Former Iranian soldier proudly flies Israeli flag

Former Iranian soldier proudly flies Israeli flag

Friday, May 25, 2012 | Ryan Jones

The Jewish Chronicle last week carried the story of Ali Ramezan, a former Iranian soldier who today proudly supports both Israel and America from his home in Manchester, England.
Ramezan was a member of Iran's revolutionary forces, and fought in the Iran-Iraq War. But some years later he was caught observing an anti-government rally, and was tortured by his own government for his "crime."

After that incident, Ramezan apparently began to wonder whether or not he was fighting for the right side. Forced to leave his wife and child behind, Ramezan fled Iran in 1999 and took up residence in the UK as an asylum-seeker.

Ramezan sees those of his family and friends who regularly join in chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" as having been "brainwashed." He is not the first Iranian or Arab to have come to a realization in recent years that Israel is not the evil entity that people across this region are taught.

In our previous magazine issue, Israel Today wrote about Pakistani, Arab and even liberal European Israel-haters who were brave enough to actually investigate what the Jewish state is all about, and as a result became Israel-supporters.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/23236/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Ahava Love Letter - "Chain Link Made Strong"

"Chain Link Made Strong" 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Eph. 6:10 NKJV)

Dear family of friends,

Recently I received a prophetic word of encouragement. During these past two years of awaiting a transition into a new season, I was growing weary of the journey. I needed to hear from the Lord.

Here is a response from Him, through a prophetically gifted man,

“Son, I am making things strong again. I really saw this chain link and it was weak. When it was pulled it was almost to the point of ripping and breaking, like a chain link. You could tell it was very weak in nature. God began to show me that it was about to be strengthened, it was about to be hardened, to be fortified to the place where it can’t be broken.

And I asked the Lord concerning you, what is this I am seeing? And God began to show me that the chain link represents your life. It represents things in your life, overwhelming stress, of the decision making you had to go through recently, and all the different things you having to face, and God says, “Son I am making you strong. I’m giving you the strength and the momentum of the power and the presence of My Holy Spirit to begin to go forward and make this thing happen.”

“Son you are strong in the Lord, in the power of My might. You are at the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are a man of virtue, a man of strength, a man of power. The Lord began to show me that you are going to begin to experience in this next season even the strength to be creative enough to start a new move, to start a new thing, if you will.”

“Son, you are alive in Me. You are strong in Me. Don’t look at yourself and say, “Lord, but I don’t have the capabilities, the means, the funds, to do a journey, to do a destiny, to make something happen, to even invest money, to even do any of this stuff.”

“Yes you can. You are strong in the Lord and the power of My might. You can do exceedingly abundantly above all that your old nature, your old man couldn’t do. That’s what I do in you. I do the exceedingly, abundantly above all that you are able to ask or think. Therefore if I am in you that means you can do exceedingly abundantly above all the old nature, the person you once was did, because now you are a different person, you are a changed person.”

Receiving encouragement along the way can certainly help us keep going along the way. I pray your journey is one marked with signs of His blessing, as your road continues forward.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. You can send checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)

©2012 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 414  Pineville, NC 28134       

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Ahava Love Letter #44   Date: May 22 in the year of our Lord 2012    

Food & wine in Israel

Felafel

Like the United States, Israel is an ethnic melting pot of cultures, religions and immigrants. As a result, the food scene in Israel is extraordinarily diverse and also of a very high standard. 80% of Israelis are Jews of whom more than half were born in Israel. But most of their parents, grandparents or great grandparents came to Israel from more than 120 countries, bringing with them foods, recipes and food traditions from six continents. And the 20% of non-Jewish Israelis have their own food traditions too. Israel is also a part of the Western world, and very little happens in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Paris that doesn’t find its way to Israel within a few weeks. Put all this together and you have the ingredients for one of the most dynamic, fascinating – and delicious – food scenes in the world.

