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.
Updating first posting in Israel Daily Picture in preparation for Book 3, Jews and Holy Sites in the Holy Land, Revealed in Early Photographs. The walls of Jerusalem's Old City that we see today were built in 1540 during the days of the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent.
The location and name "Zion Gate" appear on maps dating back to the 12th century. It is one of eight gates in the Old City Wall.
Zion Gate, picture by Bergheim, circa 1867. Today, the walls are pock-marked from
bullets and artillery shells fired during the1948 war in the Jews' attempt to resupply and
relieve the Jewish Quarter besieged by the Jordanian Legion.
Zion Gate (circa 1898) The photo was captioned "Jerusalem"
with no further detail. While the American Colony photographic
department was established in 1898, its founder, Elijah
Meyer, was an active photographer prior to that date.
Expulsion of Jews from the Jewish Quarter in the 1948 War through the Zion Gate (John Philips for Life Magazine)
Located between Mt. Zion and the Jewish and Armenian Quarters, the gate was the setting for fierce fighting during the 1948 war. A small Palmach force, commanded by David "Dado" Elazar (later IDF chief of staff in 1973), attempted to break through the gate on May 1948 to relieve the besieged Jewish Quarter. They were met with stiff resistance by the Jordanian Legion and were forced to withdraw.
On May 28, 1948 the Jewish Quarter surrendered. Jews were expelled through Zion Gate and didn't return until the city of Jerusalem was reunited 19 years later in the June 1967 war.
Jewish men sitting on the ground at the "Wailing Wall" (circa 1935). From the Library of Congress collection.
Tisha B'Av is commemorated today (on the 10th of Av), Sunday July 22, 2018.
The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av -- Tisha B'Av -- is the day in the Hebrew calendar when great calamities befell the Jewish people, including the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem, the fall of the fortress Beitar in the Jewish rebellion against Rome in 136 CE, and the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. The day is commemorated with fasting, prayers and the reading of Lamentations. In Jerusalem, thousands pray at the Kotel, the Western Wall.
The American Colony photographers frequently focused their cameras on the worshipers at the "Wailing Place of the Jews." The Colony founders who came to Jerusalem in 1881 were devout Christians who saw the return of the Jews to the Holy Land as a sign of messianic times.
Of the dozens of pictures at the Kotel there are several of elderly men and women sitting on the ground or on low stools, customs of mourning practiced on Tisha B'Av.
"A Jewish beggar reading at the Wailing Wall" (circa 1920). Note others sitting on the ground. The day is almost certainly Tisha B'Av and he is probably reading the book of Lamentations.
Jews straining to see the Western Wall (circa 1929)
Other pictures presented here show the very narrow and confined area of the Kotel over the ages until Israel's army captured the Old City in 1967 and enlarged the Kotel plaza.
The tragedies that occurred to the Jewish nation are also evident in the pictures of the deserted plaza after Arab pogroms in 1929. The area was deserted, of course, during the 19 years of Jordanian rule of the Old City when Jews were forbidden to pray at the site.
A story is told of Napoleon passing a synagogue and hearing congregants inside mourning. To his question who they are mourning, he was told they were weeping over the destruction of the Jewish Temple 1,800 years earlier. Napoleon responded, according to the legend, "If the Jews are still crying after so many hundreds of years, then I am certain the Temple will one day be rebuilt."
Western Wall deserted in 1929. View looking south.
"Jews' wailing place without mourners. Deserted during 1929 riots." View looking north.
A Jordanian soldier (and policeman in the background) at the Western Wall
one month after Jews were expelled from the Old City's Jewish Quarter
All my life I've heard people make up excuses for missing church. Long before funny memes were invented for social media, absentee churchgoers joked about attending "Bedside Baptist," "Church of the Holy Comforter" or "Church of the Inner Springs" to imply that they decided to sleep in on Sunday morning.
