Send a Greeting from the Holy Land ✡ "The Blossoms Have Appeared"

The blossoms have appeared in the Land, the time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our Land. SONG OF SONGS (2:12) הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים ב:יב ha-ni-tza-neem nir-u ba-a-retz ayt ha-za-meer hi-gee-a v'-kol ha-tor nish-ma b'-ar-tzay-nu

Shabbat Inspiration Nitzanit, from the word in our verse for “blossom,” was a beautiful Jewish community in northern Gaza. The people of this flourishing town transformed the desert sand into luscious gardens, advanced greenhouses, and agricultural miracles. Nitzanit was tragically uprooted ten years ago this summer, in Israel's tremendous quest for peace. Tina Nagar commemorates her lost garden in Nitzanit with a stunning set of Biblical greeting cards. The images represent her greatest hope to replant roots and make the Holy Land blossom anew. Get these beautiful Biblical greetings cards » Glorious Orchards of Northern Israel Ten years after the Jewish farming communities in the Gaza Strip were uprooted, the Land is miraculously blossoming once again, this time in northern Israel. Watch here » From Gaza to the Galilee Go behind the scenes to meet today's photographer, Tina Nagar, who rebuilt her life from the ashes and rubble of the 2005 Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Read more » Personalized Name Scroll This personalized name scroll is extremely special and one-of-a-kind. A professional scribe will custom-make a beautiful scroll for you by writing your name in Hebrew in authentic, Biblical Hebrew calligraphy- the same calligraphy which is used to write holy Torah (Bible) scrolls. The scroll also includes the value of your Hebrew name in gematria, the spiritual Kabbalistic method of numerology.The name is written to order with a quill pen and scribe’s ink on a vellum sheet of goatskin or calfskin parchment. Don’t know your Hebrew name? No problem! Many English names derive from Hebrew names in the Bible, and the rest have etymological or spiritual cousins in Biblical sources. Just tell us your English name and we’ll find the Hebrew name in the Bible that’s most closely connected to yours. Get this Great Deal » Today's Israel Photo Tina Nagar's photo of a gorgeous flower in bloom. Complete with inspiring biblical verses, her greeting cards capture the spirit of the Land of Israel. Get today's photo in a set of greeting cards! » Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Kevin O'Driscoll of South Africa. Todah Rabah! Sponsor a day and get our devotional book! » “I Learn More and More Each Day” 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 thoroughly enjoy receiving the above; reminds me of the time spent working in Israel which is about 20 years ago. Thanks for the scripture readings as well, as I learn more and more each day (never too old to learn). I am South African, living in Cape Town. Many thanks. Shalom, Pamela Isaacs Hi Rabbi Tuly, Thanks for the many photos of Jerusalem/Israel sent to me by email. They are awesome and  beautiful to look at. God is always with Israel so Israel will always be a powerful Nation on earth. I will continue to pray for Israel and also hoping to come there some day. God bless Israel and as a nation stand for evermore. Regards and God bless. David Maefunu, Malaita Province - Solomon Islands Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

Copyright © 2015 Israel365, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for daily Israel Scenes and Inspiration on our website,www.israel365.com. Our mailing address is: Israel365 34 Nahal Ein Gedi Apt #17 Beit Shemesh 9909875 Israel

Why Would a Christian Reject Jesus for Radical Islam?

7/23/2015 JIM DENISON  charisma news

A woman prays at a memorial for the Chattanooga shooting victims. The shooting prompts Dr. Denison to ask how someone can leave Christianity for Islam. (Reuters)

The day after Mohammad Abdulazeez killed five servicemen in Chattanooga, a woman posted this on Twitter: "Gifted this morning . . . w/ the news of a brother puttin fear n in the heart of kufar [non-believers] n the city of my birth. Alhamdullilah [thanks be to God]." The woman's name is Ariel Bradley. She grew up in the Chattanooga suburb where Abdulazeez lived. How did she become an ISIS supporter?

According to BuzzFeed's just-published profile of her, Ariel was homeschooled by a fundamentalist Christian mother. She ran away from home when she was 15 or 16 and eventually converted to Islam. She is now married to an ISIS fighter in Syria. When an ISIS supporter promised to pray for her safety, she replied, "Not death I should fear but the state I meet it in. May Allah guide us & give us shaheed [martyrdom]."

