Thursday, February 5, 2015

"They Will Run and Not Grow Tired" ✡ Do You Believe in Miracles?

Those whose hope is in the Lord will have renewed strength; they will grow wings like eagles; they will runand not grow tired.

ISAIAH (40:31)
 

וְקוֹיֵ יְ-הוָה יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ

יְשַׁעְיָהוּ מ:לא


v'-ko-yay a-do-nai ya-kha-lee-fu ko-akh ya-a-lu ay-ver kan-sha-reem ya-ru-tzu v'-lo yi-ga-u

Today's Israel Inspiration

True, Isaiah may not have had in mind the upcoming Jerusalem Marathon when he spoke the words of today's verse! Rather, the prophet envisions the spirited returnees to Zion, such as the devoted volunteers of United Hatzalah who truly “run to save lives and don’t grow tired.” Next month, they will be pounding the pavement at the Jerusalem Marathon to raise funds for life-saving ambucycles.
 

Fighting for a Breath

A diverse group of volunteer medics in Israel, including Arabs and Jews, work side by side to save a life in this frightening scenario.
 

Running to the Rescue

Revital Stein, 21, from Raanana, Israel will be running in the Jerusalem Marathon next month for United Hatzalah, saying “every person joining our team is helping to save more lives.”
 

Do You Believe in Miracles? True Stories Celebrating Divine Providence 

When events occur that defy all laws of nature and reason, you know you are witnessing a miracle. In this widely-acclaimed, award-winning, New York Times Critic’s Choice 65-minute docu-drama, Hanoch Teller presents incredible-but-true miraculous events in the lives of ordinary people – powerful evidence of the Almighty’s constant involvement in mankind’s existence. These heart-warming episodes, re-enacted by top performers, fully orchestrated by leading musicians and enhanced by state-of-the-art graphics and effects, are a celebration of Divine Providence. You’ll laugh – you’ll cry – you’ll stand up and cheer – and most of all… you’ll BELIEVE!

Today's Israel Photo

Asher Hevroni is a dedicated United Hatzalah volunteer in northern Israel who races around to calls on his bicycle, which was recently upgraded to an electronic bike thanks to a donor.
 

Thank You

Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Jack Abbott from North Kingston, Rhode Island. Toda Raba!
 

“Makes Me Feel Closer”

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Pop Evil Rocker Casts Demon Out of Brother

