In Touch Quarter 3 - 2014
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IN TOUCH<br />
No.180<br />
Christian Friends of Israel UK<br />
3rd <strong>Quarter</strong> <strong>2014</strong><br />
“Everyone will sit under their own vine<br />
and under their own fig tree, and no<br />
one will make them afraid, for the Lord<br />
Almighty has spoken.”<br />
Micah 4:4<br />
Keren Pryor looks<br />
at what the Biblical<br />
feasts teach us<br />
about spiritual<br />
growth. P.6-7<br />
Sam Hailes explains<br />
why some Israeli<br />
Christians are no<br />
longer calling<br />
themselves Arab.<br />
P.10<br />
JNF UK shows how<br />
they are helping turn<br />
the Negev Green<br />
to secure a brighter<br />
future for Israel. P.11
An Israelite<br />
under a fig tree<br />
<strong>In</strong> <strong>Touch</strong><br />
is the newsletter of<br />
Christian Friends<br />
of Israel UK<br />
CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel by<br />
means of practical and moral<br />
support, and to serve the Church in<br />
teaching about God’s purposes for<br />
Israel and the Hebraic roots<br />
of our faith.<br />
CFI also produces a monthly News<br />
Report, a monthly Prayer Letter and<br />
a Middle East Update CD/MP3.<br />
Please send for full details of the<br />
practical projects and also of the<br />
many teaching resources available.<br />
As an educational charity,<br />
we carry a variety of<br />
resources relevant to our<br />
purpose. We do not<br />
necessarily endorse every<br />
view expressed by our<br />
guest writers or authors<br />
of these resources.<br />
Published by:<br />
CFI Charitable Trust<br />
PO Box 2687<br />
Eastbourne<br />
BN22 7LZ<br />
Tel: 01323 410810<br />
Fax: 01323 410211<br />
Email: info@cfi.org.uk<br />
Websites: www.cfi.org.uk<br />
www.keshercourse.org.uk<br />
facebook.com/cfiuk<br />
twitter.com/cfi_uk<br />
Registered Charity<br />
No. 1101899<br />
Registered Office c/o<br />
Caladine, Chantry House<br />
22 Upperton Road<br />
Eastbourne, BN21 1BF<br />
Company No: 0498515<br />
VAT Registration No: GB678780275<br />
Front Cover Image:<br />
A fig tree in Nabi Samuel<br />
Copyright © Yuri Arcurs<br />
DesignPics.com<br />
An early<br />
instance,<br />
t o w a r d<br />
t h e<br />
commencement of<br />
Jesus’ ministry in<br />
Israel according<br />
to John’s gospel<br />
account, concerns Nathanael, a<br />
man Jesus describes as an Israelite<br />
in whom there is no guile, or no<br />
deceit.<br />
There are a number of aspects<br />
to the story that are of interest.<br />
Following on from previous<br />
editorials, it is noteworthy that<br />
Nathanael is referred to by Jesus<br />
as an Israelite, someone from the<br />
land of Israel, in today’s words<br />
an Israeli.<br />
Another aspect of interest is<br />
how Nathanael is introduced in<br />
John’s gospel account, ‘under a fig<br />
tree’ (John 1:48). This has echoes<br />
of that most significant period<br />
in Israel and Judah’s history just<br />
after the First Temple has been<br />
built: the ideal of living in safety,<br />
everyone under their own vine or<br />
fig tree. This picture is referred<br />
to in the Bible both historically<br />
(looking back) and prophetically<br />
(looking forward).<br />
During Solomon’s lifetime Judah<br />
and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,<br />
lived in safety, everyone under their<br />
own vine and under their own fig<br />
tree. (1 Kings 5:25)<br />
Everyone will sit under their own<br />
vine and under their own fig tree,<br />
and no one will make them afraid,<br />
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.<br />
(Micah 4:4)<br />
‘<strong>In</strong> that day each of you will invite<br />
your neighbour to sit under your<br />
vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord<br />
Almighty. (Zechariah 3:10).<br />
Perhaps Nathanael was already<br />
living out this ideal. The fact<br />
that Jesus referred to him as both<br />
By Jacob Vince<br />
an Israelite and as without deceit<br />
(or straightforward), might well<br />
indicate Nathanael’s desire to take<br />
literally the scriptures from Kings,<br />
Micah and Zechariah, and live<br />
them into being.<br />
As the passage in the Book of<br />
Kings identifies, living under one’s<br />
own fig tree is analogous of living<br />
in safety - something that those who<br />
live in Israel today continue to long<br />
for. Sadly, as the recent kidnap and<br />
murder of three Israeli teenagers<br />
illustrates, this is yet to be so.<br />
Nonetheless Israelis certainly, like<br />
Nathanael, do indeed seek safety<br />
