The Gospel in Gaza - ONE FOR ISRAEL

Dr Erez Soref President of  ONE FOR ISRAEL  Shalom! Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, urges us to be peacemakers and to pursue peace. But what does that look like?  True peace is only found in God himself, through the Messiah. The ministry of reconciliation (reconciling people with God) is making peace in a 'vertical' direction - between us and God. But helping people resolve their disputes is another way of making peace in a 'horizontal' direction. We have some great news to tell you about a different kind of peace process in the Middle East - something you won't hear about on the news! "Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they shall be called Sons of God".  (Matthew 5:9) PEACEMAKERS - A COURSE IN MEDIATION Resolving disputes of any size is not easy. But Israel College of the Bible has recently held a course in Mediation which, when accompanied with relevant experience, qualifies graduates to assist in all kinds of situations in Israel. This might include disputes between landlord and tenant, an individual and an institution, or a dispute between neighbors, for example, as a way of preventing such matters going to court. The body of Messiah is also no stranger to conflict, and these newly trained students now have another tool in their belt to help resolve the trouble that bubbles up from time to time in congregations.  A nationally known expert in the field was invited to teach the course, which augments the studies in Christian Counselling already available. Head of the Department of Counselling, Keren Silver, explains, "Counselling and mediation are very different - mediation is very practical. We teach students how to be as neutral as possible in the conflict, and what steps need to be taken in order to find a solution that all sides can agree on".  Twelve students graduated last Thursday and received their certificates, half of whom were Messianic Jewish and half Christian Arab. Even within the class there are widely differing viewpoints on various subjects, but along with the training in counselling which enables students to identify emotions, reactions and solutions, this training is helping students to put out fires of controversy and dispute, and restore peace. Perhaps not on a national scale, but we now have some well-trained firefighters and peacemakers in our communities and in the Kingdom! GAZA GETS TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR SAVIOR Many of us have seen the tragic images of Gaza and the suffering of the people there. Persecution of Christians is serious - a few years ago a Christian bookshop was burnt down and the owner shot dead. There are a few believers, but many never get the chance to hear the Good News about Yeshua. However, we are very excited to tell you that our new videos in Arabic have enjoyed a great deal of exposure in Gaza in particular, where Facebook is used even more than in Israel.  Here's a message from Carlos Damianos, who heads up the Arabic media work: I want to thank the Lord for His goodness, and for leading us to this moment to upload videos to reach the Arab world. The first video has already gained a lot of attention in the closed world of Gaza. God is able to break through every boundary, as he says in Isaiah 45:2,  "I will go before you and make crooked places straight. I will shatter bronze doors and cut through iron bars." Tens of thousands of Muslims have seen it and there have been hundreds of comments and questions - many raised by genuine seekers.  We have a couple of prayer requests: 1) That the Lord would work through the power of the Gospel, through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are exposed to videos. Well over 50,000 have watched the video so far. 2) We really need two more people to join the team to help with photography, editing and responding to all those who are commenting and actually searching for the truth. OUR RUSSIAN STUDENTS GET READY TO GRADUATE Did you know there are over one million Russian speakers in Israel? That means 1 in 8 Israelis speak Russian!  Four years ago we developed a two-year "Certificate of Biblical Education" in the Russian language, equipping Russian speaking believers to reach new levels of effective ministry. Here is the class of 2017 that will graduate tomorrow. This program is taught under the leadership of Dr Oleg Korotki, and consists of ten courses (30 credits): Introduction to Theology Hermeneutics and Exegesis Homiletics Soteriology and Christology The Book of Romans Family and Counseling Leadership The Old Testament Survey The New Testament Survey Pastoral Studies Some of the students will continue their studies with us in order to gain a associate degree in Theology. A SHORT HISTORY OF MESSIANIC JUDAISM Ever since the first Jewish disciples of Yeshua, there has always been a remnant of Jewish people who believed in him, even though for most of history they would simply assimilate into Christian churches and become invisible as Jews. It was once assumed that one had to choose between being either Jewish or Christian, and many left their Jewish identity at the threshold when they came to church. Today, things for Messianic Jewish believers are very different. What changed? Continue reading... FOLLOW US:

More at: www.oneforisrael.org

ONE FOR ISRAEL, 47 Pinkas david St. POB 13401, Netanya, 42138 Israel

UK Schools Told to Teach that Britain Is a 'Christian Nation' - CBN News

UK Schools Told to Teach that Britain Is a 'Christian Nation'

01-05-2016

CBN News

Despite American's often repeated outcry over the separation of church and state, Britain is officially a Christian nation.

