Monday, November 25, 2013

West Ignores 'Largest Massacre of Christians in Syria' - ISRAEL TODAY

West Ignores 'Largest Massacre of Christians in Syria'

Monday, November 25, 2013 |  Raymond Ibrahim  
One of the worst Christian massacres—complete with mass graves, tortured-to-death women and children, and destroyed churches—recently took place in Syria, at the hands of the U.S.-supported jihadi “rebels”; and the U.S. government and its “mainstream media” mouthpiece are, as usual, silent (that is, when not actively trying to minimize matters).
The massacre took place in Sadad, an ancient Syriac Orthodox Christian habitation, so old as to be mentioned in the Old Testament. Most of the region’s inhabitants are poor, as Sadad is situated in the remote desert between Homs and Damascus (desert regions, till now, apparently the only places Syria’s Christians could feel secure; 600 Christian families had earlier fled there for sanctuary from the jihad, only to be followed by it).
In late October, the U.S-supported “opposition” invaded and occupied Sadad for over a week, till ousted by the nation’s military. Among other atrocities, 45 Christians—including women and children—were killed, several tortured to death; Sadat’s 14 churches, some ancient, were ransacked and destroyed; the bodies of six people from one family, ranging from ages 16 to 90, were found at the bottom of a well (an increasingly common fate for “subhuman” Christians).
The jihadis even made a graphic video (with English subtitles) of those whom they massacred, while shouting Islam’s victory-cry, “Allahu Akbar” (which John McCain equates to a Christian saying “thank God”). Another video, made after Sadad was liberated shows more graphic atrocities.
Here are the words of Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Homs and Hama (another detailed account, with pictures, appears here):
”What happened in Sadad is the most serious and biggest massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two years and a half… 45 innocent civilians were martyred for no reason, and among them several women and children, many thrown into mass graves. Other civilians were threatened and terrorized. 30 were wounded and 10 are still missing. For one week, 1,500 families were held as hostages and human shields. Among them children, the elderly, the young, men and women…. All the houses of Sadad were robbed and property looted. The churches are damaged and desecrated, deprived of old books and precious furniture… What happened in Sadad is the largest massacre of Christians in Syria and the second in the Middle East, after the one in the Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Iraq, in 2010.”
In the Iraqi attack of 2010, al-Qaeda linked jihadis stormed the church during service killing some 60 Christian worshippers (see here for graphic images of the aftermath).
While the archbishop is correct that this is the “largest massacre of Christians in Syria,” it is but the tip of the iceberg of the persecution the nation’s Christian minority has suffered—including beheadings, church bombings, kidnappings, rapes, and dislocation of hundreds of thousands of Christians—since the war broke out (see Syria entries in monthly persecution series).
A month before Sadad, another ancient Christian region, Ma‘loula, one of the world’s very few regions that still spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus, was besieged by the jihadis, its churches bombarded and plundered, its inhabitants forced to convert to Islam or die. The last words of one man who refused were: "I am a Christian, and if you want to kill me for this, I do not object to it."
The archbishop concluded his statement concerning Sadad by asking: "We have shouted aid to the world but no one has listened to us. Where is the Christian conscience? Where is human consciousness? Where are my brothers? I think of all those who are suffering today in mourning and discomfort: We ask everyone to pray for us.”
Serge Trifkovic—who hails from a European region especially acquainted with Islamic jihad—responds to the archbishop as follows:
_”That no “human consciousness” is to be found in the White House, or in the editorial offices of the leading Western media, is now a matter of well-established record. Just try searching for “Sadad” (or alternatively “Saddad”) on the websites of the Department of State or The New York Times. Ditto the leading European dailies, the CNN/BBC/RTF, the human-rights defending “NGOs” et al.
“The problem, of which Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh appears unaware, is no longer in the Western elite’s mere indifference to the impending demise of Christianity in the lands of its birth, but in its active, ongoing, and open contribution to that demise. Cyprus (1974) and the Balkans (1991-9) provided the test, Iraq (2003-today) the conclusive proof. In Syria the Obama administration remains committed to supporting the rebels—ah, yes, only the “moderate” ones, like the Christian-murdering “Free Syrian Army” (discretion advised again), not “even though” the result will be the same, but precisely because it will be.”_
In one of the Arabic videos documenting the aftermath of the Sadad massacre, as the mutilated bodies of one family are drawn from a well (around :30 second mark), a middle-aged male relative, in tears, says:
”The most precious in the whole universe [his family], are now gone, leaving me alone, but thank God I am still surrounded by these loving people who remain. I want to say, let people [the jihadis] return to their minds. The problems of the world can only be solved by knowledge and brains. Enough insanity, the nerves of the people are shredded. Enough, enough—return to your minds; you people, you humans—return to your humanity, enough crimes.”
As a sign of the times, here is a Syrian, an “easterner,” evoking rationalism and humanity, products of the Christian West, at a time when the post-Christian West is governed by anything and everything—propaganda, emotionalism, mindless indoctrination—but the twain.
_Raymond Ibrahim is author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians _
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‘Largest Massacre of Christians in Syria’ Ignored

