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.
Seth Clark, an eighth-grade salutatorian from Akin, Illinois, wasn't allowed to give his speech. Akin Grade School wouldn't let him give it because it contained the word "God," Bible verses, and Clark's confession of his Christian faith.
Becky Clark, Seth's mother, said the speech had been "on his heart."
The school made the decision after receiving a complaint.
"While students are welcome to pray or pursue their faith without disrupting school or infringing upon the rights of others, the United States Constitution prohibits the school district from incorporating such activities as part of school-sponsored events and when the context causes a captive audience to listen or compels other students to participate," the school's Superintendent Kelly Clark told the Benton Evening News.
"As a public school, it is our duty to educate students, regardless of how different they or their beliefs may be," she said.
Clark still found a way to give the speech, but it was at a family friend's house across the street from the school.
He used the majority of it to give God glory and thanks.
"I'd like to thank God for all the amazing people and experiences I've had in life. He's placed so many friends in my life and an amazing family," said Clark.
"He's forgiven me when I sin and fail to follow Jesus. There is so much God has done for me that I haven't mentioned… I am far from perfect, but as quoted in 1 Peter 16, 'Be holy as I am holy.'"
"This is what I strive for: to be holy as God is holy. But, because I am human, I have failed and will fail against others. This is why I apologize," he added.
"He is more courageous at the age of 13 than I am at the age of 43," said Becky Clark. "It was the proudest moment of my life."
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Israelis celebrate as they hold the Israeli flag during a parade marking Jerusalem Day, the day in the Jewish calendar when Israel captured East Jerusalem and the Old City from Jordan during the 1967 Middle East War, as they enter Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 24, 2017. (Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
Last Week We Saw This Scriptural Prophecy Fulfilled in Jerusalem
Last week we celebrated "Jerusalem Day," commemorating the recapture of Jerusalem in 1967. The name "Jerusalem Day" is taken from Psalm 137:7.
Our dear friend Hanoch Maoz shared again his story with us. He was in the squad that blew up the closed Zion's Gate as the troops entered the Old City to the Western Wall. Seeing the supernatural protection on his life with bullets flying, fellow-soldiers dying and bombs exploding, was part of what brought him to faith.
Hanoch mentioned that after the War, he noticed how the following verse had been literally fulfilled in his life. "Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:2). We told him, "Yeah, it just didn't say you'd have to blow up the gate on the way."
Jerusalem Day is a fulfillment of God's promises to King David 3,000 years ago; and a fulfillment of Yeshua's prophecy 2,000 years ago, that Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles "until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). If God would be faithful to fulfill these promises after 2,000 to 3,000 years and seemingly impossible situations, we can be sure all the rest of the prophecies will be fulfilled as well.
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Pastor Jim, with special guest John Shorey, discusses the troubling times we live in and the church’s role during the times of trouble ahead and the end of days.
Quotes
We’re hated in the United States of America because we’ve stood up to not murder babies. We’ve stood up for the gospel. We have stood up for the cross. -Jim Bakker
The message of the Lord’s coming will save people it won’t scare them away. We need the divine warning of the word of God. -John Shorey
Scripture
2 Thessalonians 3:10 MEV For when we were with you, we commanded you that if any will not work, neither shall he eat.
Romans 13:1 MEV Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God.
Revelation 14:10 MEV He too shall [have to] drink of the wine of God’s indignation and wrath, poured undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
1 Corinthians 1:27 AMPC [No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.
Revelation 17:5 MEV On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Revelation 18:24 MEV And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Revelation 17:16 NIV And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will [be the very ones to] hate the harlot (the idolatrous woman); they will make her cheerless (bereaved, desolate), and they will strip her and eat up her flesh and utterly consume her with fire.
Revelation 18:21 NIV Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violencethe great city of Babylon will be thrown down,never to be found again.
Revelation 19:1-3 NIV After this I heard what sounded like a mighty shout of a great crowd in heaven, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! Salvation and glory (splendor and majesty) and power (dominion and authority) [belong] to our God! Because His judgments (His condemnation and punishment, His sentences of doom) are true and sound and just and upright. He has judged (convicted, pronounced sentence, and doomed) the great and notorious harlot (idolatress) who corrupted and demoralized and poisoned the earth with her lewdness and adultery (idolatry). And He has avenged (visited on her the penalty for) the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they shouted, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! The smoke of her [burning] shall continue to ascend forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities).
Jude 1:22-23 MEV And have mercy on those who doubt, and save others bysnatching them from the fire, and have mercy on others with fear, hating even the tunic stained by the flesh.
Luke 21:25-26 KJV And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Matthew 24:7-10 MEV For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.10 Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another.
Matthew 24:3 MEV As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:12 KJV And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Pastor Jim and Lori Bakker discuss prophecies and signs of the end times. With special guests, Tom Horn, Donna Howell, Doctor Larry Spargimino, and Josh Peck. Quotes Every awakening begins literally outside of the organized institution, and this one will be the same way. - Tom Horn We’ve been given a…
JERUSALEM, Israel – The capture of Jerusalem's Temple Mount 50 years ago sent shockwaves throughout the Jewish world. It also raised hopes for the building of the third temple.
