Monday, April 16, 2018

Israeli School Students Make Stunning Archaeological Finds - Israel Today

Israeli School Students Make Stunning Archaeological Finds

Monday, April 16, 2018 |  Israel Today Staff
Israel is filled with treasures, both spiritual and physical.
Students from local schools recently participated in field trips that saw them helping to excavate areas in northern Israel as part of a new interactive hiking trail providing a picture of Jewish life in the area 2,000 years ago.
The Times of Israel reported that one young student unearthed a 1,400-year-old intact oil lamp featuring a seven-branched menorah.
Another student, Ilai Yonah from Ha-Moshava High School in Zikhron Yaʽakov, stumbled upon an extremely rare gold coin from the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
Yonah and his buddies at first thought that perhaps the archaeologists were having a bit of fun with them, purposefully placing artifacts in their path.
But officials at the site noted they would never so carelessly play with such rare artifacts, and that the discovery of the gold coin was indeed genuine.
PHOTO: Israel is keen to get the younger generations involved in digging up this land's incredible history. (Israel Antiquities Authority/Flash 90)
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Sunday, April 15, 2018

The amazing ties between Ancient Israel and America's Founding Fathers - Israel Video Network

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Israel Then and Now: Prophecy Fulfilled - CBN News


Israelis Celebrating Jerusalem Day, Photo, CBN News
Israel Then and Now: Prophecy Fulfilled
CBN News 04-11-2018
JERUSALEM, Israel – Nearly 3,000 years ago, Hebrew prophets wrote of how the land of Israel 
would be transformed. Now, a new book shows remarkable and even prophetic changes in the 
70 years since the rebirth of Israel as a modern nation-state.

On a visit to Israel 150 years ago, famed author Mark Twain described it as a "desolate country" 
and a "silent and mournful expanse."

"He talked about in the Jezreel Valley [where] you could walk 10 miles in any direction and not 
see a single person," author Doug Hershey told CBN News.


Doug Hershey
"So one of the towns we did photography was of a small town of Afula, which was really off the 
map as far as many westerners were concerned, but it was established in the early 1900s, so 50
 [to] 60 years after Mark Twain, there's a small settlement. Today it's a booming Israeli city that 
we've been able to match, you know, some side-by-side perfect photography with it."

Hershey and his team chose 200 photographs of Israel from the 1880s to the 1940s. In his new book, 
Israel Rising: The Land of Israel Reawakens," Hershey chronicles the changes that time span 
until today.


Tiberias 1909


Tiberias 2018

"That's been part of the joy. We have these old photos, photos of Tel Aviv of less than a hundred 
years ago – of shacks on sand dunes with camel caravans on the beach. Compare it to the same 
angle today, it's just stunning," he said.

The book follows the prophet Ezekiel's promise in chapter 36, verse 8, where he declares, "But you, 
O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, 
for they are about to come."



"We think of prophecy being to kings or people or nations," Hershey continued. "But he [is] 
prophesying to the land when Israel returns as a nation – branches will put forth fruit, waste 
cities will be rebuilt, the people, people and beasts will be multiplied on the land [and] the land 
will be cultivated and sown."

The book's side-by-side photos show the transformation. There's one of Jerusalem near the 
King David Hotel in the 1930s and the same view today.

Another pair shows Hebrew University Mount Scopus in 1925 and what it looks like now. From 
the northern port city of Haifa to Beersheva in the south, Hershey says the pictures show the 
prophets' words coming alive.


Hebrew University Mt. Scopus 1925 -1945


Hebrew University Mt. Scopus 2016

'It's Happening Right Now'

"We're living in a really profound time in history. We're living in a time where 26 [to] 2,700-year-old 
prophecies from Isaiah and Ezekiel and Jeremiah, they've been lying dormant for about that long 
and many of them are coming to pass," he said. "The most repeated promise in the scriptures is 
that God will bring His people back to the land and when they do, there's going to be these 
dramatic changes and we're seeing those."

Hershey says the land itself seemed to be waiting for its ancient people to return.

"To me, it's one of the most profound things here, this land has been conquered 15, 20 different times; 
it never becomes a homeland for any other people group and the land would never produce for any 
other people group and Israel moves back in and suddenly the vast desert wastelands are producing 
flowers, they're producing fruit," he said. "Isaiah 27 talks about how that when Israel returns, Jacob 
will take up root and fill the earth with fruit. And for many centuries believers would read that and 
look at that as allegorical or spiritual, but as we're finding today, it's very literal. It's happening 
right now."



Hershey says the book provides a visual opportunity for those who have never visited Israel, and 
it's also struck a chord with the younger generations.

"Most millennials are ready for something real, they want to see something practical, as far as 
much of perhaps theological Christianity they've been raised on more ideas, they're ready for 
something solid, they're ready for real," he said. "So even now when I speak in the States, I'll 
have questions about theology or questions about the Land and usually my answer revolves 
around 'let me show you, come with me to Israel, I'll show you myself.'"

As Israel prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary, Hershey sees a miracle.

"Absolutely. I mean, Israel is the time clock as many people have heard and have said and I believe
 that as well," he said. "There's so much that is happening here in a very short amount of time and 
to me it's one of the most profound miracles of our day." 