The worst Christian massacre—complete with mass graves, tortured-to-death women and children, and destroyed churches—recently took place in Syria, at the hands of the U.S.-supported jihadi “rebels”; and the U.S. government and its “mainstream media” mouthpiece are, as usual, silent (that is, when not actively trying to minimize matters).

The massacre took place in Sadad, an ancient Syriac Orthodox Christian habitation, so old as to be mentioned in the Old Testament. Most of the region’s inhabitants are poor, as Sadad is situated in the remote desert between Homs and Damascus (desert regions, till now, apparently the only places Syria’s Christians could feel secure; 600 Christian families had earlier fled there for sanctuary from the jihad, only to be followed by it).

In late October, the U.S-supported “opposition” invaded and occupied Sadad for over a week, till ousted by the nation’s military. Among other atrocities, 45 Christians—including women and children—were killed, several tortured to death; Sadat’s 14 churches, some ancient, were ransacked and destroyed; the bodies of six people from one family, ranging from ages 16 to 90, were found at the bottom of a well (anincreasingly common fate for “subhuman” Christians).

The jihadis even made a graphic video (with English subtitles) of those whom they massacred, while shouting Islam’s victory-cry, “Allahu Akbar” (which John McCain equates to a Christian saying “thank God”). Another video, made after Sadad was liberated shows more graphic atrocities.

Here are the words of Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Homs and Hama (another detailed account, with pictures, appears here):


What happened in Sadad is the most serious and biggest massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two years and a half… 45 innocent civilians were martyred for no reason, and among them several women and children, many thrown into mass graves. Other civilians were threatened and terrorized. 30 were wounded and 10 are still missing. For one week, 1,500 families were held as hostages and human shields. Among them children, the elderly, the young, men and women…. All the houses of Sadad were robbed and property looted. The churches are damaged and desecrated, deprived of old books and precious furniture… What happened in Sadad is the largest massacre of Christians in Syria and the second in the Middle East, after the one in the Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Iraq, in 2010.

In the Iraqi attack of 2010, al-Qaeda linked jihadis stormed the church during service killing some 60 Christian worshippers (see here for graphic images of the aftermath).

While the archbishop is correct that this is the “largest massacre of Christians in Syria,” it is but the tip of the iceberg of the persecution the nation’s Christian minority has suffered—including beheadings, church bombings, kidnappings, rapes, and dislocation of hundreds of thousands of Christians—since the war broke out (see Syria entries in monthly persecution series).

A month before Sadad, another ancient Christian region, Ma‘loula, one of the world’s very few regions that still spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus, was besieged by the jihadis, its churches bombarded and plundered, its inhabitants forced to convert to Islam or die. The last words of one man who refused were: “I am a Christian, and if you want to kill me for this, I do not object to it.”

