Day of Prayer for Israel (4 Oct 2009)

On Sunday 4 October over 200,000 Churches from around the world join in a Day of Prayer for Israel (see: www.daytopray.com). While the Jewish people have been the most persecuted, rejected, and tortured people in history, the 'scapegoat misuse' of God's beloved people still contines. Today many people around the world hate Israel, and the very existence of a Jewish State is unnacceptable. This is not only true for many followers of Islam, but also of secular Europeans, who are being influenced by a pre-determined anti-Israel attitude and, worse, by media bias that is distorted by subjectivity and a humanistic agenda. Over against all that anti-Semitism and hatred against the Jewish people and their tiny State, there is a large movement of Christians who stand with, support, and pray for Israel, the Jewish People and the State of Israel.

On Sunday 4 October, as every first Sunday in October of the year, Christians from around the world are gathering to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (see Psalm 122:6). As Christians we are called to be those who promote love, peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation - and where is this more needed than in Israel?! The whole issue is ever so controversial and complex, to say the least, and everybody around the world seems to have an opinion! But sometimes these opinions are based on emotional reactions to biased media reports, and are not informed opinions based on research and objective analyses. Too often those with the strongest and loudest opinions are those who are least informed!

While the issue is too complex to be treated in a single blog post, here are five points why Christians should pray for Israel:

1. The Jewish People are God's People (Gn 17:7; Ex 19:4-6; Jer 31:35-37; Rom 9:4-5; 11:1-2): They are chosen, beloved and enterally covenanted with the God who calls Himself the God of Israel. Those who bless Israel will be blessed by God (Gn 12:3; 27:29). Despite their short-comings in history and political and morals failures today, the Jewish people are and remain to be God's people. It is therefore imperative that we support them and pray for them as Christians who are fellow citizens with the Jews through our faith in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) as Shaul (Paul) taught (Eph 2).
2. The Church owes ever so much to the Jewish People (Ex 20; Jn 4:2; Rom 9:4-5): Not only have Jews been and still are a tremenduous blessing to the whole world (especially in science, the economy and the arts), Christianity owes everything to them. 'Salvation is of the Jews,' in the words of the Messiah Himself (Jn 4:22). Israel didn't just give us the Word of God (Bible), but also the Saviour of the world, through whom everybody can find salvation. Jewish wisdom in Scripture is absolutly leading, and the moral teachings of Jesus found fans in various religions and sectors of society, from John Lennon to Mohandas Gandhi! Abraham Lincoln considered the Bible to be the greatest gift from God - and it came through the Jewish people. Today the moral code of Scripture is the basis of our legal system and democracy. But the Church owes Israel not only because of the good things she has blessed us with, but also because of all the harm that has come to the Jews at the hands of the institutional Church, starting with the anti-Semitism of the Church Fathers (early church leaders, 3rd and 4th cent. CE), to the Inquisition and various expulsions from one corner of Europe to another (Middle Ages), to Martin Luther's anti-Jewish propaganda, to the climax of 23 centuries of anti-Semitism: the Shoah (Holocaust) at the hands of Nazi Germany during WWII (only just over 60 years ago!). Christians are to protect and support the Jews in order to show them that Christians today are not the same as the Christians of the Middle Ages or the Reformation.
   
