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.
The Bible has a lot to say about the resurrection from the dead—both Yeshua's and ours—at the end of the age.
To bring the dead to life in full glory is something the whole creation is yearning for (Rom. 8:18-23). We will be raised in a resurrection body that is as different from this one as the fully mature wheat plant is so much more "glorious" than a simple grain of wheat.
This new, heavenly body is imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual. Yeshua Himself is the resurrection. He is God's "firstfruits of the harvest from the dead" (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:23-44).
What could possibly be compared to this incredible hope, this awesome power that is at the core of our faith? What would it mean to say that something is actually like the resurrection from the dead?
Actually, there is one place in Scripture where such a comparison is made, as it describes the restoration of gospel faith among the Jewish people.
Life From the Dead
In Romans 11:12 and 11:15, the apostle Paul essentially says the same thing two different ways. The majority rejection of Yeshua by the Jewish people in the first century is described as "transgression," "failure" and "rejection." But in the mystery of God's plan, because of His covenant faithfulness, even this terrible hardening and judgment of Israel results in amazing "riches" and "reconciliation" for the nations (Gentiles).
Then, as Paul looks into a prophetic time tunnel toward the end of the age, foreseeing the time of Israel's restoration and "acceptance," he declares that this can only signal a "how much more" period of riches and reconciliation for the world that is–in its awesome power and drama—akin to "life from the dead," a kind of resurrection!
Beloved, this is exactly what we have been experiencing. As Israel—the Jewish nation—has been gradually restored over the last 130 years, both physically and spiritually through the gospel of Yeshua, we have witnessed the greatest expansion of worldwide Christianity since the first century. Missions, church growth, Bible translations and various prayer movements have been expanding at an exponential rate. All of this is the how much more of verses 12and 15.
We Live in an Amazing Time of Restoration
Over the last several years in the Gathering movement, we have been experiencing this special grace for "the reconciliation of the world." As Asher Intrater has written over the last two weeks (Part 1, Part 2), this has even come to touch very deep issues in the 4,000-year-old relational dynamics within the Abrahamic family in the Middle East. Last week, he and I and several others from Israel went to London to spend three days in worship, prayer and fellowship with many leaders, especially from Egypt. Our focus was not on reconciliation, but on coming together to worship the King. But as we did so, the Spirit moved powerfully, especially among the youth, to bring us to yet a deeper place of reconciliation, unity and a sense of shared destiny (Eph. 3:6).
Only a few years ago, if you had told me that we would have such meetings with so many Egyptian leaders, and that together the Holy Spirit would lead us into prophetically removing strongholds that have plagued our peoples and region for thousands of years, even from the time of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac, I would have said you were crazy! But it is happening!
We are living in this amazing time of the restoration (and reconciliation!) of all things spoken about by the holy prophets (Acts 3:21), like Isaiah's promise for Egypt, Assyria and Israel, as it begins to be fulfilled through a remnant from each nation (Is. 19:23-25).
All of this is a kind of "warm up" for the next Global Gathering that will take place in Jerusalem Nov. 7-11.We expect to see several thousand from the Far East, many hundreds from the Middle East, and many more from around the world as we gather at the Jerusalem Arena.
As in every gathering, our focus will be to joyfully worship Him in song, dance and proclamations. How exactly will the Holy Spirit lead? We don't know, but we are full of expectation, and we invite you to come and join. For more information about this next Gathering,click HERE!
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!
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“Why do you always feel you have to climb mountains?” my wife Linda asked me with a note of exasperation on our recent visit to see friends in Wales.
I avoided the standard answer, “Because they are there!” since, for me, that isn’t the reason; I am not looking to conquer Everest or anything like that, although I did scale the 10,000ft escarpment of the mighty Drakensberg range in South Africa when I was a teenager.
So, as I scrambled up the steep slopes of Cwmcarn in South Wales, I got thinking. And I concluded that it must be a spiritual quest to draw closer to God. It’s so exhilarating to get away from all the noise and clatter of daily life, breathe fresh clean air into your lungs and commune with the Lord about your concerns.