If you’d ask an Israeli 25 or 30 years ago what is the country’s typical fare, chances are the answer would be felafel, humus, tehina, with a side order of couscous or gefilte fish. A lot has happened in 25 or 30 years. All these dishes still exist, of course, indeed the first four are ubiquitous. But Israel has it all now, from hamburgers (Israel’s first McDonald’s opened in the 90’s) to pizza to sushi (more sushi restaurants per capita in Tel Aviv than in any city on earth, including Tokyo), to the cuisines of India and China, to some of the finest influences of Paris, Brussels, Lyon, Barcelona and New York – the Israel food scene is utterly sophisticated and in step with the latest trends. Many of Israel’s leading chefs have studied, prepped, apprenticed at some of the finest restaurants in the world.

But there’s more. There are restaurants in Israel that serve cuisines that exist nowhere else on earth: particularly the cuisines from areas now devoid of Jews, where large Jewish populations created their own eclectic cuisines, such as in Salonika, Dubrovnik, Tripolitania, Mesopotamia, Persia, Yemen and Bukhara.

There are two elements that make food in Israel so unique. One is our location on the shores of the Mediterranean. Like Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Spain, our cuisine reflects the warm sun, the olives that grow on our trees, the olive-oil we press, and the breads, fish and meats that have made the Mediterranean the source of what is considered by many as the world’s healthiest diet and, quite simply, the source of the best things to eat. Secondly, Israel produces the most splendid quality of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. From the legendary Jaffa oranges first exported to Europe in the 1930’s, to the kiwis, star fruit, citrus, tomatoes, peppers, flowers, yoghurts and cheeses we export today.

http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Discover%20Israel/Pages/Food%20and%20wine.aspx

Test of Fire: Election 2012 (Official HD Version - Catholic)

Israelis Mark 45 Years of a Reunited Jerusalem

By Julie Stahl

CBN News Mideast Correspondent

Monday, May 21, 2012

 

 

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israelis marked Jerusalem Day on Sunday, the day the city was reunited under its control.

"Israel without Jerusalem is like a body with a weak heart," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "Sustainable peace is made with strong nations, and an Israel without a unified Jerusalem will be like a body with a weak heart," he said.

Netanyahu was speaking at a ceremony at Ammunition Hill on Sunday -- where one of the major battles of the Six Day War took place -- marking the reunification of the nation's capital. He also said if Israel gave up sovereignty over the Temple Mount, it would lead to a religious war. "There are those who believe that if we only divide Jerusalem, and that means giving up the Temple Mount, they believe we will have peace," he said.

"I am doubtful, to say the least, that if we deposit that square of the Temple Mount with other forces, that we won't quickly deteriorate to a religious, sectarian war," he said.

Elsewhere, some 50,000 Israeli youth took to the streets of Jerusalem, waving the nation's flag as they marched through the city. The annual Dance of the Flags commemorates the reuniting of the city under Israeli sovereignty.

Forty-five years ago, Israel recaptured the Old City, its Temple Mount, and east Jerusalem during the Six-Day War.

Palestinians want the eastern part of the city for the capital of a future state. But Netanyahu said Israel would continue to develop its capital.

"For 45 years we have developed and built Jerusalem and will continue to build it," he said.

Police had to separate Palestinian Arab protesters from Israelis as the parade reached the Damascus Gate, a reminder that the battle for the city isn't over yet.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2012/May/Israelis-Mark-45-Years-of-a-Reunited-Jerusalem/

Messianic Worship Band at the Highway To Zion Assembly (Part 2 of 3)

Messianic Worship Band - Highway To Zion Assembly (Part 1 of 3)

Khoury: Church Evicted after '700 Club' Appearance

By Julie Stahl

CBN News Mideast Correspondent

Friday, May 18, 2012

Pastor Steve Khoury

JERUSALEM, Israel -- A Jerusalem pastor believes his appearance on "The 700 Club" could have contributed to his church being forced out of its building in an Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem.

