arisenow ISSUE #11 / December 2015
TRANSFORM DJ’S THE DANCE POWERHOUSE Page17
MIRACLES What are they and how should we think about them?
Page 8 www.arisegeneration.org
ARISE SUMMER TOUR
An overview about what happended this year in this amazing and life changing tour.
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OUR vision is to courageously and creatively teach, live and share God’s passion for the young generation and stand firm by His plans for Israel and the world. Blessings from Jerusalem,
Jani Salokangas
WORKING IN: USA, Canada, Germany, Finland, Norway, England, Philippines, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Namibia, Switzerland...
Rooted in the powerful scripture of Ephesians 5:14, Arise stands to unlimitedly glorify God: to inspire and promote Biblical truths into young people’s everyday lives. Arise devotes itself to cause a generation to arise for spiritual awakening, works of love and support for Israel.
arisenow
CREDITS
International Director JANI SALOKANGAS International Administrator SARAH AJILEYE Graphics / Illustration JANI SALOKANGAS Writers JANI SALOKANGAS, SARAH AJILEYE, BRADLEY SABAT, YOSEF, ASHLEY NIXON AND ALEXANDRA LARIN
From its beginning in 2002 the ARISE movement has had one mission – to gather students and young people from across the globe to live a life centered in God. We believe that God has a special plan for each person and it is our responsibility to live that calling to its fullest potential. Above all we want this generation to see and discover the unique and crucial plan that God has for Israel in His epic world redemptive plan.
Photography WILLÅ PHOTOGRAPHY, SHUTTERSTOCK,
The Arise movement is spreading worldwide. Join the movement today!
For more information contact us
JANI SALOKANGAS ARISENOW IS PUBLISHED BY ARISE ICEJ.
REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem www.icej.org
www.arisegeneration.org arisegeneration@icej.org Telephone: +972-2-539-9700 PO Box 1192 Jerusalem 91010 Israel
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From the leader’s pen
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or if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor”- Gal 6:3:4.
A
s we come to close another year it has become a habit of mine to evaluate what did I actually do and what I didn’t do during the year. It will not take long to realize that many things could’ve and should’ve been done differently but that is the beauty- to realize and learning from it.
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aul speaks about the need for personal evaluation. Self-evaluation is necessary since there is always the danger of self-deception. Personal evaluation must be
made on the basis of a careful examination of one’s own work, not on the basis of comparison with others. Personal evaluation should clarify one’s Godgiven mission in life.
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he only way to prevent self-deception is to examine the value of one’s own work: each one should test his own actions (v. 4). The word Paul uses for test means to examine for the purpose of determining true worth. As the jeweler examines a precious stone under a magnifying glass in very bright light to determine its worth, so each Christian should scrutinize his or her actions to determine their true worth before God.
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hen we engage in this kind of selfevaluation, we are renewed in our commitment to our own God-given mission: for each one should carry his own load. Each of us has been called by God to carry our own load. In other words, as Christians examine their actions to see if they reflect the love of Christ, they are at the same time led by that self-evaluation to consider how to serve others in love. Examine yourself so we can reflect Gods love on the cross through Jesus Christ in a better way in 2016. God bless you all!
Hot articles in this issue Battle Fear page 4 Miracles page 8 Arise Summer Tour ‘15
page 10
From Crime to Christ
page 13
The Feast
page 16
Dancing for God
page 17
Matisyahu live in Jerusalem
page 21
The Season of Giving
page 26
www.arisegeneration.org
Jani Salokangas is the Arise International Director and he is based in Jerusalem with his family.
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“One of the oldest and toughest challenges for Christians is finding a way to understand the existence of terrible evil in a world that is ruled by a loving, all-powerful God.�
FE AR
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A rticle
BATTLE
FEAR
Jani Salokangas | Shutterstock
A week ago what everyone was fearing would hit Europe struck with the full force of terror. After a deadly attack in Paris; 129 were confirmed dead, 250 were seriously wounded and among them 70 still in a critical state. It was a devastating attack to the center of Europe and it’s civilians and fear is still in the air. Europe is facing a new reality today. What to do? How to react? What to think as Christians? One of the oldest and toughest challenges for Christians is finding a way to understand the existence of terrible evil in a world that is ruled by a loving, all-powerful God. It’s not an easy question to answer—if it were, we wouldn’t be struggling with it thousands of years after Christ—but the Bible does offer hope in the face of violence and evil. There are many Bible passages that talk about evil and suffering; one of the best-known is Romans 8, which reads in part: The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us. Everything God made is waiting with excitement for God to show his children’s glory completely. Everything God made was changed to become useless, not by its own wish but because God wanted it and because all along there was this hope: that everything God made would be set free from ruin to have the freedom and glory that belong to God’s children. We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth. Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God’s promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children, which means our bodies will be made free. We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have. But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently. - Romans 8:18-25 It is easy to read the news and despair; it has been a week of terrible news. But, hope remains. When we look at the world and see so many suffering, it can feel overwhelming both personally and corporately. The reality is that many have suffered this weekend, and in the weeks preceding it, but we have a hope that does not cease and promises to comfort us in our suffering. God says that He weeps with us, but that He does not fear.
