Christians for Israel in the Cook Islands
By Edward Ronia, Chairman of Awakening the Nations (ATN).. Christians for Israel International President Rev Willem Glashouwer travelled to the South Pacific at the beginning of March 2018 for three weeks of speaking and ministry. Hosted by Christians for Israel New Zealand, Rev Glashouwer flew into Auckland, New Zealand, for only a few hours. Rev Glashouwer and New Zealand director Bryce Turner, loaded with several hundred kilograms of resources, then flew to Fiji, where they were met by the wonderful Christians for Israel Fiji team. Leader Lepani Makubuna and Board Chairman Raphael Jordan, together with their wives, families and other team members, had organised a busy schedule of meetings and seminars which were an outstanding success. Returning to New Zealand for just one night, Rev Glashouwer, Bryce Turner and NZ chairman Graham Simpson, then flew to the Cook Islands where Christians for Israel Cook Islands chairman Bob Williams, along with representative ‘Pastor George’, had organised a similar programme.
Pastor Edward Ronia, Chairman of Awakening the Nations (ATN) writes:
In January 2018, the Israeli Ambassador for the Pacific Nations, H.E. Shalev-Schlosser Tibor visited a number of countries in the Pacific including the Solomon Islands. While there, Awakening the Nations (ATN) invited him to a seminar especially organised so that he could address church leaders on the topic, ‘Against All Odds Israel Continues to Thrive’. A function was held after the seminar at which the ambassador met the Solomon Islands Prime Minister, H.E. Rick Hou.
Ian Worby, Christians for Israel Regional Director Oceania, was also invited and spoke about Christians for Israel. This led to a separate meeting about the need to establish Christians for Israel in the Solomon Islands, and now Christians for Israel and the ATN are in the process of establishing the new chapter.
As a part of the development of the new Solomon Islands chapter, Christians for Israel sponsored the chairman of ATN, Pastor Edward Ronia, to travel to the Cook Islands to meet Rev Glashouwer.
For Edward, it was a great honour to meet and hear Rev Glashouwer. When Edward met him, he was sitting with other Christians for Israel leaders distributing the Israel & Christians Today newspaper and the ‘Why Israel?’ book series. Edward commented: “Seeing the President sitting with other leaders and distributing newspapers, he was so humble. Even more humbling, was his attitude in the way he related to the people around him.”
That morning, after Willem’s public address at the Punanga Nui Market, he commented that that was his first time talking about Israel in an open-air space, as he is used to addressing people in big conference hall settings. Edward was honoured to be asked by Rev Willem Glashouwer to join him and Cook Islands Pastor Ngamatariki Pouao later that afternoon, to share more about Christians for Israel. It was indeed a most fruitful two hours discussion, where many questions were raised and answered while the breeze and the sound of the breaking waves of the beautiful Pacific Ocean on the shores below was music to their ears.
The next morning, Willem spoke at the New Hope Church; a Pentecostal church looked after by Pastor John Tangi and the amazing Pastor George. In Willem’s address, he presented Israel as God’s firstborn son created for His purpose and Jesus as God’s only ‘begotten’ Son. It was interesting to receive feedback from pastors, about how they have never heard such truths from the Word of God about Israel before.
His second engagement for the day was at the Vakaviti Church of the Assemblies of God. This was the climax of his visit to the Cook Islands; the official launch of Christians for Israel Cook Islands. The praise and worship at the service was lively, led by the Vakaviti and Cornerstone Churches music teams. Bob Williams, Chairman of Christians for Israel Cook Islands, and Pastor George dedicated a prayer for the launch. Willem shared how God keeps expanding Christians for Israel throughout the world. This is demonstrated by the willingness of different nations to translate the book ‘Why Israel?’ into their own language, so far over 40 different languages.
The message of Christians for Israel – to reveal the truth of God’s purpose for the nation of Israel – is indeed new for the church, especially against the cultural error in the church’s teaching that the church has replaced Israel. Edward is convinced that this is a divine mandate on the ATN to strongly support Christians for Israel, to advance the message of revealed truths about Israel from the Word of God among the nations of the Pacific. Following Ps. Edward’s successful visit to the Cook Islands, we look forward to the official launching of Christians for Israel Solomon Islands soon.