Calvary Baptist Church sits in an east Jerusalem neighborhood less than half a mile from the Old City walls. It is surrounded by Muslim neighbors.

"Whenever we started a church in east Jerusalem, we weren't too welcome -- obviously because of who we are -- we're evangelicals," Pastor Steve Khoury told CBN News. Khoury says things had calmed down until recently, when he toured the United States talking about the struggles facing Arab Christians in the Holy Land.

"I was on CBN and of course I talked about what was going on in the Holy Land, and I talked about needing to grow in east Jerusalem," Khoury said.

In an interview on "The 700 Club" on May 8, Khoury told Pat Robertson, "Christians are leaving because they are seeing nobody's standing with them. They're seeing extremism is growing, anti-Christian agendas growing and that's the truth."

In a later exchange, he said, "Unfortunately a lot of people's mindsets -- who are considered to be jihadists -- that is the ultimate goal [is] to put fear and submission into the heart of every single Christian in the Middle East."

"And they're pretty effective at doing that," Robertson commented.

"Yes, unfortunately they are," Khoury replied.

Within 24 hours of the interview, Khoury received dozens of ugly emails and blog posts. Then came an eviction notice giving his church 30 days to vacate even though the rent is paid for a full year.

"In the past years that we have been here in east Jerusalem, the family that we are renting from has been pressured by extremists in the community. Why would you rent out to a church? Why would you invite the infidel into our community?" Khoury said.

It's not the first time Khoury's congregation has had to move. Extremist pressure on their Muslim landlords forced them to move twice before.

"The extremist mindset within the whole region -- Middle East as a whole and within Israel -- is not to see Christian agenda grow, [the] Christian evangelical agenda to grow," he said.

Khoury sees the way around that agenda is to put down roots. "My heart's desire is when the 30 days [are up] -- is for the Lord to make a miracle that we can have our own place. We've found our own place, yes, we have. We found a place that's a Muslim who willing to sell us a building -- five-story building, which meets the needs of the church," he said.

Khoury wants Christians to stand with him in prayer and practically for their own building. He believes the only way to reach the community for Jesus is to be there.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2012/May/Khoury-Church-Evicted-after-700-Club-Appearance/

Kotel (Western Wall) Live Cam Shot - Jerusalem

I love looking at the live shot of the Kotel (Western Wall) in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel. Great memories, and hoping to get back there soon!

Check it out: http://www.livekotel.com/a_freecam_1.cfm?affid=20

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shalom

Celebrating Jerusalem and its 'Watchmen on the Walls'

Celebrating Jerusalem and its 'Watchmen on the Walls'

Thursday, May 17, 2012 | Israel Today Staff

Forty-five years ago next Sunday, Israel, in a war of defense against neighboring Jordan and other Arab states, reunified the city of Jerusalem under Jewish rule for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.

Even though Israel had been reborn as a nation-state some 19 years earlier, Jordan continued to illegally occupy the city's eastern half, including the Old City and the Temple Mount, making the Jews' millennia-long dream of returning to their ancient capital incomplete.

The 1967 Six Day War changed all that, and audio recordings of Israeli soldiers taking control of the Old City and Temple Mount remain one of the nation's most stirring and treasured archives.

In commemoration of that miraculous victory, that fulfillment of both prophecy and ancient hopes, Israelis annually mark Jerusalem Day on the date that the IDF declared "the Temple Mount is in our hands."
Jerusalem Day often brings to mind the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call upon the Lord give yourself no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise in the earth." (Isaiah 62:6-7)

Today, God has set many watchmen, both physical and spiritual, on Jerusalem's walls.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/

 

Oldest Synagogue in English-Speaking World Celebrates 250 Years

Oldest Synagogue in English-Speaking World Celebrates 250 Years - Israel National News

Plymouth Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the English-speaking world celebrated its 250th anniversary this week.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

First Publish: 5/16/2012

Jew prays in synagogue

 

 

The Plymouth Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the English-speaking world celebrated its 250th anniversary this week, a local newspaper reported. The synagogue, which opened in 1762 and hold the European record of nearly 250 uninterrupted years of use, escaped unscathed during the Second World War Blitz even as most of the city was left in ruins.

