Monday, January 11, 2016

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: Why is ISIS trying feverishly to lure the U.S. into a ground war in Syria?

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Why is ISIS trying feverishly to lure the U.S. into a ground war in Syria? The answer lies in ancient Islamic prophecies of a place called “Dabiq.” (My interview on Fox News)

(Washington, D.C.) -- In my latest novel series -- The Third Target and The First Hostage -- the leaders of the Islamic State launch a carefully-coordinated plot to blow up an Israeli-Palestinian peace summit, capture the President of the United States, and lure the U.S. and Western alliance into a ground war in Syria.

While the books are fiction, they are based on actual ISIS strategy. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of ISIS, and his inner circle are, in fact, feverishly trying to draw the U.S. into a ground war in Syria.

The question is: Why? The answer lies in an obscure town in northern Syria called "Dabiq." On Fox News yesterday, I explained why Dabiq is so important to the ISIS leadership.

To watch the video, please click here. Also, here's the transcript.

AUTHOR WARNS AGAINST "APOCALYPTIC ISLAM"

FOX NEWS ANCHOR SHANNON BREAM: The fight against terror -- both home-grown and global -- is a top concern for those tuning into the President's final State of the Union address Tuesday. What is the President's strategy and how important are the exact words he uses when outlining the global terror threat? Joel Rosenberg is a best-selling author who has written extensively about the realities of the newest threat, which he calls "Apocalyptic Islam." His brand new book, The First Hostage, has just been released, and I am at the edge of my seat getting through it -- an excellent book. And you use fiction to communicate ideas that you think are important as a way of helping people learn about the threats and what's going on, but in an entertaining, fascinating way.

JOEL C. ROSENBERG: Tom Clancy did it. Vince Flynn did it. It is a good way. A lot of people don't want to read a 900 page book on Islamic theology or history. But they understand that it's real and it's urgent, and this is a way to get into the story.

BREAM: You and I have talked about the fact that al Qaeda and that threat, obviously, murderous around the globe, but this is -- you say -- ISIS to a new level. It's not simply radical. You're using the word apocalyptic, that they want to bring about the end of the world, essentially.

ROSENBERG: That's right. The Islamic State's magazine is called, Dabiq. D-A-B-I-Q. Most people have no idea what that means. It's a little town in the north of Syria. Why is that important? Because they believe, based on ancient Islamic prophecies, that the Western world -- "the forces of Rome" -- will be drawn to that spot for the second-to-last battle of all history, and that the West will lose, and the Islamic State will win, and then they head to Jerusalem. The idea is that they believe that the End of Days has come, their messiah -- known as the "Mahdi" -- will come reign over the entire world at any moment. They're driven by an Islamic eschatology that's genocidal. And that's why it's so dangerous. And yet most leaders -- including the President and our two front-runners on the Democrat and Republican side -- they don't understand it. They don't talk about it. That's a problem.

BREAM: Well, what you're saying -- what you're outlining, their whole purpose and mission -- it seems to be driven by theology, by their beliefs about the End Times. But as you mention, we have a lot of leaders who want to say, "This isn't a religious group. They are not Islamic. They've hijacked, or they're using, the religion simply as a vehicle for their violence, but it's not based on religion." But it sounds like the way that you're describing it, it's completely based on they're understanding of it.

ROSENBERG: You can decide that you don't want to want it to be based on religion, but that's what they believe. Now, we're not talking about all 1.6 billion Muslims. You know, I've got characters in here [in my novels] who are Islamic leaders, Arab leaders -- they're Muslims, they're not evil. What's evil is to have an End Times theology, that you're trying to bring about the end of the world, and you believe you need to kill every Jew, Christian, and others you would call an "infidel," to get to your Islamic global kingdom. This is what's defining ISIS. This is what's actually defining Iran's leadership -- not the people, but the leaders. The difference is that ISIS wants to build the caliphate now, so they're killing, slaughtering now, whereas Iran wants to build the pathway to nuclear weapons so when they get ready to launch the caliphate war it will be genocidal by the millions, not just the tens or hundreds of thousands.

