In Touch Quarter 4 - 2017

4 th Quarter 2017 • No 193 Christian Friends of Israel UK
The righteous ... will grow like a cedar
in Lebanon (Psalm 92:12)
INSIDE
EDITORIAL – BOTH ARE PRESERVED
ISRAEL BONDS – INVEST IN ISRAEL
HEBRAIC BIBLE STUDY – DEEPENING YOUR CONFESSION
CFI UK NATIONAL CONFERENCE REPORT
DELEGATION TOUR REPORT
A DECLARATION PROMPTED BY GOD
HEBREW WORD STUDY – UNVEILING BEAUTY
Encouraging • Challenging • Assisting

Editorial
Both are
Jacob Vince
preserved
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.
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 410 810
Fax: 01323 410 211
Email: info@cfi.org.uk
Websites: www.cfi.org.uk
www.keshercourse.org.uk
facebook.com/cfiuk
twitter.com/cfi_uk
Registered Charity
No. 1101899
Registered Office c/o
Caladine, Chantry House
22 Upperton Road
Eastbourne, BN21 1BF
Company No: 0498515
VAT Registration No: GB678780275
Front Cover Image:
Cedar Tree in Lebanon
Right use of God’s holy word
is critical. From the first
chapters of the Bible in
Genesis, as soon as God speaks,
what he says becomes the irrefutable
spoken word of God, which was
later written down.
God having spoken, Satan tempts Eve,
noting Adam who is beside her and held
responsible, with the questioning and
testing words: ‘Did God really say?’ Next,
Satan misstates what God has said,
suggesting every tree is forbidden rather
than only one. Then Eve adds to what
God has said, saying that not only must
they not eat of a particular tree but that
they must not touch it either. Finally
Eve is taken in by the deception of the
enemy, along with Adam who arguably
abdicates his responsibility in the matter,
later disgracefully blaming Eve.
A continuing concern of mine is
how we too easily appropriate or
misappropriate Scripture to ourselves
either personally or as the church. To
avoid this, we need to see the complete
connectivity of the earlier biblical
writings with the later biblical writings.
Then, having done this, make sure that
we do not too quickly read the now
largely gentile church into the story,
before considering the passage in its
context.
Having previously covered kingdom
teachers taking treasures both old
and new (In Touch No. 192), I want
to take another example from Jesus’
early teaching. It comes in response to
a question drawn out of comparison
between the Pharisees’ and the baptiser
John’s disciples and Jesus’s disciples.
The teaching is recorded by the gospel
writers Matthew, Mark and Luke.
‘Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees
were fasting. Some people came and asked
Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and
the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting,
but yours are not?”’ (Mark 2:18). Jesus’
response is in two parts. First, ‘Jesus
answered, “How can the guests of the
bridegroom fast while he is with them? They
cannot, so long as they have him with them.
But the time will come when the bridegroom
will be taken from them, and on that day they
will fast.’ (Mark 2:19). Second, and this
is the passage I want to focus on, Jesus
says, ‘“No one sews a patch of unshrunk
cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new
piece will pull away from the old, making
the tear worse. And no one pours new wine
into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will
burst the skins, and both the wine and the
wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new
wine into new wineskins”’ (Mark 2:21-
22), or as Matthew adds, ‘”No, they pour
new wine into new wineskins, and both are
preserved”’ (Matthew 9:17)
Our tendency is to suggest that Jesus
dismisses the old cloth in favour of
the new cloth and the old wineskins in
favour of the new wineskins, thereby
rejecting the old cloth and the old
wineskins that have gone before. This
might subsequently be taken as rejecting
Israel and replacing it with the church.
However, if we look more closely, the
reason for not sewing a new unshrunk
patch of cloth onto the old cloth, is so
as not to unduly ‘damage’ the older
cloth, ‘making the tear worse’. It appears
important to preserve the old cloth
rather than, if already torn, tear it
further.
The second analogy uses equivalent
reasoning to emphasise this same
point. In like manner, the concern
appears as much about not bursting
the old wineskins as retaining the
wine, ‘Otherwise … both the wine and the
wineskins will be ruined.’ (Mark 2:21). This
suggests that in some way a continuing
value is seen in the older receptacle as in
not wanting to see it ruined.
Added to this is the fact that the new
wineskin like the old, is Jewish and not
gentile! In other words, the church has a
lot for which to thank all its forefathers,
those who wrote down the law, the
prophets, the psalms (Luke 24:44), as
well as the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).
This is the emphasis we at Christian
Friends of Israel endeavour to espouse,
as we seek to understand Israel better
in the context of the whole Bible and
humbly express our gratitude.
2 IN TOUCH • 4 th Quarter 2017
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Israel Bonds and CFI
Balfour 100: From Declaration to Start-up Nation
One hundred years ago, Lord Balfour issued his
famous declaration, announcing that the British
government viewed with favour the establishment
of a national home for the Jewish people.
As important as it was, the Balfour Declaration alone was
not sufficient to create the State of Israel.
What has lead to the creation of Israel, and what has
enabled the state to survive and thrive, are the efforts of
millions of individual friends and supporters.
One of Israel’s key supporters from and
following the inception of the dream is the
Christian community and, over more recent
decades, ministries like Christian Friends of
Israel (CFI). After it’s independence in 1948 Israel
has received critical economic support through the
purchase of Israel Bonds from friends here in the United
Kingdom together with friends from around the world.
