Tag: israeli elections

POST COVID?

April 13, 2021 / admin

Dark Clouded Yellow butterfly (Colias croceus), Alonei Yitzhak 31 March 2021

It is a cold, and blustery wintery day here in Israel – not at all the sort of weather we would expect at this time of year. Nevertheless Spring is here. All the spring wildflowers are flowering and the sharav (hot, dry east wind) season is upon us. Even though we are expecting a maximum of only 10 degrees C today, this past week we had two days where the temperature reached 30 degrees. These wild temperature swings are typical of Israel’s brief Spring. Also a sure sign of spring are the thousands of migratory birds and butterflies passing overhead on their way to Europe from Africa.

With the arrival of spring and the promise of summer ahead, Israelis are enjoying a sense of hope and freedom in contrast to the restrictions of the past year. Last year we celebrated Passover in strict lockdown, and had to sing together only from our balconies, but this year we were allowed to gather with extended family members up to 20 people. We are step-by-step coming out of lockdown. Schools and most businesses are functioning again and we can visit parks and the beaches once more, albeit still wearing masks. Restaurants, gyms and theatres are open only to a limited number of people, and those must have a ‘green tag’ – certification of vaccination or recovery from the disease. Some employers are permitting only vaccinated employees to come to work, even though the legality of such a ruling is in doubt. There are still regulations in place that limit gatherings indoors to 20 people and outside to 50, and masks must be worn. Churches, mosques and synagogues are reopening but under strict limitations. Our borders are still closed to non-Israelis, except a few who have special permission. Around 100,000 Palestinian day workers were vaccinated and are allowed to enter for work purposes only.

With around 54% of the total population now fully vaccinated (around 80% of the over-16s) we have seen daily new cases drop from a high of 8,000/day in January down to just 200 yesterday (9 April). There is a sense that we are now ‘post-covid’ and life can get back to normal, and herein lies the danger. I fear this may be a bit premature and more a result of ‘covid-fatigue’ than reality. With the disease still raging around us, especially in Europe, and problems with the supply of vaccine, there still exists the potential for another surge. No one knows how long the effects of the vaccine will last, nor whether it will be efficacious as new strains arise.

Adding to this risk, is the news that Pfizer is refusing to make further shipments of ordered vaccines to Israel because we have failed to pay for the last 2.5 million vaccines received. This is due to our chaotic political situation with various government ministers and officials all pointing the finger at each other. The danger is that if we do not pay up now, Israel will lose its place in the queue, so to speak. There is intense competition between countries to receive the limited supplies. Israel got in early to place its orders and , it is rumored, paid higher than the normal price, in order to get enough vaccines. According to the Jerusalem Post, “Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash told the Post that if Israel does not speedily sign the necessary contracts, it may not be able to vaccinate its children or provide citizens with booster shots against vaccine-resistant variants, or if immunity wanes” (1).

ELECTIONS

On the 23rd of March Israel held its 4th national election in the last 2 year period. Sigh!! Of course once more there is no clear winner. Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party won a total of 30 seats, a clear winner, but far short of the 61 seats needed to form a government. Below is a summary of the results.

Election Results Coverage

The Parties	Seats
Likud	30
New Hope	6
Yamina	7
Religious Zionists	6
United Torah Judaism	7
Shas	9
Israel Beitanu	7
Blue and White	8
Yesh Atid	17
Meretz	6
Labor	7
Joint List	6
Ra’am	4

https://www.jpost.com/israel-elections

The President, Reuven Rivlin, has granted Netanyahu ‘first dibs’ at forming a government. His dilemma is that to do so he will have to include parties that are rabidly opposed to one another. Can he come up with a formula that all can agree on, and even if he does, how long would such a government manage to survive? If Netanyahu cannot put together a ruling coalition the left wing will have a chance but they would have to include the Arab list in order to get a majority, and there is a lot of opposition to the idea of granting the Arab Joint List so much power in the Jewish State.

The public are weary of all this political turmoil, and I have heard people saying things like “we just want a government, any government!”. I can empathize. So many things have been on hold for so many years because of our political paralysis. However such desperation is dangerous. We don’t need just any government, but a righteous and just government that has a genuine concern for the welfare of the nation. I cannot see how this can ever be accomplished. We need a totally different electoral system and I do not know what it would take to do this. With no government how could we reform the system, and no government that exists due to the system is going to undermine its own success. What we really need is the Messiah-King!

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

Last Wednesday night I watched the opening ceremony of Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day. As usual it was very sad and moving as we remember the horror that took place, when 6 million Jews (and at least 6 million others) were cruelly murdered by the Nazi regime. Earlier the same week I read that the world Jewish population now exceeds that of before the Holocaust. How amazing and what a victory. The Jewish people have not only survived but has thrived, in spite of all the many attempts to annihilate them throughout history. During the ceremony a number of Holocaust survivors told their stories. Every one of them is still plagued by memories, nightmares and flashbacks to that horrible time they experienced as children, but every one of them had chosen life, had married, had children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

There was only one blight on the ceremony – Bibi Netanyahu’s speech which, in my opinion, was insensitive. He bragged about his own accomplishments in fighting the Covid-19 disease here in Israel, as if he alone had overcome the virus. However of the 180,000 remaining Holocaust survivors now living in Israel, all now in their 80’s and 90’s, 900 died of Covid , without the comfort of their families around them, and one in four continue to live in dire poverty. Benjamin Singer in the “Jerusalem Post” put it this way, “However, at the same time of the official speeches and ceremonies, on Yom Hashoah each year, we are reminded of the shameful fact that so many Holocaust survivors in Israel live in poverty. This year, the horrifying statistic is that one quarter – 48,000 out of 180,000 – of Israel’s Holocaust survivors now live below the poverty line and rely on food donations to avoid going to bed hungry.

A recent study by the Holocaust Survivors’ Welfare Fund showed that many Holocaust survivors were forced to give up essentials to be able to buy food. Forty-three percent didn’t have enough money for spectacles, 33% couldn’t afford dental care and 27% couldn’t pay for hearing aids” (2)

This is a shameful situation. How is it that we treat our survivors so poorly? Bibi has done much for Israel in the international arena, it is true, but his performance at home, especially in relation to caring for the elderly, the disabled, the sick and the needy in our society, has been close to zero. His ‘trickle down’ concept of the economy simply doesn’t work. The rich are getting richer, it is true, but the poor are getting ever poorer, and the Covid-19 crisis has served only to add to the number of the poor, and widen the gap even further.

MEMORIAL DAY (13-14th April)

In a few minutes the sirens will wail and we will all stand in silence to honor the fallen soldiers and terror victims. Forty-three soldiers and civilians were killed this year bringing the total to 23,928 since the founding of the State in 1948 (3). After the siren a torch lighting ceremony will take place at the Western Wall attended by President, Reuven Rivlin and the IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi. Tomorrow at 11AM the sirens will sound again and memorial ceremonies will take place at 52 military cemeteries throughout the country, the main ceremony being held at the Mt Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. At 1PM another ceremony will be held to honor the victims of terror. Throughout the day flags fly at half-mast and places of entertainment are closed.

Israel honours soldiers and terror victims at memorial events | The Jewish Weekly — Traffic stops and everyone stands to honor the fallen when the sirens sound.
https://thejewishweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1018316866-696×365.jpg

As I am writing I am reminded of another who gave his life for us, whom we, as a nation, still refuse to honor. I am talking about Yeshua (Jesus) of course.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3: 14-16

INDEPENDENCE DAY

The close of Memorial Day tomorrow at sundown, will herald the beginning of Israel’s 73rd Independence Day. The juxtaposition of the day of national mourning with the day of joyous celebration is an annual reminder to us all, that the prosperity and freedoms we enjoy in the Land of Israel today came, and is still coming, at great cost. So many of our best have given their lives for us. I think it is also an expression of the essence of the Jewish people, a people that has always found a way to chose life and find happiness, even in the worst of circumstances imaginable.

Last year, under the Covid lockdown, our celebrations were somewhat muted, but the traditional Air Force flyover passed over all the hospitals in order to honor the hospital staff and their work during the pandemic.

Hospital staff as the air force acrobatic teams flies overhead 2020 https://www.tv7israelnews.com/files/2020/04/Israel-celebrates-72nd-Independence-Day-amid-COVID-19-lockdown_flash90.jpg

This year we will be able to watch the flyover in greater freedom. We are still under some limitations but now will be able to gather for our traditional outdoor barbecues in parks and on the beaches. I have just spent the day cleaning up my garden and deck in preparation for a barbecue with many of my friends. It will be the first time we have gathered since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

When Israel was founded in 1948, there were only 806,000 residents but now the population stands at 9.3 million, about 74% Jewish, 21% Arab and 5% ‘ other’. About 78% of the Jewish population are native born. Since last year’s Independence Day, 167,000 babies were born, 50,000 people died, and 16,300 immigrated to the country (4).

Ethiopian Immigrants arrive in Israel as part of Operation Tzur Israel, March 11, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi) https://www.timesofisrael.com/before-its-73rd-independence-day-israels-population-stands-at-9-3-million/

This tiny land is getting rather crowded and so is fulfilled the prophecy,

“For your waste and desolate places,
And the land of your destruction,
Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;
And those who swallowed you up will be far away.
The children you will have,
After you have lost the others,
Will say again in your ears,
‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwell.’

Isaiah 49: 19-20

But we look forward to the day when we will praise the LORD saying:

You have increased the nation, O Lord,
You have increased the nation;
You are glorified;
You have expanded all the borders of the land.

