Holocaust Survivor Saved by Christians Returns the Favor

Thursday, July 16, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff

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Christians

At the age of 19, Arthur George Weidenfeld was among the many Jews whom British Christians successfully rescued from Nazi-controlled Austria just as Adolf Hitler and his cohorts were putting the “Final Solution” into action.

Seventy-seven years later, now a British lord, Weidenfeld is looking to return the favor by rescuing Syrian and Iraqi Christians under mortal threat from the advancing Islamist horde known as ISIS.

Weidenfeld was brought to England in 1938 by the Quakers and the Plymouth Brethren. Not long after, he started the publishing business of Weidenfeld and Nicolson. In 1976, his overwhelming success and unrestrained philanthropy landed Weidenfeld the title of Lord, Baron Weidenfeld, to be exact.

This week, Weidenfeld told London’s The Times that he “has a debt to repay,” and has established the Weidenfeld Safe Havens Fund to transport and financially support Middle East Christians facing forced conversion and death.

According to reports, the Fund has already flown 150 Syrian Christians to Poland, where it will support them financially for the next 12–18 months while they get on their feet and integrate with their new country.

The initial goal is to get as many as 2,000 Christians out of Syria in the coming months.

Much like with the Nazi Holocaust, the nations of the world are doing very little to assist and save the beleaguered Christians of the Middle East, leaving individuals and smaller organizations to tackle this impossible task.

Weidenfeld acknowledged that he can’t save everyone, but feels there is significance in a Jewish Holocaust survivor reaching out a helping hand to Christians in the greatest of need.

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War Torn Emotion ✡ "His Camp is Great"

And the Lord gave forth His voice before His army, for His camp is great, for he who performs His word is mighty, for the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can abide it? JOEL (2:11)   וַי-הֹוָה נָתַן קוֹלוֹ לִפְנֵי חֵילוֹ כִּי רַב מְאֹד מַחֲנֵהוּ כִּי עָצוּם עֹשֵׂה דְבָרוֹ כִּי גָדוֹל יוֹם יְ-הֹוָה וְנוֹרָא מְאֹד וּמִי יְכִילֶנּוּ יוֹאֵל ב:יא va-a-do-nai na-tan ko-lo lif-nay khai-lo kee rav m'-od ma-kha-nay-hu kee a-tzum o-say d'-va-ro kee ga-dol yom a-do-nai v'-no-ra m'-od u-mee y'-khee-le-nu

Jerusalem Inspiration Last summer, instead of carefree, relaxation, most of the Israeli population was living under the threat of rocket fire. Life between sirens, in and out of bomb shelters, had become the daily reality for millions of Israelis. Daily we prayed for God to protect "His army," our guardians, the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces and keep all of the People of Israel safe and secure. This week marks the one year anniversary of the start of Operation Protective Edge. Throughout the war torn summer, Soroka Hospital was the safe landing ground for injured IDF soldiers and civilians.  Since learning of its role in treating IDF soldiers, LIBI USA has committed to donating much-needed funds to expand Soroka's Trauma Unit.   Your support is needed to get the best treatment for IDF Soldiers » Families Divided as Heroes Head to War Witness the raw emotion of the families separated at pivotal moments in their lives, as our heroes headed off to war last summer. Watch here » Israeli Hospital Prepares for War The only Israeli hospital on the southern front prepares for the next breakout of Hamas rockets. Read more » IDF Paratroopers Sweatshirt This great hooded sweatshirt bears the emblem of the Paratroopers Brigade, an elite combat unit of the Israel Defense Forces. Stand in solidarity with the soldiers and wear this awesome sweatshirt with pride! Get this Great Deal » Jerusalem Daily Photo Our brave soldiers treck along the outskirts of the Old City of Jerusalem, by Boruch Len. Support the soldiers of the IDF! » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of Jerusalem!   Sponsor a day » “I Listen to Your Video Music Clips and Tears Run Down My Face” It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send mean email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).   Stay in Touch »   Shalom. Thank you for your emails Jerusalem365. I listen to your video music clips and tears roll down my face. I love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Kalma South Africa. Blessing from Jerusalem, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Persecuted Pastor's Wife Breaks Silence on Obama's Broken Promise

 7/16/2015 LAURA ZUCKERMAN/REUTERS   charisma news

Naghmeh Abedini with her children. (Facebook)

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President Barack Obama should have secured the release of jailed U.S. citizens before sealing a nuclear deal with Iran, and the accord should not win congressional approval until their freedom is guaranteed, the wife of a detained Iranian-American pastor said on Wednesday.