It's just that the British government has not always acted like it is.

But last week, Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan announced that non-faith schools in the country must tell students that British religious traditions "are, in the main, Christian" when they teach about other religions, according to the International Business Times.

Morgan's comments came after Prime Minister David Cameron's unusally strong Christmas message this year, in which he emphasized Britain's Christian heritage.

"That is what we mark as we celebrate the birth of God's only son, Jesus Christ - the Prince of Peace,' he said.

The new guidelines were in response to a British High Court ruling in November, which found that the government had unlawfully excluded atheism and nonreligious views from school curriculum.

The new Department of Education guidelines state that schools will not be forced to give atheist worldviews equal time with Christianity.

The Pope, Palestine, and the Prince of Peace - by Jonathan Feldstein

The Pope, Palestine, and the Prince of Peace

May 21, 2015 /  Jerusalem Channel  by Jonathan Feldstein

Image: Internet Screenshot via CatholicLink

By Jonathan Feldstein

Throughout my growing and deepening relationships with,
and as a bridge between Jews and Christians,
while meaningful and important to me, I am often asked by Christians why Jews are not more receptive to fellowship and dialogue with them as I am, and why so many American Jews tend to vote for and support candidates who seem to be less in concert with God, and whose support of Israel is questionable.

I am also often asked by Jews, what it is that Christians who say they love Israel really want. What’s the ulterior motive? Jews also push back because of centuries of hatred, crimes, and murder carried out and directed toward us in the name of “the church.”


Recently, one event had the unique ability to provide even greater pushback and widen a rift that, gratefully, has been narrowing in recent years. That event was the Vatican reaffirming its unhesitant recognition of “the State of Palestine” and establishing a diplomatic treaty with this state.


Jewish PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] is long lasting. When one sees the Catholic Church recognizing a supposed state that doesn’t recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, much less live in peace with us, we have flashbacks to times when Jews were burned, slaughtered, shot and gassed to death, all in the name of “the church.” Even among the most liberal who want a two state solution, there’s an awareness that peace is not a one way street.


As an entity that has a population less than 1000, with rights and appearances of a state, because it is the center of Catholicism the world looks to the Vatican and the Pope to be an outpost of morality and decency. It’s worse than fingernails on a blackboard to see that state cozy up to another entity that’s bigger but no more a state de facto, whose President is serving the ninth year of a four year term, in which anti-Semitism is public policy and celebrated, which denies the right of Israel to exist, fosters attacks, threats and murder of Israelis, while blaming us for all their problems rather than taking responsibility and building the infrastructure for the state they supposedly desire.


Were Jesus alive today, this state of Palestine would call him a settler, would intimidate and threaten him should he go to the Temple Mount, and might stone, fire bomb or shoot at his car traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem. Is this the state the Vatican is proud to recognize?


Other states have recognized “Palestine,” but they are not supposedly rooted in biblical values. Rather than being a follower down a diplomatic dead end paved with moral potholes, we look to the Vatican to be a beacon of light. On this, they have failed.


Even more glaring is that while the Vatican has now recognized a state that doesn’t really exist, it took the Vatican 45 years to recognize Israel as a state. This is still a bone in the throat of many, calling into question a theology that may still be rooted in replacement theology. Overlaying that with liberation theology, and turning a blind eye to the terrorism still perpetrated by the Palestinian Authority and its quasi-governmental partners, is it any wonder that Jews don’t trust Christians.


