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.
ATLANTA -- It's a story that's captured hearts around the world and addresses the question, "What happens after this life is over?"
After being translated into 46 different languages, Don Piper's best-selling book 90 Minutes in Heaven is now being resurrected on the big screen.
The movie will tell the story that began on a Texas highway in 1989. Don Piper was traveling from a conference when a truck plowed into his car head on. Piper broke every bone in his body except his right arm from the impact. His heart flatlined when the paramedics arrived.
As traffic passed, the accident scene caught the attention of passerby Dick Onarecker, who happened to be a pastor. Onarecker begged police to let him enter the car to pray for the victim. The police repeatedly dismissed the request, since Piper had no pulse.
Watch a preview and commentary from Don Piper below.
After numerous attempts, Onarecker finally got permission to enter the car. There sitting under the body tarp with Piper's lifeless body. Onarecker began to pray for a miracle.
"Dick was singing that hymn, 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus,'" Piper told CBN's Angela Zatopek. "After about an hour and a half, I apparently started singing it with him. I was back."
It's a modern day Lazarus story. But what happened in those 90 minutes?
"The moment the truck struck me, I was standing at the gates of heaven," Piper said.
He remembered his visit to heaven in vivid detail and knew he couldn't stay silent. His book has brought comfort to many searching for faith after losing loved ones.
Now the film version will bring his story to life in a whole new way.
"On a personal level, the movie is kind of a logical conclusion. People can see now what we felt. What they read about and it will be portrayed very well by some very fine actors," Piper said.
Actor Hayden Christensen from "Star Wars" plays Piper, and Kate Bosworth from "Remember the Titans," portrays his wife, Eva Piper.
"I love that he refers to her as the real hero of the story because I do believe she held it all together with such grace and patience and dignity. This is certainly a huge aspect to the success of his life and their family. I am incredibly honored to be apart of it," Bosworth said.
The film also includes singer Michael W. Smith, E! News Jason Kennedy, as well as some new faces to the big screen playing the Pipers' children.
While skeptics still debate stories of other people claiming they have gone to Heaven, Piper's story stands apart. His heart was declared flatlined by medics for 90 minutes. With the question of his death off the table, producers were careful to keep the script to the true story.
Piper described the gate of heaven he stood at much like the inside of a pearl filled with dazzling light. The gate stands ornate and large, but the entrance is narrow.
Piper said the entrance is clearly only for the entry of one.
"I saw colors I've never seen before. I heard angels, not their voices, but their wings," he said. "Hearing music, thousands of songs but it wasn't chaos. Only one song distinginguished itself ... "Holy Holy Holy"... because He is."
The film is set to release Sept. 11, 2015, as a story of hope. It aims to show the power of prayer and make audiences think, "What's important in this life?"
"I came back from heaven with a question, 'Who are you going to greet?'" Piper said. "I think that's why we're all still here… those of us who are followers of Jesus are here to help others get there."
Caesarea’s antiquities park is one of Israel’s most impressive parks, housing unique buildings from various periods, bearing silent witness to the upheavals that have visited Caesarea over the past 2,300 years. Standing side by side over an area of 500 dunams (125 acres), there are architectural remains from the Hellenistic period (the 3rd century BCE) to the Crusader period (the 12th century), when Caesarea was a port city and spent many years as Israel’s capital.
Caesarea was given to King Herod as a present by Augustus Caesar and is named after him. Herod built a massive port there alongside entertainment facilities, bathhouses and temples. In the Byzantine period, the Crusader period the city was fortified with walls and gates, which were eventually destroyed by the Mamluk Conquest in the 13th century never to be rebuilt.
I'm Feeling Like an Umbrella Salesman in a Thunderstorm
I've been speaking so much about gay activism (as well as urging the church to pray for the LGBT community and to prepare for a massive harvest of souls). (Reuters)
About 20 years ago, I was spending time with David Wilkerson in New York City when a storm unexpectedly broke out as we were leaving a building. Sure enough, in true New York fashion, there was someone right outside the door selling umbrellas, and as expected, Pastor Dave bought one to keep us dry in the showers. In fact, just about everyone seemed to buy one as they walked outside into the sudden downpour.
I feel like that umbrella salesman today, except that for years now, I've been selling these umbrellas in the desert, knowing that a massive storm was coming and that soon enough, the umbrellas would become hot items.
What exactly do I mean?
After I spoke in Jerusalem earlier this week on our calling to take up the cross and serve the Lord by life or by death, an Israeli-born American missionary to the Muslims asked me why I did not appear more concerned about the Supreme Court's disastrous redefining of marriage.
