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."

Fears grow for Christians in Pakistan after assassination

There is growing concern for the safety of Christians in Pakistan after a human rights judge was murdered there this week. There is a need to pray for peace, and for Aasia Bibi
Pakistan supporters fear for safety of Aasia Bibi after Taseer killing

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