Thursday, July 21, 2016

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: Who is Fethullah Gulen, and was he the mastermind behind the failed Turkish coup?

FethullahGulen


Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Who is Fethullah Gulen, and was he the mastermind behind the failed Turkish coup? (Erdogan wants to put Gulen in prison & has arrested, fired or suspended 60,000 Turks believed to be Gulen’s supporters. Here’s the latest.)

by joelcrosenberg
Who is Fethullah Gulen, and why is the leader of Turkey on a rampage to arrest him and tens of thousands of his followers?
Gulen, now 75, is a Turkish citizen, an Islamic cleric, and a long-time rival of Turkish President Recip Erdogan. He is currently living in exile in Pennsylvania.
In 2013, Time magazine named him one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People." Describing him "the most potent advocate of moderation in the Muslim world," Time said Gulen “preaches a message of tolerance that has won him admirers around the world.”
Others describe Gulen as a "cult leader."
Erdogan says Gulen is the "mastermind" behind last Friday's coup attempt. He is demanding the U.S. government extradite Gulen back to Turkey immediately.
Gulen strongly opposes Erdogan, but denies any involvement in last week's violence and political intrigue.
Gulen "went into self-imposed exile when he moved from Turkey to the United States in 1999 and settled in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania," reports CNN.
Gulen leads a movement called "Hizmet," described by the New York Times as "a moderate, pro-Western brand of Sunni Islam that appeals to many well-educated and professional Turks."
Followers of the movement -- which number in the millions -- are called "Gulenists." Some reports suggest that upwards of 10% of the Turkish population of 80 million support Gulen and Hizmet, reports the UK Guardian newspaper.
Was Gulen truly the man behind the plot to bring Erdogan down? That remains to be seen. But it is an interesting question.
Unable -- so far -- to persuade the Obama administration to arrest and deport Gulen, Erdogan and his regime are conducting a massive purge of Turkish society.
In less than a week, they have has arrested, fired or suspended nearly 60,000 citizens this week for being part of what Erdogan calls a "cancer virus" of opposition to his rule that he says must be eradicated, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Many are believed by the government of being Gulenists in highly influential positions, though Erdogan appears to be purging almost anyone who has expressed dissent against him, even if they are not part of the Hizmet movement.
Erdogan has also just "announced a three-month state of emergency starting July 21 to augment the government's power to avenge last week's bloody coup attempt," noted RFE/RL. This gives him even more draconian power to crackdown on political, religious, military, academic and media opponents.
Among those arrested, fired or suspended (according to RFE/RL):
  • 21,000 teachers
  • 15,200 Education Ministry officials
  • 8,000 police officers
  • 7,500 soldiers
  • 3,000 members of the judiciary
  • 1,577 university deans
  • 492 Muslim preachers and scholars
  • 1/3 of the 360 active generals serving in the Turkish military
Please keep praying for the people of Turkey as they undergo this authoritarian nightmare. Please pray for the Christians in Turkey to be lights in the darkness, and that they would have the courage to boldly proclaim the Gospel and make disciples despite the sweeping crackdown by an Islamist dictator.
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joelcrosenberg | July 21, 2016 at 8:38 am | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-5iv

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Father Naddaf: Israel the Only Country in the Middle East Where Christians are Safe By Tazpit Press Service - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Father Gabriel Naddaf (Photo: Facebook)

Father Naddaf: Israel the Only Country in the Middle East Where Christians are Safe


“My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye Hashem.” Judges 5:9 (The Israel Bible™)
By: Tzvi Lev/TPS
Israeli Greek Orthodox Priest Gabriel Naddaf opened the Christians United For Israel (CUFI) Washington Summit on Monday by lauding Israel as the safest country for Christians in the Middle East.
“Today, there is just one country in the Middle East where Christians live in peace and security,” said Naddaf. “In Israel, they have freedom of speech and religion, they can exercise their faith freely, and they have democratic rights.”
Christians United For Israel, or CUFI,  is an American pro-Israel Christian organization and the largest such organization in the United States, with over 1.6 million members. The Washington Summit is being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from July 17-18 and features many pro-Israel speakers as well as a message by satellite from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Victory of Zionism in the Modern Age
“Israel is something we need to protect,” Naddaf continued. “We need to protect its freedom, we have to protect our home, and we have to protect the cradle of Christianity.”
Gabriel Naddaf, a resident of Nazareth,  is a priest and actively encourages Christian Arabs to enlist in the IDF. He has faced fierce criticism as a result, including threats to his family. Naddaf”s eldest son was physically assaulted in 2013 over what Naddaf attributed to opposition to his pro-military stance.
The Washington Summit has been ongoing from July 17-18 and featured a message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via satellite.