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T im e ou t!
BABY SPINACH SALAD
CITY of GOLD
(documentary)
For all food lovers this documentary is a must watch! ’City of Gold’ Trailer Shows Legendary Critic Jonathan Gold at Work. It takes great storytelling to elevate food criticism to what Jonathan does.” What is it like to be a food critic? Find out with this documentary City of Gold, following food critic Jonathan Gold around the city as he explores the various cuisines and fine dining options available in Los Angeles. It’s not just a doc about food, it’s a story about people, about culture, and about the connections we make and the times we share together over food.
WITH DATES & ALMONDS Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced 3 1/2 oz/100g pitted Medjool dates, quartered lengthwise 2 tablespoons/30g unsalted butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 small pitas, roughly torn into 1 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 cup/75g whole unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped 2 teaspoons sumac 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 5 ounces/150g baby spinach leaves 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice salt
Put the vinegar, onion, and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain away any residual vinegar and discard.
“City of Gold” got a standing ovation at its Sundance premiere this week. And that was before Gold announced that there would be free tacos in the parking lot.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and half of the olive oil in a medium frying pan over me-
Gold was born in Los Angeles; his father
When you are ready to serve, toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large
was a Jewish probation officer, his mother
mixing bowl. Add the dates and red onion, the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice, and
was a Christian Scientist teacher who con-
another pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
verted to Judaism
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dium heat. Add the pita and almonds and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring all of the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool.
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A rticle
Miracles Jani Salokangas | Shutterstock
“The more we know about our surroundings, physics behind them and their baffling accuracy and complexity, the clearer it is that we should not be here to think about being here.�
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“If we as Christians believe that God has created the universe out of nothing how can we then not believe that God could make a smaller miracle like giving hearing to the deaf? “
There is no standard definition for miracles to which we may all turn. According to Webster’s dictionary defines a miracle as “An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs”. A miracle is a divine operation that transcends what is normally perceived as natural law; it cannot be explained upon any natural basis. The bible says that if we would only have the faith of a mustard seed we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). This means that our walk of faith should walk hand in hand with the miraculous. In the bible there are more than 124 recorded miracles. Still many believers are skeptical to the supernatural in the word and in today’s reality. If we as Christians believe that God has created the universe out of nothing how can we then not believe that God could make a smaller miracle like giving hearing to the deaf? The belief that God could create the universe but could not do any ”smaller” miracle is illogical. It is like saying that a Michelin star chef can cook a four course meal but he cannot add a bit of salt to the entree. If God actually created this immense and jaw dropping universe in an incomprehensible way, can we not then believe that he would be able to do almost anything else? I think as believers we have to believe. God does miracles to point life situations beyond ourselves. But to what? To the majesty and power of himself. Many scientist after examining the staggering order of universe have come to the conclusion that it did not come into existence randomly. Science points us beyond science, to a big miracle ordained and designed by God. Our existence on planet earth is a statistical and scientific virtual impossibility.
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If our planet earth were slightly larger, it would of course have slightly more gravity. As a result, methane and ammonia gas, which have molecular weights of sixteen and seventeen respectively, would remain close to the surface of the earth. Since we can’t breathe methane or ammonia because of their toxicity, we would die. If Earth were slightly smaller, water vapor would not stay close to the planet’s surface, but would instead dissipate into the atmosphere. Obviously, without water we couldn’t exist. What’s more, each of these crucially precise values was established once and for all within one millionth of a second after the Big Bang. In other words, immediately. It seems that believing in that requires more faith than believing in a perfect designer, God himself. The scientific The self-proclaimed agnostic and well known physicist Robert Jastrow has put it well, ”For the scientist who has lived by faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” The more we know about our surroundings, physics behind them and their baffling accuracy and complexity, the clearer it is that we should not be here to think about being here. We are far fetched mathematical imposibilities made real in a perfectly incomprehensible home called earth. Our existenec is an outrageous and astonishing miracle that we can enjoy every day. Live, you miracle.
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Article
Expectations & Realities -AST 2015 Bradley Sabat
The Arise Summer Tour was truly an eye-opening experience! Having the opportunity to have walked where Jesus walked was indeed a blessing. Being able to wake up and stare into the Sea of Galilee whilst reading about it, brings the Bible to life in more ways than I thought possible. It has been hard to put down the Bible since then. I had hoped to go on this tour and simply walk through Israel and appreciate the country’s beauty, however, so much more happened. I saw both the good, and the bad, and in both cases God is at work, mightily. Being such a historically important country, it is easy to get caught up and lose focus on what we were there for, but the tour continuously pointed back to Jesus, and what He has and still is accomplishing in the Land and the rest of the world. It’s amazing how much can happen in ten days. I journeyed to Israel hoping to meet new people and instead I made some of the strongest relationships. I arrived searching and uncertain, I came back to Australia with purpose. I expected to be touched in some crazy, emotional kind of way, but that was not the case, and that was my reality - that God is everywhere and we carry Him as light and salt in our own cities. Being part of the Arise tour was humbling, and being surrounded by over 40 young people totally sold out for the gospel was inspiring. I can’t wait to come back!
