Hebrew Music Monday ✡ "Sing to the Lord a New Song" - ISRAEL365

Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, those who go down to the sea and those therein, the islands and their inhabitants. Isaiah 42:10 (The Israel Bible™) שִׁירוּ לַי-הֹוָה שִׁיר חָדָשׁ תְּהִלָּתוֹ מִקְצֵה הָאָרֶץ יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם וּמְלֹאוֹ אִיִּים וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶם ישעיהו מב:י shee-ru la-a-do-nai sheer kha-dash t'-hi-la-to mik-tzay ha-a-retz yor-day ha-yam u-m'-lo-o e-yeem v'-yosh-vay-hem

Today's Israel Inspiration The root word 'shir' שיר, song is found hundreds of times in the Bible, and Biblical personalities had strong ties to song: Saul with his music, David with his harp, and the Levites singing in the Temple. It is also no coincidence that the gematria (Hebrew alphabet and number correspondance) of 'song', shir, is equal to that of prayer, תפילה, tefillah. Music is a force of elevation for the intense feelings connected to prayer. At times the melody attached to the words produce as strong feelings as the words themselves. A new music CD "T’filateinu," (“Our Prayer”) includes 11 songs that will inspire you each day and transport you to the Land of Israel! Incorporate the power of Hebrew music into your day » Hebrew Music Monday: "A Psalm, A Song" Sing along in Hebrew and English to the words of Psalms 92 in "A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath Day" ("Mizmor Shir") in this upbeat song performed by Neshama Carlebach. Sing along » Tourists to Israel Expected to Increase to Five Billion Annually The director of Israel's Ministry of Tourism says he has seen a steady rise in people from all over the world traveling to Israel, even during times of heightened security concerns such as the current wave of terror—and despite the high travel costs. Read more » Nano Style Ten Commandments Pendant and Chain This exquisite necklace displays the Ten Commandments with Hebrew letters and English writing, inscribed in 24 karat gold. The finely detailed miniature writing is legible and can be seen with the special magnifying glass which is included with purchase. The golden Ten Commandments are mounted on an Onyx gemstone and encircled in a 15 x 21 mm .925 sterling silver frame. Also included is an 18 inch (45 cm) .925 sterling silver necklace. It comes in a gift box and is a perfect and unique gift for any special occasion. Key ring magnifying glass included! Get this Great Deal » Today's Israel Photo A young women plays the harp amidst the Old City gates of Jerusalem. An inspiring welcome to Jerusalem! See more photos by Uri Baruch » Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Joan Dwyer. Todah rabah! Sponsor a day and receive a free devotional book » “Prayer Request from our Reader” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365! Stay in Touch » My wife and I pray for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem and also for the world. I am asking for the prayers of the Jewish people for the flooding that is going on in Louisiana and for us, we are the only family that is left on the road of our community. I pray, as does my wife, that God will see us through this flooding of our home. I hope you understand. We are not rich or wealthy people. Please remember us in your prayers. - Robert Peterson Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Donald Trump Is Starting To Sound Just Like The Economic Collapse Blog (And That Is A Good Thing) - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Donald Trump Is Starting To Sound Just Like The Economic Collapse Blog (And That Is A Good Thing)

Posted: 03 Apr 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Guess what Donald Trump is saying now?  Last week, I discussed how Robert Kiyosaki and Harry Dent are warning that a major crisis is inevitable, but I didn’t expect Donald Trump to come out and say essentially the exact same thing.

On Saturday, the Washington Post released a stunning interview with Donald Trump in which he boldly declared that we heading for a “very massive recession”.  He also warned that we are currently in “a financial bubble” and that “it’s a terrible time right now” to be investing in stocks.  These are things that you may be accustomed to hearing on The Economic Collapse Blog, but to hear them from the frontrunner for the Republican nomination is another thing altogether.

Whether you plan to vote for Donald Trump or not, at least we can all appreciate that he doesn’t talk like a politician.  He tells it like he sees it, and he told the Washington Post that he considers the official unemployment rate that is put out by the Obama administration to be completely fraudulent…

“First of all, we’re not at 5 percent unemployment. We’re at a number that’s probably into the twenties if you look at the real number,” Trump said. “That was a number that was devised, statistically devised to make politicians — and, in particular, presidents — look good. And I wouldn’t be getting the kind of massive crowds that I’m getting if the number was a real number.”

