Monday, January 25, 2016

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: The Caliphate vs. The Kingdom. What is “the gospel of the kingdom” of Christ and why is it our hope in such dark times?

GospeloftheKingdom


Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

The Caliphate vs. The Kingdom. What is “the gospel of the kingdom” of Christ and why is it our hope in such dark times?

by joelcrosenberg
(Dallas, Texas) -- This weekend here in Dallas, I taught Part #3 of a series of messages I'm delivering across the country this month on what Apocalyptic Islam is, why it's a threat to us, and how the Church ought to respond.
Here are the links to my notes for the first two messages.
  1. Part #1 -- What’s the difference between Apocalyptic Islamic eschatology & Biblical eschatology? And why does it matter?
  2. Part #2 -- ISIS waging war of genocide against Christians in the Mideast. New UN report provides chilling details.
Here at Prestonwood Baptist Church, I spoke on "The Caliphate Vs. The Kingdom." I explained why Iranian and ISIS leaders are so fervent about the coming of their so-called messiah (the Mahdi) and their Islamic kingdom (the caliphate), and asked whether Christians are anywhere near as passionate about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His actual, literal, physical Kingdom on earth.
Over the last several years, I've been doing a personal study in the Scriptures on the whole notion of "the gospel of the kingdom." What is the kingdom, exactly? Why is it a matter of good news for believers? How can anticipating the coming of the kingdom be source of hope in dark times? I have to say this study has been especially encouraging as I've been studying the caliphate and Apocalyptic Islamic eschatology. There are some similarities, but the contrasts are striking, and important.
What's more, as we begin 2016 -- as we begin the process of choosing the next President of the United States and so many other national leaders -- we also need to have a deeper understanding of Christ's kingdom, that the Lord is sovereign over our electoral process, that He may not give us the candidates want to win, and in fact He may also horrible, corrupt, even dangerous leaders to win control of the United States. Should this happen, all the more we will need to understand "the gospel of the kingdom" and live with the hope that our King is coming soon to make all things right.
As soon as I can, I hope to post a link to the video or audio of the message. But for now, here some of the notes I used, particularly the Scriptures that formed the basis of the message. Please print them out and study them yourself, and as a couple and with your kids and your small group Bible study. And please feel free to share these notes with others on social media. Hope you find them helpful. God bless.
"THE CALIPHATE VS. THE KINGDOM" -- sermon notes
  • As darkness falls over the world, and particularly over Middle East....
  • As the forces of freedom are in retreat....
  • As Iran's Apocalyptic Islamic regime and its nuclear program is not neutralized but rather rewarded by the West and as the regime becomes even more aggressive....
  • As the forces of the Islamic State -- also driven by Apocalyptic Islam -- wage a war of genocide against Christians in Iraq and Syria in order to hasten the establishment of their Islamic kingdom or caliphate and the coming of their so-called messiah, the Mahdi....
  • As our religious liberties here at home are under relentless assault.....
  • As Americans murder 58 million unborn babies and there seems no end in sight....
  • As our faith and our values are constantly trashed by our nation's elites....
  • As Washington seems unable or unwilling to steer the ship of state back in the right direction....
  • As the two presidential front-runners give us little confidence they can or will turn the country in the right direction either....
  • And as even many in the Church turn their back on Christ and His Word and His people....
It is important for followers of Jesus Christ to remember, to study more closely -- and to preach faithfully and without hesitation-- what the Bible calls "the gospel of the Kingdom."
The good news is that we have a King. He is coming. He adopted us into His royal family. And He will reign forever. He will establish justice and righteousness. He will make all things right, and all things new. This is our hope in an increasing dark world. And we must hold fast to it now as never before.
THE HEBREW PROPHETS FORETOLD THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM
  • "One like a Son of Man was coming...up to the Ancient of Days....And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14)
  • "Behold, a day is coming when....the Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day, the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one." (Zechariah 14:1,9)
  • "Behold the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as King and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5)
  • "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders...There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with Justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)
JOHN THE BAPTIST PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
