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.
“And Rut said: ‘Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Ruth 1:16 (The Israel Bible™)
Ivanka Trump opened up on the subject of her conversion to Judaism during a CNN family interview on Tuesday, saying that GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump had been “very supportive” of her decision to convert.
In response to a question from the audience asking about Trump’s reaction to her conversion, Ivanka said, “My father was very supportive. He knows me. He knows and he trusts my judgment. When I make decisions, I make them in a well-reasoned way. I don’t rush into things.”
“I appreciate the support he gave me because, obviously, these decisions are not taken lightly, and it would have been much more hard if I had had headwinds,” she added. “He believes in me.”
She said that the strong relationship between Trump and her Jewish husband, real estate executive Jared Kushner, helped ease the process. “[My father] loves my husband; they’re incredibly close, which was obviously helpful, and he has been very supportive with me in that decision as in many others I have taken throughout the years.”
Ivanka underwent an Orthodox conversion to Judaism prior to marrying Kushner in 2009. The couple has three children. The youngest, Theodore, had his ritual Jewish circumcision ceremony, or bris, earlier in the month.
The CNN interview represented a break with Ivanka’s usual privacy. Trump’s eldest daughter has traditionally been quiet on the subject of her conversion and her Judaism, though the family openly identifies with the modern Orthodox movement and Ivanka has said they are “pretty observant.”
Husband Kusher is heavily involved in his father-in-law’s presidential campaign, acting as Trump’s advisor on Jewish matters. He helped write the well-received speech that Trump delivered at last month’s American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, in which Trump mentioned his expectant daughter, announcing, “My daughter Ivanka is about to have a beautiful Jewish baby. In fact, it could be happening right now which would be very nice as far as I’m concerned.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed great pride in his daughter, saying at a New York event last year, “I want to thank my Jewish daughter. I have a Jewish daughter. This wasn’t in the plan, but I’m very glad it happened.”
Israel, and Jewish issues, have played a significant role in the presidential race so far, with candidates on both sides of the fence emphasizing their connection (or, in the case of the single Jewish candidate, Bernie Sanders, the rift) with the Jewish state.
The Jewish issue is all the more prominent as the presidential race moves to New York, which will vote in the primaries on Tuesday, and candidates attempt to capture the state’s Jewish vote.
Pastor in Germany Pays Price to See Spiritual Revival
German Pastor Olaf Latzel (CBN)
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Germany was the birthplace of the Reformation and was once a base for world missions. But much of Germany today is covered by a profound spiritual darkness, as are most Western nations.
Those who refuse to compromise on the teaching of Scripture pay a price.
Bremen Pastor Olaf Latzel knows full well that there is a cost for speaking out boldly—especially in today's Germany, where traditional Christian teaching is viewed by many as bigoted, hateful and even "un-Christian."
Latzel has been attacked in the media, investigated by the local government, and even denounced by fellow pastors. His crime? Refusing to bend a knee to political correctness.
No Compromise
"I'm only preaching the gospel in a clear way," Latzel said. "I think it is my duty to do this preaching in this way for our Lord."
In his sermons, Latzel cuts no corners. He soft-pedals nothing. To some, he might sound mean when he attacks other religions.
But Latzel is standing against what he sees as a spirit of compromise that seems to have swallowed Germany and the German state church.
In the process, he has angered the German establishment and even a lot of German pastors.
Latzel said the chief battle in the German church today now is over who God is.
According to Latzel, some Christian pastors have said, "Allah and Jesus Christ, the Christian God, are the same god."
"But if you ask a Muslim, 'Does your god have a son?' he would say no!" he continued. "Our (Christian) God has a Son; His name is Jesus Christ. So they are not the same."
"If you speak out loud and clearly about the truth of the Bible, that there's only one way to heaven and this way is Jesus Christ, there is only one God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and there is no other god beside Him, then you have a problem," he said.
Seventy German pastors gathered in Bremen last year to denounce Latzel behind a banner celebrating "diversity."
