In Touch Quarter 4 - 2018

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Editorial Jacob Vince Covenant of Love 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-UK also produces a monthly Prayer Letter, an audio Middle East Report and distributes the Haverim Hebraic teaching CDs. Please send for full details of projects in Israel and also the 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. Published by: CFI Charitable Trust PO Box 2687 Eastbourne BN22 7LZ Tel: 01323 410 810 Email: info@cfi.org.uk www.cfi.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: Sky over Eastbourne Kate Sage The message of God’s choice of Israel was not always only for Israel and the Jews but also for the Gentiles. As the nation reached its heights during the reign of King David and in the early period of King Solomon’s reign, the temple is built in accordance with all the provisions that King David, Solomon’s father has made. Then comes the time of dedication. King Solomon stands on a bronze platform he has made which was placed in the centre of the outer court. Solomon then kneels down before the whole assembly of Israel as he dedicates the temple to the Lord. He speaks these words, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on the earth – you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who walk wholeheartedly in your way” (2 Chronicles 6:14). Firstly, Solomon recognises that it is a ‘covenant of love’. How many of us see the covenant in the older part of the Bible as law? Well here is a covenant of love. Solomon also relates service of God to wholeheartedness. Remember we are instructed to love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart. How many of us can do this? Only Jesus ultimately fulfils this. “But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him. How much less this temple that I have built!” (2 Chronicles 6:18) Here we note that Solomon recognises that God is uncontainable in the temple alone, even though he has put his Name there (2 Chronicles 6:20). And yet, God is asked to give attention to prayers directed toward this place, and Solomon equally acknowledges a characteristic of God that he can appeal to, that of forgiveness. This is the sign of God’s ‘covenant of love’. “Hear the supplications of your servant [Solomon] and of your people [Israel] when that all the peoples might know your Name they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive” (2 Chronicles 6:21) But there is more. Not only does Solomon seek a hearing when he prays and Israel when they pray, but there is also provision made for the foreigner, who prays toward this place. “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty outstretched arm - when he comes and prays toward this temple, then hear from heaven your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples may know your Name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name” (2 Chronicles 6:33) God is interested in the welfare of all humankind, but has chosen to reveal himself through Israel in the first instance and indeed identify his Messiah and only son with this, his people, so that he is able to be both exclusive and inclusive, distinctive and universal. As the disciple-apostle John writes of Jesus’ global appeal, “He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him” (John 1:10), followed by Jesus’ specific appeal, “he came to his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). However it does not end there, “yet to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). To ‘all’ who received him, whether Jew or Gentile, the right is given to become children of God, how amazing! Today we hear a lot about rights - human rights, animal rights, etc. In reality we have no right to anything… apart from that which is given by God and this is the one right he does give, and to all… all who receive him. So, how are we going to respond? 2 IN TOUCH • 4 th Quarter 2018
Report Robin Lane A Conference to Remember Annual Conference 2018 Report Venue: Victoria Baptist Church, Eastbourne A significant air of excitement arose in the days leading up to this year’s Annual Conference, in anticipation of what the three guest speakers would have to say. In contrast to theologians and preachers putting emphasis upon understanding the Scriptures regarding Israel, these men came from different groups of believers in Jesus who are putting God’s word into practice in the land. Their descriptions of the challenges that they face brought what one writer described as ‘a gritty authenticity’ to the event. The conference opened in the evening of Friday 14th September with a period of praise led by Andrew and Liz Day from St Paul’s church, Barton, on the Isle of Wight. They had kindly agreed to help out at short notice and filled the role extremely well, drawing a number of positive comments from delegates in feedback after the event. Then Victor Kalisher gave the first message of the conference, starting with a reminder that Jesus will not return until the people say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23:39, quoting Psalm 118:26). Victor described God’s plan for the world, including the sufferings that believers endure, emphasising that believers will be glorified with Jesus when he returns. Within that plan Israel is called to be a testimony and witness to God; and they have kept the text of God’s word down the centuries because they understood that it is holy. Ezekiel 36:23 reveals that God was determined to vindicate his holy name through Israel even though much of their behaviour led to his name being profaned among the nations. And from Amos’ prophecy Victor highlighted the fact that it can feel very good for a Jew to read, ‘You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth,’ but the rest of the verse says, ‘therefore I will punish you for all your sins’ (Amos 3:2). So this was a very open and honest message portraying Israel’s purpose in God’s plan. The following morning around 270 people gathered for the main part of the conference, which after another time of praise focused on the work of Johnny Shahwan and his team at Beit Al Liqa’ near Bethlehem – a house in which to meet the living God. It rapidly Musicians: Emma, Liz and Andrew became apparent that the Lord has blessed their work very greatly over a period of more than 20 years – initially bringing children to their home-based kindergarten, increasing the numbers again when they rented a larger building, and then enabling them to build a much larger house for their work whilst the Second Intifada was raging in 2001. Johnny’s passion for sharing the good news about salvation in Jesus came across very clearly. In the midst of tensions and conflict he and his team are for peace – the peace of Christ. After a break for refreshments Shadi Khalloul described his Aramean community and their strong feelings of brotherhood with the Jewish people that stem from their shared ancestry through Abraham’s family. Shadi is Chairman of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association (ICAA) and has worked for years at reviving the Aramean identity. His lobbying of Israel’s government has resulted in official recognition of the Aramean people on their identity cards. He is also involved with building the first Christian Aramean town in Israel, which he believes will be significant in the warming of Christian relationships with the Israeli people. It was good to see Shadi’s optimism for the future, especially the impact of the teaching his people are providing to inform Jews about Arameans and Arameans about Jews. He closed his message by leading the conference to pray the prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Jesus’ own language – Aramaic. Finally, Victor Kalisher returned to the front to present God’s plan and purpose for the people of Israel. He noted that the covenant and promises of God are still in force today, saying: “What God has said, he will do!” Thus Victor emphasised that no matter what we feel or believe, God will have his way. The salvation message has and will be preached by Jews, despite God’s plan for them to be priests to the world constantly having been resisted by the enemy down the centuries. Victor went on to describe his work leading the Bible Society in Israel as they distribute God’s word, and he said that hearts are warming to the Scriptures in the land. So as not to cause offence, they offer Old Testaments to people first, with Messianic texts highlighted in red. As people read these, they find it revealing, because many Old Testament prophecies point to the life of Jesus; and this leads some of them to follow up by asking for a copy of the New Testament. Jacob Vince Victor Kalisher Johnny Shahwan Shadi Khalloul Julia Soakell David Greer The place of Israel in God’s purposes Full Conference Audio available to order from Resources page 10 4 th Quarter 2018 • IN TOUCH 3
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In Touch Quarter 4 - 2018

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