Team Triumph After Calling God’s Number! - Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY

Team Triumph After Calling God’s Number!

Monday, January 23, 2017 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY

RELATED STORIES

• Moon-Walkers' Heavenly Perspective
• COMMENTARY: Prophetic Timing for Israel’s Victory
• Bible Society Helps Israelis Study God's Word

Topics:

Bible

Following my claim (in my last posting) that the Paris ‘peace conference’ was an answer to prayer, confirmation has come from the report of a small European coalition of fervent intercessors who have proved that the God of Israel is still in charge of world events!

When last month’s UN Security Council vote effectively delegitimized much of Israel, there was grave concern that the Paris summit involving 70 nations would ‘stick the knife in’ – diplomatically-speaking – with further harsh measures in a bid to impose a settlement on the protagonists despite their absence from the meeting.

But the communiqué issued afterwards said little more than what has become standard fare for the past several decades, insisting that the two sides step up their efforts to achieve peace on the basis of a ‘two-state solution’.

Particularly notable was the fact that Britain, who had shamefully voted for the UN resolution, had a change of heart – not only by failing to send its Foreign Secretary to the convocation, but by refusing to sign the motion, believing it would only harden attitudes.

This could well have been linked in part to journalist Melanie Phillips’ open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May accusing the British Government of anti-Semitism in its betrayal of Israel.

But among others who clearly played a part in thus weakening the international threat against the Jews was British author, speaker and veteran Israel supporter Fred Wright who, with a small team of theological students from Holland, Germany and Poland, travelled to the French capital and prayed throughout the conference for God to step in.

“Wow, wow and wow again,” he enthused. “We went in faith against overwhelming odds by sight – and the Lord came through for his land and people!”

Fred said it was something of an untested experience for him, and he had met none of the 13 students before. “It was a bit random on getting updates as to how the conference was proceeding, but we were there and believed that our prayers would be sufficient. As the meeting dragged on, we made a decision to stay until it was over – we didn’t think we could leave until we had the result. It meant we were in danger of missing our flights, but it turned out that it would have happened anyway due to the combination of weather conditions and a traffic accident en route to the airport. However, overnight accommodation and the extra expense of booking new flights at short notice left some of us in financial difficulties. A few of us were even prepared to fly on to New York, if necessary, to help bring this business to an end. But we just had to trust the Lord, and this was one of the most magnificent breakthroughs I have seen for many years.

“We had even symbolically declared the Lord’s triumph at the Arc de Triomphe!”

A prolific author and historian, with works including Father, Forgive Us (Olive Press and Monarch Books), Fred also strives to support Jews from Eastern Europe and elsewhere to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) in fulfillment of many ancient prophecies about restoration to the land.

Jeremiah 33.3 is sometimes referred to as ‘God’s telephone number’ – 333 – because the verse says: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” And the context is the promise of restoration for God’s beleaguered people – at the time under the cosh of the Babylonians.

The simple truth is that, though not perfect by any means, they are His chosen ones and he is on their side!

---

Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon, and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com

Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

Paris Conference Nosedives! Five Significant #Fails - Ron Cantor

Paris Conference Nosedives! Five Significant #Fails

Ron Cantor —  January 17, 2017 

On Sunday, representatives of 70 nations gathered in Paris to release a document condemning Israel for building in the areas captured in the Six-Day-War (including the Jewish Quarter of the Old City), calling for the creation of a Palestinian state and an end to the “occupation.” There was deep concern from Israel-loving believers around the world, that the “kings of the earth” would “rage” (Ps. 2) in their anger at little Israel.

A Third Outrage

This would be the third outrage against Israel in about a month. First, the United Nations condemned the Jewish nation in December and the United States, who customarily uses its VETO to stop such unjust and lopsided condemnations, chose to teach their ‘friend’ Israel a lesson, and let this condemnation pass. Then, secondly, in the middle of the Jewish Feast of Hanukkah, a holiday that commemorates the victorious Jewish uprising against her oppressors, a clearly angered and agitated Secretary of State John Kerry unleashed a scathing rebuke on the world’s stage against Israel.

It appeared that this third condemnation with 70 nations (a biblical number, interestingly enough associated with the idea of ‘all nations’), standing together in unity against Israel would lead to a fourth outrage, which would be a stronger, more aggressive, Obama-backed U.N. condemnation of Israel and, who knows, possibly the recognition of a Palestinian State.

The timing would be unprecedented (although I would like to write unpresidented), as President Obama has just four more days in office and his successor has made it clear that he doesn’t agree with how Obama has treated Israel. #NotNice! It is very rare that a lame duck president (a president on his way out) would be so aggressive in establishing policy.

While the Paris Conference did release a statement condemning Israel, it was lacking the teeth they had hoped for and it came and went with little fanfare. I am sure that God heard the prayers of His people on this.