I'm not going to condemn anyone for taking a week off from church if they are overly tired, going on vacation or hosting company. But today we have a growing subset of Christians who have developed a complex theology of church delinquency. They usually rattle off their list of complaints ("the pastor preaches too long," "the music is too loud," "nobody reaches out to me," etc.) and then they claim it's perfectly fine to practice faith solo style.
The biggest reason people drop out of church is they've been hurt by other Christians. One offense spawns another. Resentment grows. And before you know it, they close their hearts to others, burn bridges, build walls and live in isolation.
If you or someone you love has given up on church, I understand your pain. I've had my share of disappointments in church over the years, including some spiritual abuse from leaders. But I want to offer six reasons why you shouldn't let a bad experience end your connection to God's people.
1. The church is Christ's body on earth. With all its flaws, the church is still God's Plan A. Jesus announced before He went to the cross: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). Jesus intends to use the church—even in its weakness—as His primary tool to reach the world with the gospel. Heaven does not have a Plan B. Jesus is the head of his church (see Col. 1:18) and we are His hands and feet. To reject the church is to reject God's ultimate strategy to bring heaven's kingdom on earth.
2. The Holy Spirit has called us to work and flow together. When we were born again and baptized, the Bible says we were mystically unified with all other born-again believers and connected to each other by the Holy Spirit. The Lord also connects people in local congregations. This connection is holy, and we should never make light of it or damage it. Paul told the Ephesians to "preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" by being in close fellowship with each other (Eph. 4:3). To reject this union of believers is to dishonor the work of the Spirit.
3. God accomplishes more through His corporate people than through isolated individuals. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit worked primarily through the nation of Israel, and through individuals who had special callings and remarkable courage. But in the age of the New Covenant, the Spirit dwells in every Christian believer, and the corporate church makes a much bigger impact. This is why Jesus told His disciples after He went to the cross that we would do "greater works" than He did on earth (see John 14:12). And because healthy churches can pool resources and organize volunteers, they are able to offer ministry to children, youth, families, singles, the needy and the lost overseas—in a way you could never do while sitting home alone.
4. God's authority flows through His church, not through "lone ranger" Christians. Some people who've been hurt by church leaders feel they can never submit to another pastor again, nor will they honor a person who is called by God to carry the authority of a minister. Yet God has delegated to certain people the task of building up the church (see Eph. 4:11-12). It's totally acceptable for you to leave an unhealthy church with poor leadership, but you should quickly find a new church where you can be equipped to fulfill your ministry. It was never intended for a Christian to live with a my-way-or-the-highway attitude.
5. It is by living in Christian community that we learn to love and serve. The book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians who were thinking of abandoning their Christian faith because of persecution. Some of them even stopped attending church, but Paul addressed their disillusionment by saying: "And let us consider how to spur one another to love and to good works. Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but let us exhort one another, especially as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:24-25). People who live in isolation find it difficult to develop character, and they often get discouraged; those who walk together in close fellowship inspire each other, and they improve each other just as iron sharpens iron.
6. If you leave the church because of hurt or resentment, you make it more difficult to find healing and reconciliation. It might sound spiritual to say you are pulling away from people to focus on God. But the New Testament says your relationship with God is directly related to how you relate to others. John wrote: "Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark" (1 John 2:9, MSG). People may have hurt you, but God will also use people to heal you. Don't let the hurts of the past paint you into a lonely corner. Choose to forgive. Take a risk and keep loving.
Please don't check out of church or give up on God's flawed saints. There is no perfect church—and if there were, it would not be perfect after you joined! There is a place for you in God's eternal family.
J. Lee Gradywas editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org.
When Jacob was old and on his deathbed, he pronounced prophetic blessings on each of his sons. His next-to-youngest son was Joseph. In Genesis 49:22-24, we read the words Jacob spoke over him:
"Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring, whose branches run over the wall. The archers bitterly attacked him, they shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained firm. His arms were agile because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob" (Gen. 49:22-24b).