Isaiah 26: 15

IRAN

In the meantime our enemies are still intent upon our destruction. Iran continues to threaten our existence and is busy enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons to destroy Israel and the USA. As the USA President Biden is attempting to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian threat, and revive the 2015 nuclear deal, a war of attrition is taking place between Israel and Iran. Today (13/04) an Israeli-owned ship came under fire from missiles but there were no injuries or damage to the ship, which was able to continue its journey. This occurred as Teheran was threatening retaliation for the attack on its Natanz uranium enrichment facility, which they blamed on Israel. This attack targeted the power grid and the emergency backup power system at the facility and it also damaged some of the uranium enrichment centrifuges. Israeli authorities estimate this may have set back Iranian nuclear plans at least 9 months. Israel, as usual, has not accepted responsibility for this attack, but according to the Times of Israel, “An American official told the New York Times that Israel called the strike on Natanz a retaliation for the several attacks on Israeli-owned shipping vessels in recent weeks“(5). Today, Teheran announced that it will begin enriching uranium to 60% purity, ever inching closer to the 90% needed for a bomb. This tit for tat escalation is dangerous and of course could erupt into full-scale warfare at any time. There is one thing that is certain, Israel, with God’s help, will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies shall submit to you,
And you shall tread down their high places.

Deuteronomy 33: 29

REFERENCES

FEAST OF ESTHER

March 8, 2020 / admin

Then Mor′decai told them to return answer to Esther, “Think not that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther 4: 13-17

Next week we here in Israel will be celebrating the Festival of Purim, which commemorates the events recorded in the Book of Esther.

If you have been in Israel at this time you will have noticed Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem a day later than elsewhere. This second day of Purim is known as Shushan Purim. The Book of Esther records that, throughout the Persian Empire, the Jews fought against those who sought to destroy them on the 13th of the month of Adar, and then on the 14th they celebrated their victory. In Shushan, the capital of the Persian Empire, the fighting continued a second day finishing on the 14th of Adar and the Jews there held their celebrations on the 15th of Adar. Since then the Jews of Shushan, in south-western Iran today, celebrate Purim on the 15th, as did the Jewish inhabitants of all the cities that were walled at the time Joshua led the people of Israel into Canaan. Jerusalem is the only city we know for sure was walled at that time, and therefore in Jerusalem we celebrate Shushan Purim on the 15th of Adar . There are also some other cities in Israel that perhaps were walled at that time, for example Jaffa (Yafo) and Tiberias (Teveria), and these cities celebrate both on the 14th and 15th (1).

No matter when it is celebrated Purim is a joyous festival during which we remember the faithfulness of God with great rejoicing and fun. People dress up in costumes during the festival and for several days before and after. Most towns hold Purim Parades. There is much feasting and fun and we eat the traditional food, Hamantaschen (Haman’s Ears). Gifts are given, especially to the poor. In the synagogues the whole Scroll of Esther is read. During the reading people, especially the children, make much noise with graggers (wooden or plastic devices which make a noise when spun), booing and stomping every time the name of Haman, who plotted the annihilation of the Jews, is mentioned.

Although Purim is a fun festival, and sometimes a little silly, there is a very serious message hidden in the festivities. Just as the name of God is not mentioned even once in the Book of Esther his hidden working is evident as the events unfold. For example, we are told in chapters 5-6 that the very night before the moment when Haman purposed to seek the King’s approval of his plan to hang Mordecai, the King was unable to sleep. He therefore called upon his servants to read to him from the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles. Perhaps he expected this book to bore him to sleep but instead he read about how Mordecai had saved his life and the King purposed to make sure that Mordecai was suitably rewarded the next day. So it was when Haman came to destroy Mordecai he found himself being forced to bless Mordecai instead. This story reminds me of how God often works in our lives, not with big dramatic miracles, but rather in the quiet, almost hidden, ordering of the timing of events.

It is encouraging to remember that God is quietly working out his perfect Will, especially at the darkest times when all seems hopeless. How fearful the Jews of Esther’s time must have been as the date of their planned annihilation drew near. Little did they know that their salvation was near and their mourning would be turned to joy.

And Mor′decai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasu-e′rus, both near and far, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor.

Esther 9: 20-22

These days things seem pretty black in the world as we face the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic. As the governments scramble to try and stop its spread it seems likely they will fail at least in the short term and there will be many deaths and severe economic problems as a result. However we, like the Jews of Persia, have been given the means to defend ourselves, not swords and shields, but rather the weapon of prayer. Mordecai encouraged Esther to speak up saying, ” … who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? ” Who knows that perhaps you and I were brought into the kingdom just for this moment, just for this purpose, to pray against this ‘spirit of infirmity’ that is sweeping across the world these days. Perhaps God will have mercy on the world and stay this plague and perhaps he will use it to bring many to faith as they cry out for help and are brought to their knees before God in desperation.

In the book of Revelation, those who have been washed in the atoning blood of Yeshua (Jesus) are called a kings and priests (or a kingdom of priests),

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1: 5-6 NKJV

In the true church there is no need for priests for all those who have been washed in the blood of Yeshua have direct access to God (Hebrews 10:19) and the Great High Priest, Yeshua himself, intercedes for us. The sacrifice of animals for sin is no longer needed as Yeshua made that sacrifice in his blood, once and for all. However those who are not of Yeshua do not have access to God and are still in the need of priests to intercede for them. I believe that is our job, as a kingdom of priests. We all need to be intercessors praying for the mercy of God on behalf of the people of the world. In Revelation 5 and 8 the prayers of the saints rise up to God as incense.

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:8

The world needs our prayers now perhaps as never before. This virus could to get out of control, kill thousands, if not millions of people, and bring about a total collapse of the world economy. However if we call upon God to have mercy on the people who knows but that He might just say “Stop”. This is the message of Esther.

Coronovirus in Israel

Some of you might be wondering what the situation in Israel is in respect of the Covid-19 coronvirus. Israel has put in place strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus and so far cases have been few (25 confirmed as of today 08/03, one of whom is in a serious and deteriorating condition), but increasing every day. Most of the cases are the result of people contracting the disease while abroad or after having come in contact with tourists carrying the disease. Consequently Israel has closed its borders to visitors from many countries in the far East and in Europe, and is even considering including the USA in this list. Israeli residents returning from those countries must go into quarantine for 14 days upon their return. Laws have been put in place to enforce this ruling, with a sentence of up to 7 years imprisonment for violations leading to the infection of others. So far there are about 80,000 Israelis in home quarantine. Gatherings of more than 5000 people have been banned and the general public warned to avoid meeting in large groups as far as possible, especially those most vulnerable. Will these measures be enough? Probably not, and they are likely to be increased in the coming days. However I feel that Israel has perhaps a better chance than many other countries in the region of weathering this storm. Because of our constant war readiness and experience, the authorities are better prepared and the general public used to dealing with emergency measures and less likely to panic. That said, please pray for our protection – that God will supernaturally seal our borders and protect the people. Pray too that the hearts of the people will be turned to the LORD at this time.

Coronavirus in the Palestinian Areas

Israel is working with the Palestinian Authority to control the spread of the virus in the West Bank. Following contact with a group of Greek tourists 19 people in Beit Jala have tested positive for the disease and are now in quarantine in Jericho. The city of Bethlehem and the adjacent towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour have been put in total lockdown. As many people in these towns work in Israel this represents a severe economic stress for these families. Many of the people of these towns feel this is unnecessarily severe especially since these tourists entered the area from Israel and no Israeli towns have been quarantined as a result. However it is not only the Israeli authorities that are taking strict measures, the Palestinian Authority too has introduced stringent measures. Schools, universities, churches and mosques there are closed, tourists are barred from entering teh cities and traffic between districts and regions restricted. Israel has assisted with the evacuation of tourists from Bethlehem and other West Bank towns (2).

So far there have been no reported cases of the virus in the Gaza Strip, but I fear what would happen there should the virus manage to enter. Their medical and emergency resources are very limited.

Israeli Elections III.

All the hype about the coronovirus somewhat eclipsed the third round of elections here in Israel on the 2nd. In spite of the the weariness of the public, and the fears of the spreading virus, there was a very high turn out, 70% of eligible voters. The final vote count is not yet published but the provisional results are as follows:

Likud: 36   (1,349,171 votes, 29.48%)
Blue and White: 33   (1,217,101 votes, 26.59%)
The Joint List: 15   (577,355 votes, 12.61%%)
Shas: 9   (352,443 votes, 7.7%)
UTJ: 7 (273,900 votes, 5.98%)
Labor-Gesher-Meretz: 7   (267,362 votes, 5.85%)
Yisrael Beytenu: 7   (262,840 votes, 5.74%)
Yamina: 6   (240,162 votes, 5.25%)

In spite of increasing his lead, Netanyahu is unlikely to be able to form a coalition government as his Right-Religious block (Likud, Shas, UTJ, and Yamina) gives him only 58 seats, three short of the 61 he needs. The Center-left block (Blue and White, and Labor-Gesher_Meretz) has only 40 seats and therefore could not form a government even with the Joint Arab List’s 15 seats. Once again Avigdor Leiberman’s Yisrael Beytenu Party is standing in the position of king maker. He has made it clear in a tweet that “We will not join any government led by [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that includes Shas and United Torah Judaism” (4). We will see what he will do after the final confirmed results of the election are publicized tomorrow. We are all just hoping that we will not be forced into yet another, fourth, round of elections. We badly need a government but please pray that it is the right government for Israel at this time. What that ‘right government’ actually is, I have no idea, but God knows and we can pray “God’s will be done on Earth”.

Spring is here

After a very long and wet winter we have been delighted in the past week or so to see at last some lovely sunny days. We had our first spring sharav (the hot, dry east wind) last week though it was weak and the temperature only got up to 25 degrees – but lovely to get into double digits again!! The land is looking its best. It is lush and green and there are loads and loads of beautiful spring flowers garnishing our land.

Pink and white almond trees in Ein Kerem, 28 Feb, 2020

References:

DEADLOCK

October 5, 2019 / admin

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isaiah 55:6

It has been a while since I last updated this blog. I have had several attempts to write but I seem to be suffering a blockage. Perhaps that is my message at this time – Deadlock. The whole world seems to be falling into a vortex of confusion and darkness, and Israel is at its epicenter. What can I say?