Dignitaries from around the world came to join Plymouth's Jewish community in celebrating the anniversary of the ancient synagogue. The Lord Lieutenant of Devon and the Devon High Sheriff, representing the Queen, joined the Chief Rabbi and the president of United Synagogues and the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

The synagogue's honorary secretary, Anna Kelly, said that at its peak Plymouth's Jewish community had hundreds of members, but has since dwindled to approximately 50 families.
The Jewish community settled in Plymouth in the mid-18th Century. Its members came from Central Europe, mainly Holland and Germany.

By 1745 they were holding regular prayer services in their homes and then in rented rooms. In 1762, the Jews of Plymouth rejoiced at being granted a lease on the land where the synagogue now stands, making it the oldest Ashkenazi Synagogue still in use in the English-speaking world.

Jewish Plymothians served in the Volunteer Companies recruited in 1798 to ward off a Napoleonic invasion and also served with distinction in the two World Wars. They have served in local government and supplied Mayors of Devonport, Torquay and a Lord Mayor of Plymouth.

The synagogue no longer has its own rabbi and the regular services are conducted by visiting clergy.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/155877

Archeologist says new finds support Bible's accuracy

Archeologist says new finds support Bible's accuracy - Israel Today

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 | Ryan Jones

A Hebrew University archeologist says finds at a new dig site near Jerusalem are backing up the biblical narrative of an Israelite kingdom centered on Jerusalem in 1000 BC, around the time of King David and his son, King Solomon.

Professor Yosef Garfinkel has been digging at Khirbet Qeiyafa near the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Shemesh since 2007. Carbon dating of unearthed olive pits has put the period of activity at Khirbet Qeiyafa at 1020 BC - 980 BC, almost exactly the period of time the Bible says David and Solomon were active in the region. The dating, together with the uniqueness of the finds, has made Khirbet Qeiyafa one of the most important biblical archeological digs.

Less than a year after working Khirbet Qeiyafa, Garfinkel unveiled what is believed to be the oldest Hebrew inscription found to date. At the time, Garfinkel said the inscription proved that vibrant, centralized and literate Hebrew kingdom existed in the area 3,000 years ago, just as the Bible says it did.

Last week, Garfinkel shared his latest find - two ancient models of shrines that very closely resemble the biblical description of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The models would have presumably been used in religious rites. Garfinkel also says it is now clear that Khirbet Qeiyafa was a walled town, which means it must have been part of a centralized larger kingdom.

Perhaps most importantly, Garfinkel says the site is completely devoid of pagan idols and imagery, and contains no pig bones, despite being well endowed with the bones of sheep, goats and cattle. Together this means the site must be Israelite remains, as the Israelites were the only local people forbidden from eating swine or engaging in pagan rituals.

All of this evidence combined is important because it counters the claims of some archeologists that the Bible is full of myths, which until now the have based on the lack of evidence for a large and centralized Israelite kingdom around 1000 BC.

"For the first time in history we have actual objects from the time of David, which can be related to monuments described in the Bible," Garfinkel said in a press release. "Various suggestions that completely deny the biblical tradition regarding King David and argue that he was a mythological figure, or just a leader of a small tribe, are now shown to be wrong."

Still, not everyone is convinced, and many Israeli archeologist and professors continue to label the Bible as national folklore. Garfinkel hopes that continued work at Khirbet Qeiyafa and other sites will eventually lay bare the truth.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/

"The Room Reborn"

Northeast corner

Northwest corner

West wall

"The Room Reborn"

After "flood waters" from the upstairs washer fell freely down the wall,

And the popcorn ceiling turned gray, with spots resulting from the fall;

Well, the blue flowered wallpaper would finally have to come down,

Plus the 25 year old carpet followed soon after, with no more frowns.