The public prosecutor investigated him for hate speech and then cleared him, and the Bremen parliament passed a resolution against him.
It was reportedly the first time a German pastor has been condemned by a German parliament since World War II.
But far from backing down, Latzel said the real problem is that, in his estimation, most pastors in Germany's state church have not been born again.
"I think over 80 percent of the pastors in the national church in Germany are not reborn," he said. "And that's a great problem, and because of this, they make their own doctrine. The Bible is the Word of God; it's our law, chapter by chapter, book by book, sentence by sentence, letter by letter."
Latzel pastors at the historic St. Martini (St. Martin's) Church in Bremen, where around 1679 the church's pastor, Joachim Neander, wrote the great hymn, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty."
Latzel enjoys saying that Pastor Neander also got in trouble for preaching the gospel boldly.
Some pastors would have been rattled by so many attacks against them. But Latzel, who comes from a family with a long military tradition, said he is in a "war" between Christ and the devil, and the attacks reassure him.
"This is one sign that you are on the right way in your preaching, when you get problems," Latzel said. "If you preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and everyone is clapping his hand, then you have a problem."
"Because if you're telling the truth from the Bible, then the devil will come and he will fight against you in several ways; he will fight against the Word of God," he said.
A Tool in God's Hand
In fact, Latzel admits his concern is not becoming discouraged but getting a big head.
"I (have received) more than 10,000 emails ... so many persons came to me and said, 'You are a great pastor,'" Latzel said. "And the more persons came and told me this, something happened inside me and, 'Oh, I'm really this great pastor.'"
"And the devil comes here and says, 'Yes, yes. You are great,' and that's not good," he continued. "I am nothing. I am only a sinner. I am only a tool for Jesus Christ. And when Jesus can use this tool, give any honor to Jesus Christ. I am nothing."
The great hymn of St Martin's Church says, "Let the amen come from His people again." Latzel believes revival is coming to Germany and he asks Christians to pray for his country.
"I ask you, brothers and sisters in America, please pray for Germany. Pray for awakening," he pleaded. "Pray that the Word of Jesus Christ will go out and reach persons who are lost so that Jesus can save them."
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This passage which appears in the beginning of the Passover Seder at first glance seems a bit repetitive. In reality, it expresses a two-fold prayer: first, we pray for our physical return to the Land of Israel followed by a spiritual, emotional return to God. In our day, we have witnessed the physical return and rebirth of the Land, let us pray that the second half is soon fulfilled as more and more people come closer and recognize the One, True God of Israel. Summit Institute brings physical and emotional stability for foster children throughout Israel, providing them safe, loving homes. Get their unique eHaggadah in Hebrew and English, as a free gift!
In the words of one Rabbi, "it’s not the clock that tells us when Moshiach is here, but it is a return of the Jewish people to their God that triggers the Messianic age."
The significance of the shofar dates back to the dawn of Jewish history, and its call still echoes today in synagogues all over the world. Playing an important role in the Bible, the shofar is a key part of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur, when it is played to mark the end of fasting. Shofars are also used to announce the new moon. The prized shofars of the Bar-Sheshet and Ribak families have a long and proud pedigree, reflecting the epic history of the Jewish people traveling throughout the diaspora and finally returning home to Israel.
Every little piece of Israel I can get here in Michigan, USA blesses my heart. Shalom, ~~Dee
My name is Jacqueline Houston. I live in Anchorage, Alaska. Ever since I discovered your website, I am even more encouraged to pray for Israel. I look forward every day to what you have to say & show me. Thank you, Jacque
Broken Heart Syndrome is not just an idea. It's a real health threat. (Flickr )
We've all heard tragic stories of elderly, long married couples who, when one spouse dies, the other "heartbroken" spouse dies soon after. But it's not just a sentimental idea—in fact, it is a real cardiovascular condition, new research shows.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) revealed that the death of a partner is linked to a heightened risk of developing an irregular heartbeat (also known as atrial fibrillation) for up to a year afterward. This increases the risk of heart attack and heart failure.