We now know that the Chattanooga shooter conducted Internet searches on martyrdom as recently as a day before he killed five servicemen. Why is martyrdom so appealing for jihadists?

"Martyr" in Arabic is shahada, which means "to witness, to become a model." A shahid witnesses the truth of Islam and is willing to die for it, becoming an example for others. He or she is guaranteed an exalted place in Paradise. According to Muslim doctrine, "a crown of honor will be placed on his head, one jewel of which is better than the whole world and what it contains." It is no surprise that jihadists are so willing to die for their cause.

How can we defend ourselves against such people?

John F. Kennedy noted, "If anyone is crazy enough to want to kill a president of the United States, he can do it. All he must be prepared to do is to give his life for the president's." If the president cannot be protected from such a person, who of us is safe?

The answer: no one. How hard would it be for someone to kill you right now? Our lives are frail and our times are dangerous. Therefore, we must live each day for the greatest cause, remembering with Thomas Merton that "the biggest human temptation is to settle for too little." What is this cause?

In Paul's letter to Philemon, he describes a man named Archippus as "our fellow soldier" (v. 2). The apostle's metaphor is pregnant with meaning. Christians are soldiers in a spiritual army, waging war against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). As soldiers, we obey the orders of our General. We serve in a war that is much larger than we can see or understand. So we go where our General sends us and do what he orders us to do.

And we are willing to fight and even to die for our cause. ISIS fighters and other jihadists are willing to die for the lies they believe. Are we willing to die for the truth?

Just as there are no part-time soldiers in battle, there are no part-time soldiers for the kingdom. Thomas Merton said, "A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire."

Jim Denison, Ph.D., is founder of the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a non-sectarian "think tank" designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth. Join over 100,000 who read Dr. Denison's daily Cultural Commentary: denisonforum.org/subscribe. For more information on the Denison Forum, visit denisonforum.org. To connect with Dr. Denison in social media, visit twitter.com/jimdenison or facebook.com/denisonforum.

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You Are Holy (As for Me and My House) Official Lyric Video 2015 - Joshua Aaron

You Are Holy (As for Me and My House) Official Lyric Video 2015 - Joshua Aaron

Published on Mar 4, 2015

The 2015 radio release of Joshua Aaron's award winning song (2014 Independent Music Award) "You Are Holy". He's joined with his wife and children (lyrics & credits below). Available at: http://www.Joshua-Aaron.com or on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/you...
https://www.FACEBOOK.com/Joshua.Aaron...
https://TWITTER.com/worshipinisrael

Song Lyrics
As for me and my house we will serve You Lord
Lifting holy hands in worship
We will not bow down to the gods of men
We will worship the God of Israel

You are Holy, Holy
There is no one else like You
You are Holy, Holy
There is no one else like You

Choose this day whom you will serve
But as for me and my house...
We will serve You, Lord
We will serve You, Lord

We will not bow to the gods of men
We will not bow to the gods of men
We'll worship the god of Israel

Kadosh, kadosh Ata ein kamocha Adonai
Kadosh, kadosh Ata ein kamocha Adonai

You are Holy, Holy
There is no one else like You
You are Holy, Holy
There is no one else like You

Lyric video by Daniel Berry at American Icon Studios
Produced by Cody Norris
Executive producer Ed Cash
Engineered by Cody Norris
Recorded at The Manor and The Knob
Mixed by Ben West @ http://www.PooleyWestMusic.com
Mastered by Bob Boyd @ http://www.AmbientDigital.com
Jacob Schrodt ­ drums
Matt Pierson ­ bass
Hank Bentley ­ electric guitars
Cody Norris ­ acoustic guitars, charango
Ryan McAdoo ­ keys, synth
Background Vocals ­ Jeannie, Emma, Shuki & Max Aaron (Joshua's family), Franni Cash, Martin Cash, Cara Anderson, Ryan McAdoo, and Cody Norris
Written by: Joshua Aaron Copyright: © 2012 WorshipinIsrael.com songs

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IDF Looks to Bible to Prepare for Future Threats - BIN

IDF Looks to Bible to Prepare for Future Threats

By Ahuva Balofsky July 23, 2015  Breaking Israel News

“And the LORD said unto Gideon: ‘The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying: mine own hand hath saved me…’” (Judges 7:2)

(Photo: IDF)

The Israeli Defense Forces is preparing for a possible future which includes a nuclear-developing Iran, a senior defense source told The Jerusalem Post. According to the paper, the IDF must assume the worst to properly reshape the military, improve training and cut costs.

New IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot and a team of military planners spent four years developing what they have termed the “Gideon Plan” for streamlining the IDF over the next several years.

It calls for significantly increasing the power of wartime multi-arena combat divisions; restructuring the army to create specialized brigades and battalions that focus exclusively on border security, leaving the main fighting to the divisions; and improving weapons and training.

The Gideon Plan was publicized Monday, ahead of the results of the Locker Commission, which calls for significant reductions in the Israeli army’s operating budget. The Locker commission, ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to examine the military budget and headed by Major General (Res.) Yohanan Locker, has received considerable criticism from defense officials, who claim it undermines the army and delegitimizes career officers.

While the Locker Commission calls for sweeping cuts to the budget, as well as to personnel, the Gideon Plan has its own recommendations for reducing waste and improving efficiency. The plan is named for the Biblical hero Gideon, who reduced his army of thousands to a mere 300 men to fight against the Midianites.

The Gideon Plan cuts the number of reservists by 100,000, eliminates four major-general positions and reduces the number of high-level administrative positions by six percent. Unlike the Locker Commission, it preserves the pensions of career officers, but limits the number of those who remain in the army long enough to be eligible for such pensions.

image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/171-LIBI%20iran%20iaf.jpg

“To intercept [an Iranian arms smuggling ship like] the Klos C doesn’t take 20 personnel, it takes thousands of people working around the clock, including non-combat personnel. To say that only battalion commanders or air force squadrons should receive pensions is a joke,” one senior official said.

According to Eizenkot, “Harm done to those who serve causes unnecessary harm to the IDF’s ability to meet its objectives and lowers the public’s trust in the IDF. The attempt to delegitimize those who serve in the IDF is an existential threat to the military’s ability to retain professional, committed and proud employees.”

The senior official quoted by The Jerusalem Post laid out the scenarios facing the IDF in the coming years. “Iran will be a central challenge for the IDF during this time,” the official said. “It will be a mission for Military Intelligence to [continue] monitoring intelligence and [providing] alerts. The intelligence will focus on Iranian [nuclear] efforts and [the regional] influence.”

“The working assumption is that they [the Iranians] will try in the near future…to go for a basic [nuclear] capability. The assumption is that there will be an Iranian pattern of action in the covert [nuclear] channel,” he said.

image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/idf-iran-missile-rocket-.jpg

An IDF officer stand next to rockets seized by Israel on a ship near Cyprus, Nov. 4, 2009, that was carrying hundreds of tons of weapons from Iran bound for Hezbollah guerrillas, the largest arms shipment Israel has ever commandeered. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson/FLASH90)

Furthermore, he said, “There’s no doubt that lifting the sanctions will enable Iran to activate its influence in the region in a discernible and significant manner, more so than today.” Iranian spending on proxy terrorist states and agencies today runs $4-5 billion, a number limited only “economic limitations,” the official added.

Meanwhile, “Hezbollah is the most significant enemy in our first circle” of countries directly bordering Israel, the official explained “Hezbollah has 100,000 rockets, although it is in the most difficult crisis point since its founding. It lost 1,300 fighters in Syria, and sustained more than 5,000 injuries.”

In addition, the army is working to keep Hamas at bay, and the threat from the Islamic State in the region is growing.

The level of preparedness required by these potential threats “costs money”, according to the official. The Gideon Plan calls for a multi-year spending commitment of NIS 61-64 billion. That, along with the personnel cuts which will save billions, will mean “those who are left will be better trained, equipped, and ready for war.”

In addition to the cuts, the Gideon Plan calls for a restructuring of combat training to create two levels, one group of soldiers with a higher level of combat readiness, and another group, the majority of soldiers who would remain at the usual level of combat readiness.

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/45672/idf-looks-to-bible-to-prepare-for-future-threats/#xOhkZ931VQ3R0BBE.99

The Hope - 700 Club (Video - Part 3)

Chaim Weizmann - Israel's first President in 1948

Published on Jul 23, 2015

A chemist by trade, Chaim Weizmann eventually became Israel's first international diplomat and Israel’s first President in 1948. He met with U.S. President Harry Truman to help secure American support for the new State of Israel.

