Showing posts with label Corrie Ten Boom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corrie Ten Boom. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

12 Trail-Blazing Christian Women You Should Celebrate - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA MAGAZINE


We should all celebrate these great women of faith.

Fire in My Bones, by J. Lee Grady
March is Women's History Month, so for the next few weeks we will be hearing a lot about women inventors, humanitarians, entertainers and entrepreneurs who are changing today's world. We will probably also hear a lot about Hillary Clinton and her chances of shattering the glass ceiling in American politics—but I'm not convinced that all the great women heroes of the past would be cheering for her political views.
When I think about the empowered women of my generation I'm reminded that they stand on the shoulders of brave women pioneers who didn't have today's advantages. We should especially be grateful for the Christian women who defied religious and cultural traditions—and sometimes paid with their lives—to free African slaves, protect children from abuse, denounce injustice, preach the gospel in foreign nations, heal the sick and win women the right to vote.
This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but here are 12 women I'm celebrating this month:
1. Mary Magdalene – She was the pioneer of pioneers and the forerunner of all forerunners. As a passionate follower of Jesus, and the first person—male or female—to be commissioned to preach the gospel, she proved to a male-dominated, first century-world that God can and does use women to do His work.
2. Jarena Lee (1783-1855) – Authorized to preach in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, she traveled hundreds of miles on foot to share the gospel. When people questioned a woman's right to preach, she told them: "If the man may preach, because the Savior died for him, why not the woman, seeing he died for her also?" She was the first black woman in the United States to publish an autobiography.
3. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) – Born a slave in New York—and later sold to a second owner for $100—she eventually became an abolitionist. In her most famous speech, "Ain't I a Woman?" delivered in Ohio in 1851, she demanded equal rights for both women and blacks. She became a Methodist in 1843 and felt God calling her to ministry. "The Spirit calls me, and I must go," she wrote. During one speech in Boston she admitted that she once hated white people, but that after she met Jesus she was filled with love for everyone.
4. Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874) – A Methodist revivalist, Palmer and her husband, Walter, helped fuel the holiness movement in the mid-1880s, which led to the Pentecostal revival. Although she and Walter were well-known preachers, she was the more popular speaker at a time when women preachers were an oddity. In one of her books, The Promise of the Father, she called for the acceptance of women in ministry. In 1850 she also founded a mission for alcoholics in a New York City slum.
5. Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) – Even though she was blind from birth, this "queen of gospel song writers" composed more than 8,000 hymns. Raised as a Baptist, her most famous songs include "Blessed Assurance," "Rescue the Perishing" and "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior." She always prayed that her hymns would bring people to Christ, and she believed her songs were divinely inspired. Some theologians criticized her for "feminizing" church music.
6. Catherine Booth (1829-1890) – At a time when people threw eggs at women for speaking in public, this brave firebrand preached on the streets of London and ignited a gospel revival movement to help the poor. Not only did she establish the Salvation Army with her husband, William, she also carved out a path for women ministers by writing Female Ministry: Women's Right to Preach in 1859 and by mentoring hundreds of "Hallelujah Lassies," women who served as evangelists in the Salvationist movement.
7. Mary Slessor (1848-1915) – This short, red-headed girl from Scotland was inspired by a Presbyterian pastor to go to the mission field at a time when women were discouraged from such work. She ended up in a dangerous region of Calabar (modern Nigeria), and she established a mission station among tribal people by traveling to them in a canoe. Her work laid the foundations for the widespread growth of Christianity in Nigeria today. With her characteristic spunk, she opposed African traditions and successfully stopped the ritualistic killing of twins in Calabar.
8. Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) – This brave Irish Presbyterian sailed to India and founded the Dohhnavur Mission—which pulled hundreds, if not thousands, of children out of ritual prostitution. Known to the children as "Amma," which means "Mother," she dressed as an Indian and even dyed her skin with coffee to fit into the local culture. When a British woman asked Carmichael what missionary life was like, she simply wrote: "Missionary life is simply a chance to die."
9. Ida Robinson (1891-1946) – She was an early Pentecostal pioneer ordained in the United Holy Church of America and appointed to pastor a small church in Philadelphia in 1919. A few years later she felt God gave her an assignment to "loose the women" so more females could be ordained in ministry. Thus she founded the Mount Sinai Holy Church of America, which became a network of 84 churches by the time of her death in Florida.
10. Aimee Semple McPherson (1890-1944) – Born in Canada, she preached the gospel to her dolls as a child. But after she began preaching throughout the United States in the 1920s and 1930s—often under a large tent—she was more popular than evangelist Billy Sunday. People loved "Sister Aimee" because she used drama and theatrics to make the Bible come alive. When she built her church, Angelus Temple, in Los Angeles in 1923, people came from all over the nation to hear her—including Hollywood stars. She eventually founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, which today has more than 8 million members worldwide.
11. Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) – The daughter of a Dutch clockmaker, she led a rather boring life until Nazi forces invaded Holland. At that point, Corrie and her Christian family began hiding Jews in their home to protect them from German death camps. But their work was exposed, and she was sent to Ravensbruck, a women's labor camp in Germany. Her horrific experiences there prepared her for a worldwide ministry that took her to 60 countries. She preached about forgiveness and Christ's love well into her 80s.
12. Gladys Aylward (1902-1970) – This simple British woman wanted to go to China as a missionary, but she was told that women could only serve as teachers or nurses—and she was neither. So without official backing she used her life savings to buy a one-way ticket to Shanxi Province. Once she got to China, she became an official "foot inspector," helping Chinese officials enforce a new law against the cruel "foot-binding" of Chinese girls. This led to her work among orphans. Her brave attempt to protect children from the Japanese invasion of China was memorialized in the 1958 film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness—a film that Aylward hated because it glamorized her very simple life.
It was Catherine Booth who said: "If we are to better the future we must disturb the present." We need more women today who will disturb the status quo. I pray that this year's celebration of Women's History Month will inspire a new generation of women to rise up with holy courage. 
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe, Fearless Daughters of the Bible and The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, atthemordecaiproject.org.
For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!
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Friday, February 19, 2016