Statistics showed that the bereaved partner had a 41 percent higher incidence of atrial fibrillation than those who hadn't experienced a loss and was greater when the death was unexpected.
But can you actually die from a broken heart?
"Definitely. There is a real disease called broken heart syndrome," notes North Carolina-based cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell.
"There is a heart-brain connection during acute stress such as death of a loved one that plays a role in this unusual but very tangible health threat."
About 6,230 people in the U.S. were hospitalized with broken heart syndrome in 2012, according to a recent study. Patients usually heal within a few days but complications can occur as well as fatalities, Campbell tells Newsmax Health.
The syndrome was first discovered by Japanese researchers 25 years ago. They named the condition Takotsubo's cardiomyopathy. Takotstubo is a Japanese term which means "octopus trap," a reference to the ballooning shape of the heart during an attack that resembles the trap used by fishermen.
"You can also refer to this as stress-induced cardiomyopathy," Campbell explains. "This disease actually mimics the symptoms of a real heart attack. Researchers have long established a connection between mental health, anxiety, depression, emotional stress and heart disease."
Campbell notes that when we are under extreme stress, our bodies naturally release stress hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol into the blood stream. These hormones were important for the survival of early man, initiating the "fight or flight" response by stimulating the nervous system. In response to stress hormones, our heart rate increases, our breathing increases, and blood is sent to the skeletal muscles in preparation for battle.
But in modern times, that mechanism places enormous stress on the heart that can be life threatening.
"When the body releases large amounts of stress hormones at times of extreme stress in our lives, patients with Takotsubo's experience crushing chest pain, shortness of breath and can experience changes in their heart rhythm, blood pressure and blood chemistry that are identical to those seen in the setting of a heart attack," says Campbell. "However those patients do not have the traditional blockages in the coronary arteries that are known to cause heart attacks."
But the heart does begin to pump poorly for a period of time. More women than men are affected. In fact, says Campbell, 90 percent of reported cases have been female and vast majority of these women have been post-menopausal.
Dr. Tracy Stevens, a cardiologist specializing in women's heart health and spokesperson for the American Heart Association, tells Newsmax Health that while we don't know the exact reason why women fall victim to the syndrome more often than men, it may have a hormonal component.
"Women have estrogen in their heart and blood vessels and may process adrenalin differently than men," she says. "Women handle stress differently too. When men sit down and relax, their heart rate lowers and they truly relax. When women sit down, their minds are still going on that hamster wheel and their pulse doesn't lower in the same way as men."
While victims of broken heart syndrome usually recover quickly, there can be complications.
"During the acute phase of the syndrome, the heart can be severely weakened and patients may suffer congestive heart failure requiring emergency surgery and hospitalization," says Campbell.
Dr. Steven Masley, a noted physician, author and fellow with the American Heart Association, tells Newsmax Health that broken heart syndrome is typically brought on by stressful situations, there may be other causes.
"Some medications can cause symptoms as well, such as the injection with an Epi pen or taking an excessive dosage of thyroid medication," says the Florida-based expert and president of Masley Optimum Health Center.
Campbell adds that both good and bad extreme life stressors can trigger an episode. He says that the diagnosis is made by performing an angiogram along with taking a heart ultrasound called an echocardiogram.
"In cases of broken heart syndrome, the heart arteries appear normal but the pumping chamber is often dilated and appears to be in the shape of a fishing pot used for catching octopus in Japan called the Takotstubo—hence the name."
The treatment usually involves medicine such as beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors that are given initially to help the heart pump more efficiently and promote remodeling of the heart muscle.
"Other medicine, such as diuretics, are given to help remove the excess fluid from the lungs and other parts of the body that collect due to the weakness of the heart," says Campbell. "In extreme cases where the patient develops cardiogenic shock, where the heart can't pump enough blood to the body, other interventions may necessary.
"For most, however, complete recovery is expected in days to weeks as opposed to a true heart attack, where recovery can take much longer."
