Have You Thanked God Lately for What He Gave? - LEONARD R. DAVIDSON CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Have You Thanked God Lately for What He Gave?

6/12/2016 LEONARD R. DAVIDSON  charisma magazine

God gave the ultimate when He gave His Son on the cross. (Flickr )

"Who gives this woman to be wed to this man?" Even though I was expecting this question, hearing it asked by the minister (who is my other son-in-law, Evan) caused a bit of pause. Keep in mind that other than writing a bunch of checks, this was my only real part in the ceremony. I was being asked to give my daughter to the man standing beside Evan. Not to go on a date. Not for a week-long vacation. But forever!

This beautiful bride-to-be, standing beside me and holding my hand was mydaughter.

When she was born, I cut the umbilical cord. My wife and I stood beside her hospital bed at one year of age as she fought an unexplainable blood infection. I taught her to ride a bike. To swim. To drive a car (hence much of my gray hair). Much of the money I have made in my life somehow poured through her hands.

Megan (or "Boo" as she will forever be to me) is our daughter. Daddy's girl. My blood runs through her veins. I would, without hesitation, give my life for hers. I love her. Period. With all my heart. And I was being asked to give her away.

Jared (her fiancé) is an amazing man. He loves God, not just as talk, he walks it. He can pray. I know; I have prayed with him. Worship is a lifestyle to him. He has incredible talent as a musician and a voice that surprised me the first time I heard it. But, like my friend Charles Billingsley, he does more than sing. He worships. And he leads others to also worship.

God's divine providence brought him into Megan's life. He loves her. I mean reallyadores her. He has adopted baby Elijah and cherishes the idea of being his daddy. Their story is a miracle. Even with all of this, I still took pause in answering the question. And then, this is how I answered, "Her Heavenly Father, her mother and I." And I did it with a willing, joyous, proud heart.

However, if Jared had not been the man he is, if he hadn't loved her with his whole heart, if he was abusive or rude, if he had treated her with disdain and disregard, I promise you, the answer would have been very different. In fact, we would not have even come to this point. Because with all that is within me I would have tried to stop the relationship. Megan is my daughter and I would never give her to a man who was not worthy.

But God shows us a different kind of love. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son." Gave Him. Simply because He loves the world. Love so powerful, so intense, so pure that He gave His only Son. And here is what totally blows me away about that kind of love. God gave His Son to a world that hated Him. He gave His Son to a world that would not even acknowledge that He was His Son. He gave to a world that totally and completely rejected Him. He gave His Son to a world that He knew would mock Him, brutally beat Him (to the point that He no longer even looked like a human being), strip Him totally naked, make Him carry His own instrument of death, spit on Him, whip Him, and ultimately kill Him in the most degrading and inhumane way possible.

God, the Father, knew this. And yet He gave. At exactly the right time, when humanity was helpless, and being good enough to get to heaven was hopeless, God gave. Maybe if it was for good people, friends, people who loved Him, it could possibly be understood. But for sinners? Amazing. Amazing grace and mercy.

This week, as you journey in this walk we call Christianity, think about this kind of love. Love that gave. A gift you do not have to earn, and no payment is necessary on our part because the debt was paid in full by the very Son of God. A God who gavefreely and unconditionally. Take some time to thank your Father. Thank Him that He loved. Thank Him that He cared. Thank Him that He gave.

Prayer Power for the Week of June 12, 2016

This week as we approach Father's Day, take time to reflect and thank your Heavenly Father for His unconditional, everlasting, undeserved love. Thank Him that He loved you so much He gave His perfect Son for you. Ask the Lord to help you honor your natural and spiritual fathers by allowing Him to express His love through you. Thank Him that even if you don't have a hands-on dad, your Heavenly Father is more than enough. Pray for those who have suffered losses through flooding, high winds and tornadoes. Remember our military and continue to pray for the protection and peace of our nation and allies (John 3:16; Psalm 68:5). 