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US President Harry Truman and Israel President Chaim Weizmann

The 'Man Who Saved Tel Aviv' Dies at 94

 7/24/2015 TZIPPE BARROW/CBN NEWS INTENET PRODUCER/JERUSALEM  charisma news

Lou Lenhart (l) and other fighter pilots in front of the Avia S-199. (Wikimedia Commons )

Lou Lenart, who became known as "the man who saved Tel Aviv," passed away Monday in his home in Ra'anana outside Tel Aviv at age 94.

His "bigger-than-life story" is fascinating.

Born Layos Lenovitz in Hungary, he immigrated to America at age 10 with his parents and two younger siblings to escape increasing anti-Semitism in their rural community near the Czech border. One incident in particular convinced the family it was time to leave. They were farmers and moved to a small town in central Pennsylvania.

But the move didn't shield them from anti-Semitism. There were few Jews in the town and the kids endured slurs from their classmates.

At 17, Lenart enlisted in the Marines, where he served in an infantry division before being accepted to flight school. After surviving a serious training accident, he went on to battle Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II.

Following his discharge as a captain, Lenart learned that 14 family members, including his grandmother, perished in Auschwitz.

From America, he watched Israel move toward statehood, as Holocaust survivors found their way to the Jewish homeland.

Early in 1948, Lenart joined the Haganah, the Israel Defense Forces' precursor, flying a cargo plane 1,300 miles from Italy to Israel. As an experienced fighter pilot, he helped locate surplus war planes for the emerging state.

On May 29, just two weeks after Israel's official establishment, some 10,000 Egyptian troops invaded, with about 500 vehicles, tanks, trucks, and tankers, marching toward Latrun to join Jordanian troops. At least five armies from neighboring Arab states plotted to destroy the newborn state.

Israel needed to stop the advance. Lenart, joined by three other pilots, including Ezer Weizman who would later serve as Israel's seventh president, were told if you don't go now, they'll be in Tel Aviv tomorrow and there will be no Israel. They attacked the massive ground forces camped outside Ashdod, just 20 miles from Tel Aviv.

Lenart would later write about "the IAF's [Israeli Air Force] first aerial attack," calling it "the most important event of my life" and saying he survived World War II to lead the mission.

"There were thousands of troops, tanks, and hundreds of trucks. We flew lower, dropped the bombs, and started shooting at anything we could spot," Lenart wrote. "The Egyptians tried to shoot at us, but they were stunned. They didn't even know Israel had an air force. The Arabs had everything, we had nothing. And we still won. We just didn't have a choice. That was our secret weapon."

Lenart later helped establish the IAF's 101 Squadron and flew missions to bring Iraqi Jews to Israel.

He also flew commercially for El Al, Israel's national airline. And if that wasn't enough, he produced six feature films, including "Iron Eagle" and its sequel, "Iron Eagle II."

Lenart was buried this week near Tel Aviv. He is survived by his wife, Rachel, two children and a grandson. His daughter, Michal, also served in the IAF.

For the original article, visit cbn.com.

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Obama - The Anti-Israel President

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama

David Horowitz - Freedom Center

Uploaded on Dec 1, 2011

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Blog Editor's Note: Even after 4 years, this video is even more relevant. We stand with Israel. 

Love For His People

WATCH: You Won't Believe What Fox's Brit Hume Just Said About Abortion

Brit Hume

WATCH: You Won't Believe What Fox's Brit Hume Just Said About Abortion

 7/23/2015 JESSILYN JUSTICE  charisma news

Shockwaves resonated across the country when a leaked video revealed Planned Parenthood was selling fetal body tissues.

It was so offensive that the president of the abortion organization herself apologized for the tone in which Dr. Deborah Nucatola discussed the dismembering of human bodies. 

Now, all eyes are on the clinic's atrocities. 

"Whatever comes from the revelation about Planned Parenthood and its participation in the trafficking of fetal body parts, those revelations will have achieved one thing," Senior political analyst Brit Humes says. 

Watch the video to see what it is. 

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Confronting BDS: Israeli Christians and the State of Illinois

By Tzippe Barrow

CBN News Internet Producer - Jerusalem

Friday, July 24, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- The biblical accounts of the angel Gabriel portray him as a messenger imparting God's plans, first to the prophet Daniel and later to the priest Zechariah and his long-awaited offspring, John the Baptist.