And before you dismiss this, perhaps you should consider that the Federal Reserve also considers the government unemployment number to be so inaccurate that they secretly have been calculating the unemployment rate on their own…

Because it distrusted the Labor Department’s unemployment statistics, the Federal Reserve — without any fanfare — started calculating its own jobless rate two years ago.
And the Fed’s calculation, called the Labor Market Conditions Index, or LMCI, shows that the US unemployment rate in February was 5.8 percent. That’s much higher than the 4.9 percent official jobless rate reported by the Labor Department.

Of course if truly honest numbers were being used, the unemployment rate would not be anywhere close to this range.  According to John Williams of shadowstats.com, the broadest measure of unemployment is currently sitting at 22.9 percent.

And just last week I showed my readers that 23.2 percent of all Americans in their prime working years do not have a job right now, and that inactivity rates for both men and women in the U.S. are currently far higher than they were during the last recession.

So when Donald Trump says that we are at an unemployment number “that’s probably into the twenties”, I would have to rate that statement as mostly true.

Of course things are about to get a whole lot worse.  According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, job cut announcements by major firms were up 32 percent during the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015.

When big corporations are doing well, they tend to hire more people.  But when their earnings start to go down, one of the very first things they tend to do is to lay people off.
Sadly, that is what we are starting to see right now.  According to Wolf Richter, it is being projected that corporate earnings per share for the first quarter will decline a whopping 8.5 percent compared to one year ago…

Even analysts who estimate pro-forma, ex-bad-items, non-GAAP earnings that S&P 500 companies propagate to look better and that these analysts use to inflate their stock-price targets, just threw in the towel on the quarter.
They expect these inflated earnings per share for the first quarter to plunge 8.5% from a year ago, according to FactSet. If this holds after S&P 500 companies report their ex-bad-items earnings, it would be the worst EPS decline since Q3 2009.
It would also be the fourth quarter in a row of year-over-year earnings declines, a phenomenon that last happened during the Great Recession from Q4 2008 through Q3 2009.

In the past, we have almost always seen corporate profit margins peak and start declining before a recession hits.  The following chart comes from Jesse Felder, and it shows that this has happened prior to almost every recession in the post-World War II era, and now it is happening again…

Why can’t more people see this?

For months, I have been pointing out to my readers how history is repeating.  The exact same patterns that have happened just prior to previous recessions are happening again, but most people just refuse to see the truth.

It is absolutely maddening, and it is just more evidence of how “dumbed-down” our society has become.

Yes, U.S. stocks rebounded substantially in March, but that was not based on the economic fundamentals.  Just look at the following chart from Zero Hedge.  At some point stock prices and corporate earnings will start converging once again.  There is simply no way in the world that stock prices can stay disconnected from reality indefinitely…

So when Donald Trump says that we are in “a financial bubble” and that “it’s a terrible time right now” to be investing in stocks, I would have to rate those statements as absolutely true.
I would also have to rate his statement that we are heading toward a “very massive recession” as absolutely true as well, and legendary investor Jim Rogers agrees with me.  In fact, he recently told Bloomberg that there is “a 100 percent probability that the U.S. economy would be in a downturn within one year“.

For a legendary investor such as Jim, that is quite a bold statement to make.  And of course most American families already feel like they are in an economic downturn.  This is something that my wife and I talked about during our most recent show…



The truth is that the U.S. economy has never even gotten close to recovering to the level it was at just prior to the last recession, and now the next major crisis is upon us.

But this new crisis is not going to be like the last one.  It is going to be much, much worse before it is all said and done, and what is coming is going to bring America to her knees.  This is something that I discuss in my new book.  The economic devastation that is coming is going to be unlike anything that any of us have ever known, and it is going to shake America to the very core.

So enjoy the remaining days of “normal life in America” while you still can.

A lot of people are using this time to party, but if you are wise you are using it to prepare.

