Wednesday, April 13, 2016

THE GIFT OF COMMUNITY - Morris E. Ruddick (SIGN)

SIGN

THE GIFT OF COMMUNITY
 
(c) Morris E. Ruddick
 

In a world where the perception is the reality, with terrorism and corruption poised to challenge honorable opportunity and the innocent, there is a need for safe places.
 
The issue is power and a culture designed to preserve the righteous. Since God has had a people, the struggle of the righteous was never designed as a retreat. Good and evil do not blend. While this conflict has often involved a remnant operating against overwhelming odds, the equalizer in the equation has been God. It is within this context that God has given His people a gift to help them not only to overcome, but to thrive. That gift is community.
 
In late 2004 there occurred a massive earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean that impacted the surrounding nations. The devastation was awful. Nothing was the same for those affected. Parts of Indonesia were in the direct path of the turbulent tsunami. What took place that never was reported by the media is a dramatic illustration of this amazing gift tied to God as the equalizer for communities of His people.
 
We've been talking about Jewish business secrets. We've noted that over the centuries at the crux of Jewish business success is the model. This is the model that began with the father of the Jewish people, Abraham. Abraham operated a God-centered, entrepreneurial community. God gives a variety of gifts to men. Among the most far-reaching of those gifts is the gift of community.
 
While Abraham's community was designed to be self-sustaining, it also evoked the respect of the more dominant societies around them. This community was a safe place. It is written that: "When they wandered from one nation to another, God rebuked kings for their sake, saying 'Do not touch my anointed ones and do my prophets no harm.'" Even Abraham's nephew Lot came under this protection after he had separated himself from the community, with Abraham mounting a rescue mission. It is likewise written that the powerful ruler Abimelich visited Abraham with the commander of his army to make a treaty.
 
The God-Centered Community Dynamic
The psalmist captures the substance and reality of this conflict, while spelling out the criteria for this gift of community to operate. This psalm begins by describing a people, who are wandering in the wilderness, aimless and vulnerable. Yet, when they cry out to God, the Lord first brings them together in community. The psalmist then notes that it is within community that the longing of their souls will be satisfied. So, the first step in this gift of community is the establishment of community.
 
Nevertheless, the psalmist is describing a progression that takes place that reflects the way that people bond together and respond to both God and those around them. These ancient writings then depict a point at which these people, who had been delivered from the dangers of their isolation and given the first step of forming a community, found themselves dealing with spiritual darkness and the shadow of death. They were bound up in the throes of what had resulted from them becoming self-satisfied and not only ignoring, but rebelling against God. When they finally came to their senses, they sorrowfully cried out to God who broke the bondages of their afflictions.
 
The establishment of this gift of community has a standard. That standard conforms to the righteous nature of the One who, as creator, made it possible. It reflects the principles given by Moses generations before that outlined the way that a community of God's people should live, work and prosper together.
 
Yet, once the community's standards began being adhered to, there came another hurdle. It involved those members of the community the psalmist refers to as fools. Fools generally are not those low on the IQ scale, but rather people who deceive and outsmart themselves. They are ones who compromise, transgress, who lived in deceit. Because they pollute the spiritual climate of a community, the spiritual attacks against the community manifest with physical afflictions. Some even die as a result.
 
Once again, when this community faced what was happening, they humbled themselves and cried out to the Lord. God's response was to send His word of healing and deliverance.
 
So, first the Lord establishes community. Then He sets up His standard by which the community operates. Then to ward off the spiritual infiltration of the dark side into the community, He brings about the supernatural with the wisdom needed to maintain not just the standard, but the spiritual balance intended when God's people live in community.
 
There is still another dimension. This particular passage of Jewish writings has been describing a fishing community. It involves those whose means to feed their families and build the community is in mastering the skills of the business of catching and selling fish. Yet, such things involve surmounting the challenges of their trade, as well as achieving the dominion over the elements in order to succeed. 
 
The story of this ancient community reveals at times the almost overwhelming challenge these fishermen had in subduing the sea in order to survive. It describes a storm they encountered at sea. It portrays a small boat mounting up on huge waves, then crashing down as the waves break. It depicts the instability and uncertainty of being on a small craft as they "reel to and fro and stagger like drunken men." I've been in small boats during storms at sea. It can be terrifying, even when you know what you're doing.
 
Yet, for those who know their God, crying out to Him, is the natural response when recognizing that we too often operate in situations that are beyond our control. So it was for these fishermen that they cried out to the Lord in their distress and He answered. He calmed the storm. Then they were able to return to their port with their catch of fish.
 
This segment of this passage deals with how God intervenes. God helps in controlling the elements, as the community perseveres to achieve sufficient domination to bring the necessary increase to feed and house the individuals and families of the community.
 
Each of these factors are a part of God's gift of community: establishing community; setting a righteous standard; reaching for the supernatural to ward off evil infiltrations; and providing the dominion necessary to subdue the elements in order to bring increase and blessing to the community.
 