New research based on a recent study conducted at New York University Langone Medical Center, is looking into preventative measures using yoga, breathing and other relaxation techniques to calm down the body's parasympathetic nervous system to avoid an episode of broken heart syndrome.
"In theory, that makes a lot of sense," says Stevens. "If we learn to deal with stress without raising our heart rates and blood pressure, we can possibly avoid broken heart syndrome."
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Blake Shelton Refuses to Leave His "Savior's Shadow"
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The Voice judge and country superstar Blake Shelton appears to have penned his latest single after his faith.
According to Taste of Country, fans have not seen this side of Shelton, who has been dating fellow musician Gwen Stefani for the last few months.
"Here the vocalist shows all of his vulnerabilities, revealing a man who is still very rooted in his faith and raising," ToC writes. "That's counter to who he appears to be on television and Twitter, but no less honest."
In the song, Shelton sings:
I'm standing in my Savior's shadow, He is watching over me I feel the rain, I hear the thunder, As he cries for me I'm standing in my Savior's shadow, Grace will lead to where I'm free I take his hand, we walk together And his light shines on me
Though the devil try to break me My sweet Jesus won't forsake me When I'm in my Savior's shadow Where I'm supposed to be.
Published on Apr 11, 2016
Blake Shelton's new song "Savior's Shadow" from his upcoming album, If I'm Honest.
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Posted: 13 Apr 2016 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
Could you imagine being kidnapped, being auctioned off like a piece of meat, and being endlessly gang-raped every day by some of the most evil men on the entire planet for months on end? This is what ISIS is doing to thousands upon thousands of women in Iraq and Syria, and some of their victims are as young as nine. The things that I am about to share with you are almost too nightmarish for words, but it is imperative that we understand what is going on. When ISIS conquers an area that is not Muslim, they believe that they can do whatever they want to the women because they are “infidels”. So innocent young women are being treated in some of the most horrible ways imaginable, and most of the rest of the world looks on with indifference. But of course what ISIS is doing is just the tip of a very big global iceberg. As you will see below, there are tens of millions of slaves in our world today, and sexual exploitation is involved in approximately 80 percent of those cases. I came across a Daily Mail article earlier today that detailed what ISIS did to a young Yazidi woman named Khalida. When she was captured, she was brought to one of those infamous “auctions” where members of ISIS buy and sell women like trading cards…
A Yazidi woman sold as a sex-slave eight times by an ISIS jihadi says she was put on parade like she was being picked out in a ‘car showroom’. Khalida, 20, was kidnapped and taken to Raqqa where she was put on display in a ‘meat market’ where women are purchased for as little as a mobile phone, or simply given away as ‘gifts’. The most beautiful women are put into a separate ‘VIP’ room where leaders can take their time choosing their favourite three or four girls each.
Khalida and her sister were purchased initially by a very sick old man with a white beard that kept them locked away in a small room. From time to time he would rape them, and then afterwards his wife would beat them for “tempting” her husband. Later she was sold to other owners, and she was gang-raped by ISIS fighters multiple times. Here is more of her story from the Daily Mail…
Raped up to three times a day her ‘slave master’ or gang-raped by groups of ISIS fighters, this quiet young woman was bought and sold by eight different men – each more brutal, callous and perverted than the last. She told MailOnline she was force-fed contraceptive pills and once taken to hospital for a contraceptive injection after she was rendered unconscious by one particularly brutal gang rape. ‘They [ISIS] did not want me get pregnant, especially if there was more than one man because they would not know who the father of the baby was,’ she said.
This is going on day after day in the Middle East, and yet it doesn’t make a lot of headlines in the western world. Perhaps we think that if we can ignore what is happening to them that we are justified in not doing anything about it. Next, let me share with you the story of Nadia Murad. She was just 19 when ISIS conquered her town, and she saw ISIS kill all of the males in her family right in front of her eyes…
Murad and her mother and sisters watched out of the window, along with hundreds of other women and children from the Yazidi village of Kocho, as ISIS slaughtered their men and boys. “We could see outside—they were shooting the men and they were beheading them as well. They were also taking them away in buses. “My six brothers were killed in this way.”