And I found myself reading with fresh insight about the transfiguration of Jesus – how he took his closest friends up a mountain to share in the mighty revelation of who he was. Yes, those who seek a closer walk with God will share in a greater revelation of his power. You will know, for sure, that he is the Son of God – and that you should “listen to him!” (Matthew 17.5)
A true mountaintop experience awaits those who witness the grandeur of our mighty Creator and hear his “still, small voice” just as Elijah did on Mt Horeb (1 Kings 19.12) and as Moses did on Mt Sinai, where he was instructed to write down the Ten Commandments. And in the Sermon on the Mount (of Beatitudes, above Capernaum), Jesus expanded on this with the most sublime teaching ever known as he showed that he had come, not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. Indeed, had Jesus appeared on the mountain with Moses and Elijah to emphasize this very point: that he had come to fulfill both the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah)?
God’s words are heard most clearly on the mountaintop. That’s why there’s an ongoing battle for the high places, both in the physical and spiritual realm. Thus the Golan Heights are strategically vital for Israel’s security. We also saw how Elijah, through his courage and confidence in God, defeated the false prophets on Mt Carmel. And there is an ongoing battle over Jerusalem – also known as Mt Zion – as evil schemes multiply against the city God calls his own.
Through our prayer and proclamation, we need to recapture the high places for the God of Israel, paving the way, in the spirit of Elijah and John the Baptist, for the return of the Messiah.
I’ll never forget an experience some 35 years ago when, on one of my mountain walkabouts, I gazed intently across the valley at a large cross erected on the hilltop as part of an Easter message.
It was dusk, the cross was lit up, and I found myself focusing my attention on the symbol, meditating on its meaning, when all of a sudden I was surrounded by a bright light. I checked to see if it might have been car headlights, but there was no-one about. It was an awesome, yet frightening moment as I felt the presence of God. I guess it was a little taste of what those three disciples felt on the Mount of Transfiguration. Matthew wrote that they were “terrified”. It’s not the sort of experience that is supposed to make us feel important, but to humble us, which is why the Master told them: “Don’t be afraid.”
On another occasion around that time, I was contemplating the launch of an evangelistic newspaper when, as I got to the top of a hill, I was stunned by the view before me. But the Lord dropped the words of Isaiah into my mind: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news…who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isa 52.7) Yes, an evangelist’s feet are more beautiful even than the mountains and valleys of our Creator! (The paper still circulates around the UK, and has won many to the Lord.)
And whereas the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai came amidst a terrifying spectacle of fire and shaking, the prophet Haggai wrote that a time would come when God would once more shake all nations (again preparing for the return of Messiah – see Haggai 2.6f) so that, as explained in Hebrews 12.27, what cannot be shaken will remain.
Talking of high places and what cannot be shaken, witness the amazing testimony of Stanley Praimnath, the only known survivor from the impact zone at New York’s World Trade Centre towers on September 11 2001.
As United Airlines 175 was about to strike Tower 2 in front of his very eyes, Stanley cried out to God and dived under his desk as part of the wing sliced through his 81st floor office. Everything was smashed except his desk which, with his Bible on top of it, provided him temporary cover before making his incredible escape. Within an hour, the 110-storey building collapsed, as its twin had done, leaving 3,000 dead and the iconic Manhattan skyline covered in smoke and dust.
Stanley’s riveting tale is chronicled in Plucked from the Fire (Rosedog Books) co-authored with William Hennessey.
“My survival is all about God and his grace, because I’m not a hero,” he says. “The Lord is the hero. If you call on Him with all your heart and soul, he will intervene on your behalf and deliver you.”
For him, 9/11 can also now be seen in a positive light as 91.1 – in other words, Psalm 91, verse 1, which says: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
I am particularly moved by the picture of the Bible on Stanley’s desk. As that massive skyscraper shook and collapsed from a blazing furnace, God’s Word remained – and saved its owner.