Christian Teen Ruthlessly Bullied by Popular YouTuber Because She loves Jesus - Will Maule, Faithwire

Christian Teen Ruthlessly Bullied by Popular YouTuber Because She loves Jesus
04-12-2018
You’d be forgiven for never having heard of YouTuber Cinnamon Toast Ken. According to YouTube.Wikia, he’s risen to internet fame by uploading gaming videos. He has also (somehow) managed to garner over 3 million followers on Twitter, despite posting some despicable cyberbullying videos, including one mocking a teen girl because of her love for Jesus.
In one video titled, “Crazy Girl Obsessed With Jesus,” Ken relentlessly picks on Christian YouTuber Emma Mae Jenkins, mocking her appearance and scoffing at her religious convictions.
Endure the painfully unfunny 11-minute clip and you will come away wondering why anyone would subscribe to viewing such crass, insensitive and uninspired content. Despite this, however, YouTube has yet to shut it down. (CBN News decided against posting the video).
In one of her video blogs, Emma Mae Jenkins explained her morning routine, which consists of prayer and worship.
“I do this because in Mark 1:35, it says that ‘Jesus, waking up very early in the morning, he went to a very quiet place, and there he prayed.’ Jesus lived in such a way that we are called to live as he did,” she says, which incidentally is some pretty solid advice.
Cinnamon Toast Ken later posted his own commentary on the video, saying that he agrees we should live like Jesus before immediately contradicting himself and mocking faith.
“It’s true. Someone find me a cross,” he joked. “I think I’m almost at the age where I need to be crucified.”
Then Ken and his friends got personal, joking about Emma’s physical appearance.
“Not to hate on Emma, but the first thing she needs to ask Jesus for is some eyebrows,” Ken snarled, as the group burst out in hysterical laughter.
Then, an even more ridiculous comment is made as some sort of pacifying qualifier to the assault they are about to make on this young girl:
“I live in the deep south,” he said. “Through extension and things, we are religious ourselves.”
If that is true, it makes this utterly pointless and cruel attack even more disturbing. While none of us our perfect, it should not be difficult to avoid an unprovoked personal assault on a perfectly innocent bystander. Without any self-awareness, they continued with the bombardment of abuse, as the group scoffs at Jenkins and mocks the sincerity of her faith.
Many were rightly angered by the unfunny commentary. Pastor Jarrid Wilson is among those who have urged YouTube to take action over the video.
“I cannot believe this. Absolutely ridiculous!” one person replied to Wilson’s tweet. “She is an amazing woman!! She is stronger than ever!! Her love for God is inspiring!!” another added.
Jenkins, who has produced several videos encouraging teens in their walk with Christ, is no stranger to being bullied for her zealous devotion to the Lord. Pastor Wilson recently invited Emma onto his podcast to discuss the issue of cyberbullying and gain some insight from her about how she keeps being faithful to Jesus despite such fierce opposition.
“God will place you where he entrusts you with His name. I fully believe that I have been given the opportunity to be living in a  generation where we have Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat – all these ways we have to pour into people we are not even with.”
Emma then reeled off some brilliant scripture – Acts 20:24 – “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News.”
“If I use my social media just to post pictures of myself and see how many likes I get, then I’ve completely missed the point,” Emma added. “Amen Emma!” Jarrid agreed.
When Wilson quizzed Jenkins about the type of comments she receives on her social media platforms, Emma said it was very much “a wide range” of thing – both positive and negative.
“I’ve read that my singing makes their ears bleed. I’ve read that they wish that I was dead,” she explained. “That my Jesus is fake and that I’m not using my platform wisely. I’ve been told that I’m ugly. I’ve heard words that I didn’t even know those words existed.”
She continued, “if I didn’t get made fun of and persecuted for my faith then I would be questioning my walk. Jesus said that if others hate you, if the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. That comes with the beauty of being his because he is different.”
With that being said, Emma admitted that the horrendous online abuse can, at times, be incredibly difficult to deal with as a teenager.
“I am human and words are powerful,” Emma explained. “You either have the power to speak life or speak death over someone. To receive those words that I’m not pretty, and that I’m not here for a reason, or that I need to not live anymore. Especially being a girl too with insecurities. Satan will definitely use that and highlight it. I will sometimes take a second look in the mirror.”
So how does she battle against these atrocious words? With the living word of God. “That’s when it becomes so important that I have God’s word so deeply ingrained in who I am – because that’s not true,” she explained. “It is so crucial to have God’s word everywhere. Have it engraved upon your heart.”
Emma reminds us that such vile words are from the “the enemy that is the Father of lies,” but that she is “a daughter of the father of truth.”
“It’s knowing, OK, this is who I am. I am not defined by what the world says, I am defined by what God’s word says.”
For every lie that is spoken about her, Emma arms herself with a relevant scripture. Then, she boldly declares this truth over her life, knowing that it speaks louder than hateful words that have been recklessly typed out on Instagram.
“Emma would school me in a scripture memorization game,” laughed Wilson. “This girl is a walking Bible.”
We should encourage Emma for her courage, her boldness and her awesome witness in the face of such despicable persecution. Make sure you add this sweet young woman of faith to your prayers!
And make sure to reach out to YouTube and request this cyberbullying video be taken down immediately. Remove the video and take a stand against anti-religious harassment.

Church Hurt: What to Do When Christians Use, Abuse and Accuse You - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA NEWS

Church hurt. Heard of it?
I've been burned in churches. I've faced spiritual abuse. I've wanted to run away and never step foot in a church again. But that's not the answer. Church hurt can make you a bitter Christian, or it can make you a better Christian.
In this video, I speak from my heart. It gets real and raw and offers hope for the hurting. You can get healed from church hurt. I did.
Jennifer LeClaire is senior leader of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founder of the Ignite Network and founder of the Awakening Blaze prayer movement. She is author of over 25 books. Find her online at jenniferleclaire.org or email her at info@jenniferleclaire.org.
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