Saturday, November 2, 2013

The Shocking New Israeli Trend



The Shocking New Israeli Trend

Shalom! As an Israeli Jew and a son of a Holocaust survivor, I was more than surprised when I realized what the latest trend is in the Israeli society. Believe it or not, many Israelis are choosing to leave Israel and go live in no other than... Berlin, Germany.

It was 2003. Here we are in Berlin: My dad, my mom, my wife, my sister and her husband and two other family relatives. It felt so strange for me to be in this city, the city where both of my parents were born, the city from which an entire side of my family were taken to the gas chambers in Auschwitz. Sixty four years prior to our visit in Germany, my dad - Joseph - fled from Berlin at the age of 12 on his journey to the coasts of the Promised Land, the land of Israel.

We didn't come to Berlin just for a family vacation. Since my dad was a Holocaust survivor, we were invited by the German government to witness how the city has changed; to see in our own eyes that this new generation in Germany is nothing like the one that lived there 60-70 years ago. And indeed, the city was pretty nice actually, a beautiful fusion of old and new. I remember that during our visit I heard that some predict Berlin to be "the future capital of Europe."

But my memories from that visit are not just architectural. The days we spent in Berlin were probably among the most emotional of my life. I will never forget how my dad took us to the apartment building where he and his family used to live. Once we got there and looked at the building from the outside, my sister suggested that we go into the building and knock on the door to my dad's childhood home. And so we did. The lady that opened the door was a bit cold at first, seeing a bunch of strangers like us. It took a couple of minutes of conversing in German, which I didn't understand at all, before the lady warmed up and allowed us in.

And here I am. Standing with my dad in this tiny condo where he spent his childhood, until it was stolen from him forever. When this surreal peek into my family's history was over, we stood again on the street and looked at the old building from the outside. Unexpectedly, the grandchild of the lady that let us in was looking at us from the window. I couldn't escape the thought that this little child is almost a visual duplication of my own dad looking out of this window so many years before. The scar of this image will remain in my memory as long as I live.

Next, we headed to what would become the emotional peak of our time in Berlin. It took us about 10 minutes' walk to get there - to the synagogue - the place where my grandparents worshiped and prayed to the God of Israel, along with my dad, his younger brother and his two sisters. The synagogue was locked and in bad condition. It was obvious that it had been in that state for many years. Actually, the synagogue was inactive since the "Kristallnacht", the night of the broken glasses, when over 1,000 synagogues were burned, over 7,000 Jewish businesses were demolished and many Jewish cemeteries were desecrated. This horrific Anti-Semitic act happened in November 9-10, 1938. Yes, in just a few days it will be exactly 65 years ago. Below is a picture of one of the synagogues that were burned down on that dark night.



I will not share many details about our experience there other than saying that it was and forever will be one of the major events of my life. It was the first time that I could begin to comprehend the depths of the struggles that my dad had in believing in God and even more so - in accepting the fact that his only son (me!) had come to believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah of Israel. Indeed, when my dad came to saving faith in Jesus about 5 years later, it was truly a miracle of God.

Maybe now you can better understand why I am so shocked that Berlin became the new "IN" place for Israelis. You see, many of them probably have a German citizenship through their grandparents (like I have) which makes it possible for them to live in Germany. But why there of all places?! Germany is in the European Union, which means that one that has a German citizenship can live anywhere in Europe. What's wrong with London? Or Amsterdam?

Nevertheless, this is a fact. Israelis are immigrating to Berlin in unprecedented numbers. Why? There are several reasons for this phenomenon. The main cause is without a doubt financial. The economic situation in Israel is extremely difficult, especially for the younger generation. It is practically impossible for them to buy a decent condo in a location that is even remotely near areas of employment, unless you have very rich parents. Even the rent prices are unbelievably high. Not to mention the cost of living that is almost unbearable for most Israelis. On the other hand, while London is very expensive too, Berlin offers a much more comfortable financial environment. For Israelis, it is like a breathe of fresh air.

Others share that what attracts them to Berlin is the sense of space that they feel. In Israel everyone is in everybody's business. In Berlin, Israelis have the freedom to live in a way that they would not dare to live in Israel, away from the intense social pressure of family, friends and the Israeli society in general.

One other big attraction to Israelis is the jazz music scene in Berlin. Israeli musicians are gaining tremendous appreciation in Berlin which makes them feel right at home. In addition, there are also emotional reasons for Israelis to live in Berlin. As one Israeli woman said: "Every time I take out the garbage I say to myself 'we won.' I live here as if it is my own city."

