Letter to Pastors

Dear Pastors:

 

By the time you get this email, more than likely the vote will have already occurred in the UN regarding the so-called "Palestinian" people in Israel. That is a misnomer, as I have repeatedly written: the so-called "Palestinians" were created by the KGB to be used as a weapon against the West in the Cold War. There is no "Palestinian" language! There is no "Palestinian" culture! They are Arabs, plain and simple. They are just more of the "wild-donkey-replacement-doctrine-rejects" of the mold of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, the Egyptian maid. I am sorry I was not able to get this news story to you sooner but it did just come out in the Jerusalem Post today.

However, it will apprise you, I am sure, of how we ought to be praying for the Jews in Israel.

 

PM: UN Can't Force Israel to Compromise on Security

 

By HERB KEINON, JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Netanyahu says unilateral move will only distance Palestinians from statehood; UN Ambassador to Abbas: Forego "march of folly."

 

With Israel facing a stinging diplomatic defeat Thursday at the UN, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that regardless of how many vote against Israel, "no force in the world will get me to compromise on Israel's security."

 

He also said no force in the world can sever the thousands-year-old tie between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

 

Relating to the expected overwhelming support of the world to upgrade the Palestinian status at the UN to that of a non-member state, Netanyahu said that the decision will "Not change anything on the ground. It will not further the establishment of a Palestinian state, but will make it more distant."

 

Netanyahu's comments came while touring an exhibit of recently declassified documents marking the upcoming 35th anniversary of Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.

 

"Israel's hand is always extended in peace, but a Palestinian state will not be established without recognition of the state of Israel as the state of the Jewish people, without an end-of-conflict declaration, and without true security arrangements that will protect Israel and its citizens."

Netanyahu, who said that none of the conditions he reiterated are even mentioned in the Palestinian's UN resolution, said that peace is only achieved through negotiations, and not by unilateral declarations "which do not take into consideration Israel security needs."

 

Netanyahu recommended not being impressed by the applause that will likely be heard later at the UN.

 

"I remember the international community's applause that the government of Israel received when it decided to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza," he said. "We got applause and then rocket fire. We left Gaza, and Iran entered, exactly like what happened in Lebanon."

 

Netanyahu said he would not enable another Iranian base to be established, this time in Judea and Samaria, a kilometer away from Jerusalem.

 

"It does not matter how many will vote against us, there is no force in the world that will cause me to compromise on Israeli security and there is no force in the world able to sever the thousands year connection between the people of Israel and the Land of Israel," he said.

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that he was unafraid of Israeli reactions to his unilateral statehood bid at the United Nations, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.

 

"If the Israeli authorities want to threaten my life, they can," Abbas told reporters. "The whole world realizes that the Palestinian Authority, with all its political and security services, and administrative bodies, has been ready to upgrade its status for six years."

 

Prosor to Abbas: Forego UN 'march of folly'

 

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor made a last-ditch appeal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to forego his "destructive march of folly at the UN" and instead "forge constructive solutions at the negotiating table" with Israel, in an oped published Thursday in the Wall Street Journal.

 

Prosor urged the international community to consider the consequences before rubber-stamping Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' bid to upgrade the PA's status to non-member state, arguing the initiative was premature for four reasons:

 

First, the territories over which the Palestinians seek to declare sovereignty are divided between warring factions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Prosor noted, evidenced by the fact that Abbas has not stepped foot in the coastal enclave since his party was ousted by Hamas in a civil war in 2007.

 

Second, states recognized by the UN must pledge to be "peace-loving;" however, Prosor pointed out that Gaza is ruled by the Hamas terrorist organization, which earlier this month fired more than 1,200 rockets into Israeli civilian centers. In Prosor's words, "The family of nations does not need another member whose primary import is deadly weapons and whose chief exports are extremism, hatred and terror."

 

Third, neither Gaza nor the West Bank are democratic in nature, Prosor contended. Hamas, he highlighted, "has imposed brutal tyranny in Gaza," whereas "President Abbas's mandate to rule expired three years ago."

 

Fourth, the Palestinian economy is non-viable, according to Prosor, completely dependent on foreign aid. Despite this, Prosor wrote, "this year, as the PA threatened to delay payroll for many employees, it tripled payments to convicted terrorists. Today the PA devotes 6% of its annual budget to payments for imprisoned terrorists and the families of suicide bombers, and less than 1% to higher education."

 

Prosor concluded by reiterating that "The foundations for real Palestinian statehood and real peace can only be laid through hard work on the ground and direct talks with Israel.

"When the foundations for lasting peace are in place, Israel will not be the last nation to welcome Palestinians to the UN. We will be the first."

