No, its not a typo. Jerusalema is the Zulu name for Jerusalem and the title of a South African song/dance that has swept the world. This song was released in South Africa in 2019 and was performed by an Angolan dance troupe in February this year, and it has since swept the globe. The official video release has been hit on 269,922,313 times to date! Below is a video of Jerusalem mayor, Moshe Lion, singing and dancing this song along with Holocaust survivors, elementary school students, youth from both the east and west of Jerusalem (Arabs and Jews), university students, and municipality workers. This song has swept through the world since it was released last year, because it touches a chord in the hearts of many people these days, those who long for the coming redemption of this world and the new Jerusalem, and those who are looking for hope in an increasingly dark world. The writer of the song, Master K.G. says it is a plea to God to take him to the holy city, Jerusalem. Translated into English the lyrics read:
Jerusalem, my home, Guard me, Walk with me, Do not leave me here.
My place is not here. I have no place here, My kingdom is nowhere near, Guard me, Walk with me.
God never sends calamities on the world just to punish. It is always done in the hope it will drive people to cry out to Him for salvation. When all is well we easily forget God and become caught up in our self-centered activities. When disaster strikes or danger arises there are few who do not call upon God for relief or protection. There is a saying here “There are no atheists in battle”.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 4: 16-5: 5
Here in Israel life has slowed down this last year. We have had two, and are heading for a third lockdown. Many are stuck at home with little to do but watch videos on the internet. One Israeli Messianic ministry, One for Israel, is making the most of this God-given opportunity to reach out into the community using YouTube videos, in Hebrew, Arabic and English, to bring the good news of Yeshua (Jesus) and the hope that is in Him. They report that since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic they have received more interest and questions than ever before – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50bG0BJSb7E. This ministry is reaching into all corners of Israeli society with a powerful message. They have posted many fascinating and challenging videos to date. Please take a look at some of these videos and pray for this work. Pray too for the safety of the people doing this as they are taking a big risk in exposing their identities in this way.
It seems like Moshe Lion is not our only politician with hidden talents. Bibi Netanyahu demonstrated his pleasant baritone voice in recording a song “Yesh Bi Ahava” (I have love in me) with well-known Israeli singer, Eden Ben Zaken, for the charity, Ken LeZaken, which works with elderly in need. You can listen to it on this link:
blob: https://www.ynetnews.com/4b4ea0e1-5305-437e-85a8-bd1c42523fd4
(if you cannot open it, go to this article https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/SkSiww12v)
Perhaps we would all be better off if our politicians would stop their ‘politicking’ and just sing and dance instead!!
Our politicians are driving us crazy these days. They have perfected the art of the ‘zigzag’ – making a decision one day and reversing it the next. We do not know if we are coming or going. We don’t know what is open and what is closed, whether we can go to work or school, or must stay home. It is becoming impossible to plan more than a few hours ahead.
For example, last Monday (7/12) it was announced that from Wednesday(9/12) we would have a night time curfew until the 2nd of January. On that Wednesday morning the curfew was cancelled, and instead of increasing restrictions, they lifted them even further by allowing shopping malls to reopen, while at the same time warning us that Covid infection rates are reaching the level when a full lockdown is inevitable. Today (16/12) we are being told we will have another lockdown within the week. They have still not announced just when that will take effect and what will be open or not.
