Wednesday, November 11, 2015

'Trust but Verify' Means 'I Don't Trust You' - DR. STEVE GREENE CHARISMA NEWS

Netanyahu, glasses

Building trust is a process. (Wikimedia Commons)


'Trust but Verify' Means 'I Don't Trust You'



Ronald Reagan made the phrase "trust but verify" famous in 1987 during the cold war. The phrase has seeped into management as a guideline to accepting the promises of workers.
Many leaders consider the phrase to be an oxymoron. Does trust exist if I must verify?
"Did you turn in your expense report to accounting?"
When a worker tells me they did turn in the form, must I really verify the submission of the form? If I verify it was received by accounting, have I trusted the work of my team member?
In ministries, it seems to almost be a sin to verify the work of ministry teams. As leaders, we want to trust. We want to believe everything that everyone tells us. Yet, we feel icky when we verify that a job has been performed.
There are many leaders who have learned the hard way the high cost of trusting too much. The desire of our heart is perhaps to let go of a project. Sadly, at a later date, we find the project has not moved forward. The leader will correctly be the one held accountable for the lack of performance.
The leader's error was placing trust in his team to perform. Most top-level leaders would fault the team leader for not verifying work progress.
"Why didn't you check up on your team?"
"Because I trusted them."
The defense simply isn't plausible.
Leaders work hard to build their own trust bank. Some say we must give trust in order to receive it.
Hooey!
Leaders are in place to get things done. Blind trust is simply naive.
I won't ever forget the feeling I had prior to a baptismal service. Fifteen minutes prior to the start of service, I learned the baptismal had not been filled. The only person I could blame was myself for not verifying the existence of water upon the planet. Do you think anyone in the church would blame anyone but the pastor?
Perhaps a better way to think of this concept is to alter the phrase to read, "trust and confirm." We simply confirm that our expectations have been met. This seems to be more palatable as due diligence.
"But" seems negative. "And" seems positive.
In working with our teams, words matter. When a team hears the phrase "trust but verify," it probably does not produce a trust deposit. But when a leader says her style is to "trust and confirm," the words seem to ascribe power. I trust a leader who confirms.
Effective leaders confirm people, processes and projects are moving forward in the mission. 

Today's Scripture
"Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy" (Rom. 15:8-9).

NOODLING
Here's something I'm trying or thinking about today ...
This is not an endorsement or recommendation. It's just noodling.
Check out the TYPORAMA app. The app automatically transforms your text and photos into designs. Very helpful for creating social media posts.

 
PLATFORM TIP No. 11
We cannot manipulate our way into creating authority.
A recognized "authority" on a topic, movement or industry must first develop credibility and trust.
We develop trust by how often we show up and demonstrate our expertise. We develop credibility based on our frequency and quality of platform appearances.
To build trust, keep showing up. Over and over again.



Do you want to learn more about developing your personal platform?
Send for my free series of lessons titled, "The Fundamentals of Creating, Curating and Developing Content for Multiple Platforms." Send your request to: platform@ministrytodaymag.com.
This is an exclusive offer to Ministry Today and "Greenelines" readers. 
We will not share your email address with anyone. 


 
Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president—Media Group, Charisma Media. Sign up here for Dr. Greene's leadership e-newsletter.
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Why 1 Iranian Muslim Is Now Following Christ - JIM DENISON CHARISMA NEWS

Migrants wait to meet with the Coast Guard outside Greece.
Migrants wait to meet with the Coast Guard outside Greece. (Reuters)







Why 1 Iranian Muslim Is Now Following Christ

Silas is a 25-year-old Iranian convert to Christianity now living in Berlin.
Why did he come to Christ?
After studying his Muslim faith, "what I concluded is that Islam was a big lie that a lot of people were falling for."
Then a friend loaned him a copy of God's Word. "When I started to read the Bible, it changed me. ... At first, I didn't want to be a Christian, I just wanted to understand it. But the more answers I got, the more I ... realized I was finding God."
Silas is one of thousands of refugees to Germany who are converting from Islam to Christianity. According to NPR, one reason is that they are then granted asylum, since they would be persecuted as Christians if they returned home. But a pastor who ministers to many says they face significant persecution from Muslims in Germany if they convert. He interviews all who profess faith in Christ and baptizes only those he believes are sincere. 
Silas is among them—he says that even if he were to be deported back to Iran, he would never give up his faith in Christ. Jesus changed his life, and he will pay any price to serve him now.
Our world needs what Jesus can do, more than ever. Consider these headlines: According to administration officials, President Obama now believes that Israelis and Palestinians will not enact a peace agreement before he leaves office. Reports indicate that mustard gas has been used in Syria, most likely by ISIS. After the crash of a Russian plane in the Sinai, the U.S. has enhanced security for flights from foreign airports.
I experienced these security measures personally last weekend when I returned from leading a study tour of Greece and Turkey. Everywhere we went, we followed in the footsteps of Paul the apostle. As we celebrated his powerful legacy, I wondered how we can make the same impact today.