What seemed like disaster at first, and lots of work to do ahead,

Now that it is all done - we sleep soundly in our bed.

We do thank the Lord ,Who causes all things to be for good,

For those who love Him, and learn His purposes, now understood.

Steve Martin

May 13, 2012

After the "flood"...Before the rebirth...

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Israel - Inside Israel - News - Israel National News

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Israel

5.3 earthquake felt in areas from northern Israel to central Israel. No injuries. Epicenter believed to be in Cyprus.

By Elad Benari, Canada

First Publish: 5/11/2012, 10:37 PM

Earthquake preparedness drill

An earthquake rocked Israel on Friday evening, shortly before 10:00 p.m. local time, and was felt in areas from northern Israel to central Israel.

According to a Channel 10 News report, the police in the Northern, Central and Tel Aviv Districts said they received hundreds of phone calls from citizens who felt the earthquake. Local residents reported feeling objects and buildings move for about 15 to 20 seconds. There were no reports of injuries or damages.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 5.3 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was in Cyprus.

More than a 100 calls by concerned citizens were received in the northern city of Tzfat alone, the report said. The quake was felt even in Bat Yam, Kfar Saba, Ramat Hasharon, Ra'anana and other areas in central Israel.

Magen David Adom has sent reinforcements to its stations in northern Israel and is preparing for the possibility of secondary tremors, Channel 10 reported.

In February, a 3.1 magnitude tremor shook Israel's north. There were no injuries or damage following the earthquake. The epicenter of that earthquake was east of Lake Kinneret, and a number of communities in the area reported having felt the quake.

Experts have warned that Israel is expected to be hit by a major earthquake. Dr. Ephraim Laor, who headed the National Steering Committee for Earthquake Preparedness, told Arutz Sheva recently that each Israeli must prepare himself for a major earthquake that could hit Israel.

In February, school children around the country, from kindergarten age and up, participated in earthquake drills in their schools, practicing safe steps to take when the ground starts shaking.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Israel - Inside Israel - News - Israel National News

Charles Krauthammer: Echoes of ‘67: Israel unites

Charles Krauthammer

Opinion Writer

Echoes of ‘67:

Israel unites

By Charles Krauthammer,

Published: May 10 The Washington Post

In May 1967, in brazen violation of previous truce agreements, Egypt ordered U.N. peacekeepers out of the Sinai, marched 120,000 troops to the Israeli border, blockaded the Straits of Tiran (Israel’s southern outlet to the world’s oceans), abruptly signed a military pact with Jordan and, together with Syria, pledged war for the final destruction of Israel.

May ’67 was Israel’s most fearful, desperate month. The country was surrounded and alone. Previous great-power guarantees proved worthless. A plan to test the blockade with a Western flotilla failed for lack of participants. Time was running out. Forced into mass mobilization in order to protect against invasion — and with a military consisting overwhelmingly of civilian reservists — life ground to a halt. The country was dying.

On June 5, Israel launched a preemptive strike on the Egyptian air force, then proceeded to lightning victories on three fronts. The Six-Day War is legend, but less remembered is that, four days earlier, the nationalist opposition (Mena­chem Begin’s Likud precursor) was for the first time ever brought into the government, creating an emergency national-unity coalition.

Everyone understood why. You do not undertake a supremely risky preemptive war without the full participation of a broad coalition representing a national consensus.

Forty-five years later, in the middle of the night of May 7-8, 2012, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shocked his country by bringing the main opposition party, Kadima, into a national unity government. Shocking because just hours earlier, the Knesset was expediting a bill to call early elections in September.
Why did the high-flying Netanyahu call off elections he was sure to win?

