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Freedom from guilt can birth an explosion of spiritual growth. (Lightstock )
How to Rid Yourself of Guilt Once and for All
Do you spend a lot of time feeling guilty? I did, as a result of being abused as a child.
I grew up believing something was wrong with me and that everything was my fault. And when you develop that kind of thinking during your childhood, it can torment you for a long time.
Guilt traps us and keeps us in the same place; much like a treadmill that keeps us going, but accomplishes nothing. Guilt is a trap that presses us down into our problems rather than lifting us out of them. And as long as we feel guilty about what we do wrong, we remain in that guilt and will not grow spiritually.
All of us make mistakes, and God knows that! No one can be perfect while in a fleshly body, but we can and must continue to grow spiritually regardless of where we are in our relationship with Christ. But in order to grow spiritually, we must first learn who we are in Christ.
By God's grace and mercy, when we are born again, God not only forgives us, He gives us His righteousness because the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. We each have right standing with God legally because of the blood of Christ, and even though we sometimes still do things wrong, the ability to do what's right is also in us.
Galatians 5:22-23 (MEV) tells us: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control; against such there is no law."
God doesn't expect you to become something that He hasn't already equipped you with. At the moment you are born again, God comes to live inside of your heart. The "seeds" of His character are downloaded into your spirit, and just like any seeds that are planted with the intent to reap a harvest later on, there must be a cultivation period that happens over a long period of time.
You have everything you need to be who God wants you to be, and since God lives inside of you, this means the fruit of His Spirit is also inside you. And after you are born again, you will grow in Christ as you pursue Him daily.
2 Timothy 2:22 (MEV) tells us: "So flee youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (emphasis added).
The operative word here is "pursue." Pursue means to crave and go after something with all your mind and strength. Your relationship with God should not only be a Sunday morning thing. He is everything! In Him we live and move and have our being and without him we are nothing.
We rely on God's grace to help us do what's right every day. And if we try to do what God asks us to do without relying on Him to help us, we won't succeed because we need Him to do everything we need to do.
Philippians 2:12-13 (MEV) says: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but so much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the One working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure."
We don't work FOR our salvation to earn it, but we do work OUT our salvation. There's a difference! For example, working out for fitness takes time, discipline and commitment.
I have worked out three times a week for the last 10 years. When I started, I didn't have visible muscles. But now I do, because I'm committed to maintaining my fitness. In much the same way, spiritual growth is a workout, with the results developing over a time because of commitment and discipline. And we lean on God to help us every step of the way.
So keep moving forward, and don't be hard on yourself! You are holy, righteous, anointed, and completely forgiven. You're not where you need to be, but thank God you're not where you used to be. You're OK, and you're on your way.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Get Your Hopes Up! (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visitwww.joycemeyer.org.
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Schools follow the lead of President Obama, who said America is "no longer a Christian nation" but is "one of the largest Muslim nations in the world." (Reuters)
In Our Public Schools, Islam Is in and Christ Is out
Schools follow the lead of President Obama, who said America is "no longer a Christian nation" but is "one of the largest Muslim nations in the world." (Reuters)
What if your child or grandchild's public school forced them to write out the Shahada—the Islamic conversion creed—while "having skipped Christianity"?
What if your child's study guide had a section called "Origins of Islam" that included statements such as, "Around the age of 40, the angel Gabriel told Muhammad that he was to be a prophet of Allah"?
Stated as fact, not belief.
Yet, according to reports and numerous contacts to the ACLJ, that is exactly what is happening. In fact, children are being forced to learn how to convert to Islam and recite that "Allah is the only God."
It's Islamic indoctrination right here in our schools.
In Tennessee, these are realities facing parents of middle schoolers. Parents and concerned citizens from at least three counties have contacted us at the ACLJ with concerns about what their students are being taught.
As Fox News reports, parents like Brandee Porterfield are speaking out about what their children are experiencing:
Tennessee parents are voicing their concerns about a middle school history assignment in which students were asked to write "Allah is the only God."
Brandee Porterfield joined "Fox and Friends" this morning, saying she has no problem with her seventh-grade daughter learning about Islam as part of world history, but believes time should also be devoted to Christianity.