Have You Spotted These 11 Dangerous Signs in America? - BERT FARIAS CHARISMA NEWS


With disasters and tragedies now filling daily headlines and becoming more common, the desensitizing of our hearts becomes the placebo that convinces us that these things will soon stop and could never happen to most of us.
With disasters and tragedies now filling daily headlines and becoming more common, the desensitizing of our hearts becomes the placebo that convinces us that these things will soon stop and could never happen to most of us. (REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein)

Have You Spotted These 11 Dangerous Signs in America?


The Flaming Herald, by Bert Farias(Many of these world events I share came from a report given by Alex Jones of Infowars.com)
The average American citizen is virtually unaware of the danger that now lurks. They are busy enjoying life, being entertained, working their jobs to make ends meet and so on. Even when disaster or tragedy strikes most people quickly return to their status quo life and soon all is forgotten. And with disasters and tragedies now filling daily headlines and becoming more common, the desensitizing of our hearts becomes the placebo that convinces us that these things will soon stop and could never happen to most of us.
The reality is that underneath every tragedy, bizarre event, and senseless act is a global agenda to lead us into World War III and bring about one world order. If this sounds like a far-fetched conspiracy theory, consider the following:
  • Historians, political scientists, and analysts from the U.S., England, Canada, Russia, Germany and Australia are telling us that the same chain of crisis and pattern of events that led to World Wars I and II are happening now.
  • There is a deliberate global movement to implode economies, to set world depressions in motion, and policies to collapse third world nations.
  • The most stone-age barbaric groups are being granted political power.
  • Borders are being open to bankrupt our economies and flatten our social welfare programs.
  • The globalist agenda is first to cause collapse of our political and socio-economic systems and then to take control and bring in total tyranny, even waging war on nation states who are working to stabilize their economies.
  • Led by billionaires like George Soros and others, they actually fund crisis such as the Arab Spring, the flow of Jihadists into Europe, assisting the migration of illegal immigrants and those with diseases such as refugees into our societies.
  • Right now there are major U.S. and Chinese fleets lining up against each other in Chinese waters with the communist Chinese President preparing his troops for World War III.
  • There are reports that Turkey President Tayyip Erdogan is being backed by jihadists and not his own army. If true, this has immense ramifications as Turkey is considered the gateway into Europe.
  • Vladimir Putin of Russia is also preparing for nuclear war and warning journalists and begging for a global debate as the media remains silent.
  • From Venezuela to Nigeria, world governments are going bankrupt while the Pentagon reports that this is the most dangerous time in our history.
  • All this is happening while our own enemy of the state, Obama, reports that the world is as safe as its ever been and the economy is the best its ever been.
These are just a few examples of hundreds of scenarios that are occurring worldwide to create the perfect storm. This is modern 21st century warfare spearheaded by top globalists against all nation states, individuals and any type of logic, intelligence and independence. Currencies are being manipulated, stock-markets are being rigged and computers are making major decisions.
Heck, even in our solar system, great changes are being reported.  Record level earthquakes, volcanoes, and natural disasters are being recorded. These are also harbingers of war as paralleled with World War I and II. It is all so surreal as we sense it and see it, and yet only a small minority of the general populace is aware, involved, engaged or awakened to these things. People are asleep on their watch as our own species wage war against the majority of the human race.
The mainstream media has been controlled by the globalists for a long time, and they are intent on sowing chaos, stopping innovation, preventing nations from joining efforts, funding ISIS and aiding Obama in overthrowing our allies such as Israel—all this for a one world order and government. But now they are expanding and making the weaponization even more deceptive and vicious. All the major networks are state run, and the globalists are engaged in worldwide economic siege. This explains the stupid, often bizarre, and satanic nature of the decisions being made and/or the inaction of many of our politicians.
Behind it all is an evil agenda for a post-industrial world, a United Nations plan to be fully implemented by the year 2030. There is an international group fighting against all the nation states. We have criminals in our government working against our own nation and everyone else. Have you seen how many Muslims Obama has placed in his administration? Doesn't it give you a warm cozy feeling to know that some of them are working in the department of Homeland Security?
Even what once were reputable organizations such as the NFL cannot be trusted as they've become a political weapon opposing the second amendment and the freedoms of our nation. MSNBC is now telling us that our children belong to the state and to our communities and not the parents. It's crazy and inexplicable until you realize there is an agenda, and it's playing like a sci-fi movie and doing everything to destroy civilization as we've known it. It is the Antichrist agenda that has been unleashed on the world.
It is one minute before midnight on God's calendar and we are in the most dangerous times we've ever been in, but people are asleep. As for me, I am fully awake and actually encouraged. Why, you ask? Because Jesus foretold all these things.
"There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:25-28).
To the true believer these events are actually a source of great hope and encouragement because it means that the coming of the Lord is drawing ever so near, and that we, the church, should be about our Father's business of winning souls and making disciples. When these things start happening, Jesus also told us to look up and to lift up our heads because it means our redemption is drawing near.
Don't be afraid, but get your eyes on Jesus, from whom comes perfect peace. The church is the restrainer of evil and total lawlessness. When the church is removed, the lawless one, or the Antichrist, will be revealed, whom the Lord shall destroy (2 Thes. 2:5-8). Ha ha! Game over! We win! Jesus rules and reigns, and we shall reign with Him forever.
In the meantime, let us take advantage of the greatest opportunity of our lifetime. The world will panic and men's hearts will be full of fear, but we will have the answer and the wisdom of the ages that they all need. Truly, I believe the greatest harvest is still ahead of us when more men will be saved perhaps in one day than in one century, as these hellish world events continue to unfold. Let us pray and exercise our God-given authority on this earth because we can still change some things, delay some things and even stop some things. Some things have been prophesied and foretold by Jesus and cannot be changed, but it's comforting to know that He is in complete control of the destiny of His own people.
Look up saints! Lift up your heads! Our redemption is near. 
Bert M. Farias, revivalist and founder of Holy Fire Ministries, has authored several books with an emphasis on helping to restore the true spirit of Christianity in the Church today, including the newly released, Passing on The Move of God to The Next Generation. An anointing of fire marks his ministry with frequent demonstrations of the Spirit and power of God. He ministers interdenominationally and cross-culturally in nations, churches, conferences, on the streets and in homes. He and his wife Carolyn also host The Holy Ghost Forum – a school of the Spirit. Follow him at Bert Farias and Holy Fire Ministries on Facebook and @Bertfarias1on Twitter.
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CUFI Responsible for GOP's Strong Pro-Israel Platform? - CBN News Chris Mitchell


