We are you, and you are us – Israel and Australia share values

Yuval Rotem – The Australian – September 28, 2013

IN the next few days I will depart Australia. Every departure comes with a certain lingering sadness. Although this is the third time we are returning to Israel from an overseas assignment, it does not become any easier with age or experience. With my departure comes the task of bidding farewell to close friends who helped to build a home away from home, who have provided a sense of belonging and a treasured family bond.

My family and I have had the privilege of exploring this great country from the Great Barrier Reef in the north to Hobart in the south and Uluru in the centre, our trips allowing us to wander through the Bungle Bungles, swim at Fraser Island and test our nerves on rides at Dreamworld. Australia has welcomed, inspired and amazed us at every corner.

The historical relationship between Australia and Israel was forged in the heat of battle during WWI. Members of Zion Mule Corps served alongside Anzac troops on the shores of Gallipoli. The corps, largely made up of Jewish volunteers, recognised the importance of fighting with the Allies and the values they stood for. This relationship strengthened as members of the Australian Light Horse Brigade strove gallantly through the Turkish Ottoman trenches in the city of Be’er Sheva. Fighting for freedom of the land, the soldiers were welcomed into the homes and hearts of Jewish residents.

Acknowledging and appreciating the role of Australia in the re-establishment of the modern state of Israel, the work of then foreign minister Dr HV Evatt to secure the decision in November 1947 was courageous and dedicated. Australia was the first to vote in favour of the establishment of Israel in May 1948 in the General Assembly and also sponsored the resolution for Israel’s admittance to the UN in 1949.

As I prepare to leave, I am overcome with emotions, connected to the places visited and enriching years that I have spent here. My reflections are dominated by images of this wide brown land, memories made through friendships forged over long dinners, and a warm recollection of our travels.

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CTFM & Islamic mosque newspaper articles / RUA Prayer in Melbourne tonight Friday 4th Oct / Live webcast with Pr Daniel this Sunday 6th Oct

Dear friends & family in Christ, 1)  You may click the following links to read several newspaper articles regarding our recent peaceful resolution with the Islamic mosque in Doveton, Victoria.…

Continue ReadingCTFM & Islamic mosque newspaper articles / RUA Prayer in Melbourne tonight Friday 4th Oct / Live webcast with Pr Daniel this Sunday 6th Oct

Russian Hotels to Have a Bible in Every Room

By Dan Wooding – Founder of ASSIST Ministries – Thursday, August 22, 2013

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (ANS) — With so much bad news coming out of Russia these days, it is surprising (and encouraging) to learn that this month, Russian hotels are to have Bibles in every room.

According to Teresa Neumann of Breaking Christian News (http://breakingchristiannews.com), the first 6,000 copies of the New Testament and Psalms were installed this month in rooms of Izmailovo, one of the largest hotels in Moscow.

Neumann, quoting from a story in The Christian Telegraph (www.christiantelegraph.com), said, “Russia has joined with the Christian tradition in putting Bibles in hotel rooms.

“The move is supported by the government’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Department.”

Dimitriy Pershin, the chairman of the Commission with the Diocesan Missionary Council of Moscow, said, “Actually, in every European hotel, guests can find Bibles in the rooms. The Gospel is a book that has become the foundation of European culture. It is an essential feature of the respectful and hospitable attitude towards the guests, as well as an indicator of the cultural level of the owners of hotels.”

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Operation Outcry / Pro-Life American Speakers Kay Painter & Kelly Hill at CTFM in Melbourne on Sunday 13th Oct

Dear friends & family in Christ, 1) We’re pleased to announce that Kay Painter & Kelly Hill, Pro-Life American Speakers from Operation Outcry ‘Silent No More Awareness Campaign’, a group of…

Continue ReadingOperation Outcry / Pro-Life American Speakers Kay Painter & Kelly Hill at CTFM in Melbourne on Sunday 13th Oct

Top 10 Racist African-Americans

Frontpage – August 27, 2013 By

Sadly, racism is very much alive in America — among influential black Americans.

It was very much on display Saturday at the Lincoln Memorial where prominent black activists gathered a few days ahead of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I have a dream” speech in order to advance their careers by pretending to care about the state of race relations in the nation today.

Instead of simply using the opportunity to honor the work of his father in a dignified way, King’s son, Martin Luther King III, cheapened it by attempting to stir up racial hatred. He said the Trayvon Martin killing last year, ruled by a jury to be a justifiable homicide in which race played no role, shows that America is a deeply racist country.

“The task is not done, the journey is not complete,” he said. “The vision preached by my father a half-century ago was that his four little children would no longer live in a nation where they would judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

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President Obama: A pro-abortion president or a catalyst for pro-life action

by Susan Michelle Tyrell – Aug. 28, 2013 (LiveActionNews.org)

Remember those times Barack Obama was elected as president of the United States and a bunch of pro-lifers insisted that abortion would expand under his hands and it was the end of the world? Yeah. That didn’t happen.