"They did this assignment where they wrote out the Five Pillars of Islam, including having the children learn and write the Shahada, which is the Islamic conversion creed," she explained.
Porterfield said she spoke with the Spring Hill Middle School teacher and principal, who said there would not be similar lessons on Christianity and Judaism.
She said she reviewed the state standards and there are upcoming lessons on Hinduism and Buddhism.
Unlike the lessons on Islam, however, Porterfield said students would not be expected to memorize a creed dealing with those religions.
Maury County school officials refuse to acknowledge the blatant constitutional violations at issue here, merely stating that they "covered some sensitive topics" that "caused some confusion."
That's outrageous. The indoctrination of students with the precepts of converting to Islam and forcing them to recite "Allah is the only God" aren't "sensitive topics"; it's unconstitutional.
School officials claim "By the end of the year, students will have studied Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions," but there is no indication as to what will be covered or for how long.
School officials indicated that in contrast the class would pay mere lip service to Christianity. As the Daily Caller notes:
[I]t appears that Tennessee students don't study Christianity per se. There is not, for example, one class day dedicated to the basic Jesus story.
[School officials] promised that students would eventually come across a reference to Christianity when history teachers reach the "Age of Exploration" in eighth grade. Then, students will hear about Christians persecuting other Christians in some countries in Western Europe.
Outrageous.
But the problem could be much bigger than one school and one assignment.
Our client in neighboring Williamson County said that as part of the middle school class work on Islam—in addition to the worksheet his son was asked to fill out (two portions of which are above)—his son was forced to recite things in Arabic without even being told what it meant.
And this isn't just an issue in one state. Earlier this year, we reported that public school students in Madison, Wisconsin were given an assignment to "pretend you are Muslim," while public school students in Florida were instructed to recite the Five Pillars of Islam as a prayer, make Islamic prayer rugs, and perform other Muslim rituals. Suspiciously, the textbook discussing Islam had chapters missing. Which chapters? Those on Christianity and Judaism.
To put this in perspective, imagine the outcry from the ACLU, Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), and other leftist and angry atheist organizations if a study guide stated, "Jesus is the Son of God," and forced children to recite the Lord's Prayer. These organizations would be beside themselves claiming indoctrination of our public school students.
But where are these organizations now?
At the ACLJ, we're taking direct action. We're in direct contact with a number of parents and concerned citizens, we're taking on new clients, and preparing critical demand letters and open records requests to these schools and school districts.
Religious liberty must be protected and Islamic indoctrination must be stopped.
It is a clear constitutional principle that public education may not indoctrinate young minds into a religion. Teachers and schools may teach what different faith traditions believe and how that has affected world history and geography. But a school cannot censor Christianity and promote Islam.
As we take direct action to defend religious liberty and expose the truth, we need you to stand with us.
Join with us by signing our petition below and to defend religious liberty and stop Islamic indoctrination in our schools.
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This Candidate Nails the Meaning Behind a Jewish Holy Day
A worshiper blows the shofar at the Western Wall of Herod's Temple. (Reuters)
Sen. Ted Cruz released the following statement on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, describing the feast's significance and pledging closer ties with the nation of Israel:
Shanah Tovah. Happy new year to our Jewish brothers and sisters observing Rosh Hashanah. I wish you a time of meaningful prayer, reflection, and celebration.
The Talmud cites two reasons to sound the Shofar (ram's horn) on Rosh Hashanah. One is to accept God's dominion as King. The other is to recall the weeping of Sisera's mother, who wept for her son who went missing in battle.
It is these two qualities of the Jewish people – religious faith and generous humanity – which have made such a tremendous impact on our civilization.
I pray that the coming year – 5776 – will be one of peace, prosperity and abundant blessing for the Jewish people and for the nation of Israel.
Now more than ever we must further strengthen our unshakable bond to confront the many challenges that threaten our future and our survival.
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The Babylon Code: Rise of the End-Time World State
Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.
The world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, in an exclusive interview, said, "The Bible indicates that as the time for Christ's return approaches, evil and social chaos may well intensify. Are we living in those days?"
It's the great question of our time. Are we now living in the last days of planet Earth?