The archbishop concluded his statement concerning Sadad by asking: “We have shouted aid to the world but no one has listened to us. Where is the Christian conscience? Where is human consciousness? Where are my brothers? I think of all those who are suffering today in mourning and discomfort: We ask everyone to pray for us.”

Serge Trifkovic—who hails from a European region especially acquainted with Islamic jihadresponds to the archbishop as follows:


That no “human consciousness” is to be found in the White House, or in the editorial offices of the leading Western media, is now a matter of well-established record. Just try searching for “Sadad” (or alternatively “Saddad”) on the websites of the Department of State or The New York Times. Ditto the leading European dailies, the CNN/BBC/RTF, the human-rights defending “NGOs” et al.

The problem, of which Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh appears unaware, is no longer in the Western elite’s mere indifference to the impending demise of Christianity in the lands of its birth, but in its active, ongoing, and opencontribution to that demise. Cyprus (1974) and the Balkans (1991-9) provided the test, Iraq (2003-today) the conclusive proof. In Syria the Obama administration remains committed to supporting the rebels—ah, yes, only the “moderate” ones, like the Christian-murdering “Free Syrian Army”(discretion advised again), not “even though” the result will be the same, but precisely because it will be.

In one of the Arabic videos documenting the aftermath of the Sadad massacre, as the mutilated bodies of one family are drawn from a well (around :30 second mark), a middle-aged male relative, in tears, says:

The most precious in the whole universe [his family], are now gone, leaving me alone, but thank God I am still surrounded by these loving people who remain. I want to say, let people [the jihadis] return to their minds. The problems of the world can only be solved by knowledge and brains. Enough insanity, the nerves of the people are shredded. Enough, enough—return to your minds; you people, you humans—return to your humanity, enough crimes.

As a sign of the times, here is a Syrian, an “easterner,” evoking rationalism and humanity, products of Christian civilization, even as the post-Christian West is governed by anything and everything—propaganda, emotionalism, mindless indoctrination—but the twain.

ISRAEL365 - This Land...


People will say, 'This Land which had 

been desolate has become like 

the Garden of Eden and the ruined 

and demolished cities have been inhabited.

EZEKIEL (36:35)

וְאָמְרוּ הָאָרֶץ הַלֵּזוּ הַנְּשַׁמָּה הָיְתָה

 כְּגַן עֵדֶן וְהֶעָרִים הֶחֳרֵבוֹת

 וְהַנְשַׁמּוֹת וְהַנֶּהֱרָסוֹת בְּצוּרוֹת יָשָׁבוּ

יחזקאל לו:לה


ve-ah-me-ROO ha-ah-RETZ ha-lay-ZOO
ha-ne-sha-MAH ha-ye-TAH ke-GAN AY-den ve-heh-ah-REEM
heh-kha-ray-VOTE ve-ha-ne-sha-MOTE ve-ha-neh-heh-ra-SOTE
be-tzoo-ROTE ya-sha-VOO
Today's Israel InspirationWe marvel at the words of the prophet
Ezekiel who describes the desolate land blossoming "like the
Garden of Eden" and desolate cities becoming inhabited as we
see today. I am thrilled to announce that Israel365 is planning a
2014 tour of Israel, to let you see the sights yourself! We'll give
you a unique perspective on the words of the prophets and many
biblical sites throughout the beautiful Land of Israel. Please take
a moment to complete our short Travel Survey, as we prepare
for this exciting event.

Fill out Israel365's Short Travel Survey »







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All New Hebrew Music Monday
Today's upbeat music by Fran Avni will have you singing
AND dancing along! Sing in Hebrew and English to
"And Uzziah Built" based on verses from II Chronicles.

Watch This Video »



Israeli Officials Furious Over Iran Dea lAt the start of his weekly
cabinet meeting today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
blasted the US brokered deal with Iran saying, ”What was
achieved last night in Geneva is not an historic agreement;
it is an historic mistake.