You may be wondering how I know all that. Did I go to Berlin and interview Israelis on the street? No, there is no need to do that. Naturally, the Israelis in Berlin, just like 99% of all Israelis in that age group, are VERY active on the internet. They have their own internet websites (in Hebrew of course), Facebook groups and on-line blogs. This is where I got to know Israelis like Micha, Abraham, Michael, Liat and Tal. Yes, all of them, and thousands more, are just one click away!



What an opportunity!! Now, with a click of a button, we can share the Gospel with Israelis who are brave enough to go against the stream, who are open minded enough to go and live in the city that once was the center of unfathomable atrocities against their own families, flesh and blood. Today, many Israelis are willing to leave the past behind and search for the meaning of their lives, wherever it may be. Oh, how my heart cries out for my Jewish people in Israel and around the world! "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved." (Rom. 10:1)

As 2013 draws to an end, PLEASE join forces with our ministry with a one-time special tax deductible gift.

We are privileged to live in this internet age! God gives you and me such an incredible opportunity to share the Gospel with an immeasurable number of lost Jewish souls. Together we will reach them in Israel! But we won't stop there. Together we will reach them in the US and in every corner of the world - YES, even in Berlin.

Your partner for Israel's salvation,

Ze'ev Nevo

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Friday, November 1, 2013

Shabbat Shalom around the world. Next Friday in Jerusalem!









 











Next Friday (6th day) in Jerusalem! Steve Martin


The Christian pantheon of Holy Land explorers


The Christian pantheon of Holy Land explorers


Walled off, neglected, vandalized, the Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion tells the story of a generation of legendary 19th century explorers who studied the Land of Israel • A new article by Israeli archeologists investigates this unique site. 
Nadav Shragai

The Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion
|
 Photo credit: Reuven Milon

Benedict Cumberbatch-voiced film "Jerusalem" IMAX Movie

Benedict Cumberbatch-voiced film "Jerusalem" -

Inside the making of the IMAX movie


Check out this report on the new IMAX film about Jerusalem. Absolutely stunning visuals of the ancient and wondrous capital of Israel.

Click Share and show this clip of beautiful Jerusalem to your friends!

Click here: Jerusalem Movie Clip




Amanda Cochran
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(CBS News) "Jerusalem" - a new movie narrated by actor Benedict Cumberbatch - takes viewers inside the Holy City in IMAX 3D. But how did the National Geographic Entertainment team gain such unprecedented access to the city, which is perhaps the world's most politically and religiously delicate locale?
Taran Davies, co-producer of the movie, said the film - which took five years to make - was an effort that came together "over a million cups of tea."
He said, "Jerusalem, over its 4,000-year history, it's the most fought-over place on Earth. It's been subject to 118 conflicts. It's been conquered 44 times and destroyed completely twice. But, yet, to this day, it is sacred to over half the world's population."

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Jerusalem film reveals Holy City's stunning cityscape

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He explained, "I don't think IMAX footage has ever been shot of the ancient city or of the Holy Land, so this is really a first. These images that you see have never been filmed before. In fact, when we had our script, which we showed to the experts, they sort of laughed at us and said, 'Well, you're never going to be able to get half of what it is that you're asking for.'
"Over the course of ... about three years, we met with every single authority that you can possibly imagine meeting, from the Israeli government, military, the air force, the governor of East Jerusalem, the Religious Affairs in Jordan to name just a few of the organizations we had to meet."
In the process of making the movie, Davies said, "every day was a new problem and one that you never knew that you would get over, but the wonder of the experience of making the film and the fact of bringing this giant-screen experience back to audiences here in the United States, the opportunity to visit the Holy Land, as we presented it here, is something that was worth fighting for every day for five years."
Speaking of Cumberbatch's narration, Davies said, "He's done such a good job, and do you know what he said? He turned to us during the recording, and he said, 'Why didn't anyone teach me about this stuff when I was at school?'"
For more with Davies on the Jerusalem film and the story of life in the city that it tells, watch his full interview above.
© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. 

Recovering From Church Burns: Advice for the Wounded By Wendy Alsup

Recovering From Church Burns: Advice for the Wounded By Wendy Alsup



Here's my advice for those burned by the church. It's simple, yet profound. Here goes:

Trust the church.

