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.
While I was in Mar-A-Lago recently listening to Rush Limbaugh at the SAS2018 Conference, he shared about the battle our President has been facing. On the one side he has "Sleepy Todd from Meet The Depressed," coming after our President, and then Ann Coulter lambasted him so badly it made him angry enough that he unfollowed her on Twitter!
We need to turn up the juice! We need to understand something here; WE prayed him INTO OFFICE. Our President also listens to the spirit of truth! Are you catching this? He listens to the few prophetic voices who are affirming, the few who are encouraging him, and the few who have a prophetic anointing to expose the left for what it is—a pernicious ideology that is going to destroy America if it isn't arrested.
Don't miss out as I pray for us near the end to have even greater discernment, for a sound mind, and greater peace.
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That's how the Westminster Confession of Faith describes God. Consequently, Christianity has warped this to mean that God is a distant, stone-cold deity without emotions or feeling. Many believe that when the Bible describes God's anger, it is simply communicating the gravity of His justice. Or that His compassion for His children as evidenced in Scripture only speaks to a general love, the kind that a Creator would have for everything in His Creation whether it be people or blades of grass. This passionless, impersonal God has, sadly, extended to the person of Jesus. As a result, very little has been written on Jesus' emotional life.
But in his latest book Spirit-Filled Jesus: Live By His Power, Mark Driscoll takes a chapter to address how Jesus had emotions, maintained perfect emotional health and how we can learn from His example.
"Everyone who is a believer has the potential for improved emotional health that increasingly manifests the character of Jesus Christ. How? By the power of the Holy Spirit," Driscoll says.
As he points out, Jesus had a lot of reasons to be an emotional mess. The public gossiped about Him and His cousin, John the Baptist:
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a gluttonous man, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners'" (Matt. 11:18-19).
"That's a rough public relations nightmare for a homeless single guy trying to launch a brand-new ministry from scratch," Driscoll says.
He writes on Jesus's exhausting ministry. People swarmed Jesus at all hours, asking questions and seeking miracles. They wanted Him to cast out demons, raise people from the dead, give sight to the blind and heal all sorts of infirmities.
While taking a nap, Jesus was woken up by his followers who feared the storm would capsize their boat. After calming the sea, Jesus said, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40).
His disciples were a source of exasperation. Judas stole money from the ministry and was bribed to hand Jesus over to the people who intended to crucify Him. Thomas doubted Jesus and Peter denied that he knew Him. James and John asked to rule with Jesus in heaven which was not received well: "You do not know what you are asking" (Mark 10:38b).
Whatever relationships or circumstances we have grappled with, Jesus has also endured. He dealt with enemies and difficult coworkers. He felt so fatigued that he could sleep through a violent storm in a boat. But more importantly, Jesus responded with displays of emotion that we experience. He was angry and called people sons of the devil, and He overturned tables in the temple. He was sad—the shortest verse in many Bible translations is "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). He experienced amazement when He witnessed the faith of the centurion, and many times Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21).
From the Bible, we can conclude that Jesus, like His Father, was not stoic. We can also infer from Jesus' example that responding emotionally to something is not necessarily wrong. Rather, it's how we manage our responses that indicates our emotional health.
Driscoll writes on how the source of Jesus's power over His emotions is the Holy Spirit. In fact, this is the key to perfect emotional health. Because of this, Jesus's externalizing of emotion, however harsh or abrupt it seemed, aimed to cause good change, not chaos or drama. Even when Jesus flipped over the tables at the temple and caused a scene, it was to put an end to His house of prayer being used as "a den of thieves" (Matt. 21:13b).
Driscoll distinguishes how having a Spirit-filled emotional life also means inviting the Holy Spirit to change our emotions. He points to the Bible verse where God not only directs how we should behave, but also how we should respond: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" (Rom. 12:15).
In studying how Jesus responded emotionally to what He faced, we can also learn how to do so in a way that glorifies God. Driscoll asks readers to consider where their emotions flow from: the Holy Spirit or the flesh?