The Story Behind the Indonesian Tsunami
This psalm illustrates the story behind the story of the Indonesian tsunami. This report represents a very apt example of this gift of God of community described by the psalmist. It illustrates the ancient struggle between good and evil, between righteous power and corrupt power that extends into our day. Having set the stage with his portrayal of how maturity in a community should operate, the psalmist goes on to describe the realities that take place in the setting surrounding the community.
 
It says that when wickedness manifests against God's people, that the Lord will turn rivers into wilderness and fruitful land into barrenness. Simultaneously He will turn wilderness into fertile lands for the sake of the righteous, so they may sow fields and plant vineyards and yield a fruitful harvest.
 
Yet, when God's people are unrighteously oppressed and afflicted, there comes a time when God pours out His wrath on the oppressors with a result that can be devastating. The result then separates the poor from their oppressors and stops the devouring path of iniquity. The context for what was happening on certain islands in Indonesia was a horrific persecution of Christians by local warlords. There were instances in which churches were boarded up while parishioners were in them and then set on fire, killing them all.
 
The brunt of the tsunami hit these very areas of persecution. Uniquely, in a series of reports, the believers were on high ground when the tsunami hit. Some were having picnics. Others were there because that is where they had settled. Our Indonesian brethren will tell you that everything changed, in terms of the persecution, after the tsunami. The move of God within Indonesia since that time has been one of the greatest of any nation on the planet. When those who are known by His Name come together in community a dimension is added, which attests to the way Jews have leveraged this gift of community over the centuries.
 
Community is a gift. Operated in the way God intended sets the stage for a safe place. This gift is also a commitment and a responsibility. With God at the center it is the group setting sharing a common purpose that nurtures the diversity of the individual gifts among its members. It is an assembly of God's people operating beyond the ordinary as they enable one another in their respective spheres. It is a light shining in the darkness.
 
Achievement Defying the Odds
A few years ago, we paid a visit to a community in Eastern Europe. This group of families had expressed an interest in our entrepreneurial program. What we encountered was not only more than what we expected, it was amazing. What we found were brethren who had come together with a common purpose a little over a decade prior. That purpose was to start the first private Christian school in their nation.
 
As a former Eastern Bloc nation, their national school system bearing the approval authority for this venture was comprised largely of former totalitarian adherents, who for the most part, had little use for people of faith. So it was, when this small community came together with the avowed purpose of starting the first faith-based private school in their nation, even their friends told them not to waste their time, as such a thing would be impossible.
 
Nevertheless, they were convinced they had heard from God. They were people who prayed together. So they prayerfully and meticulously put their plan together. They did their homework and among their group were people with experience in private education. They then submitted their application. It was disapproved.
 
They reviewed and improved their plan. They prayed even more and consulted with people who understood the realities of what they were doing. Again, they made application simply for a private, faith-based kindergarten. This application was also disapproved as was the third and fourth applications.
 
Jesus told a parable about a judge who almost never ruled righteously, whose life was a reflection of wrong values. He was swayed only by the wrong kind of people. Then there came a woman who simply refused to give up. Despite this judge refusing her requests, she came back to him again and again with her petition until this judge, in exasperation, finally relented to give her what she wanted, as her continual requests were driving him crazy.
 
So it was with our friends in this Eastern Bloc country. Their fifth application was approved.
 
They put together a program with the best teachers. They found a building in a good neighborhood in a central part of their city. The national education system of their country was as a whole substandard. So it wasn't long until this community of believers running this kindergarten was achieving an excellence that far exceeded the government-run schools. Their reputation became widely known. Even people of other faiths and non-believers wanted to send their children to this school. The demand was so great, there was a waiting list. The children loved attending this school and told their friends about it. The program they offered reflected excellence and the students did well in the next grades.
 
In just a few years, the school had their own building. Then those running the school began preparing an application to open the first faith-based private primary school. It was approved and almost immediately they had a waiting list of community members who wanted their children to attend. Word had gotten around and people of all faiths were sending their children to this faith-based program because of its excellence.
 
Twelve years after first opening their private kindergarten Carol and I visited them. They had just gotten approval to open a new private secondary school. They now owned the three buildings housing the kindergarten, the primary school and the secondary school. The respect and influence they had came from every sector of the city and its leadership.
 
Additionally, one year prior to our visit, with profits from running their school, this group of brethren in this Eastern Block nation had purchased and began successfully operating a mobile phone franchise. Between their private schools and the franchise they had 65 employees, which amazingly was almost the size of their small community which had banded together and employed this gift of community through God to do something meaningful for their city.
 
The Dynamic that Overcomes
This community is an excellent example of how God's gift of community is designed to operate. God is at the center with people of prayer who have made Him their Senior Partner. This gift of community is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, which has the potential to grow into a tree. It is like the yeast which a woman kneads into dough, producing something that grows into a whole lot more than at the start. It reflects both the standard and the supernatural operating in the fishing community we previously spoke of that were described by the psalmist. It reflects the model operated by the father of the Jews, Abraham. It is a community that is God-centered and entrepreneurial.
 
We've been taking a closer look at and unveiling the dynamics incorporated in Jewish business secrets. In this illustration from this Eastern Bloc Christian community we can recognize some very specific factors that combined to overcome the adversities and bring them success. What transpired with the establishment of their school reflects the spiritual authority to overcome which was evident in the psalmist's fishing community.
 