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1 PROPOSAL IN THE DESERT. SHE SAID YES
2 BAPTIZED IN THE JORDAN RIVER
50 PARTICIPANTS
S U M M E R
TO U R
ARISE SUMMER TOUR’15 in israel
250 FALAFELS
CONSUMED IN 1HOUR
706 km
ON THE ROAD
1600 LITRES OF WATER CONSUMED
2000 KILOGRAMS
OF TOMATOES HARVESTED IN 2HRS FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (NEW ALL TIME RECORD IN LEKET HISTORY)
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Arise
Sarah Ayileye | Shutterstock
“Open the flood gates of heaven let it rain”, swiftly like a current the chorus passed through the bus until almost everyone was singing along as bus drove through the desert. Welcome to the Arise summer tour 2015! This year ICEJ Arise were blessed to host 45 young adults representing 5 continents as they toured the holy land. All travelled some distance to come to Israel, with some journeying from as far as north America, Australia and China, to experience what was to be a unique and in many cases, a life changing tour. For over 10 years the ICEJ young adults branch has been organising tours to Israel, it is during such tours that young hearts have been transformed for God, minds have been renewed to a revelation of His Word, spiritual chains have been broken and lives set a blaze for the gospel. The theme for the 2015 tour was ‘A leap of faith’ which certain participants testified that their being in Israel was literally that. One such example is Aaron, 29, from Canada who explained that since coming to faith he wanted to visit Israel but in 2014 a chance to tour Israel with his home church failed and he was left heartbroken. The past year had been a test of his faith, as he had to deal with various trails. However, a visit from the Arise director Jani Salokangas to his
church in Ontario this April was a confirmation that he would see Jerusalem and that he should press on in faith and prayers. Thankfully he did and his dream came true! In true Arise style via the comfort of an air conditioned, but more importantly wifi enabled bus, we toured historical sites, visited charities making a difference in the land, saw vast desert landscapes and arrived at projects to help the needy of the Israeli societies. What makes the Arise summer tour different from other tours is the “hands on” aspect as the tours incorporate projects to get involved in. The second day of the tour was the first project at a Moshav near Tiberias, here the group got to glean fields for the organisation Leket Israel, for foods that would go to feed the poor and underprivileged of society (as the Lord commanded in Leviticus 23:22). To the songs of worship music playing off someone’s phone the group humbly picked tomatoes and conversations began where they started to get to know one another. The Leket staff informed the group that they were one of the best volunteers they had the pleasure of meeting and that the Arise group broke a record and picked 2000 kilos of tomatoes in 90 minutes! Naturally the Leket staff asked if Arise could come again in the future as we were “a happy and hard working group”.
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A leap of faith’
Our second project was in Bethlehem, here Arise visited a local Arab church called the First Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Khoury who informed the group of challenges and testimonies in the area and how God is using FBC to minister to the people of Bethlehem. The group then went on to visit and play with children at various orphanages in Bethlehem. This project touched many in the group, as staff informed the group of the stories of most of the children, stories which were often too tragic to comprehend and brought some in the group to tears. It’s important to note that there are different reasons why young people come to Israel, for some it’s always been a dream, a summer vacation or maybe just curiosity, whatever the reason be sure that there is indeed a higher calling as one young theology student Monika, 22, from the US found out for herself when she confessed, “I initially came [Israel] because my parents wanted me to go. I soon realised when I got here that God
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For over 10 years the ICEJ young adults branch has been organising tours to Israel
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I knew nothing about the country except wars happened here, but throughout the tour I felt peace and joy. Every moment of the trip was memorable. had a bigger plan for me on this trip; to bless me with new friendships, new understanding, and to encourage my giftings”. Heinrich from Australia came on the Arise tour as a gift for his 21st birthday, he told how his mother visited Israel when she was the same age and shared her happy memories with her son, hoping that he too would one day visit the land of the Bible. Heinrich now has happy memories of his own to share with family and friends. Highlights of the tour included baptisms in the Jordan River for those who wanted to make a public declaration of their faith, rafting in the Jordan river, chilling out in the natural water springs of Gan HaShlosha, sunrise devotional at the top of Masada, floating in the dead sea, a night at a Bedouin tent in the desert, camel rides, the western Wall & Tunnels, Yad Vashem and the relaxing on the beaches of Tel Aviv. Special guest speaker and human rights activist lawyer Calev Meyers was also a favourite of the group has he spoke to the group about the legal implications of Israel, the UN and what is happening in the west bank and Gaza. For 28 year old Kit from Macau China, coming to Israel was appointed by God for her to hear from Him. As the first and only one in her family to become a Christian, coming to Israel had a significant impact on her as she describes “Before I came to Israel, I knew nothing about the country except wars happened here, but throughout the tour I felt peace and joy. Every moment of the trip was memorable.” If you feel that ‘for such a time as this moment’ in your life then Arise encourages you to take that leap of faith and come to the Land that God Himself chose to bring forth His redemptive plan for the world and see for yourself the amazing things He is doing through His Spirit here in the Land. Julian, 21, from Australia says coming here “gave me a real and genuine love and understanding of God’s land” and when asked what he would say to someone considering joining the Arise 2016 tour, he humorously responds “In the words of Shia Labeouf-DO IT!” •