He knew I was grieved over it.
He knew that I expected hard times for the Church of America.
But he knew that I was full of optimism and confidence in the midst of the storm.
Why?
It's because I have been expecting these things for years now, and, with all my heart, I believe that I have a promise from God that, as surely as there was a Civil Rights movement in America, there will be a gospel-based moral and cultural revolution in our land.
I have lived with that promise since the late 1990's, and that's why "revolution" has been a dominant theme in my teaching, preaching, and writing since then.
That's why, every day on the radio, I'm introduced as "your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution."
That's why I've written that there must be revolution in the church – meaning radical, dramatic, sweeping change in our midst based on the Word and empowered by the Spirit – before there can be revolution in society.
That's why I wrote in 2000, "Only the life-changing power of the gospel will ultimately change a society for good. Only new hearts will bring forth the new life that the oppressed so long for and desire. Only the Spirit of God will truly liberate captives! But if we do not rise up and act, Satan will. The dissatisfaction is rising. The discontent is growing thick. Revolution is near – either heaven-sent or hell-bent – and only we have the truth that will set slaves free."
Sadly, we are currently witnessing a hell-bent, anti-God, anti-Bible, anti-Christian revolution, and it is rapidly sweeping our land.
But all hope is not lost!
As surely as it gets dark at night, if we humble ourselves and repent of our sins, if we cast off the fear of man and dead religious traditions, if we seek God earnestly and don't let go, we will see a turning of the tide. We will see a gospel-based, Jesus-exalting, Spirit-empowered, moral and cultural revolution, overcoming hatred with love, overcoming evil with good, overcoming lies with truth.
That is what I live for and that is why I raise my voice in writing and on radio and in preaching and teaching, seeking to awaken those who are slumbering and to strengthen those who are discouraged and to equip those who want to make a positive difference with their lives.
This is the day we've been expecting, and this is the hour we've been made for. The storm is here, but we have the umbrellas – and more. In fact, we have a way to bring out the sunshine again.
Last year, I wrote an article titled "I Hate to Say I Told You So," in which I documented how detail after detail of what I (and others) had predicted regarding the gay activist agenda had come to pass in shocking, almost devastating fashion.
I ended the article asking, "Do you believe me now? And would you like to know what is coming next and what we can do about it? And would you like to know why I am convinced that, ultimately, the gay revolution will fail?
"Stay tuned for more. I'm glad I have your ear."
I trust that today, in the aftermath of the massive, breathtakingly fast negative revolution that has taken place before our eyes, from the Supreme Court's lawless decision on marriage to the celebration of "Caitlyn" Jenner and so much more, you understand why I've been talking about revolution (not rebellion) and why I've been speaking so much about gay activism (as well as urging the church to pray for the LGBT community and to prepare for a massive harvest of souls).
And I trust that you'll also understand why, as heavy as the storm might be and as intense as the conflict will surely be in the coming days – you will not be able to avoid it, from the pulpit to Facebook and from the schools to your job – I am overflowing with confidence in the Lord.
We knew the storm was coming, and we've got more than enough umbrellas.
Best of all they're free.
Everything we need is found in Jesus, and if we give ourselves to Him unconditionally, saying, "Here I am! Send me, use me!" He will place on the front lines of the greatest revolution this nation has ever seen.
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I have been feeling overwhelmed at the exceedingly sinful course this world has taken. A collision course with something, somewhere. But during my worship time I heard the Lord say, "I'm excited!" I said, "Lord, what did you say?" He said, "I'm excited!" I said, "How could you be excited? All I see is chaos and gross darkness." He said, "I don't waste chaos. And I don't waste gross darkness. I use them."
"From your perspective the world looks like it's falling apart. From mine it's a grieving but wonderful sight. I see treasures in the darkness and greater treasures to come forth from the gross darkness. Weren't you praying for your light to shine brighter? Stay focused on Me and your light will increase to see the treasures I see."
He then said, "Son, you are right. This world is on a collision course. It's on a collision course with the greatest outpouring of My Spirit. The earth is coming into its fullness for harvest. And for that, there's excitement in My tears."
For the upright will remain in the Land forever, and the wholehearted will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the Land, and the faithless uprooted from it.
This Canada Day, listen to the incredible words of Prime Minister Stephen Harper: “It is a Canadian tradition to stand for what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is convenient or popular... Israel is the only country in the Middle East, which has long anchored itself in the ideals of freedom, democracy and the rule of law... Through fire and water, Canada will stand with you.” Today, we salute the strong alliance between Canada and Israel, and thank our wonderful readers from the north!