The picture Jacob paints of Joseph's future is of a bountiful, thriving, walled-in garden planted next to a well. The garden is so lush branches grow over the wall and reach out into neighboring areas. Jacob mentions the hatred and mistreatment Joseph will encounter, but accurately prophesies Joseph's ability to stay faithful to God through any trial.
In the verses that follow, Joseph is given a mighty blessing from his father. Jacob promises a greater blessing to Joseph than to any of his brothers. Jacob says that because Joseph extended his reach beyond the walls, God will increase Joseph's blessing.
See, Joseph didn't keep the blessing of his garden inside the walls. Instead he reached out to meet the needs of others.
Jacob's prophecy was spot-on. Later, when famine struck Egypt and the surrounding areas, Joseph provided for his brothers who had sold him into slavery. He provided for Potiphar's wife who falsely accused him. He provided for Potiphar who threw him in jail even though he was innocent.
All people would have died in the famine if not for Joseph. Joseph extended his blessing beyond the walls, beyond his confinement, beyond where he was. He cared about people who had nothing to offer him, people who didn't deserve his help. He shared his blessing with people around him.
The well mentioned in this passage of Scripture represents Jesus Christ—the living water. When we find the living water, He changes our lives. Jesus turns our lives around and makes us new. He generously showers us with abundant blessing.
But are we sharing what we have with those beyond these walls? Beyond these walls are people who are lost and don't know Jesus can rescue them. Beyond these walls are people who are hopeless, defeated, afraid and bound. We walk among them every day, but we are often too caught up in our own lives to help.
We have the living water, but we must send a vine beyond the walls.
We can't just come to church week after week, experience the saving power of Jesus, live in His blessing and then keep all of it to ourselves. We must send a vine out to others and share what we have.
One of the last instructions we have from Jesus is to go everywhere and share the gospel with everyone (see Mark 16:15). He didn't say, "Stay put and keep quiet." Jesus expects us to go beyond these walls and share His message and His love.
The joy of living for Jesus is not just going to church. It's when we get so full of the living water that we can't help but share our joy with others.
Today, let's accept the challenge of reaching beyond these walls. Let's make up our minds to share the well of living water with everyone we can, every time we can, in every way we can.
Remember, an increased blessing came to Joseph because he shared what God had blessed him with. I believe God is telling us today that He wants to multiply our blessing, but He is waiting for us to share what we have already been blessed with.
Don't keep Jesus to yourself—reach out beyond these walls!
Pastor Jentezen Franklin is the senior pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church. Each week his television program, Kingdom Connection, is broadcast on major networks all over the world. A New York Times best-selling author, Jentezen has written eight books, including his latest, Love Like You've Never Been Hurt.
"A New Generation and a New Wine" Elaine Tavolacci, Staten Island, NY
From the Desk of Steve Shultz:
I always look forward to reading Elaine Tavolacci's latest "word in season" as they carry true prophetic nuggets from the Lord and carries what is on His heart for the Body in the very moment.
None of you and I mean NONE of you will be left out of this article from Elaine as she shares:
The Lord is raising up a generation in this hour. They are not just the Millennials, but they are also the middle-aged and the elderly who are stoked with the glory of God. They are not satisfied with average Christianity, but they are called to do great exploits. They are called to ignite the churches, to bring revival to the dead in Christ, to rescue those who are lost and do damage to the kingdom of darkness.
Find out how you are a part of the new wine God is pouring out...no matter who you are and what stage in life you are currently at! (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
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Enjoy!
Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News http://www.elijahlist.com
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"A New Generation and a New Wine" Elaine Tavolacci, Staten Island, NY
The Lord is raising up a generation in this hour. They are not just the Millennials, but they are also the middle-aged and the elderly who are stoked with the glory of God. They are not satisfied with average Christianity, but they are called to do great exploits. They are called to ignite the churches, to bring revival to the dead in Christ, to rescue those who are lost and do damage to the kingdom of darkness.