If so, how will the apocalyptic events foreseen by the ancient prophets unfold? Are powerful forces now at work to create a global government, economic system and religion as predicted in the Bible?
Unlocking a great biblical mystery that has puzzled scholars for nearly 2,000 years,The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery unearths answers to these momentous questions. In the book, we explore a prophetic enigma that begins in Genesis at the Tower of Babel and ends in Revelation with the Battle of Armageddon. The prediction involves "Mystery, Babylon"—the Bible's greatest end-time riddle—and reveals how an elite group of wealthy globalists and their interlocking network of transnational corporations, international banks, government agencies, think tanks, foundations and clandestine organizations are working to create a global government, cashless society and universal religion as predicted in Scripture.
The world is at a final turning point. An unparalleled convergence and acceleration in end-time signs is now occurring. These harbingers are geopolitical, economic, scientific, technological, cultural and moral.
To ordinary men and women these forces are overwhelming, as if a giant tsunami is about to drown everything they've ever known or dreamed of. It's at this moment that every one of us is confronted with a choice. Either we can allow ourselves to be overcome by fear, leading to panic, or we can seek to understand the nature of the forces behind these events so we can survive.
In an out-of-control, upside-down world, there are two urgent questions: Is it possible that God embedded a code in the Bible that could be cracked only in the end times? What if by decoding this prophetic cryptogram we could unlock the secret to both our salvation and our survival?
The Great Biblical Mystery
Our five-year journalistic investigation into this biblical cypher uncovered astonishing evidence that not only has the countdown to Armageddon begun, but the elite are involved in an international political and economic takeover—what one former United States official calls a "global financial coup d'état."
As we investigated this prophetic mystery sweeping across time, we unearthed evidence connecting a secretive, international power structure with ties to ancient Babylon—the occult-enmeshed civilization where the "magic of money manipulation" and the first world government originated—to what today's globalists call the "New World Order."
Featuring scores of exclusive interviews with prominent world leaders and highly respected experts in geopolitics, economics, science and theology, The Babylon Code is the first book by a mainstream, award-winning investigative journalist and a prophecy expert to explore the nexus between current events, secretive organizations and end-time biblical predictions.
Our investigation into this apocalyptic puzzle uncovered what could be one of the biggest stories and political scandals in modern history. It also unearthed answers to the questions many have about the troubling events now transpiring in the world. Recent polls and statements by world leaders demonstrate extraordinary public interest in this topic:
A Barna Group survey found 4 in 10 Americans—and 77 percent of evangelical Christians—believe the "world is now living in the biblical end times."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told the United Nations General Assembly that "Biblical prophecies are being realized." Meanwhile, Pope Francis said the world has entered the "last times" and is at the beginning of a "piecemeal" Third World War.
A McLaughlin & Associates poll found that 80 percent of Americans fear a "Second Holocaust" in Israel—and 68 percent fear a "nuclear holocaust" in the United States—if the world does not take decisive action to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, 28 percent of American voters believe a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda are working to create an authoritarian world government. Nearly 40 percent of Republican voters agree.
A Final Turning Point
These stunning poll results come amid an explosion of interest in the end times. In recent years, a seemingly nonstop series of crises has prompted many to ask whether the conclusion of the human epoch is quickly approaching. These concerns have intensified since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—an event that shocked the world and some saw as the biggest wake-up call in the nation's history. Since then, disaster after disaster has battered the planet—the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the global economic meltdown and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Recently, people worldwide have been intrigued by the convergence of a rare set of four blood moons and the biblical Shemitah, along with Sir Isaac Newton's end-time prediction known as "Newton's Riddle" regarding 2015-2016—asking whether these are portents of the beginning of the end.
A number of prophecy scholars in recent years have uncovered biblical mysteries and riddles they say point toward the possible fulfillment of end-time prophecies in the years ahead.
Nations are drowning in unparalleled levels of debt. Fears of a cataclysmic economic collapse and hyperinflation are rising. Tensions between Russia and America are growing, ISIS is warning the West of "Armageddon," and North Korea has threatened a nuclear strike on the U.S. Some experts believe Iran may already have nuclear weapons—further raising the specter of the unthinkable. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum says the world is experiencing record-breaking natural disasters and extreme weather, not to mention worsening global drought and famine.