CUFI Conference
CUFI Responsible for GOP's Strong Pro-Israel Platform?
07-20-2016
CBN News Chris Mitchell
WASHINGTON – From the streets of Tehran to the halls of the U.N. to Hezbollah on Israel's northern border, the Jewish state is surrounded by enemies seeking to demonize or destroy it. But the number of Christians standing up for Israel is growing.
Christians United for Israel, or CUFI, has grown to more than 3 million members.
Eleven years ago, Pastor John Hagee founded CUFI to teach Christians about the biblical mandate to stand with Israel "because every evangelical has a biblical basis for supporting the State of Israel."
"Supporting Israel is not a political issue, it's a Bible issue," Hagee told CBN News.
CUFI is having an impact on presidential politics. CNN credits the group with influencing Republicans to adopt the most pro-Israel platform in U.S. history.

"So because of Christians United for Israel, which was specifically named in the article, the Republican Party said we're going to have a plank that says Jerusalem shall be an undivided city in the future," Hagee explained.
Even with that political victory, Middle East experts like Col. Oliver North believe Israel is under more threat than ever.
"Now the Iranians and the North Koreans are building nuclear weapons and the means of delivering them. Israel is the nearest target and us as the Great Satan [are also a] target.  So it is different than it ever has been before," North told CBN News.
"So CUFI, Christian United for Israel, can make all the difference in the world for educating people about the real threat and what we need to do about it, simple as that," he said.
CUFI believes a big part of standing with Israel is what's happening on college campuses. An apartheid wall on one college campus vilifies Israel's security barrier.
The organization has enlisted hundreds of students to present the truth about Israel. They call it the battle for the future.
"We are fighting for the future of Israel. We're fighting for the future of America," CUFI campus representative Maria Lilly told CBN News.
Lilly says pro-Palestinian groups often try to shut down pro-Israel speeches on college campuses.
"We're in for a battle," she said. "On so many college campuses around the country and even around the world students face so much anti-Semitism and backlash for their support of Israel."
Pastor Hagee feels it's crucial for the United States to stand with Israel.

"The Bible verse, 'I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you' is the promise of God and God keeps His promises."

