Sunday, May 25, 2014

Israeli Pastor Speaks of Mid-East Awakening - ISRAEL TODAY

Israeli Pastor Speaks of Mid-East Awakening

Sunday, May 25, 2014 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY
A Jesus movement among both Jews and Muslims in the Middle East has been described by a Japanese-American pastor as a spiritual awakening that has never been seen before.
Peter Tsukahira was addressing a conference in Jerusalem aimed at strengthening the bonds of reconciliation between the sons of Abraham (Isaac and Ishmael). An invitation-only event, At the Crossroads was hosted in the Old City by Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in the region.
Arab, Iranian, Turkish and Kurdish delegates attending from countries perceived as enemies of Israel risked their lives to come and enjoy the hospitality of their Jewish brothers, quite apart from the fact that Christians are suffering severe persecution in many of the Muslim-background nations represented.
Pastor Tsukahira, who is co-leader of a church on Mt Carmel in the north of Israel made up of both Jews and Arabs, said an awakening was taking place along the so-called ‘Isaiah 19 Highway’, which runs from Egypt to Assyria (including much of the Arab Middle East) via Israel. The prophet Isaiah had foretold of a time when these nations would become a blessing to one another.
The pastor said the church at large was in danger of entering a ‘dark age’, but could change the world if they affected every facet of life and culture with biblical foundations.
“Christianity is at a crossroads,” said Tsukahira. “One day Islam is going to fall, and then the Christians are going to have to step up with the answer and fill the vacuum. However, the kingdom of God is more than a gospel of church growth.”
One area in which the church had failed over the centuries was in cutting itself off from its Hebraic roots. But the last few verses of the Old Testament (in Malachi) speaks of how the hearts of the fathers will turn to their children, and the children to their fathers – paving the way for the Messiah’s second coming.
This, he says, refers to Christians re-connecting with their Jewish founding fathers. After all, God’s promise to Abraham was that he would be a blessing to all nations.
“I think it’s like going to a long movie after the intermission. We never understand why it ends the way it does, or learn of the part played by characters earlier on.”
Tsukahira believes that a big breakthrough among Arab Moslems would come quickly and suddenly, and would provoke the Jews to jealousy, paving the way for Israel’s national acceptance of Jesus as Messiah.
Photo Credit: Carino Casas, Christ Church


Charles Gardner is author of Israel the ChosenHe recently reported live from At the Crossroads in Jerusalem. His previous reports can be found here:
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American flag sky dive with paratroopers


NASCAR Nationwide History 300 at Charlotte MotorSpeedway - May 24, 2014

Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.

Remembering...lives given for freedom to live.




We remember.
We are thankful 
for lives given 
for freedom.

Steve Martin
Love For His People


Saturday, May 24, 2014

America BLESS God...so God will bless America.

"From the mountains..."

"to the prairies..."

"...to the oceans"

AMERICA BLESS GOD
so
God will bless America!

THANK YOU LORD
for 
YOUR AWESOME
CREATION.


Hope Your Light Shines Today!

Photo by Andy Cook of Colorado Springs, CO




May your light shine today,
to let others know that
our Lord & Saviour
Jesus Christ,
Yeshua HaMashiach,
LIVES!

Steve Martin
Founder
Lover For His People, Inc.

Alan Robertson of 'Duck Dynasty': My Father Phil Is a '21st Century Prophet'

Alan Robertson of 'Duck Dynasty': My Father Phil Is a '21st Century Prophet'