In the political realm Israel is at an impasse. The second round of national elections have once more resulted in deadlock, with the center-left Blue and White Party, led by Benny Gantz receiving 33 seats and the right wing Likud Party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, gaining only 32 seats. Neither party is able to garner sufficient coalition partners to reach the 61 seats needed to form a government. Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin has granted Netanyahu the first chance to form a government but Netanyahu apparently knows he cannot do so, and has stated that the only way forward is to form a national coalition government. Lengthy and heated discussions to this end have only cemented the stalemate. Gantz refuses to serve in a government with the Likud Party as long as Netanyahu faces indictment for three counts of fraud and corruption. Netanyahu will not step down because if he were to do so he would lose his immunity as Prime Minister and would likely go to jail if the courts find him guilty of the charges against him. There are also other intractable policies of both parties in which they refuse to compromise, such as the Blue and White Party’s policies which would allow public transportation on Shabbat, civil marriage, mixed prayer at the Western Wall and the drafting of ultra-orthodox yeshiva students into the army. These policies present a major stumbling block for the Likud Party because their support base consists of a majority of traditional and religious Jews for whom these policies are anathema. It seems like the only thing the opposing sides can agree upon is the desire to avoid a third round of elections, which everyone agrees would be a disaster for the nation and likely to result in yet another impasse.

What is the solution? I have no idea. The deep division between the traditional, religious but powerful minority and the liberal, secular majority, is nothing new in Israel. I have just finished reading the biography of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, who was the driving force in the resurrection of the Hebrew language as the lingua franca of Israel, and who said this, in 1920,

“ For nearly forty years I have been working to separate religion and the state, haven’t I? I did it because I wanted Israel to to be able to develop freely; so that those who are Orthodox and those who are freethinkers could join in the resurrection of Israel. Only in that way could our new state ever be strong” (1).

This deep rift constantly threatens to tear the modern state of Israel apart, but somehow this miracle state not only survives but flourishes. I believe it will also survive this current leadership crisis somehow. You might ask, what is it that holds us together as a nation? Some might cite the unifying force of the adoption of Hebrew as the common language that unites Jews, who have come with their linguistic and cultural baggage from all the four corners of the globe, and for that we can thank Ben Yehuda for his vision and fanatical drive. Others will say it is our shared history and the collective memory of persecution and suffering during our exile. Still others will say there is nothing that binds Israelis closer together other than the constant reality of war and terrorism. For that we can thank our enemies. All these things are true, but it goes much deeper than that. We may squabble and disagree on all sorts of things but we are family, and what family does not squabble? The writer of Ben Yehuda’s biography, Robert St. John, reports that once in a public lecture in which he was attempting to explain the traditional spirit of the freedom of Jewish thought, he said that if three Jews were in one room there would be three opinions on any subject that arose. A Jewish heckler from the back of the hall shouted, ” You are obviously a goy (non-Jew). Otherwise you would know that if there were three Jews in the room there would be four opinions on any subject” (1). There are now 9 million inhabitants of the Land of Israel – 80% of whom are Jewish (2). How many opinions does that make?

Beyond the bonds of family ties lies something even more fundamental and powerful, and that is the call and purposes of God. Israel was formed by God, called and chosen to be His prophets carrying His revelation to the world. The people of Israel gave us the Bible and the Messiah, Yeshua, who brought salvation available for all mankind. For this purpose God has always protected Israel, even during the centuries of exile, and he will continue to do so in our day, until his plans for restoration are complete. It is God himself who holds us together, in spite of all our rebellion and sin, but the enemy, Satan, is doing his utmost to tear us apart and destroy us. The political and social conflicts in our society are just an outworking of the spiritual war taking place between God and His people, and Satan and his dark spiritual forces of evil.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6: 12

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE BODY OF YESHUA (JESUS)

The Body of Messiah in Israel and throughout the world is not immune to these struggles. We are caught up in this spiritual battle whether we like it or not, but God did not leave us defenseless or without arms. If we walk in the Holy Spirit we will be victorious in the end. God has given us armor to protect us, and weapons with which to overcome the attacks of the Enemy.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6: 10-17

armour of God.jpg — https://steemit.com/christian-trail/@rudel/armour-of-god-ephesians-6-13-17

The first item of armor mentioned in this passage is the “belt of truth”. I have over recent years noticed a disturbing trend in the Body of Yeshua worldwide. When I first came to the LORD in the 1970s one of the things that characterized new believers was their hunger for the Word of God. We studied it fervently, we memorized it (or at least tried to), we sang it, we loved it. Today very few believers seem to even read the Scriptures, much less study them, and many churches do not have regular Bible Study. Consequently many believers today, and even our leaders, do not have a firm foundation in the Truth and therefore cannot discern error or false teaching.

Yeshua warned us that the days would come when the Body would be infiltrated by ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’, men and women who would teach and prophesy false doctrines and lead many astray. Those days are surely upon us. Here in Israel as well as elsewhere there are many such. We need to pray for discernment and be watchful. These wolves appear as sincerely honorable men and women, who pose as great leaders filled with the ‘Holy Spirit’, but if we look closely at their teachings and their lives, we will see that the spirit they are filled with is far from holy. They are also deceived by their own teachings and lead many astray.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” .

Matthew 7:15

The second item of armor mentioned in the Ephesians 6 passage is the breastplate of righteousness. In the book of Titus (1:15) it says, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure“. I believe that if we are careful to maintain our purity of moral conduct according to the principles given us by God, then God will protect us from error. If we practice sin however, then we open the door for corruption and deception.

This is also true about purity of doctrine. I am deeply distressed by the subtle infiltration of the occult and New Age practices into the Body here in Israel and elsewhere. There seems to be little concern or discernment about this in our congregations. For example a couple of years ago I sought counselling at a center here in Jerusalem connected with the King of Kings ministry. During my second session I was encouraged to carry out a visualization technique. I refused to do so because visualization is clearly an occult practice (1) and I believe it opens the door to demonic influence. I was horrified that this was being promoted in one of the most influential Messianic ministries in this city.

Another thing that concerns me in the Body today is the running after miracles and ecstatic experiences. God does perform miracles and when we come under the anointing of the Holy Spirit there is a sense of extreme joy and ecstasy, but there seems to be little awareness amongst believers in the Land that Satan can copy miracles (see Exodus 7:11 for example) and counterfeit ecstatic experience. We must be careful to discern the difference between true manifestations of the Holy Spirit and the counterfeit (but real) manifestations of evil spirits.

Impure practices and doctrines also create division in the Body, yet these deceiving spirits also often promote and preach unity, while accusing those who speak out against them as being divisive. The desire for unity sounds all very spiritual but there are some things we must shun and separate ourselves from. Many of the false teachers proclaim an ecumenical uniting of the Church bringing about a worldwide revival in the end times. There is no Scriptural support for such a view – in fact, the opposite is true. The Bible teaches that in the end times there will be a time of deception and many will be deceived, and this will result in betrayal and hatred within the Body, and love will grow cold. The end times will not be see a worldwide revival but rather the lukewarm church of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). The only worldwide religion of the end times will be the One World Church of the Antichrist that will wage war against the true Church of Yeshua.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Matthew 24: 9-13

Yesterday someone sent me this video which is an expose of some of what is happening in the Body here in the Land. It is rather shocking, and I warn you it has some rather graphic content, but it will give you some food for prayer! (It is in Hebrew but if you click on the CC at the bottom of the screen you will get subtitles in English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nkzkbUkLMQ&t=899s

I thank God this is just one extreme sector of the Messianic movement in Israel and there are those who are willing to speak out against it, but I fear this movement is gaining strength. You can read more about the Tikkun movement on their website https://tikkun.tv/important-announcement-about-tikkun-leadership-2020-from-asher-intrater/ . Note the conference they are due to hold in Jacksonville, Florida on the 15-16th of next month (November).

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;”

Isaiah 5: 20

Wow this got to be a rather heavy blog – but I guess we are living in dark and heavy times. Still all is not hopeless. God is in control and there is still much of beauty, light and truth in the world, if we have eyes to see it (and turn off the TV!).

This last week we celebrated Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), known in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1-6, Leviticus 23:23-25)

On the second day of this festival I took a walk with a friend in Jerusalem’s Gazelle Park. Now that the vegetation around the ponds there is getting established it is attracting a good variety of water birds. Here are some of the photos I took that day:

White fronted kingfisher (also known as the Syrian kingfisher)

This coming week, on Wednesday, we will celebrate Yom Kippur (the day of Atonement) and then beginning on the eve of Sunday the 13th, the Feast of Succot. Yom Kippur is the day in which Israel comes to a stop. It is forbidden to travel by car on the roads and a holy hush descends upon the Land. The observant fast for more than 24 hours, forgoing all food, drink, cigarettes and sexual intercourse. They spend many of those hours in the synagogues praying. They seek to be written in the Book of Life. I thank God that in Yeshua our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and we know we do not need to fast or afflict ourselves to get saved. Nevertheless many believers here in the Land fast and pray during this day as an act of identification with our people and also taking the opportunity to pray for their salvation. Please join us in prayer during these Festivals, known collectively as the High Holy Days, the most solemn days of the Jewish calendar.

As I have been writing this we have been rejoicing in the first rains of the coming winter. How lovely the sweet smell of that first rain. It is a reminder of the goodness of God, who brings rain in its season upon the righteous and the evil alike. Hallelujah!

References:

Robert St. John, 1952, “Tongue of the Prophets” Dolphin Books, NY
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5597686,00.html
http://www.letusreason.org/NAM22.htm

THE MOUSE ROARED

September 14, 2019 / admin

The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations,
And sing praises to Your name.

Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.