Because for Israelis today, it is May ’67. The dread is not quite as acute: The mood is not despair, just foreboding. Time is running out, but not quite as fast. War is not four days away, but it looms. Israelis today face the greatest threat to their existence — nuclear weapons in the hands of apocalyptic mullahs publicly pledged to Israel’s annihilation — since May ’67. The world is again telling Israelis to do nothing as it looks for a way out. But if such a way is not found — as in ’67 — Israelis know that they will once again have to defend themselves, by themselves.

Such a fateful decision demands a national consensus. By creating the largest coalition in nearly three decades, Netanyahu is establishing the political premise for a preemptive strike, should it come to that. The new government commands an astonishing 94 Knesset seats out of 120, described by one Israeli columnist as a “hundred tons of solid concrete.”

So much for the recent media hype about some great domestic resistance to Netanyahu’s hard line on Iran. Two notable retired intelligence figures were widely covered here for coming out against him. Little noted was that one had been passed over by Netanyahu to be the head of Mossad, while the other had been fired by Netanyahu as Mossad chief (hence the job opening). For centrist Kadima (it pulled Israel out of Gaza) to join a Likud-led coalition whose defense minister is a former Labor prime minister (who once offered half of Jerusalem to Yasser Arafat) is the very definition of national unity — and refutes the popular “Israel is divided” meme. “Everyone is saying the same thing,” explained one Knesset member, “though there may be a difference of tone.”

To be sure, Netanyahu and Kadima’s Shaul Mofaz offered more prosaic reasons for their merger: to mandate national service for now exempt ultra- Orthodox youth, to change the election law to reduce the disproportionate influence of minor parties and to seek negotiations with the Palestinians. But Netanyahu, the first Likud prime minister to recognize Palestinian statehood, did not need Kadima for him to enter peace talks. For two years he’s been waiting for Mahmoud Abbas to show up at the table. Abbas hasn’t. And won’t. Nothing will change on that front.

What does change is Israel’s position vis-a-vis Iran. The wall-to-wall coalition demonstrates Israel’s political readiness to attack, if necessary. (Its military readiness is not in doubt.)

Those counseling Israeli submission, resignation or just endless patience can no longer dismiss Israel’s tough stance as the work of irredeemable right-wingers. Not with a government now representing 78 percent of the country.

Netanyahu forfeited September elections that would have given him four more years in power. He chose instead to form a national coalition that guarantees 18 months of stability — 18 months during which, if the world does not act (whether by diplomacy or otherwise) to stop Iran, Israel will.

And it will not be the work of one man, one party or one ideological faction. As in 1967, it will be the work of a nation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/echoes-of-67-israel-unites/2012/05/10/gIQA9tUaGU_story.html

Franklin Graham: Obama 'Shaking His Fist' at God

CBNNews.com

Friday, May 11, 2012

Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, believes President Barack Obama defied God by changing his stance on gay marriage.

"President Obama has, in my view, shaken his fist at the same God who created and defined marriage," Franklin Graham said in a statement on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website.

The president has proclaimed his Christian faith several times, and before taking office said he thought marriage should only be between one man and one woman. Over the years, Obama gradually changed his tone on the issue, finally stating in an interview with ABC News Wednesday that his stance had fully "evolved" to support same-sex marriage.

"It grieves me that our president would now affirm same-sex marriage, though I believe it grieves God even more," Graham added.

The well-known evangelist and leader of Samaritan's Purse lives in North Carolina, where voters approved a constitutional amendment to define marriage as only the union between one man and one woman.

"While the move to pass amendments defining marriage is relatively new, the definition of marriage is 8,000 years old and was defined not by man, but by God Himself," Graham said.

He added that there's no need for marriage to be defined by by presidents or polls, governors or the media

"This is a sad day for America. May God help us," Graham concluded.