I think I want to be a cat. My cat gets up in the morning, stretches, goes outside for a pee, comes indoors again, eats breakfast and goes back to bed. What a life!! All I would have to do is find a human ‘mum’ and convince her to house, feed and care for me in every way. Sounds great, right? I do envy my cat’s lifestyle. No work, no worries, no commitments, no Covid, no economic crisis, no wars or terrorists to deal with a – just lots of sleep, food and cuddles. When I think about it though, I may not have a ‘mum’ but I do have a good shepherd who has promised to take care of my every need. He has promised never to leave nor forsake us. We do not need to worry or be anxious about tomorrow.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6: 25-34
One of the positive outcomes of the coronavirus crisis is that many people have been forced to reconsider their priorities. Israelis have been known to be consummate shoppers, often going into debt just to obsessively buy new things. With the shops closed and income limited, or even stopped, many have had to find new ways to find satisfaction and pleasure. People are reporting they have rediscovered the joy of spending time with their children and families are spending more time out in nature together. I even heard a report that many children who have been forced to ‘do school’ online for months are voluntarily leaving their screens and are going outdoors to play games. Of course there is a down side too. Many families are becoming very stressed, even traumatized, by having to spend more time shut up indoors together. There is an increase in the demand for help from social services and the incidence of depression, family violence and suicide rates are on the increase.
Many are glad that the year 2020 is drawing to a close. What a year it has been. For me it started off with being grounded for a few months after taking a nose-dive down a mountainside and injuring both shoulders, losing a lot of skin off one shin and dislocating a thumb (which still won’t bend). I am very thankful it was not any worse. I was just getting back to work and being able to swim again when the Coronavirus hit us. I managed to keep teaching online until the end of May, but since then our school has been closed down, and I have been out of work. We have been stuck at home during lockdowns and even when the lockdowns are lifted there is nowhere to go and nothing to do as all hotels, restaurants and places of culture and amusement are closed still. Wearing masks in public and social distancing have become the new norm. Life has become dreary and somewhat isolated. Our congregation has not met now for around 10 months, except for 2-3 times at one stage between lockdowns). I thank God for WhatsApp and Zoom. I also thank God that I have stayed healthy (at least from the Covid) as have all my friends and family. I still have a roof over my head, some food in the fridge and a little money in the bank, unlike so many around the world. I have so much to be thankful for.
Yesterday my housegroup met together face-to-face for just the second time in ten months. We had a picnic together at the Gazelle Park in Jerusalem. The weather was ‘British’ as someone remarked, overcast and threatening rain. But, it didn’t rain. It was just good to see friends face-to-face and be outdoors together. Two weeks ago we had our first picnic at the Sataf park near Mevaseret. Although we hadn’t met ‘in the flesh’ for a long time we have been meeting at least twice a week on Zoom and also informally in twos and threes. We are in constant touch with each other by means of WhatsApp and in many ways are sharing our lives more with each other than we did before the corona. We have also been able to reestablish ties with some of our former members who are now living in the States and who are again in daily fellowship with us online.
A few days ago I went for a long walk out in the forest. It was still overcast and cool but once more the rain held off. It was lovely to see some of the winter wildflowers beginning to appear and the landscape turning green.
I have been making an effort to get out and about a bit between lockdowns. About three weeks ago I went up to Atlit with a friend to see the flamingoes that overwinter in the salt ponds there. It was a little difficult to get close to them to get a good photo. I did get the one below of the two flamingoes taking off in flight.
Winter has truly arrived in Israel and we have had several episodes of heavy rain already, and, sadly, some severe flooding in the coastal towns. As I am writing (16/12) it is raining heavily again and there is again serious flooding in coastal regions. Streets, houses and many cars are being swamped as the rain overwhelmed the drainage system. During the earlier floods children had to be rescued from kindergartens, and in a first, even the IDF headquarters at the Kiryia in Tel Aviv was flooded out, as was the Glilot Army base which houses many intelligence units. After the first rain all the Mediterranean beaches were closed for swimming because of the pollution being washed into the sea all along the coast. At least the land is getting a good and much needed scrubbing. You can see some of the flooding in the articles referenced below (1). It seems that flooding is becoming more frequent and more serious in recent years. It doesn’t rain often here but when it does, it is very heavy and it just overwhelms the drainage systems. Ooh, that was a very loud clap of thunder. I am going to pause now and turn my computer off until this storm passes.