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YOUR STORY
From Crime to Christ
My Testimony and impact of the Arise Tour Ashley Nixon | Shutterstock
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You know it’s such a privilege to be able to share my story and to be able to praise God for all that He has done in my life. Three and a half years ago I was in prison for a serious assault, witness intimidation and possession of drugs. I’d always been a trouble maker for as long as I could remember. At 13 I was using drugs and getting into trouble with the police for shoplifting, fighting and causing all kinds of criminal damage. At 16 I had been expelled from school and had a lengthy criminal record for burglary, arson, and possession of drugs, theft and handling stolen goods. It wasn’t long before I realised that my life was quickly becoming a disaster but every time I tried to sort myself out the more my life seemed to spiral out of control. Eventually I signed up for the Royal Marines and was told that if I just kept out of trouble for two years they would accept me. I passed my potential officers course and was looking forward to the promising career. However, I was still taking drugs and in all kinds of trouble and eventually I got into a fight and arrested for assault. The potential army career went out the window and again my life spiralled out of control. I went back to the only thing I was good at; selling drugs. Soon I began selling drugs for a gang connected to the Albanian mafia. This was a serious operation! We were buying 1 or 2 kilos of cocaine a week at the price of up £52k each. We had safe houses all over the local area and regularly changed our phones and our cars. We were always trying to stay one step ahead of the police. There are many stories that I could tell you that would shock and surprise you as to the life that I used to live. The one that I will share will give you some insight into the power that drugs and gang life can have. I remember receiving a phone call from the guy who I sold drugs for. He told me he’d been attacked by a local gang and asked me to go to a safe house and pick up a weapon. That day I got into my friends car with a loaded gun with the intention to kill if we ever found the people we were looking for. I wasn’t a gangster but a lost fool, a drug addict that was in way over his head and would do anything he could to get a fix. I needed help, desperate help. Thankfully we never found who we were looking. Once I’d finally been sent to prison I found that for the first time in a long time I was clean from drugs not out of choice but just because I couldn’t get my hands on anything. I soon realised that I was on my own the people who I thought were my friends were nowhere to be seen. I began to go to the gym and to generally clean myself up. It was about a week before I was to be released early from prison for good behaviour when an officer came to my cell and told me that I was being transferred to another prison. I couldn’t believe it. This would mean no early release. I thought there must have been a mistake but with God there are no mis-
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takes. As soon as I got to the other prison again I went to the gym and started to build a reputation for myself. It wasn’t long before I was in a serious fight and a price was on my head. This usually means within 24-48hrs you get stabbed or at least seriously assaulted. It was at this time a prisoner who had been transferred with me began to tell me about God. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Hear I was in prison, my life in danger and this guy wanted to tell me about God. How could God ever help me? A couple of days later I walked past the sign-up sheet for the prison chapel service and something just drew me towards it. After some time of hesitating I eventually wrote my name on the form and the moment I did a sense of peace hit me unlike anything I had ever felt before. I suddenly felt as though everything was going to be ok. At the chapel I learnt about a God who loves me, a God who cares about who I was, a God who wants the best for me. One day in my cell I told God if He cared about me and wanted to help me then I would do whatever He asked, that He could have my life and I would give Him everything I had. Within a few weeks I found myself reading my bible and praying more and more. I stayed out of trouble and God protected me from all danger during the remainder of my time in prison.
“Once I’d finally been sent to prison I found that for the first time in a long time I was clean from drugs not out of choice but just because I couldn’t get my hands on anything”
Once I was released from prison I found myself back surrounded by old temptations. It wasn’t long before I was mixing with my old gang, taking drugs and again causing trouble but even though I wasn’t being faithful to God He remained faithful to me. I continued to read my bible and trust that the only one who could save me was God. The gang that I worked with were caught in a £1.3 million drug raid and my then girlfriend was cheating on me with my best friend. God removed all the dangers and distractions from my life and began once again to draw me back to Himself. By this point I had taken up boxing. It was at this time that a girl that I once knew before prison called me. She told me how God had saved her and we talked for hours about how He’d been at work in both of our lives. I went to church and was greeted by people who genuinely cared who I was; people who seemed to have a general sense of joy that I’d never known before. It wasn’t long before I gave my life to Christ and things really began to change.
