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.
Senior Israeli diplomatic sources this week accused US President Barack Obama of being ready to sign a nuclear deal with Iran even if it endangers the Jewish state, despite Obama’s own statements to the contrary.
“US President Barack Obama is determined to reach a bad deal with Iran,” the sources told the daily newspaper Israel Hayom, which has close ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is seen by many as a mouthpiece for his government.
The sources continued by noting that “it appears that the agreement with Iran will will be signed [by the June 30 deadline], because the American president is interested in the agreement,” regardless of the negative impact it might have on the region long-term.
The White House has repeatedly stated that “no deal would be better than a bad deal,” suggesting it wouldn’t enter into any agreement that allowed Iran to eventually acquire nuclear arms.
But in a weekend interview with Israel’s Channel 2, Obama hinted that his red lines had become somewhat more flexible, and that one way or another, a deal must be signed.
Obama sought to assure the Israeli public that “I understand your concerns and I understand your fears,” but insisted that “a military solution will not fix it. Even if the United States will participate, it would temporarily slow down an Iranian nuclear program, but it will not eliminate it.”
The American leader expressed confidence that he could “demonstrate, not based on any hope but on facts and evidence and analysis that the best way to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon is a verifiable tough agreement.”
However, with Iran continuing to shoot down any and all stipulations that would constitute a “tough verifiable agreement” (such as its refusal to allow spot inspections), Israel remains understandably skeptical.
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There are many explanations of the meaning of the Hebrew name for Jerusalem, 'Yerushalayim.' According to Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, Yerushalayim comes from the words ‘Yirah Shalem.’ 'Yirah' is the Hebrew word for awe, and 'shalem' means complete. 'Yerushalayim,' therefore, means complete, self-effacing awe; completely submitting oneself to the Lord. The holy city is so special and beloved to man because God loves it so much. This is also how we relate to the entire Land of Israel. We love it because God loves it! Find out the meaning behind your own Hebrew name with a personalized Hebrew name certificate.
Yoel Zilberman, 30, was determined not to give up his father's piece of the Holy Land to thieves and encroachers, and together with his IDF buddies, began to guard his father's ranch. The idea spread like wildfire to help desperate Israeli ranchers.
According to Jewish tradition, one's name has a deep spiritual dimension, as the chosen name determines a person's character throughout life. We will personally research and prepare a special Hebrew Name Certificate for you to better understand the biblical origins of your name.
Today's photo, by Yehuda Poch, was taken immediately following a Jerusalem rain storm. This Menorah stands at the Western Wall, nestled amongst those in prayer.
It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send mean email and let me know how you are enjoying Jerusalem365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).
Sending love and prayers to all of Israel from the US in Rosharon, near Houston, Texas. I would love to be able to visit one day but until I can, these inspirational messages make me feel close. To the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be the glory forever and ever...Amen
What I Learned From 13 Months in My Personal Noah's Ark - Jennifer LeClaire
Have you ever gone through your own personal Noah's Ark? (Flickr )
I'll always remember my time in Noah's ark. It was one of the most miserable seasons of my life. I entered Noah's ark after a 40-day spiritual flood swept away everything I had—my home, my car, my job, my dog, my savings.
I was stripped of everything I thought I needed. I had to start all over again—and God sent me to the backside of nowhere to do it. In Noah's Ark, I learned to walk with Him and Him alone. I learned to pray. I learned to worship. I learned to study the Bible. I did quite a lot of dying to self. God reprogrammed my life in Noah's ark.
Of course, I wasn't literally on Noah's ark. I'm old but not that old! I'm actually talking about Ozark, Alabama. When my daughter was 3 years old, she thought Ozark was called "Noah's Ark." I didn't realize until 13 years later the prophetic implications of that cute misunderstanding.
How I Landed on Noah's Ark
Let me back up. I landed in Noah's ark a few weeks after I got saved. If you know anything of my testimony, you know I was put in jail for a crime I didn't commit a few months after my husband abandoned me with our then-2-year-old daughter. Traveling evangelists rolled through the jail preaching Jesus and, having descended far below rock bottom, I gave my heart to Christ.
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As the story goes, the district attorney wanted to put me away for 5 years. Thank God, He vindicated me completely for the injustice but when I was finally released I had lost my apartment, my job, my friends, my money, and my dog. Yes, I know. It sounds like a sad country song. And I am not a fan of country songs.
