In Touch Quarter 1

1 st Quarter 2016 • No 186 Christian Friends of Israel UK 

For his compassions never fail 

they are new every morning 

great is your faithfulness 

Lamentations 3:23 

INSIDE 

THE DAY OF THE LORD 

SHARON SANDERS UK TOUR - REPORT 

HEBRAIC BIBLE STUDY - JOY TO THE WORLD 

REPRESENTATIVE PROFILE - TEESIDE 

HEBREW WORD STUDY - CLING TO HOPE 

RESOURCES 

Education • Advocacy • Aid

Jacob Vince 

The Day 

of the Lord 

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. 

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Hebraic teaching CDs/MP3s. 

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resources relevant to our 

purpose. We do not 

necessarily endorse every 

view expressed by our 

guest writers or authors 

of these resources. 

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Front Cover Image: 

Sunrise in Israel 

Ihave previously written concerning the importance of recognising all 

Scripture as inspired. In doing so, I referred to the closing passage of 

Apostle Peter’s second and final recorded letter. I particularly focussed 

on the confirmation that the apostolic writings are seen as Scripture in like 

manner to the law, prophets and psalms. 

I have for some while now preferred 

to use the term ‘apostle’s teaching’ (Acts 

2:42) for what has, through convention, 

become called the New Testament. The 

reason for this is partly because of the 

unhelpful division between old and new 

testaments and partly mixing up these 

terms with the word covenant, as in 

old and new covenant. In fact the word 

testament is derived from testimony, not 

covenant, so perhaps better, if one is to 

use the word testament, to replace by the 

word ‘testimony’. This then becomes 

the earlier ‘testimony’ or ‘testimonies’ 

and then the later ‘testimony’ or 

testimonies’. Of course, in a Court of 

Law there can be, and often are, several 

testimonies, collected over the course 

of time which help build up 

the fuller picture and are of 

equal value in determining 

the outcome of the case. So it 

is with the Bible, ‘everything’ 

(Romans 15:4) of which God 

caused to be written down, 

‘once for all’ (Jude 1:3). 

The final chapter of Apostle Peter’s 

second letter has, in some Bibles, the 

heading ‘the day of the Lord’ presumably 

taken from a verse found within the 

section itself. This phrase has, like old 

and new testament above, similarly 

adopted connotations of its own and 

indeed speculation galore. However, 

when looking at the context of Peter’s 

second letter more generally, we find he 

himself states that his writing is to act as, 

‘reminders to stimulate you to wholesome 

thinking’ (2 Peter 3:1) - not speculative! 

Peter does this by recalling the words 

spoken by the ‘holy prophets’ (2 Peter 3:2) 

in the past, the earlier testimonies if you 

will, and the command given by our 

Lord and Saviour through ‘your apostles’ 

(2 Peter 3:2), the later testimonies. The 

term apostles, we take it, refers to the 

eleven/twelve ‘apostle[s] to the Jews’ 

(Galatians 2:8), whilst we are also made 

to stimulate 

you to 

wholesome 

thinking 

aware that Peter in his letter recognises 

the ‘apostle to the gentiles’, Paul 

(Galatians 2:8), whom he refers to later 

on as of equal authority. Indeed, it can 

be understood in this later reference 

that Peter is well acquainted with Paul 

and his writings (2 Peter 3:15-16). To 

reinforce this, it is worth noting that 

Peter refers to his being helped by Silas, 

previously Paul’s colleague, in the 

writing of his own first letter (1 Peter 

5:12). 

So here we see the earlier prophetic 

words, being linked with the commands 

given through ‘your’ apostles (2 Peter 

3:2). Hence it is these together, all now 

part of the full canon of Scripture, which 

are to be the focus of our 

attention, not speculation. 

Coupled with the attention 

given to Scripture itself, is the 

instruction raised by Peter 

in the form of a question, 

‘what kind of people ought you 

to be?’ (2 Peter 3:11) To this 

he gives the answer, ‘You ought to live 

holy and godly lives as you look forward to 

the day of God and speed its coming’ 

(2 Peter 3:11-12). As is always the case 

with Scripture we must be doers as 

well as listeners (James 1:22), thinking 

on these things and putting them into 

practice (Philippians 4:8-9). This is always 

the challenge. First by meditating on the 

Scriptures themselves, seeking to handle 

them correctly (2 Timothy 2:15), we 

become convinced of their consistency, 

particularly concerning God’s covenant 

faithfulness to Israel and, in turn to 

his Church. Then the Holy Spirit 

who inspired them, having led the 

apostles into all truth (John 16:13), can 

use them as a whole to transform our 

lives in line with this greater clarity of 

understanding, enabling us to reflect 

God’s glory in Christ Jesus more clearly 

to a needy world. 

2 IN TOUCH • 1 st Quarter 2016

The article on this page has been removed. 

facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk 1 st Quarter 2016 • IN TOUCH 3

James Whitman 

serves as president 

of The Centre for 

Judaic-Christian 

Studies (JCS) 

Joy to 

the world 

Joy to the world! The Lord has come 

Let earth receive her King! 