The wet November bodes well for the Sea of Galilee which, after last year’s abundant rain, is now only about 1 meter below its maximum level. It is expected to reach that maximum level this winter for the first time since 1992, and the water authorities are already preparing to open the Degania Dam to release water down the Jordan River to the Dead Sea (2). The Dead Sea has been drying up at an alarming rate of 1m per year for the last 30 or so years and this is creating thousands of huge sinkholes around the shoreline, threatening agriculture, roads and the tourist industry in the area. I can remember when the water would have lapped this rather poignant sign! What remained of the Dead Sea in 2013 is that thin blue-white line in the far distance. It is even further away now, so an addition of water from the Galilee would be very welcome. (Update 09/12 – a headline today in the Ha’aretz newspaper claimed that there are plans to pump water north from the Sea of Galilee instead of allowing it to flow south. Environmental agencies are opposing this as being too expensive and ecologically damaging (3).
COVID – 19 AND VACCINES
The first batch of vaccines purchased from Pfizer arrived in Israel one the 9th of this month. Since then there have been a number of additional shipments both from Pfizer and from Moderna. Medical and care personnel will be the first to receive it beginning this coming Saturday night. From Monday the Sick Funds will start vaccinating the over 60’s and those with high risk due to serious illness. Yesterday my Sick Fund, Maccabbi, announced that the people in these category could call their number to start making appointments. Within two hours the system overloaded and went down. It is still not working. This was a mistake. They should have done what they did with the flu vaccine which was to send out invitations to those eligible. I doubt they expected such an overwhelming response because polls have been saying that only 20% of Israelis are willing to receive the first batches of vaccine. However even just 20% is still a lot of people! I hope they improve their logistics.
HANNUKA
Yesterday we lit the last candle of the Hannuka festival. It was a subdued affair this year with gatherings of more than 10 being banned. Of course some, particularly the ultra-orthodox ignored this and still gathered in large numbers.
The word ‘hannuka’ means ‘dedication’. Hannuka is not one of the cycle of annual feasts prescribed in the Old Testament, since it commemorates events after the Old Testament period, but we know that it was celebrated from the period of around 150 years prior to Yeshua’s birth. In 167 BC the Greek ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, ritually desecrated the Second Temple. Three years later, the Jews were able to take possession of it again during the Maccabean Revolt, but in order to dedicate the Temple to YHWH, special consecrated oil was needed. Some oil was found but it was enough only for one day. According to tradition, a miracle occurred and the oil burned for the whole eight days needed for the dedication process. For this reason the Festival of Hannuka is also known as the Festival of Light, and we traditionally light the Hannukiah, the 8 branched candelabra, adding one light each night for 8 nights. Today we continue this tradition and also celebrate by eating oily foods such as sufganiot (donuts) and latke (potato fritters), and playing with spinning tops (dreidels). Yeshua celebrated Hannuka, as we can read in John 10. He went up to Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication (Hannuka) and went to the Temple. It was there the Jewish religious leaders confronted him demanding that he tell them plainly whether he is the Messiah (Christ).
Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.
John 10: 22-30
One of the best known Hannuka Songs is Maoz Tsur. It begins this way (in translation):
O mighty stronghold of my salvation,
to praise You is a delight.
Restore my House of Prayer
and there we will bring a thanksgiving offering.
This Hannuka, may many recognise just who is this Maoz Tzur, our Rock of Ages, and may His ‘house of prayer’ be established in our hearts.
Here is a modern rendition of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkOss8P5tg
CHRISTMAS
We do not really celebrate Christmas here in Israel but, since moving to Jerusalem, it has been my custom to go along to the carol service at Christ Church in the Old City on Christmas Eve. It’s usually a joyful evening of singing carols, meeting friends, eating home-baked Christmas cookies and supping on hot, mulled wine to keep out the cold. It is always very special as a lot of people wander in off the street too, just to see what is happening and to enjoy the music. It won’t be happening this year, but the Christ Church congregation will be broadcasting carol services online. You can join in via the link on their website – https://www.cmj-israel.org/christchurch (which also gives the times of the services).
