Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Why I write novels about “worst case scenarios.” - Joel Rosenberg

Why I write novels about “worst case scenarios.” (My interview with a South African newspaper on “The Third Target”)

Screen shot of an August 12th profile in a South African newspaper.

The following article was published on by a South African newspaper, The Citizen, based on an interview I did last month.

Thought you might be interested in what interests reporters and readers in other countries.

STORIES THAT MATTER: AUTHOR PENS ANOTHER CAPTIVATING POLITICAL DRAMA

By Genevieve Vietra, The Citizen, August 12, 2015

Joel C Rosenberg’s popularity is a result of two equally compelling elements. Firstly, he’s a talented fiction writer, brilliant at narrating thrilling political debacles that will make you squirm. But even more exhilarating is his ability to predict future events before they happen.

No, he does not claim to be psychic or have any supernatural ability, but rather, as a former communications adviser, Rosenberg has worked with a number of US and Israeli leaders – including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, Natan Sharansky and Benjamin Netanyahu – observing the ins and outs of political culture and current events.

“One of the things I love to do is write novels about worst case scenarios that could happen in the not-too-distant future,” he says.

“I’m not specifically trying to predict the future. But as darkness falls upon this world and the forces of freedom seem to be in retreat, I am trying to imagine what could be coming just over the horizon.”

His aim is to encourage readers to think about how they should live in such dark and dangerous times.

“Are you going to live fearful, passive, hidden lives or are you going to act with great courage to do the right thing, to warn people of danger and get them safety?” he asks.

As a result, his characters often wrestle with profound moral and spiritual questions. “Evil, unchecked, is a prelude to genocide,” he says.

Rosenberg’s latest offering, The Third Target, tells the story of a New York Times foreign correspondent who hears rumours that an al-Qaeda splinter cell, Islamic State, has captured a cache of chemical weapons inside Syria – a story he wants to pursue at all costs.

Knowing terrorist forces are already trying to bring down two Arab governments in the region – Iraq and Syria – will he obtain the information and needed forces to prevent such calamity?....

His aim is twofold – to both entertain and educate.

“My first objective is to entertain you,” he says, “to thrill you, keep you up all night reading my books so at 5am you finally send me an angry Facebook message or Tweet cursing me for keeping you up all night when you really have to go to work or school in a few hours.

“My second objective is to intrigue you, educate you, take you into a world you never imagined going before, and perhaps even on an intellectual and emotional and spiritual journey you weren’t expecting. I want people to see the world differently when they’ve finished reading one of my books. I want them to ask questions they never thought of asking before – of themselves, of others, of God.”

One fascinating observation is the wide variety of people who read his books. These include former generals, former CIA directors, current and former ambassadors, business leaders, religious leaders and so forth.

“I have to make sure my books are carefully researched,” he says.

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joelcrosenberg | September 1, 2015 at 4:49 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3ll

P. Parenthood Letter Reveals Baby Tissue Secrets

CBNNews.com

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Planned Parenthood officials have written a letter to Congress, defending their practice of selling aborted baby body parts.

The nation's biggest abortion provider is trying to push back against several congressional investigations that have begun in the wake of a series of stunning undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress.

In the letter, Planned Parenthood claims they obey all laws, and they admit they are "proud to have a role in fetal tissue research."

But the American Center for Law and Justice said the letter exposes nine shocking practices at Planned Parenthood.

For example, Planned Parenthood finally admits that abortion is a "core" service, something watchdog groups have known for years.

And they acknowledge that nearly 20 percent of affiliates, possibly 100 sites, have been involved in selling baby body parts over the last five years.

The abortion company also admits to receiving "$60 per tissue specimen," which can quickly add up when a baby is dissected and his or her organs are sold.

They also claim that federal law requiring consent for fetal tissue donations is "not applicable" to them.

"The federal rules relating to consent and timing and method of abortion when the donated tissue is used for federally funded fetal transplantation research are therefore not applicable to any recent fetal tissue donations in the United States," the letter states.