These combined factors are drawn from the source and foundation of the Christian faith, which is Judaism. The steps these Eastern Bloc brethren took involved some very Jewish mind-sets. With close associations with Israel, this group of believers understood the roots to their faith. The standard for success from a Jewish perspective involves a different way of thinking. This different way of thinking will map out a sometimes unexpected path and set of priorities. It is a way of thinking engrained in the Jewish culture and an important part of our discussion of Jewish business secrets.
 
Achievement from a Jewish perspective involves dominion and faith. It is written that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is a two-fold response. It is our response to who He is, but also what He instructs in terms of our pathway in life. It will progressively involve the bridging of reality in the natural with the reality in the spiritual.
 
Abraham's response to what God revealed to him is the foundation of what made him the father of the Jewish people. He considered that which was not as though it were, because God had told him. Faith is when we bridge the seen and unseen worlds, through God and become participators in the creative process God intends for our destinies.
 
Operating with faith in this way entails an authority that can only come from God. We have shared the story of Joseph in a previous session. Joseph operated with a remarkable spiritual authority that changed the spiritual climate in each setting in which he worked in Egypt. Not only did it change the spiritual climate, but it reshaped the future and destiny for not only Joseph, but for Egypt and the destiny of Joseph's family.
 
The spiritual authority it employed resulted in what scripture refers to as dominion. We'll be talking more about dominion in a future session, but for now, let me illustrate with contrasting examples
 
There is a dominion based on being conquered. Historically for centuries, Japan has been a conquering nation. Following the outcome of WWII, the Harvard Business Review had articles concluding that the amazing post-WWII economic recovery of Japan was culturally the result of this conquering spirit being redirected toward the economic arena.
 
This view doesn't negate the many positive contributions technologically and economically that have resulted around the globe due to the indomitable spirit of the Japanese. What is pertinent is the openness to competition. Some Asian nations operate big businesses through economic advantages based on largely nationalized economies. Dr. Fukuyama describes this dynamic in his book "Trust, Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity." The government advantage is one that in civil standards represents the form of dominion achieved by means of, if not a conquering, then at least a controlling spirit. 

However, the God-advantaged form of dominion operates by means of trust.
 
This benevolent form of dominion is engrained in the Jewish outlook on life. Dominion in scripture is the use of God's authority in a fashion reflecting greater freedom and trust, an authority given by God for the ultimate good of a community and society. The example of Joseph reflects how when Joseph was but a slave, he had great influence, but a trusted influence because of the recognition of the mantle he bore to be blessed to be a blessing.
 
I've previously mentioned the issue of power and a nurturing culture designed as a safe place. A society that encourages private ownership is a very Jewish concept. Trust societies began with the Jews. Trust societies foster a middle class.
 
Free enterprise does not have its origins in the West, but rather with the Jews. It is written that one will put a thousand to flight and two ten thousand. Moses wrote that God's people would be the head and not the tail, that they would be above all the other societies of the earth. This gives insight into the disproportionate achievement of Jews being awarded 27 percent of the Nobel prizes since 1950, despite being only one-quarter of one percent of the world's population.
 
We've been talking about Jewish business secrets, the factors that for centuries have made Jews to be known as the people of business. Dr. Fukuyama points to the cultural foundations of enduring economies. The Jews have long understood this, defying the odds as a culture within the cultures of which they have been a part. They have embraced this gift of community not only for their own benefit, but as a means by which they have become a blessing to those around them. We're going to be talking more about community in this series, specifically about community strategies and secrets that have been employed to aid Jews in being successful in business over the ages. We're also going to be talking about an important dynamic at the core of our entrepreneurial program, which we refer to as community-building. However, in our next session, we will discuss still another important aspect engrained in Jewish thinking: stewardship.
___________________________________________________
 
Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the higher dimensions of business leadership since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation and designer of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program, Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and equips economic community builders to be blessed to be a blessing where God's light is dim in diverse regions around the globe.
 
He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" "Leadership by Anointing;" and "Mantle of Fire," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders with destinies to impact their communities. They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.comwww.apple.com/ibooks andwww.BarnesandNoble.com.
 
Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled by the generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors whose vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize economic community builders imparting influence and the blessings of God. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card at http://strategicintercession.org/support/
 
Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your group's gathering on the Joseph-Daniel Calling or on anointing the creative in business.
 