Scientists are sounding the alarm about the dangers of mega-earthquakes and tsunamis, the Yellowstone supervolcano, solar storms and massive tornadoes, the likes of which the world has never seen.
A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urged the world to prepare for more intense drought, famine, floods, freak weather and heat waves—emphasizing that the "world's food supply is at considerable risk."
A Brookings Institution report put it bluntly: The world is in an "unprecedented state of crisis."
Is this the end of civilization?
Noam Chomsky, a political theorist and a professor of linguistics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is considered "one of the world's most controversial thinkers," pondered that question in a recent article, "The End of History? The Short, Strange Era of Human Civilization Would Appear to Be Drawing to a Close."
"It is not pleasant to contemplate the thoughts that must be passing through the mind of the Owl of Minerva as the dusk falls and she undertakes the task of interpreting the era of human civilization, which may now be approaching its inglorious end," Chomsky wrote.
Chomsky's concerns are echoed in a recent study by professors and researchers at the University of Maryland and the University of Minnesota who found that civilization could be headed for an "irreversible collapse" because of unsustainable resource exploitation and increasingly unequal wealth distribution between the rich and the poor.
A recent Oxfam report titled "Working for the Few" found wealthy elites have "coopted political power to rig the rules of the economic game, undermining democracy"—creating a world where the 85 richest people own nearly half the world's wealth. The report found that 1 percent of the world's population control 46 percent, or $110 trillion, of its wealth. Noting growing public awareness of this "power-grab," the report found that increasing inequality is helping the rich undermine democratic processes and drive government policies that promote their interests at the expense of everyone else.
Meanwhile, a growing number of scientists and philosophers at Oxford, Cambridge, MIT and the University of California, Berkeley, believe the world needs to start thinking seriously about the threat of human extinction. Curiously, a report by the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford warned that one of the risks that threaten human civilization is a "world dictatorship" or a "global totalitarian state."
The Convergence
While secular experts warn of societal collapse and the end of civilization brought about by over exploitation of natural resources and income inequality, faith leaders say the roots of the world's problems are spiritual in nature and coincide with an unparalleled acceleration and convergence in signs of the last days.
Graham—the famed evangelist who has preached to more people (2.2 billion) than any Protestant in history—says he believes the world is approaching the "end of the age."
"There's a great deal to say in the Bible about the signs we're to watch for, and when these signs all converge at one place, we can be sure that we're close to the end of the age," Graham says. "And those signs in my judgment are converging now for the first time since Jesus made those predictions."
Graham's remarks follow a letter he released in the summer of 2012 comparing America to ancient Nineveh—the lone superpower of its time. When the prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God's warning, the people repented and escaped judgment. He believes the same thing can happen in America.
Greg Laurie, pastor at the 15,000-member Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, and president of Harvest Crusades, says Graham is a "prophetic voice, and to me it's like Isaiah or Jeremiah standing up and telling our nation what we need to do. We would be wise to heed his warning and his admonitions and turn back to God because I believe God's prophet is speaking to us."
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of the New York Times best-selling books The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah, says Graham's message has grown "more and more prophetic" in recent years.
"Before God brings a nation into judgment, He sends warning," says Cahn, whose book The Harbinger is based on a real-life prophetic mystery he discovered in the Bible that unveiled the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the "War on Terror" and the 2008 global economic meltdown. "Before He brought judgment and destruction on ancient Israel, He warned them. The Harbinger is the revealing of how the same nine harbingers of judgment which appeared in the last days of ancient Israel are now reappearing on American soil."
Joel C. Rosenberg—a former adviser to Netanyahu and the New York Times best-selling author of Implosion: Can America Recover from Its Economic and Spiritual Challenges in Time?—says he was taken aback by the Israeli prime minister's remarks before the United Nations. "There are very few world leaders who believe Bible prophecies are coming true in our lifetime, much less are willing to say that publicly," Rosenberg says. "I'm trying to draw a little bit more attention to (Netanyahu's comment), its significance and a question raised by it: If the prophecies related to the rebirth of the State of Israel have come true in our lifetime, when will other major Bible prophecies come true as well?"