What is an Israel Bond?
In this Balfour 100 th Anniversary year CFI have
linked with Israel Bonds to celebrate and
contribute practically to Israel.
Their proposal is for supporters to acquire a five year term
bond in multiples of £100 (in recognition of the Balfour
Declaration 100 th anniversary) providing a capital sum
to Israel over this period, with the opportunity,
suggested by Israel Bonds to donate the bond;
made up of capital sum and interest on maturity, to
Christian Friends of Israel (CFI Charitable Trust) for its
ongoing and future work.
Thinking back on how far we have come over the years,
we must also look forward as to where we are going.
Christian Friends of Israel and Israel Bonds
have historically channelled the love and
devotion of Israel’s supporters along parallel
paths. Through this joint campaign, we are
now doing so together.
01
An Israel Bond is a
loan you can make to
the State of Israel.
In return for the loan, the State of
Israel agrees to pay interest to you,
the bondholder, and repay the loan
at the end of its term.
Like other bonds, investing in
Israel Bonds puts your capital at risk.
02
Israel uses the loaned money to help
strengthen almost every part of its
modern, innovative and diverse economy.
03 Israel Bonds are backed by
the full faith and credit of the
State of Israel, which has
always made capital and
interest payments since the
first Israel bond was sold in
1951. Past performance is not
an indicator of future results.
04
Israel Bonds are not
tradeable and must be
held to maturity.
By buying an Israel Bond,
you are making a direct
investment in the
State of Israel.
Your investment benefits
the State of Israel.
Celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration by buying a £100 Mazel Tov
Israel Bond and receive a special edition Balfour 100 presentation pack.
Consider donating that Israel Bond to Christian Friends of Israel.
By donating the Israel Bond, you can help strengthen Israel and help enable
Christian Friends of Israel to continue its important work.
In association with
Since 1951
Start here:
bondsisrael.com/cfi-balfour-100
020 7446 8670
infoEN@bondsisrael.com
Your capital may be at risk
Any views and opinions set out in this magazine are provided for information purposes only, and do not purport to be professional advice. This
advertisement article has been issued by the Development Company for Israel (International) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by
the Financial Conduct Authority and registered in England No. 01415853. This is not an offering, which could only be made by prospectus.
Your capital is at risk, the rules under FSMA for the protection of retail clients do not apply. An investment in any of these bonds will not be
covered by the provisions of the Financial Services Compensation scheme, nor by any similar scheme. Israel bonds are intended as a
long-term investment as they are not listed or admitted to dealing on any recognised investment or stock exchange nor is there any
established secondary market, as a consequence Israel bonds are not readily realisable before their maturity date. DCI (International) Ltd is
not the issuer of these bonds, they are issued by the State of Israel.
facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk 4 th Quarter 2017 • IN TOUCH 3

Hebraic Study
James Whitman
serves as president
of The Centre for
Judaic-Christian
Studies (JC Studies)
We pick up the familiar
story of Peter confessing
what he believes about
Jesus as the Jewish Messiah—in
Matthew 16 and from my first
article on the subject (In Touch,
No. 192).
Our purpose is to strengthen one
another in the good confession that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.
To get the most out of our study
time together, keep your eyes on two
things. First, the Father is maturing his
Son’s faith. Second, the Son is growing
his disciple’s faith. Both of these are
in preparation for the troubles that are
coming. There is an important third
point as well, what you see is how he
is working with each of us today.
The Student’s Response
(Matthew 16:13-16)
Sequestered away from the political
and religious tumult in Jerusalem, the
teacher enjoys uninterrupted time with
his students. In the Jewish manner
of learning, he probes them with a
question, “Who do people say that the
Son of Man is?” Their answers provide
us remarkable insight into the ethos
of First Century Israel. The faithful
were longing and praying, waiting and
watching, for God’s chosen Messiah
to come forward—in the prophetic
tradition of their covenant history.
In other words, as YHWH had done
(think Exodus), they believed he
would do again.
Imagine what this dialogue meant to
Jesus, knowing that the reality is truer
than they can believe, yet in ways they
cannot conceive. After three years with
his men he needs to find out more, for
the sake of the movement. “Who do you
say that I am?”
Simon Peter’s response was manna
from heaven for the one who indeed
is the prophet foretold by Moses, “You
are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the
living God.” His confession is a Godtaught
revelation arising from the
prophetic texts and history of Israel.
Torah records Moses as the first to
use the descriptor ‘living God’ while
Deepening Your
Confession of Christ
reminding the generation poised to
enter the Promised Land that the
revelation of divine dwelling and
kingship at Sinai was the goal of the
liberation from Egypt (Deuteronomy
5:26). Roughly 800 years later the
catchphrase ‘living God’ is wielded
powerfully by prophets like Jeremiah,
Isaiah, and Daniel.
And what is this Messiah’s
relationship to the living God? You
are his Son, says Peter, a word so
important contextually that Bible
translators capitalise the S. Son yes,
but not simply one of many, as the
early church would realise in light of
the Spirit outpouring. But what did
the language imply to them at the
Caesarea Philippi in the First Century (artist’s impression).
moment? Surely front and centre is
the sense of son as promised to King
David and all of Israel:
“I will raise up your offspring.”
“I will establish his kingdom.”
“I will establish the throne of his
kingdom forever.”
