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Shown here is a rendering of the Museum of the Bible, which is still under construction in Washington, D.C.
The vast grove of museums stretching from the U.S. Capitol across the fringes of the National Mall is about to get a new addition, albeit a decidedly less secular one: The Museum of the Bible.
Just three blocks south of the Capitol, the privately funded museum is set to open this November. Though it may seem out of place next to the well-known museums on American history, air and space and more, those behind the project describe it as a future attraction that will draw in a range of visitors through a blend of historical and religious artifacts and interactive exhibits.
“The goal is to show and to educate people about the many ways that the Bible has impacted America, not just our history but in terms of civil rights and social justice to fashion,” Steve Bickley, vice president of marketing for the museum, told Fox News during an early tour of the museum-in-the-making.
From presidential inaugural ceremonies to bedside tables in hotels across the country, the Bible has indeed been a fixture in American life. Bickley says the 430,000-square-foot facility aims to offer an “immersive experience to people from all faiths, or no faith, and those who have never even picked up a Bible.”
The $500 million, eight-story museum is financed entirely by private funds. The force behind the design is the architectural firm, Smith Group, while Clark Construction has overseen the project since its groundbreaking in 2015. Both were involved in the construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the popular site near the Washington Monument.
An exhibit under construction at The Museum of the Bible. (Fox News)
The museum’s five central exhibit floors will house 40,000 biblical and religious artifacts, including portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls, bibles once belonging to Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley, and the Lunar Bible – the first bible to travel in space.
The first exhibit to arrive at the museum is a 3,200-pound full-scale replica of the original Liberty Bell, gifted to the museum by Dr. Peter Lillback, founder of the Providence Forum. Because of its size, the replica had to be lowered into the building, which is still undergoing construction.
But it is Steve Green, the museum’s founder and president of Hobby Lobby, and his father, David, who have contributed the bulk of the items.
Over the last five years, the Green Collection has grown into the world’s largest private collection of biblical texts and artifacts.
The Greens gained national recognition in 2012 when they mounted a legal challenge to the contraceptive mandate included in ObamaCare. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby and the Green family in a landmark victory for religious freedom advocates.
To critics who believe the museum will only present the Bible from a Christian perspective, Bickley poses a question.
“Why would the Israel Antiquities Authority be partners in a project which only promotes Christianity?” he asked in reference to a multi-year agreement the museum signed with the Authority to fill gallery space with objects contained in Israel’s National Treasures.
One of the more interesting offerings is a digital guide, with which visitors would be able to design their own tours on their phones -- and take a virtual tour of the locations in Washington, D.C., where biblical passages can be found.
The interior of The Museum of the Bible, under construction. (Fox News)
There is an emphasis on making the site more than just a building.
In May 2011, the Museum of the Bible launched its first travelling exhibit. A collection of about 400 items has made stops in Colorado Springs and the greater Los Angeles area, as well as at The Vatican and in Cuba.
Another arm of the museum is the Scholars Initiative, which pairs together younger scholars with more established analysts to work on artifacts in the Museum Collection. Currently, more than 60 universities around the world are participating in the Scholars Initiative, and others are in the process of joining.
I Heard The Lord Say, "Be Patient, Your Nation Is Having Major Heart Surgery. Stay In The Waiting Room and Pray."
I remember when my mother had major by-pass heart surgery in her seventies. The doctors came to us in the waiting area and told us these words, "Because of what she just went through, she's not going to look very good to you, but she looks great to us!"
I sense the Lord saying, "Be patient with your nation and remember I am not a Republican or Democrat, I AM that I AM. I AM working on a whole nation and everyone is a work in process. Don't judge, for I AM not finished working on anyone. I am working in the Fox News Room, CNN News Room and all the other News networks and radio, TV outlets, and media. I'm going for the heart of this nation or it will surely die, unless I complete surgery on it's heart."
"Stop grumbling and complaining. It can delay and even cancel this Kairos moment as your nation is on My operating table. Speak life and become love to every person. Embrace your opposition and enemies so they will experience My arms of love surrounding them. Protest the devil, not people."
"What appears to be chaos and gross darkness to you, are the instruments I pick up in My hands and use to give new hearts to nations. Nothing is being wasted in the hands of your Redeemer. Your heart is also included in this surgery. Trust Me and tell your heart to beat again!"
Speaker Ryan, a Roman Catholic, is a passionate disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. He is surrounding himself with godly spiritual pastors. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
What CNN and Fox Won't Tell You About the Move of God
You won't hear this reported on CNN or Fox News because news programs sell spin and controversy. Good news won't raise ratings.