Runup to the Second Coming
In addition to the rebirth of Israel, the Bible predicts a series of events in the runup to the Second Coming—an explosion in knowledge, the development of "mark of the Beast" technologies and ultimately the creation of a global government, cashless society, and false religious system.
Today, prominent world leaders and military officials are openly talking in the media about the possibility of a nuclear conflagration and a worldwide economic collapse. Even more remarkably, experts in science, economics and geopolitics across the political spectrum agree that the planet is facing a confluence of unparalleled dangers. On one hand, many believe climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. On the other, leaders of many faiths say events in recent decades suggest ancient prophecies are coming true. Throughout the world, people sense something epochal is occurring.
The most optimistic—futurists and transhumanists—believe humanity is on the cusp of a technology-driven quantum leap forward that will usher in a "techno-utopian" New Age era. Others are alarmed by the deepening chaos and immorality in the world. A Barna Group poll found that 81 percent of Americans believe morality is in a free fall.
Many believe the world is on the verge of an economic and societal collapse that will ultimately lead to what the Bible calls the Tribulation—a seven-year period of mayhem that culminates in the Battle of Armageddon. It is commonly believed that this period will begin when the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. During the first half of the Tribulation, the world will experience a time of peace and prosperity. But in the latter half, the Antichrist will consolidate his power and institute a global government, economic system and religion with the help of the False Prophet. During this time, he will declare himself to be God, require universal worship and demand that people take the notorious "mark of the Beast." Without it, people won't be able to earn a living or buy the necessities of life. By the time of the final battle, prophecy experts believe anywhere from one-half to two-thirds or more of the world's population will have perished via war, disease, starvation, cataclysmic natural disasters and the Antichrist's reign of terror.
Many today are unaware that we are now approaching the final battle for our world and that everything we see happening is connected with that conflict.
Global Domination and a Cashless Society
In journalism, investigative reporters are often told to "follow the money" to uncover the real truth behind a story. Likewise, money and the "love of money" is a prominent theme throughout the Bible. In fact, it is such an important topic that it is the main subject of nearly half of Jesus' parables. In the New Testament, one in every seven verses deals with money. And while the Bible has about 500 verses regarding prayer, it includes more than 2,000 verses about money. So it's no surprise that money and rampant materialism play an important role in the rise of "Mystery, Babylon" in the end times. As the world's governments amass unprecedented levels of debt, many are asking how it will all end. Many believe the global recession and the international debt crisis are just the beginning of events that will lead to the global economic system foretold by the prophets.
Today, for the first time since Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel, the potential of a global government and cashless society is within mankind's reach. All the necessary components are in place for creating a socialistic world government—the surveillance state, political bodies such as the United Nations, electronic banking and microchip implants.
While seldom mentioned in the mainstream media, the push for "global governance" has advanced significantly in recent years. At a U.N. summit this month, the nations of the world are scheduled to consider a sweeping set of sustainable development goals costing trillions of dollars, including unspecified "reforms of the mechanisms of global governance." The authors of the U.N. report citing these reforms note that the next 15 years will be some of the "most transformative in human history."
Meanwhile, biometrics, digital currencies and similar technologies are moving the world ever closer to a cashless society. In a cnbc.com article—"Cashless Society: A Huge Threat to Our Freedom"—bank chairman Scott A. Shay warned of the dangers of the "sprint to a cashless economy" that will "permit governments to exercise incredibly powerful control over all human behavior."
Increasingly, these and similar articles are showing up in the mainstream media or in reports by think tanks. Recently, Hudson Institute senior fellow John Fonte—author ofSovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or Be Ruled by Others?—wrote that the world is at the beginning of an epic international conflict between the forces of global governance and the democratic nation-state.
"The concept of 'global governance' is in the air," Fonte wrote. "For many of the world's elites—who gather at places like Geneva, Davos, The Hague, U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, and wherever the G20 meets—global governance is the 'big idea.' Leading thinkers argue that today's global issues are too complex for the 'obsolete' nation-state system ... We are told that 'sovereignty' must be redefined as something that is 'shared' or 'pooled.' "
The Babylonian World Order
The rise of the final Babylonian system aligns with prophecies in Daniel and Revelation regarding an end-time global government, economy and religion. Many prophecy scholars believe some type of international crisis will serve as the catalyst facilitating the rise of the predicted global dictator who will oversee this system. "The Antichrist will initially be a man of peace and he will be a man with global and economic solutions," Laurie says. "He will come as a false messiah. So any talk I hear of a one-world currency and a one-world government is certainly a cause for concern if it means a move toward the end-time scenario spoken of in Revelation."
