In Touch June-July 2010

IN TOUCH No.162 JUNE - JULY 2010

In th

isis

sue:

The Western Wall Controversy: Pages 4-5

The Romanising Of The Jesus Movement: Pg.6-7

Religion

Biblical WordStudy: Page 8

“For her very stones are dear to your servants...” Psalm 102:14 (NIV)

Who are we? Page 3

It is a great privilege to write my first editorial for “In Touch”. The purpose of

CFI-UK's magazine is, on the one hand, to keep ‘in touch’ with you as our friends and supporters, and on the other to keep you our friends and supporters as well as our would-be friends and supporters closely ‘in touch’ with what is happening with the Jewish community and Israel. Taking the ‘in touch’ theme further, we equally do not want to lose touch with those in our own Christian community, from where you as our friends and supporters are principally drawn, but bring that Christian community along with us. All this requires balance and care, but not to be in any way ambiguous. Essentially, we are here to provide clarity of understanding, both with regard to the ‘all Scripture is inspired’ and to the current affairs with which we all have to grapple with God’s help.

Rarely is the nation and standing of the people of Israel far from the news. With the Media increasingly looking at the story in the immediate, often putting forward a particular perspective, the challenge for us all is to be able to visualise and express the bigger picture. This involves carefully seeking to understand the facts of a given situation and in so doing not jumping to conclusions. In an age where in so many areas of life the general public express scepticism, it is surprising that people so easily take reporting of a given issue relating to Israel at face value. This needs to be addressed and we at CFI-UK are committed to providing this wider perspective.

As you read this I expect the results of the UK election will be known. As I write I do not know whether the much-vaunted hung parliament is the outcome. Whatever may be the case, the spectra of uncertainty in the days ahead will no doubt remain. Over the next few months we will be working with our partners to discover which new Members of Parliament will be favourable toward our historic Judeo-Christian heritage here in the UK, as well as those who might be helpful toward Israel and the challenges it faces at this time in her history.

We are here to provide the corporate voice to those who, like you, wish to express Christian friendship toward Israel and the Jewish people. I look forward to working with you, our team of staff, area representatives, church agents, and volunteers as well as our associated international offices, to continue on into the future in the work that CFI was established to do.

Whilst writing I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful work that our previous UK Director, Geoffrey Smith has done over some twelve years or so now, not forgetting his wife Margaret’s assistance. We all wish them both God’s continued blessing as they enter into a new phase of their lives in retirement. May I personally thank you, Geoffrey, for all your help with the handover.

Jacob VinceCFI-UK Director

In Touchis the newsletter of

Christian Friends of Israel UK

CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel by means of practical and

moral support, and to serve the Church in teaching about

God’s purposes for Israeland the Hebraic roots

of our faith.CFI also produces a monthly

News Report, a monthly Prayer Letter and a Middle East Update tape/CD/MP3.Please send for full details

of the practical projects and also of the many teaching

resources available.As an educational charity,

we carry a variety ofresources relevant to our

purpose. We do notnecessarily endorse every

view expressed by ourguest writers or authors

of these resources.

Published by:CFI Communications

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Front Cover Imageand images onPages 5 & 6:

© Bible Places.com

As TheTransitionBegins...

2 Y June/July 2010 Y Christian Friends of Israel In Touch 162

Our Christian COnstituenCy

As Christian Friends of Israel we form part of a predominantly Gentile Christian constituency, but a part that recognises our Jewish heritage and roots and therefore wants to befriend the Jewish community and the nation of Israel.

The Jewish community and Israel will actually benefit from distinctively Gentile support, in the largely Gentile corridors of power, which encompass both the Church and the State. Israel already has identifiable Jewish friends in the various secular bodies such as Parliament and the Press. What they need are those who are not Jewish but are nonetheless are prepared to understand and support.

In the same way that the political parties’ ‘Friends of Israel’ groups promote the cause of Israel and the Jewish people amongst their fellow parliamentarians, so we must do likewise amongst our constituency, fellow Christians and the Church. In so doing we can contribute to countering the historic anti-Semitic influences which are innate and latent within the Church even to this day and the Theology of Replacement which is no small measure has resulted in this outcome.

This requires provision of good and accurate information relating to the Church and its historic, present and potentially future attitudes toward Israel and the Jewish people, and also Scripture. The same principle applies to dissemination of relevant information concerning pending and current affairs.

To assist in this we must, in whatever capacity, do all the other things to which Christians are called. These include involvement at all levels of church life. We should speak, feel and look like other Christians. We must hold our convictions as strongly as ever, but communicate them wisely. Not everyone in the Church has come to a clear understanding or revelation of God’s purposes for Israel and the Jewish people. So we must be patient. In other words: All in good time… all in God’s time.

To summarise, we must be well-informed, but also well able to communicate in an understandable and Christian culturally sensitive way… “let your speech always be with grace.” In addition, as friends to Israel and the Jewish community we may also work alongside the Jewish community as it presents, argues and debates its cause in the wider world.

the Jewish COmmunitySo how are we as Christian gentiles to relate to the Jewish people and Israel? I believe our commission is to provoke Israel to jealousy. We have come into some of the promises and covenants of Israel, principally the recognition of the One whom we believe is their Messiah and all that this means. Furthermore, we have now the continuance of their record: Divinely inspired Scriptures, all written by Jewish believers, recording God’s ongoing revelation of Himself to mankind, in these last days (the last 2,000 years or so) through His Son Jesus.