This article is based on Spirit-Filled Jesus: Live By His Power(Charisma House, 2018) byMark Driscoll. Driscoll is a Jesus-following, mission-leading, church-serving, people-loving, Bible-preaching pastor and the author of many books, including Real Marriage and Who Do You Think You Are? With a skillful mix of bold presentation, accessible teaching, and unrelenting compassion for those who are hurting the most, Pastor Mark has taken Christianity into cultural corners rarely explored by Evangelicals. He has been grilled by Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters on The View, gone head to head with Piers Morgan on CNN, debated the existence of evil with Deepak Chopra on ABC's Nightline, bantered with the gang on Fox and Friends, and explained biblical sexuality on Loveline with Dr. Drew.
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We are entering a period, a season, that is of tremendous prophetic importance to the entire body of Messiah. Yet, many within the body of believers have little or no expectations that something significant is set to take place. This is largely because many followers of Yeshua (Jesus) have been blinded to this profound moment on G-D's timeline due to traditions established and handed down by those who came before us. The result of this blindness is that believers often miss out on the blessings and promises of G-D in their lives.
Those who believe in the writings of the New Testament are very familiar with what took place in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit of G-D was poured out on upon those in the upper room and the revival that followed that outpouring resulted in first 3000 and then 5000 people coming to faith in Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel. Yet, those same people that know the importance of the day of Pentecost regularly do little more than mention the date in passing as a part of their weekly announcements. After all, they might say, "It was the experience and not the date that was important and we celebrate the experience of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit of G-D every week, right?"
But, what if it was both the experience and the date? What if there is a prophetic connection that was established when G-D created the world and as Genesis 1:14 says, He established the lights in the heavens to establish the appointed times? What if it is G-D's plan for believers to still spend the weeks between Passover and Pentecost counting the days and preparing for G-D to meet with us in a unique and supernatural way as He did on Mount Sinai and as He did in Jerusalem at the Temple? What would happen if we all took seriously G-D's instructions to pay attention to these times and seasons and prepared our hearts with expectancy?
I know that the above paragraph contains a lot of "what ifs," and some who are reading this may not see any of this as important, yet I hope and pray that by the end of the article, the importance will come into focus.
The reason that I bring up these "what ifs" is that this year is unique in that the calendars of Judaism and Christianity all are aligned. The Pharisaic calendar, the Sadducean Calendar and the Greco-Roman Calendar are all lined up so all three groups will be celebrating Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost) on the same days. This year the three divergent groups, which normally are in disagreement about when to celebrate and are observing these feasts of the L-RD on different days (sometimes as much as a month apart), are all going to be worshipping and celebrating on the same day.
With this in mind, and knowing that for the first time in many years everyone will be unified in celebration gathering together on May 20, 2018, I wonder what would happen if we all took seriously the concept of counting the days of preparation this year. What if we joined together as Messianic Jews and Christians in focused prayer for revival each day between Passover and Pentecost? What if we gathered together on Shavuot in unity with expectancy in our hearts, convinced that G-D in His infinite wisdom and planning knew that this year at this time we would all be in unity? What if we did this while knowing that the Scriptures teach us that when we are in unity, walls shake and chains break? I look forward to hearing the testimonies of miracles from those who will choose to step out of their comfort zones and traditions and joined together on this appointed time.
Eric Tokajer is author of With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer and Jesus is to Christianity as Pasta is to Italians.
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Morris E. Ruddick: Morris Ruddick is the founder of Global Initiatives Foundation. As an entrepreneur, consultant and business owner, he has led development of entrepreneurial activities in critical needy areas and brought together combined business-chartity initiatives across the globe, with a focus on facilitating economic community development in challenging economic environments.
Since 1995, he has been at the forefront of encouraging and mobilizing spiritually-minded business leaders to step out in faith by employing their talents to build their communities. In recent years, Mr. Ruddick’s agendas have included hands-on activities in Russia, Belarus, Ethiopia, Botswana, Afghanistan, South Africa, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Israel. His initiatives have included biblical business startup programs, entrepreneurial workshops and conference talks to acquaint the West with the realities and strategies to bring change to the parts of the world living on less than $2 a day. He also has helped organize and launch an international consortium of humanitarian aid that assists Israeli immigrants.
He is the author of The Joseph-Daniel Calling and God’s Economy, Israel and the Nations, as well as numerous articles on marketplace agendas,
entrepreneurship and spiritual gifts, and the dynamics of markets undergoing change. Mr. Ruddick has been a board member of several international charitable and humanitarian organizations. He served as Corporate Secretary of the segment of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce that produced the popular Chinese television series ” You Can Start a Business .” Mr. Ruddick has been a keynote speaker and workshop leader for numerous national and international leadership summits, CEO forums and marketplace conferences; and is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Ministry Marketing and Management.