I need to qualify that, right? How do you trust the same entity that wounded you deeply? It's fundamentally helpful to distinguish between the church local and the church global.

The global church is made up of local churches, some with organized denominational structures and some without. When you've been burned by a local congregation or even the larger denominational system with which they are affiliated, it's helpful to zoom out in your own head and remember that the "big C" church is way bigger than the particular group that hurt you.

The group that wounded you is really just a very small subset of the larger body of Christ. And the worst thing you can do after being burned by a local congregation is to allow your beliefs on the larger body to fall apart.

We Need Community and Shepherds

Here are my core convictions on the body of Christ, which I think are well supported by Scripture: We will never reach a point of Christian maturity in which we no longer need community. And we will never reach a point in Christian maturity in which we no longer need shepherds. Furthermore, you will probably never need a community with a shepherd quite as much as you need one after you've been burned by a previous community with a shepherd.

I was burned by a church years ago, but praise God He convinced me that I still needed the church. So I crawled in to a new church, wounded and weary. I had listened to their pastor's sermons on podcasts for months, and I knew that, at least according to the sermons, this church valued the Bible and grace.

For a long time, our family was the last one in to sit down and the first one out when the service was over. I observed, and I listened. And over time, I got the courage to reach out.

Five years later, I have never once regretted opening myself up to that body. Now, this is not to say they are perfect or the pastors never make a mistake. It's not to say that one day I won't be burned by this congregation (or that I won't hurt others). But the bottom line of the Christian life is that we need community, and we need pastors.

Though I may be hurt again by my community or my pastors, I still need them. The possibility of being hurt in the future is there, but it is only a possibility. However, my need for them is not a possibility. It is an actual, factual, present need.

The Good Shepherd

About a year into my time at my current church, my pastor preached this sermon from Philippians 2. He made two particularly important points. First, God's good under shepherds are recognized by their humility, not their giftedness. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, and He is the model for His under shepherds.

Beware the shepherd whose personal burdens and needs drive the church's agenda or eclipse the needs of the sheep. When the needs of the sheep must submit to the needs of the shepherd, this is not leadership like Christ (or Paul, Timothy or Epaphroditis).

Second, when God has brought the humble under shepherd into your life, like Paul's exhortation concerning Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, welcome them with joy and receive them with honor.

The imperfect but humble under shepherd still exists! God didn't abandon us to only poor leaders after Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus passed on. It is to our benefit, not detriment, to receive them and honor them in the name of Christ. 

My son pulled a hot curling iron down on his hand when he was 1 year old. I picked him up before he even started crying and ran to the sink to run cold water over his hand, followed by an ice pack I held periodically on the burned area. Later, in the emergency room, a nurse told me that was absolutely the best thing to do for his burned hand.

Sure, we got the heat away from his hand first, but then we needed to apply the opposite, a cold ice pack, to really undo the damage the heat - even removed from his hand - was still doing to his skin.

You Need a Pastor

I am growing a firm conviction that this is the remedy for those burned by the church. If you were wounded by a self-serving, proud, authoritarian pastor, the answer is not to never allow yourself to sit under another pastor. The answer is to find a humble, sacrificial pastor who is willing to lay down his interests for those of his sheep.

Sitting under humble leadership is the antidote to the sting of the burn from the proud. Like my son, you may still have a scar when it's all said and done, but the scar of distrusting all Christian community and leadership for all time is so much worse than the one you may have when you allow yourself to re-enter community and sit under Christ like leadership.

If you've been burned by a pastor, you need a pastor.

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 

And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble'" (1 Pet. 5:1-5, ESV).

Wendy Alsup

Building Your Life on the 
Basic Truths of Christianity

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ISRAEL TODAY - "I like it so much I even put it on my blog." Steve Martin



Love For His People Editor's Note:

As I said in the header, I do like Israel Today, and Aviel Schneider. I have been to their office in Jerusalem and spent a short time with Aviel. 

Aviel Schneider (on right)

Being Messianic Jews, they share a perspective that I like getting from Israel. I hope you will subscribe to either the printed or online editions. Or even get their daily e-mails, so you can keep up with the news from Israel. (I get it all.)

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Our work receives no renumeration for sharing the ISRAEL TODAY or their advertiser's product. We just like to bless, as we owe a debt to Israel and those of our Jewish roots, as Christian believers. You too can bless, and I encourage you to do so!

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Authentic Shofar (Ram's Horn)

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