I am all for human decency and values, and pray for the well-being of all the Palestinian Arabs. I pray that their leaders’ evil ways will be transformed. I pray for peace. But one cannot whitewash the reality of a “Palestinian state” rooted in terrorism, from the birth of the PLO and continuing with Hamas. Juxtapose that to the rebirth of Israel, while maybe not perfect in every way, as a fulfilling of God’s promise to Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, and not mutually exclusive to the presence or existence of others. A full 20% of Israel’s citizens are Arab and many hold senior political, diplomatic and civic responsibilities throughout Israel.


It stretches the imagination to wonder how and why the Vatican took this approach. I suspect that they are not held hostage regarding the supply of oil, so pandering to the Arab world for that is unlikely. Do they somehow believe that by recognizing “Palestine” miraculously millions of Christians in the Middle East will be safe and not fear the sort of crimes that have befallen Christians in the name of Islam recently? Did someone sneak in overnight and erase the scripture about Israel and God’s covenant with the Jewish people from all their bibles? Or is it plain old Catholic anti-Semitism that we know too well?


Either way this diplomatic hocus pocus will not only not do anything to bring peace in the Middle East closer, but it will make the Palestinian Authority more intransigent and less likely to make peace if they think they can get recognized as a state albeit without the standards or responsibilities of statehood. I have images of Godfather 3 where mafia corruption is shown to run so deep it goes straight back to the Vatican. Did someone in Ramallah pay off someone in Vatican City for such protection?


Israel was reborn 67 years ago after centuries of dispersion, and both Israel’s independence and all that we have built are truly miraculous. The hand of God is seen throughout this historic century of the Jewish people’s return to the Land that God promised us.


I am not a theologian and no expert on Catholicism, but I understand that in order to qualify for sainthood, one has to have performed some sort of miracle. Maybe that’s the issue. Maybe Pope Francis is setting himself up for sainthood, by recognizing a state that doesn’t exist which is perverse, but perhaps could be seen as a miracle. Would making a state out of dust, as God created man, count as a miracle?


But it’s absurd to think that this announcement has any merit or value toward bringing peace closer with or without a Palestinian state, and that’s terribly sad because there’s a lot that can be done and the Vatican could play a useful role. But to make up a state where none exists, to call Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas an “angel of peace” is beyond ludicrous.


Why not just pretend that Jesus were not a Jew, that the Arabs are somehow the successor to God’s promise to and covenant with the Jewish people, and call Abbas the Prince of Peace?

Rediscovering Jesus in the Christmas Madness - J. Lee Grady

Rediscovering Jesus in the Christmas Madness

12/17/2014 J. LEE GRADY  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

It's discouraging for believers when Disney Christmas ornaments outsell nativity scenes. (iStock photo)

I've often wondered what extraterrestrial aliens would think if they came to earth during December and watched people celebrate Christmas. Would they be able to figure out what this holiday season is about? I doubt it.

Today the story of Jesus' birth is pretty much buried under tons of stringed lights, crass materialism, political correctness and songs about cold weather (which is odd, considering the fact that most people in the world celebrate Christmas in warm climates). Somehow we forgot the point of this celebration.

I proved this last week when I went to a large store to find a nativity scene. This well-known discount retailer had rows and rows of Christmas trees, Disney ornaments (because anything with a Frozen theme sells), Hello Kitty ornaments, martini ornaments (Christmas is about drinking?), inflatable penguins, Santa Claus toilet seats, Darth Vader nutcrackers, reindeer oven mitts and battery-operated Christmas hats.

But no nativity scene. When I asked a manager why they didn't have any, he said apologetically: "You're right. We should probably stock those."

But I'm not going to depend on Target, Wal-Mart or Macy's to show me the real meaning of this season. I always read the gospel accounts of Jesus' birth in Matthew and Luke during the month of December so I can rediscover the miracle of the Incarnation.

