Mina Fenton’s Worst Nightmare

Mina Fenton’s Worst Nightmare

Mina Fenton’s worst fear is that Messianic Jews would be successful and that great numbers of Jews in Israel would become disciples of Yeshua. She thinks this would destroy the Jewish people.

Who is Mina Fenton? She was an Orthodox Jew who served on the Jerusalem City Council. Had she gone on a campaign against Messianic Jews? No, not Messianic Jews, but against Christian Zionist organizations! I wrote about this in a previous article. Why the campaign? Because she claimed that Christian Zionist organizations are fronts for “missionizing” Jews. In addition, Christian Zionist organizations, in her view, lower the resistance of Jewish people against Christian belief.

Mina Fenton did see some success. A high Rabbinical Court ruled that it was against Halakhah (the application of Jewish Law) for Jews to participate in events sponsored or co-sponsored with Christian Zionists. One Rabbi noted that while Christian support for Israel looks helpful in the short run, in the long run, cooperation was dangerous and could lead to dire consequences.

On the other side in this battle are the Christian Zionists and the Jewish leaders of Israel who cooperate with them. This especially includes the Christian Allies Caucus, which is an official group from the Israel Knesset (Parliament).

Evaluating Mina Fenton’s Viewpoint

Materially, Mina Fenton was and is wrong. Christian Zionists organizations do not focus any evangelistic efforts on the Jews. Their role is to garner support for Israel from around the world. However, they are of different minds concerning sharing their faith with Jews. Some will not do so. Some will only do so if Jews ask concerning their faith. For them, there must be a clear mark of the Spirit’s leading. None of them will denounce Messianic Jews, which Mina Fenton would require for any relationship.

Of course, Christian Zionists generally accept that Messianic Jews are part of a movement raised up by God, even though most Messianic Jews are not directly part of the Christian Zionist movement per se. In addition, the Christian Allies Caucus requires all Christians with whom they work to expressly vow to not engage in proselytism. Some Christian Zionist organizations have refused to do this, while others have agreed. With regard to Mina Fenton’s campaign, the focus was on the organizations that accepted the vow! She opposed them anyway!

Mina Fenton is Important

Mina Fenton is important for two reasons: not because she was right – she was terribly wrong. In this time of world abandonment of Israel, Christian support is absolutely crucial. She was really doing damage to the cause of Israel. She is important because she revealed the mind-set of a significant segment of Jews in Israel. The visceral hatred of Christianity and anything with parallel beliefs like Messianic Judaism is important to understand and to combat with great prayer, love and negotiation with Israeli officials.

Secondly, Mina Fenton unknowingly anticipated prophetic fulfillment. According to the Bible, true Christians (Gentile believers in Romans 11) will play a significant role in making Israel jealous. Their mercy will soften hearts; and this is happening today. There are many articles in the Jewish press in Israel that call Evangelicals “our best friends.” Mina Fenton did not want hearts to be softened towards the gospel.

What If Messianic Jews were fabulously successful?

For Mina Fenton and her ilk, Jews embracing Yeshua is a great existential danger to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. So, I want to respond by painting a word picture of a very successful Messianic Jewish movement in Israel. I believe we are to pray for this success, and I believe it is possible.

The Book of Revelation describes 144,000 Jewish believers from all the tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:14). They are described as virgin men. Many interpreters think that this is a description of Jewish disciples in Israel before the return of Yeshua. I take virgin to be symbolic of spiritual purity. If so, many may be married. So we may actually be seeing 500,000 to 600,000 Messianic Jews in Israel. This would be ten percent of today’s Jewish population in Israel. Can we picture this many? I can. It is only a third of the number of men gathered by Promise Keepers in Washington, D.C. some years
ago.

What would be the effect on Israel if there were so many Messianic Jews?

There would be an influence for reverencing the Law of God, not in the Rabbinic way of multiplied legal restrictions added to the Bible, but in the broad biblical lines of Law which have application to both universal morality and to Jewish life today. This would elevate the whole of Israel as a more law abiding society, both in regards to moral and civil law. At the present time, Israeli society is very lawless. The true Torah of God would be extolled through Messianic Jewish influence. As a consequence, the conscience of the people of Israel would be restored and the whole tone of society would improve. Abortion would be greatly diminished. Sexual immorality and prostitution would decline and fidelity in marriage and family would increase. Because Messianic Jews do not live in an Orthodox ghetto, they could be an influence in much greater ways than the Orthodox. Corruption in government would diminish and political leaders would act with greater integrity. Some Messianic Jews would even serve in government!

New Age spirituality would greatly diminish. The Torah explicitly condemns the idolatry, magic and witchcraft that are part of New Age spirituality and Eastern Religions. In the Torah, involvement in these practices is a capital offense. Yet, it is common in Israel. There is even an Orthodox Jewish form of such magic in some Kabalistic practices. There is no Orthodox outrage about such clearly anti-biblical influences. Yet, because Messianic Jews believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, that He is deity, and that God is uni-plural, they are condemned. These beliefs are not condemned by Scripture; in fact they are implied in the Hebrew Bible.