Again, God sent me to the backside of the desert, to Noah's ark, Alabama, to start a new life. I'm a city girl. Noah's ark is a rural community with about 13,000 people. There's not even a McDonald's, and only one sit-down restaurant. There's not even a brand name grocery store or pharmacy. Don't get me wrong. It's a lovely little town in many respects but it was like living in a foreign city where nobody spoke my language.
Misery With No Company
I was miserable. I imagine Noah and those with him in the ark were also miserable. Think about it for a minute. They were crammed into a big boat with two of every living creature. I've heard of cruise ships getting stuck out at sea and the stench was so horrid that people were vomiting from the smell. Noah's ark had to smell worse.
You might say I was in a crappy situation. I still had no friends, no money, no husband, and no job. After making over $3,000 a week at the height of the dot-com bubble I had to swallow my pride and apply for government assistance just to put food on the table. Everything I once had was stripped from me and I hated Noah's Ark, Alabama.
In fact, I was so miserable that I used to walk down the street to the street drain, sit down and bawl right in the middle of the neighborhood—then get up and walk back home and cry some more. I wasn't sure if I was shipwrecked or floating in a great flood of trial and tribulation. Either way, I could not see a light at the end of the tunnel. As a new believer, I could not see how God was ordering my steps or fulfilling Romans 8:28 in my life.
Learning to Surrender
I hated just about every minute of my time in Noah's Ark. After 13 months passed, my daughter was 5 years old and it was time to enroll her in elementary school. I dreaded the day because I knew it meant putting down roots in this dreaded place.
I prayed. I cried. I worried and wondered. Finally, I surrendered. I said something like this to God, "OK, fine. If you want me to stay here in stinky, smelly Noah's Ark for the rest of my life, I'll do it. You win. I give up."
Would you believe it wasn't a week later when I got a call from an aviation magazine in South Florida with a job offer to serve as editor? It was one of my best freelance clients and the current editor was leaving for a new position. The only catch: I had to report for duty in two weeks. This was my way of escape!
Rewards for Obedience
I drove down to South Florida, got a realtor, and started looking for apartments. The realtor took me to the 11th floor of a condo on the beach, which I told her I could not afford. When I stepped out onto the balcony and looked at the ocean view, the Holy Spirit said three words to me that changed my life forever: "This is yours."
I had the gall to argue with the Holy Spirit, telling Him I could not afford the $1,000 a month rent (my rent in Noah's Ark was only $450). He told me He could afford it.
I signed the lease, moved everything I had down south, and my daughter started elementary school in Hollywood, Florida a couple of weeks later. Today, I live in the Promised Land. I own two condos debt-free with ocean views—but I don't think I ever would have come this far without passing through Noah's Ark, Alabama.
I don't know what your Noah's ark looks like (or smells like) but here's the lesson: You have to find contentment in the ark before God will deliver you to your Promised Land. Consider the words of the apostle Paul when he was in his Noah's Ark—knee deep in sewage in a jail.
"I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know both how to face humble circumstances and how to have abundance. Everywhere and in all things I have learned the secret, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:11-13). Amen.
How Should Pro-Israel Voices Tackle the War of Ideas on College Campuses?
Pastor Dumisani Washington, Christians United for Israel's (CUFI) diversity outreach coordinator. Washington spoke at an April 30 event at Columbia University (not the speech pictured here) concerning the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his support for Israel. (Courtesy of Christians United for Israel)
Recent ordeals for Jews on college campuses include being probed on their religious identity in student government hearings, seeing swastikas sprayed on their fraternity houses, and the presence of a student-initiated course accused of anti-Semitism.
Pro-Israel voices are fighting back, but who is winning this war of ideas? An episode at Columbia University, a historic hotbed of anti-Zionism, illustrates the complex dynamics at play.
Last month, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), America's largest pro-Israel organization with more than 2 million members, planned a lecture at Columbia concerning the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his support for Israel. CUFI says that the school administration meddled with the event in a way that unfairly singled out the pro-Israel group. The university imposed an "unprecedented level of bureaucratic scrutiny in an effort to intimidate," says David Walker, CUFI's national campus coordinator.
Walker tells JNS.org that the university moved the lecture to a much smaller venue at the last minute, demanded to know the names of all off-campus individuals expected to attend, and denied the general public entry—all of which he calls evidence of "bureaucratic bullying." Some organizations partnering with CUFI on the event proceeded to withdraw their support in the aftermath of the administration's actions.