2016 Copyright Morris Ruddick -- sign@strategicintercession.org
 
Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN adviser. Since early 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check:http://www.strategicintercession.org
 
Morris Ruddick
Global Initiatives Foundation
www.strategic-initiatives.org
www.strategicintercession.org

Global Initiatives is a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization
Global Initiatives Foundation, PO Box 370291, Denver, CO 80237

Anti-Israel Activists Protest Ben & Jerry's...Then Eat Their Ice Cream - Israel Today Staff

Anti-Israel Activists Protest Ben & Jerry's...Then Eat Their Ice Cream

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 |  Israel Today Staff
You can’t make this stuff up.
A group of activists with the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in America on Tuesday protested outside a local branch of Ben & Jerry’s over the fact that the company’s franchise in Israel has commercial contacts with “Jewish settlements.”
Was it mere coincidence that activists chose Ben & Jerry’s annual “Free Cone Day” to hold their demonstration?
Because despite the fact they want everyone else to boycott Ben & Jerry’s over its business ties with the Jewish state, the protesters themselves apparently had no problem accepting and devouring free “Israel-tainted” ice cream cones.
Their indiscretion was captured on camera by a counter-protestor associated with the pro-Israel organization Stand With Us.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Israel Supporters Meet to Counter BDS Movement, Free Speech Threats - CBN News John Waage


Israel Supporters Meet to Counter BDS Movement, Free Speech Threats
04-12-2016
CBN News John Waage

LOS ANGELES – Israel's enemies number in the millions worldwide, but not all of them carry guns or wear suicide vests. Israel also faces an economic and cultural war, and the battlefield is on college and university campuses, courts and even churches.
The BDS movement, which stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, seeks to achieve by economic and cultural attack what Israel's adversaries have failed to achieve in military battle: a defeat of the Jewish state.
Last week, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat tried to speak to a group of students at San Francisco State University. But protesters at the gathering began to shout "Free Palestine" and other slogans until the mayor could not be heard. It's the latest of many incidents on university grounds in the U.S. and elsewhere in which the free speech rights of Israelis and others have been trampled by demonstrators.
To counter the growing reach of the BDS movement, a group of Israel's defenders came this week to a StandWithUs conference in downtown Los Angeles. The participants hope to fight the deluge of anti-Israel hostility at academic institutions, on social media and in the global economy.

Shir, an Israeli student from Tel Aviv University, told CBN News of her experience of being shouted down when she went to speak at a university in Tampa, Florida. Anti-Israel demonstrators called her a war criminal.
"They waited outside the class, and we had to have a police escort to our cars because they kept following us and calling us names," she recalled. "They yelled, 'How can you sleep at night' and 'You are a murderer!'"
Alon, a former Israeli soldier who has lived and studied in Latin America, described how he has been bombarded from friends abroad asking pointed questions about Israel on social media. Their questions usually reflect no understanding of the true situation in the Middle East.

Alon also was severely harassed on a U.S. campus. He said protesters were "standing up, screaming, not even having an open discussion; just throwing up comments in the air without any open dialogue."
"You can see I'm standing here," Alon exclaimed at the Los Angeles conference. "I'm a civilized human being. I'm not a war machine."
San Diego attorney Micha Danzig does pro-bono work for people threatened by the BDS movement and he is an advisor to StandWithUs. He's angered that the freest society in the Middle East, Israel, is singled out for harsh sanctions with the help of serial human rights abusers in the rest of the world, including China, North Korea, Cuba and a number of Arab regimes in Israel's neighborhood.
"It's freedom of speech for me, but not for thee, and that is what is the mantra of the BDS supporters on campuses," Danzig said. He acknowledged that, like the U.S., Israel is not perfect, but maintained that it is just and good.
"When you're saying that the one Jewish state is so deserving of this (economic and cultural attack), then you uniquely attribute all this evil to one Jewish state," Danzig explained.
"That can't help but spill over to Jews on campus," he continued. "It can't help but spill over to Jewish businesses, to people who are supportive of Israel, to Zionists, non-Jewish Zionists, Christian Zionists who support Israel. They become the focus of this vitriol and hate – not just Israel."
Several mainline Protestant churches are involved in the BDS economic war on Israel. The push began in the United Nations, targeting Israel for divestment in the same way churches targeted apartheid South Africa in the 1980s.
StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein told CBN News many church leaders have bought into a campaign of disinformation and a pro-Palestinian narrative that distorts the true picture in the Middle East, often without the knowledge of their parishioners.
"Often times, it's not the people in the pews that are angry at Israel. It's the people in leadership positions that are moving in this direction and on false information and half-truths," Rothstein said. She also expressed gratitude for the millions of Christians who do support Israel.  
"I'm a daughter of Holocaust survivors and I'm personally grateful to the community for standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel and the Jewish people on these very difficult issues during these BDS campaigns," she said.
In the meantime, more than a dozen state legislatures are considering or have passed laws and resolutions that would restrict various types of business and other participation in the BDS movement, and more action is expected as lawmakers come to terms with the impact on the movement on one of America's closest allies.