Let every heart prepare Him room 

And heaven and nature sing. 

The Jewish roots of Christianity feed 

a healthy biblical worldview, one in 

which our covenant forefathers marked 

sacred time with festivals dedicated to 

rejoicing in YHWH and remembering 

His saving work on earth. Some of 

these feasts, like Passover, Pentecost, 

and Tabernacles, were ordained by the 

Holy One. Following that pattern, other 

festivals, like Purim and Hanukah, were 

established by the faithful to honour 

Him. Surely these precedents validate 

honest attempts to commemorate the 

inauguration of the New Covenant, 

proclaimed by angels, “Today your 

Saviour is born in the city of David. He is 

Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). 

My purpose is not to discuss the 

history, traditions, or cultural practices 

related to Christmas. The season has 

passed. The goal of this article is to 

present a noteworthy idea that can help 

you integrate the first coming of Yeshua, 

as presented in the birth narratives, into 

every facet of daily living. 

The sages of Israel identified 

a significant principle regarding 

festivals, namely, the essential act of 

remembering. The Hebrew verb zakar 

(remember) is an act of imagination 

that recalls the past in ways that lead 

to appropriate action in the present. To 

remember includes preparing for and 

engaging in a biblically inspired feast. It 

also means walking out the realities the 

festival emphasises long after the season 

itself passes. 

Zakar, as with all truly noble 

thoughts, begins with God Himself. The 

saving events of the Exodus open with, 

“And God heard their groaning, and God 

remembered his covenant with Abraham, 

with Isaac, and with Jacob.” (Exodus 2:24). 

YHWH emphasises zakar in connection 

with the pilgrim festivals, “that all the 

days of your life you may remember the day 

when you came out of the land of Egypt.” 

(Deuteronomy 16:3). Moses practices and 

teaches zakar as he prepares the next 

generation—and every Israelite after 

them—for the Promised Land, “it was 

Life after Christmas - walking with the Light of the World 

The custom of setting aside a time for communities of Christians worldwide to celebrate the birth of 

Messiah Jesus can aid in spreading the glorious Gospel. It can also deepen our dedication as disciples. 

Isaac Watts said it well and memorably... 

not only our ancestors whom God redeemed 

from Egypt. For if God had not redeemed our 

ancestors, then we and our children and our 

children’s children would still be enslaved 

to Pharaoh in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 

6:21). The verbal nature of zakar even 

applies to ethics, how covenant people 

are to live, “You shall remember that you 

were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the 

LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I 

command you this today.” (Deuteronomy 

15:15). 

Yeshua grew up in a family that 

practiced zakar in the annual festivals 

(Luke 2:42). The heart of Joseph and 

Mary was that they would all grow in 

wisdom and in stature and in favour 

with God and man. We can summarise 

these aspirations like this; a Biblical 

festival, let’s take Passover for instance, 

marks God’s saving activity in time. It 

is a historical event commemorated 

annually by a biblical feast, intended to 

stir up and equip the faithful by way of 

reminder. 

the essential act of 

remembering 

One could argue that my example 

applies more to the cross of Jesus than 

his birth. Yes, this approach confirms 

our need to rehearse the events of 

Messiah’s last week (which interestingly 

took place during Passover). Specifically 

related to our topic, however, I would 

point out that the Jewish Haggadah 

begins the story of the Exodus with the 

birth of Abraham and continues through 

Egypt towards Mount Sinai. Therefore 

properly respecting Yeshua’s birth can 

and should lead us into every aspect of 

Immanuel. 

Let’s apply the concept of zakar to 

Christmas by using the analogy of gift 

giving. Preparing a present requires 

imagination, thinking creatively about 

the recipient. To receive the present 

requires taking it and opening it. But 

there is more. The gift only achieves its 

intended goal when it is both received 

and put to use. Wouldn’t it be odd if the 

present, once opened, remained on the 

shelf unused or slightly used? We could 

say it this way; the gift is a means to an 

end. The end being the blessing that 

comes to the receiver as they appreciate 

and appropriate the gift. What does the 

giver desire? Blessing. How does the 

receiver experience the blessing over 

and over again? Zakar. 

The gift is Jesus. “Joseph, son of David, 

do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for 

that which is conceived in her is from the 

Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you 

shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his 

people from their sins” (Matthew 20:-21). 

The giver is the God of Abraham, 

Isaac, and Jacob. “The Holy Spirit will 

come upon you, and the power of the Most 

High will overshadow you; therefore the 

child to be born will be called holy—the Son 

of God” (Luke 1:35). 

The recipients are the sons of Adam 

and daughters of Eve. “Fear not, for 

behold, I bring you good news of great joy 

that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). 

And again, “whereby the sunrise shall visit 

us from on high to give light to those who sit 

in darkness and in the shadow of death, to 

guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 

1:78-79). 