ACLJ counsel Matthew Clark says Planned Parenthood believes it has figured out a legal loophole "to exploit the bodies of the babies it has killed for financial gain at the expense of the health and safety of the women in the hands of its supposed 'care.'"

"Planned Parenthood is boldly asserting that federal law requiring the informed consent of the woman and requiring no alteration in the timing and method (how the abortion is performed) is 'not applicable' to Planned Parenthood," Clark writes.

Daily Sapphires from Jonathan Cahn - A TECTONIC MOMENT - Desecration & Judgment

Jonathan Cahn

A TECTONIC MOMENT - Desecration & Judgment

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Word From Jonathan ...

Dear Friend,

I stood there in front of the Supreme Court on May 28, 2015, the day the court heard the case to decide the future of marriage in America. There on the steps, I interceded for America, joined by a faithful remnant of God’s people, some with signs, some in sackcloth, all with a sense of foreboding. The following night, I stood on Capitol Hill before a gathering of leaders and members of Congress and addressed words to the court and the president and all who would hear, that to strike down what God Himself had created and ordained, would be to cross a fateful line, and to invoke the judgment of the Almighty.

The next evening, I spoke in Federal Hall, in New York City, on the same ground, on the same day where our nation’s first President, in the first ever presidential address uttered a prophetic warning: “The propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right that Heaven itself hath ordained…” The warning, in essence was this: If America should ever turn away from God’s eternal order and ways, God’s blessings would be removed from the land. If any event could ever constitute America’s disregarding the “eternal rules of order and right that Heaven itself hath ordained” it would have to be the striking down of the biblical definition of marriage as given in the word of God.

The day of which Washington warned is now. It arrived, as the president said in its celebration, as a “thunderbolt.” We have crossed the line. Since the first sharing of The Harbinger, I have warned that we are progressing down the same road of judgment as went ancient Israel, accompanied by the same prophetic warning signs as appeared in Israel’s last days. We are now closer to that day. One of the last signs to provoke a nation’s judgment is that of desecration.

When the palace court of Babylon, under the king’s orders, partied to the gods and drank wine from the sacred vessels of God’s Temple in Jerusalem, it was then, that the handwriting appeared on the wall, and then that judgment came.

The rainbow is a sacred vessel of God, a holy sign of His covenant. But we have now taken that sacred sign of covenant and transformed it into an object of desecration, having joined it to the desecration of marriage. It was not only that the sign of the rainbow was raised to the heavens in celebration of this desecration, but on the night of America’s desecration of marriage, the president caused the walls of the White House, the highest house in the land, to be illuminated in the colors of the rainbow, God’s holy vessel, to celebrate the desecration of God’s holy order.

The American White House had now become a vessel of desecration.

The template of The Harbinger is playing out as it did in the last days of ancient Israel – a nation having been warned of judgment, responds by shaking its collective fist toward the heavens in defiance. America’s desecration of God’s order was a tectonic moment – enough to provoke a tectonic judgment. I have said over and over, that I believe a great shaking is coming. Does that mean there’s no hope of revival? Just the opposite. I believe the only way revival will come is through shaking. Pray for America, for its return to God. And let that revival begin here and now, even today… with you. And may the Lord greatly anoint you – as revival begins.

Your brother and co-laborer in His love and service,

Jonathan

See Message: The American Prophecies

Pray for America, for its return to God. And let that revival begin here and now, even today… with you.

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Source: Sapphires@hopeoftheworld.org

"RE-DIGGING THE WELLS OF REVIVAL: My Visits to Cane Ridge and Wales" - Dutch Sheets

"RE-DIGGING THE WELLS OF REVIVAL:

My Visits to Cane Ridge and Wales"

Dutch Sheets, Dallas, TX

The Elijah List

Scripture makes it clear that the Lord accomplishes His purposes on the earth not through one man or movement, but through the labors and legacy of many across multiple generations (Hebrews 11:39-12:2). Working through a divine timeline that extends beyond a single lifetime, the Lord desires that we honor and build upon the foundations laid by those who have gone before us. In Genesis 26, we are told that when Isaac dug water wells, he didn't get to start with his own. Isaac recognized his hereditary right and responsibility to re-dig and restore the ancient wells of his father Abraham, which the Philistines stopped up after he died.