Mark Hitchcock, a pastor, prophecy scholar, and adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, says globalization is setting the stage for the fulfillment of end-time predictions. "The Bible tells us in Revelation 13 that there is going to be a one-world economy, a one-world religion, and there is going to be a one-world government in the end, and so to me the globalism that we see today points toward that," Hitchcock says. "How much longer will it take for the stage to be set? No one knows."
The move toward a cashless society and the development of mark of the Beast technologies are the necessary components for the total societal control the Bible predicts the Antichrist and the False Prophet will wield. Hitchcock believes a cashless society is coming: "I think we are seeing the beginning of it already. When we look at our world today, we see things moving in that direction, and in some cases, rapidly. To me, the convergence of all these things is staggering."
The Reason for Our Hope
Although our investigation uncovered extensive evidence that powerful forces are working to create a world state and cashless society, it doesn't mean it's a fait accompli. God gave us free will, and we believe there is still hope. We believe that there is a personal, living God of the universe who ultimately controls the destiny of the world and that He embedded a code in the Bible that has largely remained an enigma for nearly two millennia. We also believe that God gave each man and woman the power to decipher this code by reading God's Word.
When we understand this code the truth opens up to us. We discover that there is a force at work not only in the world, but in our personal lives that is far greater than the chaos. Ultimately, that force for good is embodied in Jesus. Even in the middle of the pandemonium, there is a real reason for hope, and that hope is Jesus. At a certain point in human history, at a time known only to God, Jesus will return to this earth at His Second Coming. At that time, He will destroy the counterfeit New World Order and "Mystery, Babylon" will fall.
At the Second Coming, God will usher in a brand-new world, a new heaven, a new earth and the new Jerusalem. Jesus will conquer death, and all those who put their faith in Him will be given new bodies and live forever.
When we trust in that reality, we have an unshakeable hope. In fact, Revelation is the Bible's greatest book of hope. It reveals God's final chapter in the story of humanity's salvation that began in Genesis. In the end, God is victorious. That's the great hope of our faith, and that's why "God's prophet" is sounding the alarm about the Second Coming.
Paul McGuireis a prophecy expert, commentator for Fox News and the History Channel and host of GOD TV's "Apocalypse and the End Times." He's the former host of the nationally syndicated "Paul McGuire Show" radio program and a professor of eschatology at Pastor Jack Hayford's The Kings University. McGuire is the author of more than two dozen books and co-author of The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). Follow him on Twitter (radiomcguire),Facebook (PaulMcGuire) or online atpaulmcguire.us.
Troy Andersonis the executive editor of Charisma and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist, author and speaker. He spent two decades as a reporter, bureau chief and editorial writer at the Los Angeles Daily News and other newspapers. He's also written for Reuters, Newsmax and Human Events. He's co-author of The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). Follow him on Twitter (TroyMAnderson), Facebook (troyandersonwriter)or online attroyanderson.us.
Prophecy expert Paul McGuire explains the secret to "Mystery, Babylon" and why you should understand it at mcguire.charismamag.com.
Charisma Editor Troy Anderson and prophecy expert Paul McGuire crack the code of "Mystery, Babylon" to reveal a hidden end-time puzzle in their book, The Babylon Code: Solving the Bible's Greatest End Times Mystery (FaithWords). You can find this book wherever Christian books are sold or at amazon.com or christianbook.com.
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Carol Ungar draws on her family’s recipes and historical references in her cookbook, ‘Jewish Soul Food’ BY JESSICA STEINBERG September 13, 2015 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Jessica Steinberg covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center.
Don’t assume that Carol Ungar made the hollow, spiral Shofar Challah pictured in her book, “Jewish Soul Food, Traditional Fare and What It Means.”
“I’m not that handy,” she said. “My assistant made that one.”