Arise Summer Tour and they told me that God had laid it on their hearts that that should be me. Our God is incredible; He constantly finds new ways to express His love and to ensure you receive all the blessings you need in life to prepare you for a life of service. The Israel trip opened my eye to the importance of Israel in the Kingdom of God. I was able to see and experience the power and presence of God at work in His Land. It was such a privilege to be there and I know that the time spent at the western wall and other such places will have a lasting effect on me. I was completely challenged on all my western theology. Now that I’m back in England it has created a real hunger for me to find the truth of our gospel and what modern day Israel really means to our faith in Christ. Through ICEJ God has lead me to the next stage of my journey and Paul and Jess continue to be a great support and help at this time. I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone who is seriously considering a life dedicated to God. Visiting Israel is a must for anyone who is serious about their faith. •
“I went to church and was greeted by people who genuinely cared who I was; people who seemed to have a general sense of joy that I’d never known before. It wasn’t long before I gave my life to Christ and things really began to change.”
I won the next seven fights and became the Midlands Light Middleweight boxing champion. I was no longer a drug addict; there was no rehab, no counselling and no replacement therapy. Just the power of God, His word and prayer. Later that year I was baptised and then began a year’s internship at the church. I have been shown completely undeserved favour and love from our Lord and Saviour. The internship helped me to seek the Lord’s will for my life and to get involved in ministry. Although I feel the call of God, He is yet to confirm what that is but I’m excited to see where He will lead me. I recently received the call to Bible College and will be starting in September. My church have also asked me to continue as a youth leader for the 11-18s Sunday school ministry. God has lead me to share my story in prisons, other churches on the streets and through many other ways. At our church celebrated the Passover with ICEJ UK I met Paul and Jess Parkhouse (Arise UK leaders). They invited me to join a tour to Israel for the Feast of Tabernacles but with Bible College coming up and tuition fees to pay I had to say no. I was informed that people had donated money for a young person to go on the
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“I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone who is seriously considering a life dedicated to God. Visiting Israel is a must for anyone who is serious about their faith.” MORE INFO: WWW.ARISEGENERATION.ORG
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Article
FEAST
THE
Sarah Ajileye | Jani Salokangas
FEAST of TABERNACLES PRESENTED BY INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN EMBASSY JERUSALEM
This year the annual ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles celebrations was once again held in the new home of the Pais Arena in Jerusalem. Around 5,000 pilgrims from over 80 nations came up to Jerusalem and celebrated Sukkot in the city of the Great King. The theme was Reformation. Over 500 years ago the famed theologian Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses on the door of the All Saint’s Church in Wittenberg which ushered in the Protestant Reformation across Europe. It was the protestant reformation that challenged the heavy religious grip the Catholic Church had in Europe, its government and the lives of the people. This year’s conference discussed the great changes that the reformation brought such as enabling the average lay man to have access to the bible in their mother tongue and read it for themselves. There was also a reminder from Dr Buhler that the Church was in need of fresh reformation in which the subject of Israel needs to be preached and taught in every church. The opening night at Ein Gedi was full of excited pilgrims, many of whom traveled from all the continents to celebrate Sukkot in Israel. Worship was led by special guest singers such as Brazil’s Ana Paula Valadao, Eddie James from the US as well as the ICEJ’s very own Ray Ramirez to name but a few. The keynote speaker at Ein Gedi was Rene Terra Nova from Brazil, who boldly declared that “A reformer doesn’t do what he wants, he does what the purpose demands.” As the celebrations continued in Jerusalem at the Pais Arena, a positive atmosphere was felt throughout. Sone stated how much of a blessing it was to be in Jerusalem during sukkot and doing so with believers from around the globe added to the surreal experience of it all. Guest speaker Cindy Jacobs highlighted how important it was for the Church to stand with Israel. She also stressed “Things like replacement theology have crept into the Church because we are not doers of the Word”. However, she encouraged 16 AriseNow
“Around 5,000 pilgrims from over 80 nations came up to Jerusalem and celebrated Sukkot.” the pilgrims in saying “You have come to Jerusalem to be reformers” and in doing so are able to return to their respective nations with ability to tell the truth about Israel- that is, God is not finished with Israel. There were many breakout sessions during the conference and one included the ‘ICEJ Feast Youth Day’. Hundreds of believing Israeli youths from all over the nation (as far as Eilat) came to take part. The farmer turned Christian speaker Angus Buchan once again spoke to the youth, this time about having godly vision and walking with God to make it a reality. He implored the youth to take God seriously and to dream big: “If your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s not big enough”! The youth were then treated to a time to connect with their friends and others at a nearby hotel with a meal, compliments of the ICEJ. Other notable guests included the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, who thanked the delegates from the nations for coming and supporting Israel even through the troubled times Israel was currently facing. There were special video greetings from Nir Barkat (Jerusalem Mayor) and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu stating their appreciations to the ICEJ and the support of Christians. •
Q&A
God DANCING FOR
We went to Turku Finland (Maat N채kyviss채 Festival) to interview one of the hottest and most energic dance music plays of the christian music scene. We met with Transform DJs.