Christmas celebrations have been cancelled in Bethlehem too, which is an economic blow to that city. I was saddened by the headline in one of our local online news sources which read, “Bethlehem Residents Light up the Christmas Tree with Little Comfort or Joy”. Perhaps the current restrictions give us a good opportunity to reflect on the real source of our comfort or joy, Jesus (Yeshua). God was incarnated as a baby, Jesus, born in Bethlehem to share in our human weakness, to suffer and die for our sins, so that we can have the comfort and joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven and we can have eternal life. That has never changed. Christmas is not about Christmas trees (a pagan tradition), Santa Claus, decorations, giving presents, eating massive meals- or even about gathering with our families. It’s about that little baby born (probably not on Dec 25) in Bethlehem in a humble manger. We have in Him so much comfort and joy. No virus can rob us of that.
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3: 13-21
THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS
The Abraham Accords is the name being given to the agreements being forged between Israel and various Arab states, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and, just this week, Morocco. These accords are causing much excitement here as a whole raft of new business deals, trade and tourism opportunities are opening up. Already some 50,000 Israelis have visited the UAE. The video below shows Israeli goods on display in a large market in Dubai.
IRAN
On Friday the 27th November ‘someone’ assassinated top Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Iran and most of the world is blaming (or congratulating!) Israel for this action. There has been no official statement of responsibility issued by Israel, as is normal policy with these matters. Nevertheless the loss of this scientist is seen as a severe blow to the development of nuclear weapons in Iran. The Iranians, of course, are convinced that the assassination was carried out by Israel. Apparently Fakhrizadeh was killed by a remote controlled drone. Iranian leaders are threatening payback and Israeli security is on alert.
Two days ago Israel in cooperation with the US successfully tested its new multi-tier missile defense system, which can shoot down a wide range of missile types, from long-range cruise missiles to rockets and mortars, and even drones. To date Israel is the only country to have such a capability. “Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the ability of Israel’s Iron Dome system to hit guided munitions is significant, “particularly as Iran increasingly seeks to arm its terrorist proxies with weapons that [have] evasive qualities. Has Israel developed tech to counter Iran’s lethal precision-guided munitions effort? It certainly seems so” (4).
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalm 20 : 7
NEW ISRAELI ELECTIONS
This coming Tuesday midnight is the deadline for the approval of a national budget for the year 2020 (no kidding – we are nearly in 2021 already). If the Knesset cannot reach agreement, the Knesset must be dissolved according to law, and new elections held by March next year. If this happens, and it seems inevitable, it will be Israel’s 4th election in two year period, something we can ill afford at this critical time.
CHURCH OF ALMIGHTY GOD
Recently I became aware that the pseudo-Christian cult called The Church of Almighty God, also known as Eastern Lightning, is attempting to infiltrate Israel. I stumbled across music videos in Hebrew which promote their twisted doctrines, which claim that a Chinese woman, called Yang Xiangbin (pictured above), is the second coming of Christ and the incarnated Almighty God. This dangerous cult, as bizarre as it is, has attracted a following of millions all around the world. I consequently wrote an article warning of this cult in Kehila News and you can read it on Beware the Church of Almighty God / Eastern Lightning » Kehila News Israel.
There are so many other things I could write about but in the interest of (finally) getting this update published I must stop now. Please keep the matters mentioned in prayer. God Bless you all over the Christmas Season and in the coming New Year.
REFERENCES
- https://www.ynetnews.com/article/S1WE0GdqP flooding and pollution https://www.ynetnews.com/article/BJ3x00C2cw more flooding https://www.timesofisrael.com/heavy-rains-batter-central-israel-cause-flooding-in-cities-highways/
2. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-wet-november-bodes-well-for-full-kinneret-1001351298
4. https://www.timesofisrael.com/daily-virus-case-count-jumps-to-over-1800-ahead-of-nightly-curfew/
My article https://news.kehila.org/beware-the-church-of-almighty-god-eastern-lightning/