The Wisdom of the IDF ✡ "Mighty in Strength" - ISRAEL365

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered? Job 9:4 (The Israel Bible™)   חֲכַם לֵבָב וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ מִי הִקְשָׁה אֵלָיו וַיִּשְׁלָם איוב ט:ד kha-KHAM lay-VAV v’-a-MEETZ KO-akh mee hik-SHAH ay-LAV va-yish-LAM

Today's Israel Inspiration The words in this verse, translated as “wise in heart,” are understood by the Sages as “wise about hearts,” or “wise about innermost thoughts.” This means that God knows what is in man’s hearts and judges accordingly. While man has the capacity to judge his fellow only by what is obvious to the human eye, the Lord knows what is really in a person’s heart. It is man’s challenge to behave like God and, instead of making assumptions solely by what meets the eye, understand that there is more in a person’s heart that might not be apparent from the outside. We are therefore called on to judge others favorably by always giving them the benefit of the doubt. As they train to gain the skills necessary to protect the Holy Land and her people, the IDF must also learn to judge with wisdom who is a threat and who is a friend. This is tremendously difficult and requires deeply refined skills and intellect to carry out the job.   Support Our Wise Defenders.Donate to LIBI » IDF Robots on the Front Line: Small But Mighty! Much like the little state they defend, the Israel Defense Forces’s robotic weapons are small but mighty!   Watch » The World's Most Advanced Fighter Aircraft Makes for a Stronger Israel Israeli leaders and top U.S. officials were on hand to welcome the first delivery of the state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighter jets at an air force base in Israel on Monday.   Read more » New at The Israel365 Store! Eilat Stone Jewelry   Discover the beauty of Eilat stones, also known as King Solomon's stones. These gorgeous blue-green stones are the national stone of Israel. Browse our new exquisite collection of Eilat Stone jewelry by Rafael Jewelers.   Shop Eilat Stone Jewelry »   Today's Israel Photo Being in the IDF is a difficult challenge for anyone; but to maintain a religious lifestyle each and every day is truly incredible. With a prayer shawl known as 'talit' and his defensive weapon, our soldier is totally unstoppable! If you enjoy your Israel365 daily email newsletter, please consider donating to one of our causes or buying products from our store and blessing the Land and the People of Israel.   Thanks to our recent Fire Victims Donors "Todah Rabbah" to Charlotte Petersen from Kraaifontein, SA; Barbara Burt from Washington; Peter van den Braak from Biddinghuizen, Netherlands; Geraldine Koperwas Plansker from Michigan. Donate to our Arson Victims Fund »  Thank You to our latest Tree Donors "Todah Rabbah" to Madhur Goldstein from Australia; Tempie Roberts from Oregon; Daniel H Boggs from North Carolina; Felicity M Greenfields from the UK. Plant a Tree in Israel »  Thank you to our Israel365 Store Customers "Todah Rabbah" to Donna Barbee from Texas; Ardith Seeley from Canada; Larry Yleana from the Philippines; Charles Edwards from Texas. Shop the Israel365 Store »   Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!   Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Prayer Request from our Reader” It’s great to hear from you and make new friends from all over the world. Please send me an email and let me know how you are enjoying Israel365 (don’t forget to say where you are from!).   Stay in Touch » My wife and I pray for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem and also for the world. I am asking for the prayers of the Jewish people for the flooding that is going on in Louisiana and for us, we are the only family that is left on the road of our community. I pray, as does my wife, that God will see us through this flooding of our home. I hope you understand. We are not rich or wealthy people. Please remember us in your prayers. -Robert Peterson Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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The Only Way God's People Can Succeed Spiritually in the Days Ahead - MIKE BICKLE CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Many more storms are coming, but God has given provision for His children to be prepared. (Flickr )

The Only Way God's People Can Succeed Spiritually in the Days Ahead

12/17/2016 MIKE BICKLE  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

For those reading Luke 21 for the first time, the passage can seem like nothing but gloom and doom. In other biblical accounts of what will happen in the end times, the writers include more positive elements than Luke 21. In fact, many of those passages make it clear that this will be the time of the great harvest, the outpouring of the Spirit in full measure released in all nations as the church walks in unity, purity and power even beyond the book of Acts. Yet here in Luke's account, Jesus highlights mostly the negative. We will soon see why.

