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.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has reportedly suspended all working ties with 12 of the UN Security Council countries that voted to pass a resolution urging Israel to halt building settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The move came at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request, one day after he summoned 10 of the nations’ ambassadors to Jerusalem to personally reprimand them for the vote.
Foreign ministers and ambassadors from Britain, France, Russia, China, Japan, Ukraine, Angola, Egypt, Uruguay, Spain, Senegal and New Zealand will not be received at Israel’s Foreign Ministry amid the suspension, the Times of Israel reported . They will also not be granted an audience with Netanyahu.
After the anti-Israel settlement was passed, Donald Trump said, “As to the UN, things will be different after Jan. 20th.”
Editor's Note: 2016 was a big year in the church—and in the world. This week we're looking at some of the biggest stories of the year, selected based on feedback from our readers. Thanks for reading Charisma News this year and stay tuned as we continue expanding our coverage in 2017 to include more spiritual insights on the stories that matter most to you.
This article was published April 9th.
YEAR IN REVIEW: Why Some Believers Experience More Spiritual Warfare Than Others
There are some believers who falsely believe that if they have a lot of faith they will not undergo any suffering, severe tests or satanic attacks. Nothing could be further from the truth! Actually, the opposite is true.
For example, in the book of Job chapters 1 and 2, God actually asks Satan if he considered His servant Job. Hence, God brought Job to Satan's attention, not because Job was in sin, but because Job was the greatest servant of God on the earth at that time (read Job 1:6-12; 2:3-6).
Furthermore, Acts 19:15 illustrates how Paul the apostle was not only known in heaven, but also in hell! He had their attention! First Peter 5:8-9 teaches that Satan roams the earth seeking someone to devour, which also goes along with the Job narrative (Job 1:7). When we read the context of all these passages, especially in regards to the satanic focus on both Paul and Job, we can come to the conclusion that the devil's main focus is to thwart, divert, distract and disarm the servants of God who are promoting the rule of God on the earth as it is in heaven. Heaven is the only realm in the universe where everything is perfectly aligned under King Jesus, since the devil was displaced from there (Rev. 12:7-12).
Consequently, when someone on earth wants to bring the influence of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, Satan erupts with fear and anger against them since he doesn't want to be thrown out of another place!
This is why it seems as though a person following the will of God will sometimes have the most difficult tests, trials and resistance, as opposed to some saints who are casual seekers of God. Satan is no dummy, why should he attack a Christian who is a bad example to others and who is already deceived and in his grip? He will focus the most on those who are the biggest threats to his desire, to do a power grab from God over the earth realm! Remember: God gave Adam a commission to have His rule over the whole earth (Gen. 1:28), and immediately after that the devil came and convinced both Adam and Eve to disobey God and abandon their posts as God's vice regents over the earth (Gen. 3:1-8).
Since that time Satan has been jealously attempting to protect his control over the earthly realm he stole through subverting Adam, including its systems of government, commerce, media, the arts, science and education. Those who attempt to bring God's influence in these realms will most likely experience some of the highest levels of satanic resistance. The apostle Paul had a messenger from Satan follow him everywhere he went that caused riots and persecutions (2 Cor. 13:1-8), only because he was turning the present world system upside down (Acts 17:7).
So, if you are sold out for God, don't be discouraged when you are attacked or allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that the only reason you are in intense spiritual warfare or tribulation is because you may have missed God. It may be the opposite. You are being targeted because you are hitting the divine bull's eye! This is why Paul admonished believers to stand strong in the Lord: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness in high places" (Ephesians 6:10-13). Notice: Paul said "our struggle" meaning he was including himself in this struggle. Every time there was an open door for ministry he had many adversaries. This is a biblical principle (read 1 Corinthians 16:9).
Do not ever think that just because God is calling you to do something that it will be easy. Jesus did the will of God and He was crucified, and church history tells us Paul was beheaded! It's not how many years we live, but what we do with the years we live that matters!
So, what do we do when we are in a time of spiritual warfare that Paul calls "the day of evil" in Ephesians 6:13? Paul tells us in this passage to be strong in the Lord and to stand firm; in other words, do not quit (Eph. 6:10-13).
The apostle Peter also tells us to resist the devil, standing firm in the faith (1 Pet. 5:9). Peter knows firsthand that faith in God is the key to standing firm in the midst of the day of evil because, when he denied Christ three times, Jesus prayed for him that his "faith" would not fail (Luke 22:31-32).
So, do not be afraid when you are in tribulation, because Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33)!
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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“And the king made silver to be in Yerushalayim as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the Lowland, for abundance.” I Kings 10:27 (The Israel Bible™)
The Knesset Education Committee on Tuesday held the inauguration of “Jerusalem Now & Forever,” a photo exhibition celebrating the 50th year of the reunification of Jerusalem. The exhibition features photos from the renowned “Photographer of Jerusalem,” Sharon Gabay, who captured the beauty, diversity and tolerance of the Holy City. The images are printed on glass, representing the fragility of the holy city in the reality of today’s Middle East.