Pop Evil Rocker Casts Demon Out of Brother

Pop Evil's Tony Greve
Pop Evil's Tony Greve (YouTube)
"I'm playing in these venues; I'm touring with Judas Priest. That's crazy, you know what I mean? I'm getting to do all this stuff, and so there's almost, in one sense there's an emotional high about that," Anthony recalls. '"You're like, 'Wow, this is the stuff that I dreamed of doing and I'm doing it. I'm getting to live it."' 
As guitarist for the hard rock band Pop Evil, Anthony Greve enjoyed the success of having four Top 10 singles and living the life of a rock star. 
"For me it was an identity thing," says Anthony. "This is who I am, I'm Tony Greve; I'm the guitar player of Pop Evil. This is what I do. It becomes your identity. I think that scares people. Who would you be, if you weren't you?" 
Anthony's life was consumed with music, drugs and alcohol, but the partying wasn't enough, and he fell into a deep depression.
"There's an emptiness because it's not what you thought you'd be," Anthony recalls. "The bigger the band got, the emptier. It was like going into a black hole. It felt like you were just walking into a black hole going deeper and deeper into darkness. And there was less and less hope the further we went. And at this time, I remember crying out to God—who else are you going to cry out to? But people began to come into my life."
One of those people was a pastor who prayed with him, but Anthony says he didn't feel differently afterward. A few nights later, alone in his hotel room, Anthony had a talk with God.
"I said, 'There's nothing different, but I believe in You,'" Anthony remembers. "I said 'God, Why is this still hard?' And I heard God speak to me so crystal clear, He said, 'I created you for a relationship with Me. It'll never work without Me.' And this was the thing: I'd never repented. I'd never repented of my sins, and for the first time in my life, I felt the Holy Ghost convicting me about my sins. So I began to just confess my sins out to God and as I did, I broke. I mean something in me broke. I just—it was like I fell into His arms."' 
Anthony decided he should leave the band. He couldn't wait to tell his family what had happened.
'"I remember calling home and being like, 'Listen, you guys, I know you don't understand, but I met Jesus. He is real.' I thought, 'I'm going to leave all of this and I'm going to come home and I'm going to get to have a real relationship with my family.' And they didn't want that. They didn't want that. They were livid. My father was livid that I was going to leave this band. I mean, the fame, the money that we're about to make; all this stuff. The band's about to blow up. And all of a sudden, you know, Tony changes his mind and says, 'I don't want this anymore.'"
Crushed by guilt and confusion, Anthony gave in to the pressure to stay with the band. 
"I felt trapped. 'What about all of our fans? We have record deals. I'm signed to managers. I literally felt like, 'You know what? There's no way out of this thing.' So I backslid. And drinking, girls, you know, that sort of thing again, but in the back of my mind, you know, I'm like, 'I can't be living this way,' there was just this fight." 
As a young Christian, Anthony was torn between his new faith and the world that was pulling him back in. He was on a visit home when he says the Lord spoke to him again. 
"He said, 'Mark 9:26.' The passage was a story about Jesus casting an evil spirit out of a boy's body. I read this passage, and I really freaked out because I thought the Lord was trying to tell me that I had a demon in me."
Anthony didn't understand what was happening but felt that something supernatural was at work. So when a friend suggested that he try consulting a Ouija board, Anthony was willing.
"I thought, 'It's a piece of plastic and a board, I mean, how harmful can it be?'" Anthony recalls. "All of a sudden it began to work. And something began to feel terribly wrong. And in that moment, my brother cries out and this thing enters his body. And it just kind of flies him back to the ground. I remember stepping back and just being terrified. He turned and looked at me. I had never experienced that much hate in all of my life to see this thing looking at me through my brother. And the Lord spoke to me and said, 'it's going to be you or him.' And again, he brought that Scripture back to mind, '9:26. 9:26, cast out that devil, boy!' And all of a sudden I felt boldness hit me, and I remember I just jumped over my brother and palmed his head and took authority over that devil. It was like it lost all power immediately. Just gone. His head shot back, his eyes rolled back. I mean, he just—this thing convulsed at the name of Jesus."
Anthony says that experience made his decision very clear. 
"What became so real to me about this experience was God's Word, was His Word. Because Scripture says, Jesus said, 'I have given you power and authority to cast out devils in my name.' And it hit me, I thought, 'Wow.' I thought, 'If this is real, which I just experienced, then that means everything that Jesus said is real and is true.' I was either going to choose the world or I was going to choose God, but I knew that you cannot have both; the two are just totally contrary to one another. And so eventually I just—I laid it all down. I left the band and just totally gave my life to God. Just to be completely surrendered to Him and used by Him.'" 
After leaving the band, he began a journey to discover God's plan for his life.  That search led him to seminary where he is preparing to go into the ministry. Anthony says that now he understands his purpose. 
"I didn't know who I was before. Even though, yeah, I was Tony Greve of Pop Evil. Yeah, I had all those things. There was this emptiness of this not knowing, this un-belonging. And knowing, you know, that God is real, that God is my Father, that I have a relationship with Him. There's no greater fulfillment than that."

The Real Reason the Pentecostal Movement Keeps Growing

The Real Reason the Pentecostal Movement Keeps Growing

Pentecostal movement
Here are some reasons the Pentecostal Movement continues to grow. (Lightstock)
There are parts of the globe where the greatest church growth is happening through the Pentecostal movement. One of the most frequently asked questions is: "In a world where the church seems to be declining in many areas, how they are bucking the trend?"
There is never one reason why a movement succeeds. But some factors rise to the surface. Pentecostals will say they are growing because the Spirit is moving in a powerful way. I get that, and actually would affirm that as part of the reason, but from a sociological perspective, other things are happening and worth exploring.
I was recently asked (by Pentecostal leaders) what some sociological reasons might be. So following that meeting, and in this brief post, I want to explore how the beliefs of Pentecostals actually promote and produce growth compared to other more "mainstream" groups.

Pentecostals Value Their Shared Experience

From a statistical perspective, Pentecostals tend to be less "nominal" than other believers. The reason is often obvious—the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In almost all Pentecostalism (as contrasted to other continualist streams), speaking in tongues follows the Holy Spirit's baptism. After that experience, it's hard to say, "Oh I don't take this whole thing serious, I don't even know if it's real."
When you believe you're speaking in another language, that belief reshapes the way you think about faith!
Being a nominal Presbyterian, Methodist or Baptist is easier, though there are some outward expectations, like baptism (among credobaptists), that can mark a spiritual commitment. But Pentecostal believers and churches constantly emphasize spiritual practice and engagement.
That helps make a more robust faith.
So more often than not, stagnation is not as compatible with a real Spirit-filled experience. The end result—it's harder to be a nominal Pentecostal—the beliefs of the movement tend to weed out nominalism. Because of what is happening in church and the community of faith, people tend not to just hang around as casual observers.
Either you join in it, or you move on. Many join. Movements populated by nominals are usually in decline. Nominals don't populate Pentecostalism, so it grows.

