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.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's refusal to meet Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman after he voted in favor of UN resolution 2334 condemning all Israeli settlements as illegal, drew attention to the fact he is the first Jew ever to ascend to such prominence in Ukraine, a country whose past is tainted with bloody antisemitism.
Whether Netanyahu's diplomatic disciplinary actions toward the 14 countries that voted in favor of this resolution is wise or not, his attitude toward Ukraine demonstrates impartiality. Jew or not, hostility toward Israel is unacceptable.
Volodymyr Groysman (38), was born to Jewish parents in Vinnytsia. In 1941, the Nazis shot dead in open mass graves some 28,000 Jews of Vinnytsia and its surrounding areas. Vinnytsia's chief rabbi, Shaul Horowitz, told COLive that "his grandfather and grandmother … were taken by the Nazis to be shot. Miraculously, they fell onto the pile of corps and faked their death. That's how they were saved."
Unlike many Jews who try to downplay or even conceal their Jewishness, Groysman is up front about it.
Following his lead as chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, in 2014 he asked the representatives to stand for a minute of silence in remembrance of the Jews who perished in the Holocaust. This was the first time ever that such a gesture took place in the Ukrainian parliament.
Groysman also prays regularly in a local synagogue, knowing that doing so may upset many of his countrymen. The Ukrainian Prime Minister has family living in the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod.
As for Ukraine's reason for voting for this resolution, it is suggested that by so doing Ukraine showed its displeasure over Israel's idleness toward Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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At the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, six faith leaders have agreed to take part in the swearing-in ceremony. (Reuters photo)
Inaugural Committee Announces 6 Faith Leaders Who Will Participate
The involvement of pastors and other faith leaders in the inauguration of each new presidential administration is nothing unusual in American politics. But sometimes, who those pastors and other faith leaders are can tell a lot about the direction of the nation in the next four years.
So, Wednesday afternoon, the Presidential Inaugural Committee offered up some good news with its slate of planned speakers for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The committee's statement read:
Today, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced six faith leaders who will participate in the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Michael Pence.
"Since the first inaugural ceremony, our leaders have paid tribute to the blessings of liberty that have been bestowed upon our country and its people," said PIC Chairman Tom Barrack. "I am pleased to announce that a diverse set of faith leaders will offer readings and prayers at the swearing-in of President-elect Trump and honor the vital role religious faith plays in our multicultural, vibrant nation."
Those offering readings and giving the invocation at the ceremony are His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York; Reverend Dr. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and Pastor Paula White of New Destiny Christian Center.
Additionally, Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Reverend Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson of Great Faith Ministries International will offer readings and give the benediction.
On Saturday, January 21, the National Prayer Service will be held at Washington National Cathedral and will include representatives of all religious faiths for a time of prayer and fellowship. Further details about this event will be released in the coming weeks. {eoa]
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Thank you so much to my dear friend, Kathie Lee Gifford, for recommending my forthcoming novel, WITHOUT WARNING, to all of her viewers on the TODAY Show.
In a segment she did this week with her co-host, Hoda Kotb, called "Favorite Things," Kathie urged viewers to pre-order the thrillerbefore its March 14th release date.
"My [favorite thing] is an amazing book -- it's the third in a trilogy -- by my friend, Joel Rosenberg," Kathie said on the air. "This one is called, Without Warning. Available in March. Preorder -- $26.99 -- on Amazon.com. He understands the Middle East and everything that's going on like nobody's business, and he writes great thrillers that sometimes end up coming true."
Several weeks ago -- after reading an advance copy of the novel -- Kathie invited me, my literary agent and my son, Jacob, out to her home in Connecticut for a lovely lunch. We had a wonderful afternoon together, discussing the book, and the others in the series, and talking about future projects.
Kathie, who is an Evangelical Christian from a Jewish background (her maiden name was Kathie Epstein), is a huge supporter of the State of Israel. She loves the Scriptures and the Jewish people and does so much to promote Jewish-Christian relations and tourism to Israel. She has read every novel I have ever written and we finally met last year when The First Hostage was published. Lynn and I also had a fun dinner with her, her kids, and some mutual friends in Jerusalem earlier this year. We're so grateful for her support and encouragement. Thank you, Kathie!
Ben Peters says Jeremiah 33:3 and the passages that follow it speak directly to current events, specifically the matter of Israel and its West Bank settlements. (Reuters photo)
Wednesday morning, President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his frustration with President Obama and his administration's mistreatment of Israel, vowing once again there will be big changes ahead after Jan. 20.