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How did you end up as electronical music artists? Tim Heil: Well we grew up with electronical music most of our lives and since I was a teenager I always loved dance music. John and I met in college and we both liked dance music so we started something called ’Transformed Productions’ and that was a thing where we did outreaches and all night events reaching out to the club scene and rave scene of Colorado. We would invite other DJs into these evenets and then bring them into a smaller more intimate place with a 100 people and just to get to know them and that is where we were able to share Jesus to people. Then 5 years ago after continuing doing these smaller gigs we were asked to help one of our friends in a bigger festival just right when dance music was taking off in America. This event went phenomenal and we felt that were entering into this wave and from there we formed what we call today ’Transform DJs’ which is sort of like a band but still a DJ act. Of course doing this we have had to adapt and understand what we represent and where we play our music. Jonathan Burgess: God has given us the ability to reach out to the broken people, drug addicts and people just totally lost with the Gospel. One of these encounters in these festivals have also led us to share the good news of the Gospel face to face like this with influential people in this industry like Paul Oakenfold. We don’t know where does he stand now, but moments like those make this worth it.
The Christian music scope is diferse but still there is a quite narrow and explicit view on what is Godly music. Have you encountered opposition to your music style from the people around you? Tim Heil: So I was raised a preacher’s kid, John and I are both preacher’s kids but my dad was always very supportive towards my music. I never got a cold shoulder when it came to music saying “that is the devil’s music” but I see that happening around me. It’s good to remember that before this it was hip-hop, before that heavy metal and before that something else until you hit the times of the organs. I have never ran into this issue but I’ve met people who have tried to embrace a different style but it was not welcomed. I’ve always loved dance music and for me to be able to do this for Jesus is a dream come true. I never thought I would be doing this around the world. Taylor Franklyn: My parents were always super super supportive of me doing dance music. Also my church wanted me to DJ in the worship team which ment some sort of scratching I guess, hahaha! But I think the hardest thing has been explaing to nonchristians and secular circles about what we do the way we do it. They struggle somehow to understand that christians can also do dance music. When you tell them that you are christian they sort of ask: ”But is your music still good?”
Dancing
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Why do you feel that the secular music circles would think christian dance music as ”werid”? Jonathan Burgess: Well it’s probably stereotypical thinking maybe because traditionally there has been a lot of bad things usually going along with dance music culture and for them to see christians leading this music into a godly worship moment is just totally different and weird. So we try to be as authentic as we can with our music and to bring out into our music what is inside of us. It is a dream and a gift and we want to bring this back to God as worship. He gave us the talent so why not turn this talent back to Him as a form of worship.
Dream
“It is a dream and a gift and we want to bring this back to God as worship. He gave us the talent so why not turn this talent back to Him as a form of worship.” Right now we are at Scandinavia’s largest music festival and God is clearly using you guys. Where do you see Transform DJs going from here? Jonathan Burgess: I see us doing this for a long time unless God has other plans for us. Being used a vessels for the three things that God has called us to be vessels for. First, to preach the Gospel second to denfend the defensless lives and third to lead worship. To continue our calling faithfully and as a result God increasing our influence to impact people across the world for God. I’d like to see Tranform DJs to be used as a tool for revival and changing cultures and nations for God, genuinly.
Tranformer DJs in Finland touching the hearts of thousands of young people
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Defending the defensless, what do you mean by that?
Any last words to the readers?
Jonathan Burgess: Let me back up a bit here. We love music and we have now a new albmun called Never Alone, get it, but as I said we have this mission from God. We want people to encounter Jesus and invite Him to be a center part of their lives. The bible also speaks about loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbour as yourself inspires us to help the needy in poverty, the sick and people in sex trafficking situations and slavery.
Jonathan Burgess: We just want to tell the truth which often is not politically correct but I guess nothing we do is politically correct. Truth often is the opposite to what people want to hear. And I think it is for such times as this where the western youth do have a skewed of what the bible says and what was truly in the heart of Jesus, with our small voices we want to do our share to correct that and re-direct that back to God and give all honor. We want to align ourselves with what Jesus thinks about us and what Jesus thinks of his own people. So if we love Him more we will learn to love what He loves more. And one of these thing that He loves is Israel and His people and I just want to obey that. Hopefully we can encourage more people to be more on fire for God and live fully for Him. •
So when we speak about these people who cannot defend themselves we have to speak about another group; the unborn. We feel strongly to be a mouth piece for those who cannot live because of abortion so with that we want to do two things with that. One to literally save lives in that crowd that night and secondly to people to raise their owned voices to save others babies. We also want people to be restored because there is a lot of people who have some really bad regrets and we want to tell them that Jesus wants to restore what the enemy stole from you. We would like to see another Esther generation to speak on behalf of their people regarding life. And with this God has also raised us to have a heart for Israel and see what can we do there too.