3. Israel and the Jewish People are seriously threatened (Ps 83). Throughout history Israel has suffered more than any other people, not least at the hands of the institutional Church in the Middle Ages. We are to support persecuted and rejected peoples, be they in Africa, South America, the Far East or the Middle East. Today Iran and other nations of the Arab world (to a lesser extent) pose a serious threat to Israel and the Jewish people as their officially declared goal is the total destruction of the State of Israel. In fact, according to Iran, peace will prevail once Israel is annihilated - what a solution to the Middle East conflict! And this not from an extremist, radical, Islamic organisation, but from a head of state, who is presently arming himself with a nuclear weapon to fulfill his hateful aims. Christians are to pray and use their influence to oppose such terrible plans.
4. We are to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). All of God's people are called to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. This is ever so important in our dramatic times today. God loves not only His own people (Israel), but all peoples, especially the suffering Arab population. We are to pray that peace can prevail and that the suffering of the innocent can be stopped. While the Arab nations accuse only Israel for the suffering of the Arabs in and around Israel, we should know that the civilians are used by such leaders as of the PLO, PA, Hamas, Hizbollah, in order to win the support of the nations against Israel. While Jordan occupied the West Bank (1948-67), did they solve the problem of the refugees? (a problem, by the way, caused by the Arab attacks on Israel in 1948). What ever the political and historical causes, we need to pray for peace on all sides. As Christians we are to stand up for peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation!
5. Christians are to love, bless and pray for both neighbours and enemies (Mt 5:43-45; Lk 10:27). We are called to bless, not to judge; we are called to be peacemakers and promote reconciliation through the Gospel message (2Co 5:18-20). So, whoever we might consider neighbour (those we like) or enemy (those we dislike), we should love, bless, and pray for both sides. In fact, we shouldn't dislike any people, nor take sides over against another. We can stand by Israel, while at the same time help the suffering Arab civilian population. Yet we must clearly understand how Islamic hate-ideology is fuelling the fires of anti-Semitism and hatred, something we can clearly not support whatever Israel might do wrong. At the same time, addressing political and moral issues with Israelis in a respectful way is not anti-Semitic (many Israelis struggle with some of their own politicians - at least, they have the freedom to think, debate and disagree).

Yes, it is very complex and controversial, but hopefully these points will help in our prayers. We should pray for people on all sides and in all positions, but above all for the truth to be revealed and the purposes of God to come to pass - He wants blessing, peace and salvation for all human beings, no matter what they believe, what their background is, or what crimes they have commited. There is forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation through the One called Prince of Peace, Yeshua HaMashiakh.

Netanyahu at the UN

The report by Haaretz covers the main trust of Netanyahu's speech at the UN today. I admire him for standing up for the rights of Israel in the face of all the opposition she faces. What troubles me is that he even has to defend the historicity of the Holocaust! It is outrageuous that we have come thus far.

Netanyahu is dead right in making clear how dangerous the fundamentalist Islam promoted by Iran is and that not only Israel but other nations are endangered by it, especially if Iran could attain nuclear weapons. Israel's promise for peace stands: 'Every time an Arab leader truly wanted peace, they got it,' Netanyahu said in his UN speech. 'If the Palestinians truly want peace, we will make peace.' It is no good for Arab leaders to make peace on paper and than launch an intifada (uprising) against Israel; it is no good for Arab leaders to speak of peace in English and of war in Arabic! I salute all Arabs and Muslims who genuinely seek peace, tolerate others of different religions and politics, and mean what they say - the world needs more people like you!

Israel has all the rights to have security - and security is the key issue. Israel has certainly learnt from her tradgic history that when a nation says it wants to destroy the Jews she will take it serious! 27 May 1967: 'Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel,' Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt; 'Our goal is clear - to wipe Israel off the map,' Abdel Rahman Aref, President of Iraq. The same is being said by Hamas and Iran today - but will we take it serious? The Jews do - and rightly so! Ahmadinejad is, as German FM rightly said, 'a disgrace to his country.' The UN better act now before it's too late. I say yes to diplomacy, but only as long as it works - during the rise of Hitler it didn't.

Boycott Israel? Think again!

This video is very revealing - yet a bit cynical, sorry. But sometimes you must reveal certain foolish things in that way to get people thinking. Check it out - you might be surprised just how much good Israel is doing arond the world to bless, care and help!

John Hagee rightly wrote that 'if an anti-Semite had the courage to truly boycott everything Jewish, his life would regress to the Dark Ages.'