You won't hear this from America's pulpits because America's churches are in a state of separation. Her pastors have abdicated their biblical civic responsibilities to secular politicians in exchange for 30 pieces of tax-exempt silver.
Most pastors and church-goers can't name their representative or senators, much less pray for them daily or name one piece of legislation they're working on. Nor do they know that most likely the lawmakers sleep on their office couches because they can't afford to rent an apartment in the nation's most expensive city.
It upsets me when I hear all the doom-and-gloom "prophetic words" about how Congress is nothing but a bunch of crooks. Most of these spiritual giant slayers have never stepped a foot into the Capitol or visited their congressman. They have no clue of what God is doing in their government or that God has big future plans for it. Their opinions are shaped more from media spin and propaganda than a biblical worldview of God's end-times agenda for governance.
Do I believe America is in a period of judgement? Yes! Most definitely. God has given us over to our selfish desires. Yet the biblical pattern for national revival is almost always preceded by a time of judgment. "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
Psalm 72:16 and Micah 4:1-3, clearly state that in "the last days" God will take a remnant of believers (wheat) and plant them in the tops of world governments (tops of the mountains) and build "the house of the Lord," beginning in the top levels of the world's governments. The resulting consequences of God's moving in world governments would then shake the earth with revival. "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the house of the Lord."
I can confirm that this is beginning to happen in Washington, D.C., London, Ukraine, Poland, Moscow and several nations in Africa.
Add to this, when the "last trumpet" in Revelation sounds, "the kingdoms of this world" (governments) become the governments of the Lord Jesus Christ and He will rule them forever with His glorious church (Rev. 11:15-19). So much for "separation of church and state."
Almost always, following these periods of captivity and judgment were times of transition to revival. These times of transitions were times of national repentance followed by "times of refreshing" or the latter rain.
So could America be in one of these transitional times of repentance where our national sins are being exposed? Are the wheat and tares being exposed before a time to shine like the sun in righteousness?
How can a nation, which for years has been praying for revival, actually "turn from your wicked ways" until those wicked ways are openly exposed for all to see? Could this be what we are witnessing now in America—unprecedented exposure of corruption at every level of society and government—so God can heal us? So we know what to repent of?
If so, now is the time for the prophets to come forth and prophesy to the nation. Now is the time for the preachers to preach repentance and godly holiness to the church—to make herself ready to enter the kingdom.
Is God through with America yet? I don't believe so. I think America's greatest days may be just around the corner. I believe we're in the first dawning hours of another Great Awakening.
In fact, I believe God has been silently, behind the scenes, answering our 2 Chronicles 7:14 prayers for some time now, not at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (the White House) but at First Street and East Capitol Street, in the heart of the U.S. Capitol with the 114th Congress.
Did you know, for the past two years, weekly Christian worship services for members of Congress and staff, called the Jefferson Gathering, are being held in the Capitol building after an absence of 144 years? More than 150 members have attended on a regular basis. Several people have given their lives to Christ.
Did you know there are more "passionate followers of Jesus Christ" (I prefer this to the overused sometime meaningless term, "Christian") in the 114th Congress than at any time since President Calvin Coolidge? There are. We are working with close to 200 sincere followers of the Lord in the House and Senate.
Did you know, on occasions, as many as 90 pastors will be praying together in the Capitol Rotunda while the House of Representatives is debating controversial freedom of religion amendments on the House floor? Did you know that, on most Wednesday evenings, prayer for America is happening in the Rotunda? It is!
Have you heard? Beginning on Sunday, Sept. 4, three Christian worship services will begin in the Ways and Means Room in the Capitol building for all federal employees and Capitol Police. It's been 150 years since regular Sunday church services were held in the U.S. Capitol. This is big news!
How did this all begin to happen? America has been praying, that's how! And God is right now in the process of answering those prayers by raising up godly men and women in Congress, the most important branch of government.
Let me share our personal first-hand experiences of being a small part of what God is doing in Congress. I know there are other great ministries on the Hill reaching out to Congress in very influential ways, and we thank God for their work. But I can only share with you about what JoAnn and I are doing.
Though we may never agree totally with everyone's politics, let me tell you why I'm thankful that Paul Ryan is speaker of the House and that he won his primary race. Speaker Ryan, a Roman Catholic, is a passionate disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. He is surrounding himself with godly spiritual pastors.
He said, "The only hope for America is a spiritual awakening. ... We must have spiritual solutions to our problems, or we're in for troubled times as a nation" (spoken to JoAnn and me alone in a private, 30-minute conversation). He asked that I help him invite pastors to the Capitol for spiritual advice. So far, we have had more than 200 pastors visit the Capitol, and we plan for many more for this fall.
