Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
It is always legal, by federal law, to have an abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.
Donald Trump, in the third presidential debate, stated that a woman can get an abortion in the U.S. through all nine months of pregnancy. Since then, numerous abortion advocates denied that reality with rebuttals that ignore the law. This current dust-up reveals a political fact; most people don’t know what happened to the law when the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Boltonin 1973 for any reason, at any time of pregnancy, in all 50 states, throwing out all abortion laws on the books with the stroke of a pen.
The court said abortion could be limited by the states after viability unless “health” is at issue, defining “health” as emotional well-being, an exception that swallows the ability of the states to limit abortion after fetal viability (the point at which an unborn baby can live outside the womb), a fact documented by numerous legal scholars and in multiple court decisions.
As Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe wrote in 1973: “In Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton (the court) impos(ed) limits on permissible abortion legislation so severe that no abortion law in the United States remained valid.” Legal historian Lawrence Friedman wrote, “In one bold, cataclysmic move the court undid about a century of legislative action. It swept away every abortion law in the country.” Because of Roeand Doe, the U.S. is one of only four nations (along with North Korea, China and Canada) that allow abortion for any reason after viability.
For example, in 1996, a federal appeals court struck down Ohio’s law that limited abortion after fetal viability, and the Supreme Court justices refused to hear Ohio’s appeal. In 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit struck down the limit on abortions at five months of pregnancy passed by Arizona, and the justices refused to hear Arizona’s appeal in January 2014.
In 2013, in Indiana, a woman got drugs over the Internet and did a late-term abortion on herself, delivering a baby alive at six to seven months of pregnancy. Although the Indiana Court of Appeals this year threw out most of the charges against her, there was no question that her self-abortion at that time could not be legally questioned. More examples could be cited.
The latest figures show that about 1.3% of 1 million annual abortions, or about 13,000 a year, were done in the 21st week of pregnancy of later. And while abortion advocates claim that generally these are done when an infant has some kind of health issue, a former Planned Parenthood director reports that no such requirement existed.
A study published for the Guttmacher Institute in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Healthnoted that financial issues and concerns about life interference were the reasons cited by most who got an abortion. Writing for Perspectives, authors Diana Greene Foster and Katrina Kimport found “data suggest that most women seeking later terminations are not doing so for reasons of fetal anomaly or life endangerment.”
Yet abortion advocates obfuscate the legal reality of abortion’s late-term availability with five unresponsive rebuttals.
First, they argue that most abortions are actually done in the first trimester, which does not rebut the legality of the procedure in later months.
Second, they contend that abortion providers in some states have voluntarily adopted abortion limits late in pregnancy, which does not rebut the legality of the procedure under Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton in other locations.
Third, they complain that Trump did not properly describe a partial-birth abortion, which again ignores the legality of late-term abortion, however it is accomplished.
Fourth, they say some states have abortion limits after about five months of pregnancy, which ignores the fact that many states have no such limits. In fact, courts have repeatedly blocked such limits, as seen when the 9th Circuit struck down Arizona’s 20-week limit as unconstitutional (as well as Idaho’s). The 20-week limits in other states have not been challenged in court and could face the same judicial fate.
While not all states have someone willing to end the life of a child that could live outside the womb, late-term abortionists operate in a number of states, such as Maryland and Colorado. Guttmacher reports that “16% of all abortion providers perform the procedure at 24 weeks.”
The reality is that it is legal to have an abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, even though not all abortion clinics do such gruesome procedures. Nitpicking over the fine print of the third presidential debate misses the big picture. Legal scholars know that the Supreme Court legalized abortion for any reason, at any time of pregnancy, and the federal courts actively enforce that policy on the states. It’s time Americans understood that, too.
Attorney Clarke D. Forsythe is acting president of Americans United for Life Action and author of Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade.
This week, Jews all over the world will be renewing the cycle of the weekly Torah portion starting with the very first book in the Hebrew Bible: Genesis. Our rabbis ask an important question: if the Bible is essentially a book of law, as evidenced by the plethora of commandments, why does it begin with the stories of creation? Would it not make more sense to skip the stories and start with the legal sections of the Torah? Rashi, a famed medieval commentator, explains that one day the nations of the world will accuse the Jewish People of stealing the Land of Israel. In response, the Jews will point to the Bible which begins by telling us that God created the heaven and the earth. Since God is the Creator of the world, He may give it to whomever He wishes. With this realization, it is understood that the Land of Israel is God’s to give to Abraham and his descendants.