During a lecture in Jerusalem, I heard 

Claire Pfann of The University of the 

Holy Land simply and memorably 

illustrate this gift of God in Messiah 

Jesus. She said to draw a circle in the 

air, starting with your hand at the top. 

The Son of God became the Son of Man 

(your hand has swept to the bottom 

having completed the first 180 degrees). 

Why? So that the children of men could 

become the children of God (your hand 

has finished the circle by returning to 

where you started). 

All this reminds me of the godly 

saint who packed up all the Christmas 

decorations except for one. Visitors 

would invariably notice and ask why 

the ornament was still on display since 

the celebration had ended. “Oh!” she 

explained, “I need to be reminded that what 

began on that day is still growing in my 

life and the world.” That, dear friends, is 

zakar. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow, 

Nor thorns infest the ground; 

He comes to make His blessings flow 

Far as the curse is found. 

Joy to the world! 


Arieh Miller 

Director 

Zionist Federation 

UK & Ireland 

Middle of August, I 

thought to myself; that 

seems like a sensible 

time of year to start a new job. 

School’s out, everyone’s on 

holiday. The perfect opportunity 

to ease in, learn the ropes, and get 

the blue-and-white flag angled 

juuuust right on my new desk. 

Slow start? Not a bit of it. 

Less than a month into my new role 

as director of the ZF, we dealt with 

visits from both the Israeli football 

team and the Israeli prime minister. 

With any other country, these visits 

would pass without too much notice. 

But, as I know from my previous role 

at the Israeli Embassy, Israel isn’t 

treated like any other country. 

So within weeks of starting, we were 

supporting Israel both on the pitch 

and on the streets. We brought more 

than 100 people with us to Cardiff 

to cheer on the boys in blue as they 

shocked their hosts with a park-thebus 

style nil-nil draw. Alongside that, 

our solidarity rally celebrated the 

most diverse team and country in the 

Middle East. 

Only a few days later, we were back 

out on the streets again. This time, 

things were a lot less pleasant. The 

imminent arrival of Prime Minister 

Benjamin Netanyahu brought out 

a braying mob in full force outside 

Downing Street, hundreds of anti- 

Israel demonstrators raging against the 

Zionist 

Federation 

Introducing Arieh Miller 

possible presence of a democraticallyelected 

head of government while 

huddling up to Hezbollah and Hamas 

flags. There we were – hundreds of 

ordinary people, supporting Israel, 

standing shoulder-to-shoulder 

against the hate. That would have 

been impossible without the amazing 

support of our Christian friends, who 

came out and stood in solidarity with 

Israel. 

Those are the twin goals of the ZF 

right there – celebrating Israel, and 

challenging her enemies. The three 

words that encapsulate my vision for 

the future of the ZF are: inclusive, 

modern and unapologetic. 

Inclusive, because we can’t make that 

case alone. We have to find a space 

for everyone, whether left or right, 

religious or secular, Jewish, Christian 

or other faiths; we all need to stand 

together. Everyone has a part to play. 

We are a singular Zionist community 

not just a Jewish Zionist community, 

or a Christian Zionist community. We 

are one community, with different 

opinions but one common goal: To 

stand up against those who seek to 

delegitimise and destroy the only 

Jewish country in the world. 

Modern, because we have to keep 

finding new, better and smarter 

ways to engage with both supporters 

and the general public. We need to 

network, to find the right messages 

that work for different audiences, and 

to fully capitalise on the potential 

of social media. This needs to be 

part and parcel of engaging with the 

younger side of our community. It 

cannot simply be left to the handful of 

under 40s who are currently engaging 

in their Zionism and defence of Israel. 

Unapologetic, because it’s time for 

Israel supporters to stop hiding. Israel 

is a liberal democracy in a region 

ping-ponging between Soviet-style 

dictatorship and Dark Ages-inspired 

theocracies. Yes, there are many things 

you can criticise, but we can’t lose sight 

of the fact that our enemies aren’t out 

to fix a policy here or redraw a border 

there. They oppose the Jewish right 

to self-determination altogether – and 

we have to stand strong against them, 

because no one else will. 

The ZF has a huge amount of history. 

On his recent visit to the UK, Israeli 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 

took the time to see the original copy of 

the Balfour Declaration, the document 

that binds our two great countries 

together. As the original recipients 

and the only named organisation in 

the letter, the ZF feels a particular 

sense of pride in our place in Zionist 

history. We helped bring about the 

re-establishment of Israel, which has 

already proved in so many ways to be 

a light unto the nations. Our goal is 

to keep magnifying that light, so that 

as many people as possible are aware 

of it – and to keep fighting those who 

would snuff it out. 

LOBBY 

SPEAK UP FOR ISRAEL IN PARLIAMENT 

JOIN THE ZF/CFI LOBBY DAY, HOUSE OF COMMONS 

Wednesday 24th February 2016 

Briefing 10am – 12 (noon) 

Presentations 2pm – 5pm 

To join the Lobby, call Robin Lane at CFI on 01323 410810 or email advocacy@cfi.org.uk 


HEBREW WORD STUDY 

“our bones are dried up; our hope (tikvah) is lost” (Ezekiel 

37:11). But, remarkably, the collective heart song of the 

Jewish people instead declares: “Our hope is NOT yet lost, our 

hope of two thousand years, to be a free nation in our Land, the 

Land of Zion and Jerusalem”. 