Such is our ironic, strange situation! The issue of Jewish continuance is dependant upon our world view and the spiritual purpose for living a Jewish life. The world view of Messianic Jews commits us to Jewish preservation, continuity, the Torah, the reality of God and so much more that is consistent with Judaism. Yet strangely, the Jewish establishment allows world views that are diametrically opposed to the historic Jewish world view, including materialistic atheism, New Age spiritualism and more. Messianic Jews would be a great antidote to these errors.

There would be a renewal of Jewish life. The biblical Sabbaths and Feasts would be celebrated with a new joy throughout the Land. Messianic Jewish celebration would become a model for all. The presence of the Spirit would make such celebration attractive. Instead of days at the beach, the Feasts would become both joyful and serious. There would be a balanced biblical appreciation for the Jewish heritage without idolizing and canonizing Rabbinic Judaism.

Commitment towards a more Biblical Zionism would be enhanced. The important conviction that we are living in this Land for a divine purpose that leads to world redemption will provide a raison d’étre for true Biblical Zionism. This is the answer to the disillusionment of the youth of Israel who find it difficult to see a purpose for the sacrifice and suffering entailed by living in the Land.

Christian support for Israel would become even greater as Messianic Jews make their case to their brothers and sisters from among the nations.

There would be a new movement of love toward the Arabs of Israel. This would include joining with Christian Arabs in a new quest for treating Arabs with justice and respect. The Gospel would be successfully spread among the Arab populations of Israel.

All of this assumes a Messianic Judaism whose constituents are spiritually dynamic and deeply committed to Jewish life and calling. It assumes a great discipleship pattern to be established in the community of Yeshua’s followers.

Contrary to Mina Fenton’s fear, the success of Messianic Jews is the greatest thing that could happen for the preservation of our people in this land. When the last days wars come, Messianic Jews will be in the forefront of prayer and witness. They will demonstrate confidence in the deliverance to come through the return of Yeshua. Our witness may be a key to Israel’s confession to Yeshua, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

A Brainwashed People

Recently I came across an article by Daniel Greenfield. He is a conservative Jewish writer who sometimes provides great insight. This article engaged the subject of cultural brainwashing. In Greenfield’s view, many of the people on the left or far left have been brainwashed. They have not come to rational conclusions by weighing all the evidence, but have been conditioned. There is a parroting like we experience when talking to people in a cult. We have created a national cult society. We watch the news and see so many speak the exact same talking points. I have been lately amazed at the deep intense hatred for those who believe in traditional morality. When I try to engage issues with some acquaintances, they simply get angry, dismissive and won’t or cannot engage arguments. The issues are black and white and there is no alternative view point. If you press beyond that and ask questions for which there no stock answer, the intended dialogue partner simply bows out of rational discourse and resorts to name calling and abuse. But issues are complex. These responses are religious cult responses. It is why there are violent protests on campus against reasonable conservatives. This mass conditioning takes place in schools, media and entertainment that repeat the same points over and over again. It is group think and group speak on steroids. George Orwell would have been amazed.

Generally, the leftist culture (I am not speaking about classical liberals) is totally opposed to traditional morals. Sexual fidelity, the reserving of sexual relationships and bonding to committed traditional marriage, avoidance of promiscuity, the sanctity of human life (it is not your body but a human being created in the image of God) the command to have no other gods before the Creator, and we could go on. The leftist culture hates these with a vengeance. Even the idea of not bearing false witness is compromised if such false witness gains the ends of the relativistic post-modern progressives. (Note the Kavanaugh hearings)

Sometimes it is depressing to read the news. Recently a California court required a Christian dating service to include LGBT people. Chick Fil A is banned not because they discriminate in service and hiring, but because their founder embraced the standards of traditional morality and marriage. Again and again we see Christians and conservative Jews censored in social media. We see the symptoms of decadence all around us, but the culture formation elite seem to not even notice; the homelessness, the divorces, the opiate epidemic, the suicide rate, the sleaze, the alarmingly low birth rate. Some on the more radical left point to global warming as the reason to not have children (others include the crises of this world, the environment in general, and the desire for meaning through a career for women). The birth rate is declining at an alarming rate and will leave us with huge social problems. Greenfield notes that so many think the same way due to the constant repletion of the same messages from Hollywood, in the universities, in journalism, and the internet. The group think is amazing. Greenfield believes that this cultural direction was planned; that gaining control of education, entertainment and media was central to the leftist revolution. So was dividing the country in identity politics a key part of the plan. In my view, one finds an amazing similarity in the brainwashing in the radical right and its racist world view, a conditioning that shows irrationality. Both radical left and right are full of conspiracy ideas. Both seek control of others and hence control of the society, but it seems the danger today is more from the left. They seek control and are planning by every possible means to get control. I think they don’t believe in a democratic republic from of government but control by the elite on the left

Greenfield notes the key elements of brainwashing.