BY JESSICA MARTINEZ, CP REPORTER

May 23, 2014
Alan Robertson(PHOTO: THE CHRISTIAN POST/SONNY HONG)
Alan Robertson speaks at the Family Research Council's "Watchmen on the Wall 2014" event in Washington, D.C. May 22, 2014.
WASHINGTON – Phil Robertson of the A&E reality TV show "Duck Dynasty" is oftentimes compared to John the Baptist for speaking about the Gospel unapologetically, said his son, Alan Robertson.
Alan, a guest speaker at the Family Research Council's "Watchmen on the Wall 2014" event on Thursday, addressed a crowd of hundreds of pastors to encourage them to continue preaching the Gospel without compromise – much like his family is known to do on their show.
"My dad has the heart and mindset of a prophet and is most compared to John the Baptist … for speaking the truth in a culture that isn't prepared to hear truth," Alan said. "That doesn't change my dad's view at all. Prophets tend not to care about their public image. They tend to talk about their judgment as if it's real and they speak what God gives them to speak ... so he is, in that sense, a 21st century prophet."
The event, aimed to remind Christian leaders about the nation's Judeo-Christian heritage and inform them about the moral issues being debated in the public square, was the ideal platform for Alan's message.
Alan addressed his father's controversy late last year when he spoke against homosexuality to GQ magazine during an interview. At the time, Phil shared his belief that homosexuality is a sin, causing outrage among the gay community and network executives that threatened to suspend their show.
Despite warning that Phil's comment would create an uproar of discontent, Alan says his family stood by their beliefs as a united front.
"Our local newspaper guy came up to me and said, 'Al, we got a problem. If this gets out, you guys are in trouble. This is going to cause you guys a lot of grief because this message is not politically correct,'" Alan said. "Well, in December it did hit the fan and it hasn't changed us one bit about who we are and what we believe."
Alan called his father a "culture-changer" because of the incident, and also compared his boldness to other prophets in the Bible, like Elijah and Jonah.
In the same manner, Alan urged the group of pastors to speak the Gospel's truth regardless of how their public image may be perceived or how they will be judged. However, he also noted the importance of preaching grace as well.
"This message is for us to learn from these prophets. I want to encourage you guys to tell the truth. As a family, we're going to do that," Alan said.
He added, "Our message for people is God is God. Therefore, I am not. I have no reason to put myself in His judgment seat, but I can learn that God has a job for me … the country is going terribly, what can we do to change it? But you know what, 'I have 7,000 reserved that have not bowed their knees to Baal,'" he said, referencing 1 Kings 19:18.
CP insider: Family Research Council's 'Watchmen on the Wall 2014' Event
CP insider: Family Research Council's 'Watchmen on the Wall 2014' Event

Franklin Graham Calls on Pastors to Speak Out on Abortion, Homosexuality; Says 'God Hates Cowards'

Franklin Graham Calls on Pastors to Speak Out on Abortion, Homosexuality; Says 'God Hates Cowards'

BY MICHAEL GRYBOSKI , CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
May 23, 2014
Franklin Graham(PHOTO: THE CHRISTIAN POST / SONNY HONG)
Rev. Franklin Graham addressing pastors at the Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing, held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 22, 2014.
WASHINGTON – The Rev. Franklin Graham told a large gathering of pastors on Thursday to address controversial issues from the pulpit, declaring that "God hates cowards."
Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, based his remarks on Revelation 21:8, wherein God lists eight groups of people who will be "in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Of groups like murderers, idolaters, unbelievers, and others, the first group of persons listed were the cowardly. It was this first group that Graham focused on for his speech, titled "Standing Strong on the Controversial Issues," at the Thursday evening session for the 2014 Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing.
"The definition of a coward: a coward will not confront an issue that needs to be confronted due to fear. That is a coward," said Graham.
"God hates cowards. And the cowards that the Lord is referring to are the men and women who know the truth but refuse to speak it."
In his remarks at the dinner session, Graham spoke about the need for churches to speak out against abortion and homosexuality, declaring that "you're not going to shut me up."
"We have a responsibility to speak on the moral issues. Abortion, homosexuality, these are moral issues. This is a free country, you can do what you want to do but I want you to know it's a sin against God. This is a sin," said Graham.
Graham mentioned how he has "friends who are pastors" who say they want to preach the Gospel and not "become targets."
"Well don't you think the Lord Jesus Christ was a target?" asked Graham. "Could we get our heads chopped off? We could, maybe one day. So what? Chop it off!"
Franklin Graham(PHOTO: THE CHRISTIAN POST / SONNY HONG)
Rev. Franklin Graham addressing pastors at the Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing, held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Thursday, May 22, 2014.
Graham's remarks were part of a multiday conference organized by the Family Research Council. Held from Wednesday to Friday, the Watchmen on the Wall National Briefing was geared toward pastors and encouraging churches to become more involved in politics, social issues, and public policy.
Featured speakers included Pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz; Bishop Harry Jackson, author and senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland; Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries; U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, and several others.
For the Thursday evening dinner portion, attendees experienced worship led by contemporary Christian singer Charles Billingsley and were present to see awards given to assorted pastors for their actions on religious liberty.
The last honoree for the evening was Graham. FRC President Tony Perkins commended Graham for his actions in the public sphere.
"Franklin is not the pastor of a church, but in a real sense he is a pastor to America's pastors," said Perkins before presenting Graham with the 2014 Watchman Award.
"And in that role, he has sounded the alarm and raised the righteous standard as have few other leaders in our time."
The son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, Franklin Graham has garnered controversy in recent years for his remarks on same-sex marriage, Islam, and President Barack Obama.
Some have contrasted his public career with that of his father, arguing that Franklin Graham has taken more overtly political positions than Billy Graham has.