The images will be displayed at the Knesset over the next two weeks, and then travel around the world in 2017, providing people everywhere with the opportunity to celebrate 50 years of a unified Jerusalem. It will make stops in 50 global cities, landing finally in New York City.
Jesus has always wanted us to be peacemakers. We're going to need the skill even more in the near future. (Getty Images )
Why Messianic Believers—and Christians—Should Diligently Pursue Peace Now
Jesus said to His disciples, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matt. 5:9).
Jesus' beatitude about peacemakers contradicted the first-century zealot impulse that called for taking up armed resistance against Rome. Several of His disciples embraced the zealot ideal. The beatitude about peacemaking attempted to turn their thoughts away from armed revolution.
Jesus calls the peacemakers "sons of God" because, in the Bible, God is called the Oseh Shalom, that is, "the One who makes peace in His heights" (Job 25:2). Peacemakers imitate God, who makes peace above.
The Delitzch Hebrew version of the gospels translates "peacemakers" as "those who pursue peace" on the basis of Psalm 34:14: "Seek peace, and pursue it." A man who pursues peace endeavors to make peace. He does not passively wait for his enemies to be reconciled to him. Instead, he pursues peace like the working man pursues his daily wages. He pursues peace with his enemies and seeks to make peace between a man and his fellow and between a man and his wife. Rabbi Hillel used to say, "Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace."
According to one rabbinic legend, Aaron was called a son of peace, loving peace and pursuing peace, because he was a peacemaker among the sons of Israel, especially between a man and his wife:
"There were thousands in Israel who were called by the name of Aaron, for if not for Aaron, they would not have come into the world. Aaron made peace between husband and wife so that they were reconciled, and they named the child that was born after him" (Avot d'Rabbi Natan).
James, the brother of the Master, says that the peacemaker can be likened to a man who sows his field. He plants peace, but when the crop ripens, he harvests righteousness: "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18). For this reason the writer of the book of Hebrews urges us to "pursue peace with all men" (Heb. 12:14), and Paul tells us, "If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Rom. 12:18).
By making peace on Earth, we bring the world closer to the Messianic Era, when the Prince of Peace will reign. By practicing peace now, we participate in the peace of the coming kingdom, importing the Messianic Era into today's world.
Daniel Thomas Lancaster is a writer, teacher and the director of education at the Messianic ministry of First Fruits of Zion (ffoz.org), an international ministry with offices in Israel, Canada, and USA, bringing Messianic Jewish teaching to Christians and Jews. He is the author of several books about the Jewish roots of Christianity and the Jewishness of the New Testament, and he is the author of the Torah Club Bible study program (torahclub.org). He also serves as the teaching pastor at Beth Immanuel (bethimmanuel.org), a Messianic Jewish synagogue in Hudson, Wisconsin. Daniel can be reached at outreach@ffoz.org.
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!
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.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump had a bit of a “bromance” moment on Twitter yesterday.
Following Israel’s shameful treatment in recent days at the hands of the outgoing Obama Administration, Trump urged the Jewish state to hold strong.
“We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the US…” Trump wrote.
Trump again vowed that once he is in office, things will look very different. “Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!” he posted in reference to his inauguration day later next month.
Less than an hour later, Netanyahu responded:
“President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel!”
Many have speculated that once Trump is in office, these two leaders are likely to see the situation as them against the world.
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This short psalm praises God’s connection to Zion. In order to express the Lord’s love for Jerusalem, the psalmist writes: “The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” The wall surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City, built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538, has several gates in its perimeter. Zion Gate, in Hebrew ‘shaar tzion,’ has the oldest Biblical name, though the Arab name for this gate is ‘David’s Gate,’ referring to the location of David’s tomb. Modern Israeli history also regards Zion gate as quite significant, as it was through this gate that in 1948, the Palmach Brigade of the Israeli army broke into the Old City and released the Jewish quarter from its isolation. The Jordanians, however, re-conquered the Old City in 1948, and Jews were forced to leave the gates of Jerusalem for the next 19 years. It wasn’t until it was re-captured during the 1967 Six Day War that Jews were again able to enter the Old City of Jerusalem. The numerous defeats of the IDF against countless, larger armies reminds us of days long ago when the Maccabees faced an enemy of overwhelming numbers. Despite their size, the Jewish people fought valiantly and with the help of God, triumphed over the Greeks. It's no question that today's men and women in green are carrying on the legacy of the great Judah Maccabee.
The very famous Judah Maccabee once said "Triumph does not depend on the size of the army, for strength comes from heaven". How very true those words are, even now thousands of years later.
Learn about the history, laws and customs of this 8 day holiday. Then take advantage of our menorah sale - up to $50 off plus an additional 8% off your entire order! Happy Hanukkah!
Israeli soldiers light the Hanukkah candles on the fourth night of Hanukkah at the Gush Etzion Junction in the Judea. Just as God assisted the Maccabees to defeat the enemy and defend Israel, the IDF too prays that God will protect them in their quest to guard the Holy Land.
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Thank you for the beautiful inspirational messages and photos of God's Chosen Land. Hope and Pray to visit this Holy Land one day God willing. You are always in our Prayers. God bless and protect Israel/Jerusalem now and forever. Myrna Santiago