And while Ungar will probably make some of the unique Rosh Hashanah-inspired challah shapes for her own family, she’s always more motivated by the history of the recipe, rather than actual experience of making it.
She first began shaping her challahs into different forms after reading a book about the mystical meaning of Jewish foods. Included in the tales were accounts about women in 18th century Ukraine, at the beginning of the Hasidic movement, when they would shape their challahs in order to teach certain concepts to their own children.
“Challah baking by definition is a meaningful activity,” said Ungar. “They were baking beliefs into breads. It creates memories and it’s so non-threatening.”
The Scales of Justice Challah, that is too much work, said Ungar (Courtesy Carine Gracia)
And so, Ungar began experimenting with her own challahs — she’s been baking challah for some time and had already moved on from her earlier, heavy “doorstop” ones — and began shaping the Three-Braid Challah (from her son-in-law’s mother), the Six-Braid Challah (or as Ungar introduces it, “Jewish macrame!”) and then, moving into the high holidays (the book is divided according to the Jewish calendar), the Crown Challah, Shofar Challah, Round Challah and, Scales of Justice Challah, inspired by the holiday’s weighings of human behaviors.
There are 20 other challah recipes — don’t miss the Strings of Pearls Challah or Grape-Cluster Challah — as well as bagels and Yemenite bread in “Jewish Soul Food,” which explains why Ungar first thought about doing a collection of bread and challah recipes.
The native New Yorker who lives in Telzstone, a primarily ultra Orthodox community outside Jerusalem, first thought about a book after writing a food blog that followed a food column for a local paper. Realizing she had amassed a mass of columns, she sent a selection of her blogs to Brandeis University Press. Once they expressed interest, she needed a theme.
Her plan was to collect her mother’s recipes, the traditional Jewish foods she’d always made. Cooking has always been part of Ungar’s daily life as well, having raised a large family and, as a religiously observant woman, ends up spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
And while Ungar’s husband and sons help out — “my boys know how to braid challah,” she said — “but there’s a lot of cooking time.”
The Bird Challah for Yom Kippur, baked in 18th century Ukraine where life could be harsh for Jews, reflecting a promise in Isaiah that just as a bird can fly loose from its captors, so too would Jews from their foes (Courtesy Carine Gracia)
She came from a family where cooking was paramount. Both of her parents were Holocaust survivors, and left without any of the people or objects of their own homes, and ended up latching onto the task of recreating the tastes and flavors of their childhood kitchens.
There was inspiration from Laurie Colwin’s “Home Cooking,” a combination cookbook/memoir, and from the late Gil Marks’ Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,” which offers a comprehensive look at nearly every kind of Jewish food from across the globe.
Her book, “Jewish Soul Food,” draws from the two genres. Sized in novel format and with long introductions that tell the tales, history and folklore behind many of the recipes, Ungar relishes the opportunity to look at the “whole cultural context,” she said. “Food is a great jumping off point for stories, there’s a lot of tradition and historical stuff going on.”
She also felt there was an open niche in the Jewish cookbook scene, taking a look at Jewish food organized according to Shabbat and the holidays.
It’s the overall feel and read of the cookbook that offer a unique approach. There are few photographs, and those that are included are in black-and-white, accompanied by a black-and-white line drawings that illustrate the more complicated recipes, like kreplach or hamantashen.
Carol Ungar’s ‘Jewish Soul Food,’ published by Brandeis University Press (Courtesy Carol Ungar)
The format also suits the collection of historical, old-fashioned recipes gathered from Ungar’s family, friends and research. There’s her father’s sweet-and-sour cucumber salad for the third meal of Shabbat as well as her mother’s stuffed cabbage, a must-have for Sukkot, Simchat Torah and Purim.
Ungar insists she’s not a foodie, but she knows her food. There are helpful hints throughout the book, as she considers the schedule of the busy home cook recommending when a dish will freeze well (stuffed cabbage) and when it won’t (leek pancakes for Rosh Hashanah). There are other tips as well, such as the freezing cabbage for easier leaf separation when rolling Galicianer Stuffed Cabbage for Purim, or using leftover cooked rice for a Sukkah-time tomato soup.
