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.
That very thing took place recently when a group of Brazilians came to the Tower of David in Jerusalem's Old City to worship.
From late afternoon and throughout the evening, Brazilians gathered to celebrate the God of Israel.
Ana Paula Bessa led the worship. In her home country, she's led concerts with as many as a million people attending. She believes Brazil has a special destiny with Israel.
"I believe the Brazilian nation is arising to pray for the peace of Jerusalem," Bessa told CBN News.
Her husband, Gustaf, said many of their countrymen are coming to Israel for that very purpose.
"Many Brazilians from all over Brazil, they are coming to Israel in order to pray—to pray for Israel and pray for Brazil in this place, in this nation," he said.
Today, the Holy Spirit is raising up prayer warriors.
"We have a big role in this because Brazil is in revival," Ana said. "And the Holy Spirit is raising up intercession on behalf of the end times."
She believes revival is changing her nation.
"Today we have almost 40 percent of the population declaring they are born again Christians, and the churches are full," she said. "The people are open to receive Jesus even on the streets."
Brazilians bring exuberance to their worship.
"The redemptive gift of Brazil, this joy, this celebration for Jesus—and that's why we bring it to Israel because it's our redemptive gift," Gustaf said.
"We believe we have a destiny, a prophetic destiny to bless and bring the Second Coming of the Lord," Ana said.
We are very joyful to see what the Lord has donethrough MorningStar Ministries/Heritage International Ministries, headed by Rick Joyner in Fort Mill, SC. They bought the ruined property of the former Heritage USA/PTL grounds (52 acres, including the Grand Hotel) almost 10 years ago, and now have almost competed the restoration to its former glory.
Since 2004 Laurie and I have been partners in support of their work, and we are so glad the Lord gave them this property. In 1985, we had purchased, in support of the ministry of Jim and Tammy Bakker, three Lifetime memberships. In 1987 it looked as if that was all gone. But the Lord had other plans than what the enemy had, and He will always have the FINAL say in everything!
We are here this weekend for the Partners Conference, and staying in the hotel room where we may have stayed almost 20 years ago, in 1985.
I will add more photos as the weekend progresses.
Shalom and ahava,
Steve Martin
Love For His People
View from 3rd floor hotel room above Main Street
looking the other way
- almost across from the
Greetings from Jerusalem gift shop
(Vision for Israel - Barry & Batya Segal)
that I helped set up in 2009.
Yeah! 10 years!
Lonnie Rex
David Yarnes
Rick Joyner
Lance Wallnau
Rick Joyner & Dave Yarnes - 15 & 10 year Partner Pin Presentation
(Ret.) Gen. Jerry Boykin
Steve Martin's laptop on early morning table
Bishop Wellington Boone
Missions Director Jorge Parrot
Saturday night meal
Saturday night meal
Messages shared by the MorningStar Comenius School students - one per partner
Klint (center) giving history tour of Heritage USA & MorningStar
The world truly needs to see the real Jesus, and real believers. We are the ones called to show Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, to the world. Let each of us do our part.
What is the basis of real spiritual community? A large number of people showing up on Sunday morning? Having a deep spiritual experience, whether in a worship service or in personal devotions? Or is it a dedicated commitment to live a certain way and follow the rules?
All of these elements show up in the story of Jesus. Lots of people certainly showed up to hear him preach. At times, Jesus seems like some kind of homeless mega-church pastor. So many people come to hear him that he often has to run away or get in a boat just to find some breathing space! Yet, it seems clear that Jesus' most important ministry is not with the crowds.
Throughout Jesus' ministry, there are regular signs and wonders, healings, and deep times of spiritual reflection and religious experience. Yet, as important as these dramatic moments are, personal experience for its own sake does not seem to be the most essential part of Jesus' message.
Jesus asks very hard things of his followers. He tells them that for a person to enter the kingdom of heaven, their righteousness will have to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees - those best known for following all the commandments of Torah down to the letter. Yet, Jesus is not slave to rules and regulations. He and His disciples regularly break the Sabbath in order to accomplish their mission of love. Jesus challenges the ruling authorities, and is eventually executed as an outlaw.