Pentecostals Want to Share Their Values

Not only does a valued distinctive encourage participation and growth in the local body, but it also provides an imperative for growth outside of the local body. When you appreciate what you have as much as Pentecostals do, you aren't satisfied to experience it yourself. You think others should have the same opportunity to partake of the movement of the Spirit of God.
When I meet with Pentecostal leaders, they're strategizing about where to plant a church. They break out the maps and determine where they need to focus their attention.
Never mind there are already six churches in a 10-block community. To them, there's not a Spirit-filled church in that community until they plant one. So they are often avid planters, not just in their own area, but also around the world.

Worth Sharing the Spirit-Filled Experience

Pentecostals believe in their approach. Their Christian walk has benefited, and they think everyone should have access. While others are figuring out what to do now to achieve growth, Pentecostals are focusing on who they are and are achieving growth.
When you think your expression is worth sharing (be it Pentecostal, Calvinist or Anabaptist), you are more likely to share it with others and start new churches.

So What Does It Mean for the Rest of Us?

One key to growth is for you actually to believe what you have is so important that propagation to other contexts in its current version is necessary. The Vineyard Church movement exploded in growth in the 1980s for this reason. They thought that people needed to experience what the Vineyard had to offer.
Baptists thought that way in the 1950s. Methodists thought that way during the Second Great Awakening.
Pentecostals believe they have something worth propagating. And that's worth learning from.

Odd Distinctives

Of course, to non-Pentecostals, all this seems odd. Sometimes for younger or dissatisfied Pentecostals, they want to de-emphasize the supernatural.
Well, I'd have some theological nuances I'd like to bring in, but from a sociological perspective my response is: "I wouldn't downplay what is in the engine." You don't care for some of their expression? That's fine. But Pentecostals are trying to reach the lost and grow the kingdom.
Their distinctives apparently aren't hindering their growth—their distinctives are propelling growth globally.

People Want a Faith With Flavor

One of the dangers today is "bland evangelicalism." Many evangelical churches and denominations are in a state of plateau or decline. Some groups are trying to downplay their distinctives to be more acceptable. Who wants to duplicate that? Nobody.
Sometimes the difference between an expanding movement and one that is retracting is how they deal with their distinctives. Some are in protection mode. They feel like they have to preserve their specialness by locking it down and guarding it. Ironically, they end up smothering the mission by covering the light that would shine through their specially designed glass.
Others embrace and celebrate their unique values and expression. In doing so, they attract people who are seeking something more than bland.
For example, I recently reviewed the stats for the 25 largest faith groups in the United States. In the year I reviewed, the only two orthodox Christian groups growing on the list were the Assemblies of God and Church of God (Cleveland). So what do all of the declining denominations have in common?
Most are mainline, a few are evangelical, but most simply are not as excited about what they believe—and don't think it needs to be propagated as much—as the Pentecostals do.
Ed Stetzer is the executive director of LifeWay Research. For the original article, visit churchleaders.com.
- See more at: http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/48148-the-real-reason-the-pentecostal-movement-keeps-growing#sthash.gWsXe9aM.dpuf

Knesset Speaker: Bible is Jews' Deed to This Land

Knesset Speaker: Bible is Jews' Deed to This Land

Thursday, February 05, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (pictured) on Tuesday was among the 100 people honored at the second annual “Jewish 100” event in New York for positively influencing the lives of the Jewish people over the past year.
Hosted by the Jewish newspaper Algemeiner, the event saw Edelstein, Donald Trump and late Jewish comedian Joan Rivers, among many others, awarded the title “Warrior for Truth.”
In his acceptance speech, Edelstein lamented that “today unfortunately there is no concept of pure, ultimate truth,” especially when it comes to the Land of Israel. “The ‘truth’ of the claims by others on our land does not exist,” he continued.
Edelstein went on to explain that the truth of the Jewish claim to the land is firmly linked to the Bible. “When I leave my home I walk on paths where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked. And that’s the truth regarding our rights to the land.”
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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

We Need a Revival of New Testament Love - J. LEE GRADY


Men's group
What we need these days is a dose of good ol' fashioned New Testament love.