and likewise endeavour to live<br />
this into being and work toward<br />
this end. Perhaps we can pause<br />
at this juncture and pray for the<br />
families and friends of these young<br />
men: for strength and comfort in<br />
their bereavement, and that the<br />
perpetrators of this despicable<br />
crime be brought to justice.<br />
Returning to our narrative,<br />
Nathanael bluntly expresses his<br />
thoughts about Nazareth, ‘can<br />
anything good come out of Nazareth’<br />
and indeed, as we now know,<br />
something good could and did.<br />
<strong>In</strong>terestingly, today Nazareth has<br />
a large non-Jewish population but<br />
there are some Christians who live<br />
there, including a senior clergyman<br />
in the Greek Orthodox Church<br />
along with others in the land from<br />
the Christian Aramaic community<br />
and evangelical church, who<br />
express tangible support for Israel<br />
– so something good continues to<br />
come out of Nazareth.<br />
Nathanael in his discourse refers<br />
to Jesus as Rabbi, teacher. Not<br />
only for him is Jesus self-evidently<br />
Jewish, but he is also considered<br />
a Jewish teacher. Following this,<br />
Nathanael, even before Peter’s<br />
great confession (Matthew 16:16 -<br />
also reference Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20,<br />
2 // IN TOUCH
John 6:69) and not forgetting that<br />
of Martha (John 11:27), makes his<br />
own incredible confession, ‘You are<br />
the Son of God’, then, going one step<br />
further, states ‘you are the King of<br />
Israel’ (John 1:49). Talk about being<br />
straightforward and not showing<br />
any guile! Jesus then alludes to<br />
the amazing dream of the patriarch<br />
Jacob, (later called Israel) telling<br />
Nathanael that he would see a<br />
similar phenomenon.<br />
From his response acknowledging<br />
Jesus as the King of Israel, we can<br />
once more observe Nathanael<br />
declaring his great expectation of<br />
what is yet to come, as indeed do<br />
the apostles on the last occasion<br />
they speak with Jesus before his<br />
ascension, ‘Lord, are you at this time<br />
going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’<br />
(Acts 1:6).<br />
We don’t hear about Nathanael<br />
again in John’s gospel or indeed<br />
anywhere else in the Bible, until<br />
after Jesus’ resurrection and then<br />
only one more time. However,<br />
whilst John does not directly name<br />
Nathanael as one of the twelve,<br />
some suggest Bartholomew,<br />
counted as among the Twelve in the<br />
Synoptic gospels, might actually be<br />
Nathanael. 1<br />
Whichever, John names Nathanael<br />
as being among the disciples<br />
present when the resurrected Jesus<br />
appears to them by the Sea of<br />
Tiberias: Simon Peter, Thomas (also<br />
known as Didymus), Nathanael from<br />
Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee,<br />
and two other disciples were together<br />
(John 21:2). This indicates that<br />
Nathanael remained consistent to<br />
his conviction, and its enlargement<br />
by Jesus in response to Nathanael’s<br />
earlier confession. Likewise, we too<br />
should remain committed to our<br />
conviction, including our Christian<br />
friendship of Israel and strengthen<br />
that friendship as we pray and<br />
advocate for the safety of all in the<br />
land of Israel.<br />
May the time soon come in the<br />
land of Israel when, Everyone will<br />
sit under their own vine and under<br />
their own fig tree, and no one will make<br />
them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has<br />
spoken. (Micah 4:4)<br />
And perhaps even more<br />
poignantly, ‘<strong>In</strong> that day each of you<br />
will invite your neighbour to sit under<br />
your vine and fig tree,’ declares the<br />
Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 3:10)<br />
1<br />
Most Bible scholars believe Nathanael and<br />
Bartholomew were the same person. The<br />
name Bartholomew is a family designation,<br />
meaning ‘son of Tolmai.’ Nathanael means<br />
‘gift of God.’ <strong>In</strong> the synoptic Gospels, the<br />
name Bartholomew always follows Philip<br />
in lists of the Twelve. Whereas in the<br />
gospel of John, whilst Bartholomew is not<br />
mentioned at all, Nathanael is listed instead,<br />
after Philip. [Ref. About.com – Christianity.<br />
Nathanael - The True Israelite: Profile<br />
of Nathanael, believed to be the Apostle<br />
Bartholomew by Jack Zavada].<br />
Oh the Depths of the Riches...<br />
CFI-UK ANNUAL CONFERENCE <strong>2014</strong><br />