  • "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." -- John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2)
JESUS CHRIST PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
  • "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
  • "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom." (Matthew 4:23)
  • "Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:35-36)
JESUS'S DISCIPLES ARE TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
  • "Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" (Matthew 10:6-7)
  • "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end shall come." (Matthew 24:14)
THE APOSTLE PAUL PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
  • "And he (Paul) entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God." (Acts 19:8)
  • "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." (Acts 20:25-27)
  • "And he (Paul) stayed (in Rome) two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered." (Acts 28:30-31)
THE KINGDOM TO WHICH WE BELONG HAS ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES
  • "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'.....Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels....These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46)
HOW DOES ONE ENTER THE KINGDOM?
  • "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again He cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)
  • "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)
  • "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)
  • "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 19:23)
ONCE WE RECEIVE CHRIST BY FAITH, WE ARE ADOPTED INTO THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THUS ENTER THE KINGDOM
  • "In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will....In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." (Ephesians 1:4,5,7,8)
  • "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household." (Ephesians 2:19)
  • "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God's own possession..." (I Peter 2:9)
  • "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth....He has made us to be a kingdom.״ (Revelation 1:5-6)
LET US SEEK TO UNDERSTAND AND SERVE THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM
  • "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
  • "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted." (Matthew 13:11)
  • "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." (Matthew 7:21)
  • "To these (apostles) He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3)
  • "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
  • "Blessed are the gentle/meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
  • "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:11)
LET US PRAY FOR THE KINGDOM TO COME
  • "Pray, then, this way: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10)
THE KINGDOM IS NOW, AND NOT YET
  • Matthew 13:11 -- "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted."
  • NOW: The Kingdom of God came in a spiritual form when Christ arrived in earth the first time.
  • Luke 17:20-21 -- "For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."
  • Matthew 12:28 -- "...if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."
  • NOT YET: The Kingdom of God is coming in a physical form when Christ comes back to earth the second time.
  • Luke 19:11-12 -- "While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So he said, 'A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return....'"
WHAT ARE THE BLESSINGS & BENEFITS OF THE MESSIANIC, MILLENNIAL KINGDOM?
  • The Messiah "will reign as King and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5; see also Jeremiah 33:14-16)
  • "Judah will be saved." (Jeremiah 23:6)
  • "Israel will dwell securely." (Jeremiah 23:6)
  • "Then it will come about that any who are left of the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:16)
  • The Lord God "laid hold of the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and threw him into the abyss." (Revelation 20:2-3)
  • The saints "came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years....They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4,6)
WHAT ARE THE BLESSINGS OF THE ETERNAL KINGDOM?
  • "the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come....time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom" (Daniel 7:18, 22)
  • God will dwell (tabernacle) with His people (Revelation 21:3)
  • "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 21:4)
  • "there will no longer be any death." (Revelation 21:4)
  • "there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain." (Revelation 21:4)
  • "there will no longer be any curse" (Revelation 22:3)
  • "they will see His face" (Revelation 22:4)
  • "there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them" (Revelation 22:5)
  • "they will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 22:5)
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joelcrosenberg | January 25, 2016 at 2:58 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-43Z
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How the Holy Spirit Helps You Defeat Your Goliaths - JOYCE MEYER CHARISMA NEWS