Jesus is neither a crowd-pleaser, experience-addict, nor a legalistic rule-follower. What is he? What lies at the heart of his ministry?
Committed as His Disciple
Jesus' ministry is not about breadth of numbers, but depth of commitment. It is not about highs of ecstasy, but patient endurance and willingness to suffer for truth. The model that Jesus offers is not a list of rules that makes me feel safe, but rather a dangerous invitation to become His disciple, His friend. He calls me to become like He is and walk as He did.
As a friend of Jesus, my work is not to gather crowds; I am to make disciples. Jesus calls me to break my addiction to religious experiences, to move beyond the fluctuations of hormones and emotion and embrace true love. I can no longer justify myself through head-knowledge and checklist morality. Instead, the Spirit invites me to embrace the mystery of who Jesus is, allowing Him to humble me and fill me with His character.
What would it look like to live in communities where this kind of disciple-making could take place? Instead of measuring our faithfulness by numbers of worship attendance, what if we focused on the people that we are able to actively mentor and partner with in discipleship?
As an alternative to the rule-book mindset we find in much religion, what if we emphasized the radical power of a living relationship with Jesus? (He's risen from the dead, not entombed in a book!) What would it look like to be part of a community that honored spiritual experiences, but valued the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - even more?
I like mountains. I like these awesome creations of the Lord around the world. Standing in front of them can overwhelm your heart with gratitude and goodness, dwelling on His majestic power and sheer love that He daily has for us.
Our lives can be challenging as we face mountains ahead, but we can be overcomers as we keep our eyes fixed on Him, and make the climb with the Lord at our side, and His Holy Spirit as our Guide. As you read these inspired and encouraging chapters, I trust they will bring more hope, faith and love into your spirit and soul.
Experiences shared by those who have walked ahead enable others to choose more wisely and confidently in their walk. I hope these words do so for you.
These messages that I share with you in this book were originally written for my blog as NOW THINK ON THIS. You can read those on a weekly basis.
This review is from: Mountain Top View: Onward & Upward (Kindle Edition)
Steve Martin’s books, as well as his blog, have an engaging dimension of making you feel a part of the journey he’s on. He’s always reaching for something more in God while facing the realities of life. He’s very real as he traverses the pathways of life. What’s important to him is not arbitrary, but the result of the honest reflections he describes as he makes the reader to relate and feel a part of his journey. His writings reflect the adventure that God intended our lives to be, with Him at helm. He has not fallen short in the adventure that his life has been and is. Encouraging, inspiring and highly recommended.
Chris Mitchell, CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief CBN News
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing Jerusalem will never be divided. He made the declaration Wednesday as Israelis celebrated Jerusalem Day, a holiday marking the capture of the Old City during the 1967 Six-Day War.
On June 7, 1967, Israeli paratroopers entered Jerusalem's Old City through the Lion's Gate and headed toward the Temple Mount. Their advance meant that for the first time in nearly 2,000 years, Jerusalem was reunited under Israeli sovereignty, with the Jewish people controlling the Old City and the Western Wall.
Many Jews and Christians call that battle a miracle and an historic turning point and that's why Israelis celebrate Jerusalem Day every year.
Thousands of Israelis flood the streets on Jerusalem Day, waving flags, dancing, and singing. It's just one outward sign of how important Jerusalem is to the Jewish people.
"Jerusalem is the heart of us and the heart of the world," Gideon Bashan told CBN News.
"Jerusalem is the place we connect to God," one young man from Kfar Saba near Tel Aviv said.
"It's important because it's our history," said an immigrant from the United States, who lives here with his four children, 17 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. "This is our capital. This is what the world thinks of us is Yerushalayim."
Netanyahu declared Israel will continue to build everywhere in Jerusalem.
"Jerusalem was unified 47 years ago and it will never be re-divided," Netanyahu said during ceremonies at Ammunition Hill, where one of the most decisive battles for Jerusalem took place.
"Since that day, Jerusalem has developed," he continued. "It is prosperous and flourishing and we meet here [at Ammunition Hill] every year to ensure that this prosperity will be even greater, that the construction will be even broader and that it will flourish even more."
But Palestinians say they want Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state. Senior Palestinian Authority official Abu Ala told CBN News there can be no peace agreement without Jerusalem.