Over the years, he has served executive-suite management with his planning and strategy development talents in a diversity of progressive mid-sized operations, charitable organizations, and a diversity of well-known multi-national companies. He was at the helm of designing and implementing two successful corporate turnarounds, one being for a $1.4 billion firm. His specialty for both the business and charity spheres is in evaluating the dynamics impacting changing and emerging markets.
Servers will take on tasks wholehearted and stick to it until it is done, even if it means personal sacrifice. They tend be aware of others’ preferences and remember details well. They prefer projects where they can see immediate results. Reassurance and recognition are important motivators for servers. They are doers, self-starters, dependable and can work alone very well. Martha in the Gospels was a server.
Prophetic gifted believers operate with a balance between hearing from God and a sense of righteousness. They embrace biblical truths and proactively seek to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying. When they KNOW they have heard from God, they will act; and need to discern between first stages of hearing and the “full counsel” needed to act upon. When this gift is mature, there will be a confidence that knows when to speak the Word of the Lord versus when to pray. Words given by prophetic people carry authority and result.
Givers are ones who sense God’s heart where needs are concerned. Combined with their other gifts, Givers break the mold of the status quo. They tend toward being creative or leaders and sometimes both; which ties into their response to fixing situations that are due to the lack of resource. Givers can be very effective entrepreneurs. In many instances, they will take great joy in giving without the need for credit. Yet in others, simple appreciation is important to them.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS QUESTIONNAIRE
The spiritual gifts questionnaire is a part of the Global Equipper workshops and requires password entry.
Read through each question and on a scale of 1 through 5 (with 5 being Usually, 3 Sometimes and 1 Seldom), mark the answer which is most appropriate for you. Don’t think too deeply into the statements. Simply move smoothly through all the questions. Be as realistic as you can, answering not as you would like to be, but as you are.
There are eleven boxes of questions. Most people take about 12 minutes to answer all the questions.
Now it's time for the good news. God desires to direct His people in a clear pathway. This marvelous promise is given to us in Nehemiah 9:12: "By day You led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to light the way for them to go."
There is more good news. If our lives are thoroughly yielded to Christ the King—in a sanctified spirit, soul and body—we can expect ever-increasing light (see Isa. 60:2).
The way to access this divine light and then maintain His great peace is to prayerfully study the Holy Bible. Consider this promise in Psalm 119:165: "Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing shall cause them to stumble."
In these days of deep deception, we must have true discernment to distinguish good from evil and evil from good. This discernment is given to us freely and generously by God's Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Psalm 119:104-105 says, "Through Your precepts I receive understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
This truth is amplified again in Psalm 119:130: "The giving of Your words gives light; it grants understanding to the simple."
Open your heart to let God's light permeate the darkest regions of your mind, will, and emotions—to sanctify them and wash them by His Word and Spirit, bringing your entire spirit, soul, and body into alignment with Christ Himself (see Eph. 1:17-18). His will is to be your will. His emotions should be your emotions. His thoughts should be your thoughts. Only as our souls are sanctified—through repentance—and thus come into agreement with the Word of God will we discover the direction we seek.
God is preparing overcomers—confident, bold, brave and mature children of God who fully manifest His love and will on the earth. Let your thirsty soul drink deep from these powerful prophetic promises that are revealed in Psalm 18:28-36: "For You will cause my lamp to shine; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap a wall. As for God, His way has integrity; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all those who take refuge in Him. For who is God except the Lord? Or who is a rock besides our God? It is God who clothes me with strength, and gives my way integrity. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and causes me to stand on my high places. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great. You have lengthened my stride under me, so that my feet did not slip."
Stand Strong on a Firm Foundation in a Shaky World
Give close attention to the last phrase of Psalm 18:36: "You have lengthened my stride under me, so that my feet did not slip." This promise is to those who are walking in God's light, those who are covered by God's powerful shield of protection. God promises to give us a firm foundation in shaky times, and He also promises to make our feet like those of a mountain deer, able to not only stand on this firm foundation, but scale the highest heights of the Spirit—above the chaos of this world. Christ warns us that if we build our lives on shifting sands, instead of the solid rock of God's Word, we can expect devastation (see Matt.7:24-29).
