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.
Lefaneicha ani mishtachave al birkai
Noten lecha samchut al kol yamai
Ahalel Otcha lanetsach ki Ata Adonai
Ata levadcha Yeshua simchat chayai
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh Ata
Kadosh, Kadosh Ata
I worship before You, Lord I'm down on my knees
Giving You all my days, my God and my King
I will praise You forever Lord for You are Adonai
You Alone Yeshua are the joy of my life
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh Ata
Kadosh, Kadosh Ata
(Holy are You)
The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and Israeli Tourism Ministry will honor Dr. Myles Munroe at their ninth annual “Night to Honor Our Christian Allies.”
Wide view of the Knesset. (photo credit:MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
A consortium of Israeli archeologists and anthropologists announced the discovery of the oldest human skull ever found in the Middle East on Wednesday.
The partial skull, discovered nearly seven years ago, was found in the Manot Cave in Western Galilee.
The announcement comes after years of painstaking lab analysis to verify its date of origin, and according to Dr. Omry Barzilai of the Antiquities Authority, the 55,000-year-old skull is “one of the most important discoveries in the study of human evolution.”
“This rare skull constitutes the earliest fossilized evidence outside of Africa, indicating that today’s human population originated from East Africa and migrated from there 65,000 years ago,” he said while standing behind the skull, several meters outside the cave.
Barzilai added that the cave’s entrance collapsed over 30,000 years ago, nearly hermetically sealing the site in an excellent state of preservation.
A subsequent morphometric analysis of the skull determined that it indeed belonged to modern Homo sapiens, he said.
“Cave sites usually leave remains open to later intrusions, but the fact that the cave collapsed 30,000 years ago allowed us to explore archeological surfaces that were not subjected to human intrusions,” Barzilai continued.
“It is one of the best preserved sites in Israel and we expect to find more [remains].”
Indeed, Prof. Israel Hershovitz, an anthropologist from Tel Aviv University who helped oversee the analysis, said the cave’s seal ostensibly froze its human contents in time.
“The most exciting thing about this cave is that no one has stepped in it for 30,000 years,” he said. “Imagine someone entering your house after 30,000 years, and all the dishes and furniture are still exactly where you left them.”
“When it collapsed it was like a time capsule, or prehistoric lab,” added Dr. Ofer Marder, a professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
“It was perfectly preserved.”
Hershovitz explained that two main migrations occurred out of East Africa to the Middle East by archaic and modern Homo sapiens roughly 120,000 years ago and between 60,000 and 70,000 years ago, respectively.
However, he noted that archaic Homo sapiens, which were a variation of modern Homo sapiens, never made it past the Middle East, while modern Homo sapiens thrived, and successfully continued their migration to Europe and Asia.
“This connects the link of modern Homo sapiens out of Africa to modern man,” said Marder. “This group is special because it went on to conquer the world, whereas archaic Homo sapiens died here.”
Hershovitz said that modern man went on to replace and breed with indigenous populations, including Neanderthals, in the Middle East, Western Asia and Europe. He added that as a result of the interbreeding, most human beings have between 1 percent to 4% Neanderthal DNA.
“One of the migrant routes by which modern humans spread out across the world passes through the Levant [Mediterranean Basin], which is the only land crossing between Africa and Europe,” he explained. “But until now, no modern human remains that date to the period between 45,000 and 65,000 years ago were discovered.”
Asked why only the skull was located from the corpse, Marder said he could not be sure, but theorized that either hyenas indigenous to the area dragged it there, or that it was moved by water activity.
Still, Marder added that he is confident that more remains will be found in the area during ongoing excavations.
To date, five excavations seasons between 2010 and 2014 have been conducted in the cave, located 40 kilometers northeast of the Mount Carmel prehistoric caves.
The study of the skull was a joint project of the Antiquities Authority, Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University and was funded by the Dan David Foundation, Israel Academy of Sciences, Irene Levi Sala CARE Archeological Foundation and Leakey Foundation.
The discovery is featured in the new issue of Nature magazine, released Wednesday.
The death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is creating instability in one of America's strongest allies in the region, and the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is threatening to bring death and destruction to neighboring countries.
How are Israel and America responding to the many crises shaking the region and why is the Obama administration working to see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defeated in upcoming elections?