The Nation-Shaking Prophetic Download I Got at Azusa Now - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA NEWS

Dutch Sheets and Lou Engle pray during Azusa Now

The Nation-Shaking Prophetic Download I Got at Azusa Now





Dutch Sheets and Lou Engle pray during Azusa Now. (Facebook/Dutch Sheets)
Watchman on the Wall, with Jennifer LeClaire

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

The winds blew and the rains fell on TheCall Aszua Now, but that didn't stop tens of thousands of people from weathering the storms at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the same venue where Billy Graham preached the gospel to over 134,000 in 1963. 
If anything, the adversity intensified the determination of the masses to cry out to God in what became for 15 hours an outdoor house of prayer in the heart of California. 
"William Seymour, the catalyst of that great revival, prophesied in 1913 that in roughly 100 years another revival far eclipsing Azusa would come," says Lou Engle, founder of TheCall. "The fulfillment of Seymour's word is overdue ... or right on schedule. Let us therefore "pray for the rain in the time of the latter rain." Who knows? Maybe like those who were baptized in the Spirit in the original Acts 2 upper room, we will say, "This is that which was spoken by William Seymour the prophet!" 
Of course, Seymour wasn't there and Graham wasn't there, but Christ for All Nations' Daniel Kolenda preached the gospel and, instead of George Beverly Shay, a new breed of worshippers—including Bethel Live, Eddie James and Roy Fields—lifted up praises to Jesus. Although the final count isn't in and the stadium wasn't full because of the miracle rain that drenched a city in drought, some say there were between 60,000 and 75,000 people at this historic event that aligned with the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street outpouring. 
Cindy Jacobs, co-founder of Generals International, released a prophesy that caused a roar from the stadium stands: "This is that which the prophets foretold. I'm getting ready to open up the greatest generation of young evangelists the world has ever known." 
Dutch Sheets, the founder of the Appeal to Heaven Movement, took the stage to tell the world—multiplied thousands were watching the live stream on GodTV—that God is not done with America. He told the story of how God revealed a new strategy for prayer that is sweeping the nation. "Today's 15-hour gathering to worship and pray was epic. Lot of great moments from Asuza Now gathering in Los Angeles." 
JOIN JENNIFER ON FACEBOOK FOR SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CLICK HERE
Indeed, social media were ablaze with the #azusanow hashtag as praying believers found inspiration in gathering together to literally act out 2 Chronicles 7:14.  
Sean Fuecht, founder of the 24/7 Burn movement, insists "history cannot ignore this sound." 
"The course of my life was changed at 16 while lying face down, weeping in the grace on the Mall in D.C. during the first Call gathering. I've joined with many others in this dramatic storyline ever since," he says. "A movement was born in my heart that day. I believe the same happened for countless thousands ... on the 110-year anniversary of Azusa. Let it begin." 
Jeff Jansen, founder of Global Fire Ministries, says he believes Azusa Now was one of the most significant events of the past few decades.
"As we were driving on Interstate 5 to the Azusa Now event on April 9, I saw a large, gold angel standing over LA," Jansen says. "The Lord said, 'Just as the 1849 gold rush drew people to California ... So 4/9 2016 will mark a new gold rush of divine proportion that will once again draw the nations into revival." 
Joshua Mills, a recording artist, author and revivalist, says he witnessed the ignition of a worldwide move of God. "I saw healing miracles happening and lives being changed by simply the hand of God resting on entire groups of people," Mills says. "I believe Azusa Now was the beginning, and now it will continue to unfold for those who were touched by that moment of glory." 
So where do we go from here? I'm declaring right now that awakening is here, and it's coming. Azusa Now wasn't the only prayer event on April 9. United Cry gathered 30,000 pastors in Washington, D.C. There was an Azusa event in Houston and thousands of people watching, praying and agreeing in churches, prayer rooms and homes across America. Reset America will gather tens of thousands on the Mall in D.C. to cry out to God again. 
I believe April 9 was a day of demarcation in America. It was a show of desperation and unity in the church. Prophetically, it was a shot heard around the world. Will we immediately see the impact of this historic, or as many are calling it, "epic" event? Probably not, but something shifted in the spirit in the City of Angels on Saturday. If you could pull back the curtain on the realm of the spirit, I believe you would have seen an intensified war in the heavens—and we're winning that war. 
On April 21, 2007, the Lord woke me up at midnight, and I sensed Him offering this prophetic word: 
There is a great awakening coming to this nation. For I have heard your cries, and I long to heal your land. I am a covenant God, and I will not forget the covenant I made with your Founding Forefathers. Yes, there will be a shaking, but the foundations will not crack, and they will not crumble. Only those things which can be shaken will be shaken that the sin in the land may be laid bare. 
Repentance. I require repentance from My people who have through the generations allowed the enemy to take ground in this nation. I require repentance for the abortions and for the prayerlessness. I require repentance for the apathy and for the idolatry. You shall have no other gods before me. I am indeed the God of America. 
Yes, there is a great awakening coming to this nation. I am the Author of it and I will bring it to pass. Just turn from your wicked ways and humble yourselves. Stand in the gap and make up the hedge. I am the Lord and I am a Warrior. I will not leave or forsake this country. I will fight through you and with you to regain what has been lost. 
Be encouraged now, because as you go forth boldly with My Word and My Spirit, there will be the sound of truth and it will prevail in the land. Speak boldly and clearly and watch as the mighty men arise to take their positions on the wall and in the churches and in the marketplaces. For I am raising up deliverers and reformers in this generation who will not shrink back at the challenge that is coming in the days ahead. 
Yes, it will grow darker before My light shines brightly from this nation again. But the light has not been extinguished and will not be extinguished. The time to rise up is now. I am calling you to war. I am calling you to repentance. I am calling you to My side. I am the captain of the hosts. I am calling you to victory. I am calling you to destiny. Will you answer? 
On April 9, I believe we answered. And I believe we are standing at the door of transforming revival in America.
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 GodThe 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.
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.
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Israel Striking Down Against Hezbollah Threat, Netanyahu Reveals By Michael Bachner - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Illustrative: an Israeli F-16C Fighting Falcon. (Photo: Ofer Zidon/Flash90)
Illustrative: an Israeli F-16C Fighting Falcon. (Photo: Ofer Zidon/Flash90)