 

Later this morning. I go to preach to the Oklahoma Baptist College Student Body. I am preaching out of John 9:4 on the subject, ‘NIGHT COMETH WHEN NO MAN CAN WORK.’ I am telling a five part-illustration which might be a blessing to you.

 

In the early days of the former Soviet Union "imploding," a Russian couple - I have forgotten their names and it’s too early to bother the ladies in the office for their names, so I shall simply call them ‘Boris and Irina' - moved here from Moscow and were doing something for the University of Oklahoma. One of our church member couples who lived in Moore, Oklahoma, met them in a grocery store, got their names and addresses, and I visited them, and introduced them to my Saviour. They were both baptized at WHBC.

 

While in Moscow outside a hotel where I was staying, I was passing out tracts. In those early days of the "implosion" everyone would take tracts. An 83-year-old ‘Babushka’ [grandmother] named Anna took a tract and asked me then for a Bible. I didn’t have one to give her but gave her Vera Zinchenko’s phone number and told her to call Vera, get the address of where I would be speaking Sunday, then come and I would personally give her a very nice Bible Sunday.

 

Later, when I was going back to Moscow, 'Boris' gave me the telephone number and address of his parents, who were ‘high-ups’ in the KGB. I can’t remember their names either. I promised him I would go and see them. We went to Moscow and were with Pastor Zinchenko there for an all-day Saturday affair. I had given him the phone number of  'Boris’' parents and told him to schedule a visit there. He did for Saturday night but failed to tell me before we ate a whopping big meal that Vera Zinchenko had prepared for us.

 

We drove to 'Boris’' Dad’s place. I shall just call the parents 'Alex and Elena,' not remembering their names. They lived in a huge apartment. They had enough food laid out to feed 200 people. Caviar and food of all types and tastes were on the table. I was fuller than a town-fed dog. Zinchenko asked me, "What are you going to do? We cannot eat this soon after eating Vera’s supper." I simply said, "Watch." Then, I asked where their toilet was, went in to the commode, got on my knees, and well you can guess what happened next. Then I went back out and ate with these "nomenklatura" [the ruling class in a classless society] folks. After eating a second big meal and watching Zinchenko pick at his food, I had the privilege of leading 'Alex and Elena' to the Lord. They promised they would come the next day and make a Profession of Faith in Zinchenko’s church where I was to be preaching.

 

Now, get this picture, Zinchenko pastors an "Un-Registered" Baptist Church. The KGB persecuted the "Un-Registered" folks all the years of Communist Domination - 1917 to 1991. 'Alex' tells Zinchenko, "Don’t worry about us coming tomorrow. Boris has already told me about your church and your connection to Dr. Vineyard. It will all be ok."

 

Meanwhile, 83-year-old Anna stayed up all night, rode the subway, then 3 different buses and walked 5/8 of a mile to where the church was located after Vera Z. had told her about it. She was there when I arrived. She wanted that Bible. I gave her a beautiful leather bound Russian Bible, that some of you folks reading this gave the money to purchase. She held it and kissed it. She cried profusely. She grabbed me and hugged me. She kissed my forehead, both of my checks, then my chin, then my left-neck and my right-neck.

 

Just before the service started, pulls up this great big Volga Car. Out jumps a driver and a bodyguard. They have both been pumping iron and weigh about 260lbs each. They open the doors for 'Alex and Elena.'  The "Un-registered" Baptists are scared to death. I start introducing them. Anna asks 'Elena,' "Since I am a visitor and a friend of Dr. Vineyard’s, can I sit with you?" She does. 'Alex and Elena' came forward when I gave the invitation. Anna followed them down and stated, "I want to trust ‘E-E-Su-Sa’ [Jesus]." The bodyguard and driver stood in the back. I know that in Russian society the ‘apparatchiks’[an unquestioningly loyal subordinate] obey the "nomenklatura," so I just motioned them forward and told them, "You two are going to trust the LORD." I use to go to the front of all Soviet lines, pretending I was "nomenklatura"  holding out my American Express Credit Card as my validation. The driver and bodyguard trusted the LORD.

 

Now, maybe, my friend, you don’t do things the way ole JAV does. That is fine. God uses all kinds. God uses all ways. And, as long as sinners repent and put their Trust in the LORD, that is the desired end.

 

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.  THEIR GOD, THE LORD GOD OF THE HEBREWS, IS STILL ON THE THRONE. WE MUST SIMPLY DO OUR PART AND BE MUCH IN PRAYER FOR THEM.

　

JIM VINEYARD
YEDIDIM OF ISRAEL