CBN News Senior Editor John Waage and Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck share their insight. Watch the interview.
Have you noticed that reality TV shows are sweeping our nation? Like it or not, programs such as NBC's Fear Factor and The Apprentice, ABC's Extreme Makeover and Fox's American Idol are revolutionizing the way millions of us entertain ourselves.
Though some of these shows contain objectionable content, I must admit to enjoying CBS' Survivor program. Survivor has an interesting set-up: For 39 days, 16 to 20 castaways are stranded in a dangerous, remote location. They are forced to band together and carve out a new life. They have to use their wits to form tribes, build shelter, find food and win rewards.
Day by day, the rough conditions and competitive challenges test the endurance of the survivors while cameras capture their unscripted experiences. Those who succeed are rewarded and stay in the game. Those who fall short risk being voted off at Tribal Council. Each week, another contestant is voted off, until only the Sole Survivor remains to claim the reward: $1 million.
When I first saw Survivor, I was overcome with a strange deja vu experience. Where had I seen this kind of reality--the social cliques, secret divisions, unbridled rivalry and shocking betrayals--before? Then it came to me: I know where I've seen this. These people are in my church, and they're playing this game!
That's when an idea for another reality series was born in my heart: Survivor: The Local Church! OK, this may be a little over the edge, but before you vote me off the island, just think about it.
As believers in local churches, we are like strangers stranded in a strange world. We band into groups, carve out new lives and struggle to work together. All too often, we hurt each other and lose our rewards. Shouldn't we learn how to overcome these challenges and become soul survivors?
Survival Skills
All kidding aside, as a pastor, I want to see people become successful in the local church experience. God designed the church as a place of healing, blessing, maturing and restoration for our lives, and it can work beautifully.
But since we're talking about reality, we should face the fact that sometimes the church can be a pretty dangerous place. Anyone ever been abandoned by a distracted leader? Betrayed by a brother or sister once trusted? Blindsided by a church split?
Despite the many blessings of the local church, we can be hurt there, especially if we don't know what the rules are. In Survivor, everyone has to follow the rules of the game or lose the chance to win. What are some rules we should stick to as we work toward surviving in the sometimes-perilous setting of the local church?
1. Don't compete with other members of the tribe. Ted faded out of his church because he constantly clashed with Gene. It didn't seem right to Ted that Gene was made an elder. He himself had been in the church a long time. Why hadn't he been promoted?
Nobody wins when carnal competition kills the spirit of unity. That's why Paul warned Timothy to mark those who have "an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk ... and constant friction" (1 Tim. 6:4-5, NIV). The health of any spiritual tribe begins with a love that draws them together into one heart and vision to succeed together.
2. Flow with your tribal elders. Will and Donna became enraged over the direction the worship pastor gave them for their dance ministry and began a subtle campaign against her in the church. Why couldn't they dance when and where they felt led? These man-made rules were grieving the Holy Spirit, they said. They eventually left, pulling their daughters out of the youth group and away from the friends they loved.
It may not be a popular truth, but the Bible teaches us to fully cooperate with our spiritual leaders--and for good reason. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls" (Heb. 13:17, NKJV). Having a balanced relationship with a healthy Christian leader is key to our survival. Resisting them is resisting God, and it opens the door to hardships (see Rom. 13:1-2).
When we have a disagreement with a leader, we should determine if it is a matter of essential biblical truth (such as the deity of Christ) or just a difference of opinion (such as what color the sanctuary chairs should be). If a leader is in violation of God's Word, humbly appeal to him. But when it comes to mere differences of opinion, the Lord expects us to cooperate for the sake of unity and our own spiritual health.
3. Avoid having unreasonable expectations of the tribe. Pam joined a church with high hopes that this would be the place where, finally, her deepest needs would be met--but within a year she announced that she was upset because the leaders never seemed to have enough time for her. She missed the message of David, who said, "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him" (Ps. 62:5).
Sometimes people get disappointed when they discover the church can't meet all their needs. The truth is, the church isn't supposed to meet all our needs. Only God can do that. Instead of expecting too much of others, we need to remember that people are not our source. Let's put our trust in God. He never disappoints.