So how are we to live out and communicate this revelation? In this connection, what we are not to be is arrogant. We have the privilege of being grafted into Israel’s promises. We have also benefited considerably from major concessions granted to Gentile believers coming into the Jewish promises. These include the dietary restrictions that have been put to one side to help us fit in, and physical circumcision that is not made a requirement for us Gentiles: huge allowances granted to us. Grafting in is a process of give and take. The Jewish traditions generously gave and we gratefully received. So, we are not to be arrogant, but rather grateful, and out of that gratitude, ought to follow humility. We are to walk humbly before God, and we are to approach the Jewish people with that same humility.

redisCOVery and reCOVeryNow, if it is incumbent upon us to provoke to jealousy, how well have we done over the last 2,000 years? In one word: abysmally. The Church and Christian people have unfortunately done exactly what we ought not to have done: we have displayed an unparalleled degree of arrogance toward Israel and the Jewish people – from the early Church Fathers to the Church of today. We should recognise this and be ashamed. We should repent and where appropriate make restitution, turning away and around from the direction in which we have been going and make strenuous efforts to rediscover the path and direction in which we should have been and should now be going.

This is a work that Christian Friends of Israel are right to be involved in. We also need to concentrate on dealing with the plank in our own eye, rather than any speck that might be in the eye of the Jewish people. We also need, along with the rest of the Church, to rediscover the debt we owe to the early Jewish believers. This is one way in which we may humbly approach our task. We should not consider equality with or even supremacy above our Jewish contemporaries something to be grasped, but rather be prepared to lay our lives down for the fulfilment of God’s greater purpose. In short, our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Let’s Review Who We Are

In Touch 162 Christian Friends of Israel Y June/July 2010 Y 3

The recent ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regarding not allowing the use of a picture or photograph of the Western Wall of the Temple platform to be used in the UK for advertising tours or events in Israel and, so far, its

refusal to reconsider its decision, brings sharply into focus a number of issues.

The immediate response to the ruling by the ASA which was forwarded on behalf of Christian Friends of Israel UK by its Director at the time brought a broader perspective on the issue: ‘There are few places on earth where the purchase of real estate is recorded for thousands of years. Of these few, the single most significant and iconic is undoubtedly the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Bible – the sacred text of two world religions – 2 Samuel 24 records the purchase of the site... the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite for fifty shekels of silver. 2 Chronicles 3:1 links this site with the construction of Solomon’s Temple.’When Solomon had completed the temple, as recorded in 1 Kings 8, the Ark of the Lord’s covenant was brought to the inner sanctuary of the Temple. The elders and the entire assembly of Israel were gathered about him. Solomon blessed them and gave praise to the Lord, the God of Israel for fulfilling what He had promised to his father David. Following this, Solomon prayed a dedication. The dedication asked of the God of Israel that His eyes would be toward this Temple night and day, reminding God of what He had said concerning this place: ‘My Name shall be there’, and beseeching God therefore to hear the supplication of His servant and His people Israel when they pray toward this place: “To hear from heaven, and when he hears, to forgive.” (1 Kings 8:29–30)Of course Solomon realised that God dwelling on earth was an open question because even the highest heaven could not contain him (1 Kings 8:27). Nonetheless in so far as the Temple was concerned this did not preclude God’s Name being there, thereby identifying Himself with the Temple, and the significance of praying to this place. This is what the Jewish people have been doing ever since, as is illustrated most clearly in the present day when they have had the opportunity of doing so in front of the Western Wall of the Temple platform – as close as they are able to get to the point where the Most Holy Place of the Temple once stood. It is also significant that the answer requested of the Lord was to forgive. Something we as Christians today particularly identify with, as even perhaps God’s most preeminent characteristic.

Then, during the Exile in Babylon, we learn of Daniel, after an edict issued by King Darius for no one to pray to anyone but him: “Daniel went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem and prayed; giving thanks to God, as was his custom three times a day” (Daniel 6:10). He was praying toward ‘this place’, as Solomon had earlier referred to it.

Moving through the period following the Exile and the rebuilding of the Temple under Ezra’s leadership, which, by some accounts, as far as the physical build was concerned, was rather disappointing, we come to the period shortly before the announcement of the coming birth of Jesus. Here again we observe the prominence of the Temple following its ‘magnificent’ rebuilding by Herod, having taken 46 years to accomplish and known as the Second Temple.

At the age of twelve, it is recorded that Jesus referred to the Temple as His Father’s house [NIV] or, when in the Temple, described himself as being about His Father’s business [NKJV] (Luke 2:49). Later, during His three-year period of ministry, Jesus turned over the tables in the Temple courtyard, referring to the Temple as a house of prayer: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’ (Luke 19:46; Cross reference Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17 and John 2:16, as well as Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11). Now there are two things to note here. Firstly, that the Temple is to be a house of prayer, following the theme of Solomon and Daniel above. However, what is also of significant is that Jesus said these words referring to the Temple Herod had rebuilt! The very Temple He later predicted would be destroyed. In other word’s Jesus referred to the Temple, even in Herod’s rebuilt state, as both His and His Father’s house and took very seriously what was happening there.