Saeed Abedini, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced by an Iranian court in 2013 to eight years in prison for allegedly compromising Iran's national security by setting up home-based Christian churches in his native country.

His wife, Naghmeh Abedini of Boise, Idaho, said her husband has faced threats to his life from Islamic militants held in the same prison west of Tehran and that his physical and psychological health has deteriorated from a lack of medical care and from stays in solitary confinement.

Abedini is one of three Americans known to be currently detained in Iran.

His spouse said their release should have been assured before Obama even agreed to the talks that produced a deal on Tuesday aimed at restricting Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The agreement has drawn fire from Republican lawmakers, but Obama strongly defended it in a news conference on Wednesday, saying it was the only alternative to a nuclear arms race and more war in the Middle East.

Obama also said any notion that he was content with Americans being held in Iran was "nonsense," but insisted that including their fate in the talks would only have undermined the U.S. bargaining position.

"If the question is why we did not tie the negotiations to their release, think about the logic that that creates," he said. "Suddenly Iran realizes ... maybe we can get additional concessions out of the Americans by holding these individuals."

Obama delivered the same message to Naghmeh Abedini and the couple's two young children when he visited them in Boise in January, she said.

The pastor's wife conceded she was not sufficiently well-versed in nuclear matters to evaluate the deal but said parallel talks could have been held to seek the release of her husband and other detained Americans.

She said she was now pinning her hopes on Congress, which must approve the accord. She said Republican leaders and some Democrats have spoken of making congressional approval contingent on the release of the American prisoners.

"It's very difficult for my children. And it's heartbreaking for me to see them growing up without their dad," she said.

© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 

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Arab Hatred for Israel Turns to Love

Thursday, July 16, 2015 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY

An Egyptian church leader now based in West London has told how hatred for their ancient enemy Israel turned to love through reading the Bible.

Sameh Metry leads a lively 100-strong Arabic congregation in Ealing while at the same time serving as vicar of an English-speaking church in nearby St Hugh’s, Northolt. And he showed his keyboard skills as he led a high-octane worship session during a conference in Manchester aimed at building bridges between Middle Eastern followers of Jesus.

He was born into a Coptic Orthodox family in Upper Egypt and became a born-again Christian at 15.

But he explained that even Christians in Egypt are encouraged to hate Jews and that in writing essays, for example, the more vitriol you could express against them the higher marks you would get.

“But whenever I read about Israel in the Bible I fell in love with these people; something happened in my heart connecting me with them. I identified with them, even wondering if perhaps I had Jewish ancestry.”

Before he began a theological course in Singapore, the principal warned him that they prayed for Israel at the college, and was shocked to discover it was not a problem for him.

He started a successful Bible school in Egypt, with 350 students enrolled, but the secret service closed it down. He was jailed for a time and prevented from leaving the country, but eventually got out with the help of a friendly customs official and settled in London where he founded a Bible school and started his church.

Asked if he believed Arabs and Jews could be reconciled, he answered in the affirmative, adding: “But only in Jesus.”

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Summer of Hope ✡ "Hope for Your Future"

There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own borders. JEREMIAH (31:16) וְיֵשׁ תִּקְוָה לְאַחֲרִיתֵךְ נְאֻם יְ-הוָה וְשָׁבוּ בָנִים לִגְבוּלָם יִרְמְיָהוּ לא:טז v-yaysh tik-va l'-a-kha-ree taykh n'-um a-do-nai v'-sha-vu ba-neem  li-g'vu-lam