Lt. Gen. Jeremy Boykin - The Silent Church (Day 2) - The Jim Bakker Show

Watch here: Lt. Gen. Jeremy Boykin - The Silent Church (Day 2) - The Jim Bakker Show

 Jim & Lori Bakker with Lt. Gen. Jeremy Boykin

Lt. Gen. Jeremy Boykin

Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin

Jim Bakker Show 2016 | Show# 2967 | Aired on April 2, 2016

Deuteronomy, Galatians, II Corinthians, II Kings, John, Proverbs, Psalm

Jim Bakker Show © 2016 • Morningside Studios

Home » Video Archives » The Silent Church: Why American Christians Must Speak Up Before It’s Too Late (Day 2)

Lessons You Can Learn While in the Wilderness - KATHERINE RUONALA CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Lessons You Can Learn While in the Wilderness

 4/3/2016 KATHERINE RUONALA  charisma magazine

Your time in the wilderness can give you a powerful testimony. (iStock photo )

Time. That space between planting and harvesting, between promise and fulfillment. Living in a world where we are widely accustomed to instant gratification, the concept of having to wait can be frustrating. Yet if we understand the purpose and potential of these times, we can learn to cooperate with God and enjoy the journey.

Many live with a sense of destiny and promise but struggle to see how it can be fulfilled in the light of their present circumstances. That can be a frustrating situation, especially when they see how God is already moving in the lives of others. It invites all sorts of questions: Why not me? I know God has called me to greater things, so why do I feel stuck where I am? What am I doing wrong? When will God fulfill the promises He gave me?

This is a very common experience, and it can be disorienting if we don't understand what God is doing or know how to respond to it. Some people call it a "wilderness" and for good reason. Like Joseph in Egypt, the Israelites on the their way to the Promised Land, David in exile, and many other figures in Scripture, we are in the midst of a process between calling and fulfillment. Through their experiences we are able to take hope in the truth that God will also bring us through whatever situation we may find ourselves in.

Jesus spent years waiting for God's timing in His life too. He didn't begin His ministry until He was about thirty (Luke 3:23) which means there were long years of waiting. He had a calling. He had a vision. And He had God's promises, but He was not yet walking in the fullness of what God called Him to do. He also had an actual wilderness experience in which He overcame temptation and was able to solidify the reality that God had spoken and could be trusted.

In the wilderness we have the same opportunity to have our trust in God's words tested and solidified until they become like iron in our soul. (See Psalm 105:18-19.)

The enemy came at Jesus in the wilderness with all sorts of temptations and distractions, doing everything he could to steer Him away from His purpose, distort His thinking, or question His identity. But when Jesus came out of the wilderness, He began ministering with power the world had never seen before.

A lot of Christian leaders and teachers are doing a great job equipping God's people for their calling, showing the way to walk in God's power, and casting vision. Not many talk about the process between promise and fulfillment or calling and destiny, so the wilderness can come as a shock to those who are unprepared.

I believe there is a great need in our time to understand the processes of God, the baptism of fire, and the joy and power of surrender. My personal journey included years of frustration and wondering what God was doing, but I learned to lean on Him in those times and came out with a relationship that could not be shaken. Whenever I teach on this, it seems to resonate with many people. Some remark on how rare it is to hear from speakers about their years of preparation and their behind the scenes stories of trials God has brought them through. Many are encouraged to know the process from wilderness to wonders.

I believe you can embrace your journey with fresh hope and perspective, and that not only will you survive the seasons between promise and fulfillment, but thrive in them. In fact, with the right kind of response, your wilderness season can become a time of accelerated growth and fruitfulness.

I hope that encourages you. Wilderness seasons are a great opportunity to lean on your Beloved and learn the deep things of His Spirit. You learn to anchor yourself in the One who gives you lasting joy. You learn to carry the peace of God in every situation because the Prince of Peace is within you. You learn not to let the wilderness or the enemy shape your identity because you find your identity entirely in Him.

In the wilderness we learn to dream God's dreams. We discover God as our source in every situation. We learn how to respond to temptation, injustice and pain. We not only endure obstacles and storms, we become victorious in them and rise above them. In the wilderness we learn to recognize divine invitation and wage war with the promises God has given to us. Regardless of what we are going through, in the wilderness we learn to find our delight in God alone.

God wants to be the glory and the lifter of your head in every situation (Ps. 3:3, KJV). No matter how difficult your circumstances may seem, He wants you to look up and see His glorious face. He wants to tell you how lovely, free, clean, and redeemed you are. God wants you to know you are the beloved apple of His eye and that He has created you to shine.