Five Things to Know about the Failed Paris Conference

1) There was little unity, as can be expected when you have 70 different delegations. They could not agree on the wording. Therefore, the softer wording won out.

2) John Kerry called up Prime Minister Netanyahu.

After a month of chilly ties between Washington and Jerusalem, Kerry updated Netanyahu about the steps he was taking to “soften” the text of the final communique, which was to be issued by the conference participants later in the day.

3) Not only did Israel refuse to come, but also the Palestinian Authority didn’t even send a delegation. Would Paris just dictate a final decision and email it to the Israelis and Palestinians?

4) Great Britain, in what was seen as a goodwill gesture to the incoming President Trump, refused to even send their Ambassador to France or their Foreign Minister. This was a huge blow to the conference’s momentum.

A Foreign Office statement said: “We have particular reservations about an international conference intended to advance peace between the parties that does not involve them – indeed which is taking place against the wishes of the Israelis – and which is taking place just days before the transition to a new American President when the US will be the ultimate guarantor of any agreement. There are risks therefore that this conference hardens positions at a time when we need to be encouraging the conditions for peace.”

5) And best of all, in his phone call to Netanyahu, Kerry said there would be no additional push in the U.N. before Trump takes the oath. Kerry promised Netanyahu that there would not be any follow-up action to the Paris conference and that Washington would oppose any further political action at the Security Council.

Which only underscores that that was the original plan (or else he could have told him that before the conference).

Make no mistake, this was no victory for Israel. It was a step in the wrong direction, but it wasn’t near as big a step as the “kings of the earth” had hoped for. We must continue to pray for the Jewish nation. The salvation that we so dearly enjoy came into the world through the Jewish people and their Messiah.

Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there.  For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.  They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. (Romans 15:25-27)

Israel's Foreign Ministry chief chalks up Paris conference as win for Israel - ALEXANDER FULBRIGHT THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Foreign Ministry Director-General Yuval Rotem (2nd-R) tours in Efrat with the regional council chairman Oded Revivi, in the West Bank, on November 8, 2016. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

Israel's Foreign Ministry chief chalks up Paris conference as win for Israel

Director General Yuval Rotem says despite Israel’s absence from confab, ‘we succeeded in getting our position across’

BY ALEXANDER FULBRIGHT January 16, 2017  THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

NEWSROOM

• Email the Newsroom
• Facebook
• Twitter

RELATED TOPICS

• PARIS PEACE SUMMIT
• YUVAL ROTEM
• FOREIGN MINISTRY

Israel’s new Foreign Ministry chief on Monday hailed the lackluster outcome of Sunday’s Paris peace conference as a victory for Israel, saying not showing up sent a message to the international community.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories   FREE SIGN UP!

Director General Yuval Rotem took over as head of the Foreign Ministry at the end of December and gave his first interviews to the Israeli press a day after diplomats gathered in Paris to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reinforce the need for a two-state solution.“ The fact that the Paris conference has no followup is from our perspective the most meaningful accomplishment,” Rotem told Israel Radio Monday morning.

As far as Israel is concerned, the most important outcome from Paris was that it imposed “no new obligations” on Israel and “finished without any mechanism to apply or follow up” on the provisions it laid out for achieving peace, Rotem said.

“We also succeeded to a certain extent in preventing any followup, any new enforcement mechanism and any new supervision mechanism,” he said.

Rotem also noted in an interview with Army Radio Monday morning the “importance in the direct recognition of a national home for the Jewish people” as part of the concluding declaration, something he said many in the international community do not recognize.

In addition, he said the conference’s declaration affirms Israel’s view that “the only way to arrive at peace is by means of direct negations between the sides.”

Neither Israel nor the Palestinians had representatives present at the conference — the second in the past year hosted by France with the aim of setting a concrete agenda for renewed peace efforts.

However, “even though we did not attend the conference, we succeeded in getting across our position,” Rotem told Army Radio.

International activity on the matter, like Sunday’s peace conference and December’s Security Council Resolution 2334, only further “encourages the Palestinians to refuse direct negotiations with Israel.”

Going into the conference, Israel had feared that the participants would build upon the Security Council resolution against settlements and formulate new measures against Israel.

Officials pose for a group photo during the Mideast peace conference in Paris on January 15, 2017 (AFP Photo/Pool/Bertrand Guay)

Israeli officials on Sunday credited the efforts of the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry for a “significant weakening” of the text of the final joint declaration issued by the participants of a peace conference in Paris.

The Israeli officials were jubilant that “problematic passages” from the recent UN Security Council resolution on the settlements were not included in the Paris document. Furthermore, the Israeli officials expressed satisfaction over the fact that no further action against Israeli settlements is planned at the Security Council. US Secretary of State John Kerry promised as much to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call from Paris earlier Sunday.

