Reclaiming the High Places for the God of Israel - Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY

Reclaiming the High Places for the God of Israel

Thursday, September 15, 2016 |  

Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY

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Bible

“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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NEW VIDEO: Debunking Planned Parenthood myth - Lila Rose LIVE ACTION

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. Watch Live Action’s new “3% Abortion Myth” video, then share it on Facebook with everyone you know.  For your friends who aren’t on Facebook, click here to e-mail them this YouTube link. 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.

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'I Needed Peace, He Was There.' Iranian Prisoner Finds Jesus Before Execution - CBN News Benjamin Gill

'I Needed Peace, He Was There.' Iranian Prisoner Finds Jesus Before Execution

09-14-2016

CBN News Benjamin Gill

A prisoner who was executed recently by Iran wanted the world to know he became a follower of Jesus Christ while in prison.

Alireza Asadi had been convicted on charges of drug trafficking. After a year in prison, he told his brother he had become a Christian.

Revival in Iran: 'I Want to Be a Christian'
 A great revival is underway within the Islamic Republic of Iran

Before his execution on August 27, Alireza had asked his brother Mohsen to tell the world about his newfound faith in Christ.

Mohsen told the Farsi Christian News Network about when he first found out his brother had become a believer.

"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.

Pastor Saeed Pleads for First Female Underground Church Leader in Iranian Prison

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.

BIN EXCLUSIVE: Prophetic Lost Stone From High Priest’s Breastplate Believed Found After 1,000-Year Journey - Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

(Shutterstock)

BIN EXCLUSIVE: Prophetic Lost Stone From High Priest’s Breastplate Believed Found After 1,000-Year Journey

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz September 14, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“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.

Why Record Israel-US Military Aid Deal Has Skeptics Concerned - CBN News

Why Record Israel-US Military Aid Deal Has Skeptics Concerned

CBN News 09-14-2016

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- The U.S. and Israel concluded a 10-year military aid package due to be signed on Wednesday. The $38 billion package is "the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in U.S. history," the Obama administration said.

But it also includes major concessions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- and that has some analysts worried.

"I think the aid package is designed first and foremost to help the Obama administration and Obama personally and the Democratic Party establish that they are friends of Israel after seven of the worst years in American-Israeli relations," author and historian Dr. Michael Widlanski told CBN News.

"And I think it's also part of the Obama philosophy to try and constrict Congress's ability to help Israel against White House," Widlanski he added.

Jerusalem Post analyst Herb Keinon took a different tack.  

"Now that the deal is locked in, there will be much hand-wringing and speculation over what could have been, and what Netanyahu should have done differently," he wrote on Wednesday.

But Keinon says there's no way to know if there could have been a better deal.  Still, he believes that the aid package is generous and goes "a long way toward ensuring Israel's military superiority in the region," and that it sends a message to the Israel's enemies that "America still very much has Israel's back."

Widlanski and others have noted, however, that the new deal will force Israel to spend the entire sum of money in the U.S. more than previous agreements, which could damage Israel's own military industry.

Two months ago, Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick saw problems coming.

"There is the issue of the deal's impact on Israel's military industries, which are the backbone of Israel's strategic independence," Glick wrote.

"The implications for our military industries are dire," she warned. "Not only will thousands of Israelis lose their jobs. Israel's capacity to develop its own weapons systems will be dangerously diminished."

Under the current defense package, Israel spends around 25 percent of the aid in Israel itself.  By the end of the 10-year new package all the money will have to be spent in the U.S.

The late North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms used to call Israel "America's aircraft carrier in the Middle East," saying that the foothold Israel provided America justified the U.S. military aid to the Jewish state.

Widlanski said for America's sake it's better that Israel has an independent military industry.

"Under the usual aid package, Israel was able to use some of the monies for locally buying and that's very important.  You don't want to destroy your own industry when you're getting help from a great friend like the United States," Widlanski said.

"I think that that's a mistake ultimately for American interests because Israeli independence of thought, technology is something that's very good for the U.S," he said.

PM Netanyahu just ROCKED the world in this 2 minute speech - ISRAEL VIDEO NETWORK

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu just ROCKED the world in this 2 minute speech Are Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria an obstacle to peace? Are the millions of Arabs living inside Israel obstacles to peace? Prime Minister Netanyahu makes it clear that ethnic cleansing and Judenrein are terms that will no longer be a part of the future of the Land of Israel. Ethnic cleansing for peace – what the Arab side proposes – is nothing more than blatant hatred of Jews and Israel