Those three elements are control, crisis and emotional resonance. To successfully brainwash someone, you have to control their environment, force a crisis on them, and then tap into core emotions, fear, love, guilt, hate, shame, and guide them through the crisis by accepting and internalizing a new belief.

Since the Left still lacks total control over the United States, it relies on repetition, itself a form of control and stress, to create fear and panic. It makes up for its lack of physical control by bombarding Americans with messages meant to inspire fear, love, hate and guilt through the media, through the educational system, through entertainment and through every possible messaging channel.

The political brainwashing campaign in this country targets the upper class and the middle class. The best subjects for brainwashing are intelligent and emotionally vulnerable. They’re easier to manipulate by using the gap between their emotions and their reason, and their emotional instability makes it easier to force them into crisis mode. The ideal subjects are in their teens and their early twenties. In modern times, that’s a period in which identity is still developing, and can be fractured and remade.

Like every cult, the modern campus claims to serve an educational purpose, helping students find meaning and purpose, but insisting that they must first be cured of the subconscious evils such as white privilege and toxic masculinity that are holding them back through a process that deconstructs their barriers, encourages confession, expressions of trauma, shame and guilt, to create new identities.

This isn’t education. It’s not even dogmatic lecturing. It’s the same basic set of techniques used by any major cult in the country. Once colleges began trying to cure their students of subconscious evils at closed sessions, under the guidance of unlicensed therapists associated with a movement, there was no longer any difference between them and that of any cult, except billions in taxpayer dollars.

Some on the right respond by promoting a counter brainwashing. Have you noticed the amazing levels of repetition in some of the right wing media? However, brainwashing is immoral and is a violation of the human person. I note in talking to my more leftist friends and acquaintances an inability to dialogue in a reasonable way. They cannot argue their points beyond a certain repetition or regurgitation of the content of the brainwashing. Because he or she cannot rationally defend the position they simply seek to shut up the other. “In the hands of left-wingers, the mantle of oppression has become the greatest tool for oppressing others, denying free speech, the free exercise of religion, academic freedom, the free exchange of ideas, and intelligent free debate, thereby proving the doctrine of depravity” —Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph

Is there any hope. In the movie The Matrix, the star character takes a little pill to awaken to the fact that he was living in a totally fake world. He joins the opposition to the government controllers. We have such a solution. It is in the Gospel preached with power, with signs and wonders that break through the naturalistic world. It is in the power of prayer which is mightier than the social conditioning of the culture. It is the outpourings of the Spirit in revival that is mighty to reverse the decay. As I was contemplating these issues in a semi sleep state, the power of prayer as mighty to pull down the strongholds of the mind, the mind of the culture. May God give us the grace for prayer gatherings in every town and city, in every congregation, to realized the issue and to come against these forces of evil by the power of prayer and the proclaimed Word. Also, today more then ever, we need to see that our children are not given over to the educational establishment for this conditioning, and to choose a college with real education that respects classical biblical views.

Bibi Wins a Fifth Term

Benjamin Netanyahu (nicknamed Bibi) has for now solidified his leadership in Israel. I think many in Israel voted for him because they felt safer with the continuity of his leadership. In my opinion there are many positives and many negatives for Israel in having another term with Bibi as Prime Minister. Here are some likely advantages.a

First, there will be a continuation of a conservative economic management which has led to very low unemployment and increased wages. Under Finance Minister Kahlon’s leadership, Israel has expanded housing options. The increase in the cost of living has slowed.
Secondly, there will be a continuation of Bibi’s strong foreign policy, which amazingly has developed a relationship with the Arab nations (in opposition to Iran), a strong relationship with the Trump administration and surprisingly a decent relationship with Russia! He has opened up African and South American connections at historic levels.
Thirdly, due to the alliance with the ultra-Orthodox and national Orthodox parties, the LGBTQ+ agenda will not be furthered. In addition, as part of the fight against human trafficking there has now been strong legislation to criminalize paying for prostitution. In regards to the Palestinian leadership, it is my view that they have not been serious about building lasting peace with Israel. Netanyahu will continue to manage the conflict seeking to foster Palestinian stability. [Some think that he needs to punish Hamas, remove their weapons and capture their terrorist leaders. This is a complex issue with no easy solution.]

On the other hand, in my opinion, here are some of the drawbacks to Netanyahu’s continued government, especially in the areas of human rights.

Many Russian Jews and mixed marriage Jews are not accepted as adequately Jewish by the ultra-Orthodox and are denied legal status as Jews. They are not given any option for an official marriage officiated inside of Israel! The conversion process offends them since they already see themselves as legitimately Jewish. Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beiteinu is fighting on this issue.
Many thousands of Ethiopian Jews waiting to come to Israel are not likely to gain this goal since the majority of the ultra-Orthodox do not look on them with favor. There is racism in their attitudes to these black Jews. This is tragic and unjust.
Shas, the Sephardic Orthodox party under formerly convicted and jailed (!) Aryeh Deri, will continue to control the Interior Department and make it challenging for those who wish to move to Israel under the Law of Return (under which people with a Jewish parent or grandparent have the right to receive Israeli citizenship). Many applicants are legally qualified for citizenship but Shas will seek to keep them out. This also has very negative repercussions for Messianic Jews.
The ultra-Orthodox are constantly working to change Israel’s basic laws so that Orthodox Jews who study Talmud will be released from military service. I am amazed at the number of secular people who voted for Netanyahu knowing this to be one of the issues that could be affected.