Today's Israel Inspiration It is the way of the Jewish people to live with "hope for the future" as taught by the Prophets of Israel. A feeling of hope is so vital to living a spiritual and fulfilling life here in the Holy Land that one non-profit is focusing on giving a "summer of hope" to needy children. Going beyond its traditional food deliveries and soup kitchens, Meir Panim is running highly subsidized day camps to get needy children off the street and into safe and nurturing programs for the hot summer days. Give a child "hope for the future" in the Land of Israel » Beautiful Song of Jewish Return to the Land Israeli children sing for the redemption in this best 'cup' song ever! Watch here » A Summer of Hope in Israel Find out why highly-subsidized day camp in Israel is so important for children of low-income families. Read more » Israeli Flag Wave your very own Israeli flag! Measures 2.5 foot by 3.5 foot, and composed of lightweight polyester with sharp colors. Made in Israel! Get this Great Deal » Today's Israel Photo This adorable little boy is excited to be waving the Israeli flag that's bigger than he is! See more photos by Noam Chen » Yesterday's Photo Trivia Yesterday's photo by Rebecca Kowalsky featured fishing boats docked in Eilat. This is Israel's southernmost city, a busy port and popular resort located at the northern tip of the Red Sea. Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “A Grateful Thank You” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365! Stay in Touch » Thank you for your website. It keeps me informed to know what to pray for. God bless Israel.- April Bennett A grateful thank you for accurate, timely information. Following our eight days in Israel in February 1979, my life changed! Trusting Adonai for the end of days with you...Shalom! Linda Woerman Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Is God Regathering Jews to Israel for Necessary Failure? - Sandra Teplinsky

Is God Regathering Jews to Israel for Necessary Failure?

7/15/2015 SANDRA TEPLINSKY  charisma news

Must Israel be brought to failure to fulfill its destiny? (Wikimedia Commons)

Has God regathered the Jews to Israel merely for their necessary or inevitable failure, in order to bring them to Christ? That's what some Christians believe.

Israel, they reason, must be brought low, devastated and overrun to accept Jesus as Messiah.

But what does the Bible teach? Here are five important considerations:

1. Some prophetic verses about Israel do point to a time of great distress toward the end of this age. To be properly understood, however, they must be considered in light of other related passages and the broader teachings of Scripture. If we overemphasize these scattered prophetic verses and ignore other important passages, we can come to conclusions about Israel that contradict the overarching themes of Scripture. (More on this later.)

2. While the Bible describes a time of great trouble for Israel, it also describes such a time for the nations—and true followers of Yeshua are not necessarily exempt. If we interpret isolated verses to mean that Israel's existence today is a divine set-up for failure, then logically the same must be said of every nation—and of humanity altogether. 

3. The prophetic Scriptures describe Israel's end-time restoration as gradual and progressive, not instantaneous. It could be said she takes two steps forward, then one step backward. In the process there are failures on her part. But the overall trajectory is forward, toward God's complete restoration of Israel (and redemption of the nations).

4. A main reason God's Word tells us about future events, including great trouble, is so we will proactively pray concerning them. Through prayer, the severity of those events can be greatly diminished. We aren't called to be fatalists regarding Israel. We're called to intercede in love on her behalf. We're to pray for full salvation from her enemies (see Rom. 10:1).

5. The spirit in which the doctrine of Israel's inevitable or necessary failure is taught rarely conveys His love, mercy or compassion. Yet God grieves over the pain of His people. When they suffer He suffers too: "In all their affliction He was afflicted" (Is. 63:9). Sadly, through history, the church has focused much on the presumed, necessary failure of the Jewish people. That focus has rarely led to Jews coming to faith in Yeshua, but more often to atrocities committed against them.

Lastly, and going back to Point 1, the truth is that we all fail apart from surrender to God, and as a result, there is trouble ahead. Our view of Israel (or any nation or individual) should not neglect that truth. But we are to keep it in perspective with other biblical truths. God's loving grace, overarching redemption and certain victory in Messiah trump every trial.

"Notice, then, the kindness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22).

Sandra Teplinsky has been in the Messianic Jewish ministry since 1979. She is president of Light of Zion, an outreach to Israel and the church based in Southern California and Jerusalem. She is an ordained minister and prophetic conference speaker, and has written several books and articles about Israel and the church.

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