Holocaust Denial - Outrageous, Hateful, Revealing

Iran's President has once again denied the Holocaust - the greatest tradgey in both world and Jewish history. Just as Israel is the focus point of much of world history and politics today, so were the Jewish people the main victims of WWII. Yet almost the whole world was involved, just as it is today. The truth is this: no one can deny Israel her right to do everything in her power to avoid another such catastrophe, especially in view of the fact that the threat to destroy Israel is a very real one. For Ahmadinejad the Middle East peace process is easy: destroy Israel and peace will prevail. Great idea, isn't it? That's like saying: the way to abolish poverty is to kill all poor people! But few leaders have reacted to such blantant 'strategies' by a mad leader whose agenda is supported nationally; he's not leader of some small terrorist group, no, he's a leader of a country - one that is amasing neuclear weapons, by the way...

The Germans are brave: they will boycott any speech today at the UN that will deny the Holocaust. At least the Russians were clear on criticising Ahmadinejad for his Holocaust denial - and they are right, constructive dialogue with world leaders will only become more difficult with such outrageous claims and distortion of history. How to deal with Iran? The Middle Eastern way, perhaps. Are Western politics and mindset realy the answer in a culture not fully understood by them? When the US sought to defeat Vietnam, they learned too late what kind of people they were and at the terrible cost of tens of thousands of dead they couldn't achieve victory. Israel understands best how to fight and win this struggle. Yet Israel is bound by virtually everybody's opinion on how to go about. Well, good for Israel that they actually are seeking diplomatic solutions, but sadly this is not recognised by the international community as it should. Not just are the distortion of the media in the West alarming, the very mindset that is formed by it leads to the ultimate aims of radical Islamic leaders: they are seeking the support of the world to actually execute their plans to destroy Israel - ultimately. Israel has always been the scaptgoat throughout history; that's why they were an easy target for Hitler. But in Bulgaria, for example, it was the Bulgarian population who stood up against deportations of fellow (Jewish) citizens who were good people, hard work, beloved. That is bravery.

But what of Ahmadinejad's rhetoric? Why does he need to deny the Holocaust in order to achieve his ultimate plans to destroy Israel? Well, the answer is obvious: because the Holocaust is real reason for the Jewish people to have their own land, for land means security. The very fact that the Holocaust is sought to be denied - and the brainwashing and distoration of histoiry works in places where people don't have freedom to think, disagree or read certain sources - reveals that it is - even for Ahmadinejad - a real reason for the Jews to have their land! The problem is not Israel; the problem in the Middle East is the hateful, radical, intolerant ideology to destory Israel simply becauise it exists - not because Zionism has 'stolen land,' or 'displaced the people who actually belong there,' etc. Jewish settlers have bought land, and most Arab Palestinians moved to the Land once settlements increased. At the very heart of this lies Muslim politics of the Middle Ages: force Jews into dhimmi status (second-class citizens). If the Islamic leaders wouldn't misuse the civilian population to fight its war against Israel, the refugee problem could have been solved a long time ago. If the Islamic leaders would recognise a Jewish state where it belongs, peace would prevail in no time - and the refugee problem could have been solved a long time ago.

Whatevery the outcome today, I doubt that the biased UN will solve the world's most important problem. Unless world leaders radically fight Islamic ideology that seeks to destory a people, it will never deal with the root of the problem - that is the true cancer in the Middle East and the main hindrance to peace.

'You're not Shaken' by Phil Stacey

Good Stuff!

So COOL, FUNNY, and ORIGINAL!

Jesus take the Wheel

Heimlicher

Appeasement doesn't work!

Jesus Culture UK Tour (Sept/Oct)

Here are the dates for the UK Tour of Jesus Culture. Highly recommendable!

Violence Not the Answer to Islam's Advance

The recent roits in Harrow have shown at least two things: (1) there are groups in the UK who disapprove of Islam's advance and (2) that Muslims are quick to defend themselves. But is violence the answer to the problem posed by the advance of Islam in this country? Is violence the way to respond? Yet what excatly is the problem of Islam's advance around the world?