The Ultimate Immunity Challenge
Survivor contestants are challenged to win immunity--a guarantee that they cannot be voted out of the game by their opponents at Tribal Council. In the local church version of Survivor, we are challenged to position ourselves to be immune to the attacks of our spiritual enemy. One of the ways we can do this is by understanding how to deal with the issue of offenses.
Nothing brings believers into defeat quicker than unresolved offenses. The enemy uses offenses to create an atmosphere of hostility and tension in a church. His goal is to sow seeds that lead to slander, backbiting and gossip.
When those dynamics are in operation, the church's mission is jeopardized because everything centers around selfish interests. Worst of all, the Holy Spirit is grieved, and close fellowship with Him is broken.
We can overcome the challenge of offenses by choosing the pathway of peace. Sue had worked hard to prepare for her ministry to the 4- and 5-year-olds on Sunday morning. She knew how important children were, and she didn't mind the extra responsibility when her turn came to help out in children's ministry.
Though it wasn't an easy job, Sue took special care to make sure that the children would enjoy their time learning about God's Word. When Troy slipped and banged his forehead on a bookshelf, Sue felt terrible.
She tried to explain how it happened to his mother, but before she could finish, Troy's mom interrupted curtly and accused Sue of neglecting the children. Those words were like arrows in Sue's heart.
But Sue was a strong believer and decided not to react unkindly or become offended. She knew that offenses could rob her of the blessings God had for her in children's ministry. Later on, she was able to smooth things out with Troy's mom, and they became close friends as a result.
Jesus marked out the pathway to peace in the local church, where He knew that issues would arise between believers. He said, "'If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother'" (Matt. 18:15). These powerful words confront us with at least three challenges we must press through when we are offended.
Can we keep it honest? When Jerry asked Marvin why he was upset, Marvin shot back, "I am not upset!" Oh, really? We need to get truthful with ourselves and then with those who have offended us. Cover-ups and denial are unhealthy and make us an easy target for the enemy. Jesus said, "Go tell your brother what your issue is."
Can we keep it private? When we go to our offender, we must do it privately. It's a mistake to bring others into our offense, even under the veil of "sharing prayer needs." Telling them of our hurt is a cheap attempt to chip away at the offender's character and a harmful violation of the spirit of unity and love.
Can we keep it redemptive? According to Jesus, the goal is to regain our brother. That's the power of the cross working in our relationships.
We've all seen attempts at reconciliation end up in a mess because the goal was to set the record straight instead of regain fellowship. But victory doesn't come when we humble our offender or prove him wrong; it comes when we make a faithful effort to restore the relationship.
By the way, keeping spiritual immunity involves a responsibility to listen when someone comes to us with a relational issue. Let's hear what the person is saying and examine ourselves to see if his perspective has merit. If there is a hurt, let's do our part to get it healed and move forward to a place of greater maturity.
We face an immunity challenge every time an opportunity for offense arises. Will we pick up the offense and risk losing our connection to God's people, or will we choose forgiveness and reconciliation? If we are wise, we'll follow the words of Jesus and keep it honest, private and redemptive.
What if we find ourselves in a spiritually unhealthy atmosphere? Is there ever a time when we might need to leave a church in order to remain a healthy survivor?
It is true that some church environments are toxic and even abusive. In those situations, we need to seek the counsel of mature and healthy believers and pray about God's order for our lives. He may well lead us to leave, but it is important that we "go out with joy and be led forth with peace" (Is. 55:12). It is never right to react out of offense or to create a division that brings harm to others.
You and I are not called to play games, but we are called to be spiritual survivors. Isaiah prophesied of a spiritual nation that would overcome the dangers of their day: "For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this" (Is. 37:32, NIV).
I believe we are the survivors God is passionately calling forth. It would be great if every local church were completely safe. But then, where would the challenge be, and how would we grow in a spiritual hothouse? If we'll apply the survival skills we find in God's Word, He will zealously watch over us to see that we thrive in the local church.
Let's renew our commitment to the local church. When we face pain, let's stay on the pathway of peace. And whatever we do, let's not give up on the very real blessings churches bring to our lives. We're called to be survivors, and that's a challenge we need to face together!
CHURCH SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
On the Survivor show, the contestants, or "survivors," are challenged to outlast, outplay and outwit one another. Scripture calls us to a different strategy:
OUTLOVE: "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Pet. 3:8-9, NKJV).
OUTSERVE: "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13).