One can feel the genuine warmth and respect of two world leaders meeting on Israeli soil. Watch an inspiring welcome ceremony for Canadian PM Stephen Harper, with Netanyahu’s heartfelt speech well worth watching at the 3:15mark.
Recent events have, for the first time in Israeli history, pitted the Israeli Druze against their host country in a moral dilemma with biblical roots and life-or-death implications.
You got it! Yesterday's photo by Ilan Rosen featured Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Israel’s largest freshwater lake. In Hebrew, the root of "Kinneret" is "kinor" which means harp, referring to the lake's harp-like shape.
Greetings from Canada: I so appreciate the articles, pictures and video's featuring your amazing land and peoples. Thank you for all you share about the wonders of Israel, Leslie from Cranbrook, BC Canada
I have a prayer shawl, not like the one [in the photo] of the man praying in the field. One that was knitted by a person from my church! I love it and I love Israel365 and Jerusalem365! Polly, Concord, North Carolina, USA
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israel prides itself on protecting minorities within the Jewish state.
Still, some Christian sites have been attacked by fringe groups over the past few years, prompting government officials to take new steps to protect Israel's Christian community.
Dr. Moti Zaken, special advisor to Israel's Ministry of Internal Security on Minority Affairs, organized a series of meetings between government ministries and Christian leaders.
"We think it's very important that we will be cooperating to solve problems (and) to improve the relations because we value the Christian groups and their representatives as a very important asset to the Jewish state," Zaken told participants at the fourth meeting in the series.
David Pileggi serves as rector at Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East.
"Our relationship with Israel as the Christian community is good, but it can be better," Pileggi told CBN News. "What we appreciate about this meeting is that we can raise practical concerns and hear reports from different government ministries, the police, the army and find out how they are improving the situation for the Christian minority."
The government also wants to improve services to Christian pilgrims from around the world.
"It is one of the major, I would say, issues for the Ministry of Tourism to get to know how to approach the Christian world, both outside the country of course -- abroad, all over the world – and, of course, inside Israel," Ahuva Zaken with the Tourism Ministry told CBN News.
According to the Interior Ministry, that includes visas for Christians.
"We want to give a good answer to the Christian population, also to the Christian foundations in Israel, and this is also important to the State of Israel, and I am doing my job, to give every service with all my heart, whatever we can do to make things easier for the Christian population in Israel," Cesare Marjieh, director of Christian Communities for the Interior Ministry, told CBN News.
With Christians under severe persecution throughout the Middle East, Israel remains an island of refuge.
"It's the only country in the Middle East -- in the whole Middle East -- that actually has a growing Christian population so that says a lot because (in) all the other countries around this region, the Christians are fleeing as fast as they can because of the persecution, Islamic persecution," Chuck Kopp, senior pastor of Jerusalem's International Congregation, told CBN News. "So we can be happy that Christians are well represented and that they are an integral part of this country."
Pileggi believes Christians in Israel may have more freedom than their American counterparts.
"There's certainly no comparison between the Christian population here and what's happening all through the Middle East and in many places in Africa and China -- and certainly even in the United States. I would say that in many regards, we might have more religious freedom here in Israel than folks would back in the United States," Pileggi said.
Unfortunately, the deligitimization of Israel is becoming a very real phenomenon. (Wikimedia Commons)
How does one effectively fight anti-Semitism and its newest mutation, anti-Israelism? The first step must be to understand how these phenomena are manifested and who is behind them.
Over the past decade, as anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism increased exponentially, many books covering the subject have been published. Until now, aside from magisterial works of the late Robert Wistrich and the excellent analysis by Daniel Goldhagen, The Devil That Never Dies: The Rise and Threat of Global Anti-Semitism, there has not been a contemporary review of the global battlefield covering the world's oldest hatred. There are other valuable studies but they are of limited scope.
Now a new study of considerable significance has become available. Manfred Gerstenfeld's The War of a Million Cuts: The Struggle Against theDelegitimization of Israel and the Jews and the Growth of the New Anti-Semitism is a compelling book that outlines the components of the new anti-Semitism. The seemingly obscure title is explained in the text as referring to an unlimited number of often small hate attacks from a huge number of sources. This differs from the traditional anti-Semitism of concentrated attacks by major players, such as initially the Catholic Church and much later Nazism and its many allies. What is radically new in this book is that it presents a detailed strategy on how to fight the enemy.