In the western world, we tend to think that such things could never happen to us. But in my new book I discuss how Christians all over the globe are eventually going to be facing this kind of persecution. If you are under the illusion that you are somehow going to be exempt from all this, then you are going to be in for one heck of a wake up call. After Nadia Murad watched ISIS butcher her family members, she was sold 13 different times, and her various “owners” were incredibly brutal…
I first met Murad in July last year, four months after she managed to escape from her captors in Mosul. She visited the UK with two other former captives and former Iraqi MP Ameena Hasan Saeed, who helped to smuggle her out of the Islamic State. Speaking anonymously, she described in blistering detail how she was abused, raped, and sold through the ranks of ISIS troops, enduring a total of eight months in captivity and 13 owners who kept her locked up, starved and disorientated. At the time, she showed me scars from cigarette butts burnt into her skin by the fighters who worked for her first owner, a commander called Salman. He had his men gang rape her after her first disastrous attempt at escaping. “I found a small window so I climbed out and jumped from the second story, but one of Salman’s guards found me and brought be back to him. I could have died jumping, and after that I wished I had.”
I don’t know how anyone can read these stories without having an emotional reaction. Just imagine if this was happening to your wife or your daughter. How would you feel? Unfortunately, even if ISIS could somehow be wiped off the face of the planet tomorrow, that would only put a very, very tiny dent in the overall problem of sex slavery in our world. The following are 11 facts about human trafficking that come from dosomething.org… 1. Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90. 2. Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes in many forms, including: forcing victims into prostitution, subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude and compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography. 3. According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. 4. There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. 5. According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children. 6. The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14-year-old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children. 7. California harbors 3 of the FBI’s 13 highest child sex trafficking areas on the nation: Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. 8. The National Human Trafficking Hotline receives more calls from Texas than any other state in the US. 15% of those calls are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 9. Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year. 10. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking). It reportedly generates a profit of $32 billion every year. Of that number, $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries. 11. The International Labour Organization estimates that women and girls represent the largest share of forced labor victims with 11.4 million trafficked victims (55%) compared to 9.5 million (45%) men. To me, those numbers are absolutely staggering. Most people tend to think of slavery as something that happened in less civilized times, but the truth is that it has been estimated that there are more slaves in our world today than ever before in human history. We live in a world that is absolutely brimming with evil. This is something that those that believe that people are “generally good” and that humanity has a “bright future” really struggle with. If humans are “generally good” and we really have advanced so dramatically over their centuries, then why are there more slaves in the world today than ever before and why do we see so much evil all around us? The answer to that question reveals a lot more about someone than you might think. If you would like to take a shot at that question, please feel free to share what you think by leaving a comment below… *About the author: Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog. Michael’s controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled “The Rapture Verdict” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.*
“Again will I build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; again shalt thou be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.” Jeremiah 31:3 (The Israel Bible™)
A group of converts to Judaism in Uganda has gained official recognition from the Jewish Agency for Israel.
In a letter to Rabbi Andrew Sacks, who serves as the head of the Conservative movement in Israel, the Jewish Agency confirmed that “as of 2009, we view the Abayudaya in Uganda as a recognized community registered with the Masorti-Olami world Conservative movement,” Haaretz reported.
Additionally, the letter also stated that the Jewish Agency recognizes the authority of Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, who serves as the spiritual head of the Ugandan Jewish community.
The recognition paves the way for Uganda’s Jewish community to become eligible for Israeli citizenship under Israel’s Law of Return. The recognition also will allow members of the community to obtain visas from Israel’s Interior Ministry in order to study at yeshivas (Jewish schools) in the Jewish state.
The Abayudaya Jewish community originally splintered off from Christianity in the early 20th century, when its members began observing Jewish laws and customs. In 2002, the 1,500-member community was formally converted to Judaism by a Conservative rabbinical court. Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, however, only accepts Orthodox conversions.
