Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Senator Marco Rubio likes to tweet Bible verses almost every day, but one news organization is accusing him of playing politics with the Holy Scriptures.
A recent article in Politico Magazine says Rubio is "tweeting the most Republican part of the Bible" -- Proverbs.
"Some of the statements in Proverbs look strikingly similar to those made by modern-day conservative policymakers," Joel S. Baden wrote for the magazine.
Baden goes on to write that Proverbs "generally deals with questions of how to live a righteous life."
"For example: Just this past July 5, Rubio tweeted, 'They will die from lack of discipline, lost because of their great folly. Proverbs 5:23,'" Baden continued.
In response, the Florida senator tweeted, "Proverbs is the Republican part of the Bible?I don't think Solomon had yet joined the GOP when he wrote the first 29 chapters of Proverbs."
Evangelist Franklin Graham came to the defense of Rubio, writing on Facebook, "God's Word is filled with wisdom — and it's neither Republican nor Democrat."
CBN Chaplain Joel Palser agrees with Graham's statement about God's Word.
"Probably the greatest theologian of the 20th century -- he's been called that -- Karl Barth... said it was timeless truth, and so the idea that it would somehow be owned by one party or another was ludicrous," he told CBN News.
"This is ageless, timeless -- applicable to every culture and time," Palser continued.
Rubio has received criticism of his biblical tweets in the past. For example, Leah McElrath, writer for liberal website Shareblue, called the tweets "unsettling," to which TheWashington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin responded, "Either he was hacked or he's totally lost it."
Esquire politics blogger Charles Pierce called the tweets "oddly terrifying."
Many on Twitter, however, have come to Sen. Rubio's defense, saying they appreciate the Bible verses that have thousands of likes and retweets.
When asked on "Fox & Friends" what he thinks of some of the negative responses his tweets received, Rubio replied, "If people don't like the Bible and they don't like the Gospel, they don't have to follow me on Twitter I suppose."
The Florida lawmaker says he tries to read the Bible every day, and he will continue to post Scriptural tweets, "especially if there's something in there that I think just spoke to me, and I want to share with people on Twitter."
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Pastor Jim and Lori Bakker talk about the harvest time at the end of the age. With special guest, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.
Quotes
You’re going to learn that God meant what He said. That’s one thing America’s going to learn. – Pastor Jim
This is what you’ve got to get, people. We want to vote what God’s Word says. – Pastor Jim
America’s been the most blessed nation on earth because we have blessed Israel more than any other nation. But we’re turning. Dangerous perfect storm, because we’re turning from God and Israel at the same time. – Rabbi Cahn
You’re part of that whole picture that God says of the world and Jerusalem, when you vote. So it’s not about a person here, it’s about a platform, it’s about issues. – Rabbi Cahn
Scriptures
Matthew 13:39 NIV and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Matthew 13:39 KJV The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Zechariah 12:3 KJV And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
Genesis 12:3 KJV And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
James 2:17 MEV So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Revelation 22:17 KJV And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
II Chronicles 7:14 MEV if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Matthew 5:13 MEV “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.
Pastor Jim and Lori Bakker talk about the importance of voting in the upcoming election, and what implications our votes will have. Vote for the platform, not the person. With special guests Doctor William Forstchen and Pastor Carl Gallups.
Quotes
This is the most important election in the history of the world, because it stands in the middle of the most prophetic times this world has ever seen since the first coming of Jesus Christ. – Pastor Carl Gallups
This election will establish where the church has any freedom left in the next 4 years. – Pastor Jim
This is the most important period of time in history. – Pastor Jim
Vote, vote, vote. Even if you’re not going to vote in the presidential election, vote for your senators, your state reps, and House of Representatives. – Doctor William Forstchen
Scriptures
Galatians 6:7 KJV Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Acts 2:13 KJV Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Acts 2:15 KJV For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Matthew 24:9 KJV Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
A member of the U.S. Republican party's election campaign team in Israel wears a badge of Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump during a campaign aimed at potential American voters living in Israel. (REUTERS/Baz Ratner)
How will the Left accomplish their final "reset" for America?
The winner of this election will have the power to appoint 3 or 4 more Supreme Court Justices. To use a J.R.R. Tolkien analogy, this is the "one ring to rule them all." The winner has power to protect our constitutional freedoms or alter the meaning of the Constitution and punish, prosecute and persecute the opposition for the next 40 years. If Democrats win, the court will be this rubber stamp behind the radical "reset."
As Hugh Hewitt, a professor of Law and media commentator, says:
"Every issue, EVERY issue, will end up there, and the legislature's judgments will matter not a bit. So vote for Hillary Clinton (or sit it out) and then prepare for the deluge of court-ordered solutions to every social problem, bench-drawn congressional districts and extraordinary deference to every agency of the federal government combined with a sweeping away of federalism."
