch the seed
grow, bear fruit, and produce more
seed. From the seminal promise to
Abraham emerges a covenant with
him, Sarah, and their progeny. From
that emerges a covenant embracing
Israel and their progeny. From that
emerges a covenant embracing King
David and his progeny. From that
emerges the final covenant embracing
Jesus and his progeny.
What
Abraham, Moses, David, and our
Prophets understood was that what
came before them was the LORD at
work—fulfilling His original promise.
For that reason, they eagerly looked
forward to the coming of the Messiah.
Jesus, the Jewish Messiah and the
world’s rightful King, was able to live
a Spirit-filled life of joyful obedience
by drawing strength from his Father’s
covenant faithfulness witnessed to in
His unchanging Word. We mature the
same way. As we grow in confidence
of God’s help in the present because
of his decisive actions in the past, his
Spirit breathes new life into the creedal
text, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
ANOTHER BENEFIT of keeping the
Testaments connected is that it helps
you read the Bible from the right to the
left.
Nothing informs our faith quite like
covenant history. One activity I like to
do with students in a seminar setting is
open the Bible to the New Covenant as
presented in Hebrews chapter 8. I then
ask them to list the items in the text
for which they need a basic working
knowledge of Jesus’ Bible, our Old
Testament. A simple exercise with
significant results. The inspired writers
of
the
‘Christian
Scriptures’
used
Hebraic nouns and
verbs to explain God
the Father, and His
Son, to Jews and nonJews alike. Once you
recognise this, you will
see it from Matthew to
Revelation.
We need to reject the prejudice that
sets the Testaments in opposition to
each other. Just as the Exodus is the
grand archetype of biblical salvation,
so both cross and resurrection offer a
new exodus in Jesus. All the redeemed
of the LORD throughout the ages can
proclaim the creedal text, “for us there
is one God, the Father, from whom are all
things and for whom we exist, and one
Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are
all things and through whom we exist.”
(1 Corinthians 8:6)
Although Old and New Testament
terminology can cause a disconnect,
it’s not going to change nor do I think
it necessarily should. What we have is
an educational opportunity, a chance
to both define our terms and unpack
the meanings. Here are two tips that
can renew our minds and equip us to
help others to do the same.
Tip 1: When you hear or say the word
testament, think covenant; translate it
back to the biblical ideas embedded in
covenant.
Tip 2: When you hear or say the words
old and new applied to testament
(covenant), translate them to something
like first and final, or original and
renewed.
For years I have encouraged
Christians to think of the Holy Bible
as the Book of the Covenants, Volumes
1 & 2. It’s not a perfect solution, but
it gets us closer to the actual covenant
history (promise fulfilment) that the
Word of God narrates and illustrates.
Now back to my son’s question with
which I opened this article. Here is the
distilled version of our conversation.
On the one hand, the Bible had to reach
a point of completion—a time when no
more writings were added—because
new covenant salvation, as evidenced
by Messiah Jesus’ death, resurrection,
and Holy Spirit outpouring, was the
Father’s ultimate goal. That being said,
be mindful that we cannot wholly
grasp the breadth, length, height and
depth (Ephesians 3:18) of His promise
to bless without taking
the Bible and the history
as a whole.
On the other hand, we
need to be fully aware
that the story of God
– as told in the Bible –
continues to be written
onto the pages of history
by each believer and
every believing community as they
experience his salvation and respond
with the obedience of faith. Today is
our opportunity to prove the promise
of the Father, just like the covenant
faithful who have gone before us.
Our apostle Paul says it this way:
“You are a letter from Christ delivered
by us, written not with ink but with the
Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of
stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
(2 Corinthians 3:3).
Resources www.cfi.org.uk/shop
The God Who Comes Down Revd Desi Maxwell
Revd Desi Maxwell lectured for twenty years at Belfast Bible College, before seeking to bring the
classroom to the living room through “Xplorations”, the ministry he cofounded and directs with his wife.