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Learn the Priestly Blessing in Hebrew! ✡ "You Shall Bless" - ISRAEL365

Speak unto Aaron and his sons saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the Children of Israel. May the Lord bless you and safeguard you.’ Numbers 6:23,24 (The Israel Bible™)   דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל בָּנָיו לֵאמֹר כֹּה תְבָרְכוּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמוֹר לָהֶם יְבָרֶכְךָ יְ-הוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ שמות ו:כג-כד da-bayr el a-ha-ron v'-el ba-nav lay-mor ko t'-var-khu et b'-nay yis-ra-ayl a-mor la-hem y'-va-re-khe-kha a-do-nai v'-yish-me-re-kha

Today's Israel Inspiration The Priestly Blessing was commanded to Aaron by God to be said in a very precise manner, “this is how you shall bless,” which according to Jewish tradition teaches that these blessings must be said in Hebrew, the holy language. Bring blessing into your home with a beautiful 'blessing for the home'  from Meir Panim.   Download a beautiful Blessing for the Home » Blessings at the Wall Thousands flock to the Western Wall for the recital of the Priestly Blessing. Get a word-by-word understanding of this inspiring Biblical blessing, recited to this day.   Watch here » Meir Panim Soup Kitchens are Like Manna from Heaven [WATCH] Watch United Kingdom Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis discuss the faithful work of Israel's Meir Panim.   Watch here » Wear the Entire Bible Around Your Neck with Amazing Technology and 20% OFF   Technology meets Jewelry in the form of Nano Bible necklaces. Discover how the entire Bible is written on something so tiny, that it fits on a beautiful necklace allowing you to keep the Holy words close to your heart at all times. Our Nano collection is now on sale. Save 20% when you buy today.   Shop Nano Necklace Sale - Save 20% - Sale ends soon »   Israel Photo Trivia Ok ok I know this is an easy one ... name this holy site where the Priestly Blessings ("Birkat HaKohenim") are being recited!Send me an email or post your answer on Facebook. Guess on Facebook » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Words Do Not Describe How Much We Enjoy” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » I enjoy the information about your Jewish customs.  I live in San Antonio, Texas, USA- Linda Folsom Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Words do not describe how much we enjoy going through your emails; please continue your service. You bless people with your inspiration. Regards, Stephen Harry I  appreciate your friendship and website, and true fellowship with the people of the Most High God. Thank you, Love you. - Lillie Fowler Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Orlando Attack Reality Check: Next Time The Terrorists May Choose To Shoot Up A Church Or A School - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Orlando Attack Reality Check: Next Time The Terrorists May Choose To Shoot Up A Church Or A School Posted: 13 Jun 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG Islamic terror can strike anywhere.  On Sunday, it was a gay nightclub in Orlando called Pulse, but next time it might be a church or a school.  In fact, it might be your church or your school.   As you will see below, 29-year-old Omar Mateen actually scouted Walt Disney World as a potential target before finally settling on a gay nightclub.  And not too long ago another Islamic terrorist had already made plans to shoot up a very large church in Detroit.   It is high time that we all had a reality check when it comes to Islamic terror.  The terrorists are not limiting themselves to just military and political targets.  Their goal is to create fear and panic, and they want as much media attention on their acts of violence as possible.  So if attacking a church or a school or a theme park will serve their purposes, then that is exactly what they are going to do. The Director of the FBI says that Omar Mateen had “links to al-Qaida, Hezbollah, and the Islamic State“, and ISIS has proudly taken responsibility for this attack… The ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq News broadcast a claim of responsibility from ISIS for a shooting rampage at a gay nightclub in Orlando that left 50 people dead over the weekend. The agency said the shooting was the work of an “ISIS fighter,” multiple media outlets have reported. But we aren’t just fighting ISIS.  According to Wikipedia, there have been hundreds of Islamic terror attacks worldwide so far in 2016, and only a small percentage of them have been conducted by ISIS. Even if ISIS were totally destroyed tomorrow, the threat of Islamic terror would remain. There are some people out there that are downplaying the significance of this attack because of the target.  But the truth is that Mateen almost selected Walt Disney World as the target.  