"It is the second holy place for the Muslims in the world. For the Palestinians in addition to that, no availability of a Palestinian state without Jerusalem," he said.
Israel Police shut down the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day after Muslims harassed Jewish groups, some wanting to pray on the Temple Mount. But current rules forbid Jews, Christians, or any non-Muslims from praying at the site. Many believe because of this tension, the Temple Mount could become more and more of a flash point in the future.
In the meantime, Israelis celebrate the reunification of the city.
Lila Rose, president of the pro-life youth led organization Live Action, distributed a 60-page six-year investigative report on Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, to members of Congress Wednesday, asking them to defund the organization.
(PHOTO: THE CHRISTIAN POST/SONNY HONG)
Lisa Rose, president of the pro-life group Live Action, speaks outside the Russell Senate Office Building about the release of a 60-page multi-state investigative report, "Lies, Corruption, and Scandal: Six Years of Exposing Planned Parenthood," on the nation's largest abortion provider, Washington, D.C. on May 28, 2014.
According to Live Action's multi-state investigative report, "Lies, Corruption, and Scandal: Six Years of Exposing Planned Parenthood," which was distributed to members of Congress and is available online here, Rose and her investigative team have documented the abortion provider covering up the sexual abuse of children; aiding the sexual exploitation of girls; accepting donations to abort black babies and girls; and not informing women about post-abortion PTSD, among other illicit and illegal activities.
To launch their new national campaign, Rose, along with volunteers and interns, walked the halls of Congress to deliver their findings to Republican and Democratic Senate and House members, asking them to review the report and pass legislation to stop using taxpayers' dollars to fund the abortion provider.
"Over the last six years, Planned Parenthood has been investigated by our organization and others, and exposed for rampant lawlessness, abuses, and many other illicit activities," Rose told The Christian Post during an interview at the Russell Senate Office Building on Wednesday.
Rose continued, "We are going through the halls of Congress and dropping off this six-year report, along with a letter to each member whether they're in the Senate or the House, explaining what this report is, and the importance of reviewing the fact that $500 million every year is going to fund the biggest abortion chain in the country, Planned Parenthood."
"We're calling on Congress to immediately review, investigate and stop taxpayer funding of this abortion giant, especially in light of the 320,000 children who are killed every year in their facilities, and the many abusive and illegal activities taking place," Rose told CP, noting that the Planned Parenthood is a billion dollar organization.
Along with the 60-page investigative report, Live Action has simultaneously launched a video campaign atwwwPlannedParenthoodExposed.com and a petition for people to sign asking lawmakers to defund Planned Parenthood.
The petition highlights that the organization's surgical abortion centers have quotas to meet, and states that Planned Parenthood's staff "routinely puts women's lives at risk."
"Planned Parenthood staffers, nurses, and managers have been documented coaching and covering for sex-traffickers, ignoring the sexual abuse of young girls, and putting women's lives at risk. The corporation is awash in deaths, injuries, and allegations of and settlements paid for massive fraud," the petition reads, in part.
According to Rose, Planned Parenthood's latest annual report reveals that the organization received $540.7 million in taxpayer funding in 2011-2012, and the corporation performed 327,166 abortions during that time.
"When I first began to go undercover in these facilities in 2007, I thought I would find illegal and harmful activity," she said. "But even I had no idea of the huge, company-wide commitment to abortion at any cost — the fraud, the lies, the cover-ups."
"It's a grave injustice that our government and president actively promote this extreme form of violence. It's a disgrace that we are all forced to fund it. … These facilities need to be investigated, inspected, and shut down," Rose asserted, adding that a majority of abortionists regularly skirt or violate state statutes on abortion and patient consent.
WATCH THE CHRISTIAN POST'S INTERVIEW WITH LILA ROSE BELOW:
CP Insider: Lila Rose on Planned Parenthood Exposed
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What is the basis of real spiritual community? A large number of people showing up on Sunday morning? Having a deep spiritual experience, whether in a worship service or in personal devotions? Or is it a dedicated commitment to live a certain way and follow the rules?
(PHOTO: THE CHRISTIAN POST/SONNY HONG)