The words to this anthem, “Ha-Tikvah”, were written 

in 1878, seventy years before their long-awaited hope was 

finally realised. The hope that the Jewish People had placed 

in their faithful God and in His promise to replant them in 

their homeland, was a hope firmly planted in truth: “And 

there is hope (tikvah) in your end, says the LORD, that your 

children shall come again to their own border” (Jeremiah 31:17). 

“Ha-Tikvah” means “the hope” in Hebrew. “Tikvah” 

is an expectant waiting for a desired outcome. It 

תִ‏ קְ‏ וָ‏ ה 

Melissa Briggs MA, 

Hebrew University of 

Jerusalem, has been 

teaching Hebrew in 

the UK for more than 

five years. 

derives from the Hebrew verb qavah וָ‏ ה whichקָ‏ means 

to gather together, wait for, hope for, or bind (by twisting) 

together. While the idea of hope in English is abstract, 

this Hebrew root word for hope offers a 

more concrete visual of hope as an everstrengthening 

rope as fibres are collected 

and then twisted together. A thin thread 

may be faster and simpler to make than a 

shipyard-standard rope, but it certainly 

would not hold up under pressure. To 

make a durable, useful rope the process 

of binding and twisting many threads 

together is essential. 

In light of its link to qavah, tikvah also has a secondary, 

more literal meaning of a “cord”. In fact, Rahab’s scarlet 

cord, a beautiful symbol of the hope of salvation, was called 

a tikvah in Hebrew (Joshua 2:18). Another Hebrew word 

from the same root is qaveh וֶ‏ ה whichקָ‏ similarly means a 

(measuring) cord that can be used for binding (Jeremiah 

31:39). 

As we hope and wait upon the Lord for His direction, His 

timing, and His action, our faith and character can be builtup: 

“But they that hope/wait expectantly (qavah) upon the Lord 

shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). 

Our microwave-oven, instant-gratification culture has 

taught us that waiting is a waste, but the Hebraic viewpoint 

values the process and outcome of expectantly waiting. 

Unlike English, “wait” and “hope” are used interchangeably 

in Hebrew (see Psalm 130:5-6). The Biblical mind-set views 

circumstances that require waiting on the Lord as immensely 

valuable. They offer an opportunity to exercise the fruit of 

the Spirit and for the Lord to slowly transform and build 

our character to become increasingly like Jesus: “… We also 

exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about 

Tikvah 

Cling to Hope 

Israel’s devotion to hope is truly awe-inspiring. What would a people ravaged by millennia of persecution 

and exile choose as their national anthem? What hymn would the Survivors of the Holocaust choose to 

sing? No one would have blamed them for lamenting as Ezekiel did: 

this hope we have 

as an anchor of 

the soul, both sure 

and steadfast 

ִ קְ‏ וָ‏ ה 

perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven 

character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love 

of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy 

Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). 

In the English language we casually use the word “hope” 

with the down-graded meaning of a wishful thought or 

desire: “I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend”; “I hope he 

makes the football team”; “I hope to see you again soon”. 

This can cloud our understanding of Biblical tikvah, which 

in contrast, is a guaranteed assurance that if the Lord says it 

will come to pass, then it will do so. “Surely there is a future, 

and your hope (tikvah) will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18). 

Cling to Biblical hope like the sturdy rope that it is! 

We may not know the details of how and when, but the 

substance of our hope is secure and firm. Hope is summed 

up in the person of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. He is 

our hope incarnate and He will not fail. But let us steer 

away from the dangerous temptation of 

offering false hope—to ourselves or to 

one another—in the form of unfounded 

“assurances” that contradict or go beyond 

what the Scriptures say. “My soul, you wait 

only upon God; for my expectation (tikvah) is 

from him” (Psalm 62:5). 

Hope is a gift that God has given 

His children. Hope comforts us in our 

sorrows, fills us with courage to face our 

daily walk, and envisions us for the future. Hope is freely 

available, though it is a choice. It requires the investment 

of knowledge and trust. To have true hope is to abide in 

Him as we actively await and anticipate the Lord to do 

what He has promised to do. We can reject the lies that we 

are helpless and hopeless, and choose instead to believe 

His truth, to obey His commandments, and to claim His 

promises. Then hope has fertile soil in which to grow and 

flourish in our lives. 

“For you are my hope (tikvah), O LORD God: you are my trust 

from my youth” (Psalm 71:5). 

May we be like the “prisoners of the tikvah” (Zechariah 

9:12) —inseparable from our hope. And may we be like 

Abraham who grasped firmly to hope amidst great trials, 

even when all the odds seemed stacked against him in 

“impossible” situations: “For when God made a promise to 

Abraham….after he had patiently endured, he obtained the 

promise….[so] we might have strong consolation, who have fled 

for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we 

have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast… 

(Hebrews 6:13-19 condensed). 