“I will be to him a father, and he shall
be to me a son.” (2 Samuel 7:12-14)
We must stop and realise, dear
friends, that in this story we are on holy
ground. Let us take off our footwear
and draw nearer by inquiring, what
kind of impact did Peter’s divine
declaration have on Jesus? Remember,
for Matthew this story serves as a
hinge between,
“From that time Jesus began to preach,
saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of God is
at hand’” (Matthew 4:17)
and,
Part 2 of 2
“From that time Jesus began to show
his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem
[...] and be killed, and on the third day be
raised.” (Matthew 16:21)
The Teacher’s Response
(Matthew 16: 17-20)
“Blessed are you, Simon!”
One thing immediately evident
from the Greek construction of Jesus’
response to Peter is that he is excited,
flooded with joy. The language is
emphatic, and rightfully so. The
teacher is listening carefully to his
student and recognises the answer as
inspired. Have you ever experienced
God confirming something to you
through another person? In the
kingdom, that is the right order of
things, God reveals, then uses his
people to validate. In this case, Jesus
is both affirming to Peter (and the
other disciples) the divine nature
of the insight, while receiving the
confirmation he needs from his Father
in heaven – amazing!
“This was not revealed to you by man,
but by my Father in heaven.”
Another thing evident from the
Master’s enthusiastic response is
that Peter—recipient of this unveiled
truth—is in a state of blessedness. The
language here mirrors the beatitudes.
The disciple is blessed because he
received from the fount of all blessing.
To be a kingdom person means to be
attentive. Like Peter, as we gather up
the glimpses of Immanuel, the Father
puts them together for us in such a
way that reveals the Son of the ‘living
God,’ leading to increased intimacy.
4 IN TOUCH • 4 th Quarter 2017
www.cfi.org.uk

Also, like Simon, we will need to cling
to this when we fail or when others fail
us.
“On this rock, I will build my church.”
Another reason for Israel’s Messiah
to rejoice is that this confession is the
seed that will spread, grow and protect
his body of followers (his church)
who will bear witness of these things
to the world. Dwight Pryor discerns
three layers of meaning in the Master’s
statement. The rock here means Jesus’
appointment of Peter as leader of the
apostolic band in his absence, it also
points to the ongoing importance of
Jesus’ identity as the divine Messiah,
and it establishes himself and his
teaching as the source of faith and
practice for kingdom people.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom.”
Now the King lifts his eyes from
the immediate to the cosmic context,
prophesying powerfully about the evildefeating,
world-changing force of his
movement. The simple truth that the
Creator is in Messiah reconciling the
world to himself exposes and uproots
the lies of the Adversary. Salvation
in all its wonder, as experienced and
witnessed by his band of disciples,
would engulf the planet in the power
of the resurrection: lives changed, evil
empires toppled, creation restored.
Steadily, one heart at a time, the
kingdoms of the world will become the
kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah.
But not yet.
“Tell no one that I am the Christ.”
The time to testify will come, but
first, the revelation of Messiah’s
divine identity must confront and
be proved by a Roman cross and an
empty Jewish tomb. And as Peter’s
failure only verses later shows, this
will be the hardest test of all. It took
over two years to bring the disciples to
the point of receptivity that their God
You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God
is uniquely in this Nazarene. But a
crucified Messiah? “Never!”
Our King has much to teach his
servants about the cross-shaped
character of serving him and his
healing mission in and to the world.
But they, and we, must have ears to
hear. The Father taught his Son. The
Son taught his disciples about the
Father while the Holy One taught
them about the Son. By his Spirit,
as his disciples, we follow in this
venerable tradition. Our curriculum is
God’s word applied to every aspect of
our journey under the sun.
Not long ago my wife and I were
privileged to attend a ceremony for
a dear, long-time friend of ours. He
was retiring, with honours, from
the United States Air Force. It was a
profound experience. Those that knew
and loved him listened intently as his
commanding officer outlined a history
of distinguished service and creative
contributions that spanned decades.
Like Jacob’s son Joseph, the things
entrusted to him prospered under his
care.
In attendance was his devoted wife,
who knew him as a husband and
confidant; children who knew him as
a father; co-workers who knew him as
their leader; friends and family who
knew him as a dedicated Christian by
the name of Arthur. On that day we
all came to understand that there was
more to the man than we knew. My
point is this. If that is so for a mere
mortal, then how much more the
author and finisher of our faith?
“When the Counsellor comes, whom I
will send to you from the Father, the Spirit
of truth who goes out from the Father, he
will testify about me. And you also must
testify, for you have been with me from the
beginning” (John 15:26-27).
Centre for Judaic-Christian Studies
www.cfi.org.uk
JC Studies is a Christian, educational organisation
with a passion for acclimatising Christians to the
life and times of Jesus and the early church.
Are you interested in biblically based, Christ-centred
instruction in the Jewish heritage of Christianity? Consider
joining our Haverim* Study Community. Founded over thirty
years ago by Dr. Dwight A. Pryor, Haverim is a subscription
service that provides you with a monthly audio recording by
leading Christian scholars. Through their expertise in the
language, literature, culture and traditions of Israel during the Second Temple Period, you will
receive a treasure trove of insights into the sacred Scriptures, both Old, and New.
*Haverim is a transliteration of the plural Hebrew word for Friend.