Many Evangelicals in other countries really love Bibi, without realizing what a combination of positive and negative elements he will bring with him into the next government. Let us continue to intercede that God will use Bibi to bring about changes that align with God’s principles and not the self-serving goals of the far right and the Orthodox.

Loyalty And Lasting Relationships

Loyalty begins with the importance of friendship. For 35 years I shared my faith with a Jewish friend from my school days; finally, twenty years ago, this friend embraced faith in Yeshua. For many years it had looked hopeless. There had been little response, and our conversations were often repeated. His life was full of sadness and had not developed as he desired. Yet this friend remained important to me.

I was a very overweight youngster who couldn’t have won a popularity contest if I’d tried. However, in my junior year of high school I lost a lot of weight and became very thin. Up until this point, I had been the brunt of many jokes. Yet, my friend and I enjoyed hanging out together, despite the fact that he belonged to the cool crowd. One time he even suggested that I would look great as a bartender with arm bands. There was even a way for a fat guy to look cool! In spite of my total un-coolness, my friend and I walked to school together every day. He did not mind that I was a religious fanatic. I was more accepted by my secular school friend than by the peers in the church where I was born again (that is until I lost weight and drove a nice car). His friendship and support became an important anchor in my life.

Just before going to see my friend twenty years ago, Patty shared that she had a strong sense that my friend would embrace faith in Yeshua during that visit. It happened as she predicted. My friend has continued on with the Lord since that day. Loyalty produced significant fruit!

My family taught me the value of loyalty and lasting relationships. The teaching of the Bible increased my commitment to these values. I have discovered that seeking to maintain important relationships is part of loyalty. Here is a little outline of what I have learned over the years about lasting relationships and loyalty.

Friendship and Family as the Beginning of Loyalty

On the most basic level, human life can only be rich when we are committed to family members or a group of friends. Changing friends every few years is a prescription for an empty life. Loyalty requires treating one another with love and understanding. Many who do not know Yeshua intuitively know that this is true, but are unable to attain success in this. Relationships are broken by jealousy, anger, wounds, lack of forgiveness, slander and more.

Covenant Loyalty to Yeshua and to His Community

When we come to Yeshua, we have a covenant relationship in His blood. We are called to treat all brothers and sisters in Him with covenant loyalty. However, this does not become concrete unless we seek to be part of an extended community that expresses our new life in Yeshua. Indeed, life in Yeshua is communal. It is critical to find a community where the hearts of the leaders are committed to love and justice. We become loyal to leaders when we perceive their hearts. True allegiance to leaders means understanding and accepting that they will make many mistakes and show much imperfection. The true character of a leader is the more important matter. Matthew 18 presents us with a community rule so that a proper balance is maintained. Without this, trusting and loyal relationships are impossible. We are told to go to a brother or sister if they sin (against us in some versions) and to correct them alone. Then we go with another. We are not to spread evil reports about fellow members. Only after a process of seeking reconciliation may the community exclude the unrepentant person.

Loyalty to leaders is especially important, for disloyalty destroys the fabric of community. Leaders are subject to Matthew 18 as well, but reports against leaders must have two or three witnesses. Openness, mutual correction, repentance and forgiveness are crucial in a healthy community.

It is important to note that loyalty can be inordinate. When absolute submission is demanded, loyalty is twisted into cultic control. In addition, we are not to think that loyalty means that we overlook serious sin among members and leaders. The Bible provides us with the boundaries of loyalty and shows where separation is necessary. True loyalty makes room for mutual accountability. Leaders who seek loyalty without justice are dangerous.

My Experience with Covenant Loyalty

Our society is one of fleeting relationships. Even many marriages do not last. Covenant loyalty demands the opposite – a commitment to long term relationships. It is a wonderful thing to be part of the same team, congregation or stream of congregations for many years. I have always desired this to be part of my life. However, we should have an absolute loyalty to God above all. Sometimes His call requires us to move on.

The Lord directed me to leave Pascack Bible Church, in Northern New Jersey when I was ordained in the Presbyterian Church. I joined Pascack in 1966. Though I was no longer a member, the relationships formed there were important. I have maintained a connection through the years and was their missions’ speaker in the fall of 2007! It was clear in 1977 that I had to resign as pastor of Adat Ha Tikvah in Chicago. Patty and I had hoped we would be there for a life-time. We had such dear friends. Yet, we can so clearly see that the Lord led us out, and it was necessary. It was painful and should have been. Yet we still relate to some dear friends from that community.