The following comes from People Magazine… The gunman behind the Orlando nightclub shootings, the deadliest mass shooting in American history, recently scouted Walt Disney World as a potential target, a federal law enforcement source tells PEOPLE. Omar Mateen and his wife, Noor Zahi Salman, visited Walt Disney World in April, the source says. Salman told federal authorities on Sunday that her husband had more recently been “scouting Downtown Disney and Pulse [nightclub] for attacks.” Unlike the four Disney World theme parks, Downtown Disney, which was recently renamed Disney Springs, doesn’t have security and bag check before entry. Could you imagine the carnage that kind of attack would have created? Personally, I don’t even want to think about it. And as I mentioned above, not too long ago another Islamic radical had actually planned to shoot up a very large church in the heart of Detroit.  21-year-old Khalil Abu-Rayyan of Dearborn Heights, Michigan actually admitted to authorities that he had purchased a gun and had intended to take it into a church that can seat up to 6,000 people on a Sunday morning and start shooting. Abu-Rayyan also admitted to authorities that since he could not do his jihad in the Middle East, that he intended to “do my jihad over here”.  The following is an excerptfrom a news report about this potential attack that was thwarted… “I tried to shoot up a church one day,” Abu-Rayyan is quoted as saying in court records. “I don’t know the name of it, but it’s close to my job. It’s one of the biggest ones in Detroit. Ya, I had it planned out. I bought a bunch of bullets. I practiced a lot with it. I practiced reloading and unloading. But my dad searched my car one day, and he found everything. He found the gun and the bullets and a mask I was going to wear.” Investigators didn’t name the church Abu-Rayyan allegedly eyed, but claim the property covers about two blocks less than half a mile from his work and can accommodate up to 6,000 members. He allegedly purchased a gun and told an undercover FBI employee that attacking a church would be “easy.” “A lot of people go there. Plus people are not allowed to carry guns in church,” the affidavit quotes him as saying. “Plus it would make the news. Everybody would’ve heard. Honestly I regret not doing it. (If I) can’t go do jihad at the Middle East, I would do my jihad over here.” These kinds of radicals are running around all over America, and over time the threat that they pose is only going to get bigger and bigger. In fact, Mike Adams is reporting that the FBI is dealing with “over 900 ISIS terror threat leads in the United States” right at this moment… The FBI is currently investigating over 900 ISIS terror threat leads in the United States, covering all 50 states. Yet the Obama administration has systematically shut down federal prosecutions of such groups and silenced whistleblowers who tried to warn that all this was coming. And we do know that ISIS recently released a “kill list” of American citizens, and 8 people on that “kill list” just happen to be from Orlando, Florida… An ISIS kill list released online Monday includes 8 residents from Orlando, Florida – the site of Sunday morning’s horrific terror attack that took the lives of more than 50 people. The list, obtained and analyzed by Infowars, mentions what appears to be the names, addresses and emails of 8 females from the Orlando area. Whether any of the Orlando residents listed were among the dead or injured is unknown at this time. When are we going to start taking the threat of Islamic terror more seriously? How many Americans have to die before we wake up? Incredibly, Barack Obama refused to link radical Islam to the attack in Orlando during his speech to the nation in the aftermath of the shootings.  The following comes from Leo Hohmann… President Obama refused to tie the bloody attack on a gay nightclub Sunday to Islamic terror and said “no definitive judgement” had been made on the motive. At least 50 people are dead and 53 wounded following an attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in which the shooter shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” It was the worst act of terror on U.S. soil since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But Obama made no mention of “Islam,” “Muslim” or “Islamic terror” in his televised address to the nation. Talk about being in a state of denial. We live at a time when humanity’s ability to destroy is far greater than humanity’s ability to protect, and the ideology that is fueling this wave of terror is growing in almost every country on the entire planet. Given enough time, it is inevitable that Islamic terrorists will start hitting schools, churches, shopping malls and sporting events inside the United States. And eventually, they will get their hands on chemical, biological and potentially even nuclear weapons. So what we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.  Meanwhile, many of our top politicians steadfastly refuse to use the phrase “Islamic terror” because it might potentially offend someone. I don’t know about you, but I know a losing hand when I see one.  The nightmare of Islamic terror has been unleashed in this nation, and the things that we are going to see in the years ahead are going to be absolutely unthinkable. *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.*