Paul's effectiveness didn't come from his appearance. According to the Acts of Paul and Thecla (ca. A.D. 200), the apostle was "a man small in size, bald-headed, bandy-legged, well-built, with eyebrows meeting, rather long-nosed." Nor was eloquence his secret. Paul was clearly a genius, but he did not seek to impress others with his brilliance (1 Corinthians 2:4). 
Rather, his secret was his purpose: "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). When we know Christ and make him known, he works through us to transform those we influence. 
I often speak of becoming "culture-changing Christians." However, as I followed the footsteps of Paul, I realized that there is really no such thing. Christians cannot change the culture. Human words cannot change human hearts. But Jesus can.
Oswald Chambers: "The Christian worker has to be a sacramental 'go-between,' to be so identified with his Lord and the reality of his Redemption that he can continually bring his creating life through him. ... We have to see that we are in such living sympathy with God that as we proclaim his truth he can create in souls the things which he alone can do."

Jesus changed Silas. He changed me. If He is your Lord, you know that He changed you. Have you asked him to "bring his creating life" through you today?

Jim Denison, Ph.D., is founder of the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a non-sectarian "think tank" designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth. Join over 100,000 who read Dr. Denison's daily Cultural Commentary:denisonforum.org/subscribe . For more information on the Denison Forum, visitdenisonforum.org. To connect with Dr. Denison in social media, visittwitter.com/jimdenison or facebook.com/denisonforum.
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5 Things President Obama Has Done to Destroy America- LARRY TOMCZAK CHARISMA NEWS

Whether our next president can help dismantle some of what Barack Obama has done remains to be seen.

Whether our next president can help dismantle some of what Barack Obama has done remains to be seen. (Reuters)



5 Things President Obama Has Done to Destroy America


"I'm the author of all your pain."
In Spectre, the 25th James Bond film currently in theaters, Oscar-winning actor and villain Christoph Waltz snidely tells Agent 007 these words. While a bit of an overstatement, the point is well taken.
As the years unfold, I am persuaded that countless millions will identify words like these with the Obama presidency. Whether our next president can help dismantle some of what Barack Obama has done remains to be seen.
Barring a spiritual awakening in America and the resulting returning to our conservative values led by a uniquely gifted commander-in-chief, the repercussions of Barack Obama's "transformation of America" will be catastrophic.
It's why seven years ago Rush Limbaugh said his desire for the Obama presidency was simple: "I hope he fails."
Scripture tells us, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man beareth rule, the people sigh" (Prov. 29:2, ASV). Plainly stated, people have cause to either rejoice or mourn dependent on whether their governing authorities are God-fearing or unrighteous.
When competent and godly leaders rule, they set a tone for the society as they conduct affairs according to God's standards. The result will not be utopia but rather a general happiness, prosperity and stability in the land. President Obama does not fit this category and that is a primary reason why there is so much mourning throughout our land.
I step back knowing I prayed for this man every single day of his terms in office yet must respectfully but forthrightly assess his "fruit" as disastrous. What he has done has been unbelievably detrimental to the Judeo-Christian principles upon which our nation was founded. Are you aware of how far we've fallen under his leadership and lack thereof?
Five Major Areas of Decline
1. The Military
Besides what has been called the "gayification" of our Armed Forces, we've seen the undermining of religious expression among our military chaplains and officers. Lieutenant General (retired) William Boykin put it best, "If chaplains and other personnel are censored from offering the full solace of the gospel, there is no religious freedom in the military."
There have also been massive reductions in military personnel, leaving us dangerously vulnerable in the event of a crisis, plus military frustration at the highest level in decades. "There's a level of dissatisfaction among the uniformed military that I've never seen in my time here" said John McCain, Senate Armed Services Chairman.
For this I mourn.
2. Marriage and Family
President Obama's aggressive advocacy of the LGBTQ agenda has brought devastation to the traditional family. He endorsed gay marriage; violated young girls by forcing school districts to allow boys who identify as girls to have full access to the girl's locker room and showers; undermined the Defense of Marriage Act; celebrated the LGBTQ lifestyle by affirming people "coming out" and appointing unprecedented numbers of LGBTQ proponents to government positions; and, now endorses efforts to ban "conversion therapy" counseling for youth struggling with gay and transgender confusion.
President Obama has worked aggressively to transform marriage, sexuality and our children into considering participation in the LGBTQ lifestyle as a normal, healthy sign of liberation!
His official White House website touts efforts to stop counseling young people struggling with same-sex attraction and transgenderism as "protecting America's youth."
For this I mourn.
3. Radical Islam and Terrorism
President Obama's timid approach to dealing with the menace of ISIS and other radical, Islamic jihadists is unbelievably reckless. Believing that we can somehow diminish their strength and effectively defeat these barbarians by ignoring them or downplaying their threat, strains credulity. Their growing threat coupled with the Iranian "nuclear deal" is bringing us to an apocalypse.
The latest terror warning in Sinai with 224 passengers killed in the "downing" of a Russian plane caused the Wall Street Journal to bluntly state in a lead editorial, "The greatest folly of the administration's Mideast policy has been to imagine that an arms–length approach to the region's troubles would keep its problems away from us. But as with the refugee crisis in Europe, or ISIS inspired jihadist attacks in the US, the tragedy in Sinai is another reminder that trying to downplay the threat of terrorism only brings its risks closer to home."
For this I also mourn.