David Soakell 

Chazak Amenu - 

We Stand As One 

Sharon Sanders UK Speaking Tour report 

It was such a pleasure meeting 

many of you as we toured around the 

UK in the recent speaking tour that I 

did with CFI Jerusalem’s cofounder 

Sharon Sanders. For those of you who 

couldn’t make the tour, I hope this 

little report blesses you and helps you 

to glean a little of what we did. 

The tour with Sharon Sanders was 

extremely successful and we were 

really pleased with the great response 

from the people who turned up 

throughout the tour. 

It all started on Friday 16th October 

at Heathfield, a small market town 

in East Sussex. This tour was to be 

different from the many tours I have 

organised in the past. Over the years, I 

have toured with many people such as 

Chuck Cohen, David Dolan and Kelvin 

Crombie. However, as I knew many 

people from various backgrounds had 

faithfully stood in support of Ray and 

Sharon Sanders for the past 30 years, 

I really wanted to visit as many of the 

supporters as I could, to allow them 

time to listen and enjoy what may 

well have been Sharon’s final visit 

to the UK. As you will know, Stacey 

and Kevin Howard have now taken on 

the role as Directors of CFI Jerusalem, 

and we hope to have them over on 

tour at some stage in the not-toodistant 

future. However, there is no 

retirement in the Kingdom of God, and 

Sharon certainly has no intention of 

retiring. She is hoping to get the time 

to write – and even complete a book at 

some point. But seeing it was the 30th 

anniversary year of Christian Friends 

of Israel, I really felt we just had to 

have Sharon over one more time – and 

it was well worth it. Sadly, my dear 

brother in the Lord and Cofounder Ray 

Sanders was unable to join Sharon – so 

we will just have to go to Jerusalem 

and see him! 

From Heathfield, the tour went to 

Werner Oder’s church in Bournemouth, 

and then onto Old Woking. These first 

three dates were covered by CFI UK’s 

Chief Executive, Jacob Vince, as I had 

engagements in Huddersfield and 

then Newcastle during this period. I 

then picked the tour up in Luton. This 

town is of course home of Rob and 

Margaret Hearing who co-ordinate the 

collection of goods that go to the CFI 

Distribution Centre (DC) in Jerusalem. 

The Olive Grove Project was of course 

faithfully run by the founders Eileen 

Alvis and Mary Pinkess who carried 

the vision from the early days of CFI 

when Derek White birthed CFI UK. 

To have a pound sterling for every 

banana box that has been sent from 

the UK to Israel would make one a 

very rich person – how much more 

then are these wonderful people 

storing up riches in Heaven for all 

their faithfulness over the years. Yet 

riches are not what any of us desire, 

but only to be faithful to the Lord God 

we serve. And now Rob and Margaret 

Hearing are faithfully serving in this 

work – along with the supporters 

throughout the nation. To find out 

more on this important part of the 

work of CFI contact Rob and Margaret 

at: olivegrove@ntlwold.com or phone 

01582 520787. 

Sharon Sanders did of course share 

a great deal on this area and spoke 

at length on the vision and work 

of Christian Friends of Israel in the 

Land from their base in Jerusalem – 

getting ‘beneath the soil’ and helping 

many people through the projects. 

And there are indeed many outreach 

projects, including working with 

many Holocaust survivors through 

Project Forsake Them Not to terrorist 

30th Anniversary Year 

1 9 8 5 ~ 2 0 1 5 

victims with Project Under His Wings. 

The church in Israel is blessed through 

Project First Fruits and from our DC 

in Jerusalem, CFI provides a very 

special service for Jewish Brides & the 

Bridegroom. Many families are unable 

to afford the expensive weddings 

in Israel, so as way of blessing the 

Jewish people, we provide, free of 

charge, wedding dresses, suits etc. for 

the whole family. And of course CFI 

Jerusalem’s gates are always open, and 

through the Open Gates Project at the 

Lighthouse Distribution Centre new 

immigrants to Israel (making Aliyah) 

are welcomed from a variety of 

countries around the world including 

Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, 

Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, 

Germany, Mexico, Columbia, France 

and Belarus. Most originally came 

from the former Soviet Union but we 

also get Jewish people from Europe 

and Central and South America. 

Those who have been in the Land 

over three years may apply for one 

time financial assistance if they are 

having extreme financial hardship. 

A wonderful team of staff assists 

new immigrants when they visit the 

Open Gates Project at the Distribution 

Centre. And we are seeing Scripture 

fulfilled before our very eyes. The 

prophet Jeremiah states, “See, I will 

bring them from the land of the north and 

gather them from the ends of the earth. 

Among them will be the blind and the 

lame, expectant mothers and women in 

labour…” (Jeremiah 31: 8). 