Does the New Petra Discovery Hint at Biblical Prophecy? - CBN NEWS CHARISMA NEWS

Does the New Petra Discovery Hint at Biblical Prophecy?

 6/13/2016 CBN NEWS  charisma news

Biblical prophets like Daniel and Isaiah and even Jesus spoke about the monumental structure at Petra in connection to end-times prophecy. (CBN News)

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You've most likely seen this famous, ancient site in movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Mummy Returns.

Biblical prophets like Daniel, Isaiah and even Jesus spoke about the monumental structure at Petra in connection to end-times prophecy.

Now, archaeologists have discovered an enormous platform has been hiding in plain sight near this amazing place in Jordan.

Using Google Earth, high satellite imagery and drones, archaeologists Sarah Parcak and Christopher Tuttle were able to locate and observe the long-hidden edifice, which consists of a 184-by-161-foot platform that encloses a slightly smaller platform within.

The interior platform has a small 28-by-28-foot building centered on the top that opens to the east. Along the east side it appears the structure was lined with a row of columns that once supported a monumental staircase.

According to a study recently published in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, the structure sits only about a half-mile south of the ancient city's center. It is roughly as long as an Olympic-size swimming pool and twice as wide.

However, it is still unclear what the structure's function was.

"The enormous platform has no known parallels to any other structure in Petra," archaeologists say.

Petra draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the world every year because of its link to biblical prophecy.

The Bible identifies Bozrah (Hebrew), or Petra (Greek), as one of the significant areas during the end times. Prophetic passages like Micah 2:12 and Isaiah 63:1-6 describe the area of Petra in Jordan as the place where Jews flee when the Antichrist begins persecution. It is where they remain safely protected by God during the Great Tribulation.

The message spoken by the prophets are even echoed in Matthew 24:15-16 when Jesus warns, "When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

The good news is that according to the book of Daniel, Jordan is the one place the Antichrist will not be able to overcome. 

"He will enter the glorious land of Israel, and many nations will fall, but Moab, Edom, and the best part of Ammon will escape," Daniel 11:41 says.

Moab, Edom and Ammon are all in Jordan. In fact, Ammon which is now known as Amman, is the capital and most populous city of Jordan.

Although it's uncertain what the newly discovered structure near Petra was used for or if it will serve any purpose in the future, one thing is sure: hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Petra, Jordan, each year.

One day, as these prophecies indicate, it may very well be a large group of Jewish refugees making the trip to these iconic building hewn from the red sandstone. 

Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights reserved.

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Prophecy from 2011 Claims Trump Was Chosen By God to Save America - TAYLOR BERGLUND CHARISMA NEWS

Prophecy from 2011 Claims Trump Was Chosen By God to Save America

 6/14/2016 TAYLOR BERGLUND  charisma news

Lots of people have received prophetic words about Trump—but Mark Taylor received his back in 2011. Retired firefighter Taylor says he believes Trump was chosen by God to save America from destruction.

Rick Joyner even shared the prophecy on social media, adding: "This widely distributed word is very interesting. The most is in the first ten minutes."

Is Trump the answer for America's problems? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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A Missionary Trap in Jerusalem's Old City? - Ryan Jones ISRAEL TODAY

A Missionary Trap in Jerusalem's Old City?

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 |  Ryan Jones  ISRAEL TODAY

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Ultra-Orthodox Jewish anti-missionary groups were up in arms last week after a number of fellow Israeli Jews visited Christ Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East, during the annual Jerusalem Light Festival.

The Light Festival, which draws a large number of Israeli families, begins at the Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City. Christ Church is situated just inside the gate, and opposite the Tower of David.

Given its prominent location along the Light Festival route, Christ Church was the backdrop for some of the first major light displays that visitors saw.

Naturally, Christ Church opened its gates and its popular coffee shop for any and all that wished to learn more about this steadfast Christian ministry.

In speaking to Artuz 7, the head of the anti-missionary group Lehava, Bentzi Gopshtain, expressed outrage.

Gopshtain claimed that Christ Church had deceptively lured unsuspecting Israeli Jews onto its premises and then presented them with material about “that guy”, meaning Yeshua.

The charge was nonsensical given that the gate of Christ Church, its coffee shop and the adjoining Christian Information Center are very clearly marked as Christian facilities. Those Jews who did enter most likely did so out of genuine curiosity.

Gopshtain and his crew were having none of it, and stood outside Christ Church for long hours holding signs reading “Warning: Missionaries” in order to dissuade fellow Jews from entering.

He seemed most perturbed by the fact that Christ Church houses a small museum featuring famous models of Jerusalem and the Temple. In fact, the sanctuary at Christ Church is littered with Hebrew inscriptions and biblical Jewish symbols.

To Gophshtain and those like him, this is a nefarious attempt to present “that guy in a Jewish disguise.” Such is the unfortunate history of Christianity that many Jews fail to recognize that Yeshua is every bit as Jewish as they.

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