How to Guard Your Heart From Bitterness by Lee Grady - IDENTITY NETWORK

How to Guard Your Heart From Bitterness by Lee Grady

IDENTITY NETWORK
Recently a friend of mine hurt me deeply. I felt betrayed and disrespected. I tried to pretend the insult was no big deal, but inside I was seething. I can always tell when resentment has invaded my life because I start obsessing about the pain. When I went to bed that evening, I literally felt sore. All I could think about was retaliation.

But just before falling asleep I mouthed a prayer. I meant what I said, even though my feelings begged me to retract the words. I prayed: "Lord, help me to forgive _____." Then, during the night I dreamed that I was enjoying a friendly conversation with this person. When I woke up, it felt as if we had really been talking!

It was a miracle. I realized the dream was God's way of softening my heart and taking out the offense. The Lord gave me the grace to forgive.

Ending Offenses

Perhaps you've been insulted, overlooked, stabbed in the back or mistreated - and now bitterness is poisoning your soul. Don't let it spread any further. You can nip your offense in the bud by following these guidelines:

  • Don't nurse your grudge. It feels good to our flesh when we replay an offense in our minds and then fantasize about hurting the other person. But if you star in and direct this dramatic movie in your head, you are going to be making sequels for months and years until bitterness makes you sick. Pull the plug on the whole production now.

  • Let go of all revenge. C.S. Lewis said: "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." No matter how a person offends you, be humble enough to recognize that you've probably done the same thing to someone else before. Quit sharpening your knives. You will be tempted to think about hurting the person, but remember that those knives are hurting you worse than anyone else.

  • Don't spread your bitterness. Sometimes you may need to vent to a close friend about what happened, but this isn't so you can ruin the reputation of the person who hurt you. If you share your pain with someone because you need advice, don't seek sympathy or go to those who have animosity toward the person who hurt you. That's like mixing toxic chemicals! Instead, go to mentors or friends who are mature enough to tell you the truth. You may feel mistreated, but the speck in your brother's eye may actually be a log in yours. A true friend will tell you that you are overreacting or being unreasonable.

  • Pray for good things to happen to the person who hurt you. Jesus urged His disciples to love and pray for their persecutors (Matt. 5:44). That's a foreign concept in this age when we unfriend people on Facebook just because they forgot to invite us to a party. Calm down, let go of your petty outrage and ask God to bless the person who offended you. Forgiving prayer will feel like a warm salve applied to your wound.

  • Reach out and expect to repair the relationship. Jesus places a high priority on reconciliation. He wants us to get along. If you are praying and you remember that someone has something against you, Jesus said, "First be reconciled to your brother" (Matt. 5:24). On the flip side, He said if someone has sinned against you, "go and reprove him" (Matt. 18:15).

In both cases Jesus commanded us to confront. And confrontation is never easy. We'd rather just avoid each other. We'd rather "bury our hatchets," pretending that our nasty attitude is gone just because it's well-hidden under our Sunday morning smiles. But true forgiveness is not burying a hatchet while we still hate a person inwardly; forgiveness requires us to surrender the hatchet to Jesus.

  • Ask for God's forgiving love to fill your heart. One of my favorite preachers, Corrie ten Boom, struggled to forgive the Nazis who beat her in the Ravensbrück prison camp. After the Germans surrendered, she met a former Nazi guard in the street, and he told her he had become a Christian. He reached out his hand and asked her for forgiveness. She couldn't look at him.