Israel Striking Down Against Hezbollah Threat, Netanyahu Reveals

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their due reward from Me, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 54:17 (The Israel Bible™)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time that Israel has conducted dozens of strikes abroad in order to prevent weapons from being transferred to the Hezbollah terror organization. The remarks came during a tour of a military drill near the Syrian border on Monday, April 11.
Netanyahu’s statement officially confirm previous reports attributing to Israel multiple airstrikes against targets in Syria and Sudan. The airstrikes, for which the Israeli government has officially declined to confirm or deny its involvement, reportedly hit military convoys in Syria carrying advanced surface-to-air missiles intended for Hezbollah, a terror group based in Lebanon that fought a war with Israel in 2006.
“We act when needed, including here across the border, with dozens of strikes in order to deny game-changing weapons from Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said. “We also act in other fronts, both near and far, but we do this sensibly.”
The Prime Minister was visiting the Golan Heights just across from the Syrian border, where reservists of the IDF Paratroopers Brigade are currently undergoing a military drill. Netanyahu spoke about the military challenges and threats faced by Israel.
Support the IDF Today
“We have the Islamic State (ISIS) and Hezbollah across the borders, we have Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and we have global jihad and Islamic State members in the Sinai,” he said. “We are proud that in the midst of all this turmoil in the Middle East, we have succeeded in preserving relative calm and security in Israel.”
“We can see nations and states being eradicated in the surrounding chaos, and we cannot expect anyone to come and help us,” added Netanyahu. “If we have learned something, it is that we have to be able to defend ourselves on our own. This is our country, we need to defend it and nobody will defend it except us.”
An airstrike in Damascus killed multiple Hezbollah militants last December, including Samir Kuntar, a terrorist who brutally murdered a 4-year-old Israeli child and her father in 1979 but was eventually freed from an Israeli prison in a prisoner swap deal. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the assassination, a charge the Israeli government neither confirmed nor denied.
While serving as opposition leader in 2007, Netanyahu told an Israeli journalist that he had “personally” congratulated then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for having bombed a Syrian nuclear reactor, a strike which the government refused to confirm. The remarks stirred controversy as sources close to Olmert criticized Netanyahu’s “slip of the tongue.”

Accidental Discovery Reveals Israel Was World Center of Ancient Glass Trade By Tazpit Press Service - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Ancient glass kilns were discovered in Israel's Mount Carmel region, demonstrating the centrality of Israel in the global glass trade many centuries ago. (Photo: Shmuel Magal/Israel Antiquities Authority)
Ancient glass kilns were discovered in Israel’s Mount Carmel region, demonstrating the centrality of Israel in the global glass trade many centuries ago. (Photo: Shmuel Magal/Israel Antiquities Authority)

Accidental Discovery Reveals Israel Was World Center of Ancient Glass Trade

“Gold and glass cannot equal it; neither shall the exchange thereof be vessels of fine gold.” Job 28:17 (The Israel Bible™)
A first-of-its-kind accidental discovery of ancient glass kilns at the foot of Mt. Carmel demonstrates that Israel was at the center of the global glass trade during the late Roman period, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Monday, April 11.
The extraordinary kilns, which are approximately 1,600 years old, are “the earliest found in Israel and the missing link for the production and export of glass,” Yael Gorin-Rosen, head curator of the Israel Antiquities Authority Glass Department, told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).
The kilns were discovered by chance last summer during construction of a new railway line to the northern city of Haifa, when the on-site archaeologist, Abdel Al-Salam Sa’id, noticed peculiar shards of glass and ash. Sa’id immediately halted the construction and called Gorin-Rosen, who quickly arrived at the scene.
Stunned, she uttered a simple “Wow,” Gorin-Rosen recalled to TPS. “I was very, very excited.”
“The Valley of Acre was renowned for the excellent quality of sand located there, which was highly suitable for the manufacturing of glass” she explained. This glass traveled the ancient world, Gorin-Rosen said, noting that vessels made in Israel were “discovered at sites in Europe and in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean basin.”
Experience David's Ancient City
“Now, for the first time, the kilns have been found where the raw material was manufactured,” Gorin-Rosen said.
“This is a sensational discovery,” said Professor Ian Freestone of the University College London, a specialist in the chemical composition of glass who came to Israel to inspect the new find. “It is of great significance for understanding the entire system of the glass trade in antiquity. This is evidence that Israel constituted a production center on an international scale.”
The newly discovered kilns contain two compartments, a firebox and a melting chamber, where clean beach sand and salt were inserted and melted together at a temperature of about 1,200 degrees Celsius (or 2,000 Fahrenheit). This produced enormous chunks of glass, some weighing as much as ten tons.
An edict issued by the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century CE, refers to two kinds of glass: Judean and Alexandrian. The Judean glass, originating from Israel, was a light green color and less expensive than its contemporary Egyptian, Alexandrian counterpart.
Cameron Pearl contributed to this article.