BREAM: So how do you respond to those who say, "This sounds like crazy talk. It sounds cuckoo, all these theories and prophecies"?

ROSENBERG: Well, it is. And you have to distinguish this. Jews have an eschatology. Jews -- I'm Jewish on my father's side -- we believe the Messiah is coming at one point. Christians -- I'm an Evangelical -- believe that Jesus is coming to set up a Kingdom. The difference is the genocidal nature [of Islamic eschatology], [they're determination] to annihilate all of Israel and the United States and all infidels. So it is a crazy eschatology, End Times theology, but to ignore it, to ignore what's actually animating both the Islamic State leaders and the Iranian leaders, is incredibly dangerous. Because one of the themes in my novels -- including The First Hostage -- is, "If you misunderstand the nature and threat of evil, you risk being blindsided by it." This [novel] is about ISIS trying to capture and behead the President of the United States, as they draw us into a ground war in Syria, based on their ancient Islamic prophecies. And you have to understand your enemy if you're going to defeat them.

BREAM: Well, as with all your books, it's a great way to be entertained and informed at the same time. It is a wild ride. We wish you much success with it. Thanks for stopping in, Joel Rosenberg. Best wishes.

ROSENBERG: It's good to be with you.

————–

Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats.
FACT SHEET: The Iranian leadership's Apocalyptic Beliefs
FACT SHEET: The Islamic State's Apocalyptic Beliefs
What the next US president will need to know about Iran and Islamic State.(my column in The Jerusalem Post)

——————-

joelcrosenberg | January 11, 2016 at 1:23 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3P6

Rick Wiles (TRUNEWS) - World In Turmoil (Day 5) - The Jim Bakker Show

Jim & Lori Bakker

Watch here: Rick Wiles - World In Turmoil (Day 5) - The Jim Bakker Show

Jim is building a city of refuge.

Rick Wiles

Jim Bakker Show 2016 | Show# 2915 | Aired on January 6, 2016

Jim Bakker Show © 2016 • Morningside Studios

Home » Video Archives » World in Turmoil (Day 5)

Netanyahu attempts to stop Obama’s plan to be next head of U.N. - TRUNEWS

Netanyahu attempts to stop Obama’s plan to be next head of U.N.

Jan. 11, 2016

(TRUNEWS) Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to thwart U.S. President Barak Obama’s plan to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the head of the United Nations.

Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida has reported Netanyahu has been working with some Arab countries to sabotage Obama’s plan to be the next secretary-general, when Ki-moon’s term ends at the end of the year.

Netanyahu’s push to prevent Obama from getting the job may be pay back for the Iran nuclear deal, which Israel strongly opposed.

“Obama is the worst president Israel has had to deal with and the worst president for the Middle East and its allies, the moderate Arab states,” a Netanyahu aide is quoted as saying.

Kelly Sloan is a reporter and anchor for TRUNEWS Headlines on radio stations across the U.S. She was previously an anchor and reporter for USA Headline News and USA Radio News, where she also served as Assistant Religion Editor.

How to Develop Your Relationship with the Holy Spirit - JOYCE MEYER CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Have you developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit? (Lightstock )

How to Develop Your Relationship with the Holy Spirit

As born-again believers in Jesus Christ, we serve a triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:26 (AMP) God says, "Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image. ... " This verse reveals God as the Trinity, and we need to worship and have relationship with each Person of the Godhead.

It seems more common to hear people talk about God and Jesus, but the Holy Spirit does not get enough of our attention. It's important to understand that He is a person who has a personality, a will, knowledge, a mind, and He thinks and knows things. For example, 1 Corinthians 2:11 (AMP) tells us that "no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

In John 16:7, we learn some of the facets of His personality and how we need Him to work in our lives. In this verse Jesus says, "...If I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]" (AMP).