Read More »




Eden Handmade Leather Sandals
Get ready for an Israeli-style "tiyul" (outting) with these
gorgeous handmade Israeli leather sandals. This
comfortable footwear comes in several styles for men,
women and kids, for only $22.

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Today's Israel Photo
Today's photo by Bar Artzi is a shining example of the
blossoming of the once desolate land of Israel, as
sunflower fields yield a beautiful crop. The roasted
seeds of the sunflower are a ubiquitous snack
amongst Israelis.

View More Israel Photos »

"I Save Every Message You Send"It’s great to hear from
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the world you are enjoying Israel365!

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I truly enjoy receiving your messages. I particularly like
using the Hebrew as I try to learn more of that language.
If possible, having the ability to have the Hebrew spoken
would be a great enhancement to the message. I save
every message you send and go back and read those
sections to help reinforce my learning. I also enjoy
watching the music videos and appreciate having the
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Surprise! Man finds himself in audience full of people he saved as children from Nazi camps

Surprise! Man finds himself in audience full of people he saved as children from Nazi camps [W/VIDEO]



(TruthSeekerDaily) Sir Nicholas Winton organized the rescue and passage to Britain of about 669 mostly Jewish Czechoslovakian children destined for the Nazi death camps before World War II in an operation known as the Czech Kindertransport.

After the war, Nicholas Winton didn’t tell anyone, not even his wife Grete about his wartime rescue efforts. In 1988, a half century later, Grete found a scrapbook from 1939 in their attic, with all the children’s photos, a complete list of names, a few letters from parents of the children to Winton and other documents. She finally learned the whole story.

In the video below, the survivors gathered to give him a wonderful surprise:


- See more at: http://truthseekerdaily.com/2013/11/surprise-man-finds-audience-full-people-saved-children-nazi-camps-wvideo/#sthash.SOvJcNNI.dpuf

Jerusalem, Holy to All Religions. Responsible Archivists Are Digitizing their Vintage Pictures

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)



Beneath Robinson's arch on the western wall of the Temple Mt. complex  (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890)

The Chatham Library archives contains 110 photos of the Holy Land, but we have focused on the photos of Jerusalem.  We present today the third part of our series.  

Reconstruction model of the Arch
(Wikimedia Commons)

We express our admiration and gratitude to the archivists at Chatham University for digitizing these hand-colored slides dating back to about 1890. 

The picture of Robinson's Arch published above is the base of a massive arch built by King Herod.  Archaeologists believe it was the anchor for a large bridge or staircase from the top of the Temple Mount.




Map of Jerusalem (Chatham University Archives, circa 1895). Note the "Railroad
Station" on the bottom left (in the photo below). The Jerusalem Train Station was completed in 1892.
The Chatham collection also contains a map of Jerusalem. 

Note that few buildings were to be found outside of the Old City walls.

The Jerusalem Railroad station was completed in 1892, and can be located at the bottom left of the map.  The map, therefore, was printed after 1892.

The reference to the train station can also date the following picture's caption.  The photograph was taken near the location of the Mt Zion Hotel of today, itself the refurbished St. John's Eye Hospital established in 1882.

"Jerusalem - Road to the Station." The road starts at the Jaffa Gate and passes over the Hinom Valley
and Sultan's Pool  (Chatham University Archives, circa 1895)

The Mosque of Omar (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890).  The second mosque on the Temple Mount, 
the al-Aqsa Mosque, is holier to Muslims than the Mosque of Omar, but 19th and early 20th century photographers focused much more on "the Dome of the Rock" Mosque of Omar


Inside the Dome of the Rock, Mosque of Omar (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890). The photo
appears to be a colorization of a photo by Maison Bonfils. According to Jewish tradition, the rock is the
foundation stone of the Jewish Temples. See more here.

(Love For His People Editor's Note: I was inside the rock in 1989, when we were allowed. It is believed to be the rock on Mount Moriah where Abraham was to offer up his son Issac. Steve Martin)

Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890)

(Love For His People Editor's Note: Notice the ladder on the 2nd floor above. It is still there! (as of Nov. 10, 2013 when we were last in Jerusalem.) It has now been there for 400 years we are told when we visit here.)