These are only some of the projects 

that are carried out by CFI Jeruslaem, 

and to see how you can help, go to the 

help page on our website at https:// 

www.cfi.org.uk/by-supportingprojects.html 

From Luton the tour went to 

Blackheath in the West Midlands, 

and then on to Preston where Beryl 

and Peter Hunter, who are lifetime 

supporters of CFI Jerusalem hosted 

a meeting. From there we travelled 

east to Dewsbury (where we also did 

an interview on Branch FM Radio 

continued overleaf 


continued from 7 

in the afternoon). The weekend that 

followed brought a very full schedule 

with an excellent turn-out at a full 

day’s conference at Beit Yeshua in 

Gateshead. The following morning 

we had an extra meeting at One Life 

Church in Middlesbrough and then 

dashed up to Chirnside in the Scottish 

Borders for an evening meeting. 

Norwich and Brentwood in Essex 

concluded the very full tour. However 

once Sharon had flown back to Israel, 

I then went on to speak at various 

venues including one in Liverpool, two 

in Sunderland and one in Dewsbury. 

Along with speaking on how the 

Lord is using CFI to minister to the 

Jewish people in the Land of Israel, 

Sharon also spoke on the importance 

of ‘standing strong’ and never giving 

up - no matter what the world may 

throw at us. One of the songs we used 

was a stirring original English/Hebrew 

anthem called Hazak (Chazak) 

recorded by over 50 Jewish Musicians 

including Abie Rotenberg, Avraham 

Fried, Avraham Rosenblum and 

many more. Chazak ve nit’chazek! Be 

strong, be strong, and let us strengthen 

one another. Many were indeed 

encouraged by this song and you can 

watch the video of the song by going 

online to: https://www.youtube.com/ 

watch?v=kX-bp_zXGLo 

Given the circumstances surrounding 

Israel’s birth as a nation and the 

odds against its survival, Israel should 

never have succeeded, nor exist as a 

nation today. The reason it does has 

to be down to the faithfulness of God 

in His promises in the Scriptures. Yet 

Israel not only exists, but thrives in 

spite of its adversaries and in the face 

of circumstances that defy logic. Israel 

has survived against all odds and we 

cannot attribute their military victories 

purely to the brave defence of their 

army - the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) 

– as it barely existed in 1948. No, it 

can only be divine assistance that 

caused Israel’s survival through the 

turbulent twentieth century, which is 

still turbulent today. As Rabbi Lau - 

Israeli’s Chief Rabbi once stated, “It’s 

a combination of God’s blessings to the 

Jewish People and the grace of a miracle 

that we more than survive, we flourish.” 

Or as Israel’s first Prime Minister 

Ben Gurion said, “If you don’t believe 

in miracles, it is not practical to exist in 

Israel.” 

The Bible is full of proof, promises 

and eternal covenants for His people 

- the Jewish nation of Israel - so much 

so that ‘replacement theology’ simply 

cannot be taken seriously. However, 

the battle for standing with Israel 

remains a battle, a huge battle. So, as 

Sharon Sanders stated whilst bringing 

a message for my own fellowship at 

One Life Church, like the nation and 

people of Israel, we too need to stand 

strong and never give up - no matter 

what the world may throw at us. 

Sharon speaking in Heathfield 

Sharon with Rob & Margaret Hearing 

Resources www.cfi.org.uk/shop 

Sharon Sanders UK Tour 

CD Audio Recordings 

2 CD Set 

£9.50 incl. p&p 

NEVER GIVE UP 

Disk 1 

30 Years of Friendship 

Welcome Baptist Church, Heathfield, East Sussex 

Disk 2 

Your Kingdom Come, the Welcome to Earth 

Beit Yeshua Conference, Emmanuel College, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear 

Unveiling the Kingdom of Heaven Dwight A. Pryor 

Drawing on over 20 years of research, Dwight Pryor seeks clarity on the 

often misunderstood teaching of Yeshua on the good news of the Kingdom of 

Heaven. Contains twelve 30 minute in-depth sessions on 4 DVDs and comes 

with an accompanying study text book. 

SPECIAL OFFER — 50% DISCOUNT 

S107 // DVD SET + 175 page Textbook // £23.00 (incl. UK p&p) 

B373 // Study Textbook available separately // £6.50 (incl. UK p&p) 


Events 

Strategic 

Prayer Conference 

Advance Notice: Date for your Diary 

We are pleased to announce the date, venue, subject and main speaker for our 31st CFI 

Annual Conference. (This will be 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, plus an additional session with Pastor Werner Oder sharing 

his unique testimony as son of a Nazi war criminal becoming 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. 

31 st CFI UK Annual Conference, Sat 17 th September 2016 

Victoria Road Baptist, Eastbourne, East Sussex 

Speakers: Revd David Pawson; Pastor Werner Oder 

The One Enthroned 

in Heaven 

17 th – 19 th March 2016 (Psalm 2) 

Residential guests 

This time we are going fully residential. Windmill 

Farm Conference Centre is where we held and 

recorded Desi Maxwell for CFI’s Text and Context 

series. 