(khaverím)
For more information: Tel: 01323 410810 Fax: 01323 410211 Email: info@cfi.org.uk
Website: www.cfi.org.uk
CFI UK is the designated distributor in the UK
facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk 4 th Quarter 2017 • IN TOUCH 5

Report
National Conference Report
This year’s National Conference, Israel:
Covenants and Kingdom, was held over two
days in Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne,
on 22 nd and 23 rd September. Supporters from across
the UK enjoyed listening to speakers from Oxford,
the Netherlands and Israel.
The main conference sessions were opened with worship
led by a group of young believers from several parts of
the country, including Sarah and Ruth Linnell (singers),
Matthew Soakell (drummer), Dan Selby and Janet Cole
(members of Welcome Baptist Church in Heathfield).
Revd Willem Glashouwer sharing his testimony and teaching on Israel.
with great clarity. Later in the day he provided more detail
on the topics covered in his books ‘Why Israel?’ and ‘Israel:
Covenants and Kingdom.’ Of particular interest to many in
the audience were his twelve articles regarding the place of
Israel in God’s plan of salvation.
Willem’s colleague Andrew Tucker is a lawyer by training,
now serving as Executive Director of Christians for Israel
International. He spoke about the fact that Jerusalem is an
Praise and worship led by Dan, Janet, Sarah, Ruth and Matthew.
On the Friday evening Dr James Patrick spoke on a
subject very close to his heart, presenting a surprisingly
comprehensive review of British Christian History and the
Jewish People – one that is echoed in a recent CFI publication
‘A History of Christian Zionism in Britain’ (Resources p12).
Andrew Tucker sharing insights on International Law.
James Patrick speaking on British Christian history and the Jewish people.
Then on Saturday our main speaker was the Revd Willem
Glashouwer, who is a Bible teacher and the President of
Christians for Israel International. In his first message he
spoke of his childhood years when his family were friends
of the Ten Boom family. He spoke with deep feeling about
some of his experiences of interacting with Jewish people as
a Christian, and linked those experiences to the Scriptures
‘immovable rock,’ and about the significance of the United
Nations (UN), which has a charter that he described as
‘very Jewish.’ He explained the extent of the legitimacy of
decisions made at the UN with regard to international law,
helping his audience understand how to contribute towards
redressing bias and falsehoods so often spoken about Israel.
The UN Charter says all states are equal, but often that ideal
evaporates when the topic is Israel.
On Saturday afternoon we were blessed to have Kevin
and Stacey Howard speak about the need for us to be salt
and light in the world today, in context with Hebraic
thinking. Those who have supported CFI Jerusalem, some
for three decades, felt privileged to see the ‘passing on of
the baton’ from Sharon Sanders to her daughter Stacey, who
is Executive Director of CFI Jerusalem, and her husband
Kevin, who is Director of Media. Kevin touched many
hearts when he presented photos from the ten care projects
6 IN TOUCH • 4 th Quarter 2017
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Israel: Covenants & Kingdom
The special Balfour 100 Exhibition compiled by Tristan
McDonald to commemorate the centenary of the Balfour
Declaration was very informative reminding us all how
significant those times were.
page 12). Visitors to the resources stall were served by staff,
volunteers, Regional Links and Church Links.
Feedback from young and old alike was very encouraging,
with many commenting that they look forward to meeting
up at the Balfour 100 celebrations in November and at next
year’s CFI UK National Conference.
CONFERENCE AUDIO
Kevin and Stacey Howard sharing updates on CFI Jerusalem.
run by CFI Jerusalem, where 25 staff and volunteers work
with Holocaust survivors, victims of trauma and terror in
the land, and serve in various ways to encourage Arab and
Jewish pastors in Israel.
We were pleased to see more young people attend the
conference this year, one of whom featured in a film clip
of an interview conducted at the 2017 New Wine Christian
festival. That clip provided a good opportunity to see one
of the ways in which CFI interacts with the wider Christian
community in the UK.
The CFI resources stall was busy through both days of the
conference, with delegates able to see new and older books,
CDs and DVD teaching materials for themselves. Recent
additions to our range included sets of DVDs and study
guides by Revd Glashouwer, and a new documentary DVD
by Hugh Kitson, titled ‘Whose Land?’ (see Resources on
You can obtain a copy of the
conference audio on CDs.
Please see our Resources on page 12,
or simply visit our online store:
www.cfi.org.uk/shop
Matthew Soakell encourages us to use Social Media to support CFI.
facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk 4 th Quarter 2017 • IN TOUCH 7

Report
Julia Soakell
UK Delegation
Speaking Tour
A SEASON TO SHINE ON JERUSALEM
15 th – 27 th September, 2017
The UK national tour with Stacey and
Kevin Howard was a great success.
David Soakell had spent months planning the
tour so that it spread across the country. Once
they arrived he first drove them to meetings in
Luton and then Birmingham. From there they
went north to Dewsbury for an evening meeting
at Dewsbury Revival Centre, and the next day
they were interviewed at the ‘Branch FM’
radio station. Then they went to Billingham,
Stockton-on-Tees, before travelling on to Perth
in Scotland.
Over the next few days they travelled
south to the CFI-UK National Conference in
Eastbourne, East Sussex. They spoke on the
Saturday afternoon about the ten care projects
that are supported by CFI Jerusalem. They then
travelled to Woking in Surrey and spoke once
again to supporters and friends there. CFI UK’s
chief executive, Jacob Vince, then drove them
for the remainder of their tour via Eastleigh,
Southampton, Farringdon, Oxfordshire, and
finally to River of Life Church, Bristol for the
evening of the 27 th . Jacob then drove them
to Heathrow that night and they flew back to
Israel early the next morning!
