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.
What a joy and undeserved honor it is to celebrate Easter in the Holy Land, where Jesus of Nazareth traveled and taught and healed and loved His neighbors and His enemies.
Unfortunately, too few Jews and Arabs in this region get as excited about Easter as I do. Amongst six million Israeli Jews, about two million Israeli Arabs, and another four million-plus Palestinian Arabs, only about 30,000 are born again believers that Jesus is the Messiah who died on the cross and rose again from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures. The good news is wonderful news -- but not enough people in this part of the world know it or believe it.
Then again, my family and I weren't always excited about Easter. There was a time when we hadn't heard the Gospel. And even when we did hear about God's free gift of forgiveness and hope and eternal life, we didn't all immediately believe it. My parents and I understand what it's like to be lost, and to feel lost, and to genuinely have no idea that God loves us and wants to adopt us into His royal family.
Today, I'd like to share with you our spiritual journey. In this hour-long audio message (divided up in 5 to 10 minute segments on YouTube), I explain the process my parents went through to come to faith in Jesus Christ, how I later came to faith in Christ myself, and later how I experienced a powerful spiritual revival in my junior year of high school that completely transformed my life. I hope it will encourage you in your own spiritual journey, and that it will be something you can share with family and friends to help and encourage them, as well. Thanks and God bless you.
Brits More Likely to Believe in Ghosts Than Their Creator
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British people are more likely to believe in ghosts then a creator, and self-identified Christians are more likely to believe in aliens than then devil, according to a new survey.
"There is a tendency to believe in the friendlier parts of faith than those which are difficult to contemplate. People who say they are Christian are more likely to definitely believe in heaven (44%) than hell (27%), and more likely to definitely believe in angels (35%) than the devil (24%)," according to the YouGov study. "British people as a whole are most likely to believe in fate (36%) and alien life (30%), while in net terms belief in ghosts (-9) and karma (-11) is more prevelant than belief in a Creator (-21) or heaven (-21)."
Approximately 45 percent of Brits definitely do not believe in a Creator while 20-25 percent definitely do believe in a creator.
Meanwhile, about 35-40 percent definitely do not believe in ghosts while 25-30 percent definitely do believe in ghosts.
According to The Conversation, Christianity has declined in England throughout the last several decades. Only 1 out of 5 people born since 1975 believes in God.
"Belief in a 'higher power' has indeed gone up, but this vague spirituality comes at the expense of more religious theism. Nearly half of younger adults in Britain qualify as atheists or agnostics, even if they would not use those terms themselves," The Conversation reports.
In America, 18 percent believe they have seen a ghost, according to a Pew Research study.
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Christians Must Unite Now Against Gay Bullies and Their Allies
The mayor of San Francisco has banned all publicly funded city employees from traveling to North Carolina.
The NFL is threatening to block Atlanta, Georgia, from hosting a future Super Bowl.
The NBA is threatening to relocate next year's All Star game from Charlotte, North Carolina, to another city.
Corporate giants like American Airlines and Hollywood giants like Disney are threatening action against Georgia and North Carolina.
Why?
It is because North Carolina has passed a bill requiring people to use the public bathroom or locker room that corresponds to their birth certificate gender and because Georgia has enacted legislation (yet to be signed by the governor) that would protect pastors from having to perform same-sex "marriages."
It is time for Christians and all people of conscience to say: "Enough is enough with your bullying. We are not going to bow down to your threats. We will do what is right, regardless of cost or consequence, and in the end, we will be vindicated for taking a stand."
As for Ed Lee, the mayor of San Francisco, he's acting more like a dictator than a mayor. Who gave him the right to tell city-funded employees where they could travel in their own country, once known as "the land of the free"?
Unfortunately, the pattern is all too familiar.
A state like Indiana passes a Religious Freedoms Act that mirrors national law, as a result of which gay bullies and their allies threaten to pull their businesses from the state—from Wal-Mart to Apple to Craig's List to the NCAA—and within days, the governor and the legislation cave, passing a new law that makes things worse than ever. (This happened in March, 2015; the Indianan legislators and governor have since pushed back to some degree.)
We cannot let this happen in our states (I have lived in North Carolina since 2003), and as believers nationwide, we must stand together and reject these pressure tactics and call them out for what they are: unethical, strong-armed bullying.
Never bow down to bullies!