Then came the time of the Early Church. They too found themselves frequenting or congregating in the Temple area, and interestingly also at Solomon’s Colonnade and/or porch: ‘While the beggar held onto Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade’ (Acts 3:11) and later: ‘And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch’ (Acts 5:12). Incidentally, Peter and John had been coming to the Temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon (Acts 3:1), perhaps following Jesus own directive that the Temple was a house of prayer. Furthermore, not only did Jesus refer to the Temple as a house of prayer per se but that it was to be a house of prayer for all nations. How interesting then that it should now in today’s world be, at least if nothing more, once again attracting the attention of one of the ‘all nations’, where the ASA is located, amongst others.

The Western Wall Controversy


Returning briefly to the time of presentation and shortly after the birth of Jesus, we find two very interesting characters in the Temple: Simeon and Anna. Simeon was moved by the Holy Spirit to be at the Temple at that time, remember we are talking of Herod’s rebuilt Temple; and Anna is described as never leaving the Temple, worshipping night and day, fasting and praying (NB: praying in this place), again following the pattern of Solomon and Daniel referred to earlier. Three other characteristics of Anna are that she was female, she was a widow and is recorded as being of the tribe of Asher.

The Apostle Paul himself may well have referred to Anna, and her like, in his first letter to Timothy when speaking about needy widows praying night and day: ‘The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and ask God for help’ (1 Timothy 5:5). Paul had in his early days lived in Jerusalem progressing (presumably having studied in order to do so) toward living as a Pharisee (Acts 26: 4–5). He may well have come across Anna at that time. If not, he would have presumably been aware of her through his companionship with Dr. Luke, writer of the gospel account in his name and the Acts of the Apostles. Again, it appears that there might be a link with Anna, remember of the tribe of Asher, when Paul speaks in his defence toward the end of Acts: ‘And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers…. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night‘ (Acts 26:6-7). Is it possible that there were representatives of all twelve tribes recruited or volunteering to pray in this day and night manner? Taking this one step further, Jesus, Himself, appears to refer to such a phenomena, in Luke’s record: ‘And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night’ (Luke 18:7). Is it not interesting to consider that the day and night references may refer back to King Solomon’s dedication, referred to earlier, that the God of Israel’s eyes might be toward this Temple night and day?

We now move to the period after the Destruction of the Temple. As many will know, this event occurred in around 70 CE. Then around 135 CE, after the Bar Kochba uprising, the Roman Emperor Hadrian banned the Jews from living in and around Jerusalem, which he also renamed Aelia Capitolina. For years Jews were prevented by a Roman garrison from entering their old capital, although some respite was evidenced in the third century CE when they were granted access to Aelia Capitolina. This allowed the Jews to mourn at what remained of the Western Wall of the Temple – hence the name ‘Wailing Wall’.How disappointing then that we see similar parallels today with the attempt made by the ASA and their like, seeking to delegitimise Israel and the Jewish Diaspora’s connection with this very same place. The place, as has been shown above, toward which Jews have been asked to pray and have indeed consistently prayed over so many centuries.

May the Lord answer and forgive. Jacob Vince, CFI-UK


What today is called “Christianity” actually began as a messianic movement within Judaism. It was nurtured by the fertile spiritual soil of Second Temple Judaism, which was especially diverse and vibrant in the First Century.

From its inception the Jesus movement was thoroughly Jewish in its composition and culture. The Rabbi from Nazareth taught in the manner and methods of other Jewish sages, but with uncommon authority and unprecedented claims of Divine identity. Like other esteemed teachers he raised up many disciples, all of whom were Jewish. He taught them from the Torah and the Prophets, never undermining or “abolishing” the Word of God, but filling it fuller with sound interpretation and spiritual implications.

Before his sacrificial death, Yeshua promised to empower His disciples with the Holy Spirit to take the good news of the Kingdom message that He had proclaimed to Israel, to “all nations” (Luke 24:47). Beginning from Jerusalem, the word of the Lord was to go forth from Zion “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The rest of the world at that time was Roman. Its Hellenised (Greco-Roman) culture was every bit as compelling as its imperial rule. To successfully transport, therefore, the message of a Jewish Messiah, steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures and Hebraic mindset, to the Greco-Roman world required skillful adaptations of the Greek language and concepts. The Apostle Paul succeeded in that difficult task, although even then his writings were often misunderstood (2 Peter 3:16).

In subsequent centuries, however, the Hebraic foundations of the Gospel in the West were eroded or even excised under the weight of the prevailing Roman worldview. Some of the shifts were seismic, others were more subtle, but together their influence reverberates upon the Christian mind even today.