This Election Gives the Victor the Ultimate Spoils
Traditional Judeo Christian morality doesn't exist. It has been replaced by the moral relativism that judge's morality itself. This is the ultimate spoils of the culture wars—the power to define the meaning of words. Hence, the meaning of "marriage" and "gender" already changed, are just the beginning of a whole new vocabulary. Soon freedom of speech itself will fall under the scornful branding of "hate speech." Sound unrealistic? Watch what a progressive Supreme Court comes up with for laws!
Spiritual warfare is all about whose version of reality becomes manifest on the Earth. Christians are about to make a big mistake in this election cycle if they buy into the wrong narrative about Trump. Our choice is now Soros or Cyrus.
Trump Up Close
My first meeting with Trump was Dec. 30, 2015, in the boardroom on the 26th floor of Trump Towers, which is in fact quite a grand facility. The building is an impressive architectural marvel whose entrance merges marble and brass into a fusion resembling the grandeur of a great Cathedral with the bling of a Las Vegas Casino.
Most of those attending did not know each other personally prior to the meeting. It was a rather eclectic sampling of evangelicals, a group within the larger self-described "Christian" community that makes up nearly 30 percent of the American population—some 30 million potential voters.
It is not easily noticed on TV, but Trump is a big guy, and I don't just mean in terms of personality. He is physically tall—at 6 foot, 3 inches and then add heels and hair and he grows another inch.
His personal style is more restrained than the person you see on a platform or in an interview. He was gracious, non-confrontational, and surprisingly open to "give and take."
I got the impression that Trump takes in information quickly but filters it equally fast to distinguish one idea from another. It's an executive skill I've noticed in CEOs in whatever field I meet them. They are avid fact finders with a built in filter that separates superficial ideas from ideas with substance. He seems to be the same way with people. As individuals spoke, he was reading them and weighing their relative power within the group.
Things Got Tense
A Messianic Rabbi sitting near me said, "Your comments don't always represent you in the best light. People want to know you have a presidential temperament. They want to know that you are a person they can trust with a finger on a nuclear button." Trump perched his lips in characteristic fashion, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "I hear you." When the conversation turned to some of the more heated exchanges of the campaign, Trump explained, "You know, people aren't aware of what is coming at me ... what I am responding to. Like the storm that broke out when I took a stand on immigration. It can get pretty vicious. You don't always know the back-story. I can say this, I never punch indiscriminately. I'm a counter puncher ... but I fully hear what you are saying. I know where you're coming from."
Several of us exchanged glances. There was no denial and no need to drill deeper on the subject. Equally, there was no flippant or disingenuous commitment to change. He would do as occasion required—till he clinched the nomination. After that? He will do as occasion requires to win.
Bishop Darrell Scott of Ohio spoke up, "I wouldn't change a thing. Be you and keep being consistent. That's what people like about you. You're not playing politics."
Trump looked around the boardroom table and laughed. "So you're saying, 'Don't change?' Well, that's interesting!" Darrell replied, "Right! People would see you change they would know it isn't you. You would start to look political and that would make you look like everyone else. Just BE YOU!"
The Gospel in Black and White: A Different Sample of Evangelicals
One significant difference between this meeting and Trump's earlier encounter with Iowa evangelicals was the presence of a number of African-American ministers in the room. Almost to a man they described to me the backlash they encountered for even being willing to meet with a Republican. It was interesting to watch the interaction. In fact, some of the men present ended up on the Republican platform in Cleveland.
Pastor Darrell continued: "I came here with an open mind. To my way of thinking there are three branches of government: Legislative, Executive and Judicial. You are clearly gifted for the Executive Branch. That's what you do." Scott believes that Trump will deal with the problem of 50 percent unemployment for inner city youth in a manner much different than either Democrats or Republicans in the past. Scott believes Trump is interested in America, not party politics.
The Conversation Took an Interesting Turn
As our meeting continued I was surprised to find that Trump actually knew some of the preachers and teachers in the room, not because he had met them but because he had watched their TV programs. Media is one of his domains. He is very much dialed in on all sorts of TV programing—including Christian Programing.
Trump casually shared, "I was going around the dial last night and ran into 'Politically Incorrect.'" This is the popular left wing HBO talk show hosted by comedian Bill Maher. "It's amazing how antagonistic they are about people of faith. It was painful to watch ... wasn't always like this in America" Trump said. Turning to Jan Crouch of TBN, he asked, "This seems to have been going on for a while hasn't it?" We all agreed.
"It's open season on Christians in particular" someone added.
Then Trump Dropped the Line I Will Never Forget!