Psalm 18: 46-50

This week (1-7/09) God delivered Israel from the ‘violent man’, alias Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Seeking revenge for last week’s Israeli attack on a Iranian military installation in Syria, which was making precision guided systems for missiles. In the attack several Iranian military personnel and two senior Hezbollah operatives were killed. Immediately afterwards the ‘mouse roared’ threatening a massive attack on Israel in retaliation, an attack that would reach the center of the country. As the week passed Nasrallah’s roars faded to a squeak and by Sunday he was saying he intended only to ‘kill 2-3 Israeli soldiers’. Israel evacuated its bases within 5 km of the border, set up fake mannequins in vehicles, and banned travel on some roads. The civilian population was told to continue as normal. It also prepared for a massive attack on Hezbollah bases should there be any Israeli casualties.

On Sunday (1/09) about 4PM Hezbollah fired two anti-tank missiles at a vehicle containing 5 Israeli soldiers. By a miracle the missiles missed the vehicle hitting the road instead. Shrapnel pierced the tire of the vehicle but they were able to drive on to a safe position. For several hours there was a news blackout concerning the fate of the soldiers and the IDF carried out an evacuation of two soldiers to trick Nassrallah into thinking he had succeeded. Much later it was revealed that none of the soldiers had been even scratched.

Smoke rises from a fire caused from a rocket fired from Lebanon near Moshav Avivim on the border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, September 1, 2019. (David Cohen/Flash90)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/reports-hezbollah-nearly-missed-manned-armored-car-driving-in-breach-of-orders/

Hezbollah forces also fired on the Avivim Army Base but it had been evacuated ahead of the confrontation.

In retaliation Israel fired around 100 shells into Lebanon but most landed in open fields, setting crops on fire. No casualties have been reported. After a couple of hours all firing stopped and since then all has been quiet.

A few days later (3/09) Nasrallah announced that the confrontation at the border is over. He is claiming a victory boasting, ” Despite all the preparations and fake targets the enemy scattered along the border, we waited for our target and when it came, we hit it, without any doubt“(1). Apparently this was sufficient for him to ‘save face’. Of course he made his announcements from the safety of his mouse hole (underground bunker) in which he has been hiding for several years for fear of an assassination attempt.

**Cartoon in the Lebanese media mocking Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has been mainly in hiding since the 2006 war** – here celebrating his 59th birthday
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5581480,00.html

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had this to say about Nasrallah, ” The man in the bunker in Beirut knows exactly why he is in a bunker…We will continue to do everything necessary to keep Israel safe — at sea, on the ground and in the air — and we will also continue to work against the threat of the precise missiles” (1).

I may sound mocking but it would be a great mistake to underestimate the mouse in the hole. Nasrallah breathes threats against Israel every day and claims to have around 200,000 rockets and missiles that could hit every part of Israel. The problem is that these rockets and missiles are notoriously difficult to aim accurately. In past confrontations many have either been shot down by Israel’s anti- missile system or have landed harmlessly in open areas or in the sea. It is therefore of great concern to Israel that Iran is supplying high-precision missile guidance systems to Hezbollah. For this reason Israel is carrying out many missions to destroy the installations where Iran is building, storing these systems and training Hezbollah operatives in their use. Even since the confrontation on Sunday (1/09) the Israeli IDF has announced that it has carried out several such attacks in Lebanon, Syria and even Iraq. Israel must do everything it can to prevent Hezbollah obtaining this technology which would enable them to pinpoint with great accuracy key military and civilian targets. For now, Hezbollah is weak having lost a great number of personnel during the Syrian Civil War, and is also facing some financial issues. There are also signs that Hezbollah is facing growing criticism in Lebanon itself – see the cartoon above, for example (2) . The Lebanese people do not want to be drawn into another war with Israel. Should Hezbollah however recover its confidence, I have no doubt it will attempt to destroy Israel as Nasrallah threatens nearly every day.

Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
³“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

⁴He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
⁵Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
⁶“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

⁷“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

¹⁰Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
¹¹Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
¹²Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

GAZA

The other day I was idly rereading some of my earliest blog posts written during the last Gaza war in 2008. I was amazed how similar they were to my more recent posts. Nothing significant has changed. They shoot at us and we retaliate. A ceasefire is announced and a tense calm exists until the next time they shoot at us. Round and round it goes with no end in sight. It is a great weariness for all.

Once more, the Friday night of 6/09 the sirens sounded in some of Israel’s southern communities, Sderot, Ibim, and Kibbutz Or HaNer as five rockets were fired from Gaza. One landed near the town of Sderot, setting fire to brush. Two women were treated for shock. This followed the weekly border riots in which two Palestinian minors were killed by IDF fire. The protests had been especially violent that week with around 6,000 Palestinians hurling a large number of explosive devices, grenades and firebombs at IDF troops guarding the border. The border fence was also damaged. In addition to the two dead, some 70 protesters were injured, 38 of them by live fire, according to the report of medical officers in Gaza.

The brush fire in Sderot resulting from the rocket attack on Friday
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5581480,00.html

Later that Friday night the IDF attacked several Hamas targets and the next day a Hamas cell launched an armed drone attacked an IDF vehicle, prompting an Israeli retaliation in which the IDF attacked naval combat equipment belonging to the terrorist group and two military centers for Hamas’s aerial systems in airstrikes in the northern and central Strip (3).

Later Friday night Israeli aircraft and a tank attacked several Hamas targets in Gaza. This morning a drone, piloted by a Hamas cell, dropped explosives over the Israeli border, damaging an IDF vehicle but causing no casualties. Soldiers fired at the cell but there have been no reports of casualties (4).

On Tuesday of this week (10/11) the sirens sounded again, this time as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was giving an election speech in Ashdod. He was ushered off the stage by his security detail. Netanyahu said to the audience ” We have a code red warning, leave quietly” and then realizing this was impossible he turned an asked his guards “Where should they go?” This was all being broadcast live.. Almost immediately his election campaign people realized how damaging this incident would be to his campaign and deleted the video – but too late! You can see the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D32IBCyC01Q

In this attack two medium range missiles were fired from the Gaza strip towards the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod. One missile was shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome defense system and the other landed in the sea. There were no casualties.

The next day, on Wednesday, sirens again sounded in some southern communities, this time while children were still in school. Three launches were detected and one of the rockets landed in the yard of a home causing some damage to the house. Thankfully the family were not at home at the time and no injuries were reported.

This last Friday also marked the 73rd week of the Gaza border riots, the so-called Palestinian “March of Return”. This too is a great weariness, so much so that it barely gets a mention on our local news these days.

With elections looming, in just 3 days time, the inability of the Netanyahu government to resolve the Gaza issue is a primary election issue. On Thursday, Netanyahu announced that ” it looks like there will be no other choice but to embark on a wide-scale campaign in Gaza” (5). On Friday, returning from meetings in Russia with Putin and the Russian Defense Minister, Shoigu, Netanyahu announced that such an attack “could happen at any moment” leading to some speculation it could happen even before Tuesday’s election. I doubt that Netanyahu would risk that but he is desperately trying to garner election points at this stage. We can only pray that God’s will will prevail at this time.

WEST BANK ANNEXATION?

On Tuesday afternoon our TV stations announced that Netanyahu would make “an important announcement at 5PM”. At 5PM this was postponed to 6PM, but at that time he came on air, to announce that if elected again as PM he will immedieately annex the Jordan Valley. You can see the whole speech, with English translation, by clicking on the link below:

As I watched this I was shocked by what appeared to me to be a brazen misuse of his position to score pre-election points. The Election Committee tried to shut this broadcast down and some, but not all networks did stop showing the speech. You can see the whole speech, with English translation, by clicking on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMWep1sV940&t=12s

It transpires that prior to Netanyahu’s speech he had intended to actually announce the annexation, as opposed to just announcing his intention to do so, if elected. He was dissuaded from doing so by senior security officials. What is more, the Election Committee has since fined Netanyahu and his Likud Party 30,000 shekels for violating the election law for making election campaign messages during a live broadcast(6).

ELECTIONS

There are, as I already said, only 3 days to go before the elections. After the failed election earlier in the year, the campaigns this time have been exceptionally dirty with much name calling, mudslinging and underhand, devious tricks on all sides. As things stand polls are indicating the likelihood of yet another stalemate. I am glad I do not have the right to vote as I would not have a clue who to vote for. They all have good policies and bad. I thank God I have something much more powerful that a ballot slip. I have prayer. I am simply praying that God’s Will will be done. I would like to hope for righteous and just, and wise government but I admit I don’t believe there are really any options for such a government to be elected. I do know however that ultimately God is in control although for a time Satan, the “Prince of the Power of the Air” (Ephesians 2:2), is wrecking havoc on Earth. Soon, I hope and pray, Satan’s time will come to an end and Messiah, Yeshua, will establish his throne on Mt Zion. Until this is fulfilled we need to be much in prayer for our leaders.

TERROR STRIKES AGAIN

There have been a number of terror attacks recently. The most serious occurred at Ein Bubin Spring, near the settlement of Dolev, east of Modiin. A father and his two teenage children went out for an early morning hike and as they approached the gate to the spring an explosive device detonated in their path, killing Rina Shnerb (17), and seriously injuring her brother Dvir (19). The father was lightly injured too. In a testimony to the resilience of the Israeli spirit and just hours after his release from hospital this week, Dvir received his certificate qualifying him as a medic for the Magen David Adom service, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross.

17-year-old Israeli teen Rina Shnerb was murdered in a terrorist bombing in the West Bank on Friday morning, August 23, 2019 — Rina Shnerb, killed in terror attack.
Courtesy of the family
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/1566569364-rabbi-says-murdered-daughter-rina-shnerb-a-martyr-of-the-people-of-israel

BACK TO SCHOOL

On September 1st some 2,300,000 Israeli school children returned to school after the long, two-month, summer vacation. For me this marks the end of summer even though the weather denies it. It is still reaching more than 30 degrees pretty much every day but we have had one or two days lately that didn’t. There is a stirring in the air and a freshness in the breeze which heralds the coming of fall/autumn. Another herald of the coming change is the flowering of the sea squill, a plant recognized in Israel as the first harbinger of fall. They are already flowering. This is a reminder of the faithfulness of our God, who sustains the times and the seasons. Praise His Name!

