Please,Please don't be bysitters

During the years which preceded the Second World War Political and Religious meetings were being held throughout Europe during which Jews were condemned as a danger to society. Little was done by Christians to stop this teaching which incited the hatred which enabled the mass murder of men women and children to take place. Ordinary men who before the war were upright members of the community joined such units as Battalion 101 who were reservist Police officers and who became the most violent killers in history. Within five short years those men in that battalion, who numbered less than 500, originally defenders of communities, became the murderers of 83,000 Jews. They, who had families of their own, stripped and shot women and children at point blank range and the local Clergy watched. This happened for many reasons but one reason was that people were afraid to do anything to oppose such violence. If you were caught helping Jews you would be arrested and taken to the murder camps or executed on the spot, as were your family.

On Sunday the 25^th of August the Greenbelt Christian Youth Summer Camp being held at Cheltenham Racecourse will host Reverend Lucy Winkett the Chair of the Amos Trust who will launch, on behalf of the trust, the Kairos Britain network of Churches. This network, which is also being launched in other countries around the world is targeting Israel as an oppressive unjust and racist nation who give no rights to the Palestinians. They condemn Israel and call out for Justice for Palestinians but they ignore the rights of Israel to defend herself and to live on land rightfully her own. They call for what they describe as an end to oppression and injustice by Israel but refuse to address the oppression of Christians in Gaza or the removal of Human rights of women and young men or the summary executions in HAMAS governed areas. They don’t condemn the firing of 29,000 rockets which have been fired at Israeli communities since 2000 or the suicide bombings which are now being prevented by the security fence. They don’t address the increasing teaching of hatred in Palestinian Arab schools. I could go on but I think I have made my point.

Greenbelt are also hosting a number of other speakers who are anti-Israel, one of whom Mark Braverman who calls Zionism Racism. This conference attended by the big names in Christianity such as Graham Kendrick and Steve chalk are inciting our youth to hate in the same way as European Church leaders did in the years preceding the Holocaust. This incitement is no less subtle and neither is it in any way less dangerous.

Picture -Greenbelt 2012--this is not a small meeting!!!!

The difference between now and then is that we are not going to be rounded up and shot for standing with Israel and speaking out when the rest of the Church is condemning her. So why aren’t we? In every genocide there are victims, perpetrators, bystanders and rescuers. Many Christians in Holocaust were classified as bystanders because of the real threat of being murdered alongside Jews. So today why are many in the Christian community bystanders when there is no threat except that of words from those fuelled by antisemtism?

We are conditioned to believe that by attending a conference or a meeting held by a pro-Israel speaker and giving our money to support such ministries that we are doing all we can to help Israel. We are conditioned because this is how it has always been done and we go home satisfied that we have done the work that God has called us to do. We have actually become by-standers even by-sitters unless we put the knowledge we gain from such meetings into real action. Why aren’t we rallying at Greenbelt or New Wine or any anti-Israel meetings? Why aren’t we gathering together to pray at such events and show these groups that their teaching is heretical and inciting hatred.

The first part of the definition of Hate Speech is “Speech which generates fear on the part of an individual or group” I believe the Jewish community here in the UK are not as much fearful of the anti-Israel meetings as they are of the apathy within Christendom which allows these meetings to take place without a challenge.

I have written to the BBC who will hold their Radio 2 good morning Sunday programme at Greenbelt when this network is launched to point out that we will be attending because there is another side to the story, but they have not replied. I know the Jewish community have asked Greenbelt to allow them a speaker but that has been denied.

As you know Fathers House/Christians for Zion is taking a bus from North Wales to the Greenbelt event on 25^th but I am only aware of one other group who is joining us and that is a car full of passionate believers from Northamptonshire. I am however aware that if there is a Charismatic speaker at a conference in London or Manchester the meeting will be full. Why is this the case, it easier to sit in a conference and enjoy the meeting and do nothing except listen. Is it also because Greenbelt are launching this on a Sunday and all the Israel supporters will be in Church on a Sunday and unable to attend? Is it because it is too far? Is it because it takes us out of our comfort zone? If so then we have become bystanders/by-sitters.

The launch of the Kairos Britain Network a week on Sunday will, I am sure, see many Churches join but few if any in the conference will oppose it. Britain can only boast of 13 who are considered Righteous Amongst the Nations (those who rescued Jews during the War) compared with such as 4,767 in the Netherlands and we in Britain did little to help Jews escape the terrors. I know God wants us to help the Jewish people, in fact Yeshua encourages us to do so in Mathew 25 when He says, and you visited me in prison, clothed, fed and helped me because you did it for one of these my family.   

Ezekiel 36 makes it very clear that God is gathering the Jews back to the land He promised them, not for their sake, the scripture points out, but for His Holy name. Greenbelt and their speakers are denying Gods Holy name and the people within our Nation are being blinded by such organisations from seeing God in action and being faithful to all His promises.  

Please, please, whatever you are doing on Sunday 25^th August, join us at the Greenbelt meeting, write to BBC radio 2 tell your friends pass on this plea and become rescuers not bysitters.

For more information or to join with us at Greenbelt please mail me through the Web sites. We will be there at about 11am and would be really blessed to see you.       