He has studied at Haverim Schools of Discipleship, and was introduced to CFI-UK through Dwight Pryor’s
warm recommendation of him as a gifted teacher with his own unique presentation of the Messiah in all
the Scriptures, along with promoting a deeper understanding of the Biblical text by creating an awareness
and understanding of its Jewish background. This DVD has two 30 minute documentaries.
Session 1: ‘The God Who Comes Down’, we travel nearly the full length of Israel tracing the Biblical story of the God who came
down on the mountain, in the tent, in the temple, in the flesh and in the Spirit.
Session 2: ‘The World’s Longest Running Love Affair’, we explore the relationship of the Jewish people and the Torah. We are
drawn into an ongoing relationship that is full of passion.
D135 // DVD // £11 (incl. UK p&p)
The Gospel & the Revelation Dr Ron Herms
This is a set of three lectures in the Haverim series that were given by Dr Ron Herms at a seminar held on
23rd May 2015 at the Centre for Judaic-Christian Studies, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Disc 1: Early Jewish Apocalyptic and the Book of Revelation
Disc 2: The Gospel in the Book of Revelation
Disc 3: Conflict and Social Setting in the Book of Revelation
Dr Herms is Dean of the School of Humanities, Religion and Social Sciences at the Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, California.
Prior to joining FPU, he served at Northwest University. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dr Herms’ qualifications include a
Ph.D. in New Testament Theology from Durham University.
CDS130 // CD // £13.50 (incl. UK p&p)
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2nd Quarter 2016 • IN TOUCH 5
HEBREW WORD STUDY
Melissa Briggs MA,
Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, has been
teaching Hebrew in
the UK for more than
five years.
H
Yirah
The fear of God
‫יִ ְר ָאה‬
ave you ever stopped to consider what it is that you truly fear? When I did so several months ago, the
length and content of my list was a serious red flag. Fear was an area in my life that God wanted to deal
with and I was eager for his help.
What we fear controls us and holds us back from living in
the shalom and freedom that our Heavenly Father desires
for us. A fear of failure can hold us back from venturing out
into a new calling. A fear of spiders or dogs can hold us back
from enjoying the great outdoors. A fear of commitment can
hold us back from marriage. A fear of rejection can hold us
back from building new relationships.
As our fear of God grows, other fears rightly lose their
power in our lives. If we really understood God’s power
and authority, then we would understand that we do not
need to fear anything else beside the Almighty, “The Lord is
my light and my salvation; whom shall I yare? The Lord is the
strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
The Hebrew word for fear, yirah
, is the same word
whether the object is a fear of God, man, death, enclosed
spaces, or something else. The word yirah and the root verb
from which it originates, Yare
, appear hundreds of
times in the Hebrew Scriptures.
“But the Lord your God you shall fear; and he will deliver you
from the hand of all your enemies.” (2 Kings 17:39)
‫יִ ְר ָאה‬
‫יָ ֵרא‬
We all have an innate drive to fear something. It is
impossible to be truly fearless. The question is whether our
fear is rightly directed; and the Scriptures are very clear who
alone is worthy of our yirah, “You shall yare only the LORD
your God; and you shall worship him and swear by his name”
(Deuteronomy 6:13). We worship what we fear
by giving it prominence and power in our
lives (Revelation 14:7).
We can turn to God for help with all our fears.
“Whenever I am afraid I will put my trust in You.” (Psalm 56:3)
“Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your
truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may yare your name.”
(Psalm 86:11)
Perhaps a good litmus test to how much we properly
fear the Lord would be our attitude towards sin. Are we
complacent about sin in our lives or do we recognise its
affront to God’s holiness? Are we seeking his
help in fleeing from it or are we enjoying it?
We all have an
innate drive to
fear something
Everyone should fear God because he is
indeed fearful! “‘Should you not yare me?’
declares the Lord. ‘Should you not tremble in my
presence?’” (Jeremiah 5:22). But with what type
of yirah can we approach him? Does our fear
need to be a quaking before him as our Judge?