Jesus
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Voices
“I think it is for such times as this
where the western youth do have a skewed of what the bible says and what was truly in the heart of Jesus, with our small voices we want to do our share to correct that and re-direct that back to God”
MEMBERS FROM LEFT: Taylor Franklyn DJ Jonathan Burgess DJ Omni
CULTURE
MATISYAHU Live in Jerusalem Sarah Ajileye | Shutterstock
The American Jewish reggae rapper Matthew Miller more famously known as Matisyahu was in Jerusalem in October for a performance that rocked the city. The much anticipated concert was held within walking distance from the Old City walls as thousands filled the Sultan’s Pool in defiance of the surge of stabbing attacks by terrorists. Many saw the concert as a show of solidarity with the people of Jerusalem and Israel in the midst of the current acts of terrorism that has shook the nation. The Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat thanked the police along with other service men and women for their work during these hard times. He also showed appreciation to the concert goers for coming together in defiance of terrorism.
Needless to say the musician was welcomed here in Jerusalem. Opening acts included Ethiopian rap band ‘Café Shachor Hazak’ and ‘Nechi Nech’. Thousands cheered for him as he walked onto the stage and started to sing songs from his various albums. Even though it was a cold night, the singer seemed comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. The opening track was the upbeat ‘King without a crown” and looking around it was clear that Matisyahu was the kind of the musician who’s music is enjoyed by many as there were Hasidic fans, Ethiopians, Arabs and internationals all of which varied in ages from the young to very old. Undoubtedly, the most anticipated song was “Jerusalem” particularly because of the current troubles. Matisyhau and Idan Raichel collaborated to the joy of many as almost everyone stood and sang along aloud- “Jerusalem if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it’s supposed to do”.
“Undoubtedly, the most anticipated song was “Jerusalem” particularly because of the current troubles”
Only a few months before, controversy arose when Matisyahu’s concert at a reggae festival in Spain was cancelled by the organisers because they wanted him to formally state his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, preferably in agreement with the anti-Israeli movement BDS. In what was seen to be a biased and anti-Semitic move on the part of the organisers, after widespread condemnation, Matisyahu was allowed to perform. And so he did, even with some festival goers waving Palestinian flags and chanting “out out”.
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As the show ended shortly after midnight, people seemed to rush off and all of a sudden it was as though the worries of the city came back to minds for many. The concert however, helped to signify the resilience of the Jerusalemites. •
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RED ALERT
Tension in the City Josef | Willå Photography
October 13, 2015, I was sitting in my office down town Jerusalem about to head out across town to run some errands. I thought to myself ‘I should check the news just to make sure all is ok’. Just as I turned on the radio the first reports started coming in of two recent terror attacks in town. “Gun shots fired in a bus….. Many wounded….. In another area of town a car rammed in to pedestrians and then the terrorist started stabbing them…” I was shocked! Earlier that morning my wife and I were praying and believing in hope that this wave of terror would end. But it didn’t. This has been our reality, here in Jerusalem and Israel, almost daily now for the past two weeks. Spur of the moment stabbing attacks on Jews by Palestinians. A lot of this is a result of lies and incitement that the Arab and Palestinian leaders have been spreading throughout the media. The main lie has been claims by Palestinian leaders that the Israeli government is planning to change the security arrangements and status quo on the temple mount even though Israel did not change the status quo. Now for those who don’t know much about the tem-
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ple mount, the temple mount is where the temple stood until its destruction. Today it is where the Al Aqsa mosque stands. Since the ‘67 war Israel has controlled the status quo on the temple mount. The Muslims who “own it” believe it is forbidden for any other religion to pray on the temple mount. For Jews it is an over 2000 year old dream to rebuild the temple and pray on the temple mount, therefore resulting in a religious conflict that can often get violent, and that is what’s happening. The tension is high. Walking down the street these days you don’t know when an attack will occur from who it will come from. It’s scary. This is not life! Now I am not writing to tell you about all this so you’ll pick a side in this conflict and become all radical. That’s the last thing we need here in the Middle East and around the world. The reason I am writing this is so you can get a better picture of the ‘street view’ here in Jerusalem and start praying! Start by praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for the lies to stop and for the truth to come forth. Pray for the stealing, killing and destroying of Jewish and Arab lives to stop. Pray for salvation for Jews and Arabs. •
ICEJ REPORT
Peacemakers P ,C R in
rague
zech
epublic
Alexandra Larin | Will책 Photography
Through a new initiative of the Czech branch of the ICEJ, a group of young adults from Czech Republic, Germany and Israel gathered together in Prague to learn from history and become active agents of reconciliation. Looking back at the Holocaust and the years that followed, the group discussed the dangers of prejudice and studied examples of courageous individuals who had the moral strength to stand against the tide of hatred. The group also had the honor to meet a Holocaust survivor during their trip, Doris Grosdanovicova, who was incarcerated in Terezin during the war. For the Israeli participants, the gathering in Prague was a good opportunity to visit some of the places of historical significance and to meet their European peers. The German and Czech participants were eager to get to know their Jewish guests and to learn about their perspective on history. Together they also shared a special time of reconciliation during the program. It was impossible to not get emotional, as the Europeans asked for forgiveness for their nations and as the Israelis could speak that forgiveness out. The purpose of this unique program is for young adults to better understand their history, to draw lessons from it and to apply these lessons to current situations. As we got to know each other in this multicultural and multilingual setting, we grew very hopeful for our nations and for our friendship with Israel. To learn more about the ICEJ branches around the world, visit our website: www.icej. org/world
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ICEJ REPORT
T H E N E ED Today there are still close to 200.000 holocaust survivors alive in Israel. Today 70 years after the Holocaust many of them are still traumatized from the horror they experienced. In addition many face social challenges. A Recent study in Israel revealed that 1/3 of the survivors are living below the poverty line. One of the greatest challenges of survivors today is loneliness. Since 2010 the ICEJ started a historic initiative to help survivors in need. A unique home of holocaust survivors has been established in Haifa hosting more then 70 survivors. They established a unique community, occupying 9 different buildings finding the attention of Israel’s media. This home helps the survivors to escape their loneliness and allows them to be a part of a unique and vibrant community of people who survived the most horrendous chapter of human history.