In the first two-thirds of Luke 21, Jesus paints a vivid picture of the day of the Lord as He goes through the various signs of the times (wars, famines, earthquakes and so on). But in verse 25, He makes a strong prophetic declaration intended to alert us. Amid describing the tumultuous cosmic signs and tsunamis that will come in this season, He also declares, "On the earth [there will be] distress of nations." This will be a time of distress that is unique in its intensity—the measure of unrest will be unprecedented and unparalleled. It will include financial crises, terrorism, racial clashes, violent weather, persecution and many other things. But what makes this time unique is that the distress will continually increase until the Lord returns.

The nations of the world throughout history have always experienced some level of distress—whether from the chaos of a fallen natural world or from man's own hands (or most often both).

Throughout history, even unusual distress has come in cycles, meaning there was always a reprieve. But we are now entering a season in which distress will continually increase. Things will never go back to how they were in the "good ol' days" of safety and security, whenever that was. The places in the world that refuse Jesus' leadership will continue to get darker and more chaotic.

Sin will continue to escalate to higher levels. The demonic influence in the earth will increase.

Because the Lord is an excellent Pastor, He has told His people ahead of time what they should know and do. Throughout His Word—including here in Luke 21, where His instructions are explicit—He gives enough information to awaken our hearts spiritually and prepare us mentally so that we will not be surprised or overwhelmed. Jesus knows the human condition, mindset and capacity more than anyone. He knows that we are prone to overreact when we initially experience distress. He knows we can process only small amounts at a time. And so He tells us in this passage, "Pay attention! Don't ignore what's happening. If you do, when the distress of this day comes—when it hits you all at once—then you will be overcome with fear. You don't want this to surprise you; there is no need for it to surprise you, for I am with you and can give you understanding. You can interpret the signs little by little as things unfold. My people will be able to understand more and experience more grace even as they observe things intensify more and more over several decades."

But the important thing He is saying is this: "Stay close to Me."

Indeed, in each season of increasing distress, we must realign ourselves with the Lord so that the intensity of the distress does not overwhelm us. As we come closer to Him and rely on Him for strength and wisdom, we will grow in understanding of what He is doing and in our dependence on Him. This is not just the safe way to respond; it is the only way God's people will be able to succeed spiritually in the days ahead. 

Mike Bickle is the director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base of Kansas City, an evangelical missions organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship engaged in many evangelistic and inner-city outreaches along with multiple justice initiatives, planting houses of prayer and training missionaries. Mike is the author of several books, including Growing in Prayer, Passion for Jesus, Growing in the Prophetic, The Pleasures of Loving God, After God's Own Heart and Prayers to Strengthen Your Inner Man. Mike's teaching emphasizes growing in passion for Jesus through intimacy with God, doing evangelism and missions work from the place of night-and-day prayer and the end times.

Excerpted from God's Answer to the Growing Crisis by Mike Bickle, published by Charisma House; Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group Copyright © 2016 by Mike Bickle. All rights reserved.

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Israeli MKs Hail Incoming 'Bible-Believing' US Ambassador - Israel Today

Israeli MKs Hail Incoming 'Bible-Believing' US Ambassador

Sunday, December 18, 2016 |  Israel Today Staff

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America

Many Israeli politicians were excited over the weekend by US President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of David Friedman as America’s next ambassador to the Jewish state.

Some went so far as to hail his reliance on the Bible in making policy decisions.

Friedman previously served as Trump’s lawyer. He transitioned to the role of trusted advisor during the recently-concluded presidential campaign.

Friedman visited Israel a number of times in recent months. Just after Trump’s victory, he told Israel Radio that Jerusalem should consider annexing the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.

Those positions have liberals in the US fuming over Friedman’s appointment and what it means for the “land-for-peace” process.

But most Israelis already view the the peace process as dead, and so see new hope in both Trump and Friedman.