From California to Africa, the world is facing a global water shortage. But one tiny country, in the middle of a desert, has found remarkable solutions that may just save millions.
As Jews the world over mark the beginning of a new year-long cycle of Torah reading, a newer, unexpected group of students is gearing up to do the same: Christians seeking to return to their roots.
At the very beginning, there was only God. Gazing upon the serenity of a new day, it's not hard to imagine the whole world as it was thousands of years before humankind made its mark. Photo by Yehoshua Halevi.
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Dear Rabbi Tuly, Thank you to you and your team for Israel365. It’s truly an inspiration and I look forward to receiving it each day and cannot wait to read all it has to say. I love Israel and her people and had the privilege of visiting Israel in March this year, an experience I shall treasure for as long as I live. Today though, I am very, very sad and shocked to have read in Breaking Israel News that South Africa voted in favour of the UNESCO resolution. I am a South African but one that stands with Israel 100%. I will continue to pray for the peace and protection of Jerusalem and all of Israel’s chosen people. God bless you. Pam Joynt from Greyton, South Africa
Pastor Jim discusses God’s specific calling and anointing for Donald Trump to shake this nation in the upcoming election. With special guest Dr Lance Wallnau.
Quotes
We’re facing an America, we’re facing a Supreme Court that can change the world for the next decade. – Pastor Jim
All that Trump’s going to do is reset the clock for the church to take back territory. – Lance Wallnau
Things are going to happen, and God wants to give us someone who has enough sense to manage this country in chaos. – Pastor Jim
I think the Lord is saying if we can get the right captain on board the ship for the storm, we won’t lose the ship. – Lance Wallnau
Scriptures
Isaiah 45:1 MEV Thus says the Lord to Cyrus, His anointed,whose right hand I have held— to subdue nations before himand to loosen the loins of kings, to open doors before himso that the gates will not be shut:
Isaiah 45:5 MEV I am the Lord and there is no other;there is no God besides Me. I strengthen you,though you have not known Me,
Proverbs 25:28 ESV A man without self-controlis like a city broken into and left without walls.
Hebrews 12:26 MEV At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has given us a promise, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.”
Psalm 105:17 MEV He sent a man before them,Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
Psalm 105:19 MEV Until the time that his word came to pass,the word of the Lord tested him.
Psalm 105:21 MEV He made Joseph lord of his houseand ruler of all his possessions,
James 2:17 MEV So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Revival is not a call to moral revolution; revival is a summons to, once again, reorient church and Christian life around the person of the Holy Spirit.
The inevitable byproduct? A revived church will adjust its agenda to compliment God's. When the distinctive of the Western church is the power and presence of God flowing without restraint in her midst, I believe the Western world will experience a direct impact.
This is where we can begin the conversation about moral and cultural revolution. Apart from the supernatural influence of the Spirit, however, all we're talking about is behavior modification, not personal or cultural transformation. It all begins with the Holy Spirit!
Unfortunately, many Christians inappropriately brand the "move of God" exclusively in terms of politics, ethics or even biblical morality.
No. Revival is not about politics or principles—it's about presence. If our prayer meetings are primarily about convincing God to pass certain legislation or pleading for laws to be executed or begging heaven for the moral climate of the culture to shift, friends, we are missing the mark of revival. Yes, pray about these matters; just don't label them as "revival."
I restate, revival is about us welcoming back the holy, glorious, manifest presence of the Holy Spirit, on His terms, not ours. Revival has an impact, and the question I want to pose through this article is simply this: Which candidate would realistically protect the move of God in the church, so that, ultimately, the outflow of revival could produce a positive moral, societal and cultural transformation in the world around us?
I know this much—one candidate would consider a move of God a blessing (although, he may not understand it), and the other would consider it a target because it threatens to unravel the insidious progressive agenda that propagates a very fluid approach to right, wrong and biblical morality.
What Is Revival?
Hold onto your seats for this one: revival is not biblical. I'd dare even say that the concept we recognize as "revival" today is not necessarily the perfect will of God.
Do you know why? We were never meant to go on and off script.
We were never meant to deviate from the very clear marching orders the Savior left us with, and thus, plunge into century-long cycles of dryness, stagnancy, powerlessness and religion. Revival is Heaven's sovereign jump-start to get the church operating in her inheritance again.
