Let us Pray for Peace in the Middle East

With all the news in the Middle East it is time to pray for peace. With war in Libya, Jewish settlers murdered in their beds, and Palestinian homes bombed and children on both side killed there are no winners. Genuine peace talks seem as far away as ever and even Christians are encouraged to take sides for or against the State of Israel or Palestine. But Christianity is a faith of hope in the ressurection in Jesus Christ. It is a faith of life, of forgivness and love.

Israel threatens military action against Iran for its continued nuclear programme

This report has appeared in the Daily Mail today. I guess with the all instability in the Middle East and worries in Japan now might appear a strategic time to act, but it might in the medium term harden Islamic resolve and resistence against it.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367610/--------Israel-threatens-military-action-Iran-refuses-stop-nuclear-programme-weapons-equipment-intercepted-cargo-ship.html

Response to Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor of Answers in Genesis has written a review of my book, but given no right of reply on his blog. [Edit - Paul has now posted it on his blog - thanks Paul] So I am adding my comments here.

Firstly, Paul Taylor says that AiG takes no position on this question (which is I guess true), but then asserts that someone with my beliefs is below the standard of a true creationist, which implies he doesn't really accept AiGs position to be valid [Edit: Paul objects to this comment, see his reply below, so I accept that he does fully support the ministry and position of AiG and CSE].

But anyway, I believe that my beliefs set out in the book Zion’s New Name about Israel and the Church (and also Creation) closely reflect the teachings of St Paul in the New Testament, and the Protestant Reformation through Calvin. Calvin believed in a literal creation and that the Church was the continuation of Israel’s promises in a literal sense because the Church was founded by Jesus with a few Jews as the legitimate obedient root of Israel (read carefully Isaiah 1-10). Many Gentiles have been grafted into the Church as Israel, but I believe it remains the true expression of Israel in the world today.

He is of course free to disagree with me, but I don’t think it is fair to suggest my interpretation of Scripture is somehow below the standard of a creationist when I am closer to Calvin and the Reformation in these positions than Christian Zionists. I believe that evolution and Christian Zionism grew up at the same time in the 19th C and both were departures from good sound Protestant beliefs.[1]

The global Judeo-Christian meta-narrative involves Creation, Fall, Redemption through Christ as the fulfilment of Israel’s promises, and the final consummation of all things in Christ.

Now let me give a few Scriptures from St Paul (NIV). He first explains his concern that people were turning away from the true Gospel because of Judaisers in the Church, a concern I share when I hear Christian Zionist theology.

Gal 1:6-7 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Middle East peace talks leak out

The details of peace talks between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have apparently been leaked, although it is not entirely clear they are real.

Palestinians question 'offers' leaked by al-Jazeera

But if valid, it shows the Palestinian Authority was willing to make major concessions to the State of Israel concerning East Jerusalem, although seemingly this was rejected with nothing offered in return. Such concessions were also perhaps more than the Palestinian Authority could deliver. But when we hear the Zionist narrative that Palestinians are the intransigent ones and not interested in peace talks we may ask whether the truth is different.

The Telegraph - The Rise of Israeli Extremism

Julian Kossoff writes that Israeli extemism is leading 'anti-Zionists' to delegitimise Israel. The rise of fanatical 'Israeli ayatollahs' is a godsend for anti-Zionists

Kossoff believes that there are two aspects to Israeli extremism. One is Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, "The other half is the brawny nationalism of Lieberman (aka “Israel’s Milosevic”) and his Israel Beiteinu party supported by Russian Jews, now gunning for left-wing Israeli NGOs and human rights groups with McCarthyite fervour."

Pastor John Hagee rejects a peace deal that divides Jerusalem

This news, that John Hagee has repeated his belief that God does not wish a peace deal that divides Jerusalem, comes from a report in the Christian Today website. Hagee says dividing Israel is not God's will but other evangelicals disagree

In a webcast for the New Year Hagee applied Genesis 13:14-17 and Genesis 17:7-8 to the present day situation. The first passage reads as follows, “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” Genesis 17 claims that the land will be an “everlasting covenant” to Abraham and his offspring, and Hagee applies this to the present day State of Israel.

Is Hamas planning terror in the State of Israel ?

Israel arrests two staff members at the British consulate office in Jerusalem on terror plot charges

A Daily Mail news report notes that "Two staff members at the British consulate in Jerusalem [have been] arrested...on terror charges." "Israel’s Shin Bet security service accuses them of supplying weapons for a planned attack on the city’s Teddy football stadium."