Or can we confidently approach his throne of grace with
humility in a respectful, awe-filled admiration because he
has become our salvation?
Perhaps the key to being able to take hold of the positive,
beautiful aspects of fearing God—the reverent awe—is
found in the Psalms,
“Serve the Lord with yare, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the
Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when his wrath
is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in
him” (Psalm 2:11-12).
If we “kiss the Son” (Psalm 2:12) by entering into a
relationship with God the Father through his Son Jesus
the Messiah, then the penalty for our sin has been paid
through Jesus’ atonement. We are no longer deserving of
punishment, but instead we are given the right to be called
children of the Living God! (John 1:12).
When the object of our yirah is the Lord and we are in a
right relationship with him, then that yirah becomes a
beautiful treasure (Isaiah 33:6). But when the object of our
yirah is death, man, or anything else, then it brings us dread
and torment. Ungodly fears can overwhelm or overtake us
if we let them fester.
6 IN TOUCH • 2nd Quarter 2016
The more we learn of his character and of
the cost of his sacrifice on our behalf, then the
more urgently we should desire to allow him
to deal with sin in our lives. If we see God’s
grace as license to continue in sin, then we are
missing the point of the Gospel and do not
have proper fear of him.
The fear of the Lord is a well-spring of life and goodness to
those who take hold of it.
“The yirah of the Lord leads to life and he who has it rests satisfied,
untouched by evil.” (Proverbs 19:23)
“The yirah of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
(Proverbs 9:10)
“The yirah of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.” (Psalm 19:9)
“In the yirah of the LORD there is strong confidence, and his
children will have refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)
“And by the yirah of the LORD one keeps away from evil.”
(Proverbs 16:6)
The wonderful news is that we are not stuck with our
misplaced fears. Even if they have been plaguing us for
years, God desires his children to be set free. Behind every
ungodly fear is a lie and our enemy is the “father of lies”
(John 8:44). We can ask God to help us uncover the lies
and to replace them with biblical truth. The central key to
dealing with unhealthy fears is to put all of our fear onto our
trustworthy, faithful God.
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world
revere him.” (Psalm 33:8)
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David Soakell
Holocaust and Heroism ‫יום השואה‬
Yom HaShoah
Remembrance Day
Y
om HaZikaron laShoah velaG’vurah, Holocaust and
Heroism Remembrance Day,
otherwise
known
in
Israel
and abroad as Yom HaShoah
(‫) יום השואה‬, is observed as Israel’s
day of commemoration for the six
million Jews who perished in the
Holocaust as a result of the actions
carried out by Nazi Germany, and
for the Jewish resistance in that
period.
In Israel it is a National Memorial
Day. Inaugurated in 1953, this day
was ‘anchored’ by a law signed by
the then Israeli Prime Minister David
Ben-Gurion.
In the UK however,
this commemoration happens in
January as hundreds of events for
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) take
place in libraries, schools, cinemas,
museums, galleries etc. National
Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK a Government initiative - was brought
into being in the year 2000, to recognise
that the Holocaust was a tragically
defining episode of the 20th Century and
a universal catastrophe for humanity.
Through the work of Christian
Friends of Israel Jerusalem, we minister
to thousands of Holocaust Survivors
in Israel. When any of these survivors
come to CFI’s Distribution Centre in
Jerusalem, the staff take the time to
visit and record their stories and help
financially. Here in the UK, many of
CFI’s Area Representatives took on the
initiative to promote, host and speak
at HMD events. Although we could
not put into print everything that went
on, we hope these few stories bless and
encourage you, and maybe inspire you
to get involved with HMD in 2017. I
would just like to say personally, a
massive “Thank You” to all our Reps
who took the time to organise HMD
events throughout England, Scotland
and Wales.