OUTGIVE: "Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Heb. 13:16).
David Cannistraciis the senior pastor of GateWay City Church in San Jose, California. He travels internationally as a speaker and has written Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement (Regal) and God's Vision for Your Church (Regal). For more information, go to www.davidcannistraci.org.
I believe God is sending warning signals to His people all over the world right now, telling them a storm is coming. ((Flickr/MattysFlicks))
The year A.D. 2015 according to the Gregorian calendar, or 5775 according to the Hebrew calendar, is the Year of the Whirlwind. It is a year when everything is about to change, there is acceleration of events. For some it is going to be very exciting times, whereas for others it is going to be very challenging times. The line is being drawn in the sand and you will be on one side or the other, when the winds blow.
I live in the Midwest, and here we have a warning signal that goes off on the first Wednesday of the month at 1 PM, as a test to make sure the signal is working and so people know what the warning signal sounds like. I believe God is sending warning signals to His people all over the world right now, telling them a storm is coming. We see it on the news with the rise of various terrorist organizations, we see it in our falling gas prices, we hear about it through events in Ferguson, Missouri; Paris, France; and Malaysian airplanes. Jonathan Cahn wrote about it in his book called TheHarbinger, Mark Biltz speaks of it in his book called Blood Moons, and the Bible is talking about in Luke 6:46-49.
The Bible tells us that we are to be able to understand the seasons we are living in. I believe we are living in the best of times and the worst of times. I also believe our choices determine which of these times we are and will be living in. But God is giving us plenty of warning signals that the storm is coming, so we can make adjustments in preparation for the storm. If we can see the dark clouds forming, the wind picking up and can smell the rain, it is time to prepare for the storm.
I have known for a while and have been speaking that a storm is coming, but I never could pinpoint what it was going to do. Some people speak only judgment, while others speak only glory and good things, I was torn between the two thoughts, knowing it was both, but I was unable to discern what the purpose of the storm was. Then today as I was reading my Bible, the Lord revealed to me that the storm is coming to reveal our foundation. Luke 6:46 says, "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" This is not a rhetorical question, Jesus is making a statement of truth: Many call Him Lord, Lord, but very few actually do what He says. Jesus is asking us, right now, today, why do you call me Lord, Lord, (master, owner, authority) and not do what I say?
As I was meditating on this question, the Lord spoke to me and said, "It takes courage to follow Me." Many people follow leaders, pastors, other people they can see, but very few are following the Lord, for to follow Him takes courage. Jesus went on in this passage to describe two houses, one was built on a foundation, the other was built on the ground. To lay a foundation, you have to dig deep down to the rock, but to build on the ground, no digging is required, all you have to do is start building. Both are houses, both look the same on the outside, but when the storm hits, one will stand and the other will collapse.
A storm is coming, what you have built your house on will be seen, for the storm is coming to expose what is under the house, which most cannot see. Without discernment you cannot know what something is built on, for it looks like a house to the naked eye, but the storm is coming and some houses will stand and others will collapse.
The foundation that will withstand the storm is relationship. A love relationship with the Lord casts out fear (1 John 4:18), builds trust and produces obedience. The only foundation that will withstand the coming storm is one of love, for if you have not love, you are nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) and faith works by love (Gal. 5:6), so you have faith, hope and love, but still the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13). A storm is coming, but love wins!
Strange as it seems, most people do pretty good at knowing what they want. They may even have a good plan to get it. The problem occurs in the moment they need to take that one critical step that puts them over the top. What happens? Consistently, the focus and energy SHIFTS from moving TOWARD the vision and instead the energy refocuses on AVOIDING what they FEAR.
Not surprisingly the thing feared most is failure! Soooo some sort of procrastination or other self sabotaging antic shows up to make sure failure or embarrassment never occurs. Ironically, this pattern guarantees that SUCCESS in the manifestation of the vision never occurs either.
This cycle breaks the moment you discover that 90% of humanity will put more effort into avoiding what they fear than they will in perusing what they really want.
Singles stay single trying to avoid rejection. Employees stay under compensated avoiding the rejection of a raise or negative feedback on their performance. And even Pastors drive away the very people who can build their church out of fear of competition and comparison.
The remedy? SEE THE PATTERN and push past the fear. Everything you want is on the other side of a courageous choice!
