Joy to the World—Except During an Election Season? - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Why are American Christians so outraged this Christmas season? (iStock photo )

Joy to the World—Except During an Election Season?

12/16/2015 J. LEE GRADY  charisma magazine

On the first Christmas, the shepherds in Bethlehem learned that Jesus' birth was a cause for celebration. The angel said in Luke 2:10: "For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people." It's too bad Christmas cheer is in low supply these days. I don't know if it's due to the mudslinging in this presidential campaign or the warmer-than-usual December, but people in general are angrier, more fearful and more negative than I can ever remember.

Christians should be the happiest people this time of year. But if Facebook posts are any indication of the national mood, folks aren't just mad—they're outraged. And others are so spooked by blood moons, Obama conspiracy theories and Muslim terrorists that they are ready to head for the hills to hide. It's as if the Grinch really did steal Christmas.

Personally I believe we have a lot to rejoice about during this holiday. If you only listen to Fox News or CNN, the world is a gloomy place—with plane crashes, terrorist attacks and bickering politicians. But I don't let today's alarming headlines steal my peace. I don't let angry opinions steal my love. And I don't let grumpy people steal my joy.

Here are 10 positive trends I'm celebrating this Christmas:

1. Muslims are coming to Christ faster than ever. David Garrison, author of the new book A Wind in the House of Islam, says something unprecedented is stirring in the Muslim world. "We are living in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history," he writes—citing evidence that dozens of powerful Christian movements have started among Muslims since the year 2000.

2. The gospel is transforming China. The British newspaper The Telegraph reported two years ago that Christianity is growing so fast in China that it will most likely be considered a Christian nation by 2030, when its Christian population will exceed that of the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Given China's economic power in the world, this has huge implications for our future.

3. The United States is in a church-planting boom. There has been lots of handwringing about the decline of mainline churches in America. But church growth expert Ed Stetzer says new churches are actually being planted in the United States faster than old ones are dying—and research shows that 60-80 percent of the people who join new churches are from unchurched backgrounds. That means more people are being reached with the gospel today than when dead religious churches talked and sang about evangelism but never did it.

4. Latin America is experiencing a political and spiritual awakening. Recent elections in Venezuela were one more indication that leftist governments are losing power in Latin America. Today two-thirds of Venezuela's parliament members oppose leftist President Nicolas Maduro. Similar movements against socialism and corruption are occurring in Argentina, Brazil and other Latin countries—at a time when evangelical churches are growing at unprecedented rates.

5. Spiritual hunger is rising in our nation. I'm not denying that segments of our culture have grown hostile to Christian faith. But the popularity of faith-based films such as War Room caught Hollywood by surprise this year. Meanwhile popular Bible teachers such as Joyce Meyer, Andy Stanley and T.D. Jakes get as much traction on Twitter and other social media than secular celebrities such as Katy Perry or Lady Gaga. And the amount of Christian content on You Tube, Periscope or other digital media today is staggering.

6. Global violence is actually decreasing. Because we have easy access to news, and we hear about mass shootings or terrorist attacks as soon as they occur, Americans think the world is more dangerous than ever. That's actually not true. If you compare violent deaths from wars, genocide and crime over the centuries, the numbers have never been lower than today—even with 21st-century terrorists on the loose.

7. There are fewer dictators in the world. The number of authoritarian countries has actually dropped from a high of almost 90 in 1976 to about 25 now. Democracy is growing—and it's likely that authoritarian nations in the Middle East (such as Iran) will see drastic political changes in our lifetime.

8. The Bible is still the most popular book ever. The Bible ranks at the top of all favorite book lists among Americans. And according to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is also the best-selling and most widely distributed book in the world. Nearly 4 billion copies of the Bible were printed and sold globally in the last five decades—far exceeding any other book.

9. We can still celebrate Christmas. Don't worry about Starbucks' decision to take a generic holiday message off their coffee cups. Instead of complaining about the war on Christmas, let's be more proactive about telling people why Jesus was born. Nobody is stopping us from doing that.