Make no mistake: His abortion record speaks for itself and it’s not a very pretty picture. His affection toward Planned Parenthood is almost embarrassing, and his support for abortion rights is unlike any president we have seen. But the thing about extremists is that they tend to prick the consciences of others — in both directions — and in this case, history will show that electing a pro-abortion president probably helped the cause of the pro-life movement more than if we hadn’t.

Obama loves all things abortion alright (especially Planned Parenthood), but has his abortion extremism helped or harmed the cause to protect human life?

The Huffington Post reports on this phenomena in this article, entitled, “Anti-Abortion Laws Take Dramatic Toll On Clinics Nationwide,” which details the increased number of abortion clinic closing “since a heavy wave of legislative attacks on providers began in 2010, according to The Huffington Post’s nationwide survey of state health departments, abortion clinics and local abortion-focused advocacy groups.”

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Salvations, Deliverance & Holy Spirit Fire in Sydney / Pr Daniel in Melbourne this Sunday 6th Oct / Darwin 12th & 13th Oct

Dear family & friends in Christ,

1) On this past weekend gone by Pr Daniel ministered in 3 different churches in Sydney.

We praise and thank God for the awesome worship at these meetings as the presence of God was so great that Pr Daniel started praying for people before preaching.

Many people came to the altar at every meeting as Pr Daniel laid hands on them, anointed them with oil and prayed over them in the name of Jesus.  Many started weeping and repenting in the presence of God.  One young lady who had come with her mother was delivered and set free from several demonic spirits.

When she came into the meeting, she seemed quite worried, but when she left, she had a great big smile and was just completely transformed.

She, her mother and niece all gave their lives to Jesus.  Several people who were mightily touched by God rededicated their lives to the Lord at all the meetings.

People were very greatly encouraged to hear all of the great testimonies coming out of from the Rise Up Australia Party campaign as many of the candidates in NSW were present at the meetings.

Pr Daniel thanked all those who prayed for and supported the RUAP campaign in NSW.  He also challenged the NSW team to get ready for their NSW state election.

He stated, “I am so encouraged by the excitement and passion demonstrated by the people in NSW, in particular the RUAP candidates.  I thank God for RUAP.

I know for sure we have already started to take ground and will keep doing so as long as it takes.”

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For Richard Dawkins, ‘Muslim Bashing’ Is Different Than ‘Christian Bashing’

By Michael Brown, CP Op-Ed Contributor – August 12, 2013

Professor Richard Dawkins, known as the world’s most famous atheist, has risen to rock star status for his attacks on God and religion, in particular, his attacks on the God of the Bible. But when he recently criticized Muslims, he was in for a surprise.

Before looking at Dawkins’ rather mild criticism of Muslims, let’s remember the depth of his vitriol against Christians and the Bible, most of which has only enhanced Dawkins’ reputation.

In an April interview aired on the Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera, Dawkins railed on the Catholic Church, saying that, as “Horrible as sexual abuse no doubt was [suffered by some children at the hands of deviant priests], the damage was arguably less than the long-term psychological damage inflicted by bringing the child up Catholic in the first place.”

Was Dawkins really serious? The interviewer, Mehdi Hasan asked: “You believe that being bought up as a Catholic is worse than being abused by a priest?”

Dawkins replied: “There are shades of being abused by a priest, and I quoted an example of a woman in America who wrote to me saying that when she was seven years old she was sexually abused by a priest in his car.

“At the same time a friend of hers, also seven, who was of a Protestant family, died, and she was told that because her friend was Protestant she had gone to Hell and will be roasting in Hell forever.

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CTFM new church project- unexpected answer to prayer

Dear family & friends in Christ,

We wish to thank you all for covering us in prayer regarding the new Catch The Fire Ministries base which was about to be built in Doveton, Victoria.

We’re sure you all know that the land right next to us was purchased by the Afghani Muslim community to build a mosque which we at CTFM opposed, but the local council granted the permit.

This matter was taken to VCAT and the hearing was adjourned to November.

In Luke 14:25-35 the Word of God speaks of the importance of counting the cost before moving to build a tower or going to war. Well, in the past few weeks we have been doing just that, spending hours prayerfully seeking the Lord’s direction as to what we should do.

Pr Daniel particularly asked the Lord for a clear sign to show him whether or not he should continue to fight this battle in the courts, as the whole purpose of opposing the construction of the mosque was based on the fact it was going to be built right next door to our future CTFM base.

We were ready to go all the way to the Supreme Court, even though it would have taken us around 2 years and tens of thousands of dollars.

Well, all glory to God that our prayers were answered in the most unexpected way.

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Indonesia to host Miss World despite Muslim council objection

The Sundaily – Posted on 27 August 2013

JAKARTA – The Miss World beauty pageant will go ahead in Indonesia next month despite objections from the country’s leading Islamic federation, an organizer said Tuesday.

“We have obtained support from the government so there are no obstacles,” said Syafril Nasution, corporate affairs director for RCTI, the organizer and official broadcaster of the event.

“Since the beginning, we have made it clear that the event will not feature bikinis, or make use of anything that is against religious and cultural values,” he said.

“So we don’t really understand why there are still objections.”

Amidhan Sabrah, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema, said it was opposed to the event because it objectified women.

