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.
Since US-brokered peace talks resumed at the end of July, Israeli and Palestinian delegations have held more than 15 sessions. The meetings, which took place in Jerusalem and Palestinian-ruled Jericho, focused on thorny “final status” issues: Jewish settlements, Palestinian refugees and the future borders of a Palestinian state; but the most dramatic debate was on Jerusalem.
US Secretary of State John Kerry stepped up the pressure on Israel to reach a deal within the nine-month framework (i.e., by the end of April 2014), warning that failure could spark a Third Intifada (Palestinian uprising).
“How many times does Israel have to make concessions until the world realizes that peace with the Muslim nations is almost impossible?” an official in the Prime Minister’s Office said to Israel Today. “The Arab states cannot come to terms with a Jewish state in their midst.”
The rest of this story can be read in the December 2013 issue of Israel Today Magazine.
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Holiness, mystery and ancient secrets: Inside the Vatican
Israel Hayom diplomatic correspondent Shlomo Cesana on his meeting with Pope Francis • "Jerusalem is important to both of us," I say. He smiles and recites a blessing in Latin: "Next year in Jerusalem."
Shlomo Cesana
Israel Hayom political correspondent Shlomo Cesana with the pope. "Jerusalem is important to both of us"
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Photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom
When you enter the catacombs of the Vatican, it is impossible not to remember the best movies made about the Holy See, whether it be "Angels & Demons" starring Ayelet Zurer and Tom Hanks, which is based on the book by Dan Brown, or "The Da Vinci Code" by the same author.
Holiness, mystery and ancient secrets go hand in hand in the imagination as well as reality. In the end, it is all based on the tradition of the Hanukkah holiday, which commemorates the miracles of the Maccabees who purified the Temple in Jerusalem and lit the menorah there.
Two hundred and five years later, the menorah was pillaged and taken into exile in a march of triumph to Rome, where the event was commemorated in relief on the Arch of Titus. More than 2,000 years later, the prime minister of Israel gave a silver menorah to the pope at the Vatican. Reality trumps any fiction.
Now the prime minister of the Jews is asking the pope -- the leader of 1.2 billion faithful -- to save the world from the forces of evil emanating from Tehran, and not to rely on the good graces of heaven.
The connection between Jerusalem and Rome goes back to ancient times. The foundations of Western culture were laid in Jerusalem and Rome.
In Jerusalem, the ethical prophets gave added value to the Torah set down by our forefather Moses, whether in relations between one person and another or between a person and their God. The vision of peace on earth and the hopes for salvation of our nation and of the entire world. These values reached Rome and the seat of Christianity and were distributed from there to the entire world.
Pope Francis has brought a new spirit to the Vatican. The symbol of the Vatican, the key that Jesus gave Paul in Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon, hangs at the entrance to his office and reminds us again, like all the beautiful wall frescoes, of the connection to the Torah of Israel, to the land of Israel and to Jerusalem. With a wide smile he extends a hand to me. "Jerusalem is important to both of us," I say, as someone who wrote the book "A Guide to the City of Jerusalem." He smiles and recites a blessing in Latin: "Next year in Jerusalem."
Prime Minister Netanyahu also met on Monday with the pope, accompanied by his wife, Sara Netanyahu. The two told the pope about their son who won the National Bible Contest, and the connection between Jewish sources and the foundations of Christianity. In the meeting with Pope Francis, who is expected to visit Israel in May 2014, the prime minister asked him to stay in Israel for five days and not three as planned, in order to have time to visit additional sites that are holy to Christianity. "Come to the synagogue in Chorazin, Jesus visited there," the prime minister said.
Netanyahu also gave the pope a copy, in English, of a book that his father Professor Benzion Netanyahu wrote about the Spanish Inquisition, as well as a large silver menorah. The pope gave Netanyahu a medallion bearing the figure of Paul -- Jesus' most important disciple. Later, when the prime minister was meeting with his Italian counterpart Enrico Letta, his wife Sara had lunch with the Italian prime minister's wife, Gianna Letta.
The two of them spoke of the Hanukkah holiday, about strengthening women and about the fact that the two of them continue to work despite their husbands' job as prime minister: Letta as a journalist and Netanyahu as a child psychologist in Jerusalem.
We first introduced our readers to theNarinskys' photographs in July 2013.
Last week we were contacted by Laurent Phillippe who introduced us to his Jewish post card blog which contains more photos taken by the Narinsky's. We're happy to present them here and to encourage readers to visit Phillippe's site.
To recap, Shlomo Narinsky was born in the Ukraine in 1885 and studied art in Moscow,
Paris and Berlin before moving to Palestine where he set up a studio. In 1916, Shlomo and his wife were exiled to Egypt by the Turkish rulers. They returned to the Land of Israel after the British captured the territory in 1918.