This Scripture teaches that He is our ...

Counselor—always go to God first for counsel and let Him speak to you His way, through the people or things He chooses.
Advocate—He pleads our case when we're in trouble.
Intercessor—He prays for us and through us when we don't know how to pray on our own.
Standby—He stands by us, ready to act on our behalf when we need something.
Strengthener—He gives us God's grace to do whatever we need to do in every situation.

He's all these things and so much more! God is literally everything we need, and as we fellowship with the Holy Spirit, we can have "the mind of Christ...and...hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart" (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Learn the Sound of His Voice

The Holy Spirit is the only One who fully knows the mind of God, so when we pray for God to give us wisdom or the knowledge we need, it's important for us to realize the Spirit is in us (1 Corinthians 2:12; 6:19). And He communicates to us what He hears God say. John 16:13 explains that He is "the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit)" and He guides us into the Truth. "For He will not speak His own message ... but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father. ...]"

One way we learn how to hear the Holy Spirit is by understanding that He has emotions and He can be grieved. Ephesians 4:30 (AMP) says, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him]. ... " Because He lives in us, when He feels grieved, we will feel it too.

Ephesians 4:29-31 (AMP) lists some behaviors that cause Him to be grieved: foul, polluting language; evil, unwholesome, worthless talk; bitterness, indignation, wrath, rage, a bad temper, resentment, anger, quarreling, contention and slander. So when we choose to think and speak in ways that go against His nature, we will feel conviction, and the best thing we can do is confess our sin and repent immediately.

James 3 teaches that no one can "tame the tongue" and sometimes we make mistakes and say wrong things. But we can learn from our mistakes; we can pray and ask God to help us only say things that are right and pleasing to Him.

I know it's easy to be insensitive and say the wrong things sometimes. The other day I was wearing a blouse that didn't fit me right, and I said to someone, "This thing is way too big for me but it would probably fit you." Afterward, I couldn't believe I said it!

The Bible teaches us that "no one can tame the tongue" (James 3:8). We need to pray for God to help us hear His voice, giving us wisdom and direction in the thoughts we choose to think about and the words we speak.

As our Counselor, He wants to guide us in everything we do, and we can learn how to hear His voice. So listen for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. You'll hear it as you wait quietly in His presence, while you're studying His Word, in your circumstances and even through nature. God is talking to you!

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored nearly 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mindand The Mind Connection (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling 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.

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 from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

How Much Would You Pay for 1 of Jezebel's False Prophecies? - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA NEWS

How do you know if you are sowing into a Jezebelic ministry? (Flickr )

How Much Would You Pay for 1 of Jezebel's False Prophecies?

Jennifer LeClaire is now sharing her reflections and revelations through Walking in the Spirit. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

Jezebel calls herself a prophetess but is anything but. In fact, the spirit of Jezebel is a false prophetic spirit that works in divination and smooth sayings to seduce God's people to commit immorality and worship idols (Rev. 2:20).

Far beyond control and manipulation, the spirit of Jezebel works over time to muzzle—or kill—prophetic voices. If Jezebel's witchcrafts against your mind don't intimidate you, this principality works to pervert the prophetic voice through compromise.

Of course, the Jezebel spirit also works through false prophets—those who set out to deceive—to wring money out of your pocket with sensational prophecies that tap into the idolatry in your heart or fearful prophecies that manipulate the soul.

Why do so many people give so freely to so many of Jezebel's prophets? Why are some Christians supporting Jezebel's false prophets instead of sowing into the true kingdom of God? Selah.

3 Sources of Prophecy

Prophecy comes from one of three sources: the human spirit, a demonic spirit or the Holy Spirit. Our human spirits have plenty of edification, exhortation and comfort to offer, but that doesn't make our utterances God-breathed prophetic words. On the flip side, demonic spirits are prophesying to many in the body of Christ through diviners. I'm not talking about the fortune tellers with the tarot cards and crystal balls in those creepy little shops of horrors. I'm talking about those who prophesy in the name of the Lord (Matt. 7:22).

