Israeli Judean Community: A Biblical Vision in Progress

By Tzippe Barrow

CBN News Internet Producer - Jerusalem

Thursday, September 17, 2015

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MITZPEH YERICHO, Israel -- Nestled in the barren hills of the Judean Desert, residents of a 35-year-old religious community have a new vision: to build a water park complete with ponds, trees, and foliage -- an oasis in the desert.

Residents of this friendly community envision the park supplementing the town's two main tourist attractions, bike trips, and jeep tours.

CBN News recently visited the yishuv (settlement) to see firsthand the small pond built mostly by the community's teens and young adults who, with some engineering help, managed to bring the water up to the pond.

Mitzpeh Yericho is less than a half hour drive east of Jerusalem in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), in territory the whole world demands Israel "give back."

From the town, you have a panoramic view of the Jordan Valley rift, the Dead Sea and Jericho, the sprawling city built on the ruins of ancient Jericho, scene of the Israelites' first great victory after the Lord commanded them to enter the Promised Land."

Watch a short video of Mitzpeh Yericho below:

The vision began about a year ago when resident Raanan Alexander noticed water flowing from a pipe near Mekerot's facility in the valley below his home. Mekerot is Israel's national water authority.

Alexander, his wife and two children, live in a small caravan on the outskirts of Mitzpeh Yericho. They were intrigued at the sight and soon noticed the bountiful flow taking place three times a day. It didn't take long for the news to reach the rest of the community.

Water is a treasured commodity in Israel and residents from north to south have a built-in appreciation for it. The rainy season usually begins around Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) in the fall and continues through early spring.

For the next five months or so, there's no rain. It's a long, hot, dry summer. When that first rain falls, everyone's excited, the trees and animals not the least. And when enough winter rains fall in the desert, it literally blooms.

One of the water engineers who surveyed the area told residents it came from a depth of about 300 meters and there's plenty of it. But because the Health Ministry hasn't weighed in on the new water source, Mekerot is throwing away hundreds of cubic meters of good quality water every day.

Now residents have gotten word to Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Betzalel Smutrich (Jewish Home Party), who liked hearing about it and asked for more information.

Scripture Fulfilled

But what really has many residents excited is seeing scripture fulfilled before their eyes. Isaiah 35 speaks of some of God's many promises to Israel.

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

The parched ground shall become a pool and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where each lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes." (Is.35:5-7)

The young people in this community grew up in a harsh environment, a small town in the midst of the desert, on the outskirts of a predominantly Arab city.

They were raised with a love of the Bible. There's a yeshiva (Torah seminary) in the town, and Bible study is part of the regular school curriculum.

Not surprisingly, these young adults are some of Israel's most exemplary soldiers, bright, creative, and willing to defend their families, friends, and homeland.

That's why they're glad to be part of creating something special with the "newfound" water.

A lot of work lies ahead for Mitzpeh Yericho residents. It won't be easy and it will be costly. But they believe it's worth it. They have a God-given vision.

From Shortage to Surplus - Abundant Water

Wednesday, May 06, 2015 |  Barry Rosenfeld  ISRAEL TODAY

The message is to conserve water, from turning faucets on and off while washing dishes to taking a “Zionist Shower”...

The full article appears in the May 2015 issue of Israel Today Magazine.
CLICK HERE to read it all

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"A Word to Help You Interpret Your Dreams!" Doug Addison

"A Word to Help You Interpret Your Dreams!"

Doug Addison, Los Angeles, CA

The Elijah List

Dream Symbols: Water, Rivers, Oceans and Ice

Hey Dreamers! People seem to love my blogs on dreams. So, here are some of my favorite water symbols to help you interpret dreams. If you are remembering your dreams, you are on the right track. The next step is to write them down and figure out what God is saying through them.

Symbols: Symbols do change from dream to dream, and from dreamer to dreamer. But there are common themes that you can apply to your dreams about water. Here is what I have found:

• Water, oceans, beaches, rivers, ice: Water can represent aspects of spiritual life, while oceans often represent humanity. Beaches can symbolize people, because multitudes are compared to the grains of sand on a beach (see for example Genesis 22:17). But the beach can also represent a time of recreation, especially if you live near it. (Photo via Wikimedia)

• Rivers can point to moves of God and it is important to recognize the context of the water. Is it moving fast or is it barely moving, almost still?

• Ice and snow can represent things of the Spirit that are being saved for later.

• Swimming: Swimming in water can represent the spiritual aspect of life. Although swimming can be good, notice the context of the water: is it clear or dirty, fast flowing or stagnant, or shallow or deep?

Context is key: The context of how you are swimming in water will help you understand more about what is happening with your spiritual life. Let's look at context using swimming as our example.

If you are swimming in clear water, it means that your spiritual life is refreshing and life-producing. Swimming in dirty water indicates that some issues might need to be addressed or healed. If you are swimming in fast-flowing water, get ready for things to accelerate and get really exciting.

Swimming in stagnant water indicates that you may be stuck and need to start moving again. If the water is shallow, this indicates that you might be too comfortable and need a challenge. Swimming in deep water shows that you are maturing spiritually and possibly taking more risks.

Of course, remember that these are generalizations.

More Dream Symbols – here are some more symbols you might have encountered:

• Boat: organizations or personal job or ministry, depending on the type of boat
• Bridge: transition, season change
• Dam: things being held back, power
• Fish: sport, people, gift to help others, outreach-oriented
• Floods: major move of the Spirit, cleansing of old ways, warning of disaster

• Ice: move of the Spirit that will come later, slippery time
• Lighthouse: spiritual guidance, keeps you from danger
• Ocean, sea: large move of the Spirit, humanity, great influence, many people
• Oyster: situation that may produce a spiritual blessing
• Rain: blessing, refreshing time in the spirit, unclear time, move of God

• Swimming: move in the spirit, recreation, spiritual life
• Water: the spirit, spiritual life, Holy Spirit, the spiritual realm, refreshment (Photo by Jennifer Page "His Joy" via elijahshopper.com)

Next steps: I would challenge you to keep a dream journal or a pad of paper next to your bed to write down your dreams right away. When you encounter a dream with some aspect of water, ask God to help you with the interpretation and use these key symbols just to start.