It was after re-digging his father's wells that the Lord appeared to Isaac and pronounced over him the same blessing previously spoken over Abraham. Not long after that, the Lord allowed Isaac's servants to unearth his very own well.

I have spent more than a decade of my life teaching about the synergy of the ages; exhorting Believers that in order for us to move forward in fulfilling God's purposes for our generation, we must reach back to remember, honor and add to what He has done through previous generations.

Through a recent sequence of events, however, the Lord once again invited me to tap into some historic wells of revival in order to release a fresh river of His glory to flow into our generation. (Photo via Dutch Sheets)

A few months ago, I was invited to minister at a small log cabin-style church in Kentucky, which happens to be the site of the historic Cane Ridge Revival of the late 1800's. During that powerful move of the Holy Spirit, tens of thousands of people came by wagon to the hillsides of Kentucky, hungry to hear the preaching of the Word and bask in the glory of God for days at a time.

At these camp meetings, it was common to see dozens of ministers preaching simultaneously across the countryside, while multitudes were strewn along the ground, being moved upon by the extremely weighty presence of God. This revival swept through the southern states and beyond, helping to birth the Second Great Awakening! I found it most interesting that the Lord set up my itinerary in such a way that from Cane Ridge, He sent me to Wales—another extremely significant site of revival history!

Moving From Well to Well

The nation of Wales is the place where revivalist Evan Roberts was baptized in the fire of God and commissioned by the Lord as a leader in the world-reaching Welsh Revival of the early 1900's. So many people were radically saved in that spiritual outpouring, that the nation of Wales experienced societal transformation. Judges had no cases to try, and law enforcement officials had no crime to deal with, so they formed traveling evangelistic singing groups!

The presence of God was so strong among the common people that pubs closed down, sporting events were cancelled, thousands of depressed and drunken miners came to Jesus, and hundreds left everything behind to give their lives on the foreign mission field. It is believed that since the 1900's, there has never been a revival in world history that cannot trace its roots back to the nation-shaking Welsh Revival.

Wales was also home to Rees Howells, another significant contributor to revival history. His life of intercession, chronicled in the biography, Rees Howells Intercessor, has greatly influenced many people and movements of prayer, myself included. After being powerfully swept into the Welsh Revival, this former miner-turned-missionary devoted the rest of his life to serving the purposes of God for his generation—in the place of prayer.

In 1924 Howells founded The Bible College of Wales to train others in what the Lord had taught him. That place soon became a house of prayer for all nations, with students and staff joining Howells in fighting world battles on their knees.

What transpired on that small campus unquestionably affected the course of world history, and has left a legacy of prayer that the Lord is inviting us to lay hold of today. (Photo of Dutch and Ceci Sheets and friends in front of The Bible College Of Wales, via Dutch Sheets)

Fighting The Battles Of The Kingdom

Howells' intercessors prayed all through World War II, engaging in the spiritual warfare necessary to take down the demonic powers encroaching upon the governments of nations through the dictatorial leadership of men like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. They also prayed fervently through the 1948 UN-mandated vote on Israel's status as a nation. Even after Howells' passing, their ardent intercession continued under the leadership of his son, Samuel. They prayed through the Cuban missile crises, the Cold War between the US and the USSR, and also helped pray in the signs and wonders movement of the 40's, 50's and 60's.

Their story could be likened to Moses' hilltop intercession affecting Joshua's frontline battle. Scripture states that as long as Moses held up the staff of God in his hand, Joshua and Israel prevailed, but when Moses let his hands down, the enemy prevailed.

Through this prophetic act of intercession—lifting up the rod, which represented the authority and power of God—the Lord faithfully responded by releasing victory on the battlefield (Exodus 17:8-16). Likewise, Howells and his intercessors continually "held up" spiritual authority in the heavenlies while soldiers experienced miraculous breakthroughs, enabling them to execute victory on the battlefield.

