Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Earthquake! How to Preserve Israel's Treasures - CBN News

Earthquake! How to Preserve 

Israel's Treasures

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Earthquakes can devastate an entire city or region in many ways. Depending on strength and location, it can kill hundreds and destroy natural and cultural landmarks.
The walled city of Jerusalem is instantly recognizable and one symbol stands above the rest: the Tower of David.
"The Tower of David is the symbol, it's the gateway actually to the Old City and also to the new," Tower of David Museum Director Eilat Leiber said.
Leiber gave CBN News a rare look at the panoramic view of Jerusalem from the tower. Its history and value are unquestioned and many wonder whether it and other Jerusalem relics could withstand a major earthquake.
Nature forced Italy to answer that question twice in 2009 and 2012. Major earthquakes killed hundreds and destroyed numerous buildings, including historical sites.
"Our job is to help people, of course, and to prop up and insure buildings damaged by earthquakes," Luca Ponticelli, with the Italian Department of Public Rescue and Civil Defense, said.
Recently, Ponticelli shared his earthquake experience and what he learned at a seminar in Jerusalem.
"I was one of the experts that implemented our technical procedures to shore or prop up the buildings," he told CBN News. "My mission here is to explain our job." 
It's all part of an international project to protect historical sites from earthquakes.
The Tower of David is the first heritage site to be chosen in Israel for this international project. It's been installed from top to bottom with a special system that monitors cracks in the tower and the region's seismic activity.
The last major earthquake to hit Jerusalem was in 1927. With Israel straddling the Jordan Rift Valley, experts predict it's time for another.
Dr. Avi Shapira heads the effort to prepare Israel for such a disaster.
"We had earthquakes. We will have earthquakes," Shapira predicted.
"What we are urging our engineering community and all the national authorities, communities who are interested in this, is really to check the satiation of these structures to withstand earthquake and to do something if possible. And it is possible," he said.
"This seminar is actually presenting what it is possible to do," he explained
The goal for Shapira and others is to preserve Jerusalem treasures, like the Tower of David.
"Everybody's talking about the big earthquake coming and we must be part of the academic research," Lieber said.
Shapira agreed.
"You know we live in the Holy Land -- not only the Holy Land but the Promised Land, and we also have to promise our children and grandchildren that something will remain for them to see," Shapira said.

Soviet Sweden? Model Nation Sliding to Third World - CBN News

Soviet Sweden? Model Nation Sliding to Third World



STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- When President Barack Obama visited Sweden last year, he expressed his deep admiration for the Swedish model. But that should make Americans a little nervous.
One U.N. report says Sweden will be a third-world nation in about 15 years, below Libya and Bulgaria. Sweden is a society that believes it is racing into the future, but critics warn that it is racing to the bottom.
It has been a laboratory for all kinds of social experiments: Swedish leaders are trying to build the perfect society.
The country has been compared to two nations that also tried to build perfect societies: North Korea and the Soviet Union.
In Sweden, if you don't like how utopia is being built, you won't be shot like in North Korea, but your life could become very unpleasant, very quickly.
A Perfect Society?
YouTube video shows a journalist from one of Sweden's leading tabloids, Expressen, confronting a Swede at his home.
The man, a professor, made what he thought were anonymous negative comments on a website about immigrant problems in Sweden.
But left-wing hackers helped the newspaper track him and others like him down so they could be exposed before the whole nation as racists.Another man, a manager, was fired because of it.
Sweden's leftist establishment and media believe a cornerstone of their perfect society is multiculturalism: large scale immigration from some of the poorest, most backward nations on earth. Swedes who disagree with that plan risk being labeled racist, fascist, even Nazi.
"Immigration is the starting point and the finishing point. It's the most important point to prove you're friendly toward foreigners, you're friendly toward immigration," Danish journalist Mikael Jalving, author of the bookAbsolut Sweden, said.
"It's all about whether you can be said to be hostile to immigration. Once that is 'proven,' you're out of the game. Once you're 'proven' to be a racist or fascist or nationalist, which is almost as bad, you cannot have any legitimate positions or points of view," he explained.
It doesn't matter if Sweden's immigration model is failing miserably, if test scores in Swedish schools are plummeting, or if crime in some areas has skyrocketed. Immigrants burned the Stockholm suburb of Husby for over a week last year.
Many Jews now live in fear of attacks by Muslim immigrants and are leaving.
Amun Abdullahi, a journalist for Swedish radio, left last year and returned to her native Somalia after she was attacked in the Swedish media over her news report about radical Muslim immigrants in Sweden.
She told Swedish television that Mogadishu was safer than then immigrant areas in Stockholm.
Stalinist-Style Sweden
And forget about an American-style "melting pot" in which immigrants will someday learn to become Swedish. In Sweden, that's a racist idea, too.
Jalving said Swedes are supposed to learn from immigrants, not the other way around. There is a demonstrated hatred of Swedish cultureamong the nation's elite.
"Assimilation is completely out of the question," Jalving told CBN News. "All mainstream political parties would laugh [at the word 'assimilation']. [To them] the word 'assimilation' is a Nazi word."
CBN News talked to several journalists who described a Stalinist-style atmosphere in which Sweden's citizens are now afraid of saying anything that might get them labeled in the media as "racist."
"If they point at you and say you are a racist, then you will have no job, no career, you might lose your family. You will have no future," Swedish journalist Ingrid Carlqvist said.
Carlqvist and Danish journalist Lars Hedegaard run the online newspaper Dispatch International, which covers issues like immigration that the mainstream media in Sweden ignore.
But Carlqvist admits their plan for a traditional newspaper failed because Swedes were too scared to have the paper delivered to their homes.
"Because what if the mailman saw if you had this newspaper, or your neighbor saw it? Then they might think that you are racist or that you hate Muslims," Carlqvist said.
"We thought we could make an impact. We still think we can make an impact, but it's tough going," Hedegaard said.
Dispatch International had to drop online subscriptions, too, after repeated hacker attacks because Swedes were again afraid of being exposed. The website now hangs on through donations.
A Third World Country?
Sweden has become a nation where some viewpoints are simply too risky to even read.
"What some Swedish parents advise their children nowadays is to not to interfere in the public discussion, not to express so-called 'radical' ideas about this or that that is critical of the consensus in Sweden," Jalving said. "It'll harm them in one way or another. The Swedes want to protect their children."
"That is a very bad situation because you then live in a country where you cannot solve any problems. You do not even know what the problems are," Hedegaard said.
Hedegaard, a Dane, was nearly killed last year in Copenhagen by an immigrant who came to his door and fired a gun at him.
Carlqvist, a Swede, has decided to leave Sweden because of thepersecution of those who dissent.
Sweden is not going to become a third world nation tomorrow. But according to one report, one day it will.
"We had a perfectly good country," Carlqvist said. "A rich country, a nice country, and in a few years' time, that country will be gone."
*Dale Hurd also reported from Malmö, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Spring Tree Blossoms Shout His Praises!