Speaking of the end times, Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24.35)
Why not climb that mountain and seek the Lord? You will surely hear his still, small voice.
Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon, and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com
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As Planned Parenthood spends $30 million* to influence the upcoming elections and our country’s political leaders, we are launching a brand new video today exposing one of the key myths America's largest abortion chain tells about its business.
To justify its half billion dollars in taxpayer funding, Planned Parenthood downplays abortion — falsely claiming that abortion only makes up three percent of its business — and instead plays up its cancer screenings and “women’s health care.”
However, Planned Parenthood’s own numbers prove its real priority is abortion. Planned Parenthood's own reporting shows it doesn’t perform a single mammogram, and it performs less than two percent of all women’s cancer screenings in the United States! Yet Planned Parenthood commits over 30 percent of America’s abortions - 887 abortions a day; over 320,000 abortions a year.
With your help, millions more Americans will be exposed to the truth, and we will continue to build public pressure to end the half billion dollars in taxpayer subsidies Planned Parenthood receives every year.
Please share the video today. Let’s prove that Planned Parenthood’s millions of dollars are no match for the millions of voices speaking up for the most vulnerable among us, our precious preborn children.
In the fight for life,
Lila Rose President Live Action
* "Inside Planned Parenthood's $30 Million Campaign For 2016," Huffington Post, May 16, 2016.
Invest in the work of Live Action
Unlike Planned Parenthood, we don't receive millions in taxpayer funding. Donate today to help us continue our life-saving work.
"One day, Alireza called and said, 'I came to Jesus and accepted Him as my Lord!'" Mohsen recalled.
"At that time it had been about one year since Alireza had been in prison, but he said he felt like a free man. He explained to us how he had forgiven everyone and reached a kind of peace that you could only experience with Christ. In prison, he talked about Jesus to his fellow prisoners, and they gathered together and prayed," he said.
Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini, who had once been held hostage for his faith by the Iranian regime, shared on Facebook a translation of Alireza's final conversation with his brother.
In that conversation Alireza talked about a Christian prisoner who had shared with him.
"I truly believe that there is a new season starting for me. And this new season is much, much more pleasant than the worldly life," he said. "I can finally be in peace. I don't have any stress or bad feelings and everything goes well with me."
Alireza went on to tell Mohsen that some of his old drug friends were in prison with him, and he had shared his faith with them.
"For many of you it was a question if I am a Christian or not. But now I say that I am a Christian. And now I have 1 or 2 days till I will die. And I hope it will never happen to you guys," Alireza recalls telling his friends.
"During these moments you forgive all the bad that has happened to you. But the most I want tell you is the best experience that I had. And that was meeting Jesus. And I don't want to force you guys, but please start to get to know Him. If you just read 2 sentences from the Bible, you will never leave it again," he told them.
Alireza said he had hoped to get out of prison to start preaching, but told his brother to spread the word of his salvation since he was about to be executed.
"When I ended up here in prison I realized that God is the true God. I wanted God to show himself to me," Alireza recalled. "He was there when I needed him. I needed peace, He was there."
"I lost many friends, but I know that I could find my comfort in Him. And when I commanded the devil to leave, I saw that the evil didn't dare to come near me anymore. I felt and saw that the name of Christ is the name above all names and that the enemy doesn't have any authority over me anymore," he said.
“And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel.” Exodus 28:9 (The Israel Bible™)
Sometimes incredible stories are actually true, and in this case, experts agree that a small onyx stone, claimed to be given to a Knight Templar over 1,000 years ago and handed down through one family from generation to generation, is actually what the present owner claims: a gem from the breastplate of the High Priest in Jerusalem.
The garments of the High Priest. (Library of Congress)
A Magical, Prophetic Stone?
The stones of the choshen mishpat, the High Priest’s breastplate, were referred to in the Bible as the urim v’tummim, a phrase that defies translation.
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aharon’s heart Exodus 28:30
The Talmud (Yoma 73a) describes how questions were put to the breastplate, and the stones would light up to spell out the answer. The book of Samuel lists the urim v’tummim as one of the three forms of divine communication: dreams, prophets, and the urim v’tummim.