4. The Economy and National Debt
Dr. Laurence Kotlikoff, Professor of Economics at Boston University tried to wake up our leaders in testimony before the U.S. Senate. He stated emphatically that "Americas fiscal insolvency and it's generational consequences means our country is broke. It's not broke in 75 years or 50 years or 25 years or 10 years. It's broke today. Indeed, it may well be in worse shape (currently almost $19 trillion in debt) than any developed country, including Greece."
Yet our president keeps spending, raising the debt limit, promising entitlements, all the while adding almost as much debt as all previous American presidents combined. And don't forget he conveys how our economy is booming while conveniently ignoring over 90 million people not in the workforce; 50 million on food stamps; Obamacare premiums skyrocketing; and, the inevitable day of economic reckoning drawing near.
"Time is running out. Get ready for a roller coaster ride through hell!" warns economic forecaster Larry Edelson.
Forbes magazine helps us comprehend this staggering amount, which is leading us to the inevitable economic crash: "In 2015, Taylor Swift did 55 concerts and earned $80 million. She would have to perform 365 concerts a year for three years to simply pay for ONE DAY OF INTEREST accrued on our debt." Get the message?
For this I likewise mourn.
5. Illegal Immigration and Prisoner Release
President Obama refuses to enforce laws concerning the massive influx of illegal immigrants into our country, knowing these are grateful, potential Democratic voters! The majority is Hispanic but there are Muslims as well. Europe is being overrun by the immigrant crisis and what is happening there will be our lot in 10 years unless new leadership acts swiftly, legally and compassionately.
Have you noticed some signs of the times? Hamtramck Michigan City Council now has a Muslim majority. Washington, D.C. joins other locales in giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
Our president also believes in leniency and amnesty for drug felons. Almost 50 percent of the inmates in federal penitentiaries serving time for drug offenses are now having their sentences automatically reduced.
"These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made," the president told journalists recently at a federal prison in Oklahoma.
The reality is 75 percent of these individuals are violent criminals. Their "mistakes" consist not merely of smoking a casual joint but distribution of hard drugs, often involving gangs and weaponry. Their felony convictions resulted in many of the 44,000 who die from drug overdoses each year. Consider also the scores of young people getting addicted, families being destroyed and children now executed in drug gang wars like the nine-year-old boy a week ago.  
Are these harmless, victimless crimes and simply minor "mistakes?" Or is this an example of misguided "mercy" that likewise brings in new Democratic voters? Read "Obama's Tragic Let 'em Out Fantasy" in the Wall Street Journal on 10/25/15 to learn more.
Yes, for this I also mourn.
Here's the Deal: In 2009, President Obama declared these words regarding his Obamacare victory, "Elections have consequences. And at the end of the day, I won!"
It would do us well to remember that in the 2012 presidential election, Obama beat Romney by 5 million votes. Over 17 million evangelical Christians stayed home and did not vote. Is voting important?
For the past seven years we learned the hard way that President Obama was serious about his pledge to "fundamentally transform America." I believe without question that his lack of character and questionable commitment to his professed Christian faith have wreaked havoc on the moral landscape of the United States of America. May we redouble our efforts in prayer, fasting and civic engagement to see competent, godly leaders raised up so mourning may be silenced and some rejoicing begins afresh in our land! 

Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author of eight books with 43 years of trusted ministry experience. He is a cultural commentator whose weekly articles appear on sites reaching 26 million monthly. He is a public policy advisor with Liberty Counsel. Connect and view short video commentaries at larrytomczak.com.
For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!
NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!
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Ted Koppel Is Buying Freeze-Dried Food For The Day When A Cyberattack Takes Out The Power Grid - Michael Snyder The Economic Collapse

Central Park - Public Domain
Posted: 10 Nov 2015 

Most Americans have absolutely no idea how incredibly vulnerable our electrical grid is, but Ted Koppel does.  For many years, Koppel was the level-headed host of Nightline on ABC, but now he is issuing a very chilling warning to America.  For more than a year, he investigated potential threats to our power grid, and he has detailed what he discovered in a new book entitled “Lights Out“. 

He is convinced that a massive cyberattack could take down our entire electrical grid for an extended period of time, and he was horrified to learn that the Department of Homeland Security really doesn’t have a plan for how to deal with this kind of a scenario.

What Koppel found out during the course of his investigation freaked him out so much that he actually decided to buy freeze-dried food for himself, his children, and even his grandchildren.  The following comes from CBS News
In “Lights Out,” Koppel paints a grim picture of a paralyzing power outage in the form of an all-out cyberattack on the nation’s electrical grid.
“It’s frightening,” Koppel said. “I mean, it is frightening enough that my wife and I decided we were going to buy enough freeze-dried food for all of our kids and their kids.”
Koppel believes that Russia, China and Iran already have the ability to conduct such attacks.  And actually, the truth is that many other nations such as North Korea have been rapidly developing the capability to conduct such operations as well.

It is only a matter of time until we see absolutely massive cyberattacks unleashed against national power grids, and the United States is the most likely target.  Unfortunately for us, our government has done very little to prepare for this eventuality.  Here is more from CBS News
Koppel says the one agency that would be ready to counter a cyberattack such as this is the Department of Homeland Security. But are they ready?
“No,” he said. “I’ve talked to every former Secretary of Homeland Security, and they all acknowledge there is no plan.”
And the current Secretary, Jeh Johnson, didn’t offer much guidance to Koppel, either: “I kept asking ‘What’s the plan?’ Why wait until disaster strikes? Why not tell ’em? Do you have a plan?’ And he just sort of pointed up at a shelf filled with white binders and he said, ‘Look, I’m sure there’s something up there somewhere.'”
But we have been warned.  In fact, just recently there was a major congressional hearing about this.  At that hearing, one member of Congress explained that there is a significant attack on our power grid once every four days
Such attacks hit the nation’s electric grid once every four days, according to estimates, Rep. Randy Weber, a Texas Republican, said at the House Subcommittee on Research and Technology hearing. The session was focused on better protecting the nation’s power grid and identifying its vulnerability to cyberattacks.
In over 300 cases of significant cyber and physical attacks since 2011, suspects have never been identified,” Weber said.
And of course it isn’t just a cyberattack that we need to be concerned about.  As I wrote about just over a month ago, a giant electromagnetic pulse either from the sun or from a weapon could fry our grid at any time as well.
Perhaps this is not something that you are making preparations for personally, but the White House sure is.  According to the Houston Chronicle, the White House just released a plan that details how it would respond to an EMP event…
The White House Thursday released a contingency plan for about the most terrifying scenario possible: a massive electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that wipes out the power grid.
Just imagine no more cell phones, Internet, credit cards, gas pumps, running water, electric lights or industry in a single fateful moment.
It could come from a solar flare that sends ultra-high-energy particles cascading toward the earth, frying every electrical transformer they encounter. So the White House, in conjunction with 24 other federal agencies, published a “National Space Weather Strategy” and accompany action plan, outlining a response if such a disaster were to occur.
I don’t know if any of us can really imagine how crazy things would get if the lights went out and never came back on.  We have all become so incredibly dependent on computers, cell phones, televisions, ATMs, heating and cooling systems, credit card readers, gas pumps, cash registers, refrigerators, hospital equipment etc.  What would life be like if suddenly we couldn’t use any of those things anymore?
At some point there will be a massive power grid failure.  It is just a matter of time.  And as space weather consultant John Kappenman recently told Gizmodo, when it happens power might not be restored for months or even years…
“If you take electricity away, either immediately or within a short period of time, you’ll suffer the failure of all critical infrastructure,” Kappenman said. This includes things like water, sewage treatment, gas stations, banks and hospitals. “One of the concerns that we have is that in the worst case scenarios, we could be looking at weeks, months, maybe even years before restoration of the grid.”
That’s why preppers are taking a longer view. “I have a five year supply of food for employees and family,” a source who requested anonymity told Gizmodo. This individual says he’s rigged up a 12.5 kW solar array in the “remote wilderness,” complete with “power outlets and water spigots about every 50 feet” to support a small fleet of RV trailers for the long haul. Other preppers agree that a multi-year food and water supply is crucial. Some are also stockpiling large quantities of medications (“five year supplies of meds can be obtained from Asia without prescriptions,” one source told Gizmodo).
For much more on what we could potentially be facing, I encourage you to check out the following articles…