The Holy Spirit is with you at all times to help you slay the Goliaths in your life.

The Holy Spirit is with you at all times to help you slay the Goliaths in your life. (Wikimedia Commons)


How the Holy Spirit Helps You Defeat Your Goliaths

JOYCE MEYER  charisma news


If you've ever heard me share my testimony of how I was abused by my father throughout my childhood, you know I've gone through some really difficult times. In fact, there were some things that were so painful, I wondered if I would survive them. But I did, and now one of my greatest desires is to help others know how to trust God and lean on Him so they can overcome their struggles too.
There's a huge difference between a Christian who just tries to make it on their own and one who really relies on the Holy Spirit to enable them to do whatever they need to do. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to take His place here in the earth. He can be everywhere, all the time, and because He lives in us as born-again believers, Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.
In John 15:26 (AMPC), Jesus told His disciples, "When the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes...the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me." It's so amazing to realize that the Holy Spirit is always with us and He's the Strengthener we need to get through every problem we have to face. 
Victors or Grasshoppers?
In Numbers 13, the Israelites were facing a big problem. They were just outside the land of Canaan, which is the promised land God led them to after they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. Moses sent 12 spies to scout out the land, and when they returned, 10 of them had a bad report, and two had a good report.
The spies told Moses, "We came to the land to which you sent us; surely it flows with milk and honey.... But the people who dwell there are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, there we saw the sons of Anak [of great stature and courage]" (vv. 27-28 AMPC). But Caleb said, "Let us go up at once and possess it; we are well able to conquer it" (v. 30). In verses 32 and 33, the 10 spies "brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land...is a land that devours its inhabitants.... There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."
For the Israelites to possess their promised land, they were going to have to dispossess the current occupants—the giants. God had not cleared out all of the problems because He wanted to teach them how to trust Him, to lean on Him for the strength they needed to overcome their enemies. Caleb acted in faith because he had his eyes on God, but the spies who brought the "evil report" couldn't see themselves as anything but grasshoppers facing giants because they weren't trusting God.
You Can Face Your Giants
We all have giants—problems in life that we have to overcome. I don't like them any more than anybody else does, but I've discovered that we learn more about how to trust God when we go through difficulties than we do in other seasons of our lives. The truth is when we don't have anyone but God to get us through something, He can use it to make us stronger in Him, and then He can use us to do greater things than we ever imagined we could do.
God doesn't want us to live weak, wimpy, helpless, pathetic, barely-get-by lives. That's why He sent the Holy Spirit to be our "Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby)." Acts 1:8 says, "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."
The Holy Spirit is with you all the time, and His power gives you "ability, efficiency, and might" to be a witness for Christ. This means that in Christ, you have the power to be the kind of person in this world who represents Him as a light in a dark place...who has peace in the midst of the storm...who has the power not to worry when you have a huge problem and hope even when it looks like there is no hope at all.
I want to encourage you to take time to get to know God for yourself. Spend time with Him in prayer and through studying His Word. Wait on the Lord and receive the strength He has for you today (Isaiah 40:31). Put your focus on Him and pray, "God, I trust You. Please strengthen me today to do whatever I need to do, through Christ. I give you my will and want to know what Your will is for me. I need Your strength, wisdom and guidance in every area of my life. I believe You will work out all things for my good (Romans 8:28). You are my strength and I won't give up!"
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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Child Abuse: The World Must Stand Up Against the Incitement of Palestinian Youth by Sherri Mandell - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS


Child Abuse: The World Must Stand Up Against the Incitement of Palestinian Youth

by Sherri Mandell 

We are heartsick and angry at what is happening in our country. Two days ago Dafna Meir, a mother of six, a nurse, a healer, knifed to death in front of her children—a horrifying act of violence that unfortunately goes mostly unnoticed in the larger world. And yesterday Michal Froman, a young pregnant mother of four knifed while she was working at a used clothing store in Tekoa. We live in Tekoa. Our son Koby was 13 when he was murdered here with his friend Yosef Ish Ran in 2001. The two boys cut school and were beaten to death with rocks in a cave in the canyon near our home.
BIN-OpEd-Experts-300x250(1)
We hoped that terror had stopped. But Arab murderers are still being incited to hunt the young and the defenseless, children like Koby and Yosef, women like Dafna Meir who are unarmed. Women who are taking care of children or are pregnant. The Palestinians are being incited to kill those who are most vulnerable.
Unfortunately our enemy will write about these attacks as acts of Palestinian courage and resistance. Others will justify these acts as resistance. Or a response to despair.
But these acts are part of an orchestrated strategy to destroy the Jewish people. They are not lone wolf attacks. First in September the Palestinians concentrated their murderous activity in the Old City of Jerusalem, and then they were urged to kill on the roads in Hebron and Kiryat Arba and Gush Etzion—ramming their cars into Jews, and now Arab terrorists are being encouraged to infiltrate settlements.
This strategy is doomed and will not bring peace. It will only bring further Palestinian suffering.
Show Off Your IDF Pride with some IDF Swag!
In fact, it seems that it is sometimes the weakest members of the Palestinian society who are incited to kill, and then be wounded or killed themselves. It’s a tragedy on their side as well that young Palestinians—youth– are brainwashed to give their lives to murder Jews when their violence only ensures that peace will not be found. Where are the voices crying out against this society’s abuse of children? Against a society that glamorizes its killers, naming streets after them, celebrating their deaths?
We join in the sorrow of the nation of Israel over the despicable events of the past days. We hope that the whole country—indeed the whole world– will understand the nature of our enemy and will join together in mourning Dafna Meir and praying for the speedy recovery of Michal Froman.
Reprinted with author’s permission from Times of Israel
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Influx of Mideast Migrants Brings Fear of Renewed Anti-Semitism to Germany by JNS - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Anti Israel Rally. (Photo: Alan Popely / https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanpopely/ © with Attribution, NonCommercial)