And when Shaul inquired of Hashem, Hashem answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. I Samuel 28:6
Urim v’tummim (WikiCommons)
According to the Talmud (Yoma 21b), the urim v’tummim were lost when Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonians. The Book of Ezra mentions that individuals who were unable to prove, after the Babylonian captivity had ended, that they were descended from the priesthood before the captivity began, were required to wait until priests in possession of urim v’tummim were discovered.
In addition to the 12 stones mounted on the breastplate were two sardonyx stones fixed in gold settings on the shoulders of the High Priest.
And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel; and Aharon shall bear their names before Hashem upon his two shoulders for a memorial. Exodus 28:12
Experts believe this is one of those stones. If this is so, contained within it is the power of prophecy and it may play an important role in returning the Priestly Caste to serve in the Temple.
Discovery: Too Incredible to Believe
In 2000, Dr. James Strange, a noted professor in religious studies and archaeology, traveled to South Africa. An acquaintance suggested Dr. Strange contact a family she had met there and if he could, help them with a pro-bono appraisal of a gemstone. They were of humble means and Dr. Strange was a certified appraiser whose services were highly sought after.
Dr. Strange met with the family, intending to humor them. Instead, he was astounded by what they showed him. “I was indeed amazed at the gemstone,” Dr. Strange told Breaking Israel News. The stone itself was nothing special. A semi-precious sardonyx, it had little intrinsic worth.
The sardonyx stone, with the inscription visible inside. (Courtesy of owner)
But Dr. Strange was puzzled by the object he held in his hands. “I was unaware that anyone in the late Middle Ages had the technology to cut a hemisphere in such a medium, so I tried to exhaust all other explanations,” he said.
Even more astounding than the cut of the stone was the inexplicable inscription inside the stone, visible through the clear surface: two letters in ancient Hebrew. Dr. Stone wrote in his appraisal of the gem, “There is no modern or ancient technology known to me by which an artisan could produce the inscription, as it is not cut into the surface of the stone.”
Dr. Strange was an expert but when faced with such a mystery, he sought help. He turned to Ian Campbell, Director of the Independent Coloured Stones Laboratory in Johannesburg and a leading South African gemologist. Campbell was equally dumbfounded.
He studied the stone, trying to ascertain its origin. The owner’s story placing it on the High Priest’s breastplate were too incredible. But the family had documentation that traced its descent from a Crusader-period male ancestor who had been in the Holy Land in the Middle Ages and claimed the stone was a reward from the High Priest. Could it be true?
The Thousand-Year Story
According to the Auret family tradition, the ancestor, named Croiz Arneet deTarn Auret, received the stone from “the High Priest” in gratitude for his part in freeing Jerusalem around 1189. The custodianship of the stone was passed on in the Auret family through the male line until the nineteenth century. That tradition was broken when Abraham Auret passed away in 1889, bequeathing the stone to his daughter, Christina Elizabeth.
After her marriage to William James Hurst, the stone left the Auret name, and has been passed on from mother to daughter ever since. Meticulously recorded family trees and genealogical reports corroborate the story. The stone was passed on as an inheritance and is presently owned by an elderly woman in South Africa, who wishes to remain anonymous.
It has been strongly transmitted to each member of the family through the centuries that it was God’s hand that inserted the mysterious inscription inside the stone.
Experts Agree
The mystery of the writing remained. Dr. Strange noted that the stone had no external markings, so it clearly hadn’t been set in a ring or a necklace. He was forced to conclude that it had probably been set in a large plate or breastplate. He dated production of the stone to approximately the 5th century BCE.
As an appraiser, Dr. Strange could not erase all doubt, but he could certainly evaluate it as a one-of-a-kind. He appraised the stone’s value at $175-$225 million.