During WWII in particular, God would give Howells prophetic insight concerning what was going to happen next and where they needed to strategically focus their intercession. After class each day, these devoted intercessors would contend in travailing prayer for hours and hours on end, sometimes praying through the night. They were determined to match in the spirit realm, the level of intensity and self-sacrifice experienced by heads of nations and soldiers on the frontlines of battle. (The Blue Room where Howells and his intercessors prayed, via Dutch Sheets)

Impassioned about fulfilling their godly calling, Howells said, "If I am not called up to fight, and I know another way to help them and I don't do it, I ought to be killed instead of them. They are facing death...for you and me. If they suffer more than we suffer for them, it will be our lifelong shame." (From Rees Howells: Intercessor, Chapter 36 – Russia, North Africa, Italy, "D" Day)

Howells and his students gave their lives to fighting the battles spiritually as if they were called to the frontlines of the war. And with each new assignment, these hidden intercessors prevailed in their prayers, and the world marveled and breathed heavy sighs of relief at such dramatic turnarounds.

Redigging A Well

Despite the rich revival history at The Bible College of Wales, this spiritual well had fallen into disrepair. After the death of Howells' son, Samuel, the directors of the school found it too costly to maintain the campus and keep the school running. For decades, the property went further into decay and was about to be sold to a developer for housing. The Lord, however, had other plans and saw to it that this spiritual well was preserved and unstopped. He moved upon the heart of a pastor from Singapore, who not only caught God's vision for restoring that place but also was willing to pay the price to make it happen. This pastor raised 10 million dollars to purchase and restore the historic Bible College of Wales so that people from around the world could drink from this well of revival once again!

As a student of revival history, a teacher on intercession, and one called to awaken this nation to the purposes of God through prayer, it has always been a great desire of my heart to visit Wales and drink from its spiritual wells. Right after my time of ministry at Cane Ridge, I had the great honor of not only visiting the Bible College of Wales, but also serving as a key participant in the rededication ceremony for this historic well of revival.

During our stay at the Bible College, Ceci and I were assigned to the room of Rees' son, Samuel Howells. This room sits directly above the prayer room where decades of nation-changing prophetic intercession took place—what a privilege! Among the gathering of key leaders from around the world, I was also extended the honor of rededicating Howells' Ebenezer stone of remembrance (1 Samuel 7:12). Similar to what the prophet Samuel did to commemorate Israel's victory against their enemies, Howells set up a huge stone as a continual reminder of the Lord's providence and provision. Inscribed on one side of its marble top is the phrase, "Faith Is Substance." On the other side, the words, "Jehovah Jireh."

When, as part of the rededication ceremony, this remembrance stone was relocated to the center of the campus and anointing oil was poured upon it, we could sense the glory of the Lord. In that very holy moment, God met with me in a powerful way. I was overcome with the Lord's kindness at gathering us all to this place to drink from this historic well.

In that moment, I pledged to help carry on Howells' legacy of prayer and recommitted my life to raising up a movement of prayer to take out the giants of our day and usher in a Third Great Awakening. (Dutch pouring anointing oil over Howells' remembrance stone during the rededication ceremony, via Dutch Sheets)

The rededication ceremony at the Bible College was not the only special appointment the Lord had planned for me. The same Singaporean leaders that restored Howells' campus also purchased the little church in Wales where revivalist Evan Roberts met with God. During the renovation process for converting that church into a house of prayer, the original Bible used by Evan Roberts during the Welsh Revival was found sitting under decades of dust on the pulpit of the church! I marveled at this find.

Paying The Price

I am so grateful for the Singaporeans who accepted the Lord's invitation to take on the extremely costly and painstaking restoration of this well of revival history. But the investment required for releasing God's river of revival into the nations of the earth doesn't end with restored facilities.