You can find out more about dreams in my book Understand Your Dreams Now: Spiritual Dream Interpretation.

Keep dreaming!

Blessings,

Doug Addison
InLight Connection

Email: respond@dougaddison.com
Website: dougaddison.com

Doug Addison is a prophetic dream interpreter, speaker, writer, Life Coach, and stand-up comedian. Doug travels the world bringing a message of love, hope, and having fun! His unique style helps open people to discover their destiny and experience God's supernatural love and power. Doug is an award-winning author of seven books. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California.

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe

Israel To Give Desperately Needed Developmental Aid To... California!

Thursday, October 30, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff

California has been going through a catastrophic drought for three years now, which has cost the state's economy at least $2.2 billion and left 500,000 acres of what was once rich,productive farmland fallow.

So where did California turn to for help? Not the Obama White House, but to Israel, the world's acknowledged expert on irrigation and water use.

California's Governor Jerry Brown has just signed a strategic cooperation Agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to receive aid from Israel.

Prof. Eilon Adar, a world expert in groundwater flow systems, will work to help the state work out solutions to the issue. Prof. Adar visited San Fransisco and Silicon Valley, touring desalination plants in northern California, and participating in a state-wide conference in which a slew of possibly technological solutions were presented.

"If we managed to overcome the water issues in the Middle East, we can do it anywhere in the world," Prof. Adar said. "Nonetheless, (to address the issue) they will need to improve the management and efficiency of the water market and increase and optimize the coordination between the water companies."

He's got that right. Israel is the only country in the entire Middle East that is self sufficient in water. And they did it themselves, in a hostile environment.

"We are pushing ahead with the water issue and branding Israel as part of the solution, an ally with the know how whom can come to help in a time of need," said Andy David, Israel's consul to California.

I hope California's Democrats remember whom their friends are when it comes to voting on President Obama's anti-Israel, pro 'Palestine' agenda. An Israel pushed back to indefensible borders and under attack isn't going to be much help to the world in situations like these.

Hattip:

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Let ALL That Thirst Come...

All who seek Him 

will have their 

thirst quenched.

Puppy dog at Fourth Ward fountain - Charlotte, NC

Fountain at Wells Fargo Plaza - Charlotte, NC

 

Fountain at Wells Fargo Plaza - Charlotte, NC

Fountains at NASCAR Hall of Fame - Charlotte, NC

  


(Photos by Steve Martin in Charlotte, NC - except for the Scripture one).

Made in Israel: Agriculture

This short video is less about Mark Twain, and more about what Israel has done (and is doing) in the realm of agricultural innovations. Having seen and partaken of Israel's agricultural bounty, I can tell you unequivocally that this is all true!!  

It is interesting, however, that Mark Twain said that the "land was laying in sackcloth and ashes".   In that single statement he said something quite profound, because the land, indeed, was laying dormant -- waiting for God's people to return!  

Bill Duerfeldt

MADE IN ISRAEL - The 700 Club with Gordon Robertson

Click here to Watch:

MADE IN ISRAEL Series

Part 1: Agriculture

Gordon Robertson looks at Israel's remarkable agricultural innovation, with special focus on the role of the kibbutz in Israel's agricultural success, growing crops and orchards in desert, rocky land and swamps with hard work and ingenuity.

Resources

• Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu
• The Jewish National Fund
• Bio-Bee

Part 2: Water

Because more than half of Israel is desert, the lack of clean water is a life-or-death issue. Gordon Robertson examines several of the ways that Israel conserves water, including desalination, drip irrigation and recycling.

Resources

• Netafim Drip Irrigation
• AquaMaof Aquaculture

Part 3: Medicine

Israel's life expectancy is four years higher than that of the USA. Gordon Robertson takes a look at some of the medical breakthroughs that have come from Israel, including cancer and diabetes treatment and technology to help blind people see and crippled people walk.

Resources

• Nano Artificial Nose
• ImMucin Vaccine
• The ReWalk
• Artificial Pancreas
• Project Ray
• OrCam

Part 4: Clean & Green

Saving the environment is a popular cause today, but Israelis have been "going green" since before they were even a state. Gordon Robertson looks at a few of the creative "environment-saving" ideas that Israelis have either invented or improved upon, including reforestation, solar energy, and the battery-powered car.

Resources

• Better Place
• Cardboard Bicycle
• Arava Power

Part 5: Technology

Gordon Robertson looks at many of the things we use every day that had their start in Israel. He also focuses on why Israelis have had such great tech success, getting answers from some of Israel's top businessmen and military leaders. 

Special focus is placed on the role of the Israeli army in fostering high-tech success.

Resources

• FST 21
• Waze

Watch Now:

MADE IN ISRAEL - CBN

Freedom.

"My iris are on the world." - The Lord's creation amazes me. See?

"My iris are on...

...the world."

Photos by Steve Martin, May 1, 2013, Charlotte NC area

(Riddle Interpretations: "His eyes (iris) are on the world (ducks)." 

or - "The flowers are stacked above the ducks.")

Just a simple thought. Any others you want to suggest?

If His eyes are on the flowers, and the birds, even the sparrow, 

you can believe that His eyes are on you.

He calls out you to daily, drawing you to Himself, through His creation. 

If you do not know Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, call upon His Name today, and He will hear you. You will see Him for Who He is, the Lover of your soul.