Supporters were so encouraged to hear how
the Lord is continuing to work in the ministry
in Israel. They heard updates of the 25 staff
at the Jerusalem office, some of whom work
with survivors of terrorism and the Holocaust.
There was also news of the Messianic and Arab
pastors involved in the ‘First Fruits’ ministry,
and many Jewish people returning to Israel
from around the globe. Records now show
that the Distribution Centre has been visited
by 300,000 people over the last thirty years.
Many have been blessed by the contributions
of clothes and gifts from the UK - sent via the
‘Olive Grove Project’ led by Rob and Margaret
Hearing. The population of Jews in Israel now
represents the largest in the world, followed by
that in America.
The ‘Open Doors’ project, which helps those
making Aliyah, is now welcoming Jewish
families from France, Bolivia, Brazil and
Argentina, amongst others. Many listeners
heard for the first time about the ‘Communities
Under Attack’ project and were so touched
to see photos of the staff giving their time to
build relationships with individuals who needed
comfort, company, healing and practical help.
Many of these are helped after injury or trauma
from terrorist attacks, both children and adults,
including some rabbis. Many were shocked to
hear that the population of Gaza border towns
like Sderot, and those on the Lebanese border,
have about 80% of their citizens on antidepressant
medication.
The ‘Forsake Them Not’ team are still
working with many old and frail Holocaust
survivors - some of the 30,000 still alive - the
last Jewish witnesses of the atrocities of the
Shoah. Maggie and her team tell the survivors
that Christians around the world continue to
pray for them. The CFI team had made 374
visits to these lonely pensioners in 210 days.
Many of them attend events for the festivals
and national holidays hosted by CFI, where
Sharon Sanders continues to “love a party”!
Many intercessors expressed their
‘tremendous encouragement’ as they listened to
Kevin and Stacey speak and how excited they
were to be able to pray even more specifically
into these areas based on the updates. Many
expressed gratitude that this tour had brought
home to them the unique combination of CFI
branches around the world - with the UK branch
focused on educating the church and standing
with the UK Jewish Community, supporting
CFI Jerusalem and the expression of God’s
heart for Israel, where prophecy is being lived
out. As a praying people the UK family could
see topics for prayer and thanksgiving and how
a legacy of many prayers is being realised in
these various projects.
Kevin and Stacey were blessed by the
meetings, and by individual conversations with
supporters. They were grateful to all who had
asked after her parents and who had faithfully
supported them over the decades. Kevin spoke
specifically about ‘Salt and Light’ in the word
of God using texts from Genesis 2:15 and
17:19. He raised the need for unity within
the church to shine in a new and vibrant way
in these days. It was a deep and challenging
message to us all, as we see the need for
unity in Kingdom purpose, as well as within
our families, fellowships and nation; so as to
‘preserve’ the things of God at a time when
the world suffers from the erosion of Christian
heritage and values.
In answer to prayer, it was great to see young
people attending the UK Tour. At Dewsbury,
Laura Thomas and Matthew Soakell promoted
our social media and the resources stall. It was
also good to see young people involved in the
worship teams.
We have seen CFI supporters and churches
stirred by the important messages given at
these tour events. May we now pray for even
greater fruit to be evident in support and
understanding of the heart of the ministry of
CFI, along with support for Israel - land and
people - as prophecies are fulfilled in her at this
time and in the days to come. Thank you to all
those who supported and helped on the tour!
Stacy and Kevin Howard in St Hugh’s Church Hall, Luton.
Stacey took over as Executive Director of CFI
Jerusalem from her parents Sharon and Ray
Sanders in 2014 and her husband Kevin is Director
of Media and Technology for CFI Jerusalem.
Both had successful careers in their own fields in the
USA before feeling led to leave family, three children
and six grandchildren, to head up the work diligently
done in previous decades by her parents.
Dewsbury Revival Centre: Kevin, Stacey, David and Matthew.
A special stop at the local Christian radio ‘Branch FM.’
New Life Church, Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees.
National Christian Outreach Centre, Perth, Scotland.
Debbie and Laura Thomas in CFI Twitter frame, Dewsbury.
8 IN TOUCH • 4 th Quarter 2017 www.cfi.org.uk

Feature
A Declaration
Prompted by God
Robin Lane
Anyone who has followed
the news this year will have
realised that the Balfour
Declaration is a part of British
history that attracts controversy.
Highlighted by the event planned
for 7 th November in the Royal
Albert Hall, some people want to
celebrate the Declaration on its
centenary – celebrate it as one of
the best things the British people
have done.
Alongside them, many Jewish people
want to celebrate it because they too
are well aware that it was a vital step
on the path to the reconstituted State of
Israel in 1948.
But there are many other people
who hold the opposite opinion, which
Mahmoud Abbas put into words in a
speech to the General Assembly of the
United Nations in September 2016.
He said that Great Britain should
apologise “to the Palestinian people for
the catastrophes, misery and injustice
this declaration created.” Many
supporters of the so-called ‘Palestinian’
people also think that an apology is
due, blaming Israel for what they see
as the suffering of these people.