Dr. Gerstenfeld served for 12 years as the chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a leading Israeli think tank. A former international strategic business consultant to some of the world's largest multinational corporations, Gerstenfeld would today, after the death of Wistrich, be considered the most qualified analyst of contemporary anti-Semitism with a focus on anti-Israelism. He is a prolific writer and has published 10 books on this subject, including pioneering studies on anti-Semitism on campuses in a variety of countries, the anti-Israelism behind the pseudo-humanitarian mask of the hypocritical Northern European societies, the attitude toward Jews as an indicator of the moral decay of the Netherlands, and the increasingly important role that Holocaust inversion and other distortions have assumed in the efforts to demonize the Jewish state.
His new book is a tour de force and undoubtedly represents his magnum opus. It is a readable 500-page volume that provides encyclopedic coverage of the subject. It is probably the first book that reviews the delegitimization of Israel as an entity, identifying the motifs employed, the categories of perpetrators, how the hate themes enter society and the extent of damage incurred by Israel and Jews.
Citing a large number of examples from many countries, the central theme of the book highlights the fact that our current struggle is immensely more complex than confronting classical anti-Semitism in which hatred focused on single messages, such as the killing of Jesus or genetic inferiority of Jews. Today the onslaught comes from many diverse sources, applies many different motifs and uses a great variety of methods and transmission channels.
His opening chapter is a lucid analysis of how anti-Semites have adopted and integrated anti-Israelism as a new mutation of traditional Jew hatred. The successive chapters discuss how ancient hate motifs have been espoused and upgraded by the current enemies of the Jewish people. Gerstenfeld demonstrates how Muslim anti-Semitism today has effectively adopted the role of Nazi anti-Semitism and is at the forefront of the hatred and violence against Jews--which not only emanates from Muslim countries but wherever Muslim migrants have settled.
He skillfully illustrates the interfacing and interaction between Muslims in Western countries, politicians, the traditional media, social media activists, nongovernmental organizations, church leaders, academics, trade union leaders, right-wing extremists, social democrats and above all, those on the extreme Left now bolstered by Jewish self-haters who complete the witches' brew from which the current onslaught of poisonous anti-Semitism has emerged.
Gerstenfeld demonstrates that anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism use the same core motifs. He cites a variety of studies indicating that over 150 million European Union citizens embrace a satanic view of the Jewish state--where they believe the Israelis behave like Nazis or seek to exterminate the Palestinians. He systematically exposes the shameless, naked anti-Semitism of the majority of U.N. representatives. These include the Europeans who are increasingly inclined to either abstain from or vote in favor of outrageous resolutions, often initiated by rogue states, which apply double standards and single out Israel for censure. Gerstenfeld demonstrates that anti-Semitism is not only part of Europe's history, but also of its culture. His depiction of a new criminal Europe warrants serious debate.
He also analyzes the impact of the ongoing campaigns of delegitimization on Israel and the ramifications for Diaspora Jews--especially in Europe--who find themselves increasingly discriminated against.
Gerstenfeld outlines his plans to organize the fight on behalf of embattled Israel and the Jewish people. He is strongly convinced that the Israeli government has failed to deal with this problem for decades by mistakenly considering it a minor irritant instead of appreciating the immense consequences of losing the war for the world's public opinion. He sees a desperate need for the Israeli government to set up an advanced, well-staffed and amply funded anti-propaganda agency which will globally refute the loathsome lies and defamation and humiliate and shame those responsible.
The first task of this agency would be to deal with research, an important component being the creation and updating of a databank of "enemies of Israel and the Jewish people." Each new incident of hate-mongering could thus immediately be tracked to their combined past mischief. One would also be able to identify the vulnerabilities of Israel's enemies.
Gerstenfeld states that many enemies of Israel today enjoy a free anti-Semitic lunch. He suggests that we could, for example, identify some of the academically weakest adherents of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and expose their professional failures among their university colleagues and in their profession internationally. He claims that it would not even cost much money. As most people are cowards, he believes that many would think twice before joining the BDS movement.
The second activity the anti-propaganda agency would deal with would be the monitoring of new developments concerning hatemongering. His suggestion that this should be done in three different categories is commendable.
The first would be by activity, e.g., calls for violence, Holocaust inversion, BDS, etc. The second would be by perpetrators, such as Muslim states, Muslims in the Western world, media, politicians, liberal churches, NGOs, academics, social democratic parties, trade unions, etc. The third would monitor developments in various countries.
A third department of the proposed anti-propaganda agency would focus on activism, either directly or indirectly. One proposal is that tens of thousands of youngsters willing to defend Israel could be trained to identify how Israel's enemies work, what lies and fallacies are used and how to expose them. Today the defense of Israel is chaotic. More coordination would enable much more with the same means.