The Spirit of God has set before us guidelines for releasing divine wisdom to us in order to help us navigate safely during these dark, dangerous days. What is the pathway to true divine wisdom? It's not a process or a pattern or a methodology—but a person, Christ Jesus (see John 8:12). The light and wisdom we seek are not to be found in human programs or our own psyche and good intentions, but rather in the person of Christ Jesus. Consider Psalm 36:9: "For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light." Meditate on Psalm 18:28-31 as shared above.
Ask for God's Grace and Guidance
The first step out of darkness and despair is simply asking for God's grace and guidance. Sincerely seek His direction and His will above your own. We must desire to walk in God's light (see 1 John 1:5). Asking is key; we have not because we ask not. If we ask, we shall receive. As we seek, we shall find; it is as sure as the sun rising in the morning (see Luke 11:9). God is faithful to His Word. He is generous beyond what anyone can imagine, and our generous, loving, and kindhearted Father longs to release superb wisdom to each of His children.
You are not the exception. Believe what the Scripture says in James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him."
The Spirit of God said to me, "I have good news for you to share with God's people!" I was so encouraged by His words. God then declared: "I am preparing to answer Paul's prayer recorded in Colossians."
I also encourage you to study this outstanding prayer in Colossians 1:6-12:
Which has come to you, as it has in all the world, and brings forth fruit, as it has also in you, since the day you heard it and knew the grace of God in truth. And you also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ for you, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing to all, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, enduring everything with perseverance and patience joyfully, giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to be partakers in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Join Paul in his prayer, asking to be invigorated and strengthened with all power so that you may bear fruit in every good work and steadily grow and increase in fuller, deeper and clearer insights into the ways and works of God!
Stand Strong
It is imperative that we all take a strong stand. We must make up our minds to not continue to stumble about in the confusion that seems to gridlock this culture. Rather, we must walk with God-given goals and aims and His divine purpose. We're not to be vague, thoughtless and distracted during these days. We can and must discover great guidance and guidelines for living day by day, possessing the wisdom that God is offering to us.
Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-17, offers the church a most severe warning: "See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise men, making the most of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
God's promises of continual guidance and provision are sure. In Nehemiah 9:20, He says, "You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst." God will direct you as you yield and follow. Don't attempt to lean on your own human understanding. This is simply not good enough. Determine in your heart to cast off every weight and pull down every high thing, every thought and imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (see 2 Cor. 10:5), and choose to fully follow the ways of God.
In Psalm 32:8, the Lord again makes this promise of guidance: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you." The Holy Spirit, the revealer of genuine truth, the upright guide, will give clear direction as we seek Him and wait upon His guidance.
Consider John 16:13: "But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own authority. But He will speak whatever He hears, and He will tell you things that are to come."
The last phrase is extremely significant for today: "... and He will tell you things that are to come." The entire world seems to be seeking this revelation, asking, "What does the future hold?" As followers of Christ the King, we have the answers! However, we must hear the warning from Jesus in Luke 21:34: "Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts become burdened by excessiveness and drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that Day comes on you unexpectedly."
We must position ourselves in the place of purity and humility so that the Lord may entrust us with this impartation of divine wisdom—the wisdom from above. Ask God to release a greater wisdom, as we are instructed to do in James 1:5. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to awaken your heart and life to respond to these critical times. It is truly the time to awaken to the reality of the kingdom. It is time to heed this warning of Romans 13:11-14. The night is far gone and the day is almost here!
"Furthermore, knowing the time, now is the moment to awake from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us take off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in immorality and wickedness, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts" (Rom. 13:11-14).
We must clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and make absolutely no provision for the flesh. Let us sanctify our hearts this day before the Lord and look up, for our redemption draws nigh.
Bobby Conner: This "Gentle Giant" is uniquely anointed with refreshing humor and razor-sharp prophetic accuracy, which has been documented around the world. Bobby's dynamic capacity to release outstanding demonstrations of the miraculous—healings, signs and wonders—reveals the very heart of the Father toward us. Surviving a dramatic abortion attempt by his mother, being rescued again by the hand of God from drug dealing and suicide, the story of Bobby Conner is a display of a man who now walks in his God-ordained destiny to set others free! Highly esteemed as an internationally acclaimed conference speaker, Bobby has ministered effectively to over 45 foreign countries as well as here in the States for many years.