Trump scanned the room and said: "I think we had such a long period of Christian consensus in our culture and we kind of got...spoiled. Is that the right word?" Then he turned the tables on us and said something shocking: "Every other ideological group in the country has a voice. If you don't mind me saying so, you guys have gotten soft." Ouch! That's the line I won't forget. Then in a moment of reflection he corrected himself, "I mean, we, myself included, we've had it easy as Christians for a long time in America. That's been changing." From Trump's perspective, Christian leaders are a people living in fear of having opinions. Subsequent to this meeting he proposed lifting the Lyndon Johnson ban on churches discussing politics that hangs like an IRS sword over the heads of churches in America. The truth is, even with it lifted, pastors fear offending their flock.
What he said next may have been lost on others but it hit me in a particularly striking way. He added, "People who identify themselves as 'Christian' make up probably the single largest constituency in the country, but there is absolutely no unity, no punch ... not in political consensus or any other area I can see."
When the meeting broke up, I went home feeling certain there was some sort of anointing on this man but couldn't get my head wrapped around where he fit. Nor could I figure out the purpose for me being in that meeting.
That was when the next unexpected download hit me!
Trump the 45th President
I was updating some random social media activity when I ran across a simple PowerPoint showing Trump seated in the oval office with the words "Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States." The image made a peculiar impression on my mind. I was dazed. Literally no one was thinking this would be a possibility but I was sensing that this was more than some random Facebook meme; it was a prophetic picture. It struck me the same way the "wrecking ball" word did. The Spirit impressed upon my mind "read Isaiah 45."
To be honest, I didn't recall what the chapter was about. I opened a Bible and began to read "Thus sayeth the Lord to Cyrus whom I've anointed." Cyrus, I thought? Who is he in relation to all this? I recalled that he was a heathen king who was indispensable to the protection of the Jews but was frankly confused as to what God was saying.
With 15 candidates running, many who were clear conservative evangelicals, why would God be talking about Cyrus? I quickly looked up the number of the next president. I confirmed that Barack Obama is number 44. The next president will indeed be number 45. I kept reading Isaiah 45.
'Cyrus My Anointed'
Nearly 150 years before Cyrus' birth, God declared through the prophet Isaiah that a foreign man, a non Jew named "Cyrus" would be the anointed shepherd of his people and rebuild Jerusalem, beginning in the first phase with the house of the Lord.
Regarding Cyrus, Isaiah the prophet says:
"This says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whom I have seized by the right, to subdue nations before him. Yes, I will open the loins of kings, to open the two-leaved doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before you and make hills level; I will tear apart the bronze doors and cut the iron bars in two" (Is. 45:1-13).
He wasn't a Jew and he wasn't from the line of David, but God elevated this foreigner and called him, "My anointed." When Isaiah described Cyrus as the Lord's "anointed" the word in Hebrew denotes a person specifically chosen and set apart for a specific task. It never occurred to me that God anoints secular leaders who are not part of the faith community. But then again how else would you describe Cyrus, Churchill, Lincoln or even Reagan?
Notice also that God promised to intervene and help Cyrus "break open" and even conquer (i.e., make many hills level and to bring things down to size). What a gift that would be to our 19 Trillion-dollar deficit!
The Cyrus Effect!
Cyrus did something powerful. He ended a period of spiritual captivity and deterioration. He opened a gate in heaven to all the prophecies and prayers that were stored up in heaven over Jerusalem. The commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem starts with the decree of Cyrus recorded in Ezra 1:1-4. The word starts with rebuilding the house of the Lord. It was this "Cyrus decree" that worked its way through King Darius and King Artaxerxes till Nehemiah engaged his task to build the wall surrounding Jerusalem. We've got prayers for America still stored up and waiting for release!
These two phases "the house" and "the wall" should make believers stop and wonder. This is a direct promise touching the church and restoration of society. The controversy over "building the wall" in current-day politics is more symbolic than people think. What do walls represent in the Bible? Proverbs 25:28 says "He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls." America has become a nation without walls, a nation without self government. We are out of control fiscally and physically on our borders. It reminds me of the prophetic statement of Lincoln who warned that no foreign power would destroy us: "No, if destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide."
I believe this wrecking ball is sent to break the spell and stop the death spiral. The Cyrus anointing will build and restore.
Dr. Lance Wallnau is a catalytic thought leader. An internationally recognized speaker and business consultant, he is one of the premiere speakers on the subject of cultural transformation and the seven mountains. He delivers his message of transformation with relevance, wit and intensity.
The views expressed in this article reflect the views of Lance Wallnau personally. They do not reflect the views of Lance Wallnau Ministries.
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!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 (The Israel Bible™)
After Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz spoke about his intentions to establish greater military cooperation with Israel on Tuesday, rival Senator Marco Rubio released a memo accusing Cruz of lying about his support of the Jewish State.