Ryan makes meeting pastors a top priority in his busy schedule. JoAnn and I have an open working relationship with his staff. They told us that in six weeks' time, they had to turn down more than 500 invitations to various important events (I saw the print out sheets), "but he's doing the pastors briefings because he's passionate about it," a top staffer told us.
Speaker Ryan is an avid fan of historian David Barton. "I listen to him all the time, even in my car while driving," he said. Because of Barton's teachings, Speaker Ryan is very knowledgeable of the 1954 Johnson Amendment (putting political speech restrictions on pastors from their pulpits) and its devastating effects on our culture.
He understands "first causative principle"—that the 1954 Johnson Amendment eventually was responsible for prayer and Bible reading being taken out of schools in 1963, the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 and redefining of marriage in 2016—all because pastors were silenced from speaking out politically. That's why Speaker Ryan wants the Johnson Amendment repealed legislatively. He knows pastors being set free to preach again to the nation regarding these moral and political issues is a must to turn the nation around.
In early January at the Republican Retreat in Baltimore, Ryan and I began discussing how Congress could legislatively repeal it. Later, I spent one hour educating Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (chair of Republican Conference, whose husband is a pastor) and her entire senior staff on the Johnson Amendment toward the goal of repealing it.
Rep. Kevin Brady is chair of the Ways and Means Committee through which any legislation to repeal would have to come to the floor, and he is totally on board. Ryan directed me to Brady. Brady also gave me approval to hold three Sunday services (beginning Sept. 4) in the Ways and Means Committee room in the Capitol. Brady told me with a big smile on his face, "I'm thrilled you're having church in the Ways and Means Committee Room. Glad to let you use it."
So, long before Donald Trump said anything about repealing the Johnson Amendment, Speaker Ryan had been working on it. For the first time in 60 years, the opportunity to repeal the Johnson Amendment exists because of Ryan's leadership, spirituality and love of Jesus! Now we need a Republican president in the Oval Office to sign a repeal into law (which is more effective than just an executive order)!
Speaker Ryan has formed a committee of five members of Congress (to which I was invited to participate) to report to him on inviting pastors to the Capitol to have lunch with him and arrange congressional-clergy townhall meetings in the Cannon Caucus Room. We are planning our second one in November, and we'll form an email alert system so Speaker Ryan can contact pastors on how to inform their churches to pray for America.
This is unprecedented and historic! This is God answering our prayers.
In September, we'll be hosting four worship services weekly in the U.S. Capitol with Ryan's permission and blessing.
I know a lot of folks are critical of Speaker Ryan's policies, but how many know what I've just shared with you? I pray for Speaker Ryan daily. Do you? I know he wants what's best for America. Is he right on every issue? Who is?
But I am thankful God has him where he is. He is very open to the voice of the Lord. Pray that God will change his heart in those areas in which you don't agree with him.
Let me ask you this question: Which is more important for America: Repealing the TPP, building a wall at our border, balancing the budget, restoring jobs or experiencing a third Great Awakening? Without a spiritual awakening, America will still go to hell in a handbasket. We must have revival!
I'm thankful that the top four leaders of the Republican Party in Congress (Speaker Paul Ryan, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise and Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers) know this and are doing what they can to see it happen. They know that, without it, America has no hope. These are the leaders America needs now.
America's political revivals have always followed spiritual awakenings. I am convinced the underpinnings for a third spiritual awakening are happening now, and the foundations for political renewal could be just ahead.
Keep praying, and keep voting. God is not finished with America yet.
Dan Cumminsis founding pastor of Bridlewood Church, Bullard, Texas, and originator of "Washington, A Man of Prayer."
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
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SHANNON BREAM: Germany is the last stop on President Obama's three-country tour. He began the week, of course, with a bit of a tense trip to Saudi Arabia, as that region faces numerous critical challenges.
Tucked in the midst of all the trouble is Jordan, where King Abdullah II is not only managing the influx of more than a million refugees, but also waging a constant battle against the threats from ISIS. There are growing questions about why the U.S. and -- in that region -- more Arab nations aren't stepping up to do more to help the man who has been viewed as our most faithful Sunni Arab ally.
Joel Rosenberg, best-selling author...met days ago with King Abdullah and came away with some key insights and joins us now live from Jerusalem. Welcome to you, Joel.
ROSENBERG: Great to be with you, Shannon. Shalom from Jerusalem.