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Doctors help an injured resident at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) field hospital following Saturday's earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 29, 2015. (Reuters/Danish Siddiqui)
3 Prophetic Ways Israel Is Fulfilling Genesis 12:3 Right Now
It has been reported that some 500,000 Syrians have been killed in the six-year-old civil war. This has created a refugee problem numbering more than 10,000,000. Yet, it is the country on Syria's southern border—her mortal enemy, Israel—that has done more for the refugees and for those wounded in attacks, than Arab countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Israel Agrees to Take 100 Syrian Orphans
According to an Amnesty International report, these countries have not taken in even one Syrian refugee. And yet, Israel is preparing to receive 100 Syrian refugee orphans. (Note: some of the nations listed dispute the Amnesty report.)
It does seem quite strange that you would take in refugees from a country that would love to see you eliminated from the face of the earth. In fact, the Los Angeles Times published an article back in 2015 entitled: "One country that won't be taking Syrian refugees: Israel."
Think again. A plan proposed by Israel's interior minister would have 100 Syrian orphans come to Israel. For three months, they would stay in dorms and then be placed with Israeli Arab families. Yes, Israel has 1.5 million Israeli Arab citizens. These are not Palestinians but Israeli, with all the freedoms that Israeli Jews enjoy.
Israel's Secret Field Hospital
Imagine this scenario. A wounded Israeli needs medical attention. He doesn't have time to get to an Israeli hospital, but there is a hospital just over the Syrian border. So, he pleads with the Syrians to let him in. Would they let him in? How would they treat him? Would they charge him for treatment?
Of course, this is a nonsensical postulation. It would never happen, but if it did, more than likely the Israeli would either be turned away, kidnapped or killed. And then, there is that adage, "Love your enemy."
Up in the Golan Heights, Israel established a field hospital to treat Syrians. As of last August, Israel had treated over 2,500 wounded Syrians at both this field hospital and in other Israeli hospitals, saving many of their lives.
In one case, the Israeli Defense Forces went into Syria, just over the border, to evacuate eight wounded Syrians. Under heavy fire, Israeli soldiers (our sons and daughters) risked their lives to save members of an enemy state. This is unheard of. But it doesn't surprise me. Despite the image that the media spreads of an imperialist, apartheid state—this is the real Israel.
The field hospital has been closed, but Israel's heart has not. The military decided that it would instead do emergency treatments in military ambulances while they are on their way to a hospital in the Galilee. The IDF Northern Command said that the closing of the field hospital was done to increase efficiency and that the field hospital can be re-opened at any time.
Of course, the Syrians, who have been taught since youth that Israel is a bloodthirsty, evil nation, were shocked to see the compassion. One surgeon said:
"They say that before the previous week, before they came, they thought we were the Great Satan, the enemies, and looked for the tails between our legs."
In the same article, a rebel fighter remarked.
Bashar [Assad] didn't take care of us. Here, in Israel, we are being taken care of. Bashar doesn't care about us, whereas Israel does. Bashar fires shells at us, he doesn't care about us at all.
Another expressed his shock:
They taught us about the Zionist enemy, the Zionist oppressor. But when we saw the Zionists, [we realized] they were nothing like what we'd been told. They're human beings just like us, human, and even more than that.
The Times of Israel wrote an excellent piece on the Israeli field hospital.
100 Tons of Secret Love from Jews
An Israeli group has collected 100 tons of supplies for Syrian refugees. Winter coats, boots, warm clothing and more will be donated for those Syrians fleeing civil war. But there is one catch. All clothing tags with Hebrew or any other reference to Israel had to be removed. In addition, the goods will be delivered via a third party so the recipient will never know that it was their mortal enemy, Israel, that is helping them in their most difficult moment.
"I thought people would be reluctant to support an effort they would not get credit for," Gilad Perry, Dror Israel's international collaborations director, said in a statement. "I was amazed to see how wrong I was. The generosity of people just caring for those who suffer from the cold winter on the other side of the border, in an 'enemy country,' overwhelmed me."