Noah’s Ark Has Been Found. Why Are They Keeping Us In The Dark? - MYSTERIOUS EARTH

145114188041629[1]Noah’s Ark Has Been Found. Why Are They Keeping Us In The Dark? 

MYSTERIOUS EARTH  04.11.16 

I’m often amazed at our lack of knowledge about history. Ordinary people are hungry for this information, yet the organizations responsible to disseminate these facts seem to have an agenda to keep us in the dark. This is especially true when it comes to our ancient human history.
I won’t hold you in suspense with this article: The Ark of Noah has been found. It’s real. I’ll describe the evidence in some detail and end with the historical and religious implications.
How It Was Discovered
In 1959, Turkish army captain Llhan Durupinar discovered an unusual shape while examining aerial photographs of his country. The smooth shape, larger than a football field, stood out from the rough and rocky terrain at an altitude of 6,300 feet near the Turkish border with Iran.
Capt. Durupinar was familiar with the biblical accounts of the Ark and its association with Mount Ararat in Turkey, but he was reluctant to jump to any conclusions. The region was very remote, yet it was inhabited with small villages. No previous reports of an object this odd had been made before. So he forwarded the photographic negative to a famous aerial photography expert named Dr. Brandenburger, at Ohio State University.
Brandenburger was responsible for discovering the Cuban missile bases during the Kennedy era from reconnaissance photos, and after carefully studying the photo, he concluded: “I have no doubt at all, that this object is a ship. In my entire career, I have never seen an object like this on a stereo photo.”
In 1960 the picture [above] was published in LIFE magazine under the heading of Noahs Ark? That same year a group of Americans accompanied Capt. Durupinar to the site for a day and a half. They were expecting to find artifacts on the surface or something that would be unquestionably related to a ship of some kind. They did some digging in the area but found nothing conclusive and announced to the anxiously waiting world that it appeared to be a natural formation.
Most of the global media turned away from the find and it became a non-story.
In 1977 Ron Wyatt visited the site. Obtaining official permission, Ron and others conducted more thorough research over a period of several years. They used metal detection surveys, subsurface radar scans, and chemical analysis — real science — and their findings were startling. The evidence was undeniable. This was the Ark of Noah.
The Visual Evidence
The first part of the survey was to examine the object and take its measurements. The shape looked like hull of a ship. One end was pointed as you would expect from bow [below: D] and the opposite end was blunt like a stern. The distance from bow to stern was 515 feet, or exactly 300 Egyptian cubits. The average width was 50 cubits. These were the exact measurements mentioned in the Bible.
On the starboard side (right) near the stern there were four vertical bulges protruding from the mud [B], at regular intervals, that were determined to be the “ribs” of the hull [see below]. Opposite to these, on the port side, a single rib [A] protrudes from the mud. You can see its curved shape very clearly. Surrounding it are more ribs, still largely buried in the mud, but visible upon close examination.
Remember that this object, if it is the Ark, is extremely old. The wood has been petrified. Organic matter has been replaced by minerals from the earth. Only the shapes and traces of the original wood remain. Perhaps this is why the expedition in 1960 was disappointed. They anticipated finding and retrieving chucks of wood, long since eroded.
From the position of the object in the middle of an obvious mud flow, it is obvious that the object slid down more than a mile from its original location. Geologists believe it was originally over 1000 feet higher in the mountain and encased in a shell of hardened mud. They think that an earthquake in 1948 cracked the mud shell and revealed the structure. This is confirmed by stories from the surrounding villagers who tell of its “sudden appearance” around that time.
Biblical accounts of the Ark describe it as having as many as six levels. The assumed shape of the Ark seems consistent with the bulge [C] in the middle of the object. In fact, as we will soon learn, radar scans of the structure suggest that this bulge is the collapsed debris of these levels.
Although most people think of the Ark as being rectangular, that only applies to the top decks. The sleek shape of the hull is necessary to enable the huge ship to remain stable in the water and survive tremendous waves.
Ground Penetrating Radar
The human eye needs to see reflected light to recognize an object. To visualize what remains below the earth, scientists use microwaves which can penetrate the ground and bounce back when they hit something solid. This technique is commonly used to locate oil and other minerals. Called Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), the apparatus us made from an antenna that transmits, then listens to receive the “echo” and prints the result on a piece of paper. The delay and strength of this echo tell the geologists how solid and at what depth the objects are under the earth
The team of geologists didn’t scan the entire object. Instead, they marked out lines that crossed the object with yellow tape. Then they dragged the antenna (about the size of a lawnmower) over the lines and watched the output on the paper recorder. When they got a strong “hit” — meaning there was something solid underneath — they would record the position on the tape [above]. Later, when they made a map of the object, the tape and the location of the “hits” they realized that there was indeed a structure underneath the mud.