In the heat of this controversy
there is a question that is too often
ignored: ‘What does God think of
the Balfour Declaration?’ Whilst it
might seem presumptuous to claim
that we can know what God thinks
about something that is not mentioned
directly in the Scriptures, both history
and the Scriptures themselves give us
vital clues about the answer.
Even in the early centuries of the
Christian faith, both Britain and
Ireland held out for hundreds of years
against the Roman Church’s move
to separate Easter celebrations from
the timing of Passover celebrations.
Aside from disliking instructions from
another country, there seemed to be
some desire to hold onto the Jewish
foundation of the Christian faith. 1
Hundreds of years later a series
of British men got into difficulties
with the church authorities because
of preaching and writing about the
special place of the Jewish people
in God’s plans. In 1585 Francis Kett
published a tract about God’s people
gathering in Jerusalem, and received
the death penalty from church leaders
as a result. Yet just a few years later
English scholar Thomas Brightman
wrote of the Jews: ‘Shall they return to
Jerusalem again? There is nothing more
certain: the prophets do everywhere
confirm it and beat upon it.’
These two men start a significant
list that was assembled by historian
Franz Kobler, including Henry Finch
and hymn-writer William Cowper. 2
Kobler’s work was later extended by
Ken Burnett, the founder of the Prayer
for Israel ministry, in a talk titled
‘Britain: A Nation Called by God.’
Ken noted that other prominent
Christians such as John Wesley, Robert
Murray McCheyne, C H Spurgeon
and J C Ryle also preached clearly
about the special place of the Jewish
people in God’s plans – a special
This is a revised edition of a booklet first published by
Love Never Fails. It reviews the development of a vision
among prominent evangelical church leaders in Britain
that took place over more than three centuries and led to
the Balfour Declaration in 1917. It highlights Britain’s
calling to be chief facilitator in the restoration of the
Jewish people to their ancient Promised Land and her
positive contribution towards this. It goes on to describe
the way the British administration obstructed that
restoration and calls for appropriate response.
This edition builds on the contributions of Ken Burnett and
Derek Prince with additional material from their original
sources, as well as some from extra sources.
BT120 // 28 pages // £3.50 (incl. UK p&p)
place that included their return to the
land of Israel. More detail on this can
be found in a recently expanded and
republished CFI booklet. 3
When we add this combination of
historical writing and preaching to the
power of the Christian faith and the
widespread availability of the Bible, it
seems that we have the key motivator
that led to the Balfour Declaration in
1917. Whilst various other reasons
have been suggested as the motivation,
in the highly unusual circumstances
of the First World War the British War
Cabinet of ten men included seven
who were either evangelical Christians,
or came from that background. Several
of them later confirmed their belief
that God wanted the Jewish people to
return to the land.
Thus there is a significant body of
evidence to indicate that it was God
himself who prompted the Balfour
Declaration. So we can be thankful that
the present UK Government has stated
clearly that they have no intention of
apologising for it.
FOOTNOTES
1. A History of Christian Zionism in Britain,
Dr James Patrick, BT 119, CFI UK, 2017.
2. The Vision was There, Franz Kobler, 1956.
3. A Nation Called by God, BT 120, CFI UK, 2017.
facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk 4 th Quarter 2017 • IN TOUCH 9

Hebrew Word Study
Melissa Briggs MA,
Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Melissa is an experienced Hebrew
teacher with a desire to make the
rich language of the Scriptures
accessible to Christians.
Unveiling
Beauty
יֹופִי
yofi
God is beautiful. Isaiah says of the Lord, “Your
eyes will see the king in his beauty (yofi) and
view a land that stretches afar” (Isaiah 33:17),
and David writes, “Give to the Lord the glory due to
his name; worship the Lord in the splendour of his
holiness” (Psalm 29:2).
Beholding God’s beauty was David’s greatest desire, even
when under intense attack. “One thing I ask of the Lord , this
is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek
him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
What is beauty and what is its purpose?
Beauty – whether in nature, music, poetry, art, literature or
people – is meant to point us to God. We long for beauty
because we are created by, and for, a beautiful God.
But beauty is a misunderstood or neglected topic in the
modern Western Church. While media is promoting beauty
as supremely important, the church feels at a loss for what
to do besides downplay the significance of beauty. It is an
attribute of God that many have too quickly written off as
‘worldly’.
Our hearts should be full of an awareness and thankfulness
that God is not simply a utilitarian God. He chose to
create the world full of so many colours, tastes, aromas,
breathtaking views, and sensory delights.
The world sends an endless stream of
damaging and confusing messages about
beauty. It has hijacked and twisted beauty –
wrongly placing it as the highest virtue, or as the
measure of worth, or as the path to happiness or
lust. The world’s standards and definitions of
beauty are skewed and fickle.
One of the Hebrew words for beauty is יֹופִ‏ י yofi, which
can refer to both an inner and/or outer beauty of mankind,
or of the Lord, or of locations, such as Jerusalem (see Psalm
48:2). In Modern Hebrew this word is used in an extremely
casual way to mean ‘great’ or ‘attractive’, in a way that
downgrades the Biblical significance of yofi.
Beauty is the appealing, pleasing attractiveness of the
goodness and creativity of God’s nature – reflected in God’s
handiwork and perfectly embodied in the glorified Messiah.