But then Corrie remembered Romans 5:5, which says, "The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit." She realized that when we don't have the capacity to forgive, God gives us the love. Jesus changed Corrie's heart.

Corrie added: "God's love is stronger than my hatred and unforgiveness. That same moment I was free. I could say, 'Brother, give me your hand,' and I shook hands with him, and it was as if I could feel God's love streaming through my arms."

Jesus didn't promise a life without offenses. Hurt happens. But He provided the way to keep resentment from ruining our lives. As we enter this new year, make a conscious decision that you will embrace a life of miraculous forgiveness.

Lee Grady


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Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Jim Bakker - Word for 2016 - Dream Revealed - Day 5


The Jim Bakker Show 
Word for 2016 - Dream Revealed
Day 5

Morningside Studios
Branson, MO











Lori's House for single pregnant girls





Jim Bakker's Dream Jan. 2016




Jim Bakker Show 2016 | Show# 2910 | Aired on January 4, 2016

Jim Bakker Show © 2016 • Morningside Studios

Home » Video Archives » Word for 2016 (Day 5)

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Jerusalem Museum: A Tribute to the Friends of Zion

Murals in the Hall of Visionaries at the Friends of Zion Museum laud those who have stood up for the Jews 
(Friends of zion museum)


Museum: A Tribute to the Friends of Zion



Standing With Israel
Each faced a moment of decision—an opportunity with eternal impact.
Many said, "Yes," but their choice often came at a great cost. They took action when others cowered in fear. Some gave up their careers, and others died poor and forgotten.
Many risked their very lives. Some were just doing their duty. For others, it was a conviction of the heart.
Some are famous—Corrie ten Boom, Oskar Schindler, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, Woodrow Wilson and Harry S. Truman. Others—Arthur James Balfour, Orde Wingate, John Patterson, George Bush and John Henri Dunant—are less well known but equally significant.
They are the heroes of Zionism—the hidden heroes of Christianity who helped protect the Jews from persecution and establish the state of Israel. Their stories are told at the new, state-of-the-art Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem.
The museum, the first in Israel to celebrate Christian heroes and their history, was dedicated Sept. 8 with the museum's international chairman, former Israeli President Shimon Peres; its Israeli chairman, General Yossi Peled; and more than 25 Israeli diplomats present.
It was a day designed to honor the Christian men and women who provided aid and assistance to the Jews during their quest to return to their homeland and gain independence.
The Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem portrays the story of Christian love and support for the Jewish people. It showcases the contributions made by Christian Zionists to the rebirth of the Jewish state in 1948 and their support since then.
The museum has a special relevance in our day. The five-story building has been transformed into the highest-tech interactive museum per square foot in Israel and possibly the world. The museum is located on some of Jerusalem's prime real estate at 20 Rivlin Street, 600 meters from the Temple Mount, across from the future home of what will be the largest Jewish museum in the nation, the Simon Wiesenthal Tolerance Museum.
I have enjoyed a lifelong love affair with Israel and led more tours than I can count. Each time I visited Israel, I found myself wishing to take my groups somewhere that celebrated Christian Zionism. Today, dozens of places exist where one can learn of the evil that people falsely professing to be Christians visited upon the Jewish people.
The Crusades, pogroms, the Inquisition and the Holocaust are and should be well-documented. I also wanted to visit someplace where Christian heroes were celebrated.
Certainly, trees are planted at Yad Vashim in honor of the righteous among the nations. My groups always wanted to see the trees for ten Boom and Schindler. Even so, I always felt that a place dedicated to the positive history of Christian Zionism would be a great addition to tours of Israel. With the opening of the Friends of Zion Museum, there is such a place. Christians who love the Jewish people unconditionally can be inspired, and Jewish people who have never known about Christian heroes such as ten Boom can find friends they did not know they had.
Unearthing the Heroes of Christian Zionism
In 1988, Mike Evans and his ministry partners purchased the home of ten Boom in Haarlem, Holland, and transformed the house and clock shop into a wonderful museum. Her story is virtually unknown among the Jewish people and, for that matter, the vast majority of young people in this generation. This is despite the story of Anne Frank being known by Jews and Christians worldwide.
Evans wanted to bring the story of the ten Boom family to Jerusalem, but in researching that possibility, he encountered hundreds of individuals who not only assisted the Jewish people during the Holocaust, but also helped to establish the state of Israel.
In 2012, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of the Christian Zionists' role in Israel's history: "I don't believe that the Jewish state and modern Zionism would have been possible without Christian Zionism. I think that the many Christian supporters of the rebirth of the Jewish state and the ingathering of the Jewish people in the 19th century made possible the rise of modern Jewish Zionism."
The Friends of Zion Museum has documented the oft-hidden history Netanyahu referred to. For example, spotlighted in the museum is the story of John Henri Dunant, a Swiss-born banker and humanitarian. Theodor Herzl first labeled him a "Christian Zionist." Dunant, the founder of the International Red Cross, also inspired the 1964 Geneva Convention and he was the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
Also spotlighted is Horatio Spafford, whose four daughters were drowned at sea. After viewing the site of their watery grave, he penned the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul." Spafford and his wife went to Jerusalem and built the largest orphanage in the city. The orphanage is now called The American Colony.
George Bush also holds a place of honor in the museum. This George Bush was never president of the United States. He was, however, an ancestor to both Bush presidents. He was a college professor, born in Vermont in 1796. He was a Presbyterian pastor who taught Hebrew and Oriental Literature at New York University. Bush was an ardent believer in the return of the Jews to their rightful land, then called Palestine. In 1844, Bush wrote The Valley of Vision—based on the dry bones mentioned in Ezekiel 37. The book was a clarion call to Christian Zionism and sold more than 1 million copies.
The museum also showcases Orde Charles Wingate. He was a Bible-believing British army officer who created a special military unit in Palestine in the 1930s that later became the Israeli Defense Forces.
