Israel's History - a Picture a Day

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Press Release 1 Millionth Visitor Arrives Next Week on Israel Daily Picture Posted: 25 Oct 2013 03:06 AM PDT The Western Wall, 1859 For Immediate Release Jerusalem -- Israel Daily Picture (IDP), an online album of antique photographs of the Holy Land, will reach a historic milestone this week when its millionth visitor arrives on the site,www.israeldailypicture.com.  Austrian troops, Turkey's allies, marching into Jerusalem, World War I IDP was first launched in 2011 and has now published more than 350 historic essays containing more than 1,000 antique pictures taken between the 1850s and 1946.  We present samples of the photos on this page. The pictures were digitalized and posted to websites in recent years by the U.S. Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Emory University, Harvard, the University of Dundee Medical Archives, and others.  In recent months, private individuals have also shared with IDP their private albums and family collections.  Jews fleeing Arab pogrom in Jerusalem's Old City, 1929  "There's an important, almost secret, message in many of these antique photographs," reveals IDP's founder and publisher, Lenny Ben-David.  "The pictures show Jewish life in the Holy Land throughout the last 160 years -- since the invention of photography -- well before the founding of Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel. Jews were always in Eretz Yisrael even after the fall of the Jewish Temple in 70 CE, and here is visual proof." Jewish children in Ben-Shemen (circa 1920) "Most of the photos were taken by the American Colony photographers who began their work in the late 19th century. Among their goals was to seek out and  photograph Jews in Jerusalem and in the countryside," Ben-David explained. "The return of Jews to Palestine was seen by the Christian photographers in messianic terms. A recent exhibition and book by today's American Colony Hotel proprietors, however, virtually ignored the Jewish presence in historic Palestine."  British commander Allenby meeting Chief Rabbi in the Old City after the Turkish surrender of Jerusalem 1917  The IDP exhibits photos of key events in the Middle East -- World War I and its clashes in Gaza, Be'er Sheva, Rishon LeZion, Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea; the establishment of Jewish communities in the Galilee; the arrival of the German Emperor in 1898; the role of the Jewish Legion in 1917; the development of industries and infrastructures by the Jewish population; Jewish holidays; Jewish children of the Old and New Yishuv; Jewish life in Jerusalem's Old City, and many more.  The photographers also chronicled the lives and shrines of Arab and Christians. [For further information see The Zionist Message Hidden within Antique Pictures of the Holy Land, by Lenny Ben-David, Published in the Jewish Political Studies Review]  IDP pictures are all published with permission of the collection owners. To subscribe, enter your email (free) on the website www.israeldailypictures.com. Voluntary contributions are welcome via PayPal.  For journalists only: Publisher Lenny Ben-David is available for interviews at (US) 202.241.5241  (Israel) 972.542.168155  (Not Sabbath) Twitter: @lennybendavid      Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lenny.bendavid

No longer violence...

No longer will violence be heard in your Land,  nor plunder and calamity at your borders.   ISAIAH (60:18)   לֹא יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס  בְּאַרְצֵךְ שֹׁד וָשֶׁבֶר בִּגְבוּלָיִךְ ישעיהו ס:יח   loe yee-sha-MA ode kha-MAS be-ar-TZAYKH  shode va-she-VER beeg-voo-la-YEEKH

Israel Inspiration Israel is a country like no other and the IDF is an army  with a unique role as well. The late Prime Minister and  former IDF Chief of Staff Yitzchak Rabin said it best:  “Our soldiers prevail not by the strength of their weapons  but by their sense of mission; by their consciousness of  the justness of their cause, by a deep love for their country,  and by their understanding of the heavy task laid upon them:  to ensure the existence of our people in their homeland  and to affirm, even at the cost of their lives, the right of the  Jewish people to live their lives in their own state, free,  independent and in peace.” Hebrew MusicLearn in Hebrew HaTikva, Israel’s beautiful national anthem, which features photos if Israel's brave soldiers, "I Love Israel365"I love Monday music. I listened for the first time today. Thank-you for sharing such beautiful music and pictures,it brought a new light to my thinking and loving of our Lord. Jona McCollough,Tulsa,Oklahoma I love Israel365 because it sends me great Hebrew music videos and videos related to Israel. I also like it because it sends me biblical verses in Hebrew, and its translation  in English, and I can practice some of the Hebrew language. Please continue to provide it, it is very helpful so I can touch base with Ha’aretz Ha’Kodesh. Lehitraot haverim, Pedro O., Sanford, FL With Many Blessings, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com Copyright © 2013 Israel365, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Israel365 36 Ein Gedi Street Ramat Beit Shemesh 99000 Israel

Bill Yount - "AMERICA MUST BE SAVED!"

