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.
Thursday, February 14, 2019 | David Lazarus Israel Today
For the Prophet Ezekiel, Israel is “the most beautiful of all lands” (Chap. 20:6). Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Israel’s love of her ancient homeland is not without reason.
For those of us lucky enough to be in Israel during the peak wildflower season of mid-February to late March, right now is the time to take a walk anywhere in the Land and enjoy Israel’s brilliant scenery. For the rest of us, we hope a few pictures might just whet your appetite to come over and see for yourselves!
Israel is home to hundreds of species of wildflowers and the plant life are now awakening as spring approaches. Almond trees are the first to bloom each year, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shvat — the New Year for Trees — which fell already on January 21st this year.
Jesus himself took time to appreciate the unique beauty of the Promised Land and commanded his disciples to do the same.
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Luke 12:27).
Zachi Evenor / Wiki Commons
Anat Hermony / Flash90
Anat Hermony / Flash90
Nati Shohat / Flash90
Yossi Zamir / Flash90
Nati Shohat / Flash90
Want more news from Israel? Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
Israelis Respond to Christian Warning that Saudis Might Destroy Mount Sinai
Tuesday, February 12, 2019 | Israel Today Staff
Israeli media on Tuesday picked up on the recent claim by Christian researchers that the real Mount Sinai is in Saudi Arabia, and that the Saudi authorities might soon bulldoze the holy mountain to prevent what they call "idolatrous" attention.
The Doubting Thomas Research Foundation has for years been trying to prove that the biblical Red Sea crossing took place between the Sinai Peninsula and what is now Saudi Arabia, and that the real Mount Sinai is located in the oil-rich kingdom at a site known as Jabal al-Lawz.
In a recently-published video clip (see below), the group's director, Ryan Mauro, is seen secretly visiting Jabal al-Lawz before being chased away by locals.
Mauro claims that the Saudi regime knows that the mountain in question is the biblical Mount Sinai, and is doing all it can to keep that fact from going public. A local jihadi who he interviewed in the video seemed to agree.
"When I was in the jihad world we all knew that the Mount Sinai was in Saudi Arabia," the jihadi says while speaking through a voice changer with his face hidden. "The people on the outside had no idea that it was there," he added. "We fighters didn’t want anyone to know about it, and we knew the Saudi government hid it and protected it with security and we all agreed with it."
Should those efforts to keep the location of what he insists is the real Mount Sinai fail, Mauro worries that Saudi Arabia could demolish one of the Bible's most well-known holy sites.
Reactions to the story on the Israeli news portal Walla! ranged from outrage that these Christians thought they knew better than Jewish sources, to disdain for all who think the Exodus as recording in the Bible is even real.
A poll posted at the end of the Walla! article found that 83 percent of respondents believe the Exodus from Egypt really happened, though some aren't sure it happened how it's recorded in the Bible. Eleven percent of respondents to the poll said the Exodus is a fairytale, which was the position taken by what appeared to be a majority of those who bothered to leave a comment.
Want more news from Israel? Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
If you're on the frontlines of the culture wars, it's easy to get discouraged. (Photo by Chuanchai Pundej on Unsplash)
If you're on the frontlines of the culture wars, it's easy to get discouraged. Why bother? Why try to bail water from a sinking ship? Why make an effort to stop, let alone reverse the irreversible? But to have that attitude is to misunderstand our role. It is at times like these we are most needed.
Think of it like a fire for a fireman. Or a critically injured patient for an emergency room doctor. This is when they spring into action.
And today, when it seems like our culture is suffering from corporate delusion, our voice of sanity and clarity and morality is all the more needed.
Just consider these recent headlines (from America and abroad):
The first article tells the unbelievable, yet true, story of Kate Scottow, who says she was "arrested in my home by three officers, with my autistic 10-year-old daughter and breastfed 20-month-old son present. I was then detained for seven hours in a cell with no sanitary products (which I said I needed) before being interviewed then later released under investigation."
What was her crime?
She explains, "I was arrested for harassment and malicious communications because I called someone out and misgendered them on Twitter."
Can you imagine this? You're home with your kids when the police come to your door, arresting you and detaining you because you identified a biological male as a male in a social media comment.
For years we have used the phrase "the diversity police" in a metaphorical sense. In the case of Kate Scottow, it was literal.
What is coming next?
The second article tells another unbelievable, yet true, story, this one from here in the States. Ironically, this time it is a feminist who is being punished, but for a similar crime.
Back in November, she tweeted, "Men are not women. How are transwomen not men? What is the difference between men and transwomen?"
As a result of daring to challenge today's transanity, she was permanently banned from Twitter. Now, with her lawyers, she is fighting back.
And for good reason. Twitter's actions are both ridiculous and unconscionable. Pushing back is the only logical choice, especially when you're defending the simple statement that "men are not women."
Whole books are now being written by feminists, some of them quite radically to the left, protesting against biological men who claim they are women and warning about "female erasure."