The wilderness cannot prevent you from shining. Jesus shone in His wilderness season and you can too. Jesus' wilderness experience became one of His greatest victories. That can be your testimony too. You are destined to shine just as He does and to walk in His power, doing even greater works than He did. And even if you are in the midst of a wilderness, that can begin right now.

Adapted from Wilderness to Wonders—Embracing the Power of Process by Katherine Ruonala, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. This book examines the journey we take through wilderness seasons of test and trials, and emphasizes the importance of enduring the process.  You'll be encouraged to stand in faith for all God promised you when you see how God is for you, believes in you, and is making all things work for your good. To order your copy, click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of April 3, 2016

This week pray that the Lord will help you embrace your life's journey with fresh hope and perspective, so that not only will you survive the seasons between promise and fulfillment, but thrive in them. Ask Him to help you have the right kind of response, so that it can become a time of accelerated growth and fruitfulness. Continue to pray for those who lost loved ones during the recent terrorist attacks, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the protection of our nation and allies. Lift up our spiritual, civic and government leaders and pray for revival to spread across the land and around the world. (Ps. 3:3; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:1-3).

Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.

Dare to go deeper in your faith. Our "Life in the Spirit" devotional takes you on a journey to explore who the Holy Spirit is, how to interact with Him, and how He works in your life. Are you ready to go deeper?

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A Lesson for the Jews From 'The Waltons' - RAFAEL MEDOFF/JNS.ORG CHARISMA NEWS

A Lesson for the Jews From 'The Waltons'

4/4/2016 RAFAEL MEDOFF/JNS.ORG  charisma news

(From l to r) Ralph Waite, Richard Thomas and Michael Learned starred in the CBS television drama, "The Waltons." (Wikimedia Commons )

The passing of a television writer is not the sort of event that usually raises questions about the future of American society.

But the recent death of Earl Hamner Jr., creator of the 1970s series "The Waltons," coming as it does in the midst of an exceptionally tumultuous political season, invites fresh consideration of the state of the country—and its implications for American Jewry.

The Waltons, which debuted on CBS in 1972, was an hour-long drama that followed the lives of a family in rural West Virginia during the Great Depression. Based on Hamner's own childhood, The Waltons highlighted values such as hard work, religious faith, modesty, and the importance of family togetherness.

Throughout its nine years, The Waltons was one of the most popular shows on television. It's not unreasonable to conclude that the values which it promoted values were held in high esteem by most Americans in the 1970s.

When The Waltons was cancelled in 1981, Hamner began writing a new series for CBS, called Falcon Crest. One might say that it was the moral opposite of The Waltons. Set in contemporary times, Falcon Crest featured corrupt family members battling each other for control of a winery in northern California's Napa Valley. Greed, cruelty, deceit, backstabbing, and marital infidelity were among its major themes. Like The Waltons, Falcon Crest lasted for nine years.

Of course, television shows rise and fall for all sorts of reasons, but with the benefit of hindsight, one can see Hamner's two shows as indications of a certain transition in American culture. The wholesome Waltons family appealed to a generation that revered old-time values. The fact that The Waltons was supplanted by Falcon Crest(and similar shows, such as Dallas and Dynasty) were symbols of the erosion of traditional values and an increasing coarseness in American society. 

That coarseness has been on fully display in the current political season. Donald Trump has pioneered a new political style that is awash in vicious insults, wild threats, and crude vulgarities—yet he continues to maintain a significant base of support. And some would argue that the problem is more than just a matter of his distasteful style.

Recently, Trump's harsh manner, together with his suggestions that he would take extreme steps such as placing restrictions on the press, have prompted some critics to warn that a Trump presidency would move America in the direction of authoritarian rule.

Such fears may not give enough credit to the various legal and other safeguards that are in place to prevent any substantial changes to America's democratic system. Still, it would be foolhardy not to acknowledge that some of those safeguards could prove fragile if they are seriously tested.

The question of "Can It Happen Here?"—could Americans embrace totalitarianism—has long been the subject of heated discussion, in the Jewish community and beyond. A classic novel in this genre was the 1935 best-seller, It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis.