Miss Holocaust Survivor The Haifa home is a major ICEJ project. The ICEJ is proud to be “a helping hand” to the many Holocaust survivors that reside in the home. This year’s winner of the annual Miss Holocaust Survivor was 83-yearold Rita Berkowitz. Born in Romania, she was 9 when World War II started. The beauty pageant attracted international media and the guests judges included former Miss Israel and Ethiopian beauty Yityish Aynaw and Lihi Lapid (wife of Yair Lapid). Families and friends of the 13 contestants came to support their loved ones on stage and cheered for all who took part. “Tonight, Holocaust survivors have the opportunity to experience something which they missed in their childhood. Many of them they were children or teenagers or young adults during the Holocaust. So this night is giving them something back which they never could experience when they were young. If you look at the faces of the Holocaust survivors, and the joy and the happiness, you see it’s an evening that’s really healing some of their wounds, which they bring with them” declared Jurgen Buhler, ICEJ Exec. Director.
Bryssels Symposium The head of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) will hold a symposium at the European Union Parliament in Brussels to address the recent European Union decision to label Israeli goods made in Judea and Samaria, the Golan Heights, and eastern Jerusalem. The symposium will be held on December 2 and will call on EU lawmakers to find an alternative approach in finding a solution between the two sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to foster economic cooperation, stability, and peace, ICEJ said. “This labeling law will only divide Israelis and Palestinians further,” said ICEJ Executive Director Dr. Jürgen Bühler. “Co-existence is better achieved by establishing factories and business partnerships in areas where Palestinians and Israelis live side-by-side.”
CONNECTING THE CHURCH WITH ISRAEL WWW.ICEJ.ORG 24 AriseNow
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THE SEASON OF GIVING Chanukah With the Chanukah holidays approaching, residents of the Haifa Home will be celebrating this winter holiday in their safe, warm environment. Also known as the Festival of Lights, Chanukah is celebrated around Israel with lighting of the candles and enjoying the holiday sweets called sufganyot – special Israeli doughnuts with filling inside. At the Haifa Home, their brand new recreational facility is a tremendous blessing especially during the holidays. A variety of activities are held daily in the hall; drinking coffee with friends, going to the gym, or entertaining guests from Israel and abroad. For special events or celebrations, like holidays, the facility also serves as a reception hall. One of the residents shared with us while drinking coffee with her neighbor: “I do not understand that in this time of unrest in the Land I feel so relaxed and at peace. It probably has to do with the fact that many people pray for us.” Shimon Sabag, director of the Home, often calls the Haifa Home “God’s Home.” To run a Home like this completely on private donations from people in Israel and abroad is quite a challenge. Christmas In partnership with local Arab pastors and churches, the ICEJ will sponsor holiday gatherings and distribute Christmas gifts to many deserving Christian families in cities of Bethlehem and Nazareth. The children in these Christian communities will receive Christmas packages with clothing and toys. The Christian residents of both Bethlehem and Nazareth are immensely proud to live in cities where Jesus was born and grew up. Because of that the Christmas season is especially important to them. In early December, the municipality of Bethlehem starts decorating the streets with lights and signs, which is a cue for all the stores to begin decorating as well. Around the 20th of the month the big Christmas parties start. The ICEJ wants to make sure that the Christian families in this land are well prepared for this special season! Your gift today will help us bless the needy Christian families in Jerusalem and Nazareth with food coupons, so they can celebrate together around a Christmas meal. At the same time, by making a donation at this time you can bless the nation of Israel just in time for Chanukah!
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DONATE TO OUR HOLIDAY FUND BY VISITING: WWW.ICEJ.ORG/HOLIDAYS
Wa ehawppisyh aynodu sweet h
Chanuka From the Arise Team
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J O I N U S F O R 1 0 E X C I T I N G D AY S O F E X P L O R ING THE LAND OF THE BIBLE AND SEE WHERE IT ALL HAPPENED. MAKE NEW FRIENDS FROM A L L O V E R T H E W O R L D A S W E P R AY , W O R S H I P, LEARN, LAUGH AND EXPERIENCE JESUS TOGETHER IN THE H O LY L A N D .
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