Colonel John Patterson, after whom the prime minister's brother, Jonathan, was named, is a significant figure at the museum too.  Patterson, a Christian, commanded the Zion Mule Brigade, which became the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years.
Combating the Rise of Anti-Semitism
As a former Christian university president, I am deeply concerned about the warped historical view being taught on many campuses. Too many young people have bought into an anti-Israel worldview politically. Others have fallen into the trap of "replacement theology." I have been disappointed to see some of my evangelical colleagues and leaders embrace this theology.
The Friends of Zion Museum seeks to address this serious issue. The museum's educational experience combats anti-Semitism and inspires Christians to learn of their biblical history and heroes and their biblical relation to Israel and the Jewish people. The museum is an exciting high-tech vehicle to combat anti-Semitism. This museum is especially needed as the world turns its back on Israel and supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
As part of the international program of the museum, Peres presented President George W. Bush in March with the first Friends of Zion award in acknowledgement of his friendship with the Jewish people. President Peres traveled to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas to present the award.
In April on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Friends of Zion Museum hosted a global event that was aired on 13 satellite networks with about 6,000 churches in more than 50 countries participating live. This broadcast was a show of solidarity with Israel that honored Christian heroes who stood by the Jewish people during World War II. Eli Wiesel, President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu appeared on that special.
In the last few months, many of the most prominent evangelical leaders worldwide have toured the Friends of Zion Museum and have lent their support. These include Dr. Jack Hayford, chancellor of The King's University, who said, "This brief and impacting moment has left me tearful, speechless and with a sense of accountability."
"You can't miss it," says Gordon Robertson, chief executive officer of the Christian Broadcasting Network. "If you're on a trip to Israel, this should be your first stop. It will inform you. It will inspire you. It will enlighten you. Don't miss it."
Mark Williams, general overseer of the Church of God, says, "Floor by floor, it was just amazing. I just hope you and your family will take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem."
Excellent Visual Effects Captivate Audiences
Dr. George Wood, general superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, said, "It was spectacular! The kind of visual display and advanced technology is unlike anything I have seen in the whole wide world."
If one cared nothing at all for the subject matter, the technology itself is well worth seeing. More than 150 Israeli multidisciplinary experts created the experience in 30 months. The museum contains the largest onyx video-mapping floor in Israel and perhaps the world, and is equipped with more than 30 video projectors, 45 LCD screens and about 50 speakers.
The museum houses the largest employment of digital equipment per square meter ever in a single museum. The music, which is originally scored, is broadcast on a surround-sound system. A unique, complex animation method called "rotoscoping" brings live action footage into a painted setting that transforms each story during the museum experience.
The tour begins with a unique surround-sound aerial excursion over the land of Israel synchronized with sculptured topography of the biblical land and the 12 tribes of Israel. All aerial shots were originally filmed for this segment with 4K cameras—the largest digital-filming format available.
Visitors then board a high-capacity experimental "time-machine" elevator. As the elevator rises, the surrounding glass surface comes to life with a spectacular sound-and-light show. It is the largest exterior glass elevator in Israel with a unique LED video network beneath its glass interior that combines sound effects and narration for a superb sub-system.
The Founder's Theater holds another first—the longest indoor seamless surround projection system in a museum in Israel (24 meters). Its transparent LED multimedia onyx floor adds a surprising dimension to the storytelling. New to me were the handcrafted wooden figures digitally mapped with animated videos on each polygon of the sculpture's design. The Visionaries Gallery features another first—a hand-drawn mural crafted by a team of artists, then digitalized and animated. The mural wall is comprised of 36 LCD screens with infrared sensor technology triggered by touch. When this still mural comes to life, 11 separate animations are activated on the largest interactive mural in Israel.
The Lights in the Darkness Theater uses digital rotoscoping. I found it a moving experience to say the least. This theater is the first of its kind.
Visitors are able to see the visual content projected onto their own hands. That content features pictures of some of the Jewish people rescued by Christians.
The grand finale is a 3-D stereoscope with a custom silver screen. Wearing distinct polarized 3-D glasses, visitors see their own faces embedded in the show as a live feed.
How the Museum Will Impact Israel
More than 7,000 individuals from all over the world have already toured the Friends of Zion Museum. Perhaps the most moved of the visitors are the Israelis themselves. One elderly lady said, "Goose bumps, goose bumps. We are not alone."
The museum has purchased a second building. Erected in 1874, the building is one of the first homes built outside the walls of Jerusalem. Here the guests are given the opportunity to leave their impressions using highly advanced technology, comparable to that employed in the 9/11 memorial in New York City.
In the second museum building, guests enter one of three stations that record visitors' impressions. In the state-of-the-art recording facility, the guest is guided through an experience to share his impressions, complete with snapshot photos. The facility is equipped with the most advanced lighting, audio and technological programming to produce the guest's first, intimate and authentic impressions on different topics.
Guests' impressions are also presented in a gallery of framed portraits that cover the walls of the Reception Center. The Impression Gallery will also be available online. Personally, I found one of the most intriguing facilities in the museum Reception Center to be a multimedia broadcasting facility which allows pastors to speak to their congregations live from Jerusalem.
Museum tours are available in 16 languages and online. One can take a virtual tour of the museum by going to fozmuseum.com. The online tour tells the stories showcased in the museum and allows those who cannot travel to Jerusalem to benefit from the same experience free of charge. This tour has been translated into 13 languages.
The Friends of Zion Museum experience is a remarkable combination of cutting-edge technology, historical narrative and emotional inspiration. Tours, visiting academic groups and individuals will find the Friends of Zion Museum an exciting addition to their visit to Jerusalem.