For example, by the end of the fourth century, the emperors Constantine and Theodosis had wed the church to the Roman Empire. What began as a persecuted minority sect metamorphosed into a persecuting majority, a triumphalistic State religion concerned more with worldly power than fidelity to Yeshua’s gospel of the Kingdom.

Theological shifts occurred as well. Preoccupation with the individual and the soul’s place in the afterlife displaced the Hebraic orientation of creating a new humanity, a renewed covenant community of people, reconciled to God and one another in love. The powerful redemptive work of Messiah that transformed lives became objectified in the sacraments, held to be efficacious apart from faith and repentance. And the Church which began as a redeemed community of committed disciples became an imperial organisation composed of anyone willing to confess the Apostles’ Creed.

The multiple images of atonement found in the New Testament, all drawn from the Hebrew Bible – such as sacrifice, conflict and victory over evil, ransom and redemption, reconciliation, and adoption into a family – gave way to doctrinal “theories of atonement.” Justification and a juridical view of salvation began to dominate, conceived more in categories of retributive Roman law than the relational context of a Torah given in grace to a redeemed covenantal community. Satisfying Divine justice and honour via penal substitution (Christ dying in our stead) suited the West’s preoccupation with introspective conscience and guilt that prevailed from the time of Augustine and his doctrine of Original Sin (in which all stand guilty from birth for Adam’s transgression).

Y/H/W/H, Israel’s gracious God, became re-imaged in the popular mind after the likeness of Greco-Roman deities whose anger had to be appeased and whose wrath propitiated. Once the Torah was dislodged from its covenantal context of grace, Temple sacrifices were construed as attempts to appease the anger of a judgmental Deity instead of the means of evoking repentance, enhancing fellowship and drawing near to a gracious Father who abounds in chesed or lovingkindness.

The Romanising ofthe Jesus Movement


The sixteenth century Protestant Reformers charged that “Hellenistic errors” had crept into Latin theology. Though they rejected many of the practices of the medieval church, ironically, Luther and Calvin retained the Augustinian assumptions and Roman worldview that lay at the base of it all.

The restoration of Yeshua’s full Jewish identity and the Hebraic foundations of the Kingdom movement He started is a profoundly important work of God’s Spirit in our time. The Church is being transported back, beyond Wittenberg and Geneva, Rome and Athens, all the way to Jerusalem, to recover the foundations of our faith. In this we should rejoice!

Dwight A. Pryor

Copyright © 2010. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint or publish this article should be requested in writing from Dr. Pryor at jcstudies.com

new FrOm dwiGht PryOrreassessinG the dOCtrine OF OriGinaLsin and its ramiFiCatiOnsThis is a challenging and thought-provoking series of 4 audio messages (originally released as monthly Haverim recordings in February to May 2010) on this formative teaching within the Christian Church. Judaism and Christianity have long been at odds over the foundational dogma originated by Augustine, the father of Roman Catholic and Protestant theology. Dwight takes a fresh look at the Biblical text and brings some clarity to this controversial subject, as well as examining its profound implications for our view of God, man and salvation. Price: CD Set £17.50

FOr Further study...reassessinG PauL and the PrOtestant ParadiGmIn this 3-message series, Dwight Pryor looks at the reformation of sorts that is occurring in Pauline studies: based in a large measure on a more accurate understanding of Second Temple Judaism, and a far greater respect for the Hebraic dimensions of Paul's life and thought.Price: CD Set £13.50 / Cassette Set £11.50

teaCh us tO Pray

In this 4-part message series, Dwight Pryor teaches on the 'Lord's Prayer' – known to all, but understood by few. Drawing upon extensive research by scholars in Israel, he guides modern disciples into a deeper understanding of the Hebrew prayer which Jesus gave to His first century followers. Price: CD Set £17.50 / Cassette Set £14.50

the radiCaL ChurChIn this 2-part message series, Dwight Pryor challenges us to think with a Biblical and Hebraic view of the community which is the "church". We do not 'GO' to church, rather we meet 'AS' the church community in order first to worship our Lord, then also to edify each other.Price: CD Set £9.50 / Cassette Set £8.50

the POwer OF PenteCOstIn this 3-part message series, Dwight Pryor explores the deeper meaning of the Festival of Shavuot, revealing a remarkable connection between

the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Mt. Zion of the Day of Pentecost. Price: CD Set £13.50 / Cassette Set £11.50


Question: “Is religion the root of all evil?” “Can you mix religion and politics?” “Should religion be taught in