10. Jesus is still on the throne. The last book of the Bible reminds me that when it's time for Jesus to come back, He will return victorious. All His enemies will bow down and acknowledge His lordship. Jesus is not worried about ISIS, Hillary Clinton, gay marriage, illegal immigrants, Obamacare or the war on Christmas.

Don't let the evening news steal your joy. Christ is born. We have something to celebrate.

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.

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A Star Shall Come Forth From Jacob - Richard and Carolyn Hyde from Heart of G-d Ministries in Israel

Website  |  About Us  |  Music  |  Yeshua Project  |  Living Stones  |  Contact Us Click above to see photos "I see him but not now; I behold him but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall arise from Israel and crush the head of Moab and tear down all the sons of Seth."  Numbers 24:17 "What should I do?  I'm a Muslim" After a fruitful time of ministry in public schools in Germany, several students asked this question.  So we told them to look to the founder of each religion.   "What did Mohammed do?  He stealed, killed, and destroyed.  And what did Yeshua do?  He healed the sick, delivered the possessed, had showed compassion to the poor and lost, etc.  So who do you want to follow?  No one can force you to believe; it's your choice."    The students replied, "We will follow Yeshua!" On October 27th at 3 AM Carolyn and I were travelling south from Haifa to the Ben Gurion Airport.  When we started to head east we beheld a site that almost took our breath away.  In the eastern sky were three bright lights on the horizon.  Two of them looked like they were joined together with one being much brighter than the other.  My first thought was that it was man-made - perhaps drones.  But they were too big and bright to be drones - and they weren't moving.  They were stationary and appeared to be hovering over Judea, near Jerusalem or Bethlehem. We checked the internet and found an article from a Jewish site, The Times of Israel with this headline: As planets align, some see return of Jesus' Star of Bethlehem The rare convergence of Venus, Jupiter and Mars this week has some wondering if it's time to cue the Magi Could this be a similar phenomenon to what the Magi had seen in the sky which led them to Bethlehem 2,000 years ago?  I later found out that there were four planets; Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Mercury in the sky along with Regulus, the king star. If that wasn't enough, on that same night in the western sky, we saw the first full moon after the fourth blood red moon of the tetrad.  This amazing planet/star configuration was in the eastern sky while the full moon was shining in all its glory in the western sky.  Truly awesome! This is a simulation of what we saw: I discovered that in the year 2 BC this extremely rare planet/star configuration could be found in the skies over Israel.  G-d announced the coming of His son the first time with a special sign in the sky.  The second time, when Yeshua returns, G-d will announce His return with signs in the sky.  Could it be the same sign that we were privileged to see? When we arrived in Munich Germany we were invited to the leadership meeting of The Gathering, a meeting at the Olympic stadium where thousands of German believers were gathering.   During a special meeting a Persian man declared that a group of 40 Iranians were sojourning to Israel.  They would be bringing precious gifts to Israel just as their ancestors, the Magi, did over 2000 years ago.  When we heard this we almost fell off our seats.  Carolyn looked at me and said, "Do you know what the L-rd told me to put in my purse before we left Israel - a bottle of Frankincense? I've never done anything like that before."  When we shared with the Iranian believers they were overwhelmed and gratefully accepted our offer to anoint them with the frankincense. Do you remember the promise the Magi made to Herod as they were leaving him on their way to Bethlehem?  They said they would report what they had found, but they were later warned by G-d in a dream to go home another way.  2,000 years later that promise is being fulfilled.  Their descendants have returned and they are reporting what they have seen - that Yeshua is the Messiah, the King of Israel!  As they travel through Zion they're telling Jewish Israelis that they used to shout "Death to Israel", but after finding Yeshua, they now love and pray for her.  Outstanding! Upcoming Journey We look forward to a ministry journey in Texas and Louisiana from Nov. 11-29.  If you'd like to join us at any of these meetings, please check our website schedule for dates and times.  Shalom y'all!      Order 4 - Get 1 free! Looking for a gift to bless your loved ones this season?  Please consider ourworship CD's and outreach booklets. Offer Expires 12/15/2015 Thank you for standing with us as we reach the lost with the love of our Messiah Yeshua! Blessings in Yeshua's love, Richard & Carolyn Hyde Heart of G-d Ministries Israel: PO Box 112, Poriya Kfar Avoda   15220   USA:  PO Box 461546, San Antonio, TX 78246 Canada:  First Century Foundations  * Canadian charitable tax #10780-1771-RR0001 Box 234 * Milton, ON * L9T 4N9 * Canada 1-877-628-2800* www.firstcenturyfoundations.com   We write L-rd and G-d in this way because it's a Jewish custom that Carolyn grew up with and it's done only out of reverence and honor for the name of the L-rd.  Thanks for understanding.  Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.