Influx of Mideast Migrants Brings Fear of Renewed Anti-Semitism to Germany

By JNS By: Sean Savage

“Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.” (Job 33:7)
While Germany takes pride in confronting its Holocaust past and maintaining a strong relationship with Israel, the European nation’s recent influx of more than a million Middle East migrants—many originating in countries like Syria and Iraq, which have deeply rooted anti-Israel and anti-Semitic cultures—has generated fear among German Jews that the refugees will undermine their safety.
In October, an official German state intelligence document leaked to the German weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag warned that the mass migration could conflict with modern German values and lead to “instability in our land.”
“We are importing Islamic extremism, Arab anti-Semitism, national and ethnic conflicts of other peoples as well as a different societal and legal understanding,” the document said.
After the events in the German city of Cologne over New Year’s Eve, when hundreds of women accused migrants of sexually assaulting them, more Germans have grown skeptical about the Mideast refugee situation. A poll released Jan. 15 by public broadcaster ZDF found that 60 percent of Germans doubt the country’s ability to cope with the refugee influx. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has faced growing backlash from the public and members of her own Christian Democratic Union political party, which recently pledged to “tangibly reduce the number of refugees arriving.”
This anxiety has been expressed by some prominent German Jewish leaders, who fear that the migrants will bring anti-Semitism from their home countries. Jutta Wagemann, a spokesperson for the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told JNS.org  “there are concerns in the Jewish community about the anti-Semitism of the Middle East refugees.”
In a joint op-ed with World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, the Central Council’s president, Josef Schuster, wrote in September that “huge numbers of refugees are of course a big challenge for Europe.”
“It is also important that those who at present can’t return to their home countries will become familiar with our Western values. In Germany, that means respect for the values enshrined in the Constitution and also an acceptance that support for Israel is part of the political DNA of this country. Moreover, society by and large agrees that the Holocaust must be remembered,” they wrote.
This sentiment was shared with Merkel during an October meeting between the Central Council and the leadership of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party. “Many refugees come from countries where Israel is an enemy; this resentment is often transferred to Jews in general,” the Jewish leaders warned.
More recently, prominent German Jewish leaders have been outspoken in expressing their growing fears of the refugee influx, Islamic extremism, and attacks by far-right pro-Nazi extremists.
“No, we are no longer safe here,” said Daniel Killy, leader of the Jewish community in Hamburg, Germany, citing the disintegration of state power, the excesses of the far right, the loss of political credibility, and “the terrible fear of naming Islamism as such” as contributing to an insecure environment for Jews, the German news outlet Tagesshcau.de reported.
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Salomon Korn, president of Germany’s Frankfurt Jewish community, said that most of the new arrivals come from countries that do not enjoy an “enlightened” version of Islam, the German daily newspaper The Local reported.
“Many of the refugees had grown up in environments rife with anti-Semitism and a belief in Muslims’ mission to spread their religion,” Korn said.
Despite their fears, Jewish groups have also been at the forefront of helping refugees settle in Germany.
“Many individuals and official representatives of many local communities as well as the Central Council for Jews in Germany and the Central Jewish Social Organization have extended their hands to the newly incoming refugees, have participated in welfare work, and for example explicitly visited refugee homes,” Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, head of the Berlin-based Center for Anti-Semitism Research, told JNS.org.
“At the same time, many voiced their fear of ‘imported anti-Semitism,’ albeit again in a large variety of tones,” Schüler-Springorum added.
Many of Germany’s Jews were refugees themselves, fleeing the former Soviet Union during the latter half of the 20th century. The fact that many Jews chose Germany as their new home was a testament to the country’s post-war efforts in confronting its own dark history of anti-Semitism.
Yet Benjamin Weinthal, a Berlin-based fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, believes that the “challenges are enormous” for Germany, given the fact that the country has had a growing presence of Islamic extremists. According to Weinthal, Germany is also home to 950 active Hezbollah members, 300 Hamas members, and a powerful radical Salafist movement with 7,000 radical Sunni Muslims.
“The Salafists in Germany export fighters to ISIS (Islamic State) and Al-Qaeda in the Syrian and Iraqi war theaters. Many have returned to Germany with combat experience,” Weinthal told JNS.org. “When you factor in Germany’s support for a BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement) measure—EU product labeling [of Israeli settlement products]—with the hotbed of jihadism in the country, one can see why Germany has no real political will to tackle the anti-Semitism of many of the refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.”
The summer of 2014 can be seen as a watershed moment in modern anti-Semitism in Germany, with a number of protests against Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza leading to an increase in anti-Semitic sentiments and attacks on Jews. At the time, reports indicated that anti-Israel protesters were heard shouting “Gas the Jews,” while a video of a radical Berlin imam show him telling his followers to “kill them (Jews) to the very last one.”
Regarding Germany’s challenge of integrating more than a million migrants, Schüler-Springorum believes that it is possible “with time, money, and the political will to [meet the challenge], even in face of negative events like [New Year’s Eve] in Cologne.”
Schüler-Springorum cited the historic precedent of Germany’s success in dealing with its anti-Semitic past as providing hope that Germany can successfully educate and integrate the current Mideast refugees.
“As my colleague Michael Brenner wrote some weeks ago: Where, if not in Germany, with its achievements in dealing with our own anti-Semitic past—due especially to many grassroots organizations, civil society initiatives, and NGOs—can this be expected to be successful? Not tomorrow, of course, but hopefully in the non-too distant future,” Schüler-Springorum said.
But despite Germany’s success in overcoming its Holocaust past, Weinthal argues that the country has “failed to internalize that modern anti-Semitism—hatred of the Jewish state and the delegitimization of Israel via product labels, for example—is the main problem.”
As such, Weinthal believes that many German Jews will seek aliyah as a viable option, much like their counterparts in France who are moving to Israel in droves, especially after the Islamist terror attacks in Paris last January and November. In 2015, about 200 German Jews made aliyah.
“The threat to the safety of German Jews will continue,” Weinthal said. “Aliyah as an escape hatch for German Jews will be the natural result of Germany’s failure to protect its small Jewish community and stop modern anti-Semitism.”
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Sunday, January 24, 2016