Saturday September 20 th , Victoria Baptist Church<br />
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME<br />
9.00am<br />
9.30am<br />
11.00am<br />
11.30am<br />
12.45pm<br />
2.00pm<br />
3.15pm<br />
4.00pm<br />
5.30pm<br />
Doors open - CFI Bookstall open<br />
Opening Celebration<br />
Refreshment Break - Bookstall open<br />
Morning Session<br />
Lunch Break - CFI Bookstall open<br />
Afternoon Session<br />
Refreshment Break - Bookstall open<br />
Closing Celebration<br />
Conference concludes<br />
Biographies of the guest speakers, and practical<br />
information on the day are included in the brochure<br />
accompanying this magazine, or can be downloaded<br />
from the CFI-UK website: www.cfi.org.uk<br />
A full printed programme, along with conference<br />
recordings order form, will be available on the day.<br />
facebook.com/cfiuk<br />
twitter.com/cfi_uk
Presbyterian Church attacks the<br />
one Middle Eastern nation that<br />
protects Christians<br />
<strong>In</strong> June, the Presbyterian<br />
Church in the USA voted<br />
to divest from three<br />
companies deemed to profit<br />
from “Israeli occupation”.<br />
The motion passed by an<br />
exceptionally narrow margin<br />
(310-303) and will mean<br />
around $21 million worth<br />
of funds will be diverted away from Caterpillar,<br />
Motorola and Hewlett-Packard.<br />
Speaking immediately after the vote, moderator<br />
for the church meeting, Heath Rada said that the<br />
decision was, “in no way…a reflection of our lack of<br />
love for our Jewish brothers and sisters”.<br />
It is unlikely the Jewish community will believe<br />
Mr Rada’s words. And why should they? History<br />
is full of Christians showing a lack of love toward<br />
their Jewish brothers and sisters, in everything from<br />
Martin Luther’s anti-Semitic leaflet “On The Jews<br />
And Their Lies” to the silence among most Christian<br />
leaders during the Holocaust.<br />
Divestment may not be as extreme as these<br />
horrific examples, but needless to say the motion<br />
will do nothing to improve relations between Jews<br />
and Christians.<br />
Divestment in this case has masqueraded itself<br />
as being part of a ‘peaceful pro-justice initiative’.<br />
The reality couldn’t be further from the truth as an<br />
extremist movement known as BDS has backed the<br />
Church’s decision.<br />
BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.<br />
Its leaders have stated that the movement’s goal is<br />
the end of Israel entirely, and they reject a two-state<br />
solution (Omar Bargouti, John Spritzler, Ahmed<br />
Moor). Even the notoriously pro-Palestinian<br />
academic Norman Finklestein has admitted BDS<br />
is a “cult” with a “large segment” that wants to<br />
“eliminate Israel”.<br />
The idea of boycotting everything Israel produces<br />
is near impossible for the 21 st Century Westerner.<br />
<strong>In</strong>stant messaging, voicemail technology and even<br />
SIM cards were developed in Israel. Boycotting<br />
Israel means never using Google (they have offices<br />
in Israel). After boycotting Google, you’ll have to<br />
burn your mobile phone and laptop.<br />
The Presbyterian Church must realise that by<br />
listening to the BDS movement they are supporting<br />
a movement who are anti-Israel and more<br />
importantly anti-peace. It’s a cause that often seems<br />
to care more about the destruction of Israel than the<br />
wellbeing of Palestinians.<br />
What crimes have these three companies<br />
committed which warrant divestment? Caterpillar<br />
sells bulldozers to the US who then pass them on to<br />
Israel. Caterpillar itself does not and never has sold<br />
anything to Israel. To repeat, Caterpillar has sold<br />
a grand total of zero bulldozers to Israel. Not only<br />
does Caterpillar have no say in how its vehicles are<br />
resold, but legally the company cannot turn down<br />
the US military as a client. Divestment in this case is<br />
completely nonsensical.<br />
What about Motorola? The Israeli Defence<br />
Force (IDF) buys the company’s communication<br />
technologies. This is the same IDF that the former<br />
commander of the British forces in Afghanistan Col.<br />
Richard Kemp praised for doing “more to safeguard<br />
the rights of civilians in the combat zone than any other<br />
army in the history of warfare.”<br />
Finally we turn to Hewlett-Packard who supplies<br />
biometric scanners at Israeli checkpoints. These<br />
airport security style checkpoints exist to prevent<br />
terrorist attacks. It’s ironic that the reason HP<br />
got involved was because the Palestinians often<br />