Dr. Mark Rutland is a New York Times best-selling author of 15 books and many articles. His column appears in each edition of Ministry Today magazine. Rutland's weekly television program is broadcast on TBN Salsa, and he is heard on a daily basis in multiple radio markets. As the executive director of The National Institute of Christian Leadership, he teaches hundreds of church and business leaders from around the world. In the past, he has served as the president of two universities and as a megachurch pastor. He is currently the president of Global Servants, an international agency that, among other works, operates homes for tribal girls on two continents.

Take a sneak peek of what visitors will see in the Friends of Zion Heritage Center atfriendsofzion.charismamag.com.
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Sunday, July 12, 2015

Israel - New Museum Traces History of Christian Zionists

New Museum Traces History of Christian Zionists in Israel

Courtesy Friends of Zion Museum
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Relatively few people realize the major role Christians played in the formation of the modern State of Israel. The new Friends of Israel Museum in the heart of Jerusalem reveals this hidden history.

A dramatic introduction starts the tour: stunning aerials of Israel as a map traces the land given by God to the 12 tribes, all set to originally scored music.

The museum uses state-of-the-art technology, such as oversized touch panels, that allow visitors to learn more about the history of Christian Zionism.

Features like video mapping enhance some of the most compelling and often unknown stories of Christian Zionists' contribution to the development of the modern nation-state.

Take a virtual online tour at the Friends of Israel Museum.

History of Christian Zionism

In a 2012 speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of Christian Zionists' essential role in the nation's history.

"I don't believe that the Jewish state and modern Zionism would have been possible without Christian Zionism," Netanyahu said. "I think that the many Christian supporters of the rebirth of the Jewish state and the ingathering of the Jewish people in the 19th century made possible the rise of Jewish Zionism."

American Mike Evans built the museum to help spread the word of Christian Zionism's place in Israel's history. He wanted "a home for Christians to celebrate their heroes and their history."

"I found no place in Israel where Bible believing Christians can go to. And they have heroes and they have history," Evans told CBN News.

The museum was founded on years of research and the information in a two-volume set called The History of Christian Zionism, authored by Evans.

"There are so many of them," Evans explained. "If you just take George Bush, 1844, this guy was a Hebrew professor and he wrote a book that sold a million copies on the restoration of Israel. And yes, his two relatives were U.S. presidents."

Fulfilling Promises

There are many others.

Orde Wingate formed the first Jewish fighting unit in nearly 2,000 years, the beginning of the modern Israeli army we see today.

Corrie Ten Boom's father and sister were killed by the Nazis and she suffered in a concentration camp because her family hid Dutch Jews during the Holocaust.

Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg faced death to save Jews.

One museum display explained, "In the dead of winter, Wallenberg joined thousands of Jewish prisoners on their death marches to Auschwitz, trying to save anyone he could."

Evans wondered, what fortified these Christian men and women to face death?

"I realized, number one, it was their Bible. They had an intimate relationship with the living Lord and they loved the Word of God," he said. "And they were willing to live for it. And with the Word of God came promises to the Jewish people."

Those scriptural promises, from Ezekiel to Isaiah to Abraham, are woven through the museum's exhibits.

Another display revealed, "According to the ancient writings, one day God appeared to Abram and spoke words that would give birth to the nation of Israel."

An Incredible Experience

For museum visitors, the experience is incredible.

"It's an experience like no other. It's interactive. You learn a lot of things that you probably never even learned," one visitor told CBN News.

"I think this was one of the most impressive things I've seen in Israel since in the time that I've been here," another said.

Many said the museum taught them so much they'd never known before and now they want to spread the word.

"I'm going to tell everyone I can think of, the people in my synagogue, to come here to see how this beautiful land of Israel was not [built] just by the Jews, but by the Christians and the wonderful people who risked their lives to make us a homeland," one American visitor said.

For Evans, the museum lets the Jewish people know that though surrounded by enemies, they are not alone.

"They see Auschwitz and what they went through. And they see the alienation in the world today, and they come through it [the museum] and they say, we're not alone," he said. "There are Christians who really love us. And it's just amazing to see that. It gives me hope, I'm not alone. That's enough."

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Sometimes We Wonder - Now Think on This by Steve Martin


Sometimes We Wonder


Sometimes we wonder where the path will go.
Sometimes we wonder what we need to know.
Whenever the day turns back into night,
We must look to Him to make it all right.

When the unknown becomes fearful to thee,
Look into His face to more plainly see.
The road ahead is narrow and long,
We pray the Lord will bring His new song.




To hear a fresh word at what He now speaks,
Winter will leave as His heart we do seek.
In His presence the intimacy unfolds
Communion with God, His glory behold.

When doubt comes as courage goes dry,
His hand upon us keeps us close by.
Sometimes we wonder what may come our way,
But knowing the Lord - His peace can now stay.


Steve Martin
Love For His People





Now Think On This #114 Sometimes I Wonder  
Date: In the year of our Lord 2014
(02.12.14 Wednesday at 7:00 pm - Charlotte, NC)




Wednesday, June 5, 2013

FINAL FRONTIER (Avner Boskey) - "Exposing Hearts, Creating Divisions"

Avner & Rachel Boskey

"What will the Jewish people's acceptance of Yeshua result in but life from the dead?"
 (Romans 11:15)
                                                                                       cid:image001.gif@01CE49BF.D53D5230


Exposing hearts, creating divisions

Taking a biblical stand for the Jewish people sometimes results in strife and division. Does that mean that there is something wrong with our zeal?  Why do blowback, opposition or negative feedback sometimes accompany our preaching of God’s heart for Israel? What is the cost of standing with the Jewish people and how can we count it accurately?

Land o’ Goshen!

At the dawn of Jewish history, in the land of Egypt, YHVH spoke to Pharaoh through Moses, regarding one of the Ten Plagues, “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, YHVH, am in the midst of the land. I will put a division between My people and your people” (Exodus 8:22-23).

The purpose of division was to throw the spotlight on the people whom YHVH had chosen, to show which nation had God’s approval and which nation was standing against the purposes of God.

The Apostle Paul says something quite similar when discussing divisions in the Messianic congregation of Corinth: “For, in the first place, when you gather together, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you” (1 Corinthians 11:18-19). Paul is referring to the age-old dynamic of ‘truth or consequences.’

Messianic division

Messiah Yeshua clearly proclaimed that one of the purposes of His ministry among the sons and daughters of Adam is to bring division: “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law” (Luke 12:51-53). The preaching of the truth often has consequences: “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and man loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Years ago I had the privilege to study under a rabbi of Montreal’s Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, who taught a class for Concordia University called “The historical encounter between Judaism and Christianity.” This rabbi quoted Luke 12 and then waxed eloquent about how Yeshua’s words seemed to violate the spirit of Judaism as the rabbi understood it.

“Excuse me, Rabbi,” I asked, “Isn’t Jesus quoting here from the prophet Micah 7:5-6, where the prophet grieves over the spiritual state of some Jewish people?” A quiet rustling of pages among all present commenced, after which the rabbi, not quite sure how to respond, quickly changed the topic of conversation. It did not fit the rabbi’s worldview, it seemed, for Yeshua to be seen as a kosher champion of the prophetic tradition.