Paul and Barnabus proclaimed:

Nevertheless He (God) did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Acts 14: 15-17

Sea squill, Urginea maritima,
Netanya Winter Pond 8 Sept 07

References:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/reports-hezbollah-nearly-missed-manned-armored-car-driving-in-breach-of-orders/

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5580947,00.html

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-almost-dragged-into-hezbollah-war-lebanon-idf-missile-1.7793227

2. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5581480,00.html

3. https://www.timesofisrael.com/army-gaza-drone-dropped-explosives-in-israel-near-border-idf-vehicle-damaged/

4. https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/gazan-killed-by-live-israeli-gunfire-in-border-protest-palestinians-say-1.7805900

5. https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Netanyahu-Israel-may-go-to-a-military-operation-in-Gaza-before-elections-601583

6. https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-likud-fined-for-electioneering-during-jordan-valley-declaration/

LOVE GROWS COLD

August 3, 2019 / admin

I have lived in Israel nearly 40 years and I have loved this nation with all my heart. For the most part I am incredibly proud of what Israel has achieved in the last hundred years or so. However from time to time I am puzzled by some of the things we do, and yes, even ashamed. It does not diminish my love in any degree, any more than a mother ceases to love a disobedient child. But like that mother, I am deeply disturbed when Israel ‘misbehaves’, and I believe that the God of Israel, who loves Israel unconditionally as a father, is also grieved when we do wrong.

Twice God expelled Israel from the Land because of her disobedience, and the main sins He accused us of through the prophets were three – idolatry, corruption, and the oppression of the poor.

Now that the people of Israel are returning to the Land it distresses me that we are still guilty of all these sins. It is true that we do not worship the Baals on the hilltops or burn our children alive to Moloch any more, but there are other forms of idolatry we commit. Many have turned away from the God of Israel and seek after enlightenment through Hindu/New Age practices such as the various forms of meditation and yoga, and many practice occult forms of witchcraft and sorcery, all of which are an abomination to the LORD.

When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 13: 9-13

Others, rejecting religion, seek only after hedonistic pleasure, sexual abandon and covetous materialism, also a form of idolatry.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

Colossians 3: 5-6

This week we were horrified to learn that 12 teenage Israeli boys were arrested for the gang rape of a 19-year-old British woman in Cyprus. Yesterday all 12 were exonerated when the woman admitted that her accusations were false. It would appear that the woman had had consensual sex with three of the boys and when a fourth wanted to have sex with her, she refused and he humiliated her. She had made the accusation of rape in revenge for her humiliation. Today these boys are coming home with big smiles on their faces and, so far anyway, none have expressed regret or shame for their acts. It grieves me that this kind of behavior has become something of the norm amongst our young people. It is the result of the over permissive and indulgent style of parenting that is common in all Western nations today (as a teacher I see this every day), and the rejection of the Biblical moral compass. Too many young people have no respect for themselves as moral creatures made in the image of God, and no respect for their parents or any other authority figure, or even respect for the law. I feel like an old fogey saying such things, and probably our parents said the same about my generation, but this does not detract from its truth. It is sad that our young (and not so young) people seek the cheap thrills of sexual abandon, and hedonistic pleasure, rather than true love.

While the secular often seek only materialistic hedonism, the so-called ‘religious’ practice a works-based religion based more on man-made rules and traditions than on the revealed Word of God. They add to the Torah hundreds of rules and regulations that proscribe every daily action – something God forbade:

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

Deuteronomy 12: 32 (in Hebrew Bibles it is chapter 13:1)

It is sad that the tight legalistic world of religion turns so many young people away from the loving God of Israel. No wonder they seek spirituality in New Age practices or happiness in the pursuit of pleasure.

I am also appalled by the rampant corruption and fraudulent dealing in our society and it stretches from the street merchants to the highest levels of leadership and government. It results in the oppression of the poor and much injustice. God warned Israel to repent of these things through the prophets prior to the two great exiles but they did not listen. They paid the price – exile.

For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.

There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.

Seek good, not evil,
    that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
    just as you say he is.
Hate evil, love good;
    maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
    on the remnant of Joseph.

Amos 5: 12-15

There is another sin that I see everyday in Israel these days. It is the sin of arrogance and complacency. We are all very aware of all the threats against us. Every day our enemies boast that they will annihilate Israel. But we proudly assume that God will not allow that to happen. We trust in the power and strength of our army, and that of our friends – especially the USA, to protect us. We glory in our past victories with the assumption that we can beat any enemy because God is with us. I do believe that God is watching over Israel and has even in recent times supernaturally protected us many times over. I believe that no Enemy will have final victory over us but, that said, we must guard our hearts against the sin of presumption. We must remember to give all the glory to God with a spirit of thankfulness. I also believe that because of our sins God will bring a terrible time of judgement on Israel in which all the nations will rise up against us in a great battle for Jerusalem and Judah. This battle will result in tremendous loss of life and bring Israel to her knees. The battle would be lost but at the end God will step in and save Israel, and she will at last recognize her savior, Yeshua, and bow down before him (Zechariah 12, Joel 2, Isaiah 34 etc) . God has promised that no one would be able to stand against Israel but that promise has a condition – obedience:

If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him—then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.

Deuteronomy 11: 22-25

In our society love has grown cold. A headline in a Newsweek article this week read, ” FROM ISRAEL TO THE U.S., COMPASSION IS IN DWINDLING SUPPLY”. Our world is becoming brutalized. We are bombarded every minute of every day with violence, hatred and increasingly evil acts. One way to cope with this onslaught is to harden our hearts. We cease to care and we withhold compassion.

Several things have happened recently in Israel which demonstrates this. On Monday Israeli security forces demolished 13 buildings with 72 housing units in the Wadi al-Hummus neighborhood of Tsur Baher in East Jerusalem (1). Only two of those homes were occupied and the 17 residents were evicted prior to the demolition. Some of the units were still under construction. I find it hard to understand this action. Israeli sources claim the homes were built too close to the security fence and constituted a security risk. On the other hand, these buildings were constructed with permits obtained legally from the Palestinian Authority, and as far as I know no security incidents had emanated from them. I rather feel that demolishing peoples homes is creating a much greater security risk as it only serves to increase anger and hatred in a neighborhood already known as a hotbed of terror. However I do not know all the political or security arguments for or against. But I do ask, what about the people? Someone had paid for those buildings. Perhaps families had paid for those homes and are now left destitute. Does anyone care?

Marc Schulman, a Newsweek columnist put it this way:

“Monday night, after the buildings were eradicated, the Minister of Security, Gilad Erdan, posted multiple videos proudly showing off how the houses were being blown up. To further darken the picture, a video clip of Israeli soldiers celebrating the successful implosion of the largest building was widely shared. Those demolished buildings were constructed to house people; people who spent their hard-earned money to build new homes for their families”.

“Even if we have the legal right to destroy these buildings, human decency would suggest it only proper to show at least a bit of compassion, perhaps along with some sorrow over these actions that were deemed necessary. For instance — “We are sorry the situation has come to this. We would prefer to be able to build together, instead of having to destroy,” — or literally any statement that shows some sympathy for what the other side has endured “(1).

The following day, Tuesday, Israeli immigration police arrested two Filipino women and their 3 children and held them in a detention cell prior to deportation. Meretz Party chairman, Nitzan Horowitz, was present at the arrest and he tweeted this:”

“These children were born here and their only ‘crime’ was that they were born to a mother from the Philippines,”… “Now the police are packing up their few possessions and outside a few of their friends are standing and crying.”

“Here is such a cruel thing, … They are taking out the mother with tears and her two trembling children [with] two bags with a few clothes. This is how you end someone’s life.”

“They put the children, in total hysteria, into this sealed car, on the way to a detention cell. You can hear the crying and screaming inside.This is what you should do to criminals, not little children. There is no reason in the world to behave like this. It is much more than a shame and disgrace — it is abuse and it must stop.” (2)

Yesterday (29/7) one of the Filipina women arrested a week ago, together with her 11 month old baby, were deported back to the Philippines (3).

In spite of a national outcry against the practice, immigration authorities plan to deport in the coming days at least another 100 foreign workers and their children, most of whom were born in Israel (3). There are some 30,000 Filipino workers in Israel. They come legally to work, mainly caring for the elderly and handicapped, but many do not renew their visas and are classed as illegal over-stayers. 85% of these workers are women and some have given birth to children since their arrival. As a result there are now nearly 1500 Filipino children enrolled in Israeli schools (2). Children born in Israel are only given automatic citizenship if their parents are citizens, therefore these children, who were born and have grown up in Israel, are not considered legal residents.

Forcible deportation is legal but is it fair and morally acceptable, especially when it concerns children who have only known life in Israel and in many cases do not even speak Tagalog (the language of the Philippines)? These Filipino workers take care of our elderly and those with special needs with care and compassion and it is often because of this they chose to stay on when their visas expire, knowing there may not be anyone willing to take their place. They receive only very low wages and work 24/7 often in poor living conditions. Israelis are not willing to do this kind of work, and certainly not for the very low wages they would be paid. Perhaps the solution lies in creating a society that puts a much higher value on such work, and pays it accordingly, so that we do not have to import foreigners to do it for us. However, in the meantime, we owe a debt of gratitude to these workers who look after our needy relatives. Surely there is a better solution than arresting children like criminals and causing them life-long trauma. Where is our compassion?