"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect," he wrote. "They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore.
"The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!"
Ben Peters, the author of 23 books, including The Kingdom Building Church: Experiencing the Explosive Potential of the Church in Kingdom Building Mode, wrote in a recent piece for The Elijah List that the Bible has something to say about that. He points to Jeremiah 33:3, which states:
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.
In his article, Peters wrote that God is speaking to us at this moment in history from that passage. While the passage is used many times for different purposes, he said that in its full context, the verse speaks directly to current events and hints at what is to come.
"In the current political 'mega-shift' going on, there are two important cities in the spotlight," he wrote. "One, of course, is Washington, D.C. The other is Jerusalem, Israel."
"Here's verse four: For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah, which have been pulled down to fortify against the siege mounds and the sword."
With regard to Jerusalem, Peters wrote:
The hot issue is about Israeli settlements or new houses. It's also about land for peace. In past decades, Israel has abandoned its settlements for the sake of peace, but the peace did not happen. Now the United Nations and the USA administration, having abandoning Israel, have voted to condemn Israel for building new houses on its land, declaring it to be the property of Palestinians. Of course throughout history, Israel's enemies have come into Jerusalem and torn down its houses and synagogues and its temple. Jerusalem is a city fought over like no other city in the world.
And regarding Washington, D.C., he wrote:
The hot issue is the change coming to our government's important houses: The White House and the houses of Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate. The campaign slogan: "Drain the Swamp" has put fear in the hearts of many politicians and "kings" who have used these "houses" to build their own "houses." Left unchecked, they have become corrupted and never held accountable for their actions as long as they submitted to their political "bosses." Their houses could and should now be "pulled down."
Peters continues, noting that the fifth verse speaks to God's judgment over Israel for its sinful ways, which could easily apply to both Jerusalem and Washington, D.C. But he focused again on the prophetic message of the passages that follow.
Those verses talk of healing, peace and the revelation of truth, of a spiritual cleansing and pardoning of Israel's sins and past transgressions. But ultimately, he wrote, it will all come to pass as a matter of honor and glory to God.
"We often get so excited about God's promises and how they will bless us, we forget that it should really be a whole lot more about Him, His glory and honor, than about us and our blessings. It is also interesting that the first result is 'joy,'" Peters wrote, referencing Jeremiah 33:9. "What He will do for Israel and for America will bring Him great joy. This is very encouraging because as He is blessing us, He feels the joy that a Father feels as He watches His children succeed and prosper."
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Be it known unto the king, that the Yehudim that came up from thee are come to us unto Yerushalayim; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and are digging out the foundations.
The Chosen People have many biblical titles: Hebrews, Children of Jacob, and Israelites, to name a few. What is the origin of the branding “Jew,” in Hebrew ‘Yehudi?” It is first employed as a specific ethnic title during the Babylonian exile, as seen in Ezra, Daniel and Esther. Historically, this name indicated an association with the tribe of Judah (’Yehuda’), from which most of the Babylonian exiles descended. However, the name actually derives from the Hebrew word which means to praise or give thanks, as it says “And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she said: ‘This time will I praise the LORD.’ Therefore she called his name Judah” (Genesis 29:35). The name thus highlights an inherent primary Jewish value. The fact that this collective name was given in exile shows that sometimes one has to travel far away to discover who they really are. Love what you just learned? Sign up with the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies to gain deeper insights into the Bible than you ever thought possible!
This is the question Jews and non-Jews have been asking for centuries. Take the time to learn the truth behind Hanukkah and reward yourself with the knowledge of history!
As Jews all over the world celebrate Hanukkah, we remember that the ancient Greeks are long gone and the Jewish people continue to live on,” said Segal with a smile.
On Hanukkah we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees against the Hellenistic Greeks. The war was the fight for religious freedom. In an attempt to eradicate religious worship, the Greeks desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem. When the Jews won and returned to the Temple, they could only find one tiny jar of pure oil with which to light the Menorah. The oil should have only lasted one night, but a miracle happened, and it lasted eight days and nights. Discover an ancient artifact with an image of the Temple's menorah, turned into gorgeous jewelry.
A Jewish family lights the Hanukkiah on the holiday of Hanukkah, in their home in Tzur Hadassah, outside of Jerusalem. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple.
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