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.
Popular Israeil singer Amir Benayoun has caused something of a stir by posting a new Hebrew-language song to Facebook in which blasts both Israeli and American leaders for giving up on a unified Jerusalem under Jewish control.
Titled "Jerusalem of Hussein," the song is a play on the national hymn "Jerusalem of Gold" by Naomi Shemer, and a clear reference to US President Barack Obama, whose midddle name is Hussein.
But it is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is first lampooned in the song's opening verse:
"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her, because the prime minster and all his friends apparently gave up on it a long time ago. Rejoice in Jerusalem while you still can, because behind our backs they have sold her..."
The first part of the verse is a direct quote from Isaiah 66, which most interpret as prophecying Israel's modern rebirth and the return of Jewish sovereignty to Jerusalem.
In the next verse, Benayoun turns his attenion to Obama:
"Rejoice in Jerusalem, and all who love her, celebrate, while it is still possible, because Hussein from America wants her, and he is determined and cruel."
Benayoun closes with another passage from scripture (Psalm 137):
"If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill."
In his comments accompanying the music clip, Benayoun urges viewers not to take the lyrics too seriously, stating that "things aren't really that bad."
The 38-year-old Benayoun's parents are of Algerian Jewish origin. He has won awards from Israel's top performing arts associations for his work, much of which is religious in nature and performed with a distinct Middle Eastern flavor. In 2011, Benayoun produced an album in Arabic as a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Syria.
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WINSTON-SALEM — Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” — or worship elsewhere.
“They basically called us freeloaders,” says Julie.
“We were freeloaders,” says Bob.
In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, bellwether mega-church Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked “non-participating members” to stop attending.
“No more Mr. Nice Church,” says the executive pastor, newly hired from Cingular Wireless. “Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission.”
“Freeloading” Christians were straining the church’s nursery and facility resources and harming the church’s ability to reach the lost, says the pastor.
“When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.
Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and “freebie events” but never volunteer, never tithe and do not belong to a small group or other ministry. The church estimates that of its 8,000 regular attendees, only half have volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.
“Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return,” says a staff member. “That’s changed. We’re done being the community nanny.”
Surprisingly, the move to dis-invite people has drawn positive response from men in the community who like the idea of an in-your-face church.
“I thought, ‘A church that doesn’t allow wussies — that rocks,’” says Bob Clark, who admires the church more since they told him to get lost.
He and Julie are now tithing and volunteering. “We’ve taken our place in church life,” he says. •
Love For His People Editor's Note: In January I wrote in my Ahava Love Letter - Now Think On This the topic, "Less IS More". (You can find it by using the SEARCH button in the top right hand corner of this blog.) Briefly, I shared that I believe the Lord is going to do away with the large ministries/one man band concept so prevalent these last 40 years, and focus on small teams. After all, that is how Jesus did it. And after all, He is God, Who knows how to do it right.
Here is what He said, "Let us go over unto the other side of the lake..." Keep in mind that if Jesus said they were going to the other side, that meant they were absolutely going to the other side. Nothing could stop His words from coming to pass because they originate in the Spirit and they produce life and action that impacts this natural realm!
The particular wording, "Let us go over" is dierchomai in Greek, and it means to TRAVERSE. Perhaps I am making more of it than should be, but I love that word "traverse!" The word traverse seems to be filled with adventure and destiny, and as we will see, their traverse to the other side of the lake indeed was filled with adventure and destiny.
Dierchomai is from the Greek words dia and erchomai. The word dia is a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act. The word erchomai has meanings that include -to accompany, appear, bring, come, enter. As I looked through the frequent usage of this word erchomai in the New Testament, it seemed to be used mostly in the context of "persons" coming, appearing, entering; it is used much less frequently in the context of "things" coming. I believe this is significant.
When we put these definitions together, we seem to have this declaration, Let us TRAVERSE as a channel of the act of the PERSON of Christ appearing and entering! I believe that He is calling us today to "Traverse in life as a channel through which the Person of Christ enters our sphere of influence!"
Traversing Through Life
He also said where they were going, "Unto the other side of the lake..." The word translated as "unto" is eis in Greek. It is a primary preposition meaning "to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or purpose." The particular wording, "the other side" is peran in Greek, meaning "to 'pierce' through, that is, across, BEYOND, farther." When we put ALL these definitions together, here is the bold declaration, Let us TRAVERSE as a channel through which Christ can pierce through into the BEYOND!