Rotem also noted the absence of the British and Russian foreign ministers at the conference, as well as that of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. He credited them for wanting to develop a coordinated position with US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office Friday.

“Not just us, but many players in the international arena are waiting to see Trump’s approach,” Rotem noted.

Regarding Trump’s promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned at the conference would result in “extremely serious consequences,” Rotem said the Foreign Ministry’s stance was to wait and see, just as with many other of Trump’s declarations and intended policies.

Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.

What you need to know about the anti-Israel Paris Conference - Ron Cantor

What you need to know about the anti-Israel Paris Conference

Ron Cantor —  January 14, 2017 

I have been thinking all day that I should write something about the Paris conference that takes place on Sunday. The goal of the conference is to see a Palestinian State created and for Israel to withdraw to our 1967 suicide borders, including relinquishing the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

As I thought about what to write, I received an email from a dear friend in Beersheva, Israel, detailing the Paris Conference. Avner Boskey is highly regarded leader in the Messianic movement in Israel and has deep insights into the Middle East. He has graciously allowed us to repost his thoughts. Make sure to pray after you read. 

The crumbling of Europa

Is Paris burning? The flames are not visible to the naked eye, but they roar nevertheless in the realm of the spirit.

On Sunday January 15, 2017 more than seventy nations and organizations will gather in the ‘City of Lights’ (named because it was one of the first European cities to have gas-burning street lamps). There the nations will bang nails into a coffin that actually contains the disintegrating remains of what was once Christian Europe. The “Conférence pour la Paix au Proche-Orient” (Conference for Peace in the Near East) will bring together the Quartet (UN, USA, EU and Russia), the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (USA, Russia, UK, France and China), the G20, the rest of the European Union, Arab partners and assorted well-wishers.

Their goal (speaking from a biblical viewpoint) is to divide the Land of Israel. They phrase it differently – “to facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian state” smack dab in the middle of the Land promised by God to Jacob and his children.

The Conference is offering a carrot to the Palestinians (concrete economic measures and political support). A recalcitrant Jewish state will be threatened with a big stick (warlike measures which include international boycotts, sanctions and treatment as a pariah state).

“Let me make you an offer you can’t refuse!”

Like Mafia dons, Pierre Vimont (French Foreign Minister) and Jean-Marc Ayrault (Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development) called together a meeting of international senior diplomats in Paris on January 6, 2017.  The first draft of the conference’s summary communiqué was presented for feedback and tweaking before its world release on January 15 (www.infoequitable.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Document-Quai-dOrsay.pdf; www.dreuz.info/2017/01/11/dreuz-sest-procure-le-texte-deja-redige-des-conclusions-de-la-conference-pour-la-paix-de-paris-du-15-janvier-2017/).

The document outlines and declares the goals and strategies of the Conference

• Dividing the Land of Israel into two states, Israel and Palestine, as the only way to achieve peace
• Condemning all Jewish construction and settlement activity (including in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City) based on recent UN Security Resolution 2334
• Jewish building of homes across the Green Line is equated as being on par with terrorist violence
• Israelis are called upon to disavow their own official government if it rejects the division of the Land of Israel
• Israel’s government is called upon to stop building in all territory liberated by the IDF in June 1967’s Six-Day War
• The seventy nations do not accept the results of Israel’s June 1967 Six-Day War victory and insist that Israel withdraw from all territory liberated by the IDF

If Israel agrees to these points, they could also possibly expect “the potential for security, stability and prosperity…in the areas of economic incentives.”

The rest of the news

On Monday January 9, 2017 (three days after the release of the draft communiqué) the ‘rest of the news’ came out. Twelve French Ambassadors issued a public letter (similar to another letter they issued on March 2, 2016) – a Cosa Nostra-type threat spelling out the legal warfare (‘lawfare’) which will be directed against Israel if it refuses to sign on the dotted line (only in French – www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2016/02/03/paris-et-bruxelles-doivent-agir-pour-sauver-l-etat-palestinien_4858462_3232.html; www.france-palestine.org/La-France-doit-reconnaitre-l-Etat-palestinien-avant-qu-il-ne-soit-trop-tard).