UN Body Helps Palestinians 'Rewrite' Biblical History - CBN News

Western Wall (The Kotel) in Jerusalem, ISRAEL

UN Body Helps Palestinians 'Rewrite' Biblical History

By Julie Stahl and Chris Mitchell

CBN News Middle East Bureau

Thursday, October 22, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- A United Nations body declared two Jewish biblical holy sites to be Islamic and accused Israel of mistreating Palestinians on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City.

Israel says UNESCO is helping Palestinians to rewrite biblical history and transform the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a religious one. UNESCO has become an instrument in the hands of the Arabs and the Palestinians.

The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization passed a resolution Wednesday declaring the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem are an integral part of Palestine. Earlier, they claimed both as mosques.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the declaration helps Palestinians promote their political narrative.

"It is an attempt by the Arab side, and by the Palestinians, to change history and pretend as if those places, which are holy places for Judaism, which have been holy places for Judaism for thousands of years, are actually Palestinian or Muslim holy places," Nahshon told CBN News.

Historical evidence indicates that the biblical forefathers -- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- were buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs, along with their wives.

The site of Rachel's Tomb is believed to be the burial place of the biblical matriarch, Rachel, the favored wife of Jacob.

The resolution stopped short of including the Western Wall as part of the al-Aksa compound, as Palestinians had hoped. It would have renamed the Western Wall Plaza "al-Buraq," after Mohammed's winged horse.

"Even such an organization -- such as UNESCO, which has become a puppet in the hands of the Palestinians -- there is a limit to what you can do. But I have no doubt that they will try again," Nahshon said.

The resolution also accuses Israel of "aggression" on the Temple Mount. Yet Palestinians have repeatedly attacked police and visitors to the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism.

The current wave of terrorism is a reaction to what they say are Israeli attempts to change the status quo. Israel denies any changes there.

"This Palestinian initiative is certainly related to what we live here on the ground -- Palestinian violence, Palestinian incitement -- and also the attempt to transform a conflict into a religious conflict," Nahshon explained.

Earlier, Palestinians set fire to the tomb of the biblical patriarch Joseph. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned that arson attack, but Nahshon said it's a sign of what would happen if Palestinians were in charge.

"The Palestinian arson of Joseph's Tomb demonstrates very clearly what would be the fate of Jewish holy sites if they were under Palestinian control," he said. 

Dr. Cornelius Bekker, from Regent University, said Christians should care because it's their history, too.

"The history of Israel is about God's choice," Bekker explained. "God chose Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, the very tomb here that's now been set on fire. And so we feel a kinship with Israel because it's about God's choice and it's our history. Jesus was a Jew, Paul was a Jew, [members of] the early Church were all Jewish."