Fire in My Bones, by J. Lee Grady
We who call ourselves Spirit-filled Christians are notorious for overusing the term "revival." If we get a standing-room-only crowd in a church for more than three nights in a row, and those people end up swooning on the floor after the altar call, we start hyping things up and comparing the meetings to the First Great Awakening.
But what exactly are the signs of a genuine move of God? Lately I've been buried in Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians to find the answer to that question. After all, one of the most explosive spiritual awakenings in history took place in the Greek city of Thessalonica. It was a headquarters of ancient paganism (and just three hours from Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods), yet when the gospel was preached there it triggered a chain reaction of miracles and mass conversions.
Paul said of the spiritual explosion in Thessalonica: "Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thess. 1:5a). A riot erupted, Paul was run out of town, and the new Christians were persecuted. Yet the attacks couldn't stop them: The impact of this move of God was so forceful that within a short time the newly converted Thessalonians spread their faith throughout most of Greece (see v. 8).
So we could say that biblical revivals always include: (1) powerful preaching that brings heavy conviction of sin; (2) supernatural miracles that display God's power and confirm the message; (3) notable numbers of true converts who share their faith aggressively; and (4) persecution from those who resist the gospel. But after reading 1 Thessalonians a few more times I noticed one additional hallmark of genuine revival that we often ignore: (5) remarkable, sincere love that nurtures the growing Christian church.
We all want the miracles. We long to see mass conversions. But we forget that New Testament revival doesn't happen without New Testament love. I see this love manifested in some specific ways:
1. Servant-hearted leadership. The apostle Paul and the leaders on his team did not think of themselves as "all that." They weren't pulpit stars. They didn't ride in limousines or demand five-star hotel rooms. Paul was even willing to work a job so he wouldn't be a burden to the Thessalonians. He told them: "Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our very own lives, because you had become very dear to us" (1 Thess. 2:8).
In today's "Spirit-filled" churches, some pastors have morphed into hipster CEOs who appear only in the pulpit and on the video screen. They may bring a powerful message, but the idea of personal impartation has become a relic of a bygone era. In the era of the iChurch, we really can't get on the people's level. That's too bad, because sermons alone don't make disciples. People need a personal touch from leaders who feel deep affection for those they are discipling.
2. Selfless investment. When Paul was in prison, he didn't throw a pity party or feel bad for himself. He was thinking 24/7 about the people he had led to Christ in Thessalonica. He desperately wanted to see them again. They were in his heart. He prayed for them constantly "that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith" (3:10). That kind of selfless love, modeled by humble leaders, sets the bar high for the entire church.
3. Slobbering affection. The word "brethren" appears in 1 Thessalonians 17 times. Paul understood that when we join the community of the redeemed, we are bonded together by the Holy Spirit who lives in all of us. That precious spiritual bond should be treasured. That's why Paul wrote: "May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another" (1 Thess. 3:12). He knew the true measure of Christian maturity is fervent love.
Paul also told the Thessalonians: "Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss" (5:26). Today we explain this verse away by suggesting that kissing was a cultural tradition that doesn't apply to us. Really? I've been in churches where people keep their polite distance, and their lack of affection is an indicator of their icy spiritual condition. Some people criticize what they call "sloppy agapé," but I've learned that when Christians hug and kiss each other, they are also more prone to be passionate followers of Jesus.
Paul cared deeply about his followers and he told them: "We proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children" (2:7). There is a direct connection between extravagant love for each other and the spirit of New Testament revival. Let's rediscover it.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter @leegrady. He is the author of The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale and other books. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, at themordecaiproject.org.
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Messianic Video Series Now With English Subtitles - ISRAEL TODAY

Messianic Video Series Now With English Subtitles

Wednesday, February 04, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff
Two months ago we reported on a new Internet video project by a group of young Israeli Messianic media professionals.
What started as a brief set of video responses to anti-Messianic activists in Israel quickly blossomed into a catalogue of 52 short clips answering the most pressing rabbinical objections to Yeshua (Jesus).
Originally published in Hebrew for an Israeli audience, the ministry One for Israel is now in the process of adding English subtitles to all the clips. At present, more than a dozen videos have English subtitles, and can be viewed by visiting www.oneforisrael.org/messiah
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Poll: Most Israelis Interested in Studying Bible

Poll: Most Israelis Interested in Studying Bible

Wednesday, February 04, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff
A new survey shows that a majority of Israeli Jews, while identifying as “secular” or “traditional,” are nevertheless interested in gaining a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Bible.
Conducted by the Motagim Institute on behalf of the religious website Maimonides Daily, the poll revealed that 54 percent of Israeli Jews feel they only have a “basic grasp” of their national faith, and that 57 percent would commit at least five minute a day to reading the Bible.
On Hanukkah 2014, the Israel government launched a three-year nation-wide Bible study under the banner of Project 929, named after the number of chapters in the Tanakh (or Old Testament).
The Project 929 website will let visitors know the current daily chapter, which they can read or listen to in Hebrew.
The obvious aim is to get all Israelis to read the Bible. But the array of associated commentaries by celebrities and other contributors has been a source of controversy among religious authorities.
The February 2015 issue of Israel Today Magazine examines this issue in greater depth.SUBSCRIBE NOW to read it all
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Live Long and Prosper: The Jewish Story Behind Spock, Leonard Nimoy's Star Trek Character

Leonard Nimoy (Spock)


Published on Feb 6, 2014
Leonard Nimoy explains the Jewish story behind the hand-gesture he made famous through his role as Spock on in the Star Trek science fiction series.

To watch the full interview, visit: http://bit.ly/1lCZphz

See Leonard Nimoy's photography series inspired by the same event: http://www.rmichelson.com/Artist_Page...

To learn more about the Wexler Oral History Project, visit: http://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/tell...