Desperately Poor Teens In America’s Impoverished Inner Cities Are Trading Sex For Food - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Desperately Poor Teens In America’s Impoverished Inner Cities Are Trading Sex For Food Posted: 13 Sep 2016  Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG When people get hungry enough, they will do just about anything for some food.  According to brand new research that was just released this week from Feeding America and the Urban Institute, there are millions of teenagers in America that live in “food insecure” households, and researchers were stunned to learn what some of these teens are willing to do to feed themselves.   Some resort to shoplifting, others deal drugs, and there were a surprising number of participants in the study that actually admitted to trading sex for food.  It wouldn’t be a shock to hear that these kinds of things are going on in an economically-depressed nation such as Venezuela, but this is the United States of America.  We are supposed to be the wealthiest nation on the entire planet.   Sadly, even while the stock market has been soaring in recent years, poverty in America has been on the rise.  For those on the low end of the economic scale, things have gone from bad to worse since the end of the last recession, and millions of children are deeply suffering as a result. Let’s start with some of the hard numbers.  The following comes directly from the Urban Institute website… An estimated 6.8 million people ages 10 to 17 are food insecure, meaning they don’t have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food. Another 2.9 million are very food insecure, and roughly 4 million live in marginally food secure households, where the threat of running out of food is real. Food insecurity takes a tremendous toll on teenagers. Poor nutrition—and the stress of hunger and poverty—can jeopardize their physical and mental health and development and their academic success. But despite the gravity and prevalence of teen food insecurity, we know very little about how these young people experience and cope with hunger. The researchers already knew that lots of young people were hungry in America.  But what surprised them were the lengths that many of these youngsters said that they would go to in order to get food… Some of the youths said they or someone they know — mostly young men — have turned to shoplifting food, selling drugs or stealing items to sell. The teens also reported knowing young women who have sold their bodies for food or had sex for money so they could buy food for their families. Going to jail or failing a class in order to have to attend summer school were also some of the lengths teens went to. Could you imagine your daughter or your granddaughter exchanging her body for food? For most of us that is absolutely unthinkable, but the truth is that this is taking place on the streets of America every single day. And this wasn’t just some blind random phone survey.  The researchers conducted personal interviews with focus groups, and what these kids were willing to admit doing was absolutely astounding.  Here is another excerpt directly out of the report… When faced with acute food insecurity, teens in all but two of the communities said that youth engage in criminal behavior, ranging from shoplifting food directly to selling drugs and stealing items to resell for cash. These behaviors were most common among young men in communities with the most limited job options. Teens in all 10 communities and in 13 of the 20 focus groups talked about some youth selling sex for money to pay for food. These themes arose most strongly in high-poverty communities where teens also described sexually coercive environments. Sexual exploitation most commonly took the form of transactional dating relationships with older adults. In a few communities, teens talked about going to jail or failing school (so they could attend summer classes and get school lunch) as viable strategies for ensuring regular meals. Many of these young people understand that what they are doing is wrong.  Just consider what some of them told the researchers… A girl in Portland, Oregon told researchers: “It’s really like selling yourself. Like you’ll do whatever you need to do to get money or eat.” Another comment from Portland: “You’re not even dating … they’ll be like … ‘I don’t really love him, but I’m going to do what I have to do.’” Many prefer to rationalise what they are doing as dating of sorts. A boy in rural North Carolina said: “When you’re selling your body, it’s more in disguise. Like if I had sex with you, you have to buy me dinner tonight … that’s how girls deal with the struggle … That’s better than taking money because if they take money, they will be labeled a prostitute.” When I read the information in this report, I was stunned.  Yes, I write about our economic decline and the rise in poverty all the time, but I didn’t know that things were this bad. And the researchers were surprised by what they were hearing as well.  One of them said that the fact that girls are trading their bodies for food “was really shocking to me”, and she believes that things are “just getting worse over time”… “I’ve been doing research in low-income communities for a long time, and I’ve written extensively about the experiences of women in high poverty communities and the risk of sexual exploitation, but this was new,” said Susan Popkin, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and lead author of the report, Impossible Choices. “Even for me, who has been paying attention to this and has heard women tell their stories for a long time, the extent to which we were hearing about food being related to this vulnerability was new and shocking to me, and the level of desperation that it implies was really shocking to me. It’s a situation I think is just getting worse over time.” But aren’t we being told that things are getting better? Aren’t we being told that our leaders “fixed” the economy? Of course the truth is that America is mired in a long-term economic decline that stretches back for decades.  With each passing year the middle class gets smaller as a percentage of the population, and poverty continues to grow.  Last year the middle class became a minority of the population for the first time ever, and a lot of formerly middle class Americans are now among those that aren’t sure that they are going to have enough food to eat this month. Hunger in America is a major crisis and it is growing.  Just because you may live in a comfortable home in a wealthy neighborhood does not mean that this problem is not real. Tonight there are millions of Americans that do not know where their next meal is going to come from, and they deserve our love and compassion.