Then in 1981, I could no longer both lead the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations as President and fulfill my responsibilities as a leader in the Presbyterian denomination. I left the Presbyterian denomination in good standing. I sought the involvement of significant leaders and friends as part of the process of making all of these decisions. I received their confirmation. In my view, to include others in this way is a corollary of covenant love. If they cannot give confirmation, and we have conviction to go, we can at least seek their blessing.

Finally, my quest for a lasting relational base for our ministry was fulfilled most deeply through the leaders of Beth Messiah Congregation in the Washington, D.C. area. God fulfilled the desire of my heart and joined me to a group of leaders who later formed Tikkun International. In just one year, I will have walked in covenant relationship and unity with some of these men and women for 40 years. In addition, what a joy to serve with some of them in Israel! We knew that God was joining us together for the long haul and we were tested in this. Special people have been added to that original core of leaders and expansion has taken place. The ties between leaders and congregations in our stream now reach across the Atlantic.

One can see in the illustration of my life that maintaining long term covenant relationships is an important part of loyalty. Yet it cannot be placed above our loyalty to God and His leading. What if there is a call to the mission field? What if there is imprisonment and communication is lost for many years? Sometimes at great cost we have to sacrifice relational continuity to follow our calling in God while yet hoping that He rejoins us in some way in the future.

We should not be surprised at the importance of loyalty. God is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. He keeps covenant loyalty to Israel forever. We can read of this in the stories of David and Jonathan, the disciples and Judas and so much more. This clarifies for us that God puts a high value on loyalty and covenant relationship of love. It is the substance of life’s meaning.

Four Principles Of Biblical Success

What is success?

In the New Covenant Scriptures, there is one way and only one way to define success for congregations. It is the fulfillment of the command of Yeshua to make disciples. Yeshua defines making disciples in these terms, “Disciple the nations … baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19).

I will present here four principles for attaining success. These principles are applicable in every culture. They are Biblical principles. If one of these principles is ignored we can not successfully make disciples. These principles are found in many classics such as Charles Coleman’s The Master Plan of Evangelism and in recent books by Yonggi Cho as well as G-12 (Groups of 12) by Joel Comiskey. Yet these principles are frequently ignored. Believers do many good things but fail to do the essential things. We are distracted from the primary things.

1. Discipleship requires a real eldership

The eldership oversees people who are called together in community and are being discipled. We reproduce what we are, not merely what we say. The standards for elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are as relevant as ever. Maturity of faith and character are the standards of these great chapters. Believers must learn how to access the power of the death and resurrection of Yeshua and His Spirit to be over-comers. One of the sad facts of western Christianity, and dare I say Messianic Judaism, is the great need for real elders and eldership couples. Elders are to implement and oversee discipleship patterns established in the community. This is their primary role. Measuring and gauging discipleship is their crucial responsibility. Elders can and should be involved in discipleship. Discipleship is not the leaders commanding disciples. Rather it is leaders helping disciples and holding them accountable for what the Holy Spirit is convicting them to do through the Word. It includes prayerfully chosen assignments to attain the goals. Discipleship does include providing the information of basic biblical knowledge. Without a biblical foundation discipleship is impossible.

2. Discipleship requires leadership-prophetic “oomph”.

Oomph is that quality of inspiration and the transmission of power that opens hearts to engage in discipelship. This is the gift of motivating people. Sometimes trans-local leaders visit congregations and provide that charge which brings people to conviction and commitment. This is the time for effective follow up and the implementation of a clear program of discipleship. In Ephesians 4:11-15 we read of five fold ministry; that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers equip the saints for the work of ministry. One is not fully discipled until one is effective in the work of ministry. Five fold ministry, according to this passage, brings us to “Reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:13).

3. Discipleship requires personal mentoring.

Very few can become disciples without this. The mentor meets personally with the individual or couple and evaluates how they are progressing in obedience to the basic commandments of Yeshua. How much remains hidden without this! The best mentor is one who has overcome in the same struggles that the disciple experiences. How does one overcome in those areas of sin that violate the commandments of the Bible? Fear, lust, greed, anger, loss of temper, laziness, gluttony, selfishness, and so much more. Then there are positive commandments to obey the Spirit, walk in love, worship, read the Word with accuracy and effectiveness, abide in the vine, and handle money wisely. The quality of life in marriage and family are central discipleship issues. Again there is so very much to accomplish. George Barna boldly asserts that the great majority of believers today are not discipled. Those who have attained in most areas of life can be general disciplers and those who have attained in specific matters can be a source of discipleship in those matters.

4. Discipleship requires small group gatherings.

This is foundational to discipleship. In the New Covenant Scriptures, we find that the foundational meeting of the Body of Believers was in the house. In Acts 2:46 we read that the believers met house to house. In I Corinthians 14 we read of the supernatural quality that is to be in the house meetings. All gather with expectation that the Spirit will work though them. This is not possible in large gatherings. The small group meeting is a training ground for the Spirit. “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the congregation” (1 Corinthians 14:26). A supernatural small group is a key to Holy Spirit power in the life of the individual and his discipleship.