On June 7, 1967, Israeli Brigade Commander Col. Motta Gur made an announcement that Jews had waited to hear for some 2,000 years.
"The Temple Mount is in our hands! The Temple Mount is in our hands!" he declared.
Retaking this ground was important for a number of reasons. For one, it's where King Solomon built the first Jewish temple. After the Babylonians destroyed it, Zerubbabel (the head of the tribe of Judah when the Israelites returned from the Babylonian exile) laid the foundation stone for a second temple that was later expanded by King Herod. That temple fell in 70 AD at the hands of the Romans.
When Commander Gur declared the Temple Mount was back in Jewish hands, it rekindled hope for a long-awaited Third Temple.
"The Six-Day War was a miracle of biblical proportions and was a cataclysmic opening of a new era for Israel and the whole world," Rabbi Chaim Richman told CBN News.
Rabbi Richman, director of the International Department at The Temple Institute, is dedicated to rebuilding the Jewish temple. He sees the time since the Six-Day War as a prophetic shift.
"It would be hard, I think, not to see what's happened in the past 50 years as a tremendous – not just fulfillment of prophecy – but a tremendous jump start, a tremendous fast forward," Richman said. "It's more than prophetic. It's like a kiss from Heaven. It's like a divine kiss. It's like an intimate brush with the reality of God's compassion and love. He keeps His promises."
The Institute shares a key connection to the battle for Jerusalem. Its founder, Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, served with the 55th Paratroopers Brigade that captured the Temple Mount. After the victory, a Jordanian guide gave them a remarkable tour.
"His job was to carry the company machine gun," Richman explained. "There's a very beautiful photograph of that. He actually – the first night of the liberation of Jerusalem – he was given the task of guarding over the spot of the Dome of the Rock, which of course is where is the Holy of Holies.
"The story, though, that he told us is that the soldiers were on the Temple Mount and it was just like the first hour or so. And they were approached by a Jordanian fellow in Western dress who explained that he was the official tour guide for the Jordanian parliament and he offered to take the soldiers and to show them the sites on the Temple Mount.
"He takes the soldiers, you know, and the rabbi there and he says, 'well this is exactly where the sanctuary stood. This is where the altar stood and then this is where the Menorah stood.'
"He tells them all these things about the history of the Holy Temple … Finally, the rabbi asked him, 'why are you telling us all this?' And he said, 'well, we have tradition from our fathers [and] they from their fathers that one day the Jews would wage a war and conquer this mountain and rebuild the Holy Temple, and I assume that you're starting tomorrow. I want this to be my part, my part in helping you,'" he said, according to Rabbi Richman.
"What was their reaction to that story?" CBN News asked Richman. "Well, I guess they were pretty surprised, but the bottom line is in hindsight; it doesn't look like we were ready."
Now, 50 years later, that's changed with the Temple Institute preparing blueprints and gathering official temple elements such as the priestly garments. Richman is also dispelling myths about the temple on today's digital loudspeaker: YouTube.
All of this means, talk of rebuilding the temple is no longer considered a fringe idea.
"Today there's a lobby in the Knesset of how many members of Knesset that are constantly speaking about Jewish rights to pray on the Temple Mount," Richman continued. "There are members of Knesset that actually talk about the rebuilding the Holy Temple. Do you realize that 20 years ago these people wouldn't have been given a moment on prime time television to say these things. They would have been laughed out.
One of those Knesset members is Rabbi Yehuda Glick.
"So a few years ago this was considered fringe – zealots, lunatics, peculiar. Today it's mainstream. Ten years ago, there was not a single member of Knesset who ascended the Temple Mount," Glick told CBN News. "Today we have 20 Knesset members who are interested in ascending Temple Mount, praying on Temple Mount and are part of the redemption of the Temple Mount and bringing the Temple Mount back into the center of the next step in the redemption process."
Richman sees the temple through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah who wrote 3,000 years ago that God's house would be called a house of prayer for all nations
"Even them I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 66:7)
"It means there's a God in the world and that the best is yet to come – and that we are so connected to Him and to each other and to that purpose and to all humanity and it's just a wonderful privilege to be with you today looking out over Jerusalem and to realize that we're living in probably the most important time in history," he continued.
"If you believe in the God of Israel and you see His hand on His people and you understand the tremendous changes that have gone on over the years, you see that the One who brought us this far isn't finished and will keep His promises."
In October 2014, an Arab resident of Jerusalem shot Glick at point blank range, nearly killing him. The would-be assassin fled to a predominately Arab neighborhood of Silwan, where he was killed after opening fire on Israeli forces. Glick spent nearly a year in the hospital, sustained by his strong faith. He eventually regained full health.