Ungar is also honest; while she includes a recipe for a labor-intensive meat-stuffed kreplach, she recommends having someone else make it. Ditto for traditional Rosh Hashanah teiglach, honey-soaked dough balls.
“I should have warning labels on which ones are not good to attempt by yourself,” she said, “Or have someone else do it.”
Ultimately, of course, it’s the week-in, week-out, or year-in, year-out practice that results in that perfect challah, stuffed cabbage or cucumber salad. And for Ungar, it’s the personal and historical memories that she’s after, which is why she included favorites like her father’s matzah coffee, or pot roast à la Molly Goldberg.
“People connect with this stuff,” she said. “A lot of people connect with food memories. That’s a big emphasis in traditional jewish life and life is like one big dinner party on some level.”
Ungar, who will only have two of her kids home this holiday, said she’s keeping it simple for Rosh Hashanah and will be including the symbols of holiday in her menu, which will include leek pancakes, possibly beet and Swiss chard latkes, a tongue for the main course and a honey cake, made by someone else. Here she includes her recipe for Green, Green Rosh Hashanah Latkes, made with Swiss chard, or silka, the thin, white fibrous root with large leaves and stalks. 5 large Swiss chard or beet green leaves, shredded (about 2 cups) 2 large eggs ½ cup matzo meal 1 small onion, finely diced Salt and black pepper to taste Vegetable oil for frying In food processor using blade attachment, process all ingredients except oil quickly until a paste forms (there should still be identifiable vegetable pieces). Do only a few pulses — you don’t want to create a true puree. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. With wet hands, form chard mixture into thin patties the size of your palm and fry patties, in batches, until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately. Does not freeze well.
Makes 2 to 2½ dozen patties
A Rosh Hashanah Crown Challah from Carol Ungar’s ‘Jewish Soul Food’ (Courtesy Carine Gracia)
And, if you’re up for the task, Shofar Challah. First make a Single Challah recipe (see below), and then follow the Shofar Challah instructions.
Single Challah ½ tablespoon instant yeast 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 and ¼ cups tepid water (or more as needed) 4 tablespoons neutral tasting vegetable oil 2 large egg yolks (one for dough, second for the glaze) 3 ½ cups flour 1 ½ teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons poppy and/or sesame seeds In a large bowl combine yeast, sugar, water, oil and one of the egg yolks. Add flour in one cup at a time. Knead by hand or in mixer fitted with a dough hook until the dough forms a smooth and supple ball (by hand about five minutes). Pour one tablespoon of oil over the surface of the dough and then cover with a dampened kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk (about two hours, depending on how warm your house is. You can also leave the dough, covered by a kitchen towel or in plastic wrap to rise overnight in the fridge). Punch down dough and shape or braid. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C Let dough rest for up to half hour. Glaze with egg and seeds and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Freezes well.
Shofar Challah (instructions by Shoshana Goldstein) 1 single challah dough recipe (see above) Cornet form, available in specialty baking supply stores and online Make single challah dough (see above). Roll dough into 12 inch rope. Using a metal cornet baking form, and starting at the wide end of the cornet, begin wrapping the rope around the cornet, continuing to the pointed end and just beyond curving the end of the dough past the cornet to form the crescent shape of the shofar. Follow Single Challah recipe instructions for second rise, glazing and baking.
The George Bain Collection in the Library of Congress contains several dozen pictures of New York's Jewish community. Our previous posting showed the community commemorating the Jewish New Year.
"Celebrating the Jewish New Year on the East Side" (circa 1910, Bain Collection, Library of Congress)
But during a period of about 10 years at the beginning of the 20th century, the Bain photographers focused on a group of very busy men on the eve of Rosh Hashanna -- not the rabbis or the cantors -- but the "boot blacks," the shoe shiners on the street corners.Note the women customers, perhaps the reason for the Bain photographers' interest.
"Bootblack stand, busy on Jewish New Year, Sept. 1905" (Bain Collection, Library of Congress)
"Jewish New Year - boot blacks" (circa 1910-1915, Bain Collection, Library of Congress)
"Jewish New Year - boot blacks" (circa 1910-1915, Bain Collection, Library of Congress) "
"Jew[ish] New Year - boot black" (September 1912, Bain Collection, Library of Congress)