Programmes will be sent out nearer the time, but 

the conference will begin with light refreshments 

served between 2.30 and 3.00pm on the first 

afternoon, and the programme will go through until 

lunchtime on the final day, concluding with a meal 

after the last session on Saturday 19 th . 

To include full board overnight accommodation 

(breakfast, lunch and evening meal x2), the fee 

for the conference this year is £150* per person. 

[*For those requiring a single room there is a single 

room occupancy surcharge of £30 per person]. 

Cheques made payable please to: CFI Charitable 

Trust. 

Day visitors 

For those living within closer proximity, there is a 

day visitor option for Thursday half day, to include 

evening meal £15, Friday all day to include lunch 

and evening meal £30, and Saturday, half-day, to 

include lunch £15. 

Medical, mobility or dietry requirements 

If you, or others coming with you, have any special 

medical dietary needs or mobility requirements 

(both residential and day visitors), please ensure 

that these are clearly stated on the Registration 

Form included with the brochure. CFI-UK and 

the venue hosts will do their best to meet these 

requirements, but cannot guarantee to meet all 

requests. 

We have found these times of great significance and 

do hope that you will be able to join us. 

Registration closes Friday 29 th February 

Please ask for additional brochures and 

booking forms as required. 

BOOK NOW 

CALL US ON: 01323 410810 

Windmill Farm Conference Centre, Clanfield, Bampton, Oxon, OX18 2SN 

NEW TEAM MEMBER 

Christian Friends of Israel are pleased to announce that Julia Soakell has joined the CFI team as 

a part-time staff member from the beginning of 2016. She takes on the role of Church Liaison 

Support and Prayer Encouragement. Julia has already fulfilled much of this role on a voluntarily 

level for the past 10 years, alongside her husband David, but now takes on this and specific 

responsibility for the recruiting and coordinating of Church Links, Prayer Group Leaders and 

Intercessors as well as booking conferences, and travel for the CFI staff and events. 

Julia gave her life to the Lord at eleven, as part of a local Anglican church but later both David and Julia helped plant One Life 

Church, Eston, in North Yorkshire in 1993 where she still holds various roles. She has previously worked for Boots the Chemist for 

over 30 years, and held a variety of posts there that have been useful in many of the tasks she has taken on for CFI over the years. 

Mainly this has been with supporting David as CFI Liaison Officer and with the team of Area Reps for the UK, but also in planning 

conferences and CFI events and overseeing books and resources too. 

Julia feels in her heart that Prayer is the Key. She desires to see the encouragement of all who work and support CFI in the UK 

and through the nations, and to uphold the CFI mandate of teaching the Church and blessing the land and people of Israel. She 

classes Ray and Sharon Sanders – the former CFI International Directors – as spiritual parents, and is looking forward to working 

in this new role with all in the CFI family – here in the UK and beyond, and prayerfully supporting Stacey and Kevin Howard. 

Please contact her about any of these areas: julia.soakell@cfi.org.uk 

Werner Oder 

David 

Pawson 


CFI UK AREA REPRESENTATIVE PROFILE TEESIDE INTERVIEW by CFI’s David Soakell 

This first quarter of 2016 In Touch 

Magazine continues with the CFI 

Area Representative profiles, and 

this time David Soakell interviews 

our Stockton to Darlington Area 

Rep – Julie Archer. 

So Julia, do tell us something about 

yourself and why you felt you should 

become an Area Rep for CFI? 

“I am 53 years old, a University 

Lecturer and the Mum of three grown 

up children. This is my fourth year as 

a rep for CFI. I have been a Christian 

for 40 years now but it was not until 

11 years ago that God brought the 

Nation of Israel onto my radar through 

a variety of different events. Although 

Israel (the nation as it exists today) was 

rarely mentioned in my church, I always 

remember my Grandma telling me that 

the Jews had to return to Israel before 

Jesus came back. The slow realisation 

that this very thing had happened (and 

much of it in my own lifetime) fired 

my interest in a subject that has since 

become a major part of my life. For ten 

years now, I have been studying Middle 

Eastern History and Politics and have 

been watching events developing across 

the Middle East, specifically in relation to 

the Nation of Israel. I became aware of 

the ministry of Christian Friends of Israel 

through attending a local CFI event and 

listening to David Soakell speak. It was 

at that point I knew that I wanted to be 

involved with CFI, although I was not 

sure in what capacity. David suggested 

that I become an Area Rep, initially for 

the Darlington Area of County Durham– 

and so here I am!” 

That’s excellent Julie. So can you tell 

our readers what does being an Area Rep 

involve for you? 

“My primary area of service as an Area 

Rep is in teaching and helping to promote 

an understanding within the Church of 

the importance of Israel’s restoration 

in God’s Kingdom purposes and to help 

them reconnect with the Hebraic roots 

of their faith. I do this through speaking, 

lecturing, leading small groups and 

generally talking to anyone who wants 

to listen! I started off doing this in my 

own church and as time has gone on, God 

has opened more and more doors with 

regard to speaking opportunities. I am 

also a close neighbour to Julia and David 

Soakell and so help to support them in the 

ministry when I can. I distribute a variety 

of literature, help on the CFI literature 

stand/book stall at local conferences 

and liaise with several of our local Israel 

prayer groups, keeping them up to date 

with events in the Middle East so that 

they can pray effectively. I also run my 

own Middle East Update blog.” 