God desires to raise up Roberts-like revivalists and bands of Howells-like intercessors through which He can release a greater awakening and shift the course of nations today. This will require a high level of commitment. These men were so powerfully used of God because they complied with the great extremes God required of them. This is a principle repeatedly seen in Scripture. (Dutch holding Evan Roberts' Bible with Lou Engle and Singaporean Pastor Yang Tuck Yoong, via Dutch Sheets)

As I prayer-walked the grounds of the Bible College of Wales, while I communed with the Lord in the church where Evan Roberts met with God, and even now, I hear Holy Spirit asking, "Who will pay the price in this generation?"

God used Howells and his intercessors to contend against and defeat the demonic powers and principalities trying to take over the world.

Today, the goliaths of Islam, communism, human trafficking, abortion, and the sexual rights agenda are standing at our door. Never has there been more at stake. We need the same warrior spirit of Howells' era to arise in us—both in the place of prayer and in being a prophetic voice. No doubt, God has a plan. He always does something great in the face of the impossible!

I believe the Lord allowed for the restoration of these spiritual wells in Wales because He is loosing a spirit of contending prayer and revival into the nations of the earth once again.

I believe we will see a new momentum of intercession—appealing to Heaven and fighting Kingdom battles on our knees, until the greatest Great Awakening the world has ever seen occurs.

You are a part of this! There is a spiritual inheritance available to you. Young people, especially, it is your time to arise! The Lord is anointing you to overthrow the goliaths of our day and contend for the destinies of nations. The Lord is searching for those who will say, "I will pay the price." For those who invest their lives in these costly battles of intercession, He will show Himself strong! (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Dutch Sheets
Dutch Sheets Ministries

Email: click here
Website: dutchsheets.org

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized author, teacher, and conference speaker. He travels extensively, empowering Believers for passionate prayer and societal transformation. Dutch has pastored, taught in several colleges and seminaries, and served on the board of directors of numerous organizations. Dutch's greatest passion is to see America experience a sweeping revival and return to its godly heritage. Dutch is a messenger of hope for America, encouraging Believers to contend for awakening in our day and reformation in our lifetime.

Dutch has written over 20 books, many of which have been translated into over 30 languages. Dutch and his wife Ceci have been married for 35 years and now reside in the Dallas area. They treasure time spent with their two grown daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren.

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Who Will Speak Out For Those Abused By ISIS?

Tuesday, September 01, 2015 | Israel Today Staff

A group of Christian women has put together a short video (see below) pleading with all able and willing to speak out and act on behalf of the thousands of Muslim, Christian and Yazidi women and girls being sexually abused, tortured and killed by ISIS.

The organizer of the group, Grace Castro, reached out to Israel Today after seeing our recent report about a young Christian girl whose family had fled from ISIS-controlled Syria and is now living as beggars in Turkey.

Castro said it was reports like this that had prompted her group to take action.

“We felt that more attention needed to be drawn to the plight of these women, many of whom are very young,” she wrote. “Our hope is that the eyes of many around the world will be opened to this particular atrocity, and that with this realization, people will speak up for these women.”

It would seem obvious that such a situation would garner more attention, but the world media, at least, seems more interested in minor scuffles between Israeli soldiers and prolific “Pallywood” rioters.

See the video:

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Israel Antiquities Authority Unearths Unusual Steps in the City of David

IAA Unearths Unusual Steps in the City of David

CBNNews.com

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- In yet another intriguing discovery, archaeologists excavating on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority uncovered an unusual stepped structure on a road between the Pool of Siloam and the Temple Mount.

The 2,000-year-old structure is close to where the Second Jewish Temple built by King Herod was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

The team uncovered the structure while excavating the ancient road leading to the Pool of Siloam (Shiloah in Hebrew).

Co-directors Nahshon Szanton and Joe Uziel believe they've unearthed a "unique" structure.

"To date such a structure has yet to be found along the stepped street in the numerous excavations that have taken place in Jerusalem and, to the best of our knowledge, outside of it," they said in a statement.

The directors believe the stepped structure may have served as a podium for announcements to people traveling to and from the Temple.

Szanton and Uziel will talk about their discovery at the 16th annual conference hosted by the City of David Studies of ancient Jerusalem on Thursday.