A few days ago there was another horrifying incident when a squabble over a car park resulted in a man being shot and killed. The victim was Ofir Hasdai (40) and he was trying to park in a disabled parking space at the Ramle Azreli Mall, asked the killer, Victor Katan (74), to move his car that was taking up two parking spaces. Katan’s wife began hitting Ofir over the head with her handbag, and then Katan took out a gun and shot Ofir in the foot and then in the chest killing him in front of his wife and three children. Now Ofir’s wife, Dikla, who suffers from muscular dystrophy is left alone to care for her three daughters, one of whom suffers from cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair and another who also suffers from muscular dystrophy and requires a ventilator (4). I am glad to say that within just 48 hours donors had given 1.7 million shekels (=$US490,000) in a crowd funding platform for the support of the family (5). This shows that there are still many people out there who feel compassion. However the killing of a man over a parking space is a sign of the times. Is it the result of the saturation of our society with violence on the media, the consequence of overcrowding in our cities and the dire lack of parking spaces, or the outworking of the Ugly Israeli syndrome which dictates that if one gives in or cedes to another he or she is considered to be a ‘frier’ (a weak and detestable sucker). The Jerusalem Post put it this way: The incident that unveiled the rude, selfish and lawless Ugly Israeli we routinely meet driving recklessly on the highway, leaving a trail of garbage in the park, or shouting from this end of the airplane to that, also unveiled his inversions, the charitable Israelis who in this case raised NIS 1.7 million in a crowdfunding drive joined within 48 hours by 10,000 people who had never met Ofir or Dikla (5).

Jesus predicted that the time would come when love will grow cold, because of the increase in wickedness in the world.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24: 9-14

Jesus as he said this was talking to his disciples and is talking about the church in the end times. He exhorts us to ‘stand firm’ in love until the end. That is our challenge. Will we allow our hearts to be hardened like those in the world around us, or will we draw on his divine resources to withstand that tendency and walk in love by his spirit?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard

Isaiah 58: 6-8

And through the Prophet, Jeremiah, he warned the leaders of Israel saying,

This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: ‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

Jeremiah 22: 1-5

Prayer points:

Pray against the brutalization of our society, that we will maintain compassion and righteousness action according to the will of God. Pray that the people will turn to their God and for a spiritual restoration, through Yeshua (Jesus), of Godly moral values.
Pray for righteous government that will lead us to a more just and righteous society. The party lists are now closed as we approach the new elections scheduled for 17 September. When God chose David to be king over Israel he instructed Samuel thus “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16: 7.
Continue praying for our security – the situation in Iran, with Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south and east continues to threaten our safety and very existence. The tension is still ramping up a notch pretty much every day. Pray too for the safety of our soldiers, police and border guards who every day put their lives on the line. Three Israeli soldiers were injured by an infiltrator from Gaza this week. Pray for their recovery.
Pray for the health and growth of the Messianic Body here in Israel, especially for local congregations. Pray for protection from, and the strength to withstand, the spiritual intensity of the attacks from the Enemy. Pray especially against deception and false teachings. Pray that the Lord will add to our number and that we can communicate the good news that is in Yeshua to the lost people around us.
Pray for protection from wildfires and arson. The last couple of weeks have seen more homes being destroyed by wildfires. We still have several months of hot, dry weather before us and as the Autumn equinox approaches the sharav season begins. The sharav is a strong hot, ultra-dry East or SE wind from the desert. This is the most dangerous time for fires. We’ve already had one unseasonably early sharav.

REFERENCES:

POSSESSING THE LAND

April 20, 2019 / admin

A Land of Milk and Honey, Beit Guvrin in the Judean foothills

Today is the first day of the LORD’s Passover Feast. It is my favorite of the Feast days of Israel, perhaps because it was the first I became acquainted with, but also because of its rich symbolism and its close ties with the coming of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. Every year we celebrate it but every year it is as if I come to it anew. It never grows tiresome and I love the prayers and songs of this time which are full of our collective memory of how God has kept and provided for us through the generations. Its a time that stimulates faith and fills the heart with joy.

The story of the Passover focuses on the Exodus from Egypt, when God stretched forth his hand and brought the Israelite people out of slavery with mighty signs and miracles, and led them through the wilderness for forty years providing for their every need, until they entered into the Promised Land, Israel. For those of us whose Lord is Yeshua, it is a powerful parallel and foreshadowing of our personal salvation in which we were set free from slavery to sin and death, and given a full life of freedom and liberty as sons and daughters of the living God. Of course, it is also especially meaningful because our saviour and Lord, Yeshua, was crucified on the day of the Passover sacrifice and rose on the third day, the first day of the week following the Passover Shabbat, the day of the Wave Offering (Leviticus 23:9).

This Passover my focus has shifted a little. Instead of concentrating on the Exodus from Egypt I have been considering in more depth the entrance into the Promised Land. Perhaps this was largely triggered by a trip a friend and I made last week up into the Galilee and the Golan, during which we were reminded of the abundance and beauty of this glorious Promised Land. It is a good land, full of fruitfulness and health, but one that is totally dependent upon the blessing of God. If He withholds the rain, the land languishes and dies, but when God blesses us with good rain, as he has done this year, the land simply bursts forth with life.

Butterfly and wildflowers on Har Yona, Nazareth Illit, Galilee, April 2019.

” Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.”

Deuteronomy 8: 6-9

The People of Israel crossed over the Jordan River on the 10th Day of the First Month (Nisan, as it is known today). On the same day, all the men of Israel were circumcised and while they were still raw and healing 4 days later, all Israel celebrated the Passover on the 14th of Nisan. On the next day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the manna stopped and they ate for the first time of the fruit of the Promised Land, their own God-given land. How wonderful that must have felt!

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho….

On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after^[d] they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Joshua 4: 19 ; 5: 10-12

Some years ago I was visiting a friend in Eilat and as I left we prayed together for my journey. I was surprised when in the midst of our prayer she asked God to give me revelation as I journeyed northwards to my home. I admit I was a bit skeptical at that moment, but as I traveled I did indeed receive a revelation that has never left me. It was mid-summer and the desert of the Negev was sere and seemingly lifeless, and it stretched on mile after mile after mile. Then suddenly, and it was suddenly, just a few kilometers south of Tel Aviv, the landscape turned green and fertile. In that moment I understood just how vulnerable we were. We teeter on the very edge of the great desert that stretches across the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula. How desperately we need to cling to God and his provision of rain in order to survive. God has not given us a land of abundant rainfall and lush greenness, as in the countries of western Europe for example, but rather a marginal land, a ‘land of milk and honey’, right on the edge of the desert, so that we may not grow lazy and lax and forget our need for total reliance on God. This is the grace of God for Israel, and indeed it has also been the grace of God in my own personal life.

Israel’s possession of the Land and the enjoyment of its abundance was always conditional. As long as they were faithful to the LORD God of Israel they would remain in the land and be blessed with prosperity, but if they should turn aside to foreign gods or forget the God of Israel, and sin against Him, then He would cast them out. However it was never final, there was always a way of repentance and return. Moses warned the people of Israel saying.

“…but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the Lord will drive you. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

Deuteronomy 4: 22-31

We know that on two occasions God did cast the people of Israel out of their land because of their idolatry and sin, but in our days he has had mercy upon us and brought us back home again. Not only that, but he has prospered us beyond all imagining. Today Israel proudly stands amongst the most powerful nations on this Earth and as I travel about the land I am constantly awed by what has been achieved in just 70 or so years. But herein lies great danger, the danger that we will take the glory to ourselves and forget the LORD and his mercies. It is He who has done it and not us. Please pray that the people of Israel will not be puffed up and proud, glorying in our accomplishments, but that we will humble ourselves and pray to God with thankful hearts for what He has done, so that we may continue to enjoy his abundant blessings.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 8 : 10-20

OTHER PRAYER POINTS:

Elections:

We prayed, we voted but it is God who establishes our leaders for His purposes. The elections are over and the Likud Party, led by Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Blue and White Party, ed by Benny Gantz, were tied with 35 seats each. To form a government, a party has to have a minimum 61 seats in the 120-strong Knesset (Parliament). This means that each party will have to form a coalition with other parties in order to reach this minimum. There is no way the Blue and White Party can do this, because the left is currently very weak. Only the Likud Party has the possibility of succeeding. This means that Likud is currently negotiating with the right-wing religious parties in order to gain the required 61 seats. It seems likely that Netanyahu is set to serve a record-breaking 5th term as Israel’s Prime MInister. In short, the elections have changed little, with the religious right coming out more powerful than ever. The exceptional success of the Blue and White party may however serve as a warning to Netanyahu that there is growing discontent with the inordinate power yielded by his religious coalition partners, alienating the secular majority. Please pray that the new government, whoever they are, will pay due attention to the internal distribution of wealth, narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, and boosting the education, health and welfare sectors.

Gaza border tensions:

Since the Egyptian brokered ‘ceasefire’ came into effect the Gaza border tensions eased some. Some of the troops and weapons that had been moved there have now been redeployed elsewhere. The situation still remains very tense and the ‘March of Return’ demonstrations continue IDF forces. On Friday about 6,000 Palestinians demonstrated at the border and according to Hamas sources, 46 were injured (1). A shot was fired at Israeli forces defending the border and in response an Israeli aircraft and a tank attacked two military positions belonging to Hamas (2). As I am writing reports are coming in of a loud blast heard by residents of Israel’s Shaar Negev region, adjacent to the Gaza border. It appears at this stage that two rockets fired at Israel fell short, landed in an open area in Palestinian territory and exploded. The Israeli airforce has already responded. This could signal another escalation of tensions there. Please pray for peace and a long-lasting resolution of these issues.

Passover security

There is always a heightened threat of terrorism during the Jewish Feasts in Israel. As is usual, the West Bank and Gaza are under ‘lockdown’ for the duration of Passover, in an effort to prevent attacks. Today a 20 year old Palestinian attempted to attack soldiers at the Tapuah Junction in the West Bank but was thwarted. Please pray that our streets, synagogues, churches, parks and other places where many people gather during this festive season will remain safe. Pray too for the safety of all those who daily put their lives on the line so that Israeli citizens, pilgrims and tourists can be safe.