As I mentioned in one of my Watching
over Zion reports, anti-Semitic incidents
in London alone soared in 2015 with
483 anti-Semitic crimes being recorded
during the 12-month period. Along
with this, the magnitude of emotional
trauma that the Jewish people endured
throughout the Holocaust period is still
etched upon their memories, never to
be forgotten. Having lived through
the horrible catastrophe many came
to Israel with their hearts completely
broken. And yet today, Israel is not
merely surviving – they are changing
the world for the better. Israel yields
awesome pioneering technologies and
some of the world’s most profitable
business opportunities. This is why
some of the biggest names in the world
– businesses like Microsoft, Motorola,
Intel, HP, Siemens, IBM, Philips, AOL
and more - choose to invest in Israel.
There is so much more that I could
tell you about Israel, including the fact
that Israel is not only a world leader in
high tech, life sciences and computers
but also in green technology involving
agriculture, water treatment and solar
power. However Israel herself was
literally reborn from the ashes of a
time in history which no one should
CFI Area Rep Dave Walker at a Holocaust event
in the West Midlands
ever forget ~ the Holocaust. And that
era – possibly the darkest period in
history – must never ever be forgotten,
nor compared as equal to, especially in
these days of rising anti-Semitism.
Preserving the memory of the
Holocaust is indeed important today.
Once again as in past years, Christian
Friends of Israel were involved with
Holocaust memorial events in many
areas in the UK including: London,
North Wales, Brentwood in Essex,
Sheffield,
Stoke,
Middlesbrough,
Sunderland and Cradley in the West
Midlands.
Here are just a few highlights: In
Stoke an event arranged by Jennifer
Neville on January 21st included
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readings about the Danish Jewry and
saw film tributes given. I was the main
speaker and challenged the audience
about looking for hope in the despair,
reminding the attendees that from
the ashes of the Holocaust the nation
of Israel was miraculously reborn in
three years after the tragic murder of
six million Jews, growing to a nation
of six million today. The remembrance
concluded in the laying of stones, a
very Jewish way of remembering lives
lost. Julia Soakell looked at the need
to remember HMD each year and that
we must all encourage individuals,
churches and the younger generation to
be educated about the horrors and the
need for truth to be spoken out.
With this in mind, the inaugural
event for CFI’s new and youngest rep,
Kristie King took place in Sheffield,
hosted by the Bushfire Church. Julia
Soakell writes, “The drama presented by
Kristie and the Sh’ma Kingdom Dancers
brilliantly portrayed the anguish of a
Czech family, making the heart breaking
decision to send their children on the
Kindertransport during the war years,
and was a fitting and poignant tribute
to the life and work of Nicholas Winton.
A fascinating interview by Kristie with
Sue Pearson, a Kindertransport survivor,
was shown and an address from Steven
Jaffe (Board of Deputies of British Jews)
reminded the gathering of over 120 people
that the Amalekites of the Old Testament
had no reason for attacking Israel, much the
same as today when Israel and her people
and borders and very life are often attacked
without reason. He reminded the audience
– Jews and Christians and non-believers that we should not be afraid, that we must
fight falsehood with truth and hate with
love and turn prayer into action.”
Speaking on the spiritual dimension
of Amalek, Steven Jaffe stated, “Amalek
wished to show denial of God and His
power. In Deuteronomy 25:18, Amalek is
described as a people ‘who had no fear of
God’”. The struggle between Amalek
and Israel is the eternal struggle of
good versus evil - a spiritual battle.
Some rabbis see it as an internal battle
within every one of us. But it’s also a
moral and physical battle in our world
continued overleaf
2nd Quarter 2016 • IN TOUCH 7
continued from 7
CFI Area Rep Kristie King (with case) and the
Sh’ma Kingdom Dancers at Sheffield
today. As people of faith – Jews and
Christians – we are challenged by the
Shoah, by its vastness, its rawness.
From the speeches of Hitler it is clear
to me that faith and rejection of faith
stand at the very centre of the Shoah.