Like his biblical namesake, Father Gabriel Nadaf, an Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood, has made it his life's work to help Christians better understand his homeland, the Jewish state of Israel.

The Christian Empowerment Council in Israel published a new guideline this week to help Christians respond to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

Entitled "Test the Spirits: A Christian Guide to the Anti-Israel Boycott Movement," the 12-page pamphlet, can be downloaded as a PDF file from CEC's website.

Father Nadaf serves as the organization's spiritual leader.

"As the spiritual leader of the Christian Empowerment Council here in Israel, it is my responsibility to encourage Christians around the world to think about Israel in biblical and moral ways," Father Nadaf writes in the introduction. He encourages Christians to consider their personal views toward Israel, asking that God guide them "in great wisdom."

According to its website, CEC has made headlines internationally "for its pioneering work integrating Israel's Christian community into the wider Israeli society and supporting and guiding young Christians in the IDF  [Israel Defense Forces] ."

In 2013, Father Nadaf's 17-year-old son was brutally beaten by a 21-year-old affiliated with the anti-Israel Hadash Party near his home in Nazareth. At the time, his father said their goal was "to intimidate me and my family."

In an interview earlier this year, Father Nadaf told CBN's Scott Ross, "Despite all the threats and incitement against me, I will not turn back from my way." 
 
In addition to its work in Israel, CEC also monitors Christian denominations abroad, such as the Episcopalian, Mennonite andUnited Church of Christ that have adopted BDS. 

"There is much confusion in the global church about Israel, and God is not the author of confusion," Father Nadaf writes in the introduction.

"Rather, God wants us to seek after his heart, to get wisdom and to get understanding. God does not want his church to be ignorant about such an important topic as Israel; yet, there are many in the church today sowing confusion, spreading hatred of the Jewish state," he writes.

Meanwhile in America Thursday, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner made history signing an anti-BDS law, the first state to pass such legislation.

In the press release, the governor said "We need to stand up to anti-Semitism whenever and wherever we see it."

"This historic legislation is an important first step in the fight against boycotts of Israel, and I hope other states move quickly to follow our lead," Gov. Rauner said.

World's Best Defense Against Iran ✡ "To Fight Our Wars!"

With us is the Lord, our God, to help us and to fight our wars! II CHRONICLES (32:8) וְעִמָּנוּ יְ-הֹוָה אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ לְעָזְרֵנוּ וּלְהִלָּחֵם מִלְחֲמֹתֵנוּ דברי הימים ב לב:ח v'-i-ma-nu a-do-nai e-lo-hay-nu l'-az-ray-nu u-l'-hi-la-khaym mil-kha-mo-tay-nu

Today's Israel Inspiration Righteous King Hezekiah, one of the last kings of Judah during the times of the First Temple, encouraged the nation with the stirring words in this verse. His faith was well-founded, and the next morning, they looked over the walls to see the once powerful Assyrian army devastated and dispersed, all without a fight (II Kings 19:35). May the Almighty continue to protect today's Defenders of Israel, the soldiers of the IDF. They are the world's frontline defense against a nuclear Iran. Stand with the soldiers of the IDF, on the frontline against Iran » Continue or Abort? You Decide You are an Israeli fighter pilot. Your objective is to protect the people of Israel from Hamas. But difficult decisions await you, when terrorists hide amongst civilians. Watch this powerful interactive video » IDF Reaction to Iran Deal Since the nuclear deal with Iran first hit the news, the IDF has been instructed to prepare for a military response to the Iranian threat. Read more » Operation Protective Edge T-Shirt Last summer, after hundreds of missiles were fired at Israeli citizens, the IDF launched Operation Protective Edge with the purpose of destroying Hamas weapons and restoring the peace to the people of Israel. Show your solidarity with our brave soldiers by wearing this Operation Protective Edge t-shirt. Get this Great Deal » Today's Israel Photo Guardians of the beautiful Land of Israel. These are top combat soldiers from the Golani Brigade who protect Israel's northern border. Support the soldiers of the IDF » 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 » “Your Wealth of Knowledge About Israel” 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 » Yes, I'm a friend of Israel and the Jewish people ...God bless and keep you and yours....Guy Baffi from N.Y. City Thank you so much for your wealth of knowledge about Israel. I love the daily teaching and beautiful pictures. I love Israel and will visit one day.-Catherine Griffin I am not always able to read daily but am enjoying the words you send. Thank you. Linda from Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com