Friend, I believe that He is calling us today to "Traverse in life as a channel through which the Person of Christ enters our sphere of influence, piercing through obstacles and taking people BEYOND their current experience!
"And they launched forth..." What are we waiting for? It is time to launch forth into a new dimension of life... Christ is in the "ship" with us and nothing can stop His words from coming to pass.
Our verse goes on to say, "And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (Mark 4:36-37)
I don't know about you, but I do not want to be in one of those "other little ships." I want to be in the ship that Christ is in!
It seems in life that there are always those in "other little ships" that want to be around Jesus, but do not necessarily want to be in the ship WITH Him. I find it interesting that there is no more mention of those "other little ships" perhaps they did not make it through the storm.
Talk About Storms
"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." I believe that this is perhaps a prophetic picture of the times we are living in. Now then, I am NOT saying we are heading into a storm! I AM saying that there is a lot of TALK about storms and uncertainty!
It seems that everywhere you turn there are:
Political storms and uncertainty... Economic storms and uncertainty... Moral storms and uncertainty... The world seems to be full of storms and uncertainty... and it always HAS been! Unfortunately, we tend to look at the past through a lens of nostalgia and longing for a simpler time.
The trouble is, that time only exists in our memories and imaginations. I have been around long enough to know that there is always something potentially unsettling happening.
However, those who are wise always come out on top during storms and uncertainty! And why is this?Because they refuse to let FEAR be their motivator!
Our verse goes on to say, "...and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." (Mark 4:36-37) Now then, let's think about this for a moment. What usually happens to a ship that is full of water?It sinks. Notice, they were NOT sinking! I believe that there was a miracle happening right before their eyes, but they did not see it because of their fear. Friend, you may be going through a storm in your life right now... there may be waves of adversity, waves of doubt, waves of discouragement crashing into your "ship" to the point that it is full.
However, I want to prophesy over your life that because Christ is in your "ship" you will NOT sink!
The "point" is really this - What will WE do in the midst of storms and uncertainty?
You’ve heard it said that we are all God’s children. This rings flowery and nice.
It’s an insidious lie.
Indeed, God both created and loves—in a way most unfathomable—everyone who ever lived. He wove us together in our mother’s womb and numbered our every hair. But God the Father has only one begotten Son. The rest of us, in order to become one of God’s children, must be adopted—in, by and through—the One who is the Son: Jesus Christ. Those who are not adopted are not children of God. Christ and Christ alone is “the way, the truth and the life.”
Indeed, to become a child of God, we must ask God—through Christ—to adopt us. We mustn’t just believe upon Him, for even the demons believe that (James 2:19), but, rather, we must also accept Him. We must follow Jesus, the one true God, as our only God: “But to all who believed him and accepted him [Jesus], he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Don’t believe? Don’t accept? You have no right to become a child of God.
And that’s unholy hell.
I’m not here to question God. I can neither fully understand nor explain why what He says is so. I can only convey to you that He unmistakably, unequivocally and without stuttering says it is so.
And so it is so.
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is. 55:8-9).
The postmodern concept of religious pluralism is likewise an insidious lie. It’s a relativist tool of deception dreamed up by the greatest of all deceivers. It’s a false religion—jazzed-up paganism—propagated by the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12).
Merriam Webster defines pluralism—in the context to which I refer to it—as “a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality.”
The goal of the pluralist philosophy is to muddy the waters and divert mankind from the “narrow gate” that leads to eternal salvation (Jesus), while, at the same time, herding them along the “broad road” to eternal damnation (anything and everything that denies the singular and exclusive deity of Christ or that rejects the certainty that He alone can save us from hell).
Pluralism is a nonstarter. It’s inherently self-defeating, contradictory and, frankly, just plain stupid. Pick your “ism”—be it progressivism, socialism, Hinduism, Buddhism, communism, Marxism, atheism or another—and central to each you will find the leavening lie of pluralism.
Each of the world’s major religions fundamentally contradicts the other. They cannot all be true. Either one is true or none is true.
Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matt. 7:13). Again, Jesus alone is that “narrow gate.”