JOIN JENNIFER ON FACEBOOK FOR SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CLICK HERE.

From the Old Testament to the New, God has a strong rebuke for what we call the spirit of Jezebel and those operating in it. Jehovah had something against Queen Jezebel. (You can read Jezebel's story in 2 Kings.) Likewise, Jesus had something against the church at Thyatira, who tolerated that women Jezebel (Rev. 2:20).

Both Jezebels led God's chosen ones to celebrate sexual sin and worship idols—and the fate of both is clearly described in the Bible. The Old Testament Jezebel was thrown down from her lofty position and eaten by dogs, and Jesus said He would cast the Revelation 2 Jezebel into a bed of suffering—along with her followers—if there was no repentance.

Seeing the fate of Jezebel, why would anyone want to eat at her table? I understand what's in it for false prophets—plenty of payment. Queen Jezebel had hundreds of prophets on her payroll, and they ate at her table (1 Kin. 18:19). I understand how eunuchs fall into Jezebel's trap. It get why Ahabs tolerate Jezebels and how some rise up as Jezebel's children. I talk all about this in my brand-new book, Jezebel's Puppets.

But I still don't understand why Christians would pay for a prophetic word from one of Jezebel's false prophets. Jezebel never uttered a Holy Spirit-inspired prophetic word in her life, but rather she preys on the hurts, wounds, wants and needs of the soul with divination. The only answer I can come up with is that believers are desperate to hear for supernatural direction—so desperate that they will listen to any voice that says it is of God.

Why We Fall for Jezebel's Divination

Before I got saved, I used to go to Tarot card readers, palm readers, crystal readers—and even call divination hotlines looking for direction for my life. I was going through major trials and I didn't know which way was up—and I didn't know the Lord. I was desperate.

Many believers are just as desperate. Although Jesus clearly said that "My sheep know My voice and the voice of another they will not follow" (John 10:27), I've discovered that many believers can clearly hear the voice of the devil telling them to sin, condemning them after they do and otherwise selling them a pack of lies. Many have not been taught that they can hear the voice of God—or trained how to discern and identify the many ways He speaks.

True five-fold prophets equip the saints for the work of the ministry. They not only declare what God has said and is saying and teach believers how to apply the rhemawords they release—they school believers on testing the spirits and inclining their ear to the Lord. Jezebel-inspired prophets profit from this lack of training by making people dependent on them for a word from the Lord rather than pointing them to the One who freely shares words of life.

You can hear from God for yourself. True prophets can confirm what the Lord is saying to you or reveal something new to your heart, but don't be fooled by Jezebel and her witchcrafts (2 Kin. 9:22). Don't fall into the pay-to-pray trap. Don't buy into the Internet diviner's thievery. Read a book, take an equipping class or just go hard after God, and you will find the direction you need for your life. You can check out my new book, Jezebel's Puppets: Exposing the Agenda of False Prophets, on Amazon or download a free sample chapter on my website.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening;Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer onFacebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.

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 from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

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Bear Market: The Average U.S. Stock Is Already Down More Than 20 Percent - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE blog

Bear Market: The Average U.S. Stock Is Already Down More Than 20 Percent

Posted: 10 Jan 2016 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE blog

The stock market is in far worse shape than we are being told.

As you will see in this article, the average U.S. stock is already down more than 20 percent from the peak of the market. But of course the major indexes are not down nearly that much. As the week begins, the S&P 500 is down 9.8 percent from its 2015 peak, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 10.7 percent from its 2015 peak, and the Nasdaq is down 11.0 percent from its 2015 peak.

So if you only look at those indexes, you would think that we are only about halfway to bear market territory. Unfortunately, a few high flying stocks such as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google have been masking a much deeper decline for the rest of the market. When the market closed on Friday, 229 of the stocks on the S&P 500 were down at least 20 percent from their 52 week highs, and when you look at indexes that are even broader things are even worse.