complain passing through checkpoints can take<br />
hours. HP’s answer was to design technology that<br />
would speed up the process without endangering<br />
lives. That’s right, HP are helping the Palestinians.<br />
Yet the Presbyterians think they’re doing the<br />
Palestinians a favour by divesting from this<br />
technology.<br />
Denominations and Christians across the world<br />
must wake up. BDS is anti-peace. It singles out<br />
the only democracy in the Middle East for attack.<br />
Churches must stop supporting this hateful<br />
ideology.<br />
There is a tragic irony here. What kind of Church<br />
attacks the only Middle Eastern nation that<br />
guarantees the safety of Christians? The Presbyterian<br />
Church has been at pains to state their action of<br />
divestment has nothing to do with BDS. But talk<br />
is cheap. Their actions speak volumes. Aiding the<br />
4 // IN TOUCH
mission of BDS is immoral and completely contrary<br />
to Christ’s teachings to love your neighbour. It’s<br />
time for Christians to say enough is enough and<br />
support our Jewish brothers and sisters. Given our<br />
history, rejecting BDS really is the very least that we<br />
can do.<br />
Christians who understand God’s heart and<br />
plans for the Jewish people should also be active in<br />
praying for those in the Presbyterian Church who<br />
opposed this motion. Across all denominations<br />
both in the UK and US there are believers who<br />
are fighting both on the front lines and behind the<br />
scenes to make sure that Biblical truth about Israel<br />
triumphs. Their efforts to oppose anti-Israel rulings<br />
should be praised.<br />
By Sam Hailes<br />
Where’s the Word Study?<br />
Eagle-eyed readers will notice that John C.P.<br />
Smith’s Hebrew Word Study is missing from<br />
this edition of <strong>In</strong> <strong>Touch</strong>. Please keep John in your<br />
prayers as he moves with his family to the United<br />
States to undertake a Masters Degree in Hebrew<br />
and Semitic Languages. We’re hopeful that the<br />
Word Study will return next issue. Thank you for<br />
your understanding.<br />
Calendars now available<br />
Get your orders in for our new Biblical 16 month<br />
Calendar. Sixteen unique photographs make<br />
each page suitable for framing. All major Jewish<br />
and Israeli holidays are marked and explained.<br />
New Area Rep<br />
We<br />
are<br />
pleased to<br />
announce a new<br />
CFI-UK Area<br />
Representative<br />
has joined the<br />
team. Elaine<br />
Elcock will<br />
be taking on<br />
the area that<br />
C h r i s t i n e<br />
Sherrard used<br />
to cover –<br />
Y o r k / S e l b y ,<br />
D o n c a s t e r ,<br />
Leeds area. Our<br />
Church Liaison<br />
Officer David Soakell writes, “I’ve known Elaine<br />
for quite a few years now having met her at the<br />
various conferences we have done, and have been<br />
discussing the possibility of her becoming a Rep<br />
for the past few months. A former teacher, she has<br />
worked out in Israel and is already looking to set up<br />
an Israel Prayer Group in her area. I am delighted<br />
to welcome Elaine on board.”<br />
Find us at the Summer Festivals<br />
CFI-UK will be exhibiting at the following events:<br />
• New Wine 26 th July–1 st August<br />
(Week 1) 3 rd –9 th August (Week<br />
2) Bath and West Showground,<br />
Somerset. www.new-wine.org<br />
16 months // Calendar // £9.00 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
• Momentum 22 nd –26 th<br />
August. Bath and<br />
West Showground,<br />
Somerset. www.momentum.co.uk<br />
• C h r i s t i a n<br />
R e s o u r c e s<br />
E x h i b i t i o n<br />
(CRE) 8 th –9 th October. EventCity, Manchester.<br />
www.creonline.co.uk<br />
facebook.com/cfiuk<br />
twitter.com/cfi_uk
Summer<br />
Growth<br />
Keren Pryor looks at what the Biblical<br />
Feasts teach us about spiritual growth<br />
Our life’s journey, like a<br />
mountainous hike, is<br />
a constant challenge<br />
of upward growth<br />
– growth in spirit, in character,<br />
and in relationship with our God,<br />
which is reflected and worked out<br />
in our daily actions and earthly<br />
relationships. This inner growth<br />
continues throughout our years<br />
on earth for the destination is only<br />
found in eternity. Consequently,<br />
there are no “instant fixes” in one’s<br />
spiritual development. We need<br />
to learn and grow constantly in<br />
order to overcome negativity and<br />
the desire to quit and simply drift.<br />
If we are not moving forward<br />
intentionally and purposefully,<br />