Here’s the thing. You can deny Christ until the day you die. But after that, you will deny Him no more. Hate Him you may still, but deny Him you will not. Philippians 2:10-11 assures us “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
John 3:36 warns, “Whoever believes in the Son [Jesus] has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
Christ is both tolerant and intolerant, utterly exclusive and wholly inclusive. He said in no uncertain terms, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Universalists, atheists, pluralists and other followers of false gods and religions, take note: Jesus, rather conspicuously, did not say, “No one comes to the Father except through Me, the Buddha, Muhammad, Ganesh or L. Ron Hubbard.”
The narrow gate to heaven is utterly exclusive.
Yet Christ also promised us this: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matt. 11:28-29).
Romans 10:13 is even more direct: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
The narrow gate to heaven is wholly inclusive.
If religious pluralism is true, which it cannot be, then Jesus is a liar. And if Jesus is a liar, then Carl Sagan was right when he said, “The cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.”
Worm food.
Thank God Jesus is not a liar.
Still, some apostate, celebrity megachurch pastors like Rob Bell have become wealthy calling Jesus a liar. They teach the heretical doctrine of universal salvation, which suggests that, ultimately, everyone ends up in heaven—even those who rejected Christ while here on earth.
Bell and others like him claim that we’re all God’s children.
This is a pseudo-Christian form of religious pluralism that may well condemn untold millions—to include celebrity megachurch pastors like Rob Bell—to the unimaginable horror of eternal separation from God. (Rob, brother, I pray that you’ll repent posthaste and ask Christ’s forgiveness for both your heresy and for leading your flock to slaughter. He’ll forgive you, just like He’s forgiven me for all the crap I’ve pulled over the years.)
And the truth will set you free.
Romans 8:1-2 promises, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
By logical extension, the converse is true. There is condemnation for those who are notin Christ Jesus. Until and unless you believe upon, accept and follow Jesus, you remain imprisoned under the law of sin and death.
Unconvinced? You don’t have to believe to quietly pray this simple prayer to yourself: “Jesus, if You’re out there, please reveal Yourself to me. If You’re real, help thou my unbelief.”
If I’m right—if Jesus is not a liar and He is who He says He is—then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by inquiring further.
If you don’t inquire further, you have everything to lose.
Matt Barber(@jmattbarber on Twitter) is an author, columnist, cultural analyst and an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. Having retired as an undefeated heavyweight professional boxer, Matt has taken his fight from the ring to the culture war.
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"So let us not grow weary of doing what is good; for if we
don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest.” (Gal. 6:9 Complete Jewish
Bible)
“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued
doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up,
or quit.” (Gal. 6:9-10 The Message)
Everyone gets tired.
We get weary of doing good things. Often then we end up just complaining about
our situations.
I was doing that on
the way home from work. The day had been a bit draining, preparing the usual accounting
reports month after month. My heart just wasn’t in it. I had been expecting to
be at another position in my life, rather than to be doing what I had done 30
years ago. I know the Lord has His plan and purpose for me being there, in the
marketplace setting, but sometimes I just don’t get the reasoning behind it.
From my perspective, I could be more effective for His kingdom doing other
things, in another place. That which I really had hoped to be doing by now. I
have to remind myself that He is wise, and know what He is doing. I must rest
in that.
But while driving the
usual 45 minute commute home from the uptown office, in the normal heavy
traffic, I started complaining in my head of the good deeds I had done, involving
several people, and yet hadn’t seen much harvest from those seeds sown. Having
had some farming life experience while growing up in Minnesota and Iowa, I
understood the comparison in the natural - of preparing the ground, sowing the
seed, and waiting months before the harvest is ready. I get that. But I was
just getting a bit tired in waiting for my harvest to come, in the spiritual, after
years of sowing and not seeing the expected abundance of fruit.
After sending off
another complaint heavenward, the Lord responded back to me, “Look what I did
for you.” I knew exactly what He meant. His life laid down, His death on the cross,
and the example He had set for me to follow. I stopped my complaining
immediately.
We all get worn out at
times. It is the time when we are most vulnerable to the lies of the enemy; our
own flesh kicking up, or allowing the stress of the day weigh our souls down,
in our mind, will and emotions. One reason why the Lord established a weekly
day of rest and giving to us in our sleep, as the Word says.