For example, let’s take a look at the Standard & Poor’s 1500 index. According to the Bespoke Investment Group, the average stock on that index is down a staggering 26.9 percent from the peak of the market…

Indeed, the Standard & Poor’s 1500 index – a broad basket of large, mid and small company stocks – shows that the average stock’s distance from its 52-week high is 26.9%, according to stats compiled by Bespoke Investment Group through Friday’s close.
“That’s bear market territory!” says Paul Hickey, co-founder of Bespoke Investment Group, the firm that provided USA TODAY with the gloomy price data.

So if the average stock has fallen 26.9 percent, what kind of market are we in?

To me, that is definitely bear market territory.

The rapid decline of the markets last week got the attention of the entire world, but of course this current financial crisis did not begin last week. These stocks have been falling since the middle part of last year. And what Bespoke Investment Group discovered is that small cap stocks have been hurt the most by this current downturn…

Here’s a statistical damage assessment, provided by Bespoke Investment Group, of the pain being felt by the average U.S. stock in the S&P 1500 index:
* Large-company stocks in the S&P 500 index are down 22.6%, on average, from peaks hit in the past 12 months.
* Mid-sized stocks in the S&P 400 index are sporting an average decline of 26.5% since hitting 52-week highs.
* Small stocks in the S&P 600 index are the farthest distance away from their recent peaks. The average small-cap name is 30.7% below its high in the past year.

After looking at those numbers, is there anyone out there that still wants to try to claim that “nothing is happening”?

Over the past six months or so, the sector that has been hit the hardest has been energy. According to CNN, the average energy stock has now fallen 52 percent…

And then there’s energy. The dramatic decline in crude oil prices rocked the energy space. The average energy stock is now down a whopping 52% from its 52-week high, according to Bespoke. The only thing worse than that is small-cap energy, which is down 61%.

If you go up to an energy executive and try to tell him that “nothing is happening”, you might just get punched in the face.

And it is very important to keep in mind that stocks still have a tremendous distance to fall. They are still massively overvalued by historical standards, and this is something that I have covered repeatedly on my website in recent months.

So how far could they ultimately fall?

Well, Dr. John Hussman is convinced that we could eventually see total losses in the 40 to 55 percent range…

I remain convinced that the U.S. financial markets, particularly equities and low-grade debt, are in a late-stage top formation of the third speculative bubble in 15 years.
On the basis of the valuation measures most strongly correlated with subsequent market returns (and that havefully retained that correlation even across recent market cycles), current extremes imply 40-55% market losses over the completion of the current market cycle, with zero nominal and negative real total returns for the S&P 500 on a 10-to-12-year horizon.
These are not worst-case scenarios, but run-of-the-mill expectations.

If the market does fall about 40 percent, that will just bring us into the range of what is considered to be historically “normal”. If some sort of major disaster or emergency were to strike, that could potentially push the market down much, much farther.

And with each passing day, we get even more numbers which seem to indicate that we are entering a very, very deep global recession.

For instance, global trade numbers are absolutely collapsing. This is a point that Raoul Pal hammered home during an interview with CNBC just the other day…

Looking at International Monetary Fund data, “the year-over-year change in global exports is at the second lowest level since 1958,” Raoul Pal, Publisher of the Global Macro Investor told CNBC’s”Fast Money”this week.
Basically, it means economies around the world are shipping their goods at near historically low levels. “Something massive is going on in the global economy and people are missing it,” Pal added.
The steep decline in 2015 exports is second only to 2009, when the global recession led to a 37 percent drop in export growth.

We have never seen global exports collapse this much outside of a recession.

Clearly we are witnessing a tremendous shift, and it boggles my mind that more people cannot see it.
As for this current wave of financial turmoil, it is hard to say how long it will last. As I write this article, markets all over the Middle East are imploding, stocks in Asia are going crazy, currencies are crashing, and carry trades are being unwound at a staggering pace.