How to Deal With a Verbally Abusive Spouse - BILLY GRAHAM CHARISMA NEWS

What can I do about the harsh and hurtful things my husband says to me?

What can I do about the harsh and hurtful things my husband says to me? (Charisma archives)

How to Deal With 
a Verbally Abusive Spouse

1/24/2016 BILLY GRAHAM CHARISMA NEWS

It is distressing to be on the receiving end of very cutting and abrupt comments that wound one's spirit.
Some people, for reasons known only to themselves, often speak to others in this manner. Sometimes a harsh and insensitive attitude shields a person who himself has been wounded by the remarks of others. In any case, we can understand the problems you are having. Remember that God loves you, and you are important in His sight. He loves you so much that He sent Christ to die for your sins.
As you focus on the fact that God loves you and considers you precious to Him, there will be a real difference in your life. Your sense of self-worth does not need to depend on the opinion of others.
Be sure you do not act toward your husband in the way he acts toward you. It is easy in a situation like yours to do just that. But that does not solve the problem—it only makes it worse. The Bible tells us, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). It also says, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4). Affirm and support your loved one in your conversations. Your example may help him to learn to do the same for you. Read also Ephesians 4:29-32.
We would encourage you to find a time when you can speak frankly (and yet lovingly) with your husband. Perhaps he is not even aware you are hurt by the things he says, and although he may not be intentionally hurting you, he needs to be aware of your feelings.
Communication is important in a good marriage, and you and your husband need to learn to share your concerns (as well as your joys) with each other. Read 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, and Ephesians 5:28-29. Many couples have found the counsel of a Gospel-teaching pastor or Christian marriage counselor to be helpful in strengthening relationships and improving communication skills.
We would urge both you and your husband to examine your relationship with Christ. Have you committed your lives to Christ? Are you seeking to follow Him? If not, make that commitment now, and learn the joy of having Christ at the center of your marriage.
When a husband and wife are truly seeking to honor Christ, they will not want to hurt each other—quite the opposite, they will want to encourage each other. As you pray and learn from God's Word together, God will help both of you become the loving partners He wants you to be.
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COMMENTARY: Are We Working Too Hard For God? | Brian Hennessy ISRAEL TODAY

COMMENTARY: Are We Working Too Hard For God?