In his speech, made from the USS Yorktown in South Carolina at a campaign event, Cruz called for a rebuilding of the US military and increased partnership with Israel on military defense programs for intercepting short, medium and long-range missiles. The most well-known Israeli missile defense system is the Iron Dome, an incredibly successful military technology which has been snatched up by militaries worldwide.
The Jewish Insider reported that Cruz also called for greater cooperation with the Jordanian and Egyptian militaries, in addition to the IDF, and for collaboration between the four nations to fight the war on terror.
However, Marco Rubio quickly cast doubts on Cruz’s commitment to supporting Israel, accusing him of lying about his past record on questions of national security. Rubio’s campaign distributed a memo which pointed out that in 2013, Cruz had signed a budget proposal which slashed defense spending and aid to Israel.
Cruz also voted against the Annual National Defense Authorization Act while serving in the Senate. The comprehensive defense bill helps to fund Israeli military programs like the Iron Dome.
Rubio spokesman Joe Pounder said in a statement, “Senator Cruz will say or do anything to win an election including lying to cover-up his own weak record on national security.”
“Senator Cruz is the only candidate in this race who has consistently sided against our military and intelligence professionals and whose foreign policy vision changes with his poll numbers,” he added.
Cruz and Rubio, both Bible believers, have strived to embody Genesis 12:3, blessing Israel through political, military, and spiritual support. Cruz, an Evangelical Christian, has made his strong ties to Israel a key part of his platform, and Rubio has called for the US to give “unconditional support” to the holy land.
His Last Act: Inside Reagan's Twilight Years, Legacy
CBNNews.com Thursday, November 05, 2015
When former President Ronald Reagan passed away in 2004, he had been out of the public eye for 16 years. Not much was known about his post-presidential life – until now.
Much has been penned about the late president's early life and his eight years in the White House.
But in 1994, just a few years after he left office, Reagan announced in a letter to the nation that he had the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease.
"I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life," he wrote. "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."
For the last decade of his life, there were no public appearances, and little is known about his final years.
Now, in Last Act, Shirley sheds new light on: How the former president and his wife dealt with the diagnosis and progression of the disease. The planning of the state funeral. The outpouring from the nation. The significance of the Reagan legacy.
"The battle over the Reagan legacy and the meaning of Reagan came to a head the week he died," Shirley wrote. "And it remains a matter of debate to this day."
*Craig Shirley will share more about his new book and the final days of Ronald Reagan on Friday's edition of The 700 Club. Check your local listings or CBNNews.com after 10 a.m. EDT for the interview.
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate attacks deal with Iran, which he says leaves Israel in ‘so much trouble’ “So many friends in Israel, they don’t know what happened,” “They actually think Obama hates Israel. I think he does.”
R
epublican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Thursday that he believes US President Barack Obama hates Israel, citing the recent nuclear deal with Iran which he said was “so bad” for the Jewish state.
“So many friends in Israel, they don’t know what happened,” he said of the agreement between Tehran and the US, along with other world powers. “They actually think Obama hates Israel. I think he does.”
Speaking during a campaign speech in Reno, Nevada on, the business magnate added: “Honestly, I think Israel is in such a massive amount of trouble because of the agreement.”
Trump vowed to defend Israel if elected president. “Israel is safe with this one,” he said, pointing to himself. “Nothing bad is going to happen to Israel.”
Trump, a brash billionaire businessman, dominated the Republican field for months. Recently he has been losing ground to neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
Neither Trump nor Carson are career politicians but both have capitalized on anti-Washington, anti-establishment feeling among many conservatives.
Israeli leadership has sharply criticized the Iran deal, and the issue had served to further fracture relations between Jerusalem and Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have enraged Obama by trying to turn Congress against the deal behind the president’s back. Meanwhile the US’s handling of the nuclear negotiations, the Palestinian conflict and other regional challenges have greatly diminished Israelis’ trust in the American leader, with many seeing him as weak, naive, or both.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon this week declared the dispute over the accord over. “The Iran deal is a given,” he said in Washington while meeting with his US counterpart Ashton Carter. “Our disputes are over. And now we have to look to the future.”
Netanyahu is to be hosted by Obama at the White House on November 9 — their first face-to-face talks in over a year.
Though generally unpopular in Israel, some security experts — including former heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad — have said it has its good aspects. Former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz has said he sees the benefits of the accord, which he has acknowledged will probably put off a nuclear-armed Iran for at least 10-15 years. The diplomatic effort, he said, probably prevented war from breaking out.
The Republican nominee will most likely face Hillary Rodham Clinton, former first lady and secretary of state in the 2016 presidential race. The overwhelming favorite for the Democratic nomination, her campaign received a boost from a strong debate performance two weeks ago.