Colorado Mountains - Photographs of Andy Cook


The beautiful photography of Andy Cook, 
from Colorado Springs, CO.
All of these scenes are from the 
Rocky Mountains of Colorado.











Check these out: Andy Cook Photo Galleries



Andy Cook is a professional landscape and nature photographer based 
in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Andy's an enthusiastic and gifted photographer who enjoys traveling 
nd photographing the scenic beauty of the places he visits. As a photographer, 
he has wonderful attention to detail in composition and technique. His flair for 
the understated produces dynamic compositions from elements that others
 generally pass by.

Andy's photographs have been published in numerous magazines and 
newspapers including National Audubon Society, Colorado Adventure, 
5280 Magazine, and Colorado Vacation Planner. He has also sold images 
to National Geographic, National Geographic Maps, Budweiser, 
The Conservation Campaign, American National Bank, The Metropolitan Museum 
of Art (NY) and more. His work also appears on calendars, postcards and
 note cards and he has sold many prints to various individuals and institutions.
His prints can be found on display at several galleries in Colorado.




Do you need to hire an outdoor photographer?
Do you have an assignment?
Andy Cook is available.

"...Andy Cook is one of Colorado's best outdoor photographers." 
The Voice, Fort Collins, CO.

"Best Nature Photographer: Andy Cook - In a region that's understandably 
strong in nature photography, Cook stands out for his quality, his productivity
 and his commitment to passing on everything he knows to aspiring photographers."
The Gazette, Colorado Springs

"...an array of eye-catching landscape scenes that would make any nature 
lover homesick. The vivid colors and striking compositions of these wilderness 
photographs prove just how accomplished a photographer Cook has become." 
Colorado Springs Independent

Friday, May 23, 2014

Darlene Zschech Finishes Chemo, Leads Worship Again

Darlene Zschech Finishes Chemo, 
Leads Worship Again

CBN News May 23, 2014

Four months after Darlene Zschech announced her breast cancer diagnosis, the Christian singer-songwriter is finishing up her last round of chemotherapy.

"Hallelujah is about the only word that fits at the moment. I am so thankful that it is coming to an end," Zschech wrote in her May 23 blog.

Zschech will now face another six weeks of radiation treatment and is asking for continued prayers.

"On the days where I have felt I cannot do it anymore, I literally have felt the strength of people praying for me," she wrote.

"The power of the Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen has been beyond what I have ever experienced before," she continued. "Again, I am so thankful for every one of you."

Meanwhile, Zschech will be leading worship at her church Sunday for the first time since her diagnosis.