“Friedman is an enthusiastic supporter of the people of Israel in the Land of Israel according to the Torah of Israel, and I wish him and us luck,” said Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan (Jewish Home).

Friedman’s “positions reflect the desire to strengthen the status of Israel’s capital Jerusalem at this time and an understanding that settlements were never the real problem in the region,” noted Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud).

Even to the center of the political spectrum, Friedman was welcomed.

“Look forward to working with Mr. Friedman, the new US ambassador & great friend of Israel, in his rightful office in our capital, Jerusalem,” Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, posted on Twitter.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor) insisted that most Israelis still want to separate from the Palestinians, not annex them, and that Friedman would need to learn that. But he nevertheless offered his welcome to the next ambassador.

Only to the extreme Left were the reactions hostile.

“Trump’s appointments are outrageous and one competes with the other for which is worse,” screeched Zehava Gal-On, head of the ultra-leftist Meretz party.

Gal-On did acknowledge, however, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to love working with Friedman.

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Making 'Aliyah': Why Thousands of Jews Move to Israel Each Year - JULIE STAHL,CHRIS MITCHELL CBN NEWS

Walking on the streets of Israel (CBN News)

Making 'Aliyah': Why Thousands of Jews Move to Israel Each Year

12/16/2016 JULIE STAHL,CHRIS MITCHELL/CBN NEWS

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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It's called aliyah, Hebrew for "going up," or immigrating to Israel. Each year, thousands of Jews from around the world resettle in Israel. It can be a tough transition for many from Western nations. So, why do they do it? And who helps them?

To find out, we talked with Neal Brinn, who relocated to Israel with his family just three weeks after he completed 20 years in the U.S. Navy.

"The highest position I had was the commanding officer of the U.S. warship, the USS Carter Hall, which was an amphibious ship about 200 meters long," Brinn said.

Brinn, his wife, Shoshanna, and their four young children, now live in a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem. Some might say they gave up a lot to live here, but they say they're home.

Brinn spent his summer accompanying his 4-year-old twins to school on the public bus because they don't have a car—well, sort of.

"We do have a car," Brin quipped. "It's got four wheels; it's got one seat. Only one person can sit in it and that's Yudi, who's 5 months old. The propulsion system is human legs attached to arms. It's a stroller. That's our car. It holds everything we need. If we need to go shopping, we can take it everywhere, even up the steps," he said.

About eight years ago, Brinn's life took on major changes. He became more religious, met Shoshanna and married. They knew they would come to Israel at some point; they just didn't know when.

Brinn told us he didn't know how long he'd stay in the Navy—20 years or 30. "For staying 30 years, I'd make two-point-four more times retirement pay every month, which is a tremendous difference," he said.

Moving 'Home'

But the Brinns decided that Israel was their home, so he retired and they made the move right away.

"This is where we feel every Jew needs to be," Brinn said. "And our children will learn the language so much better at the ages of between 5 months, 3 1/2 and our twins who are 4, than if it was 10 years later."

They've faced some adjustments, however. Brinn said he was astounded by the amount of litter in his neighborhood, and that it's tolerated. To combat the problem, he has organized a weekly cleaning project called the "Hour of Power," an idea he got from his time as the executive officer of a ship.

"We're hoping this will be a habit and stays and can really clean this space up. We go from just picking up litter to be actually cleaning," he said. "I mean, these stone stairs could look like clean stone as opposed to stones with weeds here and dirt here."

Why Give Up Life in America?

Some wonder why they would give up life in America.

"I can't tell you why some people would move, but I can tell you why a Jew would," Brinn said. "We have a national anthem called HaTikva—which means 'the hope"—and it says in HaTikva that as long as the heart of the Jew beats—I'm not quoting it exactly, but—as long as the heart of the Jew beats, this 2,000-year dream is just finally being realized."

Rabbi Yehoshua Fass and his organization, Nefesh B'Nefesh, helped make the dream become reality for Brinn and his family. 

"We have this modern-day miracle of the state of Israel that is just unfathomable. It's fantasy stuff. For 2,000 years of wandering and dreaming and all of a sudden, you get on a plane and change your status and become a citizen of this country. It's incredible," Fass said.