Here are Israel’s faults, according to the letter:

• Israeli construction is simply colonialization and it must be immediately stopped
• Israel is an apartheid state
• Israel has no right to the Land based on ‘religious messianism’ (Scripture-based religious convictions)
• Israel has too much and disproportionate military strength

Here are the ambassadors’ reasons to apply immediate pressure on Israel:

• Arab public opinion resents the Western world which they accuse of complicity with Israel
• Israel’s refusal to attend the Paris conference shows the necessity for international pressure on Israel
• A Palestinian state cannot arise without international pressure on Israel
• President-Elect Trump’s accession on January 20 2017 will make the possibility of a Palestinian state disappear for years to come

Here are the benefits for France and Europe:

• France must step forward in honor and in service of peace, liberty and the rights of man to create a new dynamic whose political and moral significance is incontestable
• France and the European Union need to move into engagement quickly before it is too late (cut-off date January 20, 2017)
• Forcing Israel to withdraw is to repair a historical injustice. There must be an immediate end of Israel’s June 1967 occupation

Here are the necessary steps against Israel which (the ambassadors advocate) should be taken:

• The immediate recognition of a Palestinian state (a concerted declaration with UK, Spain, Italy and Greece)
• The immediate suspension of association agreements between the European Union and Israel
• The immediate end of economic, scientific and academic cooperation between the EU and Israel
• The immediate labelling and potential boycotting of all products coming from Jerusalem (Jewish Quarter, South, North and East areas), Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel, Jordan Valley, Golan, etc. (this last point is already well under way)

The twelve French ambassadors who signed this public letter have floated a trial balloon, letting those who are listening understand where things are headed as of January 15, 2017. They warn Israel at the conclusion of the letter that the Jewish state is in a perilous and vulnerable situation if it does not cave in to these pressures immediately. Their language puts the lie to the Conference’s bland declaration that the nature of its communiqué “is not intended to impose terms” on Israel.

The PLO/PA Ambassador to France Salman al-Harfi stated that this “initiative will move forward regardless of Jerusalem’s opposition.” Hamas and Islamic Jihad (who control the Gaza Strip and threaten the PLO’s control of the West Bank in many areas) totally reject the Conference’s position of even talking with Israel and of offering it anything at all.

Getting into the express line

Whereas French cuisine is known for its high quality and unrushed service, this conference definitely looks much more like an American fast-food hamburger joint. If France can get this declaration approved by the EU and the Quartet (before Trump takes office on January 20), then it can be brought to a UN Security Council debate on the Israel-Palestine issue scheduled for January 17, 2017. If the US abstains once again, this would hopefully (for France and its partners) create a snowball effect leading toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.

One of the goals here is to create international political momentum which would block any new American initiatives or re-evaluations regarding the Middle East and Israel.

Crocodile tears and kisses

The communiqué declares that all 70 countries or organizations are warmly supportive of Israel’s destiny, that Israel will be the primary beneficiary of having a Palestinian state as its neighbor, and that France is Israel’s friend. Such ‘loving declarations’ have been made in times past to other Middle Eastern nations (like the Free Syrian Army, Mubarak’s Egypt, Lebanon’s Christians, Iran’s and Turkey’s democratic forces). There truly is a credibility gap here between European avowals of love and the harsh reality of Islamist terror.

The ambassadorial letter weeps that Israel must be saved from itself, since its ‘apartheid’ policies will cause the Jewish state to lose its soul.  Just a few lines before that the twelve diplomats challenge Europe, saying that if the EU can unite to oppose Islamic State, they can certainly band together to foil the Jewish state.

The fire of God’s jealousy

As God is watching over His chosen people and bringing them home to their Promised Land, seventy nations are about to go on record as opposing the restoration of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and to the city of Jerusalem. These machinations arouse the burning zeal of the God of Jacob, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:9).]

“Therefore thus says YHVH God, ‘Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul’” (Ezekiel 36:5).

“For behold, in those days and at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance Israel whom they have scattered among the nations and they have divided up My land” (Joel 3:1-2).

Step-by-step Islamist agenda

Bat Ye’or (a pseudonym) is a world-renowned French scholar of Islamic history and its relationship with Jews and Christians. Her book “Eurabia: the Euro-Arab axis” charts how Islamic strategies have focused for decades on turning Europe into a Shari’a-friendly puppet which will push for Islamist policies against the Jewish state. Her recent article (www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9725/security-council-resolution-israel) may help the reader to grasp other aspects currently transpiring here.

As well, world-class scholar on Islam and the Middle East Dr. Daniel Pipes offers helpful suggestions in his recent article “The Way to Peace: Israeli Victory, Palestinian Defeat” (www.danielpipes.org/17110/the-way-to-peace-israeli-victory-palestinian).

How should we then pray?

• Pray for God to speak to the leaders of the nations gathered in Paris and reveal His heart to them 

• Pray for God to protect His Jewish people form the evil plans of evil men and evil nations 

• Pray for a spirit of identificational repentance to sweep through French believers as they intercede for their nation 

• Pray for the protection, strengthening, revelation and salvation of the Jewish people, and that they may lean on Him who can keep them from all evil and all destruction

Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the very practical enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do.

In Messiah Yeshua,

Avner Boskey

Donations can be sent to:

FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES
BOX 121971 NASHVILLE TN 37212-1971 USA

Donations can also be made on-line (by PayPal) through: www.davidstent.org