While many people have different views and issues with Islam, two major problems I see are (1) the advance of Wahhabi Islam, the most conservative form of Islam promoted in and sponsored by Saudi Arabian oil-dollars, and (2) the anti-assimilation attitude of most Muslims. Wahhabism is very conservative and strict, extremely discriminatory towards free thinking and women, and seeks serious domination of society. Many university chairs in the US are sponsored by Saudia Arabia, and thus they determine how Islam and the Muslim world is being presented in the West (i.e., important facts are whitewashed or simply ommitted). Wahhabi Islam is very intolerant and often the breeding ground for extremism. Yet such kind of intolerant, strict extremism simply doesn't fit into the Western world! While I take many issues with modern Western society, there are elements deeply rooted in our Judeo-Christian heritage that are invaluable (values non-Jews and non-Christians value, too!): the tradition of the freedom of speech and thought, the freedom to analyse religion and politics and form one's own opinion, the freedom of variety and pluralism, and pursuit of individual aims, the democratic attitude of discussion and sharing of views and opinions to find the best solution, the right to protest and object to government policies, and the security among decent citizents. There is more to share, but these are elements few Westerners would trade for a rigid religious regime that imposes almost everything on its citizens from dress-code to creed, from food-laws to forms of worship. The other serious problem with the advance of Islam is the anti-assimilation attitude one finds among most Muslims. While we respect and appreciate different cultures and their customs - many of which enrich society and make it pluralistic and open-minded - the refusal to adapt and assimilate in some way is alarming. Islam is not just a set of beliefs for private religion; it involves every aspect of life, including politics. The thought of democracy does in fact contradict the very core of Islam: it's not about what people want, but what Allah commands (the most recent example: Iran). That does not fit into the West, and certainly not into a secularised West! Ironically, it is the humanistic, free-thinking, secular people group who don't seem to understand what really is at stake. The very people who condemn Christianity for its Crusades a thousand years ago (!) and hate Isrel for defending herself as she sees fit, are those who all but welcome the spread of the undoubtedly most intolerant religion of all time. Strange...

However, the way to deal with the issue is not violence, but open, tolerant discussion, the free expression and sharing of information about all religions, including Islam, and the possibility to critically evaluate the nature and consequences of religious teachings. The last point is the biggest problem for many Muslims. As soon as someone even questions any element of Islam or the Quran, it is considered blasphemy - and there's only one punishment for that: execution. In our liberal society this is unthinkable, yet Western politicians sucumb to the pressure in order not to offend any one. But you cannot be tolerant towards people who are not tolerant towards others. Appeasement doesn't work with a hungry crocodile! Winston Church is reported to have said, "An appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last." Appeasement is giving people tolerantly want they want, while the other side doesn't make concessions whatsoever. Yes, of course, these are usually radical politicians and leaders (e.g., Hamas) - but that is exactly the very war Israel is fighting for over 60 years now. Peace treaties are rejected by Arab leaders, and whenever one was signed, it was soon broken by stirring a riot (e.g., Arafat). These kinds of leaders will simply not give in until they reach their goals: and their goals are the destruction of Israel, the subordination of Western, Anglo-Saxon society, and the complete control of Islam in every area of society. It's that simple; it's that serious. While a few cartoon strips about Muhammad apparently gives the 'right' for Muslim riots, Israel-haters are allowed to weekly, often daily, publish the most gross and false caricatures of Jews - and no-one objects, oh yes, except the Jews, but who takes them serious enough? Well, some do, but too few. They know exactly how to fight this war, and instead of the West trying to tell Israel how to do things, we should learn from them.

But again, in terms of demonstrations etc the answer is not violence - on neither side - but open, tolerant discussion, the free expression and sharing of information about all religions, including Islam, and the possibility to critically evaluate the consequences of religious teachings. National politics is another matter: sometimes a pre-emtive strike is necessary in order to prevent a great evil (Israel is facing this dilemma with Iran's serious nuclear threat). But one thing is certain: Western politicians cannot surrender these core values of our society, else we WILL wake up in another dictatorial nightmare, for most Westerners are already dreaming!