schools?” “Are science and religion incompatible?”. These questions are not new, but now, in a sinister development, politicians and influential leaders are beginning to impose upon us their anti-‘religious’ solutions to them. Christianity is being marginalised—“We don’t do God”, said Alistair Campbell famously—and worse still, even criminalised.Recently I watched a recording of the debate in 2007 between the atheist, Professor Richard Dawkins, and the Christian Mathematician, Professor John Lennox. The exchange was fascinating. But I was struck at how much unnecessary confusion and prejudice arises from a lack of clarity on the meaning of key words, such as ‘science’, ‘faith’ and ‘religion’.From time to time I get asked if I’m religious. Rather than responding with a simple “Yes” or “No”, I usually begin, “It all depends how you define ‘religion’, because it can mean several different things”.The Compact Oxford English Dictionary defines religion in three ways: “(i) the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods; (ii) a particular system of faith and worship; (iii) a pursuit or interest followed with devotion”. The first definition encompasses the major organised ‘faiths’ of the world, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, together with a host of smaller ones. It is this definition which was intended in the Channel 4 documentary, The Root of All Evil?, written and presented by Richard Dawkins in 2006, in which he argued that humanity would be better off without ‘religion’. But the second and third definitions demonstrate that ‘religion’ is not necessarily restricted to belief in a God or gods—it can include any belief-system, or even a pursuit followed with devotion.The increasingly popular online dictionary, Wikipedia, defines ‘religion’ as “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a supernatural agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs”. Again, whilst this definition is clearly mindful of the major world ‘religions’, it also allows for other sets of beliefs or worldviews.

in other words, properly defined, ‘religion’ can include any and every worldview or philosophy. Every single human, whether they would admit it or not, has a ‘religion’, a worldview on life. Every single human has opinions about things which require faith, when we define faith as trust in someone or something which we cannot see.A good example is a person’s opinions about the origin of the universe. As no-one was there to observe it (apart from God!), a person must formulate or adopt an explanation which they accept by faith, and upon which they build their worldview. For

instance, atheists have “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe”—albeit without any supernatural elements—the most popular being Darwinian Evolution. Their worldview, in turn, affects their thinking, decision-making, life-direction, behaviour, and so on. Collectively, this can have a significant impact upon society. For example, if you teach children that there is no God and they are descended from apes, then it will self-evidently have a detrimental impact upon their wellbeing and behaviour.The point of all this is to demonstrate how it has been possible for certain militant elements in this country, and in the USA, to selectively use the term ‘religion’ in order to attempt to silence, marginalise and demonise Christians, whilst promoting a Godless, humanistic, atheistic, hedonistic worldview. They view their ‘religion’ as acceptable, but all others as intolerable.you may be surprised and interested to learn that most of the major english translations of the hebrew scriptures (Old testament) never use the words ‘religion’ or ‘religious’! These include the Authorised (King James) Version and the New King James, the New Revised Standard, the New American Standard, the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh, and the Complete Jewish Bible. The New International Version and the New Jerusalem Bible do use ‘religion’/‘religious’, but in all of the mere seven occurrences between them, they are either embellishing or altering the plain meaning of the Hebrew text (NIV: Amos 5:21, 8:10 — NJB: Numbers 4:47, I Chronicles 24:5, 25:1; II Chronicles 19:11; Nehemiah 10:38).The New Testament contains very few references to ‘religion’ (e.g. six in the Authorised Version), which space does not permit us to study in full. Perhaps the best example is in the letter of Ya‘aqov ( James 1:26-27), which uses the Greek term qrhskei,a threskeia, which means ‘religion’ in the sense of ‘worship, service, ceremony, discipline, reverence, devotion’; and qrh/skoj threskos, which means ‘religious’ in the sense of ‘God-fearing, pious’.There is an important message in the general absence of the concept of ‘religion’ in the Scriptures. The Bible does not recognise the world’s perspective of ‘religion’: neither that there are many, equally valid ‘religions’; nor that ‘religion’ is a separate compartment of life. The Biblical/Hebraic worldview is an all-embracing one: there is no dichotomy in life between worship of God and politics, education, science, etc. In reality, the same is true for anyone in any sphere of life, since a person’s worldview or ‘religion’—even atheism—has the potential to affect everything they do.The Scriptures are totally uncompromising: there is only one True God; everything else is a false imitation, a demonic deception (Deuteronomy 32:17, Revelation 9:20). Either a person is with Messiah or against Him (Matthew 12:30). So it is not a case of ‘religion’ vs. science or education or politics; rather it is a case of true ‘religion’ vs. false ‘religion’, worship of Yahweh vs. worship of false ‘gods’, submission to Messiah Yeshua vs. rejection of Him.Is ‘religion’ the root of all evil? It depends how you define ‘religion’ and it depends on which ‘religion’ you mean!

John C.P. Smith

Religion

“The fool says to himself, ‘There is no Elohim (God)’” (Psalm 14:1 & Psalm 53:1) “Thus says Yahweh... ‘I am Yahweh and there is no other; apart from Me there is no Elohim (God)’” (Isaiah 45:1,5)


David Soakell, our Church Liaison Officer based in the NE of England writes...

Some time ago, we asked you to pray about the recruiting of new CFI-UK Area Representatives to add to the already established team, and as you will have seen from the map included in the last ‘In Touch’ the Lord has indeed added to

the number, for which we give Him thanks and praise. Please do keep these Reps in your prayers and do continue to pray for more to join and cover other areas in the UK.

Apart from the new Reps CFI-UK recruited during 2009, we also have new Reps in Stoke, Great Yarmouth, Thetford/Norwich, Belfast/Northern Ireland, and Birmingham. And so, CFI-UK would like to welcome on board the following people: the new Area Reps in Norfolk are Bill & Val Crudgington (Thetford/Norwich) and Peter Gray-Read (Great Yarmouth). Our new Rep in Stoke is Susan Mountford; in Belfast/Northern Ireland we have Ivor McClinton; and most recently, in the Birmingham area, David Walker has now joined the team.