AMERICA MUST BE SAVED!

Posted: 26 Oct 2013

    Repentance is the most beautiful of words. Repentance should not scare us. It is a gift from God. If we really understood it we would make it a way of life. It is turning from our sins to a Father who longs to forgive us. Last night I repented of some things. This morning I learned His grace, as well as His mercy, is new every morning. 

It is when I least deserve both that I have to ask: "Why me Lord? What have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I've known? Tell me Lord, What did I ever do that was worth loving you for the kindness you've shown?" ( lyrics by Kris Kristofferson ) 

As grace poured over me, the Lord said: "When America least deserves it, I will show her My grace. I am releasing My gift of repentance. It will flood the altars of churches again. It will flood the streets. It will flood the righteous who think they are more righteous than others. Watch for My flood of repentance!"

    Many years ago I ministered in Africa. A rural song there that became a spiritual national anthem for believers was, "Africa Must Be Saved! The words are: "If you believe and I believe and we together pray, the Holy Spirit must come down and Africa must be saved!" Since 1987 God's fire has swept an estimated 75 million Africans into the Kingdom. I wonder what God could do if we changed our tune and began singing over our nation: "America Must Be Saved!"

Blessings, 

Bill Yount
www.billyount.com

KBA (Kingdom Business Association) Conference at MorningStar Oct. 2013

Lance Wallnau - Oct. 26, 2013

Dr. Lance Wallnau is a dynamic teacher with a unique and powerful gift for imparting the Word of God. His anointed messages are remembered years afterwards because he captivates his audiences by humor, illustrations, drawings, and fresh vocabulary which penetrates deep into the heart with incredible authority, clarity, and personal application. 

Lance's prophetic teaching helps people see a clearer path into transformation. His unique style and humor is designed to keep you smiling so it isn't too painful when the truth hits home. Such high intensity in the Holy Spirit, accompanied by his pointed, colorful delivery, and use of diagrams and instruments enable him to impact his audiences and clients worldwide. His teaching is an unforgettable experience.

John Boneck

Rick Joyner & John Boneck

Rick Joyner is Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the Senior Pastor at MorningStar Fellowship Church. Rick is President of The Oak Initiative, an interdenominational movement that mobilizes Christians to engage in the great issues of our time. He has authored more than forty books, including The Final Quest Trilogy, There Were Two Trees in the Garden, and A New America. Rick and his wife, Julie, have five children: Anna Jane, Aaryn, Amber, Ben, and Sam.

Dave Yarnes

David Yarnes is Vice President of MorningStar Ministries. He is responsible for overseeing the ministry’s physical and financial infrastructure, as well as the planning and implementation of MorningStar’s interest in the Heritage Tower Project and senior housing investments, including acquisitions and development under the direct oversight of the President, Rick Joyner. Mr. Yarnes has been the President and majority owner of several investment companies including: Triumph Capital Management, LLC, and founder/President of Willow Bay, Inc., which owned commercial office buildings and The Crown Theater performing arts center. He is a co-founder of Proactive Loan Servicing and Proactive Wealth Management. Mr. Yarnes resides in Fort Mill, SC with his wife of twenty-one years, Gina Yarnes, and their three children, Mathew, Nathan, and Samuel.

 

Billy Nunez

Angela Nunez

Billy and Angela Nunez founded River City House of Prayer and River City Christian School 20 years ago. They lead worship as well as mentor and train musicians all over the world. Billy and Angela have three grown children and currently reside in Austin, Texas

Conference photos by Steve Martin. 

More have been posted on my FaceBook page 

Martin Lighthouse (Steve Martin)

Videos can be found on my YouTube channel: 

Love For His People

For more info/join:Website: KBA

Kingdom Business Association

375 Star Light Dr.

Fort Mill, SC, 29715

803-802-5544, Ext 378

kba@morningstarministries.org

Jim Croft - Widespread Consequences of Sowing & Reaping

Widespread Consequences of Sowing & Reaping
Jim Croft

The Lord told Noah that there would be seedtime and harvest until the end of this age. I have been shocked by the extent to which the law of sowing and reaping applies to every facet of life. Seeds sown in attitude and interaction with others produce remarkably after like-kind just as they do with plants.

My father and I enjoyed many pleasant rounds of golf after I took up the sport at age 45. However, in his later years he became severely vision impaired and our golf outings frequently featured shameful irritability on my part. It was in the days before I was delivered from an evil spirit of impatience that gave me the temperament of a spoiled 2-year-old.