We'd like to ask for your help. At CBN News, we strive to bring you the most current, pertinent and reliable news possible. We are able to bring you this important news from a Christian perspective because of the help of friends like you who know how vital it is to have an alternative to the news you hear from major media outlets.
Would you help ensure that we can continue to provide this important service to you and our country by considering a special gift today? Or would you become a monthly partner so we know we can count on the resources we need to bring you the best news possible?
Thanks for being a part of the dynamic future of CBN News, as well as helping The Christian Broadcasting Network share the love of Jesus with hurting people everywhere.
It's important to recognize that the battle often begins in the mind. (Pexels)
This Prophetic Promise Banishes Fear and Anxiety
When emotions overwhelm you, do you feel like you want to forget everything and run (F.E.A.R.)? Learn how to take authority over your emotions from my guest, author and speaker Jennifer Kostick.
Jennifer teaches women how to activate their life purpose through the study of Scripture.
1. What are your favorite Scriptures that help you manage your emotions and why?
Joshua 1:9 is my go-to Scripture. " Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
I spent all of my 20s and half of my 30s battling depression from recurrent miscarriage and secondary infertility. Those were some of the darkest days of my life.
It was early summer, 1990-something, when I was asked to volunteer for a Vacation Bible School program. I remember walking into the back of a church hoping no one would notice me.
When the event started, the worship team played a jingle they wrote to help the children memorize their Bible verse. It was Joshua 1:9.
I felt the Lord speak to me in that moment; those were my words to hold tightly. I've never let them go.
2. What are three of your best tips to help others manage their emotions in godly ways?
Recently, I heard author Ann Voskamp say something extremely wise on a podcast interview.
She pointed out that in the word emotion is the word motion, and that motion is meant to move us toward God. Now, that's something to chew on!
Here's the thing: many of us are afraid of emotion because of the temptation it brings to run in the wrong direction, but it doesn't have to be that way.
We are meant to be emotional people. However, we have to carefully weigh our feelings/emotions because they tend to lie if we let them. What we feel must be based on truth.
Here are my three strategies to manage emotions well:
A. Pray and pray a lot.
I realize this might seem cliche,, but I don't believe a person can ever talk to God enough. It doesn't have to be in a formal setting, down on our knees, but it does need to be honest and from the heart.
Whether it's in the car with a bunch of screaming kids or in the shower trying to wash the day away, confide in Jesus what you are feeling and trust Him to give you wisdom in how you are processing emotion. A dose of conviction is healthy.
I always search my own heart first, regardless of the situation. Change begins with me.
B. Challenge negative assumptions with truth.
It's important to recognize that the battle often begins in the mind. It's so easy to open the door to destruction by making negative assumptions in our heads based on how we might be feeling about a specific person or situation.
Don't allow your mind to get the best of you! Challenge those negative assumptions with truth from the Word of God.
C. Let go of fear.
The one command that God gives us most often is "Do not fear." In fact, we can find it somewhere around 365 times in the Bible. That is one reminder for each day of the year.
We must learn that fear can, and will, harm our ability to maintain healthy emotions. We need to ask ourselves when dealing with difficulty or making daily decisions, if we are acting out of fear.
If we are, that will clearly move us in a direction we shouldn't be moving. There's nothing easy about this, but we must take authority over fear.
3. What sabotaging thoughts (lies) do believers need to release that keep them in bondage to negative emotions?
The battle of our minds is relentless if we don't figure out how to let Jesus take over.
In my own life, doubt can be paralyzing. It can overwhelm me to the point of drowning if I allow it. First, we need to realize that on our own we can do nothing, but with Christ we can do all things. He can do the unimaginable.
The unimaginable is taking a person and changing their heart, healing their mind and giving them freedom with no strings attached. That's our Jesus. That is what He does!
And, second, we must have faith in His ability to use us. When we doubt what He can do, we are counting ourselves out.
We often trick ourselves into believing that we are full of faith in Him, but at the same time we don't believe He can use us.
We disguise that thinking under the label of humility, but God is saying, "Hey, before you were born I knew you. I set you apart! I made you for this moment and you need to act on it! NOW!" (Jer. 1:5, author's paraphrase).
We cannot walk in faith and freedom if we doubt His ability to use us for the good of His kingdom. James, the half-brother of Jesus, preaches hard about this.
4. What are some things believers can do at the "moment of decision" when they are tempted to practice destructive behavior when emotionally upset?
Listen, time-outs aren't just for little kids. When temptation comes, take a time out. Think things through; compare your emotions with the truth of God's word and ask yourself if the two match.
The Holy Spirit will always convict. Will you allow yourself to hear His voice? Give yourself a moment to breathe. Remember that you need to move towards God and not away from Him. He will meet you there.
Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God's healing power to end binge-eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.
Charisma's Special Anointing Bundle. Get Charisma magazine plus these 2 Books - The Deborah Anointing & The Esther Anointing for only $24.97. Subscribe Now!
Hearing God's voice changes everything. You'll gain clarity, purpose and direction for your life. Start your journey to live your Life in the Spirit. Click here to draw closer to God!