The small group is not effective unless it is led by a good group leader who knows how to draw out the shy and quiet the dominating. The group leader should be a discipled person who is involved in mentoring others to maturity in the group. Perhaps they are also overseeing other leaders within the group who then in turn are mentoring other members of the small group. The small group meeting is the venue for praying for one another both at the time of the gathering and during the week. John Wesley made the small group the place for confessing sin one to another. The three Wesley questions concerning victory over sin, devotional life quality, and responsibility in witness were the main measures of accountability to the group. These questions are as relevant as ever. Because human beings were created for community, we can not really become disciples as isolated or independent individuals. Fulfillment in communal life is part of what it means to be a disciple. Thus the small group meeting is essential.

Our Hope in Israel

Whenever any community has followed the pattern for discipleship including the four principles for success, they have been wonderfully successful. Whenever one of the principles is compromised, the people generally do not reach maturity in some significant way. In the Revive Israel program and our congregation, Ahavat Yeshua under the direction of Asher Intrater, we seek to fully implement these principles. From disciples will emerge candidates for leadership training and planting new congregations. We hope that someday the whole Body will gain its freedom from distractions and becomes a discipling covenant community.

Bibi Wins a Fifth Term

By Daniel Juster

Benjamin Netanyahu has for now solidified his leadership in Israel. I think many in Israel voted for him due to feeling safer with the continuity of his governing. There are many positives for Israel in having another term for Bibi and many negatives. Here are the positives.

First, there will be a continuation of a move conservative economic management which has led to very low unemployment and increased wages. With the partnership with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon of Kolanu, Israel has expanded housing. The cost increase has slowed which is very important for the future. Yet, some economists think that he has increased spending, and the deficit which is not good. Israel always has great pressure to finance all the various sectors of the society,.
Secondly, there will be a continuation of Bibi’s strong foreign policy which amazingly has developed a relationship with Arab nations (in opposition to Iran), a strong relationship with the Trump administration, and amazingly a decent relationship with Russia! He has opened up African and South American relationships at historic levels.
Thirdly, with his alliance with the ultra Orthodox and national Orthodox parties, there will not be an approval of gay marriage and new rights for LGBT people, though Israel is already very affirming of gays and LGBT people. Abortion is already at terrible levels. However, there has now been strong legislation to criminalize paying for prostitution to fight human trafficking.
With the Palestinians, the ruse will now be over. It is my view that they never really wanted lasting peace with Israel and from their part, we see it was a ruse all along. So new solutions and management will be sought. He will manage the conflict, but some think that he needs to punish Hamas, remove their weapons and capture their terrorist leaders. This is a hard issue.

The negatives are in the areas of human rights.

Many Russian Jews are not accepted as adequately Jewish by the ultra Orthodox and are denied status as Jews. This is almost 3-400,000. They are not allowed to have Jewish marriages in the land. The conversion process is off putting for them. Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beiteinu is fighting on this issue, and he may stay out of the government of Bibi if he is not given something on this issue.
The 8000 Ethipoian Jews waiting to come to Israel are not likely to gain their goals since the ultra Orthodox largely do not favor them. There is racism in their attitudes to these black Jews. This is tragic.
Shas, the Sephardic Orthodox party under formerly jailed Aryeh Deri, will continue to control the Interior Department and make citizenship hard for those who come to Israel under the law of entry/descent (those with a Jewish father or a grandparent). These folks are legally qualified for citizenship but Shas will seek to keep them out. This has very negative repercussions for Messianic Jews.
The ultra Orthodox will try to change Israel’s basic laws so that Orthodox Jews who study Torah (really Talmud) will be released form Army and National Service. This is a huge number of Orthodox men. Basic Law is the closest thing Israel has to a constitution. I am amazed at the number of secular people who voted for Netanyahu knowing this might be the consequence.

Though Evangelicals in the United States really love Bibi, they really do not realize what a mixture we face in Israel.

President Trump Recognizes Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights

Many years ago (1968) I was a classmate of Mark Noll, who became a famous Christian historian. I asked him the basis of International Law since we did not elect an international legislature. He responded that it is based in the treaties and accords that nations approve and then has to be enforced by the United Nations, as the one body that can enforce international agreements. This enforcement is from the Security Council. Without enforcement, there is little that can be done for violations.

Donald Trump’s recent recognition of Israel’s sovereignty in the Golan Heights provoked a response from other nations, namely that Israel’s annexation of the Golan was contrary to International Law. This is debated, and I won’t give an analysis of the controversies on International Law on this issue. Here is a little history, however.