The Holy Spirit is showing me that there is a remnant who are being groomed and polished for a mighty revival. The first miracle that Jesus did was to turn water into wine at the marriage at Cana. There are some churches that are running out of wine and the Lord is about to send Jesus to fill the water pots. He is saving the best wine for last.
"When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)
Being Consumed with His Glory
In the book of Acts chapter two, on the day of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered together in one accord in the upper room. They created an atmosphere with their prayers and worship and "suddenly" there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled the whole room where they were assembled. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. A large crowd gathered and was confused as they heard them speaking in their own language. They were so intoxicated with the new wine that some of the onlookers thought that they were drunk with wine. Peter then stood up with the other eleven apostles and said, "These men are not drunk as you suppose."
In the book of Acts chapter four, Peter and John were thrown into prison because they were speaking about Jesus being resurrected from the dead. A revival broke out in the prison and many were healed. Although Peter and John were threatened and told not to speak in Jesus' name, they were so consumed with His glory that they continued to speak about His miraculous power. They prayed and asked the Lord for boldness to heal, and that signs and wonders would be done through the name of Jesus. As they were praying, the building where they were assembled literally shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.
Another Outpouring is About to Begin
Another outpouring is about to begin. The Lord is raising up men and women who have been through the fire but don't even have a smell of smoke. He is raising up those who were once intoxicated with the things of the world but will now serve up the new wine. They are those who have abandoned their old wineskins and are filled with the new wine. They will bring words of direction and correction and release others into their destiny. He is raising up many prophetic voices throughout the land. They are those in the wilderness declaring the Word of the Lord. He is raising up those who will give glory to God and magnify Jesus in all that they say and do.
"For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days,' says God, 'that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy." (Acts 2:15-18) (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Elaine Tavolacci resides in Staten Island, New York. She has been a student of the Word for twenty-nine years. She has a prophetic gift as well as a ministry of encouragement, which teaches the Body of Christ to walk in the fullness of what the Lord has called them to. She teaches others how to be overcomers in every area of their lives and understands the power and authority that Jesus has assigned to them.
Her ministry, "A Word in Season," has been an encouragement to others for nine years. She has learned the transforming power of the Word of God and encourages others that nothing is impossible with God., Staten Island, NY
Bitterly she weeps in the night, Her cheek wet with tears. There is none to comfort her Of all her friends. All her allies have betrayed her; They have become her foes. Lamentations 1:2 (The Israel Bible™)
בָּכוֹ תִבְכֶּה בַּלַּיְלָה וְדִמְעָתָהּ עַל לֶחֱיָהּ אֵין־לָהּ מְנַחֵם מִכָּל־אֹהֲבֶיהָ כָּל־רֵעֶיהָ בָּגְדוּ בָהּ הָיוּ לָהּ לְאֹיְבִים Hear the verse in Hebrew
ba-KHO tiv-KEH ba-LAI-lah v’-dim-a-TAH AL le-khe-YAH ayn LAH m’-na-KHAYM mi-kol o-ha-VE-ha kol ray-E-ha BA-g’-du VAH ha-YU LAH l’-o-y’-VEEM
Today is the Fast of Tisha B'Av
Today is the Fast of Tisha B'Av. Once a year, on this day, the Jewish People mourn the destruction of the first and second Temples in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). The fact that the temple is no longer in existence means that God's presence is more distant from us that it used to be. For more than twenty-four hours it is forbidden to eat or drink; Jews sit on the floor as an expression of mourning, and recall the events surrounding the destruction by reciting the Book of Lamentation and other prayers of lament. The Book of Lamentations is the text that best expresses out broken hearts as we call out again and again, 'alas' or 'how did this happen?'
I believe we have overlooked and underestimated the awesome power that is hidden in our families. When God created us, He placed us in a family. There is something about a family atmosphere that generates the power for us to subdue the earth and bring His kingdom into the affairs of this world. I believe Satan feared the seed of the woman, for it would have the power to destroy him. He well knew that even our children would contend with him in the gate (see Ps. 127:5). I believe this is why the Lord's desire has always been to "set the deserted [the lonely, widows, orphans and fatherless] in families" (Ps. 68:6a).