But at some point we should expect the level of panic to subside a bit.

If things do temporarily calm down, don’t let that fool you. Global financial markets have not been this fragile since 2008. Any sort of a trigger event is going to cause stocks all over the world to slide even more.

And let us not minimize the damage that has already been done one bit. As you just read, the average stock on the Standard & Poor’s 1500 index is already down 26.9 percent. The financial crisis that erupted during the second half of 2015 has already resulted in trillions of dollars of wealth being wiped out.

When people ask me when the “next financial crisis” is coming, I have a very simple answer for them.
The next financial crisis is not coming.

The next financial crisis is already here.

An angry bear has been released after nearly seven years in hibernation, and the entire world is going to be absolutely shocked by what happens next.

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water..." | Israel Today Staff

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water..."

Monday, January 11, 2016 | Israel Today Staff

Topics:

Plant the Holy Land , Advertisement

One of the conditions for a man leading a successful and fruitful life is to reflect on the Law of God day and night.

There is a clear instruction that the land of Israel needs to rest and lie fallow every seventh year and no planting of either crops or any new plants are allowed. (Leviticus 25).

Israel observed such a Shmita year last year, and this means that this year's Tu B'Shavat celebrations - the New Year for Trees - will be extra joyful! Tu B'Shavat starts with sunset on January 24th and much tree planting will take place during the day on January 25th!

HELP US PLANT THE LAND OF ISRAEL. EACH DONATION WILL PLANT 4 TREES!

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Sunday, January 10, 2016

No More 'Church As Usual' New Study Says - CBN News

No More 'Church As Usual' New Study Says

01-10-2016

CBN News

Sunday morning worship service is no longer "church as usual," according to the latest National Congregations Study (NCS) conducted by Duke University.

In a decade long trend, American religion is straying away from "an emphasis on belief and doctrine" and is moving toward an emphasis on "experience and emotion".

In a three part study, the authors of NCS found that there is a "search for a least-common-denominator kind of worship in a time of ever less salient denominationally specific liturgical and theological content."

What this means is that in the last 17 years churches have dropped the organ, bulletin and choirs and traded them in for worship bands, sermon notes, and shouting "amen," which is up by six percent.

At the same time, more spontaneous elements are on the rise. Hearing testimony from members is up seven percent, and jumping or shouting is up eight percent.

The study also revealed an increasing trend toward informality. People are less likely to dress formally for church and are more likely to use first names when addressing church members, rather than addressing them by a title such as "Mr., or Mrs., Doctor or Professor."

Ethnic diversity among pastoral leaders has increased, but the "gender picture" is much different.

"In 2012, women served as senior or solo pastoral leaders in only 11% of congregations, with these congregations containing just 6% of the people who attend religious services," the study explained.

The "face" of the American Church is now more ethnically diverse. Congregations have steadily become more diverse since 1998.

"The percentage of people attending congregations in which no ethnic group constitutes at least 80% of the regular attendees increased from 15% in 1998 to 20% in 2012," the study noted. "This is a steady and notable increase in the percent of congregations in which no one group has an overwhelming majority of the people."

The study also said that congregations are no longer affiliating with a specific denomination.

"The number of congregations that aren't affiliated with a denomination rose from 18 percent in 1998 to 24 percent in 2012. White evangelical (30%) and black Protestants congregations (25%) have the highest rate of non-denominationalism."

The study could not pinpoint a reason as to why the church is changing and worship is on the rise, but the authors believe the changes aren't over yet.

"We are not in a position to sort all this out," they said. "Whatever the causes, informal worship has increased in American congregations, and its rise does not seem to have peaked."

Jerusalem Botanical Gardens - Video "Step Into Nature" - ISRAEL365

Video: Step Into Nature - Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

Israel365 Videos

Feel like taking an inspiring nature walk in the holy city? Enjoy this amazing footage from the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.

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