Whenever Israel does something like this, there are those who scoff, saying, "You are just doing this for the PR." And yet, here there is no PR. I want those Syrian refugees who have been breastfed lies about the character of Israelis since birth to know the truth about us. But even as they are wearing Israeli jackets and Israeli boots, they will still assume we hate them.
'In You, All Families of the Earth Will Be Blessed'
God said to Abraham that His seed would be a blessing to the world (Gen. 12:3). This has come true—even towards our enemies. While the donors were happy to give anonymously, I want the world to see what a great country we live in. So I don't apologize for asking you to be sure to share this information with your friends.
Ron Cantor is the director of Messiah's Mandate International in Israel, a Messianic ministry dedicated to taking the message of Jesus from Israel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Cantor also travels internationally teaching on the Jewish roots of the New Testament. He serves on the pastoral team of Tiferet Yeshua, a Hebrew-speaking congregation in Tel Aviv. Follow him at @RonSCantor on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on messiahsmandate.org.
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Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Prophecy Coming to Pass Right Now
It seems like it was only yesterday, though in many ways feels like it has been forever, since the landscape of Orlando (and America) was changed by an unspeakable act of one individual inspired by a culture of hate, filled with malice and focused on terror. Our city was shaken. Our community was devastated. Our world altered.
Now, as I watch my city slowly begin the long road of recovery from the deep wounds inflicted through hatred and terrorism, I have a significantly greater empathy towards the people of Istanbul, who now find themselves in the tragic spotlight of terrorism's sting. I imagine that, going forward, each time a terrorist strikes I will feel a connection to those in terror's wake. The perspective on these horrific terrorist attacks is forever changed when it strikes in your community. So today, as I continue to pray for Orlando, I also intercede for Istanbul, asking God to bring peace to their chaos and comfort to their unimaginable pain.
I am compelled by the realization that we must resolve to passionately pray for our cities. We must purposefully strive to restore hope in our neighborhoods. We must remove terrorism from our nations. We must resurrect faith in our world. The big question is, how?
Often in times of crisis, we turn to God's directive to Solomon at the dedication of the temple: "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves ..." Those of us with a few miles on the Christian journey can quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 in its entirety. We declare this verse as a reminder of the power of prayer. While there is no mistaking the impact of prayer, I am convinced that the key to this promise from God lies in truly embracing the beginning of the verse that is all too often summarily passed over.
There are no shortages of prayer vigils in times of crisis. People who typically are substantially disconnected from interaction with God use phrases like, "our thoughts and prayers are with those affected." Prayer, or at least the thought of prayer, is a relatively minimal investment response to the urgent issues before us. Yet, we are reminded, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray ... "
Genesis 30 introduces us to Joseph, a child with a great heritage and a significant destiny. This destiny is discovered a few chapters later, along with the difficulty.
Joseph has a remarkable future, one that is placed in jeopardy due to his issue with pride. The gift of an ornamented robe from his father became the source of angst to his brothers. A dream God gives to Joseph in secret is thoughtlessly shared in public. These actions that, on the surface, can be dismissed as innocent missteps reveal a character issue that, if left unaddressed, will lead to Joseph's failure to see his destiny fulfilled. The potential far-reaching impact of his failed destiny would affect not just Joseph, but an entire nation.
Joseph's journey to humility and eventual role in saving his people from the ravages of famine serve as a profound picture of the importance of genuine humility, and a caution to recognize how easily we can redefine God's presence in our life as an accomplishment on our part rather than the gracious gift that He faithfully gives. We are reminded of this truth in Paul's letter to the Philippians, "Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant."
President Lincoln stated it well when, in 1863, he designated April 30 as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer:
"It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, who owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by a history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. The awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has grown, but we have forgotten God."
May God grant us the wisdom and determination to embrace, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves...!"
Ed Garvinwas born in the Midwest, the 12th of 13 children. He grew up in southwest Florida and considers himself a Floridian at heart. Pastor Ed began his ministry journey as a successful youth pastor and executive pastor. He has since served as lead pastor for churches in Florida, Illinois and Wisconsin. He has also served as Public Relations Director for North Central University. Pastor Ed has been married to his best friend, Jodi for over 30 years and is blessed with two amazing children, Lauren and Drew. Ed is an active reader, avid runner and average golfer!
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