then we will stagnate and drift<br />
further and further away from<br />
our true purpose in life; even<br />
slowly but surely away from God<br />
Himself.<br />
To help us in this endeavour, and<br />
to aid us in moving in harmony<br />
with His purposes, our Father<br />
has set up His calendar and made<br />
regular and special appointments,<br />
on a weekly, monthly and annual<br />
basis, to meet with His children.<br />
As we journey in sync with it, we<br />
are afforded relevant ‘rest stops’ to<br />
pause and review our progression<br />
through the Biblical Cycle of the<br />
year and to also bear in mind our<br />
ultimate destination, which is to be<br />
in the Presence of our Father and<br />
the Beloved of our souls forever.<br />
Then we can be grateful for the<br />
potential of each new day and<br />
can reinforce our motivation, and<br />
strengthen our determination to<br />
press on. From our present Spring<br />
to Summer transition point, (see<br />
diagram below), let us look back<br />
on the way we have come, and<br />
look forward in anticipation of the<br />
joy of the harvest ahead.<br />
We came through the darkness<br />
of winter illumined by the light<br />
of His Word and His Presence<br />
and rededicated the temples<br />
of our lives at Hanukkah. We<br />
experienced the “Time of our<br />
Freedom”, our Pesach /Passover<br />
Exodus from slavery, drawn forth<br />
by God’s mighty outstretched arm<br />
and redeemed by the blood of the<br />
Lamb. We celebrated the Firstfruits<br />
of Messiah’s Resurrection<br />
Life and the joy of spring and new<br />
growth. We counted the days, the<br />
seven weeks of the Omer, until the<br />
gathering of the Spring harvest at<br />
Shavuot /Pentecost when we sang<br />
grateful praise for the bountiful<br />
provision of our King. We rejoiced<br />
at the great gift of His Torah,<br />
His eternal Word, and in the<br />
outpouring of His Holy Spirit in<br />
a bursting forth of new Kingdom<br />
life.<br />
Now, refreshed and empowered<br />
of spirit, we stand ready for the<br />
next phase of the hike – the<br />
long, hot summer during which<br />
all the fields and crops need to<br />
be carefully tended in order to<br />
celebrate the final great harvest in<br />
the Autumn of the year – the Fall<br />
Festivals of Rosh HaShana, Yom<br />
Kippur and the joyful Feast of<br />
Tabernacles – Sukkot.<br />
6 // IN TOUCH
A Time to Grow<br />
Summer is a time of rapid<br />
growth. As we nurture our<br />
spiritual growth, we need to be as<br />
watchful, careful and industrious<br />
as good farmers who tend the<br />
crops in their fields. To be assured<br />
of a bountiful and fruitful harvest,<br />
invading insects and scavengers<br />
need to be warded off, the weather<br />
needs to be monitored, unwanted<br />
weeds must be uprooted and<br />
disposed of, crops must be<br />
watered and fertilized. Then, in<br />
the Autumn, like the farmer we too<br />
can rest back in contentment and<br />
celebrate the fruits of our labours<br />
and give generously in gratitude<br />
to the One who is the Source of it<br />
all.<br />
Through the coming season we<br />
can monitor our growth, as it were,<br />
by exploring and considering the<br />
following topics for which the<br />
word ‘GROWTH’ is an acronym:<br />
G – Gratitude and Generosity<br />
R – Repentance and<br />
Righteousness<br />
O – Obedience and Order<br />
W – Worship and Warfare<br />
T – Trust and Truth<br />
H – Hope, Humility and<br />
HalleluYah!<br />
For an exploration of these GROWTH<br />
principles, please visit Keren Hannah’s<br />
website His-Israel.com and click on<br />
Summer Growth<br />
receive and take pleasure in the<br />
many gifts of life that He has given<br />
us; and, (3) to give back to Him<br />
through offerings of worship and<br />
obedience, and through tzedakah<br />
– giving to charity and acts of<br />
are walking and working with God,<br />
our progress will be strong and<br />
will endure. The positive growth<br />
will be meaningfully etched in<br />
our characters. <strong>In</strong> addition, before<br />
setting out to face the challenges<br />
“When our motives are pure and we are<br />
walking and working with God, our progress<br />
will be strong.”<br />
A worthwhile exercise, as we<br />
now pause at the transition point, is<br />
to examine and clarify our motives<br />
for the journey. Why do we, and<br />
should we, desire to grow? Three<br />
positive motives to consider: (1)<br />
to fulfil God’s plan and purpose<br />
for my life, as His child; (2) to<br />
loving-kindness.<br />
On the other hand, negative<br />