Earlier this year, I helped draft an eight-page letter to the mayor and City Council of Charlotte, detailing the negative effects that their new "anti-LGBT discrimination" bill could have. (Ironically, a gay man who was instrumental in helping to push this bill through was a convicted, child sex-offender who has since resigned as president of Charlotte's LGBT Chamber of Commerce because of his past record.)
Among the negative effects of this bill outlined in my letter were:
The door would be opened wide to heterosexual predators who would use transgender bathroom rights to spy on girls and women (for chilling video evidence of what these heterosexual predators have done, see here).
The proposed changes could lead to widespread discrimination against Christians and other people of faith who, in good conscience, could not participate in same-sex "weddings" (such as photographers, bakers, florists and others). The law would now be decidedly against them.
I also noted that, "National studies indicate that states which do not have non-discrimination laws including 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' are suffering no ill effects economically," dispelling the myth that only "progressive" (that is, "pro-LGBT") cities are prospering. The evidence is clearly against this.
This is yet another reason to stand up to the bullies: Good business practices and hard work lead to prosperity, not being politically correct. (For the truth about the North Carolina bill, which the secular media is largely failing to report, see here, and note that in North Carolina, some of the companies protesting the loudest already have policies to protect LGBT "rights" and those policies are completely unaffected by the new law.)
In Georgia, the main focus was preserving religious freedoms, such as protecting pastors from having to perform same-sex "wedding" ceremonies. (Religious freedoms were certainly an issue in North Carolina, but the central focus here was on the bathroom bill.)
Yet as Ryan Anderson pointed out, the bill passed by the Georgia legislature was quite narrow in its protections, contained language that could be used against people of faith and was a significantly gutted version of a far from perfect original bill.
In other words, the current bill awaiting the governor's signature is quite tame, simply providing the barest of protections of our religious liberties, and it is still creating anuproar of protest, as "More than 30 of Hollywood's heaviest hitters sent a threatening letter to Gov. Nathan Deal, telling him in no uncertain terms that if he passes the religious-freedom bill the legislature handed him for consideration, they'll never work in Georgia again."
As I have warned for years (and repeated almost ad infinitum), the activists who came out of the closet want to put you and me in the closet, and they will not rest until that door is safely shut. It is time for us to say: That will never happen, and we will go to jail rather than compromise our convictions. Your bullying will backfire in the end.
When it comes to transgender issues, we are dealing with an unquantifiable, untestable condition which relies entirely on self-perception (and can switch by the day or the hour), as noted by Margaret A. Hagen, professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. Yet the mayor of Seattle recently used an executive order to allow biological males to use women's bathrooms.
In the days to come, I plan to lay out some specific calls to action, including a strategy for Christian athletes in the NFL and NBA. But for now, it's time for us to get on our knees before God so we can stand tall before man, resolving in our hearts that, whatever it takes (in godly, not fleshly terms), we will do what is right. (For an excellent, strategic handbook, see here.)
For the moment, I encourage you to take a moment to send a note of appreciation toGov. Pat McCrory in North Carolina for not caving in (He will be under heavy pressure in the days ahead.) and a note strongly encouraging Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to sign House Bill 757 into law. Will you stop and do that right now?
Billy Graham once said, "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened."
Let courage spread from you to others—in your home, your school, your place of business, your congregation—beginning today.
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To a Muslim terrorist, unbelievers are unbelievers, be they children, women or men, and killing them is doing Allah's work.
That's why Muslim terrorists could carry out their horrific acts in Brussels last week, indiscriminately murdering and maiming people who, in all likelihood, never lifted a finger against a Muslim in their entire lives.
It didn't matter. To the radical Muslim, they are guilty and they deserve to die.
Watch the video to see Dr. Michael Brown explain more.
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Franklin Graham: Media Intentionally Misleading About North Carolina
Friday, the Rev. Franklin Graham was among the first to congratulate North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory to signing into law a bill that reversed the City of Charlotte's transgender bathroom ordinance.
Now, he's coming to the Tar Heel State's defense against what he claims is "media distortion" over what the state law does and doesn't do.
"They did the right thing in killing that bill," the evangelist wrote on Facebook Friday evening. "Charlotte's mayor and City Council voted to allow people to use a restroom or locker room that did not match their biological identity. We all know that's ridiculous—and dangerous. I'm glad North Carolina has a governor who will stand up for what is right and protect our children.