The Torah says of Amalek that they
“had no fear of God” (Deuteronomy 25:18).
Listen now to Adolf Hitler: “The Ten
Commandments have lost their validity.
Conscience is a Jewish invention, it is a
blemish like circumcision.” “The heaviest
blow which ever struck humanity was
Christianity; Communism is Christianity’s
illegitimate child. Both are inventions of
the Jew.” Like Amalek the Nazis defied
God and were merciless in attack –
selecting the old, the infirm, the disabled
and the children first for slaughter.
God’s commandment regarding Amalek
is therefore so relevant to what we are
doing here today. We must remember
Amalek – the Torah says you will not
forget.
In Brentwood, CFI’s Area Rep
for Essex, Moira Dare-Edwards,
also had very successful Holocaust
events. Moira writes, “The Holocaust
Commemoration Exhibition held at
Brentwood Town Hall from January
21st till 23rd, open to the General Public
and schools, featured the lives and
stories of two “ordinary” people who
saved Jewish people before and during
the Second World War. Groups from
local schools and beyond came to hear
Holocaust Survivors speak movingly
about the Kindertransport which
rescued children from Nazi dominated
Europe and brought them to the UK.
Two of the survivors speaking at
the meeting arrived in the UK this
way, one of whom was on the last
transport organised by Sir Nicholas
Winton. Young people from years 5
and 6 to years 10 and 11 also spent
time in the exhibition area, gleaning
information about Sir Nicholas Winton
and the Dutch Ten Boom family
from structured worksheets and an
interactive approach which included
making comments on how they might
have felt had they experienced this
ordeal and lasting separation from their
families. Every group was genuinely
interested and engaged wholeheartedly
with what they saw and heard. From
the youngest in year 5 to the older
students, all listened intently and
showed real enthusiasm, focus and
commitment to the whole experience.
It was most inspiring to be involved.”
Moira continues, “On Saturday
evening the exhibition was transferred
to a local school hall where later there
was a Meeting of Commemoration
including a dramatic presentation by
Susan Sandager who beautifully and
accurately portrayed Corrie Ten Boom
in ‘Corrie Remembers’, followed by a
Candle Lighting Ceremony with the
local Jewish Community in memory
of the 6 million who died in the
Holocaust. This was in the presence of
Sir Eric Pickles our local MP and our
Mayor, Councillor Mark Reed.” The
events were organised by Moira DareEdwards, her team, and supported by
Tikvah Chadasha Synagogue.
HMD event in Brentwood with front left Steven
Jaffe then Otto Deutsch, holocaust survivor from
Southend then Area Rep Moira Dare-Edwards.
Back row from left Jack and Gill De Metz, Jewish
orthodox friends who brought Otto.
Corrie Ten Boom
Remembered
Ricky Newby
I
finally had Susie Sandager
(as Corrie) here from the USA
during late January, after
nearly 18 months of planning and
preparation, during which she did
six presentations which were all
warmly received and people were
very challenged.
It was an amazing experience to
see her capture the actions and voice
of our dear Corrie, as she was in the
late seventies, reminiscing about her
experiences of helping Jews to escape
during the Second World War and
beyond. The church or hall was set
to look like Corrie’s front room with
various bits of furniture, carpet, flowers
8 IN TOUCH • 2nd Quarter 2016
etc. taken from people’s homes which
gave it authenticity.
When Susie Sandager came back
after the presentation as herself to
answer questions it was such a surprise
to many people, and then she briefly
talked about her work with Jewish
people in New Mexico.
The tour
started off at Brentwood Holocaust
Memorial Day under the auspice of
Moira Dare-Edwards where we had
over 200 hundred people including
many Jews. This was followed by
Tony Pearce’s church in Golders Green
and then on to Portcullis House in
Parliament, hosted by David Burrowes
MP and Holocaust Memorial Trust,
with over 125 folk including some MPs.