Despite the obstacles, CUFI's diversity outreach coordinator, Pastor Dumisani Washington, was permitted to speak at Columbia during the April 30 event. He began by refuting a statement issued by the Columbia Black Students Organization (BSO) in which the group condemned Aryeh, a pro-Israel student organization at Columbia, for using "the image and words" of Martin Luther King to promote Zionist views and co-opting "the black liberation struggle for the purposes of genocide and oppression."
"When I see black students saying these things I know there is a great deal of confusion," Washington says. His lecture offered a history of the civil rights movement in the U.S., demonstrating how King and his closest followers were always aligned with Israel, both spiritually and politically. By citing the shared experience of slavery as epochs uniting Jews and blacks, recalling songs about Moses, and highlighting excerpts from New Testament and Old Testament psalms that figure prominently in King's speeches,
Washington defended Christian Zionism and King's legacy as a pro-Israel voice.
In his presentation, Washington also included a short video that illustrates BSO's "confusion." The video recalls the 1975 United Nations General Assembly resolution that declared Zionism as racism. Noting the maxim "follow the money," the video connects the dots of a complicated political strategy devised by the former Soviet Union. At the height of the Cold War, the USSR sought to manipulate and intimidate poorer member states (mostly African) into passing anti-Israel resolutions. The real target of this strategy was not Israel, but rather America, the Soviets' chief rival. Since the U.S. and Israel are close allies, the Soviets reasoned, any discrediting of Israel's reputation as a humane democracy reflected negatively on the U.S., creating ideological conflicts of interest.
With CUFI's event going on planned, the pro-Israel side at Columbia University managed to have its voice and narrative heard—at least for that day. Columbia, as it turns out, sits atop a recently published list of 10 American college campuses where anti-Semitism is most rampant. The list was compiled by JewHatredOnCampus.org, an initiative launched earlier this year whose mission is to engage directly with students at institutions of higher learning where pro-Palestinian student groups are using school funding to launch aggressive anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda campaigns. The new website publishes a regular newsletter and provides a portal for reporting anti-Semitic incidents.
"Fifty-four percent of Jewish students on college campuses feel they've witnessed anti-Semitism," says well-known conservative writer David Horowitz, the founder of JewHatredOnCampus.org. "The problem is that Jews aren't fighting back."
But howshould they fight back? A 2010 incident involving Horowitz sheds light on the activist's strategy of choice. In a post-lecture Q&A session hosted by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Horowitz asked a UCSD Muslim student, Jumanah Imad Albahri, to condemn Hamas and Hezbollah as genocidal terrorist organizations. Albarhi's answer shocked the audience, and the video of their heated exchange quickly went viral.
In the video, Albarhi asks Horowitz "to explain the purported connection" between UCSD's Muslim Student Association chapter and "jihadist terrorist networks." Horowitz doesn't answer directly. Instead, he counters by pressing Albarhi to refute the documented statement by the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, expressing his desire for Jews to gather in Israel so that "it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide." Albarhi appears rattled. She worries that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will label her a terrorist if she sides with Hezbollah, but denies that pro-Palestinian organizations are aligned with doctrines of hate.
"For it or against it?" Horowitz persists, demanding an answer regarding Albarhi's opinion on Hezbollah's rhetoric. Finally, Albarhi leans toward the microphone and says decisively, "For it." (Though Albarhi later denied supporting Nasrallah's comments.)
Indeed, similar YouTube clips and social media debates reveal the intensity of student opinions regarding Israel, as well as the animosity directed at Jewish students and professors. Horowitz believes that one common Israeli public relations strategy—the spotlighting of "all the wonderful things Israel has accomplished, from medical inventions and agricultural advances to being tolerant of gays"—falls short as a proper defense of the Jewish state's policies. From his perspective, history is what provides a legitimate justification for Israel to exist under its present borders. He cites the original Palestinian Liberation Organization slogan declaring a fundamental intention to "push [the Jews] into the sea" as clear-cut evidence that Israel does not have a partner for peace.
"You have to call it what it is," Horowitz tellsJNS.org. "You cannot make peace with people who want to kill you. These are literally Nazis ... planning another Holocaust openly."