Amidst the ancient Jewish graves are the tombs of "Absalom (from left to right), Zacharias
 and James," in the Kidron Valley (Chatham University Archives, circa 1890)

My office desk. Reflects my heart.

A corner of my desk. You should see the rest of the cubicle! :)

Blessings on ye head,

Steve

P.S. I do leave a little space to do my actual accounting work...



And just so you aren't kept wondering, here are a few more...


As you walk in...

And turn to the left... 


The left corner of my desk...sharing some joy in the world!


                      In the back corner...



So come visit some time! Uptown Charlotte has some great places for lunch...

Steve


And just added this morning...postcards from Chicago, that my "adopted son" at the office, Chris, just brought me after his trip. Love getting postcards from around the world! 

In case you have one to send: 
Love For His People, Inc. 
P.O. Box 414 
Pineville, NC 28134

Love Shared From Sweden

Sweden's Flag

Editor's note: Occasionally I'll get an e-mail which I like to share with you reading this blog and on our other social media connections. This is one I received Nov. 24, 2013 from a friend in Sweden. (I do not share her name.)
I have shared her poems before. This letter really shows a love for the Jews and people in the Church. She also has a pastor's heart, which I admire. May you be blessed as you too read her words, and the poem which follows.

If you would like to share your heart with us too, please write me at loveforhispeople@gmail.com
If permission to share with others is granted too, I will certainly consider posting it! (Please advise.) 

In this letter, whatever is italicized, except for the poem, I added for clarity. I also added the artwork.

Blessings on ye heads!

Steve Martin
Love For His People,
Charlotte, NC USA


Shalom Steve!

Thank you for your letter! Often when you write to a ministry it is my experience you do not get any answer at all. But you answer and that is a comfort.

 I was crying because I was longing to Israel not because of the Jewish people that evening. But I am also crying for the Jews. I pray regularly for Israel and Jews and I believe as you said as Jesus did when He wept over Jerusalem that we need tears in prayers for the Jews and Israel. Also for other people. We need tears in prayers for our relatives. 

I do not have a congregation and pastor/pastors couple just now. Thank you for your comfort. I have many friends but they live in different places but I and a friend also pray that there will come Christians and live close to each other. There will maybe be a new congregation. 

Church for me is not meeting just in a church- building even if we need church meetings but the church is not meant to be the building but Body of Christ and Jesus as the head. We can read in 1 Cor.12 about that we Christians need each other much in friendship -not just meet in any church building but as friends . 

As a usual body has differents parts we need each other with different gifts. It is not meant that a man will be the church as you sometimes see but the Body of Christ standing together like one man. Today there is much unpersonality in Body of Christ as least as I have seen here. 

There can be club when God wants it to be family. It can take time but God do not want club for years, You cannot know all well but if club is all a congregation have then there need to be a change, The relation - friendship with Jesus is however first. He is not impersonal. 

We need to forgive people, not being bitter to anyone and prayer needs for Body of Christ but Jesus say that love we get from God is a testimony to the world. John.17:21. When they see love among Christians they can get saved you understand from this Bible Scripture. We can read in Acts. 2:46 that Christians were breaking bread from house to house. They ate together and had fellowship. We need take that back to the Body of Christ because it has been stolen much from us in the Body of Christ. 

Several pastors do not know the father's heart with practical care and compassion because they do not understand just to take a cup of coffee/tea and talk - have fellowship with people and they do not understand the importance of hospitality. A cup of coffee can sometimes save a life for anybody crushed inside and without any friends I think. People can make many mistakes but it is not good when Christian leadership does not understand the importance of this in their thinking. 