Other venues included Christ Church
Horam, Enfield Baptist Church and a
church in Romford. Many folk came
www.cfi.org.uk
up afterwards and said how much they
were challenged about how we treat
Jews and latterly Israel, and I must
confess I shed a tear every time I saw
the production. So all in all it was very
worthwhile and I thank all the people
who helped at each venue.
CFI-UK Strategic Prayer Conference 2016 Report
The One Enthroned
in Heaven
By Ruth Henderson
I
Windmill Farm Conference Centre
Clanfield, Bampton, Oxon, OX18 2SN
had the privilege of attending our Strategic Prayer
Conference at Windmill Farm Conference Centre,
near Oxford, hosted by David and Sandra Greer.
We were very encouraged by the number of people who
were able to gather for these precious 48 hours together.
There were between 70 and 90 people, depending on which
day, who came from across the UK and some as far afield as
Jersey, Holland and even Israel.
There was a very “friendly and informal family
atmosphere”and several commented that they felt that they
“belonged”. The majority were in twin room accommodation
in order for this many to attend, and this added to the sense
of fellowship experienced. People were very appreciative of
all the information they were given to help with their prayers,
this was evident from the participation in small groups and
use of the ‘roving microphone’ in the larger group. Several
commented on the leading of the Sung Worship in particular,
that it was not just a time to sing songs, and the comments
interspersed amongst the songs were greatly valued.
Our theme – ‘The One Enthroned
in Heaven’ from Psalm 2, helped us
to focus on the sovereignty of God
in our constantly changing world,
giving us confidence that God is
in control. In our prayer times we
highlighted many different areas:
Israel related issues, the Church
concerning Israel, praying for
the UK, CFI Trustees, staff, Area
Representatives, the new Church
Link initiative, and Christians in
the Middle East. The Evangelical
Sisterhood of Mary also led a
very helpful session. We are most
conscious of the vital importance of seeking our Lord on the
matters before us.
The central location of the conference enabled a large
number of new people to attend (a show of hands indicated
as much as three-quarters) and we know of the formation of
one Israel prayer group as a result of attendees meeting up at
this gathering.
One of the highlights for me each year is the Biblical
meditation, this year we focussed on Psalm 139. Psalm 139
verses 5 and 6, stood out for me:
David Greer addressing the conference
Small groups united in intercessory prayer for CFI and Israel
“You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.”
Windmill Farm accommodation soon filled up!
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2nd Quarter 2016 • IN TOUCH 9
CFI UK AREA REPRESENTATIVE PROFILE
This second quarter of the 2016 In
Touch Magazine continues with the
CFI Area Representative profile.
This time David Soakell interviews
our South West of England Area
Reps – Martin & Julia West.
So Martin & Julia, can you tell us
something about yourselves and why you
felt you should become Area Reps for
CFI?
“I was recovering from illness in
the summer of 2011 when I heard the
unexpected call to be Area Rep for the
South West of England. Initially Julia
didn’t want anything to do with this new
role as she felt she didn’t know enough
to be a Rep, but when in September we
went to the Annual CFI UK Conference,
we were both publically welcomed as a
Rep couple. Since then, she has learned
how to be in the spotlight for CFI and has
become passionate in encouraging others
and teaching.”
So what does being an Area Rep involve
for you?
“We inherited the South West role
from Don and Dawn Fallon, who did such
an active programme of events that we
knew it would be hard for us to follow.
So we have had to find our own shape
of doing things for CFI. Although we
SOUTH WEST
sometimes mention the CFI Projects and
Advocatory campaigns, our main focus is
on Informing and Educating Christians at
large. Because of the unspoken (usually)
Replacement Theology there is a woeful
ignorance about modern day Israel, lack
of interest and care of the Jewish people
and a blindness to our Hebraic Roots.
Before we became official Reps we were
already running DVD courses at various
locations; using such series as the Kesher
Course, Text in Context and Behold the
Man. We continued once a week with a
DVD discussion group, using material
from Desi Maxwell, John Garr and others,
the main focus being on Hebraic Roots of
our faith. Wherever we can, Julia and I
seek to encourage the formation of new
DVD groups across the region.