The Greatest 'National Treasure' Is in Your House
In the story in 2 Kings 4, Elisha visits a widow with two sons, and she happens to have just a little oil left. Her sons were about to be taken as slaves because of the debt she owed. The government could not help her. So, she comes to Elisha for help. Elisha asked her, "What do you have in the house?" (2 Kings 4:2b). She had looked everywhere for her answer except in her own house. In other words, Elisha was saying to her, "You don't know the awesome miracle power that is in your own house!"
I believe today, many are looking to see what is in the White House that will save our nation. But God is asking His people this hour, "What is in your house? Do you realize the greatest 'national treasure' is in your own house?" I believe that great "national treasure" lies within our family members. Many times, diamonds in the rough are hard to see. The troubles that have come into your family are about to bless you!
'I'm Equipping Families to Take Their Nations!'
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:15c).
I believe as Joshua was declaring to the nation of Israel to choose life or death, he was proclaiming the importance of not only his personal choice, but also his heart for his family.
I sensed Joshua's heart for every father and mother was for them to decree that their families would serve the Lord also. Was he sensing the power that families hold in influencing the whole nation from being destroyed? I sense he believed that if God could save him, God could save his family. And I further sense that he was believing if God could save his family, He could also save the whole nation. He believed that the "national treasure" was in his house!
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your household will be saved" (Acts 16:31).
I sense that we need to decree now more than ever that our whole household shall be saved, and begin to decree over America: "One nation, our nation, under God!" Our Father still has this dream in His heart that not only your family, but a whole nation can be saved in a day.
"Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her sons" (Isa. 66:8).
Could it be, ever since the garden of Eden, that the enemy well knows that families hold the hidden power to destroy his kingdom and deliver whole nations? Is it any wonder why he unleashes hell upon families?
" And it will be that, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions" (Joel 2:28).
I believe this great outpouring was intended for our families first, and God knew nothing else could stop it from going upon all flesh. I even sense that each family member has certain keys for the family's health and deliverance that could ultimately result in the deliverance for our nation. Look again. I believe the answer for our nation is right inside our own houses.
'O America, May I Blow My Breath Into Your Households?'
"I want to blow My breath into the nostrils of every family member, great-grandparents down to the babies in the womb. I am about to make personal house calls in this nation. I am coming 3-D technicolor straight to where you live. There are angels standing at attention with your personal addresses written on them that will be released to set up camp round about your dwelling place, to deliver family members far and near. Houses will be turned into homes."
"May I blow My breath into your households? Prodigals will phone home. Missing children unable to be found for many years will be rescued by the breath of My Spirit! I have been patient in the past with your family members who have resisted Me. I have gently knocked on the door of their houses and hearts. But now I will huff and puff and blow the front door down! I'm coming in!"
The Miracle for Our Nation Is in Our House
I believe God's own shofar is beginning to blow into our households right now, releasing the sounds of salvation, healing, deliverance and the equipping of whole families to take their nations. Receive it now!
Prayer: "Lord, we receive Your breath of life into our families' nostrils to live again. We call each family member a royal priesthood, a chosen generation. We call those things that are not as though they already are. We call them saved, healed and delivered. We call them our 'national treasures.' We are going to accept our family members right where they are and love them unconditionally. We are going to treat them as though they are already saved. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"
Bill Younthas been a member of Bridge of Life in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he is now an elder and a home missionary for the past 40 years. He faithfully served in prison ministry at Mount Hope Inc. for 23 years and now travels full-time, ministering in churches and Aglow circles. He is currently an adviser at large for Aglow International. Bill has authored several prophetic books. His latest book is The Power of Real / Transparent Prophetic Encouragement. His prophetic email list is:billyountweekly.com. Visit Bill's website at billyount.com.