In 1932, the Narinskys opened a studio in Paris, but Shlomo was arrested when the Nazis captured France. He was later exchanged for a German spy caught in Palestine after the intercession of David Ben-Gurion and Yitzchak Ben-Zvi. The Narinskys returned to Israel, eventually moving to Haifa where Shlomo taught as a photography teacher. He died in 1960, relatively unknown.
Laurent Phillippe's collection also includes many vintage postcards/photographs of Jewish life a century ago in North Africa and Europe.
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Jewish village of Yavniel established in the Galilee in 1901 (Phillippe collection, 1921)
Jerusalem, a mosaic of different peoples, faiths, and nationalities. Nevertheless, despite this diversity, under the sovereignty of Israel, Jerusalem is a city that works. But has it always been this way?
The Christmas season is underway early in Bethlehem, as the town of Jesus' birth kicked off its celebration with a tree lighting ceremony Sunday.
Several thousand people gathered for the event in Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity. The church is built on the site where some Christians believe Jesus was born.
Last year, the tree lights were switched on in mid-December, but a Bethlehem official said the city is expanding the season to attract more visitors.
Christians make up a small minority of Palestinians, and Bethlehem is one of the only areas where Christmas is really celebrated.
Netanyahu-pope meeting at Vatican explores Middle East, papal trip to Israel
December 2, 2013 Jerusalem Telegraphic Agency JTA
(JTA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis in their first face-to-face meeting talked about the Middle East and plans for a papal trip to Israel, among other issues.
Also at Monday’s closed-door, 25-minute audience at the Vatican, Netanyahu presented the pope with a book about the Spanish Inquisition written by his father, the late historian Benzion Netanyahu. The dedication read, ”To the great pastor and guardian of our common heritage.”
The Vatican said in a statement that the talks focused on the “complex political and social situation in the Middle East, with particular reference to the reinstatement of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, expressing hope that a just and lasting solution respecting the rights of both parties may be reached as soon as possible.”
During the meeting, Netanyahu reiterated the invitation to the pope to visit Israel that was extended earlier by Israeli leaders. Media have reported that the pope may make the trip in late May, but Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said no date for such a visit had been set.
Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, who also attended the audience, reportedly told the pope, “We are expecting you, we can’t wait.”
The Vatican statement said that “aside from indicating the Holy Father’s plans for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land,” the pope and Netanyahu considered “various questions” regarding the status of Christians in Israel.
It said they also discussed lingering financial and other questions that have stalled full implementation of a formal bilateral agreement between Israel and the Holy See “in the hope that the Agreement which has been in preparation for some time may be concluded forthwith.”
Following the meeting, Netanyahu held bilateral talks with his Italian counterpart, Enrico Letta.
Netanyahu on Sunday night lit Hanukkah candles at Rome’s main synagogue, where he reiterated warnings about the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program. Netanyahu kindled the menorah with Letta.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Israeli leader repeated his warnings that the recent deal on Iran’s nuclear program was a “historic error.”
Letta said he “knew Israel’s positions, doubts and fears.” He said the current economic and social crisis fed “extremism, hate and intolerance,” and he pledged to resist the “racism, intolerance and xenophobia” that were growing in Italy “in a worrying manner.”
This week on Jerusalem Dateline: We take a special look at Rome, the world's second Holy City.
Take a tour of some of the most important sites in the Christian faith and the connections with Jerusalem, beginning with the Apostles nearly 2,000 years ago.
Also, spiritual warfare in Rome rages as the Catholic church fights the spread of satanic cults.
Plus, the story of a small band of Jewish believers who brought Christianity to Rome and the emperor who helped make it a global faith.
Australia recently surprised everyone by abstaining on two UN General Assembly resolutions targeting Israel, signaling that the folks “down under” are growing fed up with the world body’s biased approach to the Israeli-Arab conflict.
Like most other nations, Australia typically votes in favor of the dozens of UN resolutions targeting Israel every year. By the end of the General Assembly’s current session, it will have passed 22 resolutions against Israel, and only four against the rest of the world combined.
Australian media wondered: why the change? A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (pictured) told the Canberra Times that the recent abstentions “reflected the (Australian) government’s concern that Middle East resolutions should be balanced.”
The newspaper noted that the two resolutions on which Australia refused to vote condemned Israeli “settlement activity,” while making no mention whatsoever of continued Palestinian terrorism and incitement.
In related news, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper continued to demonstrate his overt support for and love of Israel in his attendance of the annual Jewish National Fund gala dinner in Toronto.