Other words in this same family of words, which all share
the same root letter system, include:
(adjective) yafehיָ‏ – beautiful, fair פֶ‏ ה
(verb) yafahיָ‏ – to be beautiful or fair פָ‏ ה
Yafo – a coastal town on the Mediterranean – (often יָפֹו
pronounced Jaffa or Joppa in English) – meaning
‘beautiful’ (proper noun)
Translation of this topic can be confusing because there
are a number of Hebrew words from different root letter
systems that all get translated as ‘beautiful’ in English. For
example, a number of the most common Scriptures that are
used to ‘prove’ that God is disinterested in beauty, such as
1 Samuel 16:7 and Isaiah 53:2, do not actually use the word
yofi. Rather, in both these instances, the Hebrew word is
(mareh) from the family of words on the topic
of ‘seeing’ – meaning “what can be seen with the eye” or mere
visual, outward appearance.
So has the church forgotten what true beauty looks like?
Beauty is multi-faceted and meant to reflect God and to
draw us to God. The church, as the body of Messiah, must
reclaim beauty and return it to its rightful, God-given role.
God has already made each individual beautiful in his
own creative way, so there is no need to strive. And praise
for all beauty or goodness in our lives should be directed
only towards him. “He has made everything beautiful (yafeh)
in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet
they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end”
(Ecclesiastes 3:11).
God is the one who made us in his image, who redeems us,
and who transforms us by the power of the Holy Spirit into
the likeness of his beautiful Son. “Those who look to him are
radiant, their faces are never covered with shame” (Psalm 34:5).
מַ‏ רְ‏ אֶ‏ ה actually
Beauty is
meant to point
us to God
Imagine these five scenes: a tropical island with leafy palm
trees; rolling sand dunes in a desert expanse; an impressive
mountain range sprinkled with pine trees; a lush, dense
rainforest; the English countryside with her many shades
of green and colourful wildflowers. Amazingly, they are all
beautiful, even though they are so different from
one another!
What is true in nature is certainly true in
the crown of God’s creation – humankind –
that beauty is multi-faceted and not a limited
commodity. Beauty can come in all shapes, sizes,
shades, and variations – especially in people!
Ezekiel 16 vividly portrays the Lord mercifully and
generously lavishing Israel with beauty and adornment
– only to have Israel misuse that yofi in ‘prostitution’ for a
season. At the end of the chapter God graciously vows to
restore Israel to himself through a new covenant.
Many warnings and lessons about beauty can be gleaned
from this important chapter, “I gave you my solemn oath and
entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and
you became mine. ...I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with
costly garments... I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears
and a beautiful crown on your head. ... You became very beautiful
(yofi) and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the
nations on account of your beauty (yofi), because the splendour I
had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign
Lord.” ‘But you trusted in your beauty (yofi) and used your fame
to become a prostitute. You lavished your favours on anyone who
passed by and your beauty became his. ... Such things should not
happen, nor should they ever occur.” (see Ezekiel 16).
Like many of God’s other good creations – such as
sexuality or food – beauty can become an idol and can
be misused. In fact, in Ezekiel 28:17 we read that Lucifer
fell partly due to pride about his own beauty (yofi). And
10 IN TOUCH • 4 th Quarter 2017
www.cfi.org.uk

certainly, yofi without reverence for the Lord is fleeting (see
Proverbs 31:30). When we elevate beauty to a role it was
never intended to hold – to be a measure of our worth or
identity – beauty will always let us down.
Though men are certainly appreciators of beauty, women
have an innate desire to be beautiful. According to Ephesians
5, women are a representation of the beautiful bride of the
Messiah. So often women are drawn to the idea of adorning
themselves with attractive clothing, make-up and jewellery.
Perhaps this is a physical picture of the preparation the bride
of Messiah is meant to be undertaking?
Ornate garments that women from every culture around
the world wear for weddings point to the glorious garments
of salvation that the bride of Messiah wears (see Isaiah 61-63
and Revelation 19:7-8).
Sadly, sin has entered into the picture along with decay,
disease and death. But praise God that our redemption
draws near and the Messiah conquered sin and death. If
we are part of the bride, then our future is one of joy and
perfected beauty – without spot or blemish (see Ephesians
5:27 and Philippians 3:20-21).
Psalm 45 is a beautiful exposition of the redemption story
– of the strength of the Messiah and the love he has for his
bride: “You [Messiah] are the most excellent (yafeh) of men and
your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you
forever.... [O bride] The king is enthralled by your beauty (yofi);
honour him, for he is your lord. The Daughter of Tyre will come
with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favour. All glorious is the
princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.
In embroidered garments she is led to the king...” (see Psalm 45).
A woman may be very pretty by the world’s standards,
but she may have a coldness, meanness, or self-centredness
about her that diminishes her overall yofi. She radiates
stress, superiority, striving, or insecurity instead of rest in
Jesus’ love for her. Our self-obsessed, self-indulgent motives
have no place when we are God’s ambassadors, purchased
at a costly price.
Godly beauty is not about increasing our own self-esteem
or our own glory, but rather joyfully losing ourselves in
Jesus - more of him, and less of me! “Do you not know that
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you
have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought
at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.” (I Corinthians
6:19-20). The Temple in Jerusalem was to be looked after
in an excellent manner; shouldn’t that carry over into the
stewardship of our bodies as ‘temples’ as well?
So how far will we go to honour God, and to let him unveil
his yofi in our lives?