Ø  Obedience to the prophetic tradition and to Messiah the greatest prophet who ever lived, will usually bring with it blowback, opposition or negative feedback, divisions and strife. We have it on the Highest Authority!

Yeshua King of Israel – a sign to be opposed

A prophetic word spoken over Joseph, Miriam and Yeshua by Shim’on (Simeon) in the Temple precincts adds depth to this subject: “And Shim’on blessed them and said to Miriam His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed – and a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed’” (Luke 2:34-35).

The New Covenant reveals that the coming of the Jewish Messiah to the people of Israel would bring division. It was YHVH Himself who purposed this division – “to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Ø  If the first coming of Messiah brought division to even the Jewish people (and salvation  let’s not forget that as well!), will not His second coming and the events surrounding that also test the thoughts of many hearts, both Jewish and Gentile?

Israel – standing up to be counted

Years ago I listened in to a conversation of some zealous seminary students discussing Romans 13:1-7. One of them declared that if he had been a believer concealing Jews in his home in Nazi-occupied Holland, he would have surrendered them to the tender mercies of the Gestapo. God would have honored his decision not to disobey the powers that be, he opined. My response was to the point, “This Jew will never take refuge in your home!”

Certainly Corrie ten Boom’s Hiding Place (www.corrietenboom.com) would have been seen by the Nazis as treasonous, for at that time saving Jewish lives was considered ‘politically incorrect.’ Her father died in a Nazi prison, while she and her sister Betsie were sent to Ravensbuck concentration camp, where Betsie died of typhus.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/bonhoeffer/?content=1) was a Lutheran theologian who had to walk a fine line in Nazi Germany. He saw that believers were being called not only to clarify their own attitudes toward Judaism and the Jewish people, but even more to properly discern and respond actively against the Nazi state’s actions against the people of Israel. His actions (which included smuggling Jews out of Germany, and involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler) led to his imprisonment and eventually his execution by the SS on the gallows at Flossenbürg concentration camp.

In the 1930’s a believing Officer (later Major-General) in the British Army, Orde Wingate (www.ordewingate.net) helped to train the fledging Jewish special operations forces during the time of the British Mandate. He rallied his Jewish troops (the future leaders of the Haganah), regaling them with biblical strategies of Joshua and Caleb, Gideon and the Maccabees. His strengthening of the Jewish people’s restoration in their hour of need was considered politically incorrect by the British High Command. He was later transferred to Ethiopia and then to India/Burma to train the chindits against Imperial Japanese forces, where he was killed in a military plane crash.

Ø  Ten Boom, Bonhoeffer and Wingate were believers in Yeshua who defended the Jewish people, each in their own way. The fact that most of these Jews were not believers in Yeshua in no way hindered the believers’ activism.

Ø  These true heroes of the faith did not stand on the sidelines doing nothing. Neither did they simply declare that anti-Semitic attacks were understandable because “the Jewish people were under divine discipline.” On the contrary, these men and women threw themselves into the battle, and were mightily used of God to help restore the Jewish people to their Promised Land.

When Messiah Yeshua returns, He will judge the nations based on how they treat the Jewish people (Matthew 25:45; Hebrews 2:11-16) and how the nations divide up the land of Israel (Joel 3:1-2; Zechariah 14:1-4). At that point in time, it will be too late for believers to decide that the “prophetically correct” time has come to be more activist in furthering the restoration of the Jewish people. Now is the time.

Ø  Standing with Israel certainly involves praying the prayer of faith today about Israel’s destinytomorrow.  But let us not be deceived – it also involves the necessity of works today on behalf of the Jewish people’s protection and salvation (see James 2:14-17). “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Israel – not standing up to be counted

I have noticed that some believing leaders exhibit a measure of fear when discussing Israel. They are afraid of being typecast by other believers as having gone overboard in their love for Israel, as not being balanced, as ‘going beyond the Bible’ in their expression of biblical convictions about Israel.

It is certainly true that even good causes can have some advocates who are out of balance. Yet these false fears must be confronted head-on.

For someone to have God’s heart for Israel:

ü  It means that one accepts Israel’s priority (Deut. 21:15-17; Exodus 4:22-23; Romans 1:16; 2:5-11; 9:1-5; 11:28-29) in intercession, in evangelism, in international affairs and in rescuing Jewish lives.

ü  It means that one feels the same pains and joys about Israel that YHVH feels (Isaiah 63:9; Hosea 11:1-4,8-9).

ü  It entails night and day passionate intercession for Israel and God’s purposes to be birthed through her (Isaiah 62:1-9).

Ø  People who do these things will face a measure of opposition, of blowback, of negative feedback, of divisions and of strife.  

When you are willing not only to embrace God’s heart for the Jewish people, but also to share the same fate as the Jewish people, even in the present –

ü  People may accuse you of having a primary loyalty to Israel and not to Yeshua. This is due to the fact that they do not understand or embrace the high priority that God places on the Jewish people.