David, based in Cradley, will be taking on the area around Birmingham. He has already been very busy this year with CFI -related projects, and has ran a very successful Kesher Course in his area with over 90 people from various local churches attending.

A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend with David and his wife Chris, speaking at his fellowship in Cradley, both on the Saturday night and again on the Sunday morning. We are really pleased that David has decided to become an Area Rep. and he and Chris will be joining Pam Smith (our Area Rep in Monmouth) on Pam’s tour to Israel in October this year.

David has a Jewish background, as his mother was Jewish. He is a Local Preacher and Church Steward in the Methodist Church in Cradley. As a Local Preacher he had always tried to put across the Hebraic side of the Scriptures, but had often felt inadequate for the task. However, after praying about this, David was introduced to CFI-UK’s Kesher Course, which as David states, “God was to show me a better way… when God answers prayer, He doesn’t mess about.”David writes, “The outcome of the Kesher Course was such a shock that several people on the Course wanted to carry on with something else, so as to continue meeting in some form, and so we are now studying Dwight Pryor’s “Behold The Man” DVD-based study course. So far we have had 35 people come to it with others asking if it’s not to late to sign up!” David concludes, “One thing I will say… if you haven’t tried the Kesher Course please consider it… it could make all the difference to your church and the churches around you: it can break down barriers, build relationships and bring churches together.”Regarding his new role as an Area Rep, David states, “One thing I am sure of is that all of us as Reps have the prayers and support of each other, and backup from CFI-UK. Maybe it was because of Kesher I was able to make the CONNECTION.”You can connect with David by telephone: 01384 567042 or email: [email protected]

Sue Mountford (on the left in the picture) is our new CFI-UK Rep in the Stoke-on-Trent area. She has already been active in 2010, organising a Holocaust Memorial Day Service in Stoke. Sue also just returned from Israel, where she spent six weeks (2 of them courtesy of the ash cloud!) in Jerusalem, meeting up with CFI Jerusalem staff, and visiting some CFI projects. Susan has been a “friend of Israel” since the early 1980’s. She was the President of the Stafford Chapter of Aglow International for 3 years, and this gave her many opportunities to speak on Israel: one of Aglow’s End Time Mandates is to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to support the Jewish people, and to make people aware of the errors of Replacement Theology.”Susan attends Longton Elim Church where they have regular meetings with various speakers at their Israel Focus evenings. As mentioned, Susan has recently been in Israel. Whilst at the CFI Jerusalem office, she met up with one of our staff members, Helena Lederma (CFI Outreach Project Director), and had a really blessed time together. There Susan learnt about the outreach to Holocaust Survivors, and the work with the Ethiopian Jews. She also spent 11 days as a volunteer at Christ Church, Jerusalem and was told that they had used the CFI Bridal Salon and will be using it again in June. If you would like to hear Susan’s testimony and more on her time in Israel, or indeed the work of CFI, then do get in touch with her. Contact Susan by telephone: 01785 812214 or email: [email protected]

We will introduce more new Area Reps to you in the next edition of “In Touch”.


CFI-UK Area Reps Update

CFi-uK FinanCiaL aCCOunts FOr 2009Our fully audited Accounts are now available by writing to CFI Communications PO Box 2687 Eastbourne BN22 7LZ duly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985. In the notes below we have tried to amplify issues that we trust will be of interest.

Our inCOme and eXPenditure 2009 2008 inCOme:

Of God’s grace the Trust received: Gifts and Legacies 364,457 449,423Conferences and courses 27,955 48,242 392,412 497,665

Included in this total are monies received specifically for sending to Israel and Others 143,533 257,786 248,879 239,879Through the Sales of Publications we received 105,473 106,370

tOtaL inCOme aVaiLaBLe FOr uK £354,352 £346,249

eXPenditure:

Staff Costs (11 Staff ) 156,140 158,604 Office Costs Generally 15,882 24,422Printing Postage & Stationery 56,081 56,493Communications 10,448 11,878Cost of Sales, Projects, etc. 92,604 92,089Travelling & Accommodation 9,851 6,991Trustees Travel & Accommodation 1,964 2,947Legal and Professional Costs 16,595 20,156Premises 11,522 11,948Bank Charges 4,763 4,806Other Costs 1,787 1,735Depreciation of Assets 6,104 13,947

tOtaL eXPenditure £383,741 £406,016

eXCess OF eXPenditure OVer inCOme £29,389 £59,767


Our assets at 31st deCemBer 2009

In order for CFI-UK to carry through its purpose we have to invest money in Fixed Assets i.e. premises and also other general assets required for the ongoing business of the Trust.

Our Fixed Assets have a long term value and this cost is spread over the years of their life and is called Depreciation.