Written just two years after Adolf Hitler's rise to power, he book chronicles how a corrupt but charismatic politician, Buzz Windrip, rises to the presidency by appealing to nationalist sentiment and making pie-in-the-sky promises (such as giving every American a $5,000 government grant each year).

Aspects of Windrip's platform are somewhat similar to what one hears today from both Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. Once in power, Windrip crushes all dissenters and imposes totalitarian rule.

All of which brings us back to The Waltons, which was set in the same time period as Sinclair Lewis' novel. In one particularly memorable episode, the family's eldest son, John-Boy, hears on the radio about book-burnings in Nazi Germany. He exclaims, "Burning books is like burning people! Why would people do such craziness?"

A local clergyman then attempts to organize a public burning of Hitler's book, Mein Kampf, and other German-language books. But John-Boy forestalls the burning at the last moment when he points out that one of the books thrown into the pile to be ignited is a German edition of the Bible.

Leaving aside the question of whether burning Mein Kampf is the moral equivalent of the Nazis burning great works of art, literature, and science, the writers of that Waltons episode did raise a valid point about what can happen when a mob mentality takes over.

And Jews—probably more than anyone else—understand that the abandonment of civility, combined with social and economic anxiety and appeals to extreme nationalism, can be a lethal mix indeed.

Dr. Rafael Medoff is founding director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, and author of 16 books about Jewish history, Zionism, and the Holocaust.

For the original article, visit JNS.org.

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US Visa Website Fails to Mention Israel - Tsvi Sadan ISRAEL TODAY

US Visa Website Fails to Mention Israel

Monday, April 04, 2016 |  Tsvi Sadan  ISRAEL TODAY

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America

American blogger Elder of Ziyon has pointed out a disturbing "sensitivity" of the "official U.S. VISA information and appointment services." Of the countries listed on this government website, Cyprus does not have a flag and capital city. This is probably an indication of the United States' displeasure over the island's division between Turkey and Cyprus.

Since this website is divided into rubrics representing countries, the rubrics separating between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv means that they represent two countries, but which? Since Israel does not appear on this list of countries, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem appear as some kind of unidentified, exterritorial cities.

If the removal of Cyprus' flag is an indication of Washington's disapproval with Cyprus, what should one think of the reasons behind the removal of a country's flag and name? 

The exposure of Hilary Clinton's emails, among them some that contain disturbing anti-Israel positions (one was even toying with the idea of a covert operation against the Israeli government), gave us a glimpse into the White House's true feelings toward "America's best ally in the Middle East."

Clinton's feelings toward Netanyahu's government, unpleasant as they are, are but one indication of America's displeasure with Israel. It would be unrealistic to think that she or John Kerry approved this visa website. 

Rather, these were administration personnel who instructed the webpage designers to hide Israel. If this is the case, then the separation of Tel Aviv from Jerusalem points to the consistent American refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 

But how should we understand the removal of the country's name? Is this a sign of American displeasure with Israel's "occupation," or, as Elder of Ziyon suggested, is America, much like Europe, capitulating to Islam and accepting an attitude of "Western dhimmitude"? 

This may explain why Tel Aviv can be viewed by those in the State Department as just another occupied Palestinian city.

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Father Gabriel Naddaf: Christians Should Defend Israel Alongside Jews in IDF by JNS - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Father Gabriel Naddaf: Christians Should Defend Israel Alongside Jews in IDF

By JNS April 3, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“There are friends that one hath to his own hurt; but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 (The Israel Bible™)

Father Gabriel Naddaf addresses the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Texas Region gala on March 28 in Houston. (Photo: Alan Ross/JNS.org)

Father Gabriel Naddaf, who visited Houston to address the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Texas Region gala on March 28, is best known for his efforts to bolster Arab Christians’ integration into Israeli society through their voluntary enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). For Israeli Jews, by contrast, national service through the IDF or other avenues is mandatory.

Naddaf’s pro-IDF stance is often accosted by Israeli Arabs and Palestinians, so much so that the pastor’s son was physically assaulted for that reason in December 2013. Yet Father Naddaf has pushed on with his IDF recruitment efforts, and upon meeting him in person, it’s clear that he exudes Israeli pride. What language other than Hebrew, then, would have been appropriate for this interview?