Harper told the attendees that “Israel will always have Canada,” before taking the stage and delighting the guests as the lead singer of a four-man rock band.
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Editor's Note: I am a BIG fan of Australia now! Steve Martin Love For His People
At first, I thought it was New Age culture. But I was wrong. It was occultism.
As I strolled through the streets of Key West on a 24-hour getaway with my daughter, I noticed something that I had never witnessed in Key West before: Occultism seems fully woven through the culture.
I’ve been going to Key West for more than 20 years and have spent weeks at a time on the tropical island. But something disturbing had happened in the 10 years since I last visited—and it’s merely a microcosm of what’s happening in the world today.
You can no longer walk down Duval Street—the famous drag of shops and restaurants—without running into the likes of Mahadeo Jerrybandhan, a renowned “peerless palmist” from Trinidad with a long white beard and an even longer white robe. But Jerrybandhan is not alone. He has plenty of peers in Key West, from psychics to mediums to channels to healers to tarot card readers to astrologers. The only group I didn’t find down there were the crystal readers.
Then there’s “Robert the Doll.” Key West profiteers have designed so-called ghost tours that explore the haunted history of Key West, including old wooden houses where spirits purportedly walk. Tour guides will tell you that Key West is one of the most haunted cities in the world with elevated paranormal activity. A local voodooistic icon, Robert the Doll will supposedly curse you if you take his picture without permission or forget to thank him for the privilege.
The Abomination of Occultism
As you can imagine, seeing all this grieved my spirit. But I should not have been so surprised. Occultism has been slowly creeping into American culture for decades as movie makers exalt witchcraft and vampires while the music industry pumps occult rock. Beloved, we are in the midst of a great spiritual crisis even now. Our literature, music, video games, comics, films and television shows are full of mysticism and the occult. Some of it is subtle. Some of it is blatant. All of it is wicked.
Again, this is nothing new. Occultism—which broadly includes magic, séances, channeling, hypnosis, necromancy, astrology, extra-sensory perception, alchemy, spiritualism and divination—is strongly condemned in the Bible.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire [which is an ancient occult practice], or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord” (Deut. 18:10-12).
The Lord rebuked Israel for practicing astrology (Is. 47:10-14). Jezebel practiced witchcraft (2 Kings 9:22) and we know how that ended. Ephesus was known for a population that practiced magic arts (Acts 19:19). And the book of Revelation makes it clear that “the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
Kabbalah, Kundalini and Jezebel
And yet we see occult practices, like Kabbalah, gaining momentum in the church. We see "prophetic words" delivered in what appears to be Kundalini fashion, with violent shaking and demonic tongues against a backdrop of tribal bongos that set the congregation into hysteria. We see a Jezebel spirit working to seduce saints into idolatry and sexual immorality—and oftentimes succeeding. We see all sorts of strong delusion and strange fire with occultic ties in the modern church.
But we should not be surprised. The rise of occultism is a sign of the end times. Satan’s plan is to fascinate our hearts with occult power and deceive us. The Holy Spirit, meanwhile, wants to fascinate our spirits with a revelation of the Son of God. I believe God’s people are enticed by occultism when they begin seeking spiritual experiences above seeking God. It’s a subtle—and dangerous—shift. Many Christians are on fire for God, but that fire can suddenly turn strange if we are not rooted in the Word. If we seek supernatural experiences, we will find them—but they don’t always come from Jesus.
Beloved, we must not play with strange fire. Ultimately, the occult leads to murder and mayhem—immorality of all kinds. It’s not likely that you would ever willfully visit the likes of Mahadeo Jerrybandhan, the peerless palmist—or any of his peers. But could you ignorantly be engaged with occultic practices that are opening the door to deceptive dangers? Could it be coming from what appears to be godly influences—even within church culture?
Discernment or Deception?
Don’t brush the question off before praying about it. If you want the truth, the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into all truth. Please hear me! Even a little occult is a deadly poison—a little leaven leavens the whole lump. The Bible warns about deceptive teachers, false apostles and deceitful workers. The Bible warns about self-deception. And it’s your responsibility to keep your heart pure. If you've stepped into this demonic ditch, repent now and warn others.
Friends, we’re in an end-times war with eternal consequences. Satan is using the occult to seduce people away from the kingdom of God to dance in the kingdom of darkness. I pray that the Lord gives you discernment and awakens your spirit, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming (Matt. 24:42).
Let me leave you with a warning from the apostle Paul: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). Amen.
MorningStar Ministries Josh Baldwin leads the congregation into a time of intimate worship with the manifest presence of the Lord evident and tangible. Subscribe to receive updates. http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...
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