If you are interested in learning the Hebrew language through online
tuition (or in person if you are local to Berkshire), or if you are interested
in hosting a Hebrew language day for a group in your area, please
contact Melissa for more details at: hebrew.explore@gmail.com or at
www.explorehebrew.co.uk
Land of the Bible
The Beauty of the Land of Israel
16 Month Hebrew Heritage Calendar
September 2017–December 2018
Features 15 unique photographs
incorporating Scripture in NKJV, ENGLISH and HEBREW
£10
Includes
UK P&P
• All dates in both JEWISH/LUNAR and GREGORIAN/SOLAR calendar systems,
in English and Hebrew
• ALL MAJOR BIBLICAL/JEWISH/ISRAELI HOLIDAYS
• SABBATH (Shabbat) BEGINNING AND ENDING TIMES
• References shown for all WEEKLY SCRIPTURE PORTIONS (Torah and Haftarah)
• Each calendar month has one or more WRITING SPACES for reminders and notes.
Issued by:
CFI Communications, PO Box 2687, Eastbourne, BN22 7LZ.
Produced in Israel. Printed in the UK
facebook.com/cfiuk twitter.com/cfi_uk 4 th Quarter 2017 • IN TOUCH 11

Resources www.cfi.org.uk/shop call: 01323 410 810
ISRAEL: COVENANTS & KINGDOM CD set
This CD set includes five informative, inspiring and biblical messages by Dr James Patrick, Revd Willem Glashouwer,
Andrew Tucker, and Stacey and Kevin Howard. It was recorded live at the CFI-UK’s 32nd National Conference, which
was held in September 2017. The teaching covers: British Christian History and the Jewish People; Israel: Covenants &
Kingdom; the International Legal Situation and the inspiration for the care projects of CFI Jerusalem.
Disc 1: British Christian History and the Jewish People – James Patrick
Disc 2: Israel: Covenants & Kingdom Part 1 – Revd Willem Glashouwer
Disc 3: The International Legal Situation – Andrew Tucker
Disc 4: A Season to Shine on Jerusalem – Stacey & Kevin Howard
Disc 5: Israel: Covenants & Kingdom Part 2 – Revd Willem Glashouwer
CDS133 // CD // 5 CDs // £15.00 (incl. UK p&p)
A HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN ZIONISM IN BRITAIN Dr James Patrick
In November 1917, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, which the League of Nations then incorporated into the
Mandate for Palestine. Its purpose was fulfilled with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
But why was it Britain, rather than any other country, who led the nations in restoring the Jewish people to their ancient
homeland? This booklet surveys the key role played by Christians in the three centuries of British political activism for
Jewish national restoration. It also traces the influences upon this idea back into far earlier times, beyond the failures
of the mediaeval period and into the era of the Celtic saints. With over 40 pictures this is a companion guide to James
Patrick’s conference talk.
BT119 // BOOKLET // 28 pages // £4.00 (incl. UK p&p)
WHY ISRAEL? DVD & STUDY GUIDE Revd Willem Glashouwer
The series Why Israel? explores the biblical significance of Israel and the Jewish people for Christians today. It gives an
inside look from a biblical, historical and prophetic perspective at God’s work with Israel. We see miracles happen in our
days: the Jews are returning to the Promised Land just as the Bible prophesied. It brings to light that God has not forgotten
the Jewish people and that Jesus is coming soon! This new series of Why Israel? challenges the church to embrace and
bless the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. It also shows how Israel is a sign of hope to the world.
1. God loves Israel; 2. The Covenants; 3. Old Covenant, New Covenant; 4. Israel & the Church; 5. Anti-Semitism
6. Israel & the nations; 7. Jerusalem; 8. The Kingdom of God; 9. Jesus; 10. His blood be on us
The series contains 10 chapters of approximately 25 minutes each. This English DVD set includes a study guide.
S11 // DVD // 260 mins // £13.50 (incl. UK p&p)
WHY JERUSALEM? Revd Willem Glashouwer
This book explores the significance of the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a unique city - a holy place and the focus of world
history. Ezekiel 38:12 even describes Jerusalem as ‘the centre of the earth’.
The author deals with a number of theological, historical and prophetic aspects of Jerusalem from a biblical point of
view, in relation to contemporary history. He illustrates the central place of the Temple, the spiritual roots of Jerusalem,
Jerusalem as a holy city, Jerusalem and Jesus, Jerusalem as a stumbling block in world politics and Jerusalem’s role in the
end times. The book also provides a chronology of Jerusalem and her history of more than 3,000 years.
B488 // BOOK // 236 pages // £12.50 (incl. UK p&p)
WHOSE LAND? Part 1 Hugh Kitson
A century after the Balfour Declaration of November 1917 the argument over the land – then known as Palestine – rages
on. Politicians, clerics and school teachers living in the Gaza strip, the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem, teach their
children, teenagers and young adults that the Balfour Declaration was illegal, and that the whole of the land – now known
as Israel – in fact belongs to the Arab people who are today known as the Palestinians. So what historic and legal claim do
the Palestinian Arabs have over Jerusalem and the Land of Israel?
Do the Jewish people have historic and legal rights? If so, when and where did they originate?
In ‘Whose Land?’ Richard Kemp, together with a group of historians and international lawyers, examines the conflicting
claims of the Palestinians and the Israelis through the eyes of verifiable history and international law.
D139 // DVD // 90 mins // £16.00 (incl. UK p&p)