It sounds like the Lord is really blessing 

your role, but what would you say are the 

highlights of this role and what are the 

challenges? 

“The real highlight of being an Area 

Rep is having the opportunity to serve 

God in an area that I believe is very close 

to His heart. For too long the Church and 

Israel have been ‘estranged brothers’ and I 

believe that the time has come to heal the 

rift. God is undoubtedly raising the profile 

of Israel today in His Church and the 

opportunity to step into a role that in any 

way assists with this, is both an honour 

and a challenge. I am encouraged by 

what I see and hear when the opportunity 

to speak to people arises. I find that 

‘normal church people’ are generally uninformed 

or misinformed when it comes 

to the subject of Israel. It has been truly 

amazing to see their response when faced 

with the undisputable truth! Many times, 

people have asked “why has no-one ever 

told us this before?” The real challenge 

is actually getting into the churches to 

speak! Israel is a difficult subject for 

many church leaders and may have in 

the past been a divisive one. I do believe 

however, that change is in the air and 

that the Lord is in the process of opening 

doors that were once firmly closed.” 

Your highlight of having the opportunity 

to serve God is so important, as is your 

clear ‘calling’. What would you say to 

someone considering being an Area Rep? 

“Go for it! If you love God and have 

a heart for Israel – and are prepared to 

work hard and make a contribution to 

the CFI family - then an Area Rep’s role 

is for you. The benefits and blessings 

far outweigh the difficulties and 

discouragements!” 

Thanks Julie. These answers really 

help and we hope they are a challenge 

to our readers. If you are in the North- 

East of England, do get in touch with 

Julie at julie_archer100@hotmail.com 

and as Julie has stated, if you feel God 

is calling you to fulfil a role in your area 

as a CFI Area Rep, do let me know at 

david@cfi.org.uk 

CHURCHLINK 

Christian Friends of Israel in the UK needs you! 

We are developing a unique team of Church Links 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 

continue to bless the people and land of Israel. Age is no barrier 

but communication will be mostly via email. You will support your 

area CFI 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). A small but vital role to increase awareness. 

Please contact julia.soakell@cfi.org.uk to apply. 



Israel Tour 2016 

with Tim Vince 

and Jacob Vince 

Bookings Line Open 

020 8931 8811 

2016 

7th - 13th June 

Main Tour 

Israel Main Tour 

Extension Tour 


7th - 15th June Main Tour + Extension 

£1,095 


£1,475 

15th - 19th June CFI Conference (T.B.C.*) 

Galilee Region: 

Capernaum 

Boat ride on Sea of Galilee 

Mt. Beatitudes 

Magdala 

First Century Synagogue 

Nazareth 

Basilica of the Annunciation and 

Mary’s Well 

Mt. Precipice 

Gospel Trail Option 

Caesarea Philipi 

Banias National Park 

Mt. Bental 

Hula Valley Nature reserve 

Bethlehem: 

Beit Aliqa Christian Centre 

Nativity Church,Manger Square 

Shepherd’s Field 

Mediterranean: 

Meggido 

Jezreel Valley 

Atlit Detention Camp 

Caesarea (Maritima) 

Jerusalem: 

Mt of Olives 

Palm Sunday walk 

Dominus Flavit (Teardrop Church) 

Garden Gethsemane (Oil Press) 

Old City 

Western Wall 

Davidson Centre 

Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) 

Walk thru the Suk (Bazaar) 

Mt Zion (Upper Room) 

St. Peter Galicantu church 

Garden Tomb Communion 

Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial 

Latrun Museum, Tel Aviv Diaspora Museum, Rehovot Palmach 

Factory, Sderot, Ad Halom, KIbbutz Nagba, Beersheva, British & 

Australian War Cemeteries, Beit Guvrin Caves, Abraham’s Well, 

Ammunition Hill Museum, Mandelbaum Gate 

CFI Jerusalem 

Conference 


Information on a separate package for 

CFI Jerusalem Conference following the 

tours is available from CFI UK office. 

This tour is operated by: TRAVELINK GROUP LTD - ABTA: V7117 and ATOL: 1886 

THE PRICE INCLUDES: Return air fare, all airport & local taxes, meeting & assistance on and arrival and departure at Ben Gurion Airport, sharing twin room 

half board hotel accomodation with private facilities, private air conditioned coaches for all transfers, licensed guide throughout the tour, and all porterage 

in Israel but, 

DOES NOT INCLUDE: Tips & Gratuities (£4.50 per person per day), Single Room Supplements @ £235 per person (Main Tour), and £325 per person (Main 

Tour + Extension). Petra Carriages. Insurance is available (rates noted on booking form overleaf). 

*

In Touch Quarter 1 - 2016

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