7 Reasons So Many Mighty Christian Leaders Have Fallen - Joseph Mattera

7 Reasons So Many Mighty Christian Leaders Have Fallen

If Christian leaders don't stand for righteousness, God will remove their candles. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

A few weeks ago as I was praying with my dear friend Lenny Weston (a powerful apostolic prophet residing in Ohio), he was caught up into heaven and heard the voice of the Lord saying something like this:

"How the mighty have fallen; I am going to remove many candlesticks from their places, so that the church will trust in me and not in men. I am going to remove many prominent leaders and rise up many unknown leaders to prominence that will speak for me. As a result of this, many in the church will be shaken and some will fall away."

His reflection on his prophetic word was "while most in the church are focusing their prayers for the nation because of same-sex marriage and abortion, more believers are needed to pray for the church at this time."

There was more to this word, but those were the main points based on my recollection. Since Lenny has a very solid walk with God and is very accurate and walks in integrity before God, I am taking this word seriously! This word may start to be fulfilled very shortly or it could start in several years. Of course, every year we hear about several prominent Christian leaders falling into sin or being removed from their ministry. The gist of this word seems to indicate what is coming will be a tsunami compared to what has transpired in the past.

This article was triggered by the word Lenny shared with me. I do not presume to understand the timing of this word and/or the methods God may use to fulfill it. However, using biblical principles and having an understanding of the past, I have responded to this word with seven possible reasons the mighty will fall.

The following seven reasons the mighty have fallen and will fall in the future:

1. The authority of scripture is undermined

The Roman Catholic system was judged by God because they placed church tradition and their canon law on a higher level than Scripture. As a result, their ecclesial structure became corrupted as they adopted unbiblical doctrines such as: Mary worship, justification by works, idol worship in the church, praying for the dead, praying to the saints, indulgences, purgatory, the office of the pope as the vice regent of God's kingdom on earth, and transubstantiation (they believe that during communion the wafer and the wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus, which violates Hebrews 10:10-14 which teaches that Jesus only had to make one sacrifice for all time).

Of course, God has already judged this colossal ecclesial system with the Protestant Reformation. This divine judgment was not just about justification by faith in my opinion, but must involve the Roman Catholic Church repenting from all of the above.

Also, many mainline Protestant denominations have fallen away from the truth because they have embraced the higher critical view that came into seminaries in the mid-19th century, which questioned the validity of biblical authorship as well as the plenary inspiration of Scripture. The result is that many of their clergy don't believe in the literal resurrection of Christ and do not preach the true gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Furthermore, even many evangelical pastors believe that the message of the Bible can change based upon the shifting sands of culture, which is why many have embraced unbiblical views regarding gender, human sexuality and family.

When pastors or leaders stop trusting the word of God as their highest authority, they will experience serious decline and/or be removed from their ministries.

2. A leader is not motivated by God's glory

Any leader, whose primary (subconscious) motivation for ministry is not ultimately the glory of God, is doing ministry for their own glory. This God will not tolerate long and will result in a severe correction that can result in the leader being removed from the scene. God says in Isaiah 42:8 that He will not share His glory with another.

3. A leader's value system is worldly

When Christian leaders need to continually lavish themselves with opulent gifts replete with a celebrity lifestyle, they have bought into the world system and need to come back to the simplicity of Christ. Even unbelievers can see through the superficiality of these worldly leaders, and it becomes a stumbling block for the gospel. I believe God wants to prosper His people, but I also believe people can go too far and become more fascinated by temporal things than things eternal. God is not going to tolerate this much longer.

4. Leaders who stop earnestly seeking God

In Acts 6, we see the apostles of the church confronted with a serious issue that could have consumed all their time. Peter's answer was that they were not going to neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer to wait upon tables. Their desire to keep first things first was one reason why the early church was so powerful! When leaders stop seeking God, they are no longer infused by His grace to function, and they operate in their own strength setting themselves up for burnout and moral failure.

5. Leaders stop taking a biblical stand regarding morality

When leaders are afraid to take a public stand regarding ethics and biblical morality, they do not understand the nature of conversion and the gospel. Jesus said we would know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 12:33; Galatians 5:19-21).