Glory to God!
The spring tree blossoms 
shout of His Majesty!

Crab Apple tree blossoms 
in Charlotte, NC
April, 2014





 

 Bradford Pear Trees
in Charlotte, NC





Photos by Steve Martin, Love For His People in Charlotte, NC.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Revival In Iran - Many Young Iranians Come to Jesus

How Jesus is Turning Iran To Him

Behind closed doors, many Iranians gather in prayer and worship of Jesus.



Shifting Into A New Season - Mickey Freed

Mickey Freed:
The Elijah List

Mickey FreedNeed a word of encouragement today? You are a child of the King. God will be merciful to you today and bless you, and cause His face to shine upon you (see Psalm 67:1).

Seasons of Hope

I want to encourage you to begin to know that you can step into a season of hope no matter what your circumstances. Even though we know the world system is corrupt, we also know that Christ has given us His all-sufficient grace and mercy. Even when we don't act like His son or daughter, He still loves us.
I'm not speaking of the "greasy grace" that allows a person to do anything the flesh desires and use grace as a license to continue to sin. 

I am talking about the abundance of grace that we need on a daily basis which empowers us to have hope. Proverbs 13:12 says "...hope deferred makes the heart sick..."Since the heart is the Scriptural brain center that contains and expresses our feelings, when we lose hope we often wind up in a season of hopelessness, feeling sick at heart, so to speak.

Regaining Vision by Mickey FreedSpeaking from experience, I do not believe that there is anything that can compare with hopelessness. To me it encompasses losing vision and experiencing gut-wrenching loneliness and despair. Maybe you can relate. Having no hope overshadows us with a foreboding sense of doom and gloom. One might even compare it with having a shadow of impending death following you everywhere you go.

Yes, it is a miserable state of depression. In my book, Regaining Vision (order through The Elijah List), I go into great detail to expose hope deferred and discuss the challenges that we experience when we lose vision.

Losing vision comes from losing purpose and hope.Uselessness sets in and, before we realize it, we isolate and exclude ourselves from the very people that we love. It is the lie of the enemy. He knows the power of two (1 + 1 = 10,000).

To step out of this desperate state, we must begin to cast down everything that exalts itself against what God says about us. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, Apostle Paul gives us some insight. He tells us even though we walk in the flesh, our warfare is not a carnal fight, but "...mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds..." This passage goes on to inform us that we are to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity (my paraphrase and emphasis added).