Churchill has the last word: "I never worry about action, but only about inaction."

The serious Threat of Radical Islam

While both good-willed and ignorant people in the West only want to see Islam as a peaceful religion and the threat of radical Islam as minimal, this article exposes tremenduous facts and analyses of how radical Islam is taking over in non-violent ways, using millions of dollars to buy into university chairs in the US and other ways to influence Western culture and slowly convert it to build the global Islam nation. The new movie The Third Jihad is a dramatic demonstration of how alarming the threat of radical Islam is. It can be viewed for free until Thuesday: click here.

If 'only' 15 to 20% of Muslims are radical, while the rest is non-violent, we are speaking of about 300 million radicals. They will take passages from the Quran literal which speak of killing infidels and subduing the world to Islam. One would think that 9/11 in the US and 7/7 in the UK should have made plain to the world how serious the threat is, yet the West's politicians still deny it. If Obama seriously wants Americans to stand up for the country they love, he'd better take the threat of both violent and non-violent Islamicism serious. But these secular and humanistic politicians don't understand the determination of a radical religious fanatic nor the midset of the Middle East, yet they want to tell Israel how to fight her war against Iran and the like. All Ahmadinejad wants is the destruction of Israel, the same aim as all radical terrorist groups fighting Israel's independence since it started in 1948. But peace will only be possible once all Islamist nations recognise Israel as a Jewish state in the Middle East.

DaVinci Code (Movie)

I'm watching the DaVinci Code movie at the moment - I must say, I have never heard so much nonsense and unhistorical statements in such a short time... I don't even know where to start - it's such rubbish they claim about Jesus' physical bloodline through Mary and the history of Christianity. It's so silly and stupid, I wonder how anyone can give thought to such ridiculous theories... Please, dear reader, do not believe a word they promote. Countless trusted, liberal and sincere scholars have time and again proven the trustworthiness of the Gospel tradition, Church history and the realiability of the Bible. It's simply unthinkable in our world today that such 'secrets' can be kept. The Church has no such power as is claimed, certainly not since the Reformation and the emergence of numerous different streams of Christianity, all doing their own research and investigations. The DaVinci Code is pure fiction, and people who promote theories like these simply do it to excite readers with fantasy and to make money.

Federer - the true Champion!

Federer is the true Champion of all times!

'Your Love never fails' by Chris Quilala/Jesus Culture

'How He loves us' by Kim Walker/Jesus Culture

'Where You go I go' by Kim Walker/Jesus Culture

Defiance - comments, reflections

Defiance is a truly great movie which shows the dramatic and moving story of Jews in Belarus surviving in the forests from Nazi persecution and execution during WWII. They were led by a group of brothers who took in any Jew on the run, provided for them, and defended them. The circumstances under which they had to survive were tremendous. It shows how they stuck together through it all, how they organised themselves and how they found ways of survival in impossible circumstances.

Defiance tells yet another dramatic story of Jewish survival during WWII. What these six years have done to that persecuted people is hardly understandable for outsiders. It certainly explains why Israel today is so determined to defend herself in order to avoid another such catastrophy. Finally, since 1948, Israel received back her land and can be independent and able to defend herself. The Holocaust is not the first terrible thing that happened to the Jews: they were persecuted for centuries, persecuted from one corner of Europe to another; there were blood libels, progroms, random plunderings and killings; there false accusations, blaming the Jews for all kinds of evils, and treating them as scapegoats; the Crusaders killed Jews, burning them in their synagogues, while singing Psalms from the Bible (!) and holding up large wooden crosses; the Inquisition forced conversion on Jews, else excluding them from trade; the Muslims made them second-class citizens, taking up to half their earnings, and sometimes killing at will; the list goes on and on... The Holocaust is really only the climax of all the Jewish people had to endure over the centuries. Who can deny a post-Holocaust people the right to defend itself after all their suffering?

Defiance - great movie!

A very funny Confusion... (Rush Hour 3)