The Rock That Will Not Roll - Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY

The Rock That Will Not Roll

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY


At a time of great turbulence, when all around is sinking sand, there is a rock of perfect security on which to stand. His name is Jesus. And those who fail to honour Him will stumble. (Isaiah 8.14; Romans 9.33)
In the world of politics, too, there is an “immovable rock” that will injure those nations wishing to move it. (Zechariah 12.3) Could this mean that all who attack Jerusalem – “the city of the Great King” (Matthew 5.35) – will themselves be terrorised?
Best-selling novelist Jack Engelhard seems to think so, saying that the dreadful terror attacks enacted by Islamic fanatics in Paris, Brussels, Istanbul and Nice all began in Israel. He said the nations kept telling Israel not to answer with force, but to make peace with them. Yet every such gesture was met with more demands and more terror; and the world refused to figure it out – that it had nothing to do with Israel.
The Jewish state was merely a laboratory for radical Islam who have murdered thousands of Israeli civilians with guns, knives, suicide belts, and now the automobile – reminding us that cars have been used to ram innocent pedestrians to death in Israel on a regular basis since last autumn. And referring to the summit called by French President Hollande to impose peace in Israel, Engelhard asks: “Is he calling for a peace summit with whoever came to Nice to mow down hundreds of celebrants?”
Also asking questions is evangelist Franklin Graham, son of Billy, who says terrorists continue to attack because the U.S. government refuses to recognize the danger of Islam.
Even in England, Muslim converts to Christianity require special protection in the face of threats and persecution from their own families.
Yes, the grim spectre of violence stalks the earth like a big black cloud. All this is surely a sign of the imminent return of our Messiah, Yeshua. (Luke 17.26f, Matthew 24.29f) But it’s a time to fasten our seatbelts… I believe the Lord was speaking of these days when he said: “In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory.” (Haggai 2.6f)
And this theme is repeated in the New Testament when, in warning against godlessness and sexual immorality (Heb 12.16) – an apt summary of today’s Britain – the writer to the Hebrews reminds us of what happened at the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai when the mountain shook in a terrifying spectacle accompanied by fire. This would happen again, though on a bigger scale, at the end of the age so that what cannot be shaken would remain.
Hold on tight, for we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let’s not buckle under the pressure of worldly wisdom, but press on as we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb 12.2) May I encourage you to “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Heb 12.12), a verse I have taken literally, as a result of which it has become a constant source of testimony to the power of God. If I had listened to worldly wisdom, I would have given up running when my knees got painful but instead, inspired by this scripture, I trusted God to heal them. It’s interesting that the very next verse says: “Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
Now I am able to continue running with perseverance the race marked out for me (Heb 12.1), both physically as well as spiritually.
Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24.35) He also said that “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7.24)

Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon, and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com
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A Soldier's Gift: An Amazing True Story ✡ "No Longer Will Violence Be Heard" - ISRAEL365

No longer will violence be heard in your Land, nor plunder and calamity at your borders.

לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלָיִךְ

ישעיהו ס:יח

lo yi-sha-ma od kha-mas b'-ar-tzaykh shod va-she-ver big-vu-lai-yikh

Today's Israel Inspiration

In the small nation of Israel, every loss of a young soldier is a deeply painful loss mourned by the entire nation. This week, a lone soldier from New Jersey lost his life in a grenade explosion while patrolling Israel's northern border with Syria. 20-year-old IDF Sergeant Shlomo Rindenow, obm, left the US two years to defend the Land of Israel. His brother eulogized him saying that Shlomo had a few goals: "to come to Israel, to learn Hebrew within a few months, and to get into the unit in the army he wanted. And he did it." May his memory be a blessing and may his family be comforted.

A Soldier's Gift:
An Amazing True Story

An unexpected act of kindness has a life-saving boomerang effect years later. You don't want to miss this incredible true story!
 

Tragedy Stikes Northern Border: 2 IDF Soldiers Killed in Grenade Explosion

Two soldiers were killed on the Syrian border this week when a hand grenade went off during a routine patrol. Three other soldiers were wounded, one seriously.
 

Today's Israel Photo

Soldiers of the Golani Brigade defend and protect Israel's northern border.

Yesterday's Photo Trivia

Yesterday's fabulous photo by Noam Chen showed the landmark Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, featuring three skyscrapers, one in the shape of a square, another a triangle and a circle!

Thank You

Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!
 

“Thank You and Your Staff for a Great Job”

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!
 
Sir, from one old veteran to the Israeli vets, God bless you and happy birthday Israel. And also what Winston Churchhill once said, "Never, never, never, never give up!"
Phil Ryder

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Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com
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