“This data does not represent natural geology. These are man made structures. These reflections are appearing too periodic… too periodic to be random in that type of natural pace.” – Ron Wyatt of SIR Imaging team
The radar cans revealed this structure [above] under the mud. The symmetry and logical placement of these objects shows that this is unmistakably a man made structure, most likely the Ark of Noah.
Artifacts Retrieved From The Ark
Using the GPR, Ron Wyatt discovered an open cavity on the starboard side. He used an improvised drill to make core sample inside this cavity and retrieved several very interesting objects. Below you can see the artifacts which were sent for laboratory analysis. On the left is the bore hole [see below], followed by what turned out to be petrified animal dung, then a petrified antler and lastly a piece of cat hair.
Perhaps the most significant find from the Ark itself is a piece of petrified wood. When this was first found it appeared to be a large beam. But upon closer examination it is actually three pieces of plank that have been laminated together with some kind of organic glue! This is the same technology used in modern plywood. Lamination makes the total strength of the wood much greater than the combined strength of the pieces. This suggests a knowledge of construction far beyond anything we knew existed in the ancient world.
Examination reveals the glue oozed from the layers. The outside of the wood appears to have been coated with bitumen.
Even more surprising were laboratory analyses which not only revealed that the petrified wood contained carbon (proving it was once wood) but there were iron nails [above right] embedded in the wood!
We like to imagine that humanity evolved in a neat sequence of eras, each named after the technology that was discovered. We have the Stone Age (where man developed arrows and stone tools), the Bronze Age (where metals were combined and heated to make tools and household items) and lastly the Iron Age (where iron and steel objects were made by heating iron ore and adding other material — like charcoal — to strengthen it). The Iron Age is usually placed at 1200-1000 BC, yet we have iron nails being used in this extremely old construction.
But Wait… There’s More!
The most surprising find was discovered with sensitive metal detectors. The team located several strong “hits” that, when dug up, revealed large disc shaped rivets. From simple observation of the metal it was possible to see where the rivet had been hammered after being inserted through a hole [below].
If rivets being used in ancient construction doesn’t impress you, this surely will.
An analysis of the metal used to make the rivets revealed that they were a combination of iron (8.38%), aluminum (8.35%) and titanium (1.59%). Remember these trace metals have survived petrification and so do not indicate the exact content in the original material. (see Report from Galbraith Labs)
We know the aluminum was incorporated in the metallic mixture because it does not exist in metallic form in nature. This implies an extremely advanced knowledge of metallurgy and engineering. Characteristics of an iron-aluminum alloy have been investigated in The Russian Chemical Bulletin (2005) and reveal that this alloy forms a thin film of aluminum oxide which protects the material from rust and corrosion. The addition of titanium would provide added strength. This seems to have worked. The rivets have survived from antiquity!
The Surrounding Areas
Several miles from the location of the Ark, huge stones were discovered, some standing upright while others lying on the ground. These stones, weighing many tons, have holes carved in them. Scientists have determined that they were anchors and the holes would have been their attachment to a ship with hemp rope.
Often these stones will have crosses carved in them, from centuries ago when pilgrims made the journey to visit the Ark. Yes, the Ark was well known in the Middle Ages and even before. And its location was recorded in many historical documents.
“And the Ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.” – Genesis 8:4-5
The Gilgamesh Epic (650 BC) gives Mt. Nisir as the landing place of the Ark. The local name for the town where the Ark was found is Nasar.
The annals of Ashurnasurpal II of Assyria (833-859 BC) places it south of the Zab river (correct).
Theophilus of Antioch (115-185 AD) said the Ark could be seen in his day in the Arabian mountains. Later Church Fathers also mention the Ark as late as the mid 7th century.
In the 13th century, Willam, a traveler, stated for the first time that Mt. Masis was the Ark location (present-day Mt. Ararat).
Ptolemy’s Geographia (1548) mentions the mountains of Armenia as the place of landing. So does the traveler Nicolas de Nicolay (1558).
Pilgrims to the site would gather bits and pieces of the petrified wood which would be used as charms to ward off evil. When they encountered the anchors, they had no doubt about their association with the Ark. They often carved one big cross to represent Noah and smaller crosses representing his family.
The huge anchors would have been suspended from the keel of the ship. This was a common practice among ancient mariners to stabilize a heavy ship and ensure that the bow is always facing the on-coming waves. A “top heavy” ship, such as the Ark, could easily be capsized by a wave approaching from the side. This is yet further proof that Noah’s Ark was a reality and that it has indeed been found in Turkey.

Jonathan Cahn - The Aftermath of Alul 2015 - The Jim Bakker Show


Watch here: Jonathan Cahn - The Aftermath of Alul 2015 The Jim Bakker Show

Jim & Lori Bakker



Dino Kartsonakis, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn

Jim Bakker Show 2016 | Show# 2973 | Aired on April 12, 2016
Jim Bakker Show © 2016 • Morningside Studios

Home » Video Archives » The Aftermath of Elul 2015