"Now he's facing harsh criticism by LGBT orchestrated voices. He's facing threats of backlash by big business, and of course his political opponents want to use this to their advantage. We can't bow down to economic threats that risk the protection of our citizens and go against common sense and morality. Government should not mandate men being able to use a women's public restroom based on their felt 'gender identity' of the day.
"LGBT activists are letting their voices be heard. We need to let the voice of common sense be heard as well. Write your newspapers editor and post on your social media about your support of what Governor McCrory and lawmakers in Raleigh have done–don't be silent.
"Pray for our local, state, and national officials that they will have the back-bone to make the tough decisions that are needed–and stand by them. And let Governor McCrory know in the comments below how much you appreciate his strong and courageous stand on this issue."
On Saturday, in response to news reports that San Francisco, Calif., Mayor Ed Lee was prohibiting city employees from traveling to North Carolina as a result of the legislation, Graham once again came to the state's defense. Linking to a press release from McCrory's office, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association wrote:
"San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee says he is banning all city employees from job-related travel to North Carolina in protest of the action NC Gov. Pat McCrory and the General Assembly just took to preserve basic privacy and protect its citizens from perverts and sexual predators. Can you believe it?
"I think Mayor Lee needs to focus on the problems of San Francisco—which are many—and leave NC to our governor to manage. He and others who are threatening NC with all kinds of boycotts really need to get their facts straight rather than believing the misinformation promoted by the Progressive Left.
"The measure just passed doesn't allow discrimination at all. Check out the real facts in this link for a dose of reality. These issues are facing many states, and we need to stand up for what is right.
"I'm so thankful NC has a governor and a majority of legislators at the capitol who have some backbone and aren't being pushed around by the dangerous whims of LGBT activists. I hope every pastor in every church across this country will pray for Gov. McCrory and these issues in their services tomorrow—and that they will stand against the onslaught on morality and God's truth in our nation."
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Rich Vera found himself in the spirit, supernaturally in the White House for 8 hours observing what is going on behind the scenes. Then God showed him a prophetic countdown for many nations of the world. Starting in 2016.
Click here to order your copy of The Final Countdown by Rich Vera: http://bit.ly/1TvAlNH
Can Belgium protect its Jews? A community has its doubts - Jerusalem Post March 26, 2016
Many feel that their government is less competent in defending civilians, Jews and otherwise, than its neighbors, including France.
Amid reports of repeated security failures, many Belgian Jews feel their government is leaving them vulnerable.. (photo credit:JTA)
ANTWERP– The hundreds of rifle-toting police and soldiers who patrol Isaac Michaeli’s neighborhood have done little to improve his sense of safety.
“When the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, the soldiers might as well be cardboard cutouts,” he said.
A jeweler in his 40s, Michaeli lives with his family in Antwerp’s Jewish quarter, a small neighborhood of 12,000 that is one of the largest haredi communities in Europe.
The troops have been assigned to protect the neighborhood, with its 98 Jewish institutions, since May 2014, after four people were killed in a terrorist shooting at Brussels’ Jewish Museum of Belgium. Since then, their presence has been beefed up at periods of elevated risk — including after Tuesday’s string of terrorist attacks that left at least 31 dead and 300 wounded in Brussels.
Belgian Jewish leaders have praised the patrols and the government allocation of $4.5 million for the community’s protection. But amid reports of repeated failures in Belgian authorities’ counter-terrorist efforts, Michaeli’s dismissive attitude is shared by other Belgian Jews. Many feel that their government is less competent in defending civilians, Jews and otherwise, than its neighbors, including France.
On Thursday, Menachem Hadad, a Brussels rabbi, told Israel’s Army Radio, “Belgian authorities have no understanding of security issues — zero.” He said soldiers posted outside a synagogue and the city’s Chabad House told him that for months, they used to guard the area with no bullets in their rifles. “It was just a show. It’s not normal,” he said.
Responding to Hadad’s claim, a Belgian Defense Ministry spokesperson wrote in an email to JTA that the soldiers posted in Brussels “are adequately armed and trained,” adding the ministry is nonetheless looking into the claims about the synagogue and Chabad House.
In Antwerp this week, hundreds of soldiers and police patrolled the Jewish quarter, where children wore costumes for Purim. One of a handful of European cities where the Jewish holiday is celebrated on the street, Antwerp’s Purim event this year paled in comparison to previous ones. Revelers were prohibited from playing music, wearing masks and using toy guns to avoid alarming soldiers and offending a grieving nation.