Franklin Graham has criticized President Obama's policies in the past.  Earlier this year, he said Obama "seemed to be more concerned about Muslims than Christians"

The president said he changed his mind on gay marriage after talking with friends and family -- even his two daughters.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/May/Franklin-Graham-Obama-Shaking-His-Fist-at-God/

Pastor Youcef - Letter From Iran

Letter From Iranian Pastor Youcef

Gary Lane, CBN News Senior International Reporter

I just received this email from Present Truth Ministries. It's a letter they received from imprisoned Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. He's the Christian house church pastor facing execution in Iran for leaving Isalm. Pastor Youcef maintains he was never a Muslim and therefore could not be guilty of apostasy.

In the letter, the Iranian pastor says his trial has been so long that he wishes "these days to end."
He praises the support he has received from churches and politicians and says he believes the international human rights campaign to free him "can bring positive results."

However, he suggests Koran burnings like those led by a Florida pastor "cause stress and trouble."
Pastor Youcef asks for our continued prayers and support.

Here's the text of the full letter translated by Present Truth Ministries. A big thanks to Jason DeMars for passing it along:

07 May 2012

Greetings from your servant and younger brother in Christ, Youcef Nadarkhani.

To: All those who are concerned and worried about my current situation.

First, I would like to inform all of my beloved brothers and sisters that I am in perfect health in the flesh and spirit. And I try to have a little different approach from others to these days, and consider it as the day of exam and trial of my faith. And during these days which are hard in order to prove your loyalty and sincerity to God, I am trying to do the best in my power to stay right with what I have learned from God’s commandments.

I need to remind my beloveds, though my trial due has been so long, and as in the flesh I wish these days to end, yet I have surrendered myself to God’s will.

I am neither a political person nor do I know about political complicity, but I know that while there are many things in common between different cultures, there are also differences between these cultures around the world which can result in criticism, which most of the times response to this criticisms will be harsh and as a result will lengthen our problems.

From time to time I am informed about the news which is spreading in the media about my current situation, for instance being supported by various churches and famous politicians who have asked for my release, or campaigns and human rights activities which are going on against the charges which are applied to me. I do believe that these kind of activities can be very helpful in order to reach freedom, and respecting human rights in a right way can bring forth positive results.
I want to appreciate all those are trying to reach this goal. But at the other hand, I’d like to announce my disagreement with the insulting activities which cause stress and trouble, which unfortunately are done with the justification (excuse) of defending human rights and freedom, for the results are so clear and obvious for me.

I try to be humble and obedient to those who are in power, obedience to those in authority which God has granted to the officials of my country, and pray for them to rule the country according to the will of God and be successful in doing this. For I know in this way I have obeyed God’s word. I try to obey along with those whom I see in a common situation with me. They never had any complaint, but just let the power of God be manifested in their lives, and though sometimes we read that they have used this right to defend themselves, for they had this right, I am not an exception as well and have used all possibilities and so forth and am waiting for the final result.

So I ask all the beloved ones to pray for me as the holy word has said. At the end I hope my freedom will be prepared as soon as possible, as the authorities of my country will do with free will according to their law and commandments which are answerable to.

May God’s Grace and Mercy be upon you now and forever. Amen.

Youcef Nadarkhani

http://blogs.cbn.com/globallane/archive/2012/05/09/letter-from-iranian-pastor-youcef.aspx

Why Are Christians Really Leaving Bethlehem?

By Julie Stahl

CBN News Jerusalem Correspondent

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

 

 

 

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Arab Christians in Bethlehem have been suffering from human rights abuses and economic hardships for years. But some are trying to bring a message of hope into their lives.

It could be described as a modern day exodus: Christians are leaving Palestinian Arab-controlled areas like Bethlehem in great numbers.

"It's my prediction that if the remaining Christians in the West Bank and Gaza -- Gaza only has maybe a thousand, two thousand Christians," human rights lawyer Justus Weiner told CBN News. "If their needs are not addressed in 10 or 15 or at most 20 years, there won't be any Christians in the cradle of Christianity. This will be a kind of memorial, a museum."