-“Electromagnetic Pulse: One Day We Will Wake Up In An America Without Electricity And Society Will Totally Break Down

-“The EMP Threat: All It Would Take Is A Couple Of Explosions To Send America Back To The 1800s

-“What Are You Going To Do When A Massive EMP Blast Fries The U.S. Electrical Grid?

So how can we get prepared?  The YouTube video that I have posted below was produced by Infowars, and it contains advice from renowned survivalist experts including James Wesley Rawles.  I think that you will find it to be very helpful…

We Honor Our USA Vets Today - Those Here & Those Gone


On this 11th day of November
we honor our men and women
who have faithfully served the USA
in our Armed Forces.

May the 
Lord of Hosts,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
and His warring angels
watch over you with
mighty arms 
of protection.

We love you 
and thank you
VERY MUCH!

Steve & Laurie Martin
Love For His People, Inc.
Charlotte, NC







 Our nephew - Christopher Baker (2014 photo)
Soon to be in North Carolina!
Our nephew - Jacob Smith
Charleston, SC




May His Angels Watch Over You!



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Prophecy: God Is Calling History Makers to the Prayer Closet - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Don't be afraid

Who will answer this call in their generation? (Flickr)

Prophecy: God Is Calling History Makers to the Prayer Closet






Two weeks ago I lay face down at Awakening House of Prayer, and the Holy Spirit showed me things to come—and it's not all good. That didn't surprise me, of course, but some of the things I saw shook me to the core.
If you've read my columns for any length of time, you know that I'm sober-minded but also full of hope. You know that I once saw a tsunami of perversion heading for America. But you also know that the Lord told me He will bring a Third Great Awakening to this nation.
As I stretched out on the carpet in the prayer room, I found myself grieving. The fear of the Lord struck my heart. I saw the persecution that is coming to America. I mourned over the blood of abortion that is on our hands. I pondered the eternal value of how I spend my time. I considered the failure of the church to be salt and light. And I felt the pain of God's heart.
Taking an Eternal Perspective
God wants to break out, break in and pour out His Spirit over America. But here's the issue: We're waiting on God to move, and He wants to move us. We're praying for God to send revival, but He wants to revive us. We're asking for an outpouring of glory, but we need an outpouring of repentance first.
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I didn't sleep much that night as I pondered how so much of what I do makes no impact on anyone. I woke up early and prayed in the Spirit for over an hour trying to come to grips with the reality of where America is heading if we don't repent. We like to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14, but so many of us fail to live 2 Chronicles 7:14.
I watched David Wilkerson's video montage on anguish. I listened to Leonard Ravenhill's classics on revival. The Holy Spirit prayed through me with groans too deep for words (Rom. 8:26). I considered what love really is. After all, we can pray in the tongues of men and angels, we can prophesy with the best of them, we can feed the poor, we can have mountain-moving faith, we can even die for the sake of the gospel, but without love it's useless (see 1 Cor. 13:1-3).
It's true that "love suffers long and is kind; love envies not; love flaunts not itself and is not puffed up, does not behave itself improperly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-6).
Love also warns, but it does not seek to breed fear for profit's sake. Love makes intercession. Love stands in the gap and on the wall. Love has violent faith that presses into what God is saying and doing in this hour despite what it looks like. Love hears His voice and sounds the alarm. Love carries the burden of His heart and prays until something happens.
Overcoming the Reality of Now
That morning, while I was in my room praying, I heard the Lord say this:
"If My people who are called by My name would think more about life in 1,000 years than life tomorrow, they would make a greater impact in their generation. But the cares of this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life and other demonic distractions have consumed many with the reality of now instead of the reality—of eternity.
"Millions die and go to hell every day because My people who are called by My name are not about My business. Rights and freedoms are lost, people murdered, lives destroyed, babies aborted because My people who are called by my name are not about My business.
"I am looking for those in this hour who will look up instead of looking back; who will cry out; who will press in; who will determine in their hearts to see My kingdom come and My will done on the earth—in your cities and families—as it is in heaven.
"I want to pour out My Spirit. I want to save souls. I want to heal sick bodies. I want to restore broken families. I am depending on you to rise up and fight on your knees like there's no tomorrow because for many there isn't.
"Who shall I send to the closet of prayer to shape history? Who will go for Me? I will show myself strong in your life. I will take care of your needs. I will bless you and keep you. I will show you things to come if you will partner with Me in the place of prayer. I will do it, and I will be glorified."
Who will answer this call in their generation?