Sunday, January 24, 2016 |  Brian Hennessy  ISRAEL TODAY
Most have heard the expression, ‘Our arms are too short to box with God.” But it’s equally true that “our arms are too weak to work for God.” Which is why every time we tackle a work for Him in our own strength we become exhausted. Burned out. Both physically and spiritually.
To prevent that problem God gave us the Sabbath. He introduced the concept as a day of physical rest at the end of the week under the Mosaic Law. Six days of work followed by one day of complete inactivity. It was His signature piece of legislation upon which all His other precepts hinged. And He made sure everyone understood its importance by attaching the ultimate penalty for non-compliance. “Therefore you are to observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people." (Ex. 31:14)
But as welcome and God-honoring as that day off was, it was the principle embedded in the commandment Father most wanted us to learn. Our 24-hour rest from physical work was simply a means to teach us about ceasing from unprofitable ‘works of the flesh.’ We became aware of those carnal works when we met the Savior and saw how our best efforts to save ourselves were, to quote Paul, “like dung” (Phil. 3:8 KJV). 
But once saved, many believers stop resting in Yeshua’s salvation. They return to living a divided life, seeing their career and family life as secular and separate from their spiritual life. They work as if everything depended upon them. And their spiritual life continues to be understood as participation in religious activities, even full time, without regard to the leading of the Holy Spirit. They do not yet see they have died in Messiah and are risen with him. That we are no longer our own, but are part of Yeshua’s body.  And in him we are summoned to rest in his completed work 24/7. “For the one who has entered God’s rest [in him] has himself rested from his works, as God did from His” (Heb. 4:9). 
Nor do they consider, that if death was the penalty for violating the Sabbath command given on Mt Sinai, how much more attentive should we be to honor God’s new covenant Sabbath sprinkled with Yeshua’s blood?  For those found working their own programs when Yeshua returns, it will be gut-wrenching anguish. “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will say to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me you who practice lawlessness'” (Matt 7:22,23). Lawlessness? Yes, they broke the Sabbath!
How then should we live?
When the disciples asked Yeshua, “what shall we do, so that we may do the works of God?” he responded, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom He has sent” (John 4:28,29). In other words, if we want to walk with God, yoke yourself to Yeshua.  “I am the vine, you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We are in him now! Exhaustion is the early warning signal we are working apart from him.
To each follower, Yeshua continues to call, “Come to me you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).   
Yes, rest for our souls. But at the same time, obedience to God’s Sabbath command, as Isaiah declared: “Turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways and seeking your own pleasure” (Isa. 58:13). 
I’m convinced we are well into the night of the sixth day. God’s full kingdom rest is about to dawn. Are we learning to rest in Yeshua now so “he may cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God?” (Heb. 9:14)
Or are we still straining and sweating away?
Brian Hennessy is the author of Valley of the Steeples, available at: ketchpublishing/BrianHennessyBooks.htm
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Hillary Clinton Wanted to 'Shame' Israel Into Compliance | Israel Today Staff

Hillary Clinton Wanted to 'Shame' Israel Into Compliance

Sunday, January 24, 2016 |  Israel Today Staff
A large number of Israelis remain supporters of Hillary Clinton in her bid to become the next president of the USA, despite earlier revelations of her disdain for their own leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But the latest release of emails from Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State suggest it wasn’t just Netanyahu whom she held in low esteem, but the Jewish state at large.
Among the nearly 3,000 pages of emails published last week was an exchange between Clinton and former State Department Director of Policy Planning Anne Marie Slaughter in which the latter proposed a “Pledge for Palestine” campaign.
The idea, according to Slaughter, was that “a campaign among billionaires/multi-millionaires around the world would reflect a strong vote of confidence in the building of a Palestinian state… There would be a certain shaming effect [regarding] Israelis, who would be building settlements in the face of the pledge for peace.”
Slaughter got a thumbs-up from her boss. “I am very interested–pls flesh out. Thx.” read Clinton’s documented response.
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