May you all have a peaceful and blessed Passover and Easter season, in the name of Yeshua and the LORD God of Israel.

References:

BACK FROM THE BRINK

April 6, 2019 / admin

I am sitting out on my deck enjoying the peace of Shabbat and the green lushness of Spring (aka the weeds in my garden!!) Spring has truly come now after a long and wet winter. The Land is a garden of glorious wildflowers and all the fields and open spaces are green – for a few short weeks, until the first sharav (hot, dry east wind) comes and kills them all off. The birds are all singing joyously and the air is full of butterflies.

Spring wildflowers in Nazareth, Israel 4 April, 2019

Just a week ago, when I last wrote, we seemed to be on the brink of yet another war with Gaza. Seven Israeli civilians had been injured, and their home destroyed in the central town of Mishmeret by a missile fired from Gaza. Hamas claimed that this attack was another ‘mistake’. Forgive me if I don’t believe it was any mistake. It is the third time that Hamas claimed a missile was fired by mistake – the first towards Beer Sheva in October last year, followed by two towards Tel Aviv in February this year and then this latest one. Hamas seems rather accident prone!! The truth is that either rouge elements in Hamas, or Islamic Jihad operatives probably fired them. Whether or not these attacks were sanctioned by the Hamas leadership is unclear, but Israel always takes the position that Hamas is to be held responsible for any attacks coming from its territory. Consequently, Israel retaliated by attacking many Hamas positions and bases in the Gaza Strip, and during the following night some 60 rockets were fired into Israel from Gaza.

The weekend following was the first anniversary of the so-called March of Return and also Palestinian Land Day. Hamas called for massive rallies along the border fence. They hoped for a million men to come. In preparation for these expected riots and attempts to infiltrate Israeli towns the IDF brought forward several armored divisions, tanks and artillery, canceled weekend leave and called up many reservists.

In the event only 40,000 ‘demonstrators’ turned out – perhaps largely due to the unseasonably wet and cold weather. Although the numbers were lower than Hamas expected, the riots were particularly violent and as a result some 4 Gazan rioters were killed. They were however prevented from infiltrating Israel.

Whilst all this was happening an Egyptian delegation was in Gaza trying to broker a ceasefire agreement between Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Israel. This past Wednesday it was announced that Hamas and Islamic Jihad and Israel had agreed on calm and Hamas and IJ had promised to stop the border riots and the release of incendiary and explosive balloons into Israeli territory in return for some concessions from Israel, including the reopening of the Erez Crossing and the expansion of the fishing zone. In spite of Israel’s concessions, which have already been enacted, the violent riots along the border continued this Friday as they have done for the last year. Both Hamas and Israel are now claiming that no ceasefire has been reached and this coming Tuesday Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are planning to begin an open-ended hunger strike demanding the unjamming of their cell phones, family visits and improved conditions.

Although we do seem for now anyway to have taken a step back from the brink of war, nothing has really changed. There is growing feeling here that Hamas is just playing cat and mouse with us and we are the mice! They are cynically taking advantage of the fact we are reluctant to go to war, which would exact a high price on all sides with a lot of civilian deaths and suffering. They push us to the brink and then demand concessions to ease the pressure. This has been going on for years and years, and the Israeli population, especially those living in the south have had enough. A large group of southern residents have set up a protest tent camp in the middle of Tel Aviv demanding a stronger and more decisive action from the government and our armed forces. We seem to be getting closer and closer to having no choice but the retake the whole of the Gaza Strip and depose Hamas and disarm Islamic Jihad. This would be almost impossible as several generations now have been brainwashed from birth to hate Israel. We could not rule such a population and no one else wants to try either. Nor do they seem capable of ruling themselves. It is a seemingly insoluble dilemma.

The “Jewish Press” published a summary of the border incidents over the last year (3), saying that,

“The total number of border incidents since March 30, 2018 stands at 2,199, including:

* 1,233 rocket/mortar bomb launches
* 18 incidents of gunfire from the Gaza Strip
* 94 IED incidents, where one or several explosive devices were hurled across the security barrier
* 600 Molotov cocktail incidents
* 152 incidents of arson/burning tires/hurling of various objects.”

In addition, “arson balloons and kites launched from the Gaza Strip are believed to have caused a total of 1,963 fires, sometimes as many as 30+ in a single day.

These fires have caused extensive damage in a land area of approximately 35 square kilometers, including 13 sq. km. of nature reserves and 11 sq. km. of Jewish National Fund forests. The combined damages suffered by Israelis due to rocket fire and arson balloons from Gaza are estimated at approximately NIS 35 million.”

Perhaps the most affected Israeli town is Sderot, a town of some 28,000 inhabitants. Sderot lies less than one kilometer from the north-eastern corner of the Gaza border, and since 2001, it has ‘absorbed’ a rain of some 13,000 rockets fired from within Gaza. Can you imagine that? What if 13,000 rockets were to fall on your town or neighborhood? What if your children are growing up knowing nothing else but ‘code red sirens’ and bomb shelters. Sderot is the ‘bomb shelter capital of the world’! All homes, schools and public places have bomb shelters and often, specially reinforced roofs. Residents have less than 10 seconds to reach shelter when the sirens go off. It means you must live in a constant state of hyperalertness, always looking around for the nearest shelter in case the sirens sound. Most of the population are suffering from some degree of PSTD. Yet, in spite of this, the town is growing as new neighborhoods and even a new shopping mall are being built. This is the spirit of Israel. The more our enemies try to destroy us the more determined we are to not only survive, but flourish.

Click on the link below for a Map of Sderot

https://www.google.co.il/maps/place/Sderot/@31.5198523,34.6123021,10.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x15028152b5bc422b:0x9eca44351ad2130a!8m2!3d31.522694!4d34.595581?hl=en

Hamas has vowed to turn Sderot into a ‘city of death’, but when the Messianic believers in the town began to fast and pray for its safety
“ a vast number of miracles began to occur. Although a constant barrage of rockets were being launched daily, even hourly, the great majority of them failed to reach their targets and actually fell between houses rather than on houses. If they did fall on houses, it always happened when people were not home and the houses were empty. Whether they were shopping or on vacation, it was remarkable that this was the pattern.” (2) I would recommend you read this full article published in Kehila News. It is a great testimony to the power of prayer and the courage and boldness of the believers in Sderot. an example to us all:
https://kehilanews.com/2019/04/03/city-of-life-in-every-sense-of-the-word/

IN THE NORTH

In the midst of all this, developments were taking place also in the north. On the same night that the missile struck the house in Mishmeret, US President Trump signed a declaration recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israel conquered the Heights during the 1967 war, and they have had the status of occupied territory every since. This high, plateau covered in large basalt volcanic bolders, was sparsely populated in 1967. Some 80-130,000 of the local residents fled to Syria. The remaining 7,000 now live in a handful of towns and villages around the foot of Mt Hermon. These are mostly Druse, about 50% of whom have accepted Israeli citizenship. and even serve with great distinction in the Israeli army. The others still see themselves as Syrian citizens under occupation, and of course many still have close family members in Syria. Jews have settled the area and it is now home to some approximately 20,000 Israeli residents living in 32 settlements, the largest of which is Katzrin.

In 1981 Israel passed the Golan Heights Law which extended Israeli
“laws, jurisdiction and administration”, in effect a de facto annexation. The Golan Heights Law has not been recognized by the UN or any nation until this recent signing of the declaration by the USA. Of course, Syria is not happy about this latest turn of events and vows to ‘reconquer the Heights’ at any cost. It is doubtful that Syria, still reeling from its five-year long civil war, is in any position to do so, but they do have some very powerful allies, Iran and Russia, not to mention Hezbollah. Needless to say the tension on the northern border continues to build and the situation there is as volatile, and greatly more dangerous, than that on the southern border. Please keep praying!

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=204608

ELECTIONS

In just 3 days Israel goes to the polls to elect a new government. It is a national holiday in Israel designed to encourage people to vote. For many it is an excuse for an outing to the beach or the nature reserves. Polls indicate that the election will be closely fought between the incumbent Likud Party, with Netanyahu seeking a 5th term in office as Prime Minister, and the Blue and White Party headed by Benny Gantz. It is very likely that even if Gantz were to win a majority he would have difficulty forming a coalition large enough to oust Netanyahu’s block. Many are very uncertain about how to vote. Please pray that God will raise up in Israel a righteous government that will act according to His will.

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings

Daniel 2 : 21-22

God reigns over the nations;
    God is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations assemble
    as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings^[c]of the earth belong to God;
    he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 47:8-9

BUTTERFLIES FOR LOCUSTS

I was driving home the other day when I ran into a swarm of insects splatting on the windscreen. At first I thought they must be locusts but I quickly realized they were butterflies, much to my astonishment. A few weeks ago we were warned that, because of the abundant rains this year, large locust swarms were moving up the Arabian Peninsula and might soon arrive in Israel (4). They didn’t – they hit Saudi Arabia and Eygpt instead. And us? We got butterflies!!!! Millions and millions of Painted Lady butterflies, having bred in the lush rain-fed vegetation in the Arabian Peninsula, are now passing through Israel on their way to Europe (4). It was just lovely to watch so many butterflies passing through. God is good isn’t He?

A Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui) Nazareth 4 April, 2019

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS – THEY MATTER MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK – AND MAY ALL YOUR LOCUSTS TURN INTO BUTTERFLIES!

References:

MOONSHOT

February 24, 2019 / admin

This is the first time I am writing my blog on this new website “Talia’s Joy”. It will still be available on the Google Blog site as before, at least for a while. You are invited to look at the other posts on this website too.