In the history of the relationship of nations and wars, if a nation had power to conquer and keep territory, they had the right to rule. The protection of nations was based on their ability to defend themselves or enter into alliances whereby they could be protected against the conquering of other nations. Sometimes they submitted as a vassal of one nation to protect them from another. If a nation gained territory in a defensive war, no one would begrudge them gaining territory as punishment for the nation that sought to conquer them. And the conquered could rebel against the conquers. The genocides in wars in ancient China and India are terrible accounts, but they prevented the rebellion of the conquered.

After World War Two, many nations entered into agreement to fix the status quo of nations, their borders or territorial integrity. Even if a nation gained territory in a defensive war, they were to return the the territory for peace. Yet many times the nations created by the victorious powers, especially after World War I in the middle east, were unstable and though borders were drawn, they were not always good and rational borders. Germany shrank after World War I, and Poland grew! After World War II, nations ignored such international norms and conquered others in offense wars; China in Tibet, North Korea to South Korea, and Turkey in Northern Cyprus. We see the injustice of the Kurds in having their own nation, though they are a coherent group with clear territory. Syria and Iraq are artificial states.

When a nation gains territory in a defensive war, perhaps they need that territory for their future security. This is true for at least part of the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, with regard to the heights and the Jordan Valley as well. It is very true of the Golan Heights where Syria reigned down artillery shells on the villages of the Sea of Galilee. With Iran in Syria and Syria divided, the time has come to say that Israel deserves this territory of the Golan Heightss. Syria would not make peace as part of its return over all these years. International Law is only as good as the ability to enforce it. International law should be revised to accept the punishment of the aggressor and their loss of territory if that territory is needed for the security of the defending state. Donald Trump has recognized Israel’s sovereignty on the Golan. It is just. Any such law that would declare it in violation is an unjust law. There will be no enforcement of any action against Israel in this. Donald Trump made the right decision. Israel originally conquered this area in the days of Moses!

THE PAINFUL RULE OF THE SHAS PARTY

Some, but not most are aware that the ultra-orthodox Sephardic political party Shas controls the Interior Department in Israel. This is the price Benjamin Netanyahu pays to stay in power. His coalition government requires a parliamentary majority (the K’nessset). Shas required this prize. When the Netanyahu decided to dissolve his last government and go to elections almost 4 years ago, I feared that he was going to exchange the Yesh Atid party under Yair Lapide in his last collation for the ultra-orthodox parties in the new coalition. That is just what happened. The leader of Shas is convicted felon, Arye Deri who spent a good bit of time in jail. The Interior Department controls immigration into the land, visas-entries and exits, the population registry, citizenship issues and more. There is great injustice form this party, not only against Yeshua followers, but against many others. Here are some examples of gross in justice.

The biggest one I see is that they have rejected the immigration of over 7000 Ethiopian Jews who have applied for citizenship and remain in poverty in Ethiopia. Many have relatives here in Israel and want family unification. These are the Falasha Mora who some centuries ago who were baptized under pressure in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. They maintained a Jewish identity and are desirous of conversion to Judaism. The Israeli parliament has approved this and allocated funds. Yet, they are in limbo? Why? Do to prejudice and maybe even racism in the Shas leaders?
The second situation is connected to medical treatment for Palestinians who are not Israeli citizens. One of the great things about Israel is that when there are catastrophic situations of need, Israel will treat them with great care in the hospitals in Israel proper. However, those in the territories need to get permission papers for this. Such permission is granted for Gaza Palestinians as well. However, there is a rule now that if a person in Gaza is sick and needing to come to Israel, Israel will not approve it if they have a relative from Gaza who has moved and is living in the West Bank (Judea-Sumaria). This week the press reported on one who is in danger of losing their sight, but due to a relative in Ramalla they will not give permission. The relative has to move back to Gaza. Yet time is of the essence in this situation. The reason is that the government does not want Gazans to swell the population in the territories. Yet this is draconian and a terrible way to assure this.
The third injustice was reported this week. Two teenagers form South America flew to Israel to visit their mother and stepfather. The mother married an Israeli and converted to Judaism. The teen girls live in with the natural father. The Interior Dept. authorities at the airport interrogated them, and then would not let them enter and put them on a plane back to South America. They claimed they were not convinced they would not stay illegally. The mother in Israel protested and got legal help. They were going to take this to court and certainly would have won. The Interior Dept. relented and accepted that they could visit? Would they issue new tickets? No. The vacation period is over and a visit is no longer possible. We regularly hear horror stories of people detained and put back on planes to go home without good reason.
The government rescinded policies that would require more of the ultra orthodox to be drafted or do national service and policies that would reduce the number on welfare who refuse to work for a living so as to study Talmud (Don’t call it Torah study. It is not the books of Moses that they mostly study, but the Talmud. After all, how many years all day can you study the Torah. But studying Talmud and Rabbinic law can easily last lifetime).

For all these reasons a good number of Yeshua followers will not vote for Benjamin Netanyahu. We like some of his policies, but are having a hard time knowing that a vote for him is a vote for the ultra-orthodox. How would the prophets respond to these injustices? I think it would be a pretty intense response.