A dispensational perspective on "revival" and the move of God is downright deadly to a church that is being consistently called by God Himself to operate in her Acts 2 inheritance. This is some fabricated theology saying that God moves in certain "dispensations" or periods of time more than others.
Theology like this kills our responsibility. We are responsible for revival. Do you want to experience a move of God? Do you, pastor? Do you, friend? It doesn't begin with sovereignty; it begins with a costly decision.
God already sovereignly poured out His Holy Spirit on Pentecost—will you say an unqualified "Yes" to welcoming the Spirit, in your life, in your family, in your job, in your school, and in your church? Remember, it's on His terms, not ours. This is the key to unlocking revival at a truly supernatural level. I believe there are "suddenlies" to revival, in terms of when and how God moves. He's God, we're not—let's cease trying to predict Him. While you may not be able to predict revival, I do believe you can posture yourself to experience outpouring.
To operate in revival, I believe we need to reconsider focusing on these three timeless distinctives of the Christian faith.
3 Distinctives of Christianity
1. Fulfilling the Great Commission
"Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit'" (Matt. 28:18-19, MEV).
Jesus made our marching orders very clear. All authority has been given to Him, and in turn, Jesus has authorized you and I to make disciples of all nations, first and foremost, ushering those disconnected from God into His family and also, training nations through principles of the kingdom.
On a micro, or individual level, it begins with people being spiritually saved, and on a macro level, it looks like every sphere of society—arts, business, government, media and so forth—being impacted by those who live under the influence of the Holy Spirit. After all, God's great end-goal is all the earth being filled with His glory (Num. 14:21; Hab. 2:14).
2. Holy Spirit Discipleship
"Being assembled with them, He commanded them, 'Do not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, of which you have heard from Me. For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now'" (Acts 1:4-5, MEV).
What did Jesus speak about for 40 days prior to His ascension? Living and operating in the kingdom of God. This is the way of life for every single Jesus-follower. What does the demonstration of a life under the influence of God's rule and reign look like?
It has little to do with dominating the natural systems and structures of the world, and has everything to do with seeing the influencing forces of darkness being pushed back and the light of God released. All of this is solely accomplished through the Spirit, since Paul clearly states that the kingdom of God is IN the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). We'd do well to study the movement of the Spirit throughout the ministry of Jesus, and in the early church. His work reveals our assignment.
His movement is our invitation to discipleship. True discipleship is not about sitting in some group reading books and sharing feelings; discipleship is about learning how to interact with this wonderful Person called the Holy Spirit. Read the books and have a mentor, yes, but above all, learn the ways of the Spirit.
3. Signs, Wonders and the Supernatural Kingdom
"'In the last days it shall be,' says God, 'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy'" (Acts 2:17-18, MEV).
Acts 2:17-18 is the inheritance of every believer, Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal. The Last Days outpouring that is available now is directly associated with the release of signs, wonders, the prophetic and all manner of supernatural demonstration. The outpouring of the Spirit looks like something. It's the people of God arising and shining with His light, unveiling it to the world around them. This light looks like something—love, service, justice and compassion. This light looks like caring for orphans, widows and the marginalized. This light looks like incurable disease being reversed, torment being broken and addiction being conquered. When the church begins to operate in this measure of power again, I believe those disconnected from God will take notice and will hunger for the true otherworldly and supernatural lifestyle only found in the Holy Spirit.
How Will President Trump Be a Friend of Revival?
What does this all have to do with Donald Trump? I love the fact that Trump is evangelically un-biased. In other words, he will not fight you over cessationism (discontinuation of miracles and the gifts of the Spirit) or continuationism. He will not argue for or against the continuation of the power of the Holy Spirit. He will not look upon the charismatic, Spirit-empowered community with a suspicious eye, the way that perhaps a more pastoral candidate would (who might come with theological baggage).
When the church decides to rise up and be the church—saying yes to the outpouring of the Spirit—I believe the book of Acts is going to be opened in an increased measure. Don't get me wrong, it's been opened since the Day of Pentecost. God never sovereignly closed it; we did. Religious establishments decided that the "power" stuff was too messy, and formalized the church, substituting ritual, liturgy and formalism for the mystical and supernatural.