2009 2008Fixed Assets after providing for Depreciation totalled:

Land and Buildings – Bolton Road 156,957 160,402 Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment 4,613 5,449 Motor Vehicle 562 1,124 162,132 166,975Other Assets:

We must maintain Stocks for sale of books, etc. including the Kesher Course. This totalled 47,863 58,643

There were amounts due to us but unpaid at the year end 31,414 42,572

Bank Funds totalled 10,069 20,400 251,478 288,590

There were amounts due to others unpaid at the year end 11,162 24,731

tOtaL sum inVested at 31st deCemBer £240,316 £263,859

We give thanks and gratefully acknowledge the hand of the Lord upon us, guiding every step and enabling us to maintain the great Team He has built at Eastbourne, in the North East, through our Representatives and our loyal Supporters.

Through the years never at any time has there been a thought of God’s provision failing.

Great strides in befriending Israel and influencing Government have been made. Although in measure successful in reaching the Church, we long for a strong Jericho event without the slaughter!

Financial pressures continue, but as a Team – Trustees and Staff – our eyes are on the Lord.

We continue watchful seeking to continue to be good stewards of the Lord’s work through CFI.

“My God shall supply every need of yours according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Bobr.w. hobbsChairman, CFI Charitable Trust


and don’t forget...It’s now possible to receive our monthly “Watchman’s Prayer Letter” and the bi-monthly “In Touch” magazines – along with the quarterly publications from CFI Jerusalem – as electronic downloads. Go to www.cfi.org.uk/emailshots.php to sign-up.

As CFI-UK is not taking a tour group to Israel this autumn, we are happy to commend to our supporters

this joint tour being organised by Revelation TV and Land & Life.

For further details, including requesting a booking form, please contact: travelink Group Limited, 50 Vivian avenue, London, nw4 3Xh ~ tel: 020 8931 8811 ~ email: [email protected]

summer BiBLe COnFerenCe seasOnIf you or any of your family and friends are heading for either of this year’s two weeks of the New Wine gathering on the showgrounds near Shepton Mallet, then please take time to say “hello” to the teams manning the CFI-UK stand on the ground floor of The Marketplace. Week 1 runs from July 24th to 30th, and Week 2 from August 1st to 7th.

Meantime, for those in Scotland, CFI-UK will be represented on the team manning the Yachad stand at The CLAN Gathering (New Wine Scotland) in St. Andrews from July 24th to 30th.

For those not going, please remember in prayer these key opportunities to talk with people of all ages and backgrounds about all that CFI stands for.

In CFI’s Silver Anniversary year, we are pleased to announce that the special guest speakers at our Annual Celebration in 2010 will be Lance Lambert and Dr. John Garr. The venue is Victoria Baptist

Church, Eldon Road, Eastbourne, and the dates are October 15th and 16th. More details in the next edition of In Touch – please mark the dates in your diary.

Dr. Garr has also accepted an invitation to be our guest speaker at an in-depth study conference over the weekend of October 22nd to 24th. The provisional title and subject for the weekend is: “Kingdom Living: Learning To Walk With God”, and the venue is Belsey Bridge Conference Centre, Bungay, Suffolk (now part of the Christian Conference Trust group of centres). More details, including a booking form, will be included in CFI-UK’s next mailing. Please mark these dates in your diary and consider joining us.

And finally...


MY RESPONSE TO THIS EDITION

Charity RegistrationNo. 1101899

VAT RegistrationNo. 678-7802-75

In Touch No. 162 ~ June - July 2010 (UK)

Please use this form, included with your copy of “In Touch”, to:u Provide contact details and/or a delivery addressv Notify change of addressw Make a Gift Aid Declaration (if appropriate)x Donate to the ongoing ministry needs of CFI-UKy Donate to a specified CFI-supported projectz Order recommended resources (overleaf )

x I / We would like to give a donation towards: r HELP SUPPORT THE WORK OF CFI-UK

Donations can be made in one of three ways:1. By Cheque/Postal Order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

Or

2. By Credit/debit Card: £__________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

Or

3. By standing Order ~ please tick the box r We will send you a form to fill in and return

y I / We would like to donate to:

r THE CFI PROJECT I/WE SPECIFY BELOW: 8_______________________________________________

Donations can be made in one of two ways:1. By Cheque/Postal Order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

Or2. By Credit/debit Card: £___________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

Please return this form to: CFi Communications, PO Box 2687, eastbourne, Bn22 7LZTel: 01323 410810 Fax: 01323 410211 Email: [email protected] Websites: www.cfi.org.uk / www.isrelate.com

u Contact details ~ PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY

Surname: ____________________________ (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Rev/Dr) Forename: ________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Postcode: _________________ Tel: ____________________ Email: ____________________________________

v r If this is a new address, please enter your OLD POSTCODE here: __________________________

w GIFT AID DECLARATION:

r Please tick here to treat this, and all previous donations made since 6th April 2000, as Gift Aided.

r Please tick here to treat this, and all future donations made until further notice as Gift Aided.I certify that I am resident in the United Kingdom. (You must pay an amount of Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to the taxwe reclaim on your donations - 28p for every £1.00 you give. Please only sign this declaration if you want us to claim the Gift Aid.)

signature: _______________________________________________________ date: _________________________________________