They have every reason to speak out.
The third article pushes credulity one step farther.
Not only is yet another library hosting a drag queen reading hour for toddlers, but this time, the drag queen goes by the name "Annie Christ."
According to the library director Tom Meyer, "There's definitely more complaints about this than any other event we've done. But the amount of support for having it is also overwhelming."
Enough said.
The fourth article blasts USA Powerlifting for banning biological males from competing against women, recognizing the unfair advantage they have. (If you're unsure about this, just look at a picture from a weightlifting event in Australia. Is there anything unusual about the "female" winner?)
Yes, USA Powerlifting is being "unscientific" for saying that a biological male who is naturally much bigger and stronger than a female, regardless of what hormones he is taking, has an unfair advantage against women. How unscientific indeed.
But let's be honest.
These are just four headlines out of 400. Or 4,000. The list could be multiplied almost to infinity.
How can we possibly think of stopping the flood, let alone turning the tide?
To repeat: This is why we are here. This is why we do what we do.
The darker it is, the more we shine the light.
The crazier it is, the more we speak the truth.
The slipperier it is, the more we stand firm.
What else can we do?
The less we stand up and speak up, the quicker we lose our own rights.
The less we raise our voices, the quicker our kids and grandkids will lose theirs.
Do we really have a choice?
But let's not take our stand with despair, as if we are Custer's army about to be slaughtered.
Not at all.
I have the firm, biblically based conviction that light is more powerful than darkness and truth than lies.
I have the firm, biblically based conviction that God's ways will triumph in the end.
I have the firm, biblically based conviction that we will reap what we sow, which means we set the course for our own future by how we live today.
It is even possible that a massive, spiritual and cultural awakening is at the door.
And since we've been warning for years that such unhinged days would be upon us, we can now shout all the more, "We told you so! And we also told you how to respond. It's time to take our stand!"
I would encourage you, then, to take these crazy times as a divine invitation to action. Come join us on the front lines today.
We reach out to all with compassion, and we resist destructive agendas with courage.
Great Resources to help you excel in 2019! #1 John Eckhardt's "Prayers That..." 6-Book Bundle. Prayer helps you overcome anything life throws at you. Get a FREE Bonus with this bundle. #2 Learn to walk in the fullness of your purpose and destiny by living each day with Holy Spirit. Buy a set of Life in the Spirit, get a second set FREE.
“Catch the foxes for us, yes, the little foxes! They are ruining the vineyards when our vineyards are in bloom!” (Song of Songs 2:15, Complete Jewish Bible)
It’s the little things, right? Those small words or actions that at times we may overlook, allowing them to slide off our back or pushed aside as meaningless, but at other times they hit you with that thought, “Who does she think she is?”, or “You know, he always does that to me, and I am tired of it.”
As a society we have become so easily offended, having thin skin, and thus we let little things get under it. One word or action directed our way, not taken right, can set us off. If something is spoken or done to you one more time, the scale is tipped. Those little foxes have caught us off guard, and we let the offense come.
It has happened to me. It has happened to you. Right?
In the past few days, I got smacked twice by this. Usually, it comes by someone close, and you take the word or action wrong. You may expect these things to occur from others, but when a family or friend’s actions don’t quite line up with your expectations, it strikes and can wound the spirit and soul. And rather than let it go (“Let it go, let it go…”) you react, and most likely strike back.
Sometimes it was never meant as an offense by the other, but because of who you or, how you were raised, or what has happened in the past by another, you take it to heart, and get offended.
We know the devil hates us, or at least we should. We must know that the spirit of offense will attack, looking to stir up trouble and get us off our straight and narrow. At times the little foxes cause no problem, darting back and forth, as we maintain our alertness to their schemes. But at other times they can ruin a day, week, or even longer. We get hit by an offense and it knocks us off course.
Relationships, even the ones that are strong and bullet-proof, are hit by this spirit at any time. If we are caught unaware, the effect of the attack can be long-lasting. If we walk in forgiveness, we can overcome the hit and move on. If we don’t, it may ruin our “sweet wine” of friendship in the vineyard of life. We must not let the foxes, the little ones, get to us. Otherwise, the hit can be the start of a small, downward spiral, possibly ending in broken ties. We must continually be on our guard. The strengthening bonds of our relationships, as we are being knit together in fellowship, must be strong enough to hold off the attacks that come our way.
There is a reason we are told in Scriptures to put on the armor of the Lord which He provides. It is because we need it. It will if worn properly, protect us daily.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:11-18, NKJV)
Don’t let the little foxes outsmart you. We wise. Be alert. Know that we have a target on our back, as the enemy of our soul seeks to strike and divide us. We must not let that happen.
If you get hit, and most likely you will, be prepared to walk in forgiveness so you can keep moving on. There is too much at stake in our lives and those around us to let the little things stop us from loving and letting His life flow in and through us.
Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.
By the way, if these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$120 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
Please donate online safely through our website. Click here: DONATE