The gospel produces root changes in the human heart that is manifest in lifestyle changes. Thus, the Word of God gives us biblical examples of actions that either correspond or do not correspond with biblical behavior. Hence, human behavior, lifestyle and actions are a major indicator, which demonstrates authentic conversion. When pastors and leaders just preach grace and never mention sinful behavior, then they will not see many true conversions. After all, the word "conversion" connotes a change from one particular state to a radically different state of being and living.

Consequently, God will eventually remove the candlestick of a compromising church.

6. Leaders neglect their interior lives

When leaders are too busy to reflect, pray, write, meditate and assess their emotional and spiritual state, they are a potential train wreck!

A leader who neglects their soul is a leader who will not last long in this intense climate of spiritual warfare.

7. A leader searches for significance

Many leaders are driven by ambition and not led by the Holy Spirit. Hence, they get their ministries involved in costly endeavors that God never told them to do! For example if the economy suffers another huge drop in the future, many church leaders are in so much debt from huge building projects that they may have to sell their properties to survive. This search for significance leads to the sin of presumption. The more I grow in Christ the more I discover that my longing to feel significant can only be satisfied in the only significant one, Jesus Christ.

Living with contentment is not a popular message today among the motivational speaking Christian circuit, but it is one of the most important and basic commands of Scripture. Passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 1 Timothy 2:2; Philippians 4:12 teach us to live a godly and quiet life as believers, what some motivational speakers may interpret as a dull ordinary life. Christ-centered contentment (not fleshly complacency) in a believer is a sure sign that their sense of significance comes from above and not from the earth. God will eventually humble leaders whose search for personal significance dominates their lives.

Joseph Mattera is an internationally known author, futurist, interpreter of culture and activist/theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence nations. He leads several organizations, including The United States Coalition of Apostolic Leaders (uscal.us). He also has a blog on Charisma magazine called "The Pulse." To order one of his books or to subscribe to his weekly newsletter go to josephmattera.org.

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Where is Israel on Evangelical Christian Voters' List of Priorities?

Mike Huckabee (l) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister's office)

Seventeen Republican presidential candidates are vying for the support of evangelical Christian voters from the swing states of Ohio and Florida, to the cornfields of Iowa, to the small towns of the Deep South.

Within the varied spectrum of 2016 election issues such as the economy, immigration, and health care, do evangelicals highly prioritize candidates' positions on Israel and the Middle East?

Major evangelical leaders in America are saying, "Yes."

"Studies show us there are approximately 90 million Christians in America who consider their beliefs to be evangelical," Tony Perkins—president of the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian education and lobbying group—told JNS.org. "Of that number around 9-10 percent have what we call a 'biblical worldview,' in that they believe what the Scriptures say pertaining to Israel. That's a large number of voters who can definitely make a difference in a primary or general election."

Perkins said, "Among core evangelical voters, Israel is easily one of the top 10, maybe even the top five issues when considering who to support in a presidential primary. The Old Testament tells us that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed and it's certainly important to be on the right side of God's Word."

The reference by Perkins is to Genesis 12:3, which states, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (NIV).

In August, former Arkansas governor and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders in Jerusalem. It was part of a decades-old ritual for Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who has visited Israel about 40 times since the 1970s—far more than any other current presidential candidate, Democrat or Republican.

"Israel should be top-of-mind when evaluating GOP presidential candidates," Huckabee told JNS.org.

"I have known Prime Minister Netanyahu for 20 years," he said. "I went to Israel not to seek his endorsement, but to endorse him because his voice is so important. Netanyahu leads a people who are realists. They know what it's like to have people threaten to kill them. They take it seriously when a government (Iran) for 36 years promises to wipe them off the face of the Earth."

While Huckabee's Israel trip was the latest to make headlines, the FRC is organizing a Holy Land visit in October for supporters who will be joined by two GOP candidates, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker took his first trip to Israel in May.

Two-Pronged Strategy

Political operatives say that candidates' trips to Israel are focused on securing campaign donations from influential Israeli government and business leaders who can infuse much-needed cash and hopefully help deliver the support of pro-Israel voters back in the U.S.