Knesset to investigate Jewish Human Rights NGOs

Former Knesset speaker urges Israeli human rights groups to shun Knesset probe - Avraham Burg criticizes committee that is expected to be set up to investigate left-wing groups that allegedly take part in delegitimization campaigns against IDF soldiers.

The Haaretz report comments that "Avraham Burg, an ex-Knesset speaker and former head of the Jewish Agency, called on Israeli human rights groups not to cooperate with the Knesset committee expected to be set up to investigate them."

"The chief executive of the New Israel Fund, Daniel Sokatch, warned that Israel was on a dangerous path. “A healthy democracy respects and protects human rights,” he said. “It does not attempt to put out of business human rights organizations that enjoy international respect. Human rights groups operate freely in a democracy, and this message has clearly not reached Yisrael Beiteinu.” "

Richard Falk thinks Gaza is facing another war - Cast Lead II

Israel Prepares Major Offensive against Gaza: Hopes of Gaza Cast in Lead

He writes that "Israel is gearing up for another major offensive into Gaza, yet the world community still remains bafflingly silent."

Richard Falk is Albert G. Milbank Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Visiting Distinguished Professor in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is currently serving his third year of a six year term as a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights.

Israeli woman who prayed at the wailing wall faces jail.

The Telegraph reports that a Female Israeli activist could be sent to prison for praying at Wailing Wall

Anat Hoffman led a group of women, in defiance of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, in a time of open prayer at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall. She has been told that she possibly faces years in prison because this action was considered a breach of the peace.

The Telegraph writes that; "Mrs Hoffman's case is a stark illustration of the growing power of religious groups in Israel, particularly in Jerusalem where the segregation of the sexes is becoming more common. She and her followers have been taunted and even assaulted by ultra-orthodox men at the Wailing Wall."

Israel-Palestine - Between a Rock and a Hard Place ?

A Guardian Comment is Free blog highlights the difficulties faced by international recognition of Palestine - Now it is Palestine's turn to create facts on the ground - by Simon Tisdall

Tisdall believes recognition of Palestine might improve peace prospects as otherwise he believes the region is heading for another war. Although he acknowledges and provides a link to another article that argues that recognition of Palestine will itself lead to war because of the 400,000 Jews already living on Arab lands who will not take kindly to being placed under Palestinian rule. A Palestinian State Means War - by Jonathan Schanzer

Tension in the UK Government over Israel / Palestine

Peter Oborne is reporting tension in the UK Government over policy and events in the Middle East.

Why the Middle East is about to split the Coalition wide open

God TV raised $500,000 - to plant trees in the Negev

Has GOD TV really spent $500,000 of subscribers money to plant trees in the Negev Desert? I find this incredible because it is a huge waist of money when there is so much real need in the world, and it exhibits a supreme lack of faith.

Presumably if God wished to raise up trees in the Negev he doesn't need dollars, merely seeds, rain and sunshine. He could do it himself. The promises of God to Moses about a land flowing with milk and honey were concerned with what God would do as a result of our obedience to him.

This is of course made worse by the fact that the Bedouin tribes have been forced of their historical lands. Read more here;

http://stephensizer.blogspot.com/2010/12/jesus-recruited-god-tv-helps-israel.html

http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16517

Inverting Theology ?

Those of us who do not accept the teachings of Christian Zionism find that our position is under attack for aledgedly moving away from biblical principles.
The December and January 2010/11 news letter of the CMJ is a case in point.
Available here

We are told "Replacement theology is not only on the increase is but is being subtly re-aligned to make it seem more acceptable and even biblical."

Apparently we teach that God loves all people equally and "that there is no special ethnic group who deserve God’s favour." But CMJ believe this is all about modern politics rather than what Scripture teaches. Really?

Or how about the conditional promise of land linked to obedience to the Law of Moses? Apparently today one ethnic group is no longer held accountable by God, but still 'deserve' God's favour. Really?

So what do I believe. That God loves Jews enough to bring them into righeousness in Christ; to have the Law written on their hearts and to share in the love of God that is found in Christ - the one who was born King of the Jews and the fulfilled promise of Abraham.

Replacement theology looks like a strawman argument, it doesn't represent what I believe. Those of us on this 'side' simply seek to follow Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2:11-19 (below), and elsewhere, that states that God has made 'one new man' between Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

"11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Is the State of Israel becoming more extreme?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/8193545/Israels-religious-extremists-send-the-peace-process-up-in-smoke.html