ü  People may accuse you of ‘being for Israel in a way that God is not for Israel.’ This is because they do not understand how deeply God’s heart is for Israel.

ü  People may accuse you of ‘getting lost in Israel.’ This false charge is based on a profound misunderstanding of God’s prophetic heart and ways. A helpful corrective is found in something Mike Bickle told me years ago – that that one day the body of Messiah will begin to get so much revelation about God’s heart for Israel that it will fill their field of vision – it will seem as if they can see nearly nothing else.

Sentiment versus conviction

Some people are afraid that if they stand firmly with God’s heart and purposes for Israel,  they will be accused of being motivated by sentiment and not by Scripture. This fear is usually expressed by male theologians, and is often based on a misunderstanding of the divine origins of emotions.

Human emotions are part of the package called “being created in the image of God.” This means that YHVH has divine emotions, and not only divine intellect. The God of the Bible is not an unflappable and distant Greek deity. He expresses deep emotions for Israel. He longs for Israel, as expressed in passionate avowals like “How can I abandon you, Ephraim? How can I give you up, Israel?” or “In all Israel’s afflictions He was afflicted” etc.

Ø  Let’s not be embarrassed by God’s emotions. God’s sentiments toward Israel are enscripturated, and the result is divine convictions which are both solidly biblical and deeply emotional.

Standing for Israel’s king and for the King of Israel’s people

Rees Howells (free download at www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/rees-howells), a warrior among intercessors, saw intercession for the restoration, protection and salvation of Israel as an essential calling for all believers. His school prayed for the defeat of Nazi Germany, the protection and victory of Allied forces, and the protection of Israel. Howells was not afraid of being seen as ‘political.’ He was more concerned about being faithful to the heart of the Lord and to the fulfillment of His word regarding the Jewish people.

Ø  Israel’s King cares about His people Israel. When you care about Israel’s King, you also care about the King’s Jewish people. When you stand for Israel’s King, you will find yourself standing for His people as well.

The mystery of Israel (Romans 1:25; Ephesians 3:3-6) truly is about Israel. It is about the God of Israel, the people of Israel, and how YHVH adds multitudes from among the nations to share in what He calls “the commonwealth of Israel” (Ephesians 2:12-13).

Do not be afraid to take your stand in these matters, both in the spirit and on earth. Pray, reach out and extend your hand of rescue to the seed of Jacob. You have it on the Highest  Authority!

Ø  Pray for yourself, your friends, and your congregational leaders – that the God of Israel will grant greater revelation of His heart and greater courage to stand for and with the Jewish people.

Ø  Pray for this revelation to spread throughout the body of Messiah as we prepare for the coming days.

Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do!

In Messiah Yeshua,

Avner Boskey

Donations can be sent to:

FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES
BOX 121971 NASHVILLE TN 37212-1971 USA

Donations can also be made on-line (by PayPal) through: www.davidstent.org



Avner and Rachel Boskey of Final Frontier Ministries

Avner and Rachel Boskey live in the Beersheva area of Israel with their four sons. They oversee Final Frontier Ministries, a ministry with offices in Nashville TN dedicated to stirring up the creative arts, worship, intercession, evangelism and the prophetic – within a Jewish and Israeli matrix.

Avner was born and raised in Montreal Canada. He studied at Hebrew University, Jerusalem and McGill University, Montreal (B.A. in Jewish Studies) and at Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.). In the 1970's he was part of the Messianic Jewish band the Liberated Wailing Wall.

Rachel was born in Minneapolis MN. She founded the Star of David Singers, a Messianic music group and ministered with them in the Americas and Europe. Rachel's heart has been to foster intercession among believers for Israel's salvation and restoration.

Avner and Rachel have been involved for many years in evangelism, congregation planting, Bible teaching, worship and pastoral counseling. Avner has served on the Theological Commission of the United Christian Council in Israel, on the National Evangelism Committee in Israel, and from 1986-93 as associate editor of MISHKAN: a theological journal on Jewish evangelism published in Jerusalem.From 1995-96 they pastored the Messianic Center, a Messianic Jewish congregation in Saint Petersburg Russia.

Avner is the author of the book ‘Israel the Key to World Revival’ and ‘A Perspective on Islam’. Avner and Rachel have released three CDs – ‘Old & New’ (1993), ‘Ancient Gates’ and ‘LaKatzir’ (Hebrew for ‘For the Harvest’), both in 2001 through David’s Tent Music.

You can contact us by mail at the following address.

Support can be sent by mail to the following address, with checks payable to Final Frontier Ministries:Final Frontier Ministries
Box 121971
Nashville TN 37212-1971 USA
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