I resented the break of concentration required to locate the club in Dad's golf bag for his next shot. It was tedious to walk him to where his ball was on the ground and to always have to give him distance and direction for every shot. The endless questions about where his ball went were drudgery.

In ’95, I was rendered legally blind by an airbag in a car wreck. From that time to this, I still golf and am frequently teamed up with complete strangers. I have reaped the embarrassing consequence of having to ask golfers that I just met to do for me what I use to have to do for my father. It is now me who is plaguing players with questions about where my ball went.

What goes around - Comes around

Whatever actions are committed have a way of backfiring. The Canaanite king, Adoni-Bezek had a habit of cutting off the thumbs and big toes of kings that he conquered in battle. 70 of them ate the scraps that fell from his royal buffeting table. When Joshua’s forces captured him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-Bezek bemoaned his former cruelty as he hobbled about and used his fingers like chopsticks to eat for the rest of his life. (Jdg 1:6-7)

Jesus spoke of the principles of sowing and reaping in Lk 6:35-38. We are to imitate the kindness and forgiveness of God. He blesses the ungrateful and the evil as well as the righteous.

With whatever measure we plant positive blessings or, negative curses in our secret conversations and inner judgments about people will be measured back to us in an abundant manner from many directions. Negative conversations and uncharitable inner judgments about us can secretly bombard us long term from multiple sources
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There are many believers who sit in self-pity wondering about why they hear rumors that numerous people are not speaking well of them. Many notice stiff body language and sense suspicions from those from whom they expect cordiality. This is heavy indication that they need to reflect on what they have sown about the reputation of someone else when not with them. (Mat 7:1-5)

I know of a minister who throughout life sowed harsh criticism about the preaching styles and doctrinal emphasis of ministers who did not suit him. He is now in his declining years and lives as a recluse exposed only to immediate family. All others are hesitant to welcome fellowship with him.

Another pastor was a habitual sheep thief. He sweet-talked, wined and dined the members of other churches. His church had encouraging growth for a while. Then key-people became disenchanted and there was a mass exodus of members. His enticing words to get people in his front door could not keep pace with the swing of the backdoor of his church. His fellowship abruptly ceased to exist.

I must add that this pastor’s church growth program is duplicated around the world. At hearing of a church with problems, the immediate inner response of many pastors is quite different than their first audible response. “I wonder how I can get the names of his church members;” precedes, “That is so sad to hear.”
The declining numbers on church rolls and the relatively fast open-closure rate with start-up churches can partially be attributed to pastoral sowing and reaping payback.

Armchair Ministry Critics

I pity believers that feel obligated to condemn ministries as false that don’t fall within their comfort-zone preference. Personal preference is seldom reflective of God’s view.

The disciples of John the Baptist complained that Jesus was drawing more people for baptism than John. John’s response has broad applications. "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (Jn 3:26-27)

Whenever I hear Christians demeaning a particular ministry, I look at the fruit of the ministry. More often than not, there is sound evidence that God has given attestations of his approval. The followers of the ministry are enjoying redemptive benefits and there has been financial abundance sufficient to support the minister and staff for many years.

I have observed that ministries that are innovative and unconventional in approach draw fire. The negativity is rarely about the core beliefs necessary tofunction as a Christian. It is normally about views that are helpful, but non-essential beliefs.

It is legitimate to have differing perspectives and emphasis as the prism of God’s wisdom is multifaceted and has variable interpretations. It is dangerous to be accusatory about motive and to spout ongoing disapproval to all who will listen.

I have shuddered to see what has befallen those who would not refrain from nasty criticisms about ministries that have God’s approval, but not theirs. My concern about possible impending doom is alerted when I hear people condemning ministries that formerly did them good. Proverbs 17:13 says that evil will not depart from the homes of those who return evil for good. I have seen that truth activated in frightening ways in numerous lives.

Facilitate Crop Failure

Many of God’s people need to do some soul searching about what is happening in their lives. They cannot re-gather the negative seeds they have sown. But, they can repent to God about all that they foolishly sowed. In some instances the Holy Spirit dictates that offenders approach those they have shot with secret fiery darts to confess and request forgiveness. God is more than willing to grant crop failure for negative seeds scheduled to come to fruition in the future harvests.

Jim Croft
Boca Raton, FL

Harvest. Time. Now.