Weiner said the threat of persecution, including beatings and forced marriages between Christian women and Muslim men, are some of the reasons Christians have left.

Although tourism and the economy picked up last year, uncertainty still prevails.

"I know if you just look deep within their hearts, I know many people have fear and doubt in the unknown and unseen," Pastor Steve Khoury told CBN News. Pastor Khoury leads churches in Bethlehem and in Jerusalem. Part of the congregations' outreach includes Christmas banquets each year, sponsored in part by CBN. Khoury said they do many unorthodox things to bring the message that hope is only built on the solid rock of Jesus. Khoury grew up on the mission field. His father, Dr. Naim Khoury, started Holy Land Missions 30 years ago. He said his experiences growing up as the son of a missionary taught him not only the life of a missionary, but also the struggles and battles of every believer.

"God has burdened my heart in a great way," Khoury wrote on his web site. "He has shown me that Arabs can come to salvation; He has shown me that Jews can come to the Messiah, and that the people in Israel are losing hope in life." "Seeing people bleed every day, and seeing a person one day and gone the next because of violence has made me appreciate life," he said.

There are only about 15,000 born-again Christians in Israel. They face daily persecution by the other two dominating religions.

Pastor Khoury has seen church members attacked and discriminated against because of their faith. Several believers under his ministry have been martyred, including his own uncle. The church in Bethlehem has been firebombed 14 times, and Dr. Naim Khoury has been shot at several times in the last 10 years.

Nevertheless, Holy Land Missions has reached out to thousands over the years through their many outreach programs, including Calvary Church in Jerusalem and First Baptist in Bethlehem.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2012/May/Why-Are-Christians-Really-Leaving-Bethlehem/

Warren Marcus (One New Man) - Speaks at Evening To Honor Israel 2012

"Ashreinu" Dance - Evening To Honor Israel 2012

Wane Daroux Sings An Original at the Evening To Honor Israel 2012

"Hatikva" sung at the Evening To Honor Israel 2012

Shout Your Name - Gid Anthony

Salvation Belongs To Our God - Gid Anthony

Evening To Honor Israel 2012

Evening To Honor Israel annual celebration.

Lincolnton, NC April 27, 2012

Beit Yeshua, Highway To Zion, One New Man, Love For His People

(Photos by Steve Martin, Love For His People.)

Benjamin Netanyahu 28 years old

Netanyahu thanks Israel's friends - Jerusalem Post

Netanyahu thanks Israel's friends

By JPOST.COM STAFF

04/25/2012 10:30

Israel is unique for having millions of passionate friends "for whom the well-being, security and future of our country are so important," Netanyahu says in special YouTube broadcast.

Photo: YouTube screenshot

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took the opportunity ahead of Independence Day on Wednesday to acknowledge Israel's "millions of friends," both Jewish and non-Jewish, and thank them for "their unwavering support" of the Jewish state.

In a special YouTube video posted on the eve of Israel's celebration of 64 years of Independence, the prime minister said in English that Israel is "unique" for having such "passionate friends... for whom the well-being, security and future of our country are so important."

"This passionate support, along with Israel’s strong army, free economy and dynamic society, is the pillar of our national strength," he said.The minister spoke about Israel's other unique qualities, saying that the Jewish state is unparalleled regionally for "having a vibrant, liberal democracy where women are equal, minorities are free and where all are subject to the rule of law."

And while the modern state of Israel on Thursday commemorates less than a century of independence, Netanyahu said the Jewish state can celebrate having restored sovereignty and provided self-defense for the Jewish people, who lived previously in the diaspora for 2,000 years, "stateless and powerless."
"Israel is unique in in gathering to an ancestral homeland an exiled people who had been scattered around the globe," the prime minister explained, saying Independence Day is a "time for us to consider what makes Israel truly unique."