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NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!
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Obama, Netanyahu Agree to Disagree on Iran - Jennifer Wishon CBN NEWS


Obama, Netanyahu Agree to Disagree 
on Iran

WASHINGTON -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the U.S. this week. He's fresh off a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House where the two leaders worked to mend some badly damaged fences. 
        
With a handshake, they showed they were putting their solidarity on display for Israel's enemies.
      
The two men have always held vastly different world views. But their relationship has been particularly sour since the president feverishly pushed for a nuclear deal with Iran that the prime minister -- and others across the political spectrum in Israel -- adamantly opposed.
"It is no secret that the prime minister and I have had strong disagreement on this narrow issue, but we don't have a disagreement on making sure Iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon," President Obama said.
"And we don't have a disagreement about us blunting destabilizing activities that Iran may be taking," he continued. "And so we are looking to make sure that we find common ground there."  
     
The president tried to made it clear he stands with Israel, but the Israeli people may not buy it.
Some Israelis refer to the president by his middle name, "Hussein," a reference to his Muslim heritage. Polling earlier this year showed just 9 percent of Israelis described this White House as pro-Israel.
     
The president condemned recent Palestinian violence against innocent Israeli citizens.
     
And while peace talks are on ice, Netanyahu says he remains committed to a peaceful two- state solution with the Palestinians.
"I don't think anyone should doubt Israel's determination to defend itself against terror and destruction, but neither should anyone doubt Israel's willingness to make peace with any of its neighbors that genuinely want to achieve peace with us," Netanyahu said.
     
International analysts say it's important for Israel's enemies to see the U.S. and Israel stand together.
"There is a symbolic component that those enemies need to understand that there isn't any daylight between the United States and Israel as far as our alliance and our friendship and that message has to be put out there very strongly," Steve Bucci of The Heritage Foundation said.
    
While in Washington, Netanyahu is speaking both to conservative and progressive groups to make the case that the security of Israel isn't a partisan issue.
"Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East," Bucci said. "It's the most Western looking country for a lot of miles in that area and we really need that relationship almost as much as Israel does."

Palestinian Children Carry Out Terrorist Stabbing - ISRAEL TODAY

Palestinian Children Carry Out Terrorist Stabbing

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 |  Israel Today Staff
Two young Palestinian boys aged just 12 and 13 stabbed and seriously wounded a Jewish security guard at the light rail station in Jerusalem’s northern Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhood on Tuesday.
One of the boys was shot and seriously wounded by his victim. The other was captured by security forces.
It was the second stabbing attack in Jerusalem on Tuesday morning. In the other incident, an Arab man attempted to stab police officers near the Old City’s Damascus Gate only to be shot and neutralized before he could draw blood.
The Pisgat Ze’ev attack was reminiscent of a similar stabbing last month in that same neighborhood, where two Palestinian cousins aged 13 and 15 stabbed and seriously wounded two Israelis, including a 13-year-old boy.
The 15-year-old attacker was shot and killed as he lunged as police officers responding to the scene. His younger cousin was taken into custody. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to the crime that was recorded by security and traffic cameras in the area.
Israelis have long decried what amounts to child abuse in a Palestinian society that teaches even its youngest children to hate the Jews and engage in violence against them. As former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once famously stated: “We will have peace as soon as the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”
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