patterns of motivation that hinder<br />
our Father’s purposes in our lives<br />
need to be recognized and dealt<br />
with according to His grace. Again,<br />
three of which are: (1) to impress<br />
others and<br />
gain favour;<br />
(2) to cover<br />
insecurity;<br />
and, (3) fear<br />
of reprisal or<br />
punishment.<br />
When our<br />
motives are<br />
pure and we<br />
of summer growth, here are three<br />
few basic, foundational concepts<br />
each one needs to have clear in his<br />
or her understanding: (1) you are<br />
worthy and highly esteemed in His<br />
eyes; (2) it is God’s Will that you<br />
grow; and, (3) you are equipped,<br />
by His grace, with all you need to<br />
grow in strength, in wisdom and<br />
in knowledge of Him.<br />
Dear fellow ‘hikers’, may all that<br />
we do flow from our heart’s desire<br />
to bless our Almighty God and<br />
Father, in the love of our Messiah<br />
Yeshua, and in the power of the<br />
Spirit of Holiness.<br />
facebook.com/cfiuk<br />
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Resources<br />
If It’s Not Impossible...<br />
The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton<br />
There are around 6000 people alive today<br />
because of Sir Nicholas Winton - descendants of<br />
endangered Jewish children who in 1939 he rescued<br />
from the Nazis. Here his daughter sets out to look<br />
at the character, motivation and life of this noted<br />
humanitarian.<br />
Some of the children know of his existence and<br />
the part he played in their history, many others<br />
do not. It was a short event in his life, but a critical<br />
one for those whose lives were saved. For him,<br />
that intervention was over in a flash and other<br />
adventures supplanted it. Only much later did<br />
this episode re-emerge in his life and ever since<br />
has brought him visitors from all over the world<br />
anxious to learn his story.<br />
Nicky’s Family DVD<br />
Dubbed the ‘British<br />
S c h i n d l e r ’<br />
for his heroism,<br />
this tells the story<br />
through dramatic reenactments<br />
narrated<br />
by those he rescued<br />
and Sir Nicholas<br />
himself. Winner of<br />
multiple awards<br />
including “Best<br />
Documentary” at<br />
Montreal World Film<br />
Festival. The New<br />
York Times called it:<br />
“Enthralling. Evocative.<br />
A true story of heroism.”<br />
D123 // 97 minutes // PAL DVD // £11.00 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
This book lays out that story in detail, exploring<br />
the motivation and early experiences that led to<br />
him acting to save young lives, while others looked<br />
the other way. His motto “If something is not<br />
impossible, then there must be a way to do it” led<br />
him to follow his own convictions and undertake<br />
an operation others had dismissed as unnecessary<br />
or too difficult.<br />
B464 // 288 pages // Paperback // £15.00 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
From Matron to Martyr - One Woman’s<br />
Ultimate Sacrifice for the Jews<br />
After<br />
finding<br />
a family<br />
connection to the<br />
mysterious and<br />
captivating Jane<br />
Haining, journalist<br />
Lynley Smith<br />
took the historical<br />
events of Jane’s<br />
life and crafted<br />
fictionalised diary.<br />
An inspirational<br />
and bittersweet<br />
biography of a<br />
faithful servant<br />
and Scottish<br />
missionary who<br />
died at the hands of<br />
the Nazis in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration<br />
Camp during World War II.<br />
B463 // 208 pages // Paperback // £13.00 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
8 // IN TOUCH
Restore Magazine: Reformation Issue<br />
The<br />
latest<br />
e d i t i o n<br />
of Restore!<br />
Magazine is titled<br />
“ R e f o r m a t i o n ,<br />
Renewal, and<br />
R e s t o r a t i o n :<br />
Lessons from the<br />
Potter’s House”,<br />
and focuses on<br />
the subject of<br />
Reformation by<br />
examining its<br />
principles and<br />
a p p l i c a t i o n s ,<br />
e v a l u a t i n g<br />
reformations of the past to learn lessons for the<br />
continuing work of reformation and renewal.<br />
Authors include Dr John D. Garr and Dr Richard<br />
Booker.<br />
M25 // 34 pages // Magazine // £6.50 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
God’s Blueprint<br />
Is the Old<br />
Testament just<br />
the prelude to the<br />
New? Has it served<br />
its purpose, now<br />
that we have a<br />
“better covenant”?<br />
Or do we ignore it<br />
at our peril? This<br />
reveals a goldmine<br />
of discovery and<br />