Please use this box to communicate any other information you wish to send to CFI-UK:____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

z CFI-UK RESOURCES ORDER FORM: JUNE—JULY 2010IMPORTANT: for postal savings on bulk purchases, please order online or by

telephone, where the cost is calculated on the collective weight of your items

Code Title / Description - ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE & PACKING Price Qty TOTALThe Romanising Of The Jesus Movement ~ Further study resources from Dr. Dwight Pryor (See page 7)

CDS105 Reassessing The Doctrine Of Original Sin - (Audio CD Set: 4 Messages) NEW £17.50

S301 Reassessing Paul And The Protestant Paradigm - (Audio Cassette Set: 3 Messages) £11.50

CDS05 Reassessing Paul And The Protestant Paradigm - (Audio CD Set: 3 Messages) £13.50

S220 Teach Us To Pray - (Audio Cassette Set: 4 Messages) £14.50

CDS28 Teach Us To Pray - (Audio CD Set: 4 Messages) £17.50

S249 The Radical Church - (Audio Cassette Set: 2 Messages) £8.50

CDS64 The Radical Church - (Audio CD Set: 2 Messages) £9.50

S229 The Power Of Pentecost - (Audio Cassette Set: 3 Messages) £11.50

CDS20 The Power Of Pentecost - (Audio CD Set: 3 Messages) £13.50

PLEASE ALLOW 7-10 WORKING DAYS FROM RECEIPT OF ORDER FOR DELIVERY Subtotal:

Any other payments (e.g. subscription renewals with accompanying form):

TOTAL DONATION x and/or y (carried forward from other side):(Please make sure you have given your address overleaf) GRAND TOTAL:

DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS: Visa [ ] Visa Debit [ ] MasterCard [ ] MasterCard Debit [ ] Maestro [ ]

Exp Date: / Issue No: From Date: /

Payment by Credit / Debit Card is accepted on orders over £2.50. Please fill in your card details CLEARLY below. Once this data has been processed and payment approved, your card details will be destroyed.

3 Digit SecurityCode (on back)

Name on Card (please PRINT) Signature Date

_____________________________ _____________________________________________ ____________________

MY RESPONSE TO THIS EDITION

Charity RegistrationNo. 1101899

VAT RegistrationNo. 678-7802-75

In Touch No. 162 ~ June - July 2010 (EU & RoW)

Please use this form, included with your copy of “In Touch”, to:u Provide contact details and/or a delivery addressv Notify change of addressw Make a Gift Aid Declaration (if appropriate)x Donate to the ongoing ministry needs of CFI-UKy Donate to a specified CFI-supported projectz Order recommended resources (see note overleaf )

x I / We would like to give a donation towards: r HELP SUPPORT THE WORK OF CFI-UK

Donations can be made in one of three ways:1. By Cheque/Postal Order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

Or

2. By Credit/debit Card: £__________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

Or

3. By standing Order ~ please tick the box r We will send you a form to fill in and return

y I / We would like to donate to:

r THE CFI PROJECT I/WE SPECIFY BELOW: 8_______________________________________________

Donations can be made in one of two ways:1. By Cheque/Postal Order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

Or2. By Credit/debit Card: £___________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

Please return this form to: CFi Communications, PO Box 2687, eastbourne, Bn22 7LZTel: 01323 410810 Fax: 01323 410211 Email: [email protected] Websites: www.cfi.org.uk / www.isrelate.com

u Contact details ~ PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY

Surname: ____________________________ (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Rev/Dr) Forename: ________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Postcode: _________________ Tel: ____________________ Email: ____________________________________

v r If this is a new address, please enter your OLD POSTCODE here: __________________________

w GIFT AID DECLARATION:

r Please tick here to treat this, and all previous donations made since 6th April 2000, as Gift Aided.

r Please tick here to treat this, and all future donations made until further notice as Gift Aided.I certify that I am resident in the United Kingdom. (You must pay an amount of Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to the taxwe reclaim on your donations - 28p for every £1.00 you give. Please only sign this declaration if you want us to claim the Gift Aid.)

signature: _______________________________________________________ date: _________________________________________

Please use this box to communicate any other information you wish to send to CFI-UK:____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS: Visa [ ] Visa Debit [ ] MasterCard [ ] MasterCard Debit [ ] Maestro [ ]

Exp Date: / Issue No: From Date: /

Payment by Credit / Debit Card is accepted on donations over £2.50. Please fill in your card details CLEARLY below. Once this data has been processed and payment approved, your card details will be destroyed.

3 Digit SecurityCode (on back)

Name on Card (please PRINT) Signature Date

_____________________________ _____________________________________________ ____________________

z CFI-UK: JUNE—JULY 2010

IMPORTANT: for customers outside of the UK, please orderonline (www.cfi.org.uk) or use our telephone ordering system

IMPORTANT: for postal savings on bulk purchases, please order online or bytelephone, where the cost is calculated on the collective weight of your items

Any other payments (e.g. subscription renewals with accompanying form):

TOTAL DONATION x and/or y (carried forward from other side):

(Please make sure you have given your address overleaf) GRAND TOTAL:

In Touch June-July 2010

Documents

Transcript of In Touch June-July 2010