I encourage you to study those passages as well. And as you do, meditate on these seven different names of Jesus that are recorded in the Christmas story:

1. He is the Son of David (Matt. 1:1). Matthew's gospel, which was written primarily to Jews, stresses that Jesus was in the royal lineage of Israel's kings. The genealogy that appears in Matthew 1 traces Joseph, the husband of the virgin Mary, to David's line—and then back to Abraham. Even though Jesus was not the biological son of Joseph, He could legally claim the family name. He was King of the Jews in the truest sense; yet unlike the sinful kings of Israel, Jesus was the perfect ruler—and His kingdom will never end.

2. He is the Son of Adam (Luke 3:38). Luke's gospel, written to a Gentile audience, focuses on Jesus' humanity. And the genealogy that appears in Luke 3:23-38 is not about kingly succession. Instead, it traces Jesus' lineage through Mary's family tree and goes all the way to Adam—establishing the case that Jesus was a descendant of the first man. Through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, God's eternal Word impregnated Mary, making her child both God and man. Yet Jesus, unlike Adam, never disobeyed God. He remained sinless so He could sacrifice His life for us.

3. He is Emmanuel (Matt. 1:23). An angel told Joseph in a dream that Mary would conceive a son miraculously—and that His name would be Emmanuel, which means, "God with us." Wrapped up in this name is the mystery of the Incarnation. Jesus is, as John's gospel emphasizes, the Word that "became flesh" (John 1:14). He was with God before the creation of the world as the glorious firstborn Son, but He left the glory of heaven to dwell among sinners on earth.

4. He is Jesus, the Savior (Matt. 1:21). The angel told Mary she would give birth to the "holy child" and that she would call him Jesus, which is the Greek form of the name Joshua (or Yeshua in Hebrew). Jesus means "the Lord saves." Just as Joshua in the Old Testament succeeded Moses and took God's people across the Jordan into the Promised Land, Jesus led us out of the wilderness of sin and ushered us "by grace" and "through faith" (Eph. 2:8) into the blessings of salvation.

5. He is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). Angels said to the shepherds in Bethlehem: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased" (Luke 2:14). This harkens back to Isaiah's ancient prophecy that the Messiah would institute peace on earth. The gift of Christ was, in fact, the greatest peace treaty ever enacted. Wherever the true gospel of Christ is preached and believed, hatred is uprooted in human hearts and wars and violence cease.

6. He is the Light of the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). Simeon, the old prophet who met Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus outside the temple in Jerusalem, recognized that the long-awaited Son of God was not sent just to Israel but to all people. Jesus' mission was a global one. This was also confirmed by the visit of the mysterious magi—wise men from a Gentile country who bowed before the Christ child and honored him as a true king. They knew that some day this King would be worshipped everywhere.

7. He is the Messiah, Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). This is how the angel described Jesus when he spoke to the shepherds in Bethlehem. The word "Christ" means "the anointed one"; the Hebrew word is Ha-Mashiach, or Messiah. It speaks of the Deliverer God promised to send to earth. Abraham saw Him from a distance; King David sang and prophesied of Him; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Haggai, Malachi and many other prophets foretold His coming. He was not only anointed by the Holy Spirit to heal the sick and raise the dead during His short time on earth; He was anointed to die on the cross for our sins and to be raised from the dead so that we could live with Him forever.

Amid this crazy holiday madness we endure every year, let's simplify. Filter out all the noise about snow, elves, gift cards, holiday sales and buying sprees and instead rediscover the point. Find the manger scene again—and put Jesus in the middle of your Christmas.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady (He finally found a manger scene at Michael's craft store).

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Just saying...

Another example of the Lord's love - through His creation.

 

Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) - His Name. His soon return.

The Name above ALL names...

He is returning...

Sabbath Peace (Shabbat Shalom) - some beautiful artwork to share each week

Hallah (challah) bread for the Shabbat meal

Yeshua is the Prince of Peace, 

the Creator of the Shabbath (Shabbat)

May you enjoy your weekly Shabbat Shalom - Sabbath peace and rest!

Ahava (love in Hebrew),

Steve Martin

Love For His People, Inc.