“We celebrate but we are broken,” said Mordechai Zev Schwamenfeld, 57, a member of Antwerp’s prominent Belz Hassidic community. Holding a basket of sweets he was delivering to friends – a Purim custom — he noted that two Belz yeshiva students were lightly wounded in the Brussels attacks. “It affects everyone, we’re not in a bubble,” he said.
Following the attacks, Belgium’s interior and justice ministers offered to resign over the alleged failure to track one of the attackers, an Islamic State militant, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, expelled by Turkey last year. He blew himself up at Brussels airport on Tuesday. An accomplice suicide bomber struck a subway station less than an hour later. Authorities are hunting for more accomplices, who they fear might strike again, possibly at Jewish targets.
Turkey said it warned Brussels specifically about El Bakraoui. European Union security agencies recommended airport security measures that were not implemented, according to reports.
The attackers also struck at obvious targets when officials should have been on high alert, said critics. Just four days before the attacks, authorities in Brussels arrested Salah Abdeslam, an Islamist alleged to have participated in a series of terrorist attacks in Paris in November.
The arrest, too, led to charges of incompetence. After four months on the run, Abdeslam was found on March 18, hiding a couple thousand feet from his parents’ home. He escaped police several times, including in November, thanks to regulations prohibiting home searches between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Having confirmed his whereabouts after midnight, police found an empty apartment in the morning.
Albert Guigui, the chief rabbi of Belgium, said that despite these apparent lapses, “Belgian authorities are now doing all they can following the trauma at the museum.” The attack on the unguarded building in 2014 prompted authorities to significantly beef up security “in an unprecedented way,” Guigui said. But asked whether Belgian authorities have the desire and the ability to stop attacks, he said: “I don’t know, I’m not a security expert. I’d like to believe so.”
Guigui’s hedged response differs markedly from that of French Jewish leaders. The heads of CRIF, France’s Jewish umbrella group, have often proclaimed their “utter confidence” in authorities’ ability to combat terrorism and protect the community against jihadism.
“I wouldn’t say I have full confidence,” said Joel Rubinfeld, founder of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism and a former president of the CCOJB umbrella of French-speaking Belgian Jewish communities. But after a long period of half-measures, he said, authorities took “robust steps to secure Jewish sites in 2014. It’s a positive step for which we are grateful.”
Amid increases in anti-Semitic incidents and a worsening sense of personal safety, immigration to Israel from Belgium has increased dramatically over the past five years.
Last year, 287 Jews immigrated to Israel from Belgium, which has a Jewish population of about 40,000. It was the highest figure recorded in a decade. From 2010-2105, an average of 234 Belgian Jews made aliyah annually — a 56-percent increase over the annual average of 133 new arrivals from Belgium in 2005-2009, according to Israeli government data.
France too has a jihadist problem that is driving record numbers of Jewish immigrants to Israel, but “It is also a superpower with a strong army and a determined leadership, which Belgium seems not to have,” said Alexander Zanzer, an Antwerp Jew who runs Belgium’s Royal Society of Jewish Welfare. “I don’t have the same confidence that many French Jews have in their authorities following the attacks in their country.”
While in France, “there is leadership capable of making decisions, in Belgium the [bureaucracy] runs itself,” he said. And while this may be the sign of a functioning democracy in times of peace, he said, “in case of emergency, strong leadership is a necessity.”
Zanzer recalled how for 20 months in 2012-2013, a political standoff prevented the formation of a government in Belgium — a binational federal state of 11 million people divided between the richer Flemish, Dutch-speaking, population and the French-speaking south. Like Michaeli, Zanzer said that what most gives him a sense of security are Antwerp Jewry’s own volunteer neighborhood patrols — a service that is far more robust in Antwerp than in Brussels.
Michael Freilich, the editor in chief of the Antwerp-based Joods Actueel monthly, said the violence and the security presence in the Jewish quarter are taking a psychological toll, though he commended the work of special police patrols. After the Brussels attacks, one of Freilich’s three sons had a mild anxiety attack at his Jewish school, which is under constant military protection.
In their spacious home in the heart of the Jewish quarter, Freilich and his wife, Nechama Freilich, said they are unsure of what they should tell the 8-year-old.
“You want to reassure them that things will be alright and we tell them we’re safer here than in Brussels, but you can’t tell them it won’t happen here. It might,” Michael Freilich said.