BREAM: And listen, let me ask you -- you had an unbelievable amount of access, a special invitation from King Abdullah. Tell us a little bit about what you saw, and what kind of viewpoint it gives you now, on exactly what Jordan and that region is facing.
ROSENBERG: It was fascinating. King Abdullah in January was given a copy of my recent novel, The First Hostage, which is about ISIS -- the Islamic State -- trying to capture chemical weapons in Syria and launch an attack against the United States, Israel and Jordan, and even try to topple King Abdullah. A friend of his, an advisor to him, gave him the book, and he read it in just a few days. And rather than banning me from the kingdom, invited my wife and I on a five day visit. It was fascinating.
Look, King Abdullah is our most faithful Sunni Arab ally, and yet he faces enormous challenges. All of us in this region face the threat of ISIS, but Jordan, you know -- ISIS's roots run deep in Jordan. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the man who invented ISIS -- then called Al Qaeda in Iraq -- was from Jordan. So the king faces a huge challenge, but I think he is up for it. I spent time with him, having lunch with him, having dinner with him, meeting with many of his top generals. He's a Special Forces guy. He was the head of Special Forces in Jordan before he took the throne. But he needs more American, Arab and international help.
BREAM: Yeah, and we have such a delicate score of relationships across that region, as you know. You know about the visit to Saudi Arabia this week, the tensions that are there. We also have word this week that the U.S. has spent more than $8 million purchasing heavy water nuclear materials from Iran, and some people see a link there between the meetings with Saudi Arabia, the pressure regarding Iran, and now this new purchase at a time when a lot of people here still aren't sold on the overall nuke deal that we just made with them.
ROSENBERG: Yes, what is surprising almost every Sunni Arab leader in the region -- and certainly Israel, as well -- is why is the President of the United States tipping away from our historic allies -- Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf emirates, and again obviously Israel, as our most faithful ally in the entire region -- and tipping all this effort to help Iran? And not taking decisive measures to destroy ISIS once and for all? ISIS and a nuclear Iran pose existential threats to every leader, and every person, in this region, as well as to the United States. And yet the President keeps tipping -- when push comes to shove, he's going with Iran these days. This is a huge mistake. It bothers me. It bothers many in this region.
BREAM: Well, Joel, we thank you so much for giving us some insights. You've written an op-ed that gives even more about that amazing trip you had with the King. And you know how I feel about The First Hostage. I can understand why after reading it he would have invited you. It is a great read. People will be entertained, as they always are with your books, but they will learn a lot about what we're really facing, as well. Joel, thank you for joining us live from Jerusalem.
ROSENBERG: Thank you.
[NOTE: During the interview, Fox News I identified me several times as a "former advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." While it's true that I worked as an aide to him in 2000, that was more than 15 years ago. I want viewers to be clear that I don't claim to speak for Mr. Netanyahu in any way. My views are wholly my own.]
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Posted: 06 Mar 2016 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
What is the worst possible outcome for the presidential election of 2016? Assuming that an election will actually take place, that is an easy question to answer – Hillary Rodham Clinton as the next president of the United States. She is truly evil in every sense of the word, and the implications of what four (or eight) years of Hillary would mean for our nation are almost too terrible to imagine. That is why it is so depressing watching what is happening to the Republican Party right now. The civil war in the Republican Party is ripping it to shreds, and as a result of all this warfare every plausible scenario for what will happen the rest of the way ends with Hillary Clinton winning the 2016 election. According to the Associated Press, here is how the Republican delegate count stands as of right now… Donald Trump: 384 Ted Cruz: 300 Marco Rubio: 151 John Kasich: 37 Ted Cruz looks like he is within shooting distance of Trump, but that is an illusion. The early part of the schedule was full of states where Cruz was expected to do well, but now the map is going to work very much against him. At this point, the only candidate that looks like he may be able to accumulate 1,237 delegates before the convention is Trump, and that is far from guaranteed. So far, Trump has won approximately 44 percent of the delegates during the caucuses and primaries. By the time it is all said and done, he will need to have slightly more than 60 percent of all the delegates awarded during the caucuses and primaries to guarantee himself the nomination before the Republican convention. That is because there are hundreds of delegates that are not awarded during the caucuses and the primaries, and almost all of those delegates are members of the Republican establishment. Trump can still get there by racking up large delegate totals in winner-take-all states such as California, but it will be a challenge. The entire Republican Party establishment, Fox News, Glenn Beck and a significant number of other prominent conservative voices have all declared war on Trump. In fact, there are super PACs that are going to spend tens of millions of dollars doing nothing but trying to destroy Trump. If the Republican Party actually wanted to beat Hillary Clinton in November, they should be rallying around Trump and trying to help