"Even if it's a bit rough and ready, leading people to the courts of our God is my greatest honor," she said. "I simply cannot wait! His presence truly is heaven."

In Israel, Pope Francis to Witness Oasis of Stability in Chaotic Region for Christians

In Israel, Pope Francis to Witness Oasis of Stability in Chaotic Region for Christians

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)
Pope Francis Comes to Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) presents Pope Francis with a menorah during their meeting at the Vatican on December 2, 2013. Pope Francis will visit Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank from May 24-26. (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO/Flash90)
By Sean Savage/JNS.org
Following in the footsteps of his two immediate predecessors, Pope Francis will embark upon a historic visit to Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank from May 24-26.
Throughout his career, Francis has shown a deep appreciation for the Jewish people and has made Jewish-Catholic relations a top priority. Yet this month, Francis will arrive in a Mideast region beset by uprisings, sectarian violence, and religious extremism, where Christians are routinely being driven from their homes and persecuted by Islamic fundamentalists.
As one of the few areas of stability and prosperity in the region, Israel has become an important ally for Christians. As such, on his trip the pope will face the dual challenge of confronting extremism, while also promoting reconciliation between the region’s Christians, Jews, and Muslim
“The Vatican is hoping this trip promotes unity among Christians, encourages Christians in the Middle East to remain committed, [while also] improving relations with Jews and Muslims,” John Allen, an associate editor for the Boston Globe who has covered the Catholic Church for nearly two decades, told JNS.org.
A major challenge Pope Francis and Vatican officials face, however, is walking the fine diplomatic line between support for Israel and staying on friendly terms with Arab-Muslim-majority countries, which are home to many Christians and important holy sites for the religion.
“The Vatican tries to take a neutral position on many of the political controversies in the region,” Rabbi Dr. Eugene Korn, the Jerusalem-based director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC), told JNS.org.
The Vatican, said Korn, “is enormously fearful of Christians who are being persecuted and are fleeing Muslim countries in the region,” and doesn’t want to provoke more violence against them by taking sides.
Nonetheless, privately, Vatican officials are often vocal in their support for Israel and grateful for the basic protections it provides to Christians and their holy sites.
“The reality is that most Vatican diplomats are inclined to be supportive of Israel because they know whatever problems Christians in Israel face, pale in comparison to the problems they have in the rest of the Middle East,” Allen explained.
“Many native Arab Christians in Israel do complain about being second-class citizens, facing travel problems and discrimination,” he said. “But they are not getting shot like they are in Syria, Egypt or Iraq. There is a great deal of sympathy for what they see as basic security, rights and rule of law in Israel.”
Israel has one of the few Christian communities left in the Middle East that is still growing.  According to 2013 figures released by Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, there are roughly 161,000 Christians living in Israel, up from 158,000 in 2012.
At the same time, Christian populations elsewhere in the region are rapidly declining. According to the Pew Research Center, just 0.6 percent of the world’s 2.2 billion Christians now live in the Middle East and North Africa. Christians make up only 4 percent of the region’s total inhabitants, drastically down from 20 percent a century ago.
In Israel, the Christian community largely thrives, regularly outperforming Jews and Muslims in education. But that is not the case in Palestinian-controlled areas. In Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, Christians have declined from about 70 percent of the population a few decades ago to only 15 percent today.
“Being Catholic and living in Israel and in the Holy Land is without a doubt a grace and a privilege for many reasons; it means being close to the Holy Places, to local Christians, especially those belonging to the Eastern Churches, and to the Jewish people,” Father Francesco Voltaggio—rector of the Galilee Seminary, a Catholic-Jewish dialogue center founded by Pope John Paul II—told JNS.org.
Voltaggio, who will meet Pope Francis during his visit, feels that the trip will cement Catholic-Jewish relations while also being an important opportunity to open dialogue with Muslims.