Against the backdrop of that sense of urgency, Horowitz advocates a robust and unapologetic public relations campaign on the part of pro-Israel advocates as the only way to repair the damage done to Israel's image by its enemies. The press release that launched his JewHatredOnCampus.org initiative lists anti-Jewish acts such as "Israeli Apartheid Week" (the annual anti-Israel showcase on campuses around the world), the interruption of university activities by staging mock "checkpoints" on campus, the hosting of speakers on campus that call for the destruction of the Jewish state, and harassment and violence against Jewish and pro-Israel students.
Horowitz's efforts to counter anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric has sparked many contentious debates at the more than 400 college campus visits he says he has made. CUFI speakers are similarly accustomed to meeting fiery opposition. On the same day as the recent Columbia event, CUFI Outreach Coordinator Kasim Hafeez—a British Muslim of Pakistani origin and a jihadist-turned-Zionist—had Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) activists walk out on a speech he gave at the University of Toledo.
Horowitz concedes that the current debate over Israel on campus is a shallow shouting match to which he contributes his own propaganda. He expresses his desire for an "informed scholarly debate," but says of pro-Palestinian advocates, "I don't believe there is an honest way for them to argue their cause... [when their] side wants to annihilate the other."
Let today's verse be a warning to those who stand in power and seek to harm the Jewish nation. Daniel foresaw the downfall of the Babylonian empire and its mighty king Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Daniel delivers a strong message that God "removes kings" and establishes new ruling powers. Stand on the side of good against evil, and show your unequivocal support for the nation of Israel, a safe haven not only for Jews but for Christians and all faiths. This vital petition will be presented to US presidential candidates. #StandAgainstIran
In just about 60 minutes, "Iranium" powerfully reports on the many aspects of the threat America and the world now face using rarely-before seen footage of Iranian leaders. Demystify the explosive reality in this informative and shocking film.
Today's spectacular photo by Boruch Len shows the largest synagogue in Jerusalem. A replica of a synagogue destroyed in Belz, Poland during the Holocaust, its rebuilding stands for the eternity of the Jewish people.
I enjoy your articles and I pray for Israel and Jerusalem every day. May God protect His People and your land. Marcia Wages, Social Circle, Georgia USA
Dear Rabbi Tuly, thank you for keeping us up to date with the latest news from Israel. You are doing a wonderful job, more grace, and I wish Israel victory in all her struggles in this fight. God bless you. Fidelia Gideon
The Holy Spirit is showing me that many of you have been digging wells for so long, but you have become discouraged because you have not experienced a breakthrough. The Lord says, don't give up. I have ancient wells to be opened to you. I have an abundance of fresh water to be released to you. Don't drink the stagnant water from the past, but come and receive fresh and living water.
Then He took me to the book of Genesis chapter 26:18 where Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died. I see this as an analogy of Isaac wanting to drink from the wells that his father had drank from. He wanted to rediscover the secrets to his fathers spiritual strength and his personal relationship with God.
Genesis 26:19-20 Although Isaac's servants discovered fresh water when they dug the wells, they came upon opposition as the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." The first two wells which they dug were called Esek and Sitnah, which means contention and enmity. Some of you have come against people who are trying to stop up your wells with contention and enmity. They want what is rightfully yours but they will not succeed.
Then he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." As they went on, the Lord appeared to him and said, do not fear. I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake.
You Will Be Replenished
Many of you are crying out to the Lord because you are in such a dry spell. You need that anointing that you've once had, and long for His presence. The Lord says to those of you who are barren and dry, "The ancient wells are being dug once again and you will be replenished. You will receive such an abundance that you will never be spiritually famished again. I desire to pour into your life more than you can ever imagine. Your wells will be overflowing.
This water that I am releasing is not ordinary water but it is living water that will bring breakthrough to areas of your lives that you have not been able to be set free from. It will be a cleansing stream of purified water that will not only bring refreshing and renewing to you, but you will also refresh and restore others. Don't settle for less, for I have an abundance to release to whosoever will receive says the Lord."
Genesis 26:19 - 25 Also Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it.
So he called its name Rehoboth because he said, "For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." Then he went up from there to Beersheba. And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.
The Holy Spirit is showing me that many of you have been digging wells for so long, but you have become discouraged because you have not experienced a breakthrough. The Lord says, don't give up. I have ancient wells to be opened to you. I have an abundance of fresh water to be released to you. Don't drink the stagnant water from the past, but come and receive fresh and living water.