UN Vote Would Make Western Wall a Muslim Site - Tzippe Barrow/CBN

Men pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

UN Vote Would Make Western Wall a Muslim Site

10/20/2015 TZIPPE BARROW/CBN  charisma news

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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The Palestinian Authority's latest proposed U.N. resolution, sponsored by UNESCO, claims the Western Wall, known in Hebrew as the Kotel, is part of the al-Aksa Mosque and thereby a Muslim holy site, rather than the last remaining vestige of the Jewish Temple(s).

Sponsored by six member nations of UNESCO's executive board—Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates—the resolution also claims P.A. ownership of Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.

The majority of UNESCO's 58 member nations have historically supported Palestinian resolutions.

For Bible-believing Jews and Christians, the idea that these historical Jewish sites somehow morphed into Muslim sites is nonsense.

The Bible records that Abraham purchased the cave and the field next to it some 3,700 years ago as a family burial site (see Genesis 23-25), with the exception of Jacob's second wife, Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who was buried near Bethlehem (see Genesis 35:16-20).

Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the petition.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely called it another "shameful and deceitful attempt" to rewrite history, predicting it would "fail the test of reality."

"The Temple Mount and the Western Wall in Jerusalem are the cornerstones of Jewish history. They are historical facts no one can dispute," Hotovely said, adding that Abbas is continuing the legacy of former PLO chairman Yasser Arafat to distort history and work against Jewish-Arab coexistence in Israel.

Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon paid a surprise visit to Israel Tuesday to meet with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon also arrived in Israel Tuesday to sit in on Ban's meeting with Netanyahu. Danon will return to New York to attend Thursday morning's Security Council meeting.

Ban condemned "the dangerous escalation in violence" in Israel, Jerusalem and what he calls "the occupied Palestinian territories."

The U.N. chief said he understands Palestinian anger over the "continued occupation and expansion of settlements," and their disappointment at the inability to end the conflict.

Ban criticized Israel's "apparent excessive use of force," while admitting that security is a priority when children are afraid to go to school and anyone on the street is a potential victim (of an attack).

Meanwhile, B'nai B'rith International strongly condemned "the attempt to rewrite history" in a letter to UNESCO Director General Irena Bokova, calling it a "malicious resolution" and urging her to steer the executive board clear of such a "vile proposal."

Co-signed by B'nai Brith International President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin, the letter maligns the "blatant hypocrisy that has been percolating with UNESCO."

"The creeping but undisguised historical revisionism and territorial, cultural and civilizational appropriation taking root at UNESCO...make clear which side in the conflict is truly inciting religious tensions and seeking to alter the status quo in Jerusalem," the letter stated.

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!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Israeli Arab Pastor Preaches in the Dangerous Backyard of Jesus

In his youth, the Israeli Arab follower of Jesus experienced regular persecution. He was assaulted with metal chains and wooden sticks and recalls people tossing Molotov cocktails into his father's church, catching the pews on fire. Several believers have been martyred, including Khoury's uncle. (Facebook)

Israeli Arab Pastor Preaches in the Dangerous Backyard of Jesus

10/12/2015 TROY ANDERSON  charisma news

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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Steven Khoury grew up between Bethlehem and Jerusalem—the heart of Jesus' earthly ministry and the focal point of the world's greatest religious struggle.

In his youth, the Israeli Arab follower of Jesus experienced regular persecution. He was assaulted with metal chains and wooden sticks and recalls people tossing Molotov cocktails into his father's church, catching the pews on fire. Several believers have been martyred, including Khoury's uncle.

"There would be days when our church members walked out of the church doors, and rocks and stones would come flying at their heads," Khoury, author of In the Backyard of Jesus, said during a presentation Monday at Charisma Media headquarters in Lake Mary, Florida. "On Sundays, we'd know who caught a rock the Sunday before because they would come to church with stitches in their heads."

Today, the pastor of Calvary Church, located not far from Calvary where Jesus gave His life for the world, seeks prayer, assistance and a miracle to continue the work of spreading the gospel in the Holy Land.