I haven’t written for a while because I have just started a new job and have been rather busy. It seems I failed ‘retirement’ and it is good to back in the working world. I am only working part time and, so far, I am enjoying it a lot.

It is deep winter here in Israel and it has been a cool and wet one so far – the wettest I can remember for quite a while. We haven’t had a lot of rain here in the Jerusalem area, but there have been plentiful rains and snowfall in the north where it is most needed to fill the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the aquifers. The Kinneret has risen 1.4 m since the start of the winter and is expected to pass the lower red line by the end of the rainy season in about a month (1). When it passes the lower red line pumping from the lake can resume. This is gratifying and a reason for rejoicing, but the lake is still far from ‘full’ and as its level falls on average half to one centimeter a day because of evaporation in summer, we could still use more rain. Please keep praying.

Even though we are still in the coldest and wettest month, there are already signs of spring. The almond trees are gracing the hillsides around Jerusalem with their lovely white and pink blossom. The brilliant red anenomes are in full bloom and the annual “Red South Festival”, celebrating the blooming of the desert land in the Negev is in full swing, with many thousands of Israelis visiting the wildflowers every weekend.

The spring flowers are already turning our landscapes into beautiful gardens.

Anenomes and other wildflowers in meadow at Beit Guvrin, 20 February 2016
Photo: Talia Good

ISRAEL ON THE MOON

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
⁴Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19: 1-4

An artists rendition of Bereshit on the Moon
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5467064,00.html

Early this morning (22/02) Israel’s first moon mission was successfully launched from Florida, USA. If all goes well, this unmanned spacecraft will touch down on the moon on 11 April. This will make Israel the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon, an amazing accomplishment for a beleaguered nation of only 8 million people. This tiny craft, weighing only 585 kg and about the size of a dishwasher is named “Bereshit”, Hebrew for the first words of the Bible, “In the Beginning” ( also the Hebrew name for the first book, Genesis). This spacecraft was designed and built by a private nonprofit organization, called SpaceIL, which originally intended to compete in a Google-sponsored competition to put a spacecraft on the moon. The competition was eventually abandoned as none of the participants were able to meet the deadline, but the Israeli team decided to continue. Funded mainly by private donors, the mission will cost about $100 million, a small fraction of the cost of similar landings carried out by the USA in the sixties. It is hoped the spacecraft will land on the Mare Serenitatis (the Sea of Tranquility), a dark, lava-covered area in the northern hemisphere of the Moon. You can see this Mare from Earth – it is the left eye of the ‘man in the moon’. All going well it will send back photos and magnetic data. As it has no cooling system the spacecraft is expected to cease functioning in the intense sunlight on the moon after just 3 days. You can read more about this exciting project on https://nordic.businessinsider.com/spacex-israel-moon-mission-launch-spaceil-lunar-lander-2019-2/ or go to the website of SpaceIL, http://www.spaceil.com/

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6 : 12

It is not surprising that as we draw ever nearer to the times of the end, the intensity of the spiritual warfare being waged against the Kingdom of God is strengthening. In the center of the vortex, here in Israel, we are certainly aware of this and it seems the Enemy is ramping up the opposition. More and more believers here are coming under very serious attacks of the Enemy, mainly in the realm of health and finances.

Good friends of mine recently returned to Israel after a few years in Canada taking care of family matters. Getting settled back into the Land is no easy matter, even without the interference of the Enemy. Less than a month after their return they came home from their congregational meeting last Shabbat to find that their new home had been broken into and all their valuables stolen. Gone are all their computers and camera equipment, which they need to carry out their ministry and earn a living here. The youngest son also lost his computer which he needs for his online home schooling courses. They also lost the money they had raised for their resettlement. It is a dire blow for a family (God knows their name) that is also facing serious health issues and the death of a son just a few months ago. Please lift up this family in prayer, including their wider extended family which is also facing intense attack.

Theft is a serious problem in Israel. I have had my home broken into on three separate occasions and my bicycle stolen. My landlords and friends upstairs have had their car stolen from just outside on the street four times, twice this last year. It’s getting hard for them to get insurance on their vehicles. One of our neighbors also had his house broken into and car stolen recently. It’s hard not to feel anxious about this threat. The first thing I do each morning is to check that my car is still there and my house secure. It’s hard to always find that ‘peace that passes understanding’. Our possessions are not important in the big scheme of things, but we do need them to function in our daily lives, and when they are stolen it is stressful to say the least. Most of us who live in Israel live from day to day financially, and have no reserves to fall back on when disaster strikes. The Enemy knows where we are most vulnerable.

Pray that all the believers here in the land will be careful to put on the armor of God daily, and not give the Enemy the slightest opening for attack. It is hard to be that vigilant and to walk in total sanctification and faith all of the time. Please cover us with your prayers.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Ephesians 6: 13-18

ELECTION FEVER

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Romans 13: 1

Israel is in the grip of election fever. National Elections will be held on the 9th April. I have never become involved in Israeli politics to any great extent but I do believe that it is important to pray for our leaders, and that includes prayer to determine who those leaders will be.

Israel has a complex, democratic system of government. Israelis vote for party lists for the 120 seat Knesset (Parliament). Since the founding of the State in 1948 no one party has ever had an outright majority, meaning that we have always been ruled by coalition governments. Such a system gives inordinate power to the smaller, extreme right- or left-wing parties. Binyamin Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party have been in power for the last decade.

Today (22/02) is the last day for parties to submit their lists. A few days ago Netanyahu announced that his Likud Party had formed a coalition together with the extreme far-right religious parties in anticipation of a coalition of left and centrist parties joining forces. This may lose his party votes as he has now joined forces with the extreme right, including the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) Party, successor to the Kach Party, once led by the late-Rabbi Yehuda Kahane, and which was banned some years ago for its extreme racist stance (3). This morning the two largest centrist parties, Yesh Atid , led by Yair Lapid, and Israel Resilience , led by Benny Gantz, will run together in the elections (4). If successful Gantz and Lapid would rotate for the Prime Minister’s position. The left wing parties are in disarray and can only agree on one thing, that they want to depose Netanyahu. They are unlikely to be a threat to either the Right or the Center in this election. The latest polls are giving a lead to the Centrist Gantz/Lapid coalition, but it will be a close-run election.

In the Israeli political scene there is really only one deciding issue and that is national security. Netanyahu has remained in power because most Israelis have seen him as the best leader in International Affairs and military matters. Netanyahu is now 69 years old and faces corruption charges which may lead to an indictment before the election date. On the other hand, the Centrist coalition leaders, Gantz (59) and Lapid (55), are both former IDF c

Chiefs of Staff, and their coalition lists include other high-ranking military men, including Gabi Ashkenazi, also a former IDF Chief of Staff, and a former Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon.

Left to right: Gabi Ashkenazi, Moshe Ya’alon, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5467517,00.html

You might be wondering what the terms ‘right’ and ‘left’ mean in Israeli politics. It is not primarily an economic delineation but rather a religious one. The right is mainly religious, morally conservative and ‘hawkish’ in military position. The left is more secular, morally more liberal and ‘doveish’. This is of course an oversimplification of a very complex picture.

The focus on national security as the overriding concern means that internal issues often get pushed aside. Israel faces many internal challenges such as the inequity of wealth, the rising number of poor, crises in the education and health sectors, just to name a few. I am praying that, whatever government gets into power, at least some of these issues can receive the attention they deserve. It is important of course that we face the external threats to our existence but that is meaningless if we self-destruct from inside.

TENSION IN THE SOUTH

It is almost a year now since the “March of Return” protests began at the Gaza border and in the last week or so there has been an increase in the number and violence of the confrontations. Until recently the main confrontations were on Fridays, after Muslim prayers, but this week there have been violent protests on the border on a daily basis and we have also seen the resurgence of balloon-borne incendiary devices. It is difficult to get much news as the elections are dominating the media and, quite frankly, I think we are all getting a bit bored with it all. It is sad when such things become routine and ‘normal’.

This week top military analysts have warned that we can expect an increase in tension and confrontation as the elections approach and a full-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip is looking more and more inevitable. Today the IDF began a 3-day military-wide exercise simulating an all out war with Gaza. The drill will include the ground forces, armor, artillery and aircraft and will involve the use of live-fire exercises, troop deployments to various areas, aerial maneuvres, and include a test of the emergency call-up procedures. Though the IDF claims that this ‘surprise’ exercise was part of its routine training programme, it comes in wake of an assertion by the former military ombudsman, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brick, that the army was not prepared for large scale war (5). I suspect is also designed to send a message to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip not to continue pushing the escalation any further. Please pray that they get this message. A full-scale war would result in the great loss of life on both sides, but would be a terrible humanitarian disaster in Gaza, which is already teetering on complete collapse.

JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE MOUNT

In recent weeks there has also been a rise in terrorism in Jerusalem and the West Bank. On Thursday night last week (21/02) 10 Molotov coctails were thrown at a bus carrying Jewish tourists in Siloam (an Arab village in Jerusalem), about 400 m from the Western Wall. The bus was destroyed by fire but miraculously all the passengers escaped (6).

On Friday (22/02) thousands of Muslim worshippers entered the Bab-al-Rahama (the Mercy Gate) compound. This Gate is known to Christians as the Golden Gate through which Yeshua (Jesus) will return. Israel closed this compound in 2003 because excavations were being carried out there which posed a threat to Jewish antiquities on the site. On Friday the Waqf, the Islamic Endowment, which controls activities on the Temple Mount illegally opened the gate and permitted the entry of Muslim worshippers. Today Israel detained the Waqf Council chairman, Sheikh Abd al-Athim Salhab, and the Deputy Director of Awqaf in Jerusalem, Sheikh Najeh Bkerat (7). No doubt this incident will raise the temperature on the Temple Mount and could lead to increased rioting and terror attacks. Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you …”

Psalm 122:6

REFERENCES

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