To battle back the
weariness, so we can maintain our giving, we need to allow the Lord to give us
rest. In America, there is no longer a set day when there is no shopping or
work. We can see the results in sickness and stress. This has not been the
expected decrease in either, due to our new time management. And as we have
gone against the wisdom of the Lord, we have reaped the long term results.
Many times the
distractions that deter us will rob us of the more important tasks we are called
to do. Constantly saying yes to everything that comes our way begins to take
its toll, leaving us with little or nothing to give for the more important
relationships and events in our lives.
In our desire to
bless, we must also keep in mind that proper care of our spirit, soul and body
will then permit us to do more. The complaining doesn’t work. The Lord actually
turns His ear away from us. Remember Moses and the Hebrews in the wilderness?
Being in His presence
in prayer and reading of His Word on a regular basis will energize our spirit.
We need to keep ready in all seasons and not grow weary. We have a lot of life
to give, as His Holy Spirit works through us.
My heart goes out to those buried under the snow and the cold. Having lived in the Midwest for the first 30 years, I know what it is like. May the spring time come quickly!
I pray your heart will turn to His, for He is with those who seek Him.
NEW ORLEANS -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., called Sunday morning the most segregated time of the week, and in many places that's still the case.
But in New Orleans, one congregation is going against that norm and is showing how diversity makes it stronger.
Sitting in the heart of New Orleans, First Grace Church is known as a beacon of Christ's love. In fact, the pastor said he's surprised if people don't come forward to join the church on Sundays, but getting here has been a journey.
After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city, Pastor Shawn Anglim was put in charge of two United Methodist churches located one mile apart: the black congregation of Grace Church and the white congregation of First Church.
Birth of First Grace Church
It wasn't long before God revealed his plan and Anglim approached two of Grace's longtime members.
"So I asked them, 'Do you believe we can do more for our city as one body of Christ than we can ever do as two bodies of Christ a mile apart?' And they started crying and I knew that I had asked the right people," Anglim recalled.
So in the fall of 2007, two congregations that had worshipped so close to one another, yet so far apart, united to become First Grace.
Margaret Washington, a longtime member of Grace Church, remembered the first day at First Grace well.
"Like children on the first day of school, half of us sat on one side and the other half sat on the other side," she said.
"The first worship service was glorious," Anglim said. "Then it was discombobulating."
"They were looking for their old usual seat and that wasn't here," Washington recalled. "Other people were sitting in those seats."
Journey Out of Egypt
Anglim likened the experience to the Israelites' journey out of Egypt.
"It's all right there in the scripture," he said. "People are in Egypt, they all leave Egypt - they're all elated that they've left Egypt and they get out in the wilderness and they turn to Moses and they say, 'Why did you bring us out here? To die?' It's like, don't you remember?"
Washington said, "I really told our members, if we're going be a part of First, we have to mingle, we have to mix."
It took about four months, but then things clicked. Some members credit the music for uniting the church.
"It ties both cultures together kind of," First Grace member Bob Mangham said.
"In north Louisiana we tried to do southern gospel, but we just didn't have the soul that this church has," Mangham added, chuckling.
Crossing the Racial Divide
It's not always easy though. When things draw the curtain on America's racial divides, First Grace members choose to lead with love and let Christ work out the differences.
"Those hard conversations -- they're like family meetings where you sit down and you say things that you felt like you needed to say and they hurt," Anglim said.
"But guess what? Now your mom's in the kitchen making dinner," he continued. "People didn't go away -- this is who you're going to live with and that changes everything."
Washington agreed.
"I think that people have learned to appreciate difference and that has been a point of growth for all of us," she said. "That you don't have to look like me or live where I live for me to appreciate what you do and what you say, and that is a part of the Christian way."
Jon and Mary Cosper joined First Grace two years ago.
"If you're in a box your whole life, it can be difficult to understand what other people think and how other people process things," Jon said.
No More Excuses
That's why Anglim believes First Grace is on the front end of what's coming, a time when there won't be room for excuses.
"They're about you feeling comfortable. Well, is that what Jesus was about? You being comfortable about the way you live?" he challenged. "Or about Jesus inviting you into a greater glory if you would open yourself up to that struggle and to take that walk out of Egypt."
"If you truly want to be Christlike, you have to live like Him," Cosper said. "And if you segregate yourself from other people -- people who don't believe the same things as you, people who may be different -- you're not living as He lived."