But ultimately, are these visits to the Jewish state more educational or political in nature?

"Both," said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, a Christian women's activist group.

Nance, along with political strategist Ralph Reed and author Joel Rosenberg, penned an op-ed in The Christian Post about presidential contenders visiting Israel in the immediate aftermath of the November 2014 U.S. midterm elections. They posed seven questions that they argued candidates must answer to win the White House. The fifth question reads in part, "Does the candidate have a clear and coherent view of the U.S. vital interest in the Middle East, including a demonstrated, consistent, long-standing support for Israel and a solid understanding of why Israel matters to the U.S.?"

According to Nance, there are "a number of reasons those aspiring to win the GOP nomination need to understand and embrace Israel."

"First, visiting Israel is an educational experience in understanding their economy, security challenges, and what's important to their citizens," she told JNS.org. "At the same time, you are telegraphing to evangelical voters why Israel is important and that you sincerely care about its future. Finally, you want to raise money and appeal to pro-Israel voters."

Tremendous Pool of Potential Pro-Israel Advocates

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) asserts that the evangelical Christian community plays a vital role in U.S.-Israel relations, the influential pro-Israel lobby's core priority. As such, AIPAC enlists Christian clergy to garner nationwide support for Israel, stating on its "Your Church and AIPAC" webpage that polls consistently show how support for the Jewish state "is highly related to adherence to evangelical beliefs and frequency of church attendance."

"As Christians, we should be Israel's strongest supporters and friends and we need to translate that into political activism," Rev. Philip C. Morris, Jr. argues in an AIPAC video.

AIPAC also notes the significance of evangelical support to the entire pro-Israel community by stating, "20-25 million Americans define themselves as evangelical Christians, representing a tremendous pool of potential pro-Israel advocates."

Evangelical Perspectives on Israel and the Middle East

According to February 2014 Pew Research Center findings, a plurality of Christians (29 percent) and Jews (31 percent) say the U.S. is not supportive enough of Israel. Nearly half of white evangelical Protestants (46 percent) claim America does not provide enough support for Israel.

Notably, when Pew polled Americans in 2012 about U.S. foreign policy—specifically, what actions America should take if Israel attacks Iran to stop Iran's nuclear program—64 percent of white evangelicals answered, "support Israel," compared to 39 percent of the general public.

In March 2013, LifeWay Research reported that 72 percent of white evangelicals support Israel in its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians, compared to 49 percent of Americans overall. Fifty percent of white evangelicals claim Israel cannot peacefully coexist with an independent Palestinian state, compared to 33 percent of American Jews and 41 percent of the general public.

With the Iran nuclear deal garnering much public attention, most of the GOP contenders are quick to remind prospective voters of the ramifications of a country whose hostile intentions toward the U.S. and Israel are seen all too often.

"Radical Islam poses an imminent threat to national security, both in the United States and Israel," Huckabee told JNS.org. "With Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, combined with 'Death to America' chants, and with a steady stream of global terrorist attacks, GOP voters understand that this toxic ideology must be defeated if we are to survive. While Russia, China, and North Korea have more firepower, they are considerably less likely to attack us than Iran, Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other hardline Islamists."

Besides Huckabee, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is the presidential candidate who perhaps best personifies evangelical voters' support of Israel. In Cruz's candidacy announcement speech in March at Liberty University, the only remark to inspire a 30-second standing ovation was about Israel. Cruz declared, "Instead of a president who boycotts Prime Minister Netanyahu, imagine a president who stands unapologetically with the nation of Israel."

Presidential candidates and evangelical voters not only care about Israel, but recognize its significance to their faith. A July poll by LifeWay reveals that 70 percent of evangelicals believe that the God of the Bible has a special relationship with the modern nation of Israel.

"No country is more intertwined with the ancient biblical narrative than Israel," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay, "and evangelical Americans see a contemporary connection with the nation."

Bethany Blankley contributed to this article. For the original article, visit jns.org.