“I expect a step forward in the renewed relationship between Christians and Jews, as well as an opening of hope in the dialogue with Islam, a dialogue that is often marked by wounds, yet is necessary today more than ever, so as not to prevent tragedies, like the violence caused by fundamentalism,” Voltaggio said.
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While most of Pope Francis’s itinerary in Israel will take him to the usual spots visited by heads of state—such as Yad Vashem and the Western Wall—as well as to meetings with to Israeli leaders, the most remarkable aspect of the trip may be the trend it is setting.
“This is the third consecutive pope who has visited Israel,” Korn said. “This is going to establish an informal policy for popes in the future.”
“It really strengthens the Vatican policy of coming to Israel and paying homage to the Jewish people,” he said.
But despite the goodwill developed between the Vatican and Israel, several obstacles remain. One of the largest is that the “Fundamental Accord” signed by Israel and the Vatican in 1993, which established relations between the two states, has not been finalized—leaving Church properties in Israel in a state of limbo when it comes to taxation or other administrative areas.
“You can find fault on both sides [for not finishing the agreement]. But the fact that this has been dragged out for so long has become a source of irritation in the Vatican,” Allen said.
One of the points of contention related to this area has been the status of the Cenacle—the traditional site of the Jesus’s Last Supper on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Jews also revere the building containing the Cenacle, as the tomb of King David. Hundreds of religious Jews recently held a protest against the building’s rumored transfer to the Vatican during the pope’s visit.
Lior Haiat, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official who is handling public diplomacy for the papal visit, said rumors surrounding the impeding transfer of sovereignty over the Last Supper room, as part of finalizing the 1993 agreement with the Vatican, are “untrue.” Nevertheless, he said Israel has been in discussions with the Vatican over the status of Christian holy sites.
“We are having a very long negotiation process with the Vatican, not only on this issue, but on a lot of issues regarding the Vatican’s presence in Israel and the holy places,” Haiat told JNS.org.
Pope Francis has also sparked some controversy in Israel over the short duration of his stay. He will give almost equal time to the Palestinian Authority.
“The pope’s visit to the Palestinian Authority is being considered a state visit by the Vatican. We obviously don’t agree with that point of view,” Haiat said.
Another sensitive subject in Jewish-Christian relations in Israel is the so-called “price tag” trend, which refers to vandalism carried about by Jewish extremists targeting Christian, Muslim, and even some Jewish landmarks and symbols.
In early May, the Catholic Church in Israel issued a statement condemning the attacks after the Office of the Assembly of Bishops in Jerusalem, the Church’s central authority in Israel, was found spray-painted.
“We have had a long dialogue with the Vatican and Catholic officials in Israel over the [vandalism] issue and they understand that we are doing all that we can to stop it,” Haiat said.
The papal trip should also shed light on the Vatican’s views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pope Francis arrives in the Jewish state following a breakdown in peace talks, with the Palestinian leadership taking unilateral steps in the international arena and forming a unity government with the terrorist group Hamas.
One of the Vatican’s biggest concerns in the region is Islamic fundamentalism, which has led to increased attacks on the region’s Christians. Vatican officials feel that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could indirectly reduce the persecution of Christians.
“The Vatican’s diagnosis is that the fundamental threat of Christianity in the Middle East is Islamic fundamentalism. Their view is that the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict ought to be resolved. If there is no constant reservoir of rage against Israel, it would reduce the persecution of Christians,” Allen said.
But such a linkage between the peace process and the region’s instability has been strongly disputed by Israeli leaders, who view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as being driven by Islamic extremism.
Yet broadly speaking, two decades after Israel and the Vatican formally established diplomatic relations, the Catholic Church has come a long way in its relationship with the Jewish people.
“[There] is a sense of enormous comfort between the Church and Israel,” CJCUC’s Korn said. “In a certain sense, the relationship is the best it is has ever been, both on a formal and informal level.”

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/15506/israel-pope-francis-witness-oasis-stability-chaotic-region-christians/#1BYwq6bvTGQZwJm7.99

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