Ahava Love Letter - "Hope. Gotta Have It." (Steve Martin)

                  

        “Hope. Gotta Have It.” 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Prov. 13:12 (Complete Jewish Bible CJB)

“Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. (The Message)

Dear family of friends,

The conference audience perked up and started to carefully listen with attentive ears. The speaker was talking about hope, and I could tell people wanted it. We like to hear about hope. It does something to our soul, especially when it appears that there is not much of it surrounding us.

He went on to say how he spent the past election reading about American prisoners, held during the Vietnam War. Many survived. Many did not. Those who held onto the idea that they were getting out by the next holiday, or by the end of the year, or the next special event that came and then went, didn’t make it. With their hope based on a specific time, which then ended with a disappointing result, they gave up. They perished.

The ones who had the longer perspective, who held onto something more substantial and eternal, saw the release finish line. Their hope was not based on an event. It was founded on the belief that no matter what, they were someday getting out - to once again be home with their family.

Scripture says that “hope deferred makes the heart sick.” You have known it. I have known it. We are waiting and wanting for that “something” or “someone” to come along and rescue us. To deliver us. Just to change our current life situation, and take us to the grass on the other side, or be the hot air balloon that will fly us home from Oz.

Many times when I put my expectancy in a temporal being – be it an event or a person, and it doesn’t meet my expectations, I feel the loss in my soul. It is like a piece of me is left on the pathway, and it will take a little more next time to hope for something more.

When I put my trust and hope in the One I have come to know, Who can and will meet the desires of my heart, I am not disappointed. For He is Faithful and True. What He says He will do. He just does. I can count on Him.

Today I again ask Him to keep my heart resting in His goodness and His eternal purposes, so that any disappointments, which are yet to come while in this temporal world we live in, may be overcome with certain hope. I am committed to keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus (Yeshua), the Author and Finisher of my faith.

He is our Solid Foundation. He is our Eternal Hope. May you too know that certainty in your daily walk.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.

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Be sure to get my two books The Promise (CreateSpace/Amazon 2013) and Ahava Love Letters (Xulon Press, 2013). Both available through Amazon.com Xulon Press.com , plus other website book stores.

You can also order both books, The Promise (on Amazon.com for $7.19 plus $3.95 S/H) and Ahava Love Letters Xulon Press for $14.90, plus $3.80) or you can get both from our office for $29. Send check to the address above. I will autograph all copies ordered through our office. (Hey, and please include a contribution for Israel too!)

Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.

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Ahava Love Letter #82   “Hope”  ©2013 Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (10/26/13 Saturday at 7:45 am in Charlotte, NC)

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog:

 http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com 

Looking forward to the season...

I know it is a bit early, but hey, nice to dream!

And besides, I like Alex Levin's artwork.  Smile!

Have a good weekend,

Steve Martin
Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Share some ahava (love in Hebrew) with family and friends.

Another Hanukkah painting by Alex Levin.

As I said, I love his work!

Secularism Sucking the Pneuma Out of Spirit-Filled Christianity

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Secularism Sucking the Pneuma Out of Spirit-Filled Christianity

11:00AM EDT 10/25/2013 JENNIFER LECLAIRE, charismanews

 

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When Pentecostals don’t speak in tongues and Baptists aren’t getting baptized, it signals a deeper issue of faith. (Ashley Campbell/Flickr/Creative Commons)

Fewer Pentecostals are speaking tongues. Fewer Baptists are getting baptized. Wait, what? Yes, you read that correctly. But what are we to make of the decline of baptisms in water and in the Spirit? I’ll get to that in a minute.

A couple of months ago, I wrote a column entitled, “Are We Pentecostals Losing Our Religion by Holding Our Tongue-Talking?.” In it I referenced an AP report about a small Assemblies of God congregation that looks just like every other Pentecostal church service—except nobody is speaking in tongues.

What I didn’t include are the stats from the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world with 66 million members. At the General Council meeting in August, the AG talked about the decline baptisms in the Spirit.

According to the denomination’s statistics, tongue talking decreased by about 3 percent to less than 82,000. That’s the lowest rate since 1995. How is that even possible, given that Pentecostalism is one of the fastest growing sectors of Christianity? The Pew Research Center reports that at least 25% of the 2 billion Christians in the world are connected to the Pentecostal or charismatic movements.

“This is a long-developing phenomenon," Harvey Cox, an expert in Pentecostalism and professor of religion at the Harvard Divinity School, told the Associated Press. "They don't want what appears to be objectionable to stick out or be viewed with suspicion."