Pastor Michael Fryer

Honour Him with our lips and be close to Him with our hearts

I know that sometimes when I am writing or when I am preaching I may come across as being a little angry about what is taking place in the Church today. I am not angry at all, but the way I write or speak is an expression of a very deep sadness. The reason is that despite the lessons in history many within the leadership of some Christian Churches and denominations are continuing to compromise with the world and are teaching our children to do the same. I am desperate like many of you to try and do all I can to help our young people recognise what is right and wrong so that they won’t make the mistakes that I have made through my lifetime. I am desperate for the lessons of the long history of Christian anti-Semitism not to be repeated and for young people to know the boundaries God gave us to prevent us hurting each other and of course Him. 

The attack against Israel and the watering down of the tenets of our faith by some leaders in Christendom is an alignment with worldly political views and humanistic opinion. How can Church leaders, who consider themselves theologians and well-read, ignore so much scripture in regard to the heart of God for the Land of Israel and the Jews and for the need for mankind to repent for our sins.

The Gospel of Mark shows us that Yeshua was frustrated with the leadership of His day. In Mark chapter 7 we see there was a discussion between the religious leaders about an issue involving the ceremonial washing of hands. This discussion highlighted the fact that the leaders held on to traditions of man rather than the commands of God. Yeshua quoted Isaiah 29 v 13 and said “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honour me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;     their teachings are merely human rules.

He emphasised “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

Yeshua then said “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions” This is what many leaders in Christendom continue to do today. Who are hey honouring themselves or God?

The word of God is the foundation of our faith but that has been ignored throughout Church history by many whose pride has led them to create their own rules and traditions rather than submit to anyone else’s rules even God’s. These rules and traditions of man have led us into keeping pagan festivals i.e. Christmas Easter and Sunday worship rather that the Feasts of The Lord- Sabbath then Passover through to the feast of Tabernacles. Traditions of man have stood in the way of believers sharing bread and wine as families or in small communities without the need of a priest or leader and have created one man ministries above the ministry of all believers. This has removed our call to bless others through our individual gifts and ministries. The non-biblical traditional teaching that the Church has replaced Israel has created an antisemitic spearhead to the intended spreading of the Gospel and made the Church the Jews aggressor.

Today anti-Israel propaganda and that Palestinians have rights but Jews don’t is a continuation of that antisemitic spearhead. Another teaching that sin is acceptable in this modern society is simply a tradition of all societies since the year dot and allows many in Christendom to ignore the rules of God which are outlined in the Scriptures.

In our criminal law if a child under the age of ten years of age commits an offence then the Police have to prove that he or she knew they were doing wrong before a charge can be brought against them. The age of criminal responsibility is now under review and a study has suggested that at the age of ten the brain is still developing its decision making abilities. This may lead to a change in the age of criminal responsibility. I know from experience however that children who have been correctly taught not to steal or damage from a young age do know if they are doing wrong. They recognise that what they are doing is opposed to what they have been taught by their parents. Parents who teach children to steal, and I have known some, raise children who don’t know it is wrong. Teaching a child from a young age can help children determine what is good and bad behaviour.

Recognising wrong is often not always connected to our ability to work it out for ourselves but is connected to what we have been taught. Many in Christendom today are not being taught the rights and wrongs of what is happening in Israel or how we should practice our faith and therefore many are struggling with recognising our spiritual responsibilities towards God, sin and Israel.

The Bible makes it clear that sin is anything outside the commands of God and repentance and the belief in Yeshua’s sacrifice is an integral part of our salvation. Yet we hear some Church leaders supporting sin and in some cases advocating other ways of finding Salvation. Yeshua makes it clear that He will judge the Nations on the very subject of our behaviour towards Israel and yet we see Church leaders condemning Israel. In the same way many ministries are led by men and women who hold to the traditions of men and ignore the commands of God because they believe they have the right to overthrow the Laws of God in favour of their own ways and they teach others to do the same. Yeshua makes it very clear in Mathew 5 v 17-19 that they will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is also my sadness that these leaders will not hear the words good and faithful servant, so for us to remain silent is not an option.

We should of course speak out, we can’t be silent, Yeshua, as did His followers spoke out. If we are to speak out how can we do that? We have to put ourselves in a position to do so. If we are not able to do so on our own then we should join with others who can. Fathers House Sabbath Congregation, a congregation of Spirit filled Bible believing Christians, has arranged for a bus to take believers to the Greenbelt summer camp on 25^th August to pray outside the event because of Greenbelts non-biblical opposition to Israel. If you live outside of North Wales and can join us please do so. If you want a place on the bus please mail me. This is a way of making active what God has put in our hearts.

The New Wine summer camps, originally created to teach Biblical truths, are now not an option for us to take our children and Church families to because of their anti-Israel speakers. So what can we do , Fathers House Sabbath Congregation is planning a summer camp in Mid Wales between 18^th to 22^nd August next year. This is specifically to teach Gods word in regard to the Tenets of our faith, the Biblical practices of our faith and the need to support Israel with the Power of The Holy Spirit. I can’t encourage you enough to join with us in this time to learn together how we abandon the traditions of man and follow Gods laws and to teach our children to recognise right from wrong.

God is calling us to honour Him with our lips and be close to Him with our hearts and these things are a way of doing so alongside brothers and sisters who have the same passion for God, His Laws and His people.

Michael Fryer