So I present this thought to you for careful consideration. As we plug back into the power source of heaven, the Holy Spirit, we will experience a revolution in the Western Church. People will receive the Lord in multitudes, as they did in Acts 2, and they will be discipled into followers of Jesus who move in signs, wonders, miracles, and power. This is the community that has the potential to shift the moral and cultural landscape. Our preaching alone won't do it; His power will, though. This has been the case throughout history. When this happens, who do we want as our President—someone who will protect our religious liberties, or someone who wants to redefine our Kingdom convictions because they are "antiquated" and at odds with the progressive redefinition of morality?
No, revival is not synonymous with moral revolution; the byproduct of revival, however, will have a dramatic impact on society around us. My prayer is that we would elect a president who would protect the move of God, and every manner of impact it would have on society around us.
The alternative option is chilling to me. Imagine a move of God that is flowing with force and power through the church, and then begins to spill out into the surrounding community. When people live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, their decisions change. They receive new options. Politics are impacted. Perspectives on right, wrong, good and evil are formed based on a biblical worldview. Under a Clinton administration, my fear is that the move of God would be seen as a target, not a blessing. Revival would be targeted, not because of the spiritual refreshing element, but because of its inevitable impact on society.
Vote for the future, friends.
Revival will not be legislated by a president or government. Outpouring will be a grass-roots movement, just as it was when it began back in Acts 2. The movement of God is not determined by who is in office by any means.
That said, I do believe the individual in office can help accelerate the move of God by "blessing it" or protecting it, or that person can ultimately go to war with the move of God and the "deplorable" impact it creates on morality, society and culture.
The choice is yours. I invite you to choose the one who will help protect the revolution produced by Holy Spirit revival.
Larry Sparksis co-author of the book, The Fire That Never Sleeps, with Dr. Michael Brown and John Kilpatrick. Larry's mission is to help teach all believers how to experience and sustain personal revival—enjoying a deep relationship with God through encountering the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. To this end, he maintains a blog through Charisma magazine, is a published author, teaches revival seminars, and is the co-founder of Renewing South Florida, an organization committed to uniting the local church for regional outpouring. Larry holds a Master of Divinity from Regent University and presently serves as vice president of publishing for Destiny Image Publishers.
You can receive daily empowerment for personal revival from Larry on Facebook (facebook.com/larryvsparks).
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
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Archaeologists have uncovered remarkable evidence of the ancient Jewish connection to Jerusalem in the very same week that UNESCO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) were declaring that Jews have no ties to Jerusalem. Talk about the irony.
The latest discovery of a site where the Roman army assaulted Jewish forces guarding the outer walls of Jerusalem, during the Second Temple period, completely destroys the lies of the U.N. and the Palestinian Authority. The Romans were attacking Jewish forces during the Second Temple period, which according to the Palestinians, never existed. To top it off, there was no evidence of any Palestinian forces in the area at all. The newest findings confirm an account in the book, The Wars of the Jews, by the ancient historian Josephus Flavius in the first century C.E. Josephus had never mentioned Palestine or the Palestinians.
Every time archaeologists dig in Israel, another piece of the Palestinian propaganda crumbles. Earlier this year, scientists unearthed two ancient document seals in Jerusalem, dating to the late eighth century and early seventh century B.C.E. One of the seals bears the name of a man, “Sa’adyahu ben Shebnayahu.” The other is the name of a woman, “Elihanah bat Goel” (or Gael). These are Jewish names, not Arab, Muslim, or Palestinian. The archaeologists noted the construction of the names were “in typical Judean fashion for this time period.” This is more concise, indisputable evidence of a Jewish presence in the Land of Israel more than 1,400 years before Mohammed founded Islam.
Another important archaeological discovery earlier this year found the world’s oldest glass kilns, alongside a railroad track at the foot of Mount Carmel, near Haifa. Professor Ian Freestone, of London’s University College, a specialist in the identification of the chemical composition of glass, noted the kilns prove that “Israel constituted a production center on an international scale, hence its glassware was widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.” The kilns date from around the year 400 C.E., some 300 hundred years after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, killed an estimated 600,000 Jews, and destroyed more than 1,000 Jewish cities and towns.
Despite that devastation, the Jews were so attached to the Land of Israel that they rebuilt their society, to the point of serving as a glass-production center that exported its wares throughout the Roman Empire. One of the most famous discoveries in this field is an edict by the Roman emperor Diocletian, carved on a stone tablet, setting the prices for what he called “Judean glass.”
With the latest findings, including the two earlier this year, it is undeniable that UNESCO’s resolution is an utterly baffling solution and denial to Jewish claims in Jerusalem.