Two hundred twenty-three North American immigrants arrived on a flight just weeks after the Brinns, including 75 young people who came to join the Israeli Defense Force, the IDF. One of them was Nefesh B'Nefesh's immigrant No. 50,000, Rebekkah Glanzer from Brooklyn, New York.

A Feeling of Belonging

"There's a feeling of belonging here that you really don't have anywhere else, and I just couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life any other place. So I'm here," Glanzer said.

"IDF service is part of what makes Israel such a united country," Glanzer continued. "It makes everyone feel like it's really their own. So I didn't feel I could make Aliyah without contributing or participating in that way."

Different Reasons Brought Ally Strauss and Zachary Olstein to Israel

"It's something I've dreamed about doing since [I was] 7 years old," Strauss said. "I think Israel has a right to be a country, and I want to do what I can to make sure it stays a country as long as possible."

"I went to Poland. I saw the concentration camps, I saw the ghettos. It became so much more real," Olstein said. "My purpose for coming to the army, I think, is that I want to help protect the one place that I know—God forbid it ever happens—the place that's safe for the Jewish people."

Tammy and Gene Berman are from Washington, D.C. They decided to retire to Israel, and summed up the reason for coming home this way: "It's our destiny, we're Jewish. America's a wonderful, fantastic country; I love it. My parents were immigrants to America, but we're visitors there," Tammy said. "We belong here." 

Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights reserved.

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Christian Organization Targets Crucial Needs of Former Soviet Union Jews - GREG MENKEN/CCI CHARISMA NEWS

Don Horwitz, Executive Director of Christians Care International, with children at CCI's children's home in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine. (Christian Cares International)

Christian Organization Targets Crucial Needs of Former Soviet Union Jews

 12/16/2016 GREG MENKEN/CCI   CHARISMA NEWS

Christians Care International, the only Christian charitable organization that provides a full continuum of direct support services to impoverished Jews of the former Soviet Union (FSU), has launched a new website, ChristiansCare.org, and expanded its operations from Europe to the United States to spread awareness of the dire needs of hundreds of thousands of Jews who remain trapped in poverty and hopelessness in the FSU.

The new website will allow Christians Care International (CCI) to better communicate its mission and create a stronger connection between donors and the people they help.

Since 1991, CCI (formerly known as 49:22TRUST) has operated in Europe, helping more than 87,000 Jews make aliyah (immigrate) to Israel, caring for more than 1,700 Jewish orphans and children who have suffered from neglect and abuse and enabling more than 500 Jewish teenagers to get a world-class education by attending high school in Israel.

"In response to the critical conditions faced by so many Jews in the former Soviet Union, Christians Care International is blessed to expand our efforts into the U.S.," said Don Horwitz, CCI's Executive Director. "By joining hands with the American Christian community to answer God's call to bless Israel and the Jewish people, we can bring new hope to thousands of vulnerable Jews who are desperate for a brighter future."

Aliyah in the Jewish tradition means to "rise up" to Israel—to immigrate to Israel. CCI believes that in addition to helping Jews make aliyah to Israel, it is equally important to "raise up" individuals so they can lead healthy, productive lives. CCI does this through its unique approach of treating the entire person by providing a direct continuum of care that combines on-the-ground, advanced therapeutic services with education, humanitarian aid and emergency shelter.

"Many of the children and adults that we help suffer from deep psychological and physical traumas," explained Juliya Tsapkalova, chief neuropsychologist for CCI in Odessa, Ukraine. "I have seen firsthand how CCI's services can turn around someone's life and set them on a new path toward a healthy and joyful future."

CCI's programs include aliyah assistance for Jews immigrating to Israel along with educational and job-training programs so they can stand on their own two feet when they get there; children's and orphans' programs to rehabilitate severely abused, neglected and abandoned Jewish children and life-saving humanitarian aid for Jewish seniors and families who face medical or other humanitarian emergencies.

Please visit ChristiansCare.org to learn how you can answer God's call to help transform Jewish lives. 

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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