There are so few churches in the
South West where representatives of
CFI can visit or where sermons can be
given in support of Israel. So far we
have counted one church in each of the
areas of Cornwall, Somerset, Bristol and
three churches in Devon. To get over this
problem of access, we have for the last
three years or so, been hosting quarterly
CFI day conferences. We have been
blessed with contacts and meeting various
possible speakers on our walk of faith,
especially when we visit Israel.
After considering where to host most
of our Regional Conferences, we chose
Exeter as it is central to our catchment
area of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.
We have had such a flow of good quality
teachers passing through, for example
Desi Maxwell or Roy Thurley, that people
have driven for one & half hours from
places like Bristol and even for two hours
from Penzance or Southampton to attend.
We look forward to our next Teaching
& Prayer Conference on 16 July, 2016,
with Rosie Ross and friends from Israel,
CHURCHLINK
Christian Friends of Israel in the UK needs you!
We are developing a unique Church Link team around the country
to support the CFI vision and to encourage people to read our
literature, sign up to receive updates and pray with us. We seek
to inform the Church of her Hebrew heritage and to continue
to bless the people and land of Israel. Age is no barrier but
communication will be mostly via email. You will support your
CFI Area Representative, promoting exciting forthcoming events
and provide access to up-to-date CFI material by distributing in
your local church, fellowship or meetings (with the blessing of your
leadership). It’s a small but vital role to increase awareness.
Please contact [email protected] to apply.
10 IN TOUCH • 2nd Quarter 2016
www.cfi.org.uk
INTERVIEW by CFI’s David Soakell
on the subject of ‘Repairing the Breach’
(of Britain’s treatment of Israel). If you
would like to know more, then do contact
us on [email protected].”
Wow, that’s sounds like a busy schedule.
Of course, all our Area Reps fulfil their
roles in different ways and all are unique,
but what would you say are the highlights
of your role and what are the challenges?
“It is always very special when we
see people making the connection with
Israel and the Hebraic Roots, catching
God’s true heart for the Jewish people
and church. It has been a real delight
and privilege to facilitate meetings with
so many gifted teachers. Julia and I
work voluntarily by faith in a number of
different ministries and so up to now we
haven’t had the time to do much in the
way of visiting churches, except that we
do try and facilitate a speaking tour of the
region at least once a year. Do pray that
we would have more consistent helpers on
our team and for visiting speakers who
have the time to do a tour of the South
West, a much needed area!”
So, what would you say to someone
considering being an Area Rep?
“‘Don’t despise the day of small
beginnings’! We recommend starting with
one or two home discussion groups that
go through some DVD series (see CFI
website shop) and after a while you’ll be
in the position to encourage and initiate
others to start such groups. Getting
friends to pray regularly in support of
your work is important. Consider having
some books from CFI to sell and/or make
a display stand; which are useful when
joining other events, if opportunity arises.
We find the inexpensive teaching Booklets
by CFI unique and popular to sell,
condensing the facts on your fingertips!
Shalom, Martin.”
Resources www.cfi.org.uk/shop
The Christian, Israel and the hope of world revival Michael Eaton
Many people hold differing views on Israel. It is therefore vitally important to read and understand
what the Bible actually tells us about God’s plan for this unique nation.
In this small book the auther leads us through the teaching of Romans 9-11 in a simple and down-toearth manner. He explains how Israel, although presently in a state of unbelief, has a special place in
God’s redemptive plan.
Michael Eaton is a highly respected international theologian, preacher, Bible teacher and author,
having written books for several different publishers.