It is the knowledge of God that tells us that we are the head and not the tail. It is the knowledgeof God that devised the plan to redeem the world that allows you and me to overcome by the Blood of the Lamb. It is the knowledge and wisdom of God that established an incredible plan by sacrificing His only begotten Son.
I know that most of us have heard this in Church. But from a hope-deferred viewpoint, the enemy knows that he is a defeated foe when coming against God's knowledge, so he challenges you and I instead. If he can mess with your thinking, he can mess with your life. If he can mess with our thinking, he can mess with our families and our finances, etc. 

This is why Apostle Paul tells us to give the enemy no place.

Getting The Point

HOPEI know that you are getting the point that the enemy has a plan to keep you cycling in hopelessness and despair. You are realizing, as have I, that the enemy attempts to establish a stronghold during times of hopelessness.

It is our responsibility to pull down his lies, bring negative thoughts that oppose God's truths into captivity, so that we can overcome seasons of hope deferred. 

Think on this a moment and you will realize that seasons of desperation, aloneness, hopelessness, and seclusion will truly steal our joy and rob us of all hope. That is not God's heart. 

(Photo via SXC by Cheryl Empey)

Saints, let me be direct for a moment. God often uses a season of hopelessness to bring us hope. God doesn't bring hopelessness, but He can use it. There is always a redemptive purpose with the Lord. 

Your assignment will always have an enemy.

In the Kingdom, the only ones rewarded are the overcomers. So when you begin to feel hopelessness, remember that the Word of God in you already has the ability to perform itself.So when hopelessness begins as a negative thought, cast down that imagination and give it no place. We must always remember that God not only gives us hope fortomorrow but strength for today.

Between Spiritual Seasons

An encouraging word can definitely be used when a person is in an unfamiliar season. These are seasons that usually spin us out of control. The only differences between our seasons are the ones that we are willing to overcome. 

We don't get to choose our seasons, we get to discover our seasons. It is during these times that we mature at a faster pace.

Between Spiritual Seasons by Mickey FreedJust recently I was led by the Lord to write a book called Between Spiritual Seasons (order through The Elijah List). After pastoring and traveling for nearly thirty years now, it seemed that most people were either stuck in a season, coming out of a season, or going into a season. Either way, we are always in a season.

Getting caught "between seasons" can be very depressing and stressful. We all struggle with leaving our comfort zone that gives us peace, but crossing over into a new season can be stressful because we are not accustomed to the uncharted environment around us. It can even cause loss of vision, which the enemy uses to separate you from those you need the most.


ElijahList Prophetic Resources


New Seasons Can Bring Hopelessness

Shifting into new seasons can be quite challenging. Scripturally, we are told that our victory against the enemy, including hope deferred, was won at the Cross. The challenge is this: knowing, believing, and receiving that we have won (see Jeremiah 29:11). But know this, there is a tremendous pull from the old season that says, "Hey, come on back, you know how to survive in this season."

In my recent book, I give examples of different seasons you will encounter. Losing hope can come from the unknown as much as it can come from what is known. Transitioning from one season to the other can be done easily, but it's the attitude that will equal your altitude.

Warring Season Fatigue

Warring season fatigueWhen someone is prideful about being in a "warring season," they have been there too long. They're stuck! Believe me, it is not because they have conquered and overcome and have all the answers for others. It is only because offamiliarity. It has become a comfort zone. I know what some of you may be thinking. Comfort in a warring season?

When a person is stuck in a season too long, it becomes a stronghold. It can make them feel more "spiritual." The real truth is they don't know how to shift into a new season and move forward. Without their understanding the need to shift, they will then unknowingly move into spiritual performance. Shifting from one season to another is not as easy as it seems. It can be very challenging, stressful, and even frustrating. In my book Between Spiritual Seasons I have provided several solutions on how to shift from one season to another. 

(Photo via SXC by Renaude Hatsedakis)

Be Encouraged Today!

Saints, please allow me to speak another word of encouragement to you. When you feel trapped, and it seems as if there is no way out, Christ is always there. This is where our faith must abound. Let us not forget that during any spiritual battle faith becomes our most treasured asset. Sometimes it is better to enter into a spiritual rest when warring and allow the Spirit of God to do your battling. I can just hear you now saying "What? Are you saying I should rest during a heated battle?"

Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting. When we rest in Him, the Word says that our trust and hope is in the Lord and not in what we can do. Having faith in our Lord allows us to remain steady and not fluctuate into high highs and low lows. Remember always that we fight from the victory and not to the victory. Unfortunately, many Believers do not fully understand their authority in Christ and they do battle in the flesh and not in the Spirit.

PraiseIt is very important to also remember that warring seasons must be monitored by your discernment and others around you. Why so? 

One of the principle reasons is we must not spend so much time battling that we can't praise God. 