As part of the "Save the Jerusalem Church" campaign, Khoury is raising funds to buy a multipurpose building in East Jerusalem to serve as a permanent location for his church. Khoury says his church has been "pushed out" of three rental properties recently and is now meeting at a Young Women's Christian Association facility.

"Today, we are in a 90-day negotiation contract," Khoury says. "The building owner is willing to sell us the building. We are asking God for a miracle. To move in, the owner wants $2.5 million, and then another $2.5 million on a six-year payment plan. Thus far, God has given us $1.7 million in commitments and donations.

"This will make us a lighthouse in the community. The only other time I know of that this has been done in the city of Jerusalem was in (the apostle) Paul's days when Paul went to the church in Corinth and the church in Rome and asked them to support the believing church in Jerusalem. If we buy this building, it would be the only Christian church in that part of Jerusalem."

At a time when many Arab people are coming to faith in Christ, Khoury says the "laborers are few and the harvest is plenty" in Israel. About 22,000 to 23,000 of Israel's 8 million residents are Arab or Jewish believers in the Messiah.

"So you don't take souls for granted," Khoury says. "You don't take baptisms for granted, and you start to understand that nothing comes easy. You have to be persistent and you have to be willing to pay a price to make a difference in the world we live in to build the kingdom to come."

Khoury, president of Holy Land Missions, says the permanent church will help his ministry continue to reach out to the lost in Israel.

"In Jerusalem, there is only room for 300 (Arab born-again evangelicals) people to go to church" Khoury says. "Our ministry serves about half that 300 and we have no (permanent meeting place). We are renting from the YWCA for three hours a week. That has been a struggle. Our outreaches are limited."

Only about a half-dozen Arab-speaking ministries exist in Jerusalem and only a few of those are actively evangelizing the Muslim community, Khoury says. Currently, the ministry has the only Bible leadership training and media ministries in that part of Jerusalem.

"There is a potential for us to have a Bible college, a worship center, a children's outreach center and a safe house," Khoury says. "Muslims in Israel are seeking Jesus through dreams and visions, but the problem is they don't have a place locally to meet. Very few have anybody they can trust. Because Middle-Easterners are very relationship-oriented, they are always seeking places where they can sit down and research the Bible.

"They are seeing dreams and visions, but there are limited doors open to them. We want to be the big door. We have done it for 38 years in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and we want to continue to be that door that they can come through to sit down and learn the Bible."

To find out more or donate, go to holylandmissions.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!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Israel's History - a Picture a Day - Maison Bonfils' photographs

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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A Major 19th Century Photo Collection Rescued and Digitized by the British Library's Endangered Archives Program Posted: 24 Aug 2015 A preview of Bonfils' photographs Three thousand pictures taken by the Maison Bonfils photographers of Beirut from 1867 to the 1910s are part of the private Fouad Debbas collection in Beirut. Last year, the collection was digitized and posted online by the British Library's Endangered Archives Program.   We have posted several Bonfils' photographs in the past from the Library of Congress, Getty, and New York Public Library collections. But nowhere in the world has such an extensive collection of Bonfils' photographs been collected and made public.  We thank the Debbas family and Ms. Jody Butterworth, the curator of the British Library's Endangered Archives Programme, for their efforts.  We present here just a preview of this very important collection:  Jews praying at the "Wailing Wall" (Debbas Collection, British Library) Rachel's Tomb on the way to Bethlehem (Debbas Collection, British Library) Rachel's Tomb, not the village of Sanur Elsewhere in the Debbas Collection this picture is captioned "Village of Sanur in the modern-day West Bank." Obviously, it is another Bonfils photo of Rachel's Tomb.  The bustling Jaffa Gate outside of Jerusalem's Old City. The Hotel Fast was built in 1891. The photo was taken prior to 1898 when a breach was made in the wall for the German Emperor's carriages. (Debbas Collection, British Library) We plan to present more of the collection in coming weeks accompanied by our historical essays. Click on pictures to enlarge. Click on caption link to view the original.