delights as the Old<br />
Testament is laid<br />
bare like never<br />
before.<br />
<strong>In</strong> this follow-up<br />
to God’s Signature<br />
(available from CFI-<br />
UK for £11.50 incl. UK p&p) you will discover:<br />
• Recurring themes that build up a wonderful<br />
picture of God.<br />
• The actions and teachings of the Biblical<br />
prophets in context.<br />
• The benefits of viewing the Scriptures<br />
Hebraically.<br />
• What the Old Testament has to say to the 21 st<br />
Century man.<br />
B466 // 224 pages // Paperback // £12.00 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
Bible Time Line<br />
This<br />
booklet<br />
c o v e r s<br />
Genesis to<br />
Revelation in a<br />
glance showing<br />
h u n d r e d s<br />
of Biblical<br />
events, kings<br />
and prophets<br />
chronologically,<br />
s i d e - b y - s i d e ,<br />
with World and<br />
Middle East<br />
history. Gain a<br />
new perspective<br />
on the place and<br />
time of Biblical<br />
history when<br />
you see the<br />
comparisons.<br />
Psalms in God’s Presence<br />
Explore<br />
one<br />
of the most<br />
beloved portions<br />
of Scripture,<br />
d i s c o v e r<br />
the varieties<br />
of Psalms -<br />
including those<br />
of Thanksgiving,<br />
Lament, Wisdom,<br />
and Royalty.<br />
Learn how to<br />
u n d e r s t a n d<br />
these beautiful<br />
Scriptures by<br />
knowing the<br />
who, what, when<br />
and where about<br />
them.<br />
www.cfi.org.uk/shop<br />
BT115 // 12 pages // Booklet // £3.50 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
BT116 // 14 pages // Booklet // £3.50 (incl. UK p&p)<br />
facebook.com/cfiuk<br />
twitter.com/cfi_uk
Arab or Aramaic?<br />
Sam Hailes explains why some Israeli Christians are no longer<br />
calling themselves Arab.<br />
<strong>In</strong>side Israel a battle is raging. This fight is not<br />
about land, borders or checkpoints. It’s about<br />
language, definitions and semantics.<br />
The Arabic speaking Christian community<br />
in Israel have historically been regarded as<br />
“Israeli Arab”. But as a source close to the Israeli<br />
government recently told me, this terminology is<br />
often unhelpful.<br />
An increasing number<br />
of Arab Christians say<br />
that citizenship in Israel<br />
brings many benefits.<br />
Israel affords great<br />
freedom to religious<br />
minorities, meaning the<br />
Jewish state’s Christian<br />
minority is treated far<br />
better than in surrounding<br />
Arab nations.<br />
But with the conflict<br />
in the Holy Land often<br />
being described as “Arab-<br />
Israeli” this has put<br />
Israeli-Arab Christians in<br />
a difficult position. While<br />
many Arab-Israelis have a negative view of Israel,<br />
plenty of Arab-Israeli Christians love their nation.<br />
It’s partly for this reason that more and more<br />
Israeli-Arab Christians are dropping the “Arab”<br />
label. <strong>In</strong>stead of self-describing as “Arab” they<br />
are reviving the<br />
ancient label of<br />
“Aramaic”.<br />
“We love Israel<br />
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Father Gabriel Nadaf.<br />
as Christian<br />
citizens and we<br />
are ready to<br />
defend it…otherwise, we and Jews will be kicked<br />
out and persecuted by Arabs,” writes one Aramaic<br />
Believer.<br />
The left leaning Israeli paper Ha’aretz has described<br />
this subtle but important change in terminology as<br />
a “quiet revolution”. Led by Greek Orthodox Priest<br />
Gabriel Nadaf, the movement strongly emphasises<br />
an Israeli identity and takes a very positive view of<br />
the state.<br />
<strong>In</strong> practice this means that despite being exempt<br />
from national service, more and more Aramaic and<br />
Arab Christians in Israel are choosing to express<br />
their support for the state by joining the Israeli<br />
Defence Forces (IDF).<br />
A law passed earlier this year by the Israeli Knesset<br />
has made this distinction clear. Muslim Arabs are<br />
now seen as a separate community to Christian<br />
Arabs and Aramaics.<br />
“Thank God we live in<br />
Israel,” Lt. (res.) Shadi<br />
Halul, who heads the<br />
Christian IDF Officers<br />
Forum, says. “Christians<br />
here are protected, and<br />
now they are recognised<br />
without being lumped<br />
together with any Arab<br />
party.<br />
Christians have their<br />
own historical identity<br />
and heritage with a<br />
destiny different from<br />
Arabs and Muslims.<br />
We as Christians with<br />
Aramaic roots deserve<br />
the right of self-identity<br />
and national identity with our own representatives<br />