The sardonyx stone. in the papyrus casket in which it was carried (Courtesy of owner)
The gemologist, Mr. Campbell, photomicrographed (photographing via a microscope) the stone, confirming it had not been cut open to make the inscription. When asked to estimate the value of the stone, Mr. Campbell wrote, “How does one logically go about putting a value to something like a proven religious artifact that is a ‘one of’ article?”
He estimated that $200 million was a “fair starting point”.
The owner of the stone also consulted Professor M. Sharon from the University of Witwatersrand. The professor, an expert in ancient Hebrew, was given a photo of the stone. The blurry photographs hinted at something astounding but he had to be sure. Intrigued, he asked to examine the actual stone.
In his written report, he said that when he held it to the light, he was amazed to see very clearly inside the stone itself, two letters in ancient Hebrew. The letters seemed to be engraved or burnt into the heart of the stone.
“Due to the clarity of the letters and their fine definition it would be incredible if they are a coincidental natural formation in the stone,” he stated in his notarized report. “The lack of any apparent sign of interference with the surface makes the existence of the letters inside the stone a real enigma.”
He noted the inscriptions in ancient Hebrew script of what he described as “the equivalent of our ‘B’ and ‘K’.” He identified the style of script, dating it to be from the year 1000 BCE, give or take 200-300 years.
Dr. Joan Goodnick Westenholz’s sketch of the inscription. (Courtesy of owner)
In 1994, Dr. Joan Goodnick Westenholz, who served as Chief Curator at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, examined the stone. She concluded, “It is a unique object that has no similar or identical counterpart; it is the only one of its kind in the world.”
Dr. Goodnick Westenholz believed that the gem was “priceless”, estimating the date of the stone’s production to be approximately the 7th century BCE. She noted the inscription “in the shape of a possible letter is a ninth century form of an archaic Hebrew letter bet.”
In her notarized report, she observed next to the letter bet “what can be perceived as the image of a wolf.” She noted that the wolf corresponded to the blessing Jacob gave Benjamin.
Binyamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil. Genesis 49:27
But Is It True?
Dr. Westenholz , Dr. M. Sharon, and Ian Campbell have since passed away, but Breaking Israel News was able to confirm that their statements and documentation were genuine. Campbell’s apprentice, Jeremy Rothon, confirmed the original appraisal and told Breaking Israel News that he was well aware of the stone’s heritage. It had made an enormous impression on Campbell and he had discussed it at length with his student.
Dr. Strange remembers the stone very well, and is more convinced than ever of its authenticity. “A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then,” Dr. Strange told Breaking Israel News. “I calculated then that if it were a fraud, then one or more very similar others would show up on the international market rather soon, but to my knowledge none has.”
He called for new examination of the gem. “I think this object needs a new appraisal and as many scientific tests as possible to determine whether it is genuine,” said Dr. Strange. “If it turns out to be an artifact important to the history of the Jewish people, then that is truly wonderful. If it turns out to be a masterful fraud, then I will be pained that I was duped.”
The Journey Home
Aharon the High Priest. (Wikimedia Commons)
The present owner has contracted with a South African businessman to find investors who are willing to purchase the stone and bring it home to Israel. Both parties prefer to remain anonymous. When he saw the stone and understood what it was, the businessman was dismayed, understanding that it could easily turn into a commodity, an object of greed. He recognized that this small stone was an enormous part of Jewish history and set out to find an investor who would recompense the owner with the intention of bringing it to Israel and donating it to the Temple.
“I’ve been involved with deals like this before,” he told Breaking Israel News. “There are pieces of Egyptian heritage in museums all over the world. People find something and sell it, without thinking about what it is. That is what is done and it is a shame, even more so with this stone. Several people have been trying to buy or sell this stone, turning it into a business. All I really wanted to do was get the stone back to Israel where it belongs.”
Many people have begun to discount the Jewish connection to Israel and the Temple Mount, claiming the Jewish Temples are fairytale accounts. This small stone and its miraculous engraving that once lit up the High Priest’s breastplate are proof that the Temple stood in Jerusalem, and may signal the return of more artifacts that have been misplaced, waiting to return home.