When Naddaf co-founded the Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum in 2012, the average number of Arab Christians enlisting in the IDF was 35 per year. That number skyrocketed to 150 in 2013 and continues to increase annually, albeit at a slower pace year to year, Naddaf says.

“It’s still not that a high a number, but the numbers are rising slowly every year,” he says. “You have to understand that there is a lot of pressure against [IDF enlistment] inside of Arab society, from Muslims and also from Christians who were taught for years that they should stand with the Muslims, with the Arabs, and not with the State of Israel. It’s a long process, but it’s changing. More and more Christians are joining this historic movement. I tell the Christians, ‘At this time, you see what is happening in the Middle East. It is very important to stand with the State of Israel.’ This is the Christians’ home. The Christians should defend, along with the Jews and with the Druze and with the Bedouin, the State of Israel and the Holy Land. Their roots are from the Holy Land, so they have to be on [Israel’s] side.”

FIDF’s Houston gala – during which Naddaf spoke in English – raised more than $500,000 to support the wellbeing of Israeli soldiers. Naddaf’s FIDF-organized United States trip also included a stop in New York City.

Pictured at the March 28 Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Texas Region gala: (back, from left) IDF Brig. Gen. Muni Katz; IDF Lt. Col. David Sonego; FIDF National Director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir; Brig. Gen. (Res.) Gila Klifi-Amir; Father Gabriel Naddaf; and IDF Capt. Gil Aginsky; (front, from left) FIDF Texas Region Gala Dinner chairs Bennet and Robin Greenspan as well as Susan and Max Reichenthal; and FIDF Texas Region Executive Director Scott Kammerman. (Alan Ross)

“I’m coming [to America] and I’m meeting my brothers,” Naddaf tells JNS. “Both of them, the Jews and the Christians, they are my brothers and I hope that I will keep meeting my brothers.”

Scott Kammerman, the executive director of FIDF’s Texas Chapter, says he first met Naddaf – and was inspired to bring him to Houston – at a Christians United for Israel (CUFI) “Night to Honor Israel” program.

“I noticed this Greek Orthodox priest was getting up there, and when [CUFI founder] Pastor [John] Hagee was explaining [Naddaf’s] mission, how he encourages Arabic-speaking Christians to join the IDF, the entire congregation of Pentecostals and evangelicals, completely different Christian denominations, stood up and applauded,” Kammerman tells JNS.org. “I thought to myself, ‘This is so important.’ His mission, and not just his mission, but the mission of all pro-Israel Christians…as Jews, we need to embrace and thank those Christians who are standing side by side with us, yad b’yad (hand in hand).”

Naddaf describes the current state of global terrorism as a case of history repeating itself through a new cast of characters.

“Today’s terror has a cultural and religious background…it’s not a political conflict,” he told JNS. “It’s a religious conflict. For religion, people do believe that it’s worth it for them to die because they’ll receive good things in the world to come…and it’s not just me saying this. The killers are also saying this, that they’re going to kill ‘non-believers,’ so they’re talking about religion and culture.”

Despite the ongoing internal terrorism and regional terror threats Israel faces, the Jewish state is witnessing the parallel development of increasingly positive relations with Arab neighbors like Egypt, which in January stationed an ambassador in Israel for the first time in three years and shares Israel’s goal of defeating Islamist terrorism in Gaza as well as the Sinai Peninsula.

What does an Israeli-Arab Christian leader like Naddaf think about Israel’s ties with Arab states?

“It’s very important for Israel to have relationships with strong Arab leaders, like [Egyptian President Abdel Fattah] El-Sisi, who is behaving much better towards the Christians [than his predecessor, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi],” Naddaf says. “I am also hearing voices from other leaders in the Middle East who are looking to have better relations with Israel. It’s positive and important, but we have to understand that in the Middle East, there are always ups and downs—including downs when the extremists are taking the lead, like what’s happened with Iran. But every time there is a good leader and a strong leader that looks to cooperate with Israel, it’s very good. It’s also easier if those [Arab] states will become more democratic.”

Given the Islamic State terror group’s conquering of large swaths of Iraq and Syria, JNS asked Naddaf what he thinks Israel can do to help persecuted Mideast Christians. He responds that Israel “can help keep and save Christians in the Middle East in their own home and place.”