him, because he would definitely need a lot of help to win the general election. According to Real Clear Politics, the latest three polls all have Trump losing to Clinton by at least 5 points. In key states such as Michigan, the numbers are quite a bit more dismal. Over the next few months, those numbers are likely to get even worse as Trump is savagely assaulted by the Republican establishment and relentlessly bombarded by tens of millions of dollars of negative attack ads. Meanwhile, Clinton is cruising along virtually unscathed. Of course in a just world Hillary Clinton would have already been arrested and put in prison. There is no possible way that she should be running for president of the United States. Unfortunately, we live in a deeply corrupt society, and this is the way that things work. If by some miracle he does survive to become the nominee, a significantly weakened Trump would then have to face the full power of the Clinton political machine. It is estimated that a billion dollars could be spent on the Democratic side this time around, and Trump does not have the resources to match that. Normally big Republican donors rally around the nominee, but in this case the big money is fighting like crazy to defeat Trump. In a general election matchup, it really would be David vs. Goliath, and Trump would not be Goliath. If Donald Trump does not accumulate 1,237 delegates before the convention, then we would be headed for what is known as a “brokered convention“. The rules are very complicated, but the key thing to remember is that the delegates are only bound for the first vote. After that, they can vote for whoever they want. And it is very important to note that the campaigns don’t pick their delegates. Becoming a delegate is a long and tedious process in most states, and most of them are party loyalists. In the end, a “brokered convention” would almost certainly result in an establishment candidate being chosen as the nominee. Needless to say, the names “Trump” and “Cruz” would not be on that list. Have you noticed that Mitt Romney has started to put himself out there lately? His verbal attacks on Trump have been absolutely scathing, and he told Fox News that he would not say no if he was “drafted” to become the nominee at the Republican convention…
Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and the Republicans’ 2012 presidential nominee, repeated remarks from last week, telling “Fox News Sunday” that he wouldn’t launch an eleventh-hour campaign for president. But he declined to reject being “drafted” at the GOP convention in July to be the party’s general election candidate. “It would be absurd to say that if I were drafted I’d say no,” Romney said.
Behind the scenes, much more is going on. In fact, CNN is reporting that Romney’s team is actively working on a plan to steal the nomination from Trump at the convention…
Mitt Romney has instructed his closest advisers to explore the possibility of stopping Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, a source close to Romney’s inner circle says. The 2012 GOP nominee’s advisers are examining what a fight at the convention might look like and what rules might need revising. “It sounds like the plan is to lock the convention,” said the source.
If Romney does emerge as the nominee, does anyone actually believe that he will defeat Clinton? Of course not. Trump’s millions of supporters will be absolutely infuriated, and many of them would absolutely refuse to cast a vote for Romney in the general election. In the end, it would be the same result – a victory for Hillary Clinton. The next few weeks are going to be very interesting. If Trump wins Florida and Ohio, there is going to be a lot of pressure on Marco Rubio and John Kasich to get out of the race, and the path to 1,237 delegates would appear to be clear. However, Mitt Romney could attempt to derail the Trump bandwagon by jumping in the race after March 15th. Romney’s goal would be to capture enough delegates in winner-take-all states such as California to keep Trump from getting to the magic number of 1,237. If Romney could do that, he knows that he would likely come out of a brokered convention as the nominee. But no matter what happens on the Republican side from this point forward, it is going to take a miracle of epic proportions to keep Hillary Clinton from winning the presidency. Every plausible scenario ends with her in the White House, and that is a truly horrible thing to imagine.
Israel this week once again took center stage in the heated US presidential race, on both the Republican and Democratic sides.
During a town hall event ahead of a primary vote in South Carolina, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump suggested he would be “neutral” in dealing with the Israeli-Arab conflict.
One of his top two challengers, Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) fired back telling Fox News that if “America will stand unapologetically with the nation of Israel…because I am not neutral between terrorists who are blowing up and murdering women and children, and the people of Israel who are trying to defend their nation.”
The other Republican candidate, Senator Marco Rubio (Florida), has a history of strong pro-Israel action.
Meanwhile, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton insisted in an interview with CNN that both Trump and Cruz had “missed the mark” regarding Israel, but her own position sounded suspiciously similar to Trump’s.
“I’ll defend and do everything I can to support Israel, particularly as the neighborhood around it seems to become more dangerous and difficult,” said Clinton, before qualifying her statement by adding, “I happen to think that moving toward a two-state solution, trying to provide more support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people is in the long-term best interests of Israel, as well as the region, and, of course, the people themselves.”
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