And it’s not just the Pentecostals that are straying from the defining characteristics of their faith. The Baptists are also reporting a decline in Baptisms. Indeed, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) reports water baptisms dipped 13 percent in 2012 to under 300,000. Al Gilbert of the NAMB told One News Now that’s the biggest drop in 62 years—62 years!

“Maybe we're not identifying the need to help our teenagers and even our older children understand how to publicly profess their faith," Gilbert says. "Are we even making sure that they've understood the claims of Christ and then they have declared that they're publicly a follower of Christ?"

OK, so what’s going on here and what does it mean for Pentecostals, Baptists, and Christianity at large? It doesn’t take a prophet to see that secularism is attacking the foundations of Christianity and we’re seeing the manifestations in two of the largest, oldest branches in the body of Christ.

Think about it for a minute. When Pentecostals don’t speak in tongues and Baptists aren’t getting baptized, it signals a deeper issue of faith. In an age of interfaith marriages, some may be abandoning their religious roots to avoid offending their spouses.

In a recent article entitled “Interfaith Unions: A Mixed Blessing,” Naomi Shaeffer Riley points out that before the 1960s, about 20 percent of married couples were in interfaith unions; of couples married in this century’s first decade, 45 percent were. She also notes that secular Americans welcome the rise of interfaith unions as a sign of societal progress. But it’s not progress when you abandon the tenets of your faith in the name of compromise.

Secularism is even creeping into churches. What does that look like? Some of the signs are blatantly obvious, such as teaching that Jesus is not the only way to God. But the Bible clearly states that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Approval of homosexual lifestyles is another obvious fruit of secularism in the church, just as is a refusal to confront other sins.

But secularism isn’t always so blatant. There are subtle secularistic messages invading the church. Messages that focus more on moralism than Christ and the cross sound fine and good but morality without Christ is not Christianity. Likewise, pop psychology-centered sermons can take our focus off Christ’s and distract us from our faith in His healing power and place it in steps or formulas that may actually contradict the Word.

When we’re scared our faith will offend, we’re bowing to secularism. When we stop publicly baptizing in water, we may also be bowing to the influence of secularism. And when we stop praying in tongues because we don’t want to scare off seekers, we’ve definitely given in to secularism.

This Scripture keeps coming to mind: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). Make no mistake, secularism is among the forces working to destroy our Christian foundation. It’s time for the righteous to rise up, bold as lions, and declare the cross of Christ, get baptized publicly, and speak in tongues to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. And ultimately, secularism must bow a knee to the name of Jesus.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. 

You can email Jennifer atjennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebookor follow her on Twitter.

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What Christians Can Teach Jews About Israel - Rabbi Tuly Weisz

Firing Up the Nations – What Christians Can Teach Jews About Israel

Posted by: Tuly Weisz October 25, 2013  BreakingIsraelNews

4,000 Years ago, Abraham established Jewish ownership in Israel; Today, twice as many Evangelicals than American Jews believe God gave Israel to the Jewish people.

 This weekend, tens of thousands of Jews will arrive in Hebron to spend the Sabbath in the place where the Patriarchs and Matriarchs are buried.  Guest houses will be filled, mattresses will be spread out on classroom floors, and tents will be built in the streets to accommodate the influx of visitors for this awesome weekend.  What makes this Shabbat in particular so special in Hebron?  This week’s Torah portion describes Abraham’s purchase of “the cave of Machpela facing Mamre, which is in Hebron, in the Land of Canaan” as a final resting place for his beloved wife Sarah.

Genesis 23 contains the very first account of property being purchased in Israel and is one of three sites the Bible identifies as having been purchased by Israelites from its foreign owners. Sadly, in today’s environment, Jewish sovereignty over Judaism’s holiest sites has been rejected by many people around the world. Some deny that the Jews’ connection to Israel has anything to do with God. Others agree that it might have once been the case, but God has subsequently broke his covenant with the Jewish people.

Last month, the Washington Post described Hebron as one of the “Jewish settlements in the West Bank that are considered by Palestinians and much of the world to be illegal under international law.”  And this rejection is not limited to Hebron.  The Church of Scotland issued a report earlier this year, concluding, “…Christians should not be supporting any claims by any people to an exclusive or even privileged divine right to possess particular territory. We believe that is a misuse of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) and the New Testament to use it as a topographic guide to settle contemporary conflicts over land. In the Bible, God’s promises extend in hope to all land and people.”

What is even more tragic than the Washington Post denying the Jewish claim to Hebron or the Church of Scotland rejecting God’s covenant with Israel, is that a majority of American Jews don’t recognize the divine connection to our