B477 // 61 pages // BOOK // £6 (incl. UK p&p)
ISRAEL Land of God’s Promise Murray Dixon
Israel is the most misunderstood nation on the planet. The Jewish people are the most consistently
persecuted in all of history – ancient and modern – why? Can the Church afford to pursue its
historically notorious treatment of the Jew and the nation of Israel? This reprinted book offers clarity
where confusion abounds. The author compels us to examine Church history and Jewish history in the
light of God’s Word.
Following ordination in the New Zealand Anglican Church Murray Dixon ministered as a parish
pastor and then as an air force chaplain before pioneering Prayer for Israel in New Zealand with
his wife. For 20 years they led prayer tours to meet the Body of Messiah in Israel and served in an
itinerant teaching ministry to the Body of Christ.
B189 // 281 pages // BOOK (reprint) // £14 (incl. UK p&p)
SIGNS - The Significance of Biblical Prophecy Neil Mackereth
“This is a refreshing book on biblical prophecy written in a very straightforwrd way. It very clearly
shows the fulfilment of many prophecies in our day. The author is not dogmatic, but extremely
convincing. I felt, as I read the book, that his background in communications and signals has given him
the right credentials to write this book for the benefit of the Church. The book is easy to read and well
worth the time spent.” (Review by Fiona Lindsay)
Neil Mackereth is a retired Brigadier with a background in communications and administration. He
and his wife currently serve on the leadership team of Winchester Vineyard Christian Fellowship.
B476 // 208 pages // BOOK // £11 (incl. UK p&p)
ISRAEL - The Ingathering Goes On Esther Lever
This book is not only about the adventures of Esther Lever, as she seeks out the Jews of the East, and
those from Central Asia, as well as those from the ends of the earth. It bears testimony to God’s heart
and to his faithfulness to his word, in regathering his scattered people Israel, who have been dispersed
to the four corners of the world (Jeremiah 31:10).
The adventures that Esther shares with us, in this her second book, will encourage and challenge each
one of us as to what it means to be a fisher of men as an obedient servant of the Lord. Time and again
we will see how God sovereignly arranges for her to find and then meet with Jewish people to share
with them a simple message of hope that their God has not forgotten them.
B478 // 179 pages // BOOK // £12 (incl. UK p&p)
Has God Finished with Israel? Rob Richards
The role of the Land and People of Israel has continuously been neglected by most of Christendom.
It has also been said that Israel is the missing link in Systematic Theology. The result is that the
Church has often not only perpetrated an anti-Judaic polemic but has also failed to understand the
significance of ‘covenant’. This reprinted book contains the key to understanding God’s continued
purposes for both the Jewish people and the Church. Rob Richards’ book is one of the most significant
works written on the subject.
Rob Richards has a background in the City of London as a broker at Lloyd’s of London, and
looks back on many rich experiences in the ministries that were to follow. He trained at St John’s
Theological College, Nottingham and served as curate in Weymouth.
B41 // 207 pages // BOOK (reprint) // £12 (incl. UK p&p)
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2nd Quarter 2016 • IN TOUCH 11
CFI UK Events 2016
Advance Notice: Date for your Diary
We are pleased to announce the date, venue, subject and main speaker for our
31st CFI Annual Conference (preceded by a CFI UK Area Representatives’ training day).
Our main guest speaker planned is Revd David Pawson, author of many books including
Israel in the New Testament, with an additional session by Pastor Werner Oder, sharing
his unique testimony as the son of a Nazi war criminal, who became a friend of Israel.
The selected conference title is: ‘Israel and the New Covenant’
An exhibition will include the CFI UK bookstall and stalls of other local ministries.
Please put the date in your diary now and look out for the forthcoming brochure.
We look forward to welcoming you and please encourage your friends to attend.
31st CFI UK Annual Conference, Sat 17th September 2016
Victoria Baptist Church, Eldon Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 1UE
Werner
Oder
David
Pawson
Speakers: Revd David Pawson and Pastor Werner Oder
National events where CFI UK will be exhibiting in 2016
CHRISTIAN RESOURCES EXHIBITION
17–20 MAY
STAND G14
(ExCeL London)