in all Israeli institutions.”<br />
The Aramaic Christian community in Israel is<br />
zealous in its support for Israel as a Jewish and<br />
democratic state. This has led to the community’s<br />
“Christians have their own historical<br />
identity and heritage with a destiny<br />
different from Arabs and Muslims.”<br />
leaders being<br />
simultaneously<br />
rejected by Arab<br />
and Palestinian<br />
figures and<br />
embraced by<br />
Israeli leaders –<br />
including the Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu<br />
(see picture).<br />
Today, only a few scattered communities across<br />
the Middle East still speak the Aramaic language,<br />
but the Maronite Centre in Israel has been busy<br />
revitalising it. The aim is to unite Christians across<br />
the Middle East as one distinct people and nation.<br />
The “quiet revolution” appears to be getting<br />
louder...<br />
10 // IN TOUCH
<strong>In</strong>troducing the Jewish National Fund<br />
Find out how JNF UK are turning the Negev green to secure a<br />
brighter future for Israel.<br />
Founded in 1901 at the Fifth Zionist Congress at the<br />
initiative of Theodore Herzl, JNF’s purpose was<br />
to act as a central fund to enable Jews across the<br />
earth to play their part in rebuilding an independent<br />
Jewish State in the land of Israel after nearly 2,000 years<br />
of exile.<br />
When the State of Israel was finally declared in 1948,<br />
JNF’s work continued apace. Today much of their work<br />
is inspired by the strong vision of Israel’s first Prime<br />
Minister Ben Gurion to transform the Negev.<br />
The Negev is a strategic asset to Israel, taking up<br />
60% of the land area and yet only 8% of the country’s<br />
population, so in order to attract more people to the<br />
region, communities, infrastructures and facilities must<br />
be established.<br />
Ben Gurion’s words were powerful and relevant when<br />
he described that it is in the Negev that the people of<br />
Israel will be tested, in terms of creativity, youth, and a<br />
united volunteering people. Since that speech, time has<br />
only reinforced the power and meaning of his vision.<br />
JNF UK responded to the creativity challenge<br />
with the installation of enchanting promenades<br />
and playgrounds, like the one in the town of Sderot,<br />
situated on the border with Gaza, which helps children<br />
escape the stark reality of living under the constant<br />
threat of rocket fire. The Charity also had the creativity<br />
and vision to support the awakening of international<br />
companies that are moving south from their glossy Tel<br />
Aviv offices, expanding their rich talent pools in the<br />
region.<br />
JNF UK’s work is heavily focused on youth, including<br />
student enterprise and innovation initiatives, such as<br />
the Ayalim Association in Arad; the establishment of an<br />
Early Childhood Centre in Yerucham; and investment<br />
in Derech Eretz, a volunteer-driven pre-army youth<br />
programme which is a cutting-edge model of education<br />
and environmental conservation in the heart of the<br />
Negev. These projects are where the next generation<br />
learns resilience and verve; fosters a sense of purpose<br />
and brings alive the original pioneering spirit that<br />
brought Israel to the <strong>In</strong>dependent State it is today.<br />
The Charity engenders a strong sense of unity<br />
and solidarity through the support of volunteering<br />
programmes such as Hashomer Hachadash (The New<br />
Guardians), which sees people from around the world<br />
and from other parts of Israel join together to dedicate<br />
their personal time to stand guard at night to protect<br />
farmers’ precious livestock from criminal attacks. It’s<br />
also evident in the thousands of tourists who visit the<br />
towns and generate international support through first<br />
hand story-telling.<br />
For more information, please visit: www.jnf.co.uk<br />
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Post-Conference Tour begins:<br />
For CFI’s 30 th Anniversary Year, CFI-UK are planning to take a UK<br />
contingent to the Jerusalem Conference (June 1 st –4 th ), with a follow-on<br />
tour from June 5 th –12 th , hosted by Jacob and Ellen Vince. We are currently<br />
working with Keshet Educational Tours on a CFI-UK specific Israel tour<br />
programme, including accommodation, travel, local guide and flight<br />
options. This is a unique opportunity and we encourage all who can to set<br />
aside these dates and join us in June 2015. More details to follow soon.