If we cast our cares over on Him, He will always shift us on through to our next season so that our purpose and destiny in Christ can always advance and not become stagnant.

(Photo via SXC by Chris Wittwer)

In closing, I want to leave you with another positive thought, especially if you are in a time of active spiritual warfare. In John 10:10...Jesus tells us that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy; He says, "I have come that you may have life and life more abundantly" (my paraphrase). Without Christ, there can be no abundance. So be encouraged, dear ones, and fight the good fight of faith. Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world
.
Please allow me to pray for you:

Father, I thank You for Your hedge of protection around these precious readers. I ask that you comfort them and make them steadfast through their shifting of seasons. Lord, I thank You that You are always watching over them and guiding them even when they feel weary and exhausted. As they walk through their spiritual seasons of change, I pray that they will always draw closer to You and that they may mature in the things to come. My heart is for them to be closer to You as they are empowered from season to season. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Mickey Freed
Senior Pastor, Lifegate Church International


Pastor Mickey Freed is ordained with Christian International Ministries under the spiritual headship of Dr. "Bishop" Bill Hamon. Mickey has served on the Board of Governors at Christian International for over ten years, along with his wife, Sandie.

Mickey's passion and purpose is not only to teach and preach the Word, but to also provide stability and oversight to the Church. He has traveled nationally and internationally ministering to churches and ministries, releasing dynamic truths. Ministering strongly in the gift of the word of knowledge, the Lord uses Mickey mightily in healing, restoration, and teaching leadership classes to strengthen the vision of the local Church. 

Apostolic pastor Mickey is an implementer of present truth and desires to speak the Word of God forth so that every Believer is free from bondages that withhold them from vision and destiny. Mickey is also the author of two books:Regaining Vision and Between Spiritual Seasons. Both books are designed to give the saints vision to continue serving the Lord even though there are seasons of turmoil and distress.

Pastor Mickey has traveled nationally and internationally imparting and releasing vision to thousands. Being a Senior Pastor of a successful church and ministry for over fourteen years, Mickey has walked through the challenging times of pastoring. Therefore, he is a sought after apostle who powerfully ministers to Church leadership as well as to the Church at large.

Mickey is also very active in Marketplace Ministry and believes that every Believer has an anointing for Kingdom wealth. After owning a successful business for thirty years, he has an anointing to impart financial breakthroughs as well as ministering cutting-edge apostolic truths concerning Kingdom Business.

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe
ElijahList Prophetic Resources

"Prophetic Stories - Signs Along The Way" by Steve Martin - Paperback & Kindle







TABLE OF CONTENTS


1. Dreams Do Come True – Part I

2. Dreams Do Come True – Part II


3. Dreams Do Come True – Part III

4. Dreams Do Come True – Part IV

5. The Western Wall

6. Jerusalem

7. The Great Wall of China

8. Heritage USA -The Prophetic Drive

9. The Ceiling Will Be Removed

10. That You May All Prophesy 



INTRODUCTION

 “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28 New King James Version (NKJV)

Adonai says: “In the Last Days, I will pour out from My Spirit upon everyone. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.” 1 Corinthians 14:39 New American Standard Bible (NASB)


We are living in the last days, the times prophesied long ago, right before the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, returns. Even as He spoke to the prophets of old in Israel, continuing through Jesus’ time on earth, and with the early church, the Lord is fulfilling His promise. His Eternal Word that He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and we would prophesy.

Prophesy comes in many ways – through the spoken word, signs, dreams, visions, tongues. All are used by the Lord to speak to His people, give them guidance along the way, and show His provision for the plans He has for us. As we walk along His path chosen for us, He desires to encourage and reveal His plans to us. He most certainly uses His Written Word. He also uses prophetic words.

Here are a few that He has given to me. I am continually amazed at how He speaks, how He directs, and the assuring results of His guidance.

We need the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in these times. As the Bible says, He desires that all would prophesy, in order to assist believers in knowing His will, and speaking to non-believers that we serve an All-Knowing God, Who shows us the way.

The gifts of prophesy, seeing signs and wonders, and experiencing His love through His fascinating methods is for all. I hope you are encouraged in seeking Him as you read these stories of how He moved in my life.

Shalom and ahava,

Steve Martin
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC

P.S. This is my 7th book. I hope you consider getting the others too, all available on Amazon paperback and Kindle editions, or through our ministry office. Our book sales help to support our humanitarian aid ministry Love For His People, Inc

Todah Habah! (Thank you very much in Hebrew.) 


Order here: Amazon - paperback edition $5.60


Product Details

  • Paperback: 102 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 3, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1497498325
  • ISBN-13: 978-1497498327
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)



Kindle Edition: Product Details

  • File Size: 482 KB
  • Print Length: 77 pages
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00JG1RQT2
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