“It’s not good to take people out of their homes because of any situation,” he says. “[Christians] should stay in their homeland, and that’s where Israel can help. A Middle East without Christians will be less stable. Without Israel, Christianity around the world would be nothing, because the Christians in the Middle East and Israel are the source of Christianity. Israel and the Middle East, it is where Christianity began. If there are no Christians in the Middle East, then what’s the significance, for example, of Christians in China? It is like if there would be Jews in Germany and France, but not in Israel. Something would be missing.”

Book of Exodus Comes Alive as Photos Emerge of Blood-Red Nile By Abra Forman - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

A satellite photo taken of the Nile River, released on April 1, 2016. (European Space Agency)

Book of Exodus Comes Alive as Photos Emerge of Blood-Red Nile

By Abra Forman April 3, 2016 BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD–behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.” Exodus 7:17 (The Israel Bible™)

The Ten Plagues seemed to make a return over the weekend as photos emerged of the Nile River in Egypt looking just as the Book of Exodus described it thousands of years ago:

And the LORD said unto Moshe: ‘Say unto Aharon: Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’ And Moshe and Aharon did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. Exodus 7:19-20

The incredible image, taken by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) new Sentinel-3A satellite, was released on Friday to worldwide wonder and awe. The photo, which shows the Nile and surrounding desert areas of northern Africa, Egypt, and the Middle East, reveals a sight many faithful have imagined, but never seen: the Nile River turned from its normal blue to bright, blood-red.

The timing has special significance as the holiday of Passover, which celebrates Moses leading the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, is fast approaching. Jews all over the world will pay tribute to the Ten Plagues during the special Passover meal, reciting the names of each plague in Hebrew.

Blood, or “dam” in Hebrew, represents the first plague which God sent to punish the Egyptians after Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites from slavery. According to the Bible, all of the water in Egypt turned to blood, not just the Nile.

This time, there is a scientific explanation for the red color seen in the satellite photo: the river is rendered crimson by the vegetation surrounding the Nile, combined with the type of imaging used by the satellite. The satellite’s radiometer measures energy radiating from the Earth’s surface, and the heat emanating from the vegetation expresses in the infrared spectrum – resulting in the color red.

This type of data analysis helps scientists to better understand the state of vegetation, the ESA wrote on its website.

Along its orbit around the planet, the satellite will measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to document global climate dynamics, providing real-time information on ocean and weather forecasting, wildfires, vegetation patterns, and the depths of rivers and lakes.

While the image of the blood-red Nile is certainly startling to the Bible-minded eye, it seems in this case that the color change is not the result of a heavenly mandate but a man-made camera orbiting the heavens.

North Carolina Taxpayers May Get a Big Break - BOB ESCHLIMAN CHARISMA NEWS

North Carolina Taxpayers May Get a Big Break

4/1/2016 BOB ESCHLIMAN  charisma news

North Carolina taxpayers, facing a lawsuit challenging the state's new ban on transgender bathrooms, have a new ally on Friday. (Reuters photo)

After North Carolina Attorney General Ray Cooper, a Democrat, refused to defend his state's new law that requires transgendered people to use the bathroom of the sex that appears on their birth certificate, a top religious liberty law firm has stepped forward.

In a letter to the leaders of the state's legislature, Liberty Counsel offered to defend the state at no charge. The Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act was recently signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory, who is being challenged by Cooper in November.

The new law sparked a federal lawsuit from the North Carolina Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal on behalf of transgendered students and staff at various University of North Carolina campuses, as well as a lesbian law professor in the state. The letter emphasized the importance of the state legislature's role in establishing a uniform rule of law.

"I understand that the rule of law is critical to our survival as a people and a nation, and that the rule of law, and other cultural institutions are under attack," wrote Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. "For these reasons, I am offering Liberty Counsel's resources to the service of the people of North Carolina. Moreover, the North Carolina legislature is and ought to remain the authority over matters of statewide import, such as nondiscrimination law, and should be commended for its swift defense of its citizens' safety and privacy rights in public facilities."

He also noted Cooper's refusal to defend the new law could be grounds for impeachment.

Founded in 1989, Liberty Counsel is a non-profit, constitutional litigation firm with offices in Lynchburg, Va., Orlando, Fla., and Washington, D.C. Staver has personally argued religious liberty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

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