“This kind of events turn women into a commodity and that is against Islam,” he said.

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My life of hell in an Afghan harem

By Phyllis Chesler – New York Post – September 21, 2013

Naive and in love, I married a man from Kabul — only to discover the horrible life of a fundamentalist Muslim wife.

Phyllis Chesler, 72, is a feminist scholar and a professor emerita of psychology and women’s studies at City University of New York. In her 14th book, “An American Bride in Kabul” (Palgrave Macmillan) out early next month, she shares for the first time the story of the five months she spent, as a young bride, held prisoner in a Afghan household. 

I once lived in a harem in Afghanistan.

I did not enter the kingdom as a diplomat, soldier, teacher, journalist or foreign aid worker. I came as a young Jewish bride of the son of one of the country’s wealthiest men. I was held in a type of captivity — but it’s not as if I had been kidnapped.

I walked into it of my own free will.

It is 1959. I am only 18 when my prince — a dark, older, handsome, westernized foreigner who had traveled abroad from his native home in Afghanistan — bedazzles me.

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‘Gay’ lawmaker to Christians: ‘We’ll take your children

by Matt Barber Aug. 27, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) 

Few people doubt that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hopes to become president in 2016. Unfortunately for him, he may have just signed away any chance of that.

On Monday, Christie signed A3371, a draconian piece of legislation that bars licensed therapists from helping children overcome unwanted same-sex attractions, behavior or identity. This law bans help for minors even when – as is so often the case – those same-sex attractions arise from childhood sexual abuse by the likes of a Jerry Sandusky.

This law will prohibit minors and their parents from receiving counseling they desire and will force counselors to violate ethical codes because they will not be able to help clients reach their own counseling goals. This law would enslave children – whether abused or not – to a subjectively determined sexual identity that they reject.

The connection between homosexual abuse and “gay identity” is undeniable. Consider this: Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that homosexual men are “at least three times more likely to report CSA (childhood sexual abuse)” than heterosexual men.

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Nairobi attack: Kenyan forces battle to clear Islamist terrorists from mall

  theguardian.com,

With 62 confirmed dead after al-Shabaab militants stormed the complex, it is unclear whether any hostages are still being held.

Kenyan security forces remain locked in a slow and bloody operation to clear Islamist militant hostage-takers from an upmarket shopping mall in Nairobi, as plumes of black smoke pour from the complex and sporadic gunfire and occasional blasts can reportedly be heard.

More than 48 hours after a heavily armed group from the Somalia-based al-Shabaab organisation killed at least 62 people in the Westgate centre, which was packed with shoppers and families, little is known about the situation inside.

The confirmed dead now include four Britons, along with nationals from another dozen countries, as well as Kenya.

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Suicide bombers kill dozens at church in Peshawar in Pakistan

Christians mourn next to the coffins of their relatives killed in a suicide attack on a church in Peshawar.24th September 2013 – Reuters/AFP
A pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a 130-year-old Anglican church in Pakistan after the Sunday service, killing at least 78 people in the deadliest attack in recent history on Christians in the predominantly Muslim country.

Explosions struck the historic white-stone All Saints Church in the city of Peshawar, near the frontier tribal areas where Islamist militants have their strongholds, as hundreds of parishioners, many of them women and children, streamed out of the building.

“I heard two explosions. People started to run. Human remains were strewn all over the church,” said one parishioner, who gave only her first name, Margrette.

Her voice breaking with emotion, she said she had not seen her sister since the explosions ripped through the area around the gate of the church enclosure.

Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the death toll included 34 women and seven children. More than 100 people were wounded.

“Who are these terrorists, killing women and children?” Mr Nisar said.

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A Friendlier Australian Government

From Isi Leibler,  September 8, 2013

Australia’s election results are good news for the Israel-Australia relationship. Labor party incumbent Kevin Rudd, who held office for less than three months following a coup against former PM Julia Gillard, lost in a landslide, bringing an end to six years of Labor Government. Rudd is a political chameleon who abandoned Australia’s long-standing pro-Israel position when he previously served as Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010.

The victorious Tony Abbott of the center-right Liberal party is an outspoken friend of the Jewish State. He has pledged to improve relations with Israel, toughen the government’s approach toward terrorist organizations and end financial support for organizations connected to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign against Israel.

These results therefore represent a sea change in Israel-Australia relations. Before assuming office in 2007, Prime Minister Rudd portrayed himself as a Christian Zionist. But in office, he launched a campaign to downgrade Australia’s relationship toward Israel. He reduced Australian support for Israel at the UN and adopted policies akin to those of hostile European countries.

Julia Gillard, who displaced him in 2010, made efforts to revive the friendly relations with Israel. But after Bob Carr was appointed as Foreign Minister in March 2012, the relationship again began to decline.

Carr, a former State Premier, was a founding member of the parliamentary Labor Friends of Israel and had previously been considered a friend of the Jewish community. However, in 2003, he awarded the Sydney Peace Prize to Palestinian propagandist Hannah Ashrawi, and since then has become increasingly critical, insisting that he understood better than Israelis what was in their best interest.

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