The book includes an introduction by former Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, who describes the book as "an excellent contribution to better understanding the indirect attacks against Israel." It also contains endorsements and commendations from Czech Culture Minister Daniel Herman, former Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, former Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, former Swedish Development Cooperation Minister Alf Svensson, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, and others.
This book should be considered a compulsory manual for anyone engaged in public activity to promote the case for Israel or combat anti-Semitism.
Isi Leibler is a veteran international Jewish leader with a distinguished record of contributions to the Jewish world and the cause of human rights. His website can be viewed at www.wordfromjerusalem.com. He may be contacted at ileibler@leibler.com.
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God is compelling his bride, the church, to rise up in intercession, and now. (Lightstock )
As news began to spread regarding the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to legalize homosexual marriage in America this past week, my heart was filled with an unusual mixture of hope and crisis as I got on my knees before the Lord.
I immediately began to seek the Father regarding His perspective on the ruling and I believe He said to me, "In the natural, the Supreme Court justices have just legalized homosexual marriage in America, but little do they know that they also just authorized an awakening of the Spirit in My bride. For know that now is the time to turn inward, it is a time of repentance and fasting for My people. Has their laziness and blindness on the issue of sexual immorality in their midst not given the homosexual agenda its true power? America has now legalized homosexual immorality because the American church legalized heterosexual immorality first."
I immediately received a powerful vision of intercessors gathering from all over America in response to the ruling. They gathered and began to pray, but what they were interceding about was very displeasing to the Father. I listened very carefully to the cries and prayers of the intercessors in the vision and this is what they were crying out: "Father, we repent for the sins of America! Father, we ask that you would turn the hearts of homosexuals back to you. Father, bring justice to these people!"
As I listened in to these continual prayers, the Father said to me, "Do you know what's wrong with these prayers Jeremiah? They are all focused on the call for America to repent when I have called My bride to repent! You must tell the intercessors to shift their focus from America to My bride. Their self-righteous hearts and blindness to their own sin is a stench in my nostrils. The issues coming forth in the United States is not an American problem, it's an American Church problem."
America is in a crisis, but the American church is in a greater crisis. We are and will continue to reap what we have sown and that is seeds of silence and tolerance on the key issues of our day that have come before the Father as sin.
As Abraham Kuyper once said, "When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith."
I believe that God the Father is releasing burning and shining lamps in America to sound the alarm and wake up the bride of Christ from her slumber (see John 5:35). He is bringing forth a worthy bride in the earth right now who will make herself ready by voluntarily choosing to love His Son Jesus.
In Revelation 3, Jesus told the church at Sardis, "You have the appearance of being alive, but you are dead." It is this same message, that the American church has every sign of thriving, every program known to man, every self-help workshop, yet they are spiritually dead that will awaken the bride and call her back to her first love.
I want to encourage intercessors and leaders across America to take the plank out of our own eyes before we begin judging homosexuals and the lifestyle that they have chosen (see Matthew 7:5). While I do believe that these individuals are choosing to blatantly sin and will be judged by God Himself for their behavior (see Romans 14:12), we have an obligation as believers in Jesus Christ to look within our own lives and in our own spiritual communities and ask the Spirit of truth to search us inwardly before we begin calling others to accountability (see Psalm 51:6).
My hope today is in Jesus Christ and in His desire to call His bride to the place of repentance and fasting in this hour. There is no other hope for the American church. We must remember that the heart of a religious Pharisee continues to cry out, "Thank God I'm not like them" (see Luke 18:11). May we repent to the Father for our failure as the bride of Christ to preach holiness and purity to those that call themselves believers in Jesus and for our self-righteous attitudes toward those who are in need of His grace and mercy.
I fully recognize the crisis that is here and will only increase in the days ahead if we as the bride of Christ do not turn to the Lord Jesus and repent of our sins. Let us choose wisely which path we walk. Shall we put our hope in Him and the invitation to look inward in this hour and examine our own hearts as the bride or shall we welcome continual crisis by becoming more consumed with the American problem than the American church problem?
Remember, reformation never comes to a society before it first comes to the church!
Jeremiah Johnsonplanted Heart of the Father Ministry in Lakeland, Florida and is on the Eldership Team. A gifted teacher, book author, and prophetic minister, Jeremiah travels extensively throughout the United States and abroad as a conference and guest speaker. Jeremiah and his wife, Morgan, reside in Florida with their two children: Bella Grace and Israel David. Check out Jeremiah's new book release, I See A New Prophetic Generation and visit him online at Behold the Man Ministries or connect with him on Facebook."
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