Happy New Year

We enter the new year with amazing political upheavals in the United States and China. Some are seeing amazing parallels between Israel and the United States. There are some, but there as significant differences. We need to pray for God’s will in these countries and the role they play in important matters especially as the United States is Israel’s key strategic partners.

First in the United States, however one evaluates Donald Trump, never did Israel have a more supportive partner. From moving the U. S. Embassy to Jerusalem, to the strong stand against hypocrisy in signaling out Israel for condemnation at the U. N., we in Israel are heartened. We witness the United States pulling out of UNESCO (United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization) because they bash and condemn Israel and do not recognize Jewish heritage in the Land and even in the Old City. We have been heartened by Nikki Hayley’s presentaitons at the U. N. Also Donald Trump pulled the U. S. out of the terrible Iran nuclear agreement which all sides in Israel say was a terrible agreement.

President Trump is now likely to face interminable investigations even if special prosecutor ends his investigation without any indightment. Indeed, the new Democratic House will be doing more investigations, and liberal New York prosecutors will go after the President’s business interests. The idea of President Trump being impeached and then convicted by the Senate is extremely remote, but the Democrats will have a neverending stream of news and coverage from a compliant pro-left media.

Second, in Israel we are having quite a political upheaval. Prime Minister Netanyahu has dissolved parliament and called for elections that will be held on April 9^th. This has produce some amazing results. Several outside of the government have formed new political parties. Naftali Bennett is forming a party that will include religious and secular leaders and is leaving his Orthodox party to seek to appeal to more Israelis. The former head of the military, Benny Gantz is forming a new party and seems to be getting traction. Former Defense Secretary Ya’alon is forming a party. Key people are laving the Kolanu party that was a partner to Netanyahu. Some think that Netanyahu’s action in dissolving parliament (the K’nesset) is in the context of losing the government control due to a new law on the draft which will cause the ultra-Orthodox to leave the government. The Supreme Court was requiring such a law. Others think that he is trying a pollical move to make it difficult for the Attorney General to bring an indightment against him. He is under investigation in several criminal cases. Meanwhile Israel is destroying tunnels from Lebanon that were built for an invasion of Israel from Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile Israel has just bombed Iranian targets in Syria. Russia complains against Israel while Iran seeks to build attack bases in Syrian and arms Hezbollah.

This is a time for much prayer, both for Israel, the United States and both together. Welcome to the New Year.

More Truth Comes Out On Hamas And The Gaza Terrorist Protest

Two articles today gave very strong evidence on the perfidy of Hamas in the recent so called protests. One was in the Wall Street Journal by General Ronen Manelis of the Israel Defense Force. Lest one think that his report is just special pleading, it is confirmed by Professor Gil Troy, Professor of North American History at McGill University in Toronto, Canada in an article in today’s New York Post.

Both argue that the western media is simply duped. The first article notes that the media simply does not look deeply into the situation and see what is really happening. Many who were killed were Hamas military who donned civilian clothes from which to direct the protests, with the certainty that people would be killed. They even duped the people into charging the fence under the cover of smoke saing the Israelis had fled. In the last days, Hamas admitted that 50 of the 60 killed where Hamas operatives. So called protestors, really would be invaders, were given free bus service to the fences, plus $14.00 per person, $100 per family and $500 for any who got wounded. Bringing families into the violent protest was a strategy, and the western media would be duped by this. The burning tires, of course, were to prevent the ability to see what was happening by the fence so it could be cut, and so there could be a massive breakthrough. Maps were provided to show the shortest way to Israel moshavs (cooperative villages) so they could quickly kill civilians. And of course there are those shooting from behind the civilians, throwing Molotov cocktail bombs, and seeking to plant bombs at the fence to destroy the border barrier. This is an internationally recognized border and Hamas was seeking infiltration and terror attacks.

Gil Troy adds perspective to this and shows how the Israelis fit into what he calls the western sensationalist New Nihilism. It is based in a reversal of the post World War II attitudes that perceived that all that is right is with the West to the new “what’s-wrong-with-us- ism.” In this view the sins are all with white Westerners, and Israelis are the white western oppressors. The the Palestinians are the indigenous people of color being oppressed. It does not matter that many Israelis are darker skinned, even black Ethiopian Jews, and many Arabs are quite white. (This is a nationalistic struggle not a racial one, Troy points out). So what fits this narrative conditions the response, almost predictably and automatically like a knee jerk. One needs not to search out more information and context. The reporter can continue to feel rightous though the reporter is a low information reporter.

The Israel press has had other interesting articles on the fact that Israel seems strangely challenged in breaking through the fog. They could get their films out soon at the same time as Hamas,but their military system causes delay for days and the conclusions by then have already been drawn. They could have embedded reporters who could see, photograph and immediately report. One writer said that Israel could prevent the protests. They could disable the busses, or they could spread human excrement and animal excrement by the fence so they would not go there. They can have a peaceful protest 100 yards from the fence.

I sill believe that the primary issue of the outlandish reporting in the West is a spiritual matter; influence