You must not be bitter or disappointed to this kind of leadership. We are all saved by grace but the sheep are suffering when a pastor/pastor couple have a "money car maybe for a million but the sheep nearly have no food or clothes for their children. Our heavenly Daddy has a lot of love and Christian leaders who have not learned to know God's heart so they understand fellowship and importance of practical care need to get their blind eyes open. I think a real revival is when people who has received Jesus live as they did in Acts as in Acts.2:46. 

No one has greater love then anybody giving his life for his FRIENDS, as Jesus says in John.15:13. Jesus showed practical care and had fellowship at the sea in John.21.He likes when we have fellowship -talk with Him and be in his presence -in prayer life. Fellowship with God and fellowship with each other goes hand in hand. 

He gave all He had for us - everything for the sheep. He told us in Body of Christ to wash each others feet as I think not just about to be humble but showing care to each other . 

Many Christians are wounded today and need love. Also the world is full of people who need love. Sometimes a smile can save a life I think. My favorite chapter is Isaiah.53 because I think about how much Jesus suffered because of love.

You told me about the elderly man who got an visa. I do not have Facebook and I do not know if I will have or not. I did not know that you had at YouTube anything. Will look later. (Love For His People YouTube)

Steve & John Ebenezer from Hyderabad, India

Nice an elderly man got an visa (from India, for our Ahava Adventures trip to Israel in Nov. 2013.

I send you my latest poem as I made for a friend some time ago. It's for anybody having pain inside soul, who need inner healing or so.

Thank you for your webpage and showing care to people! Thank you for blessing Israel and the Jews!

Blessings.


JESUS- YOUR HEART WAS CRUSHED FOR ME


The thorns were many on my way.
Suddenly I fell when I thought it could not be worser... 
I thought I were alone and You were in a distant place far away.
Then I realised you had not left me...
You were closer than ever...
You carried me like a precios lamb in your arms...
You saw me - as you counted 
my hairs you saw every tear-every drop on my cheeks...
Your drops of blood you had in Gethsemane you had for me - 
every drop was in deep pain because you knew 
what pain you had to suffer- but you 
did it for me.
You did not open your mouth.
Your heart was crushed for me...


Isaias.53:7, Isaias.40:11, Ps.23.






Sunday, November 24, 2013

HE IS


Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish Friends! (The Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights starts Nov. 26 Wed. PM for 8 Days)


Blessings on ye heads!

Steve & Laurie Martin
Love For His People



Hanukkah  (Jewish Festival)
Image Courtesy: wikiPedia

Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication celebrated by the Jewish community all over the world. This festival takes place in December every year right around the same time that Christmas is celebrated for non-Jewish Christians. The festival lasts for eight nights where a candle is lit every night on a menorah hence being given the name the festival of lights. The literal meaning of Hanukkah is to dedicate. The Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple on that day.

There is series of rituals performed by the Jews during these eight days of the Hanukkah festival. Some of them are family based and some are collective. There are significant addends to the daily prayer and an additional prayer is added on to the blessing after a meal. It is different from other rituals because there is no special celebration where Jewish people are able to get off of work. Jewish people go to their work as usual but typically leave work early to light the candles before nightfall. Because of the fact that this is not considered as one of the primarily religious holidays schools typically don’t close. In Israel school remains closed from day two of the festival through to the last day of Hanukkah.

Over the course of this eight day festival many families give each family member and even friends one gift per night. Additionally, people eat an abundance of friend food during this time to celebrate the important role oil plays during Hanukkah celebration. There are three kinds of blessings which are recited throughout this eight day festival. There is a particular procedure of their recitation. On the first day all of three blessings are recited. On the next night they recite only two and so on.

There are other ways that Hanukkah is celebrated depending on what part of the world you live in. For some families, they may sing Hanukkah songs instead of lighting candles on the menorah. Other activities that families often do together for Hanukkah, are making baked goods such as pastries, cookies and other traditional Jewish food and playing games with a dreidle, which is a wooden octagon shaped “top” that has certain Jewish related symbols. Depending on the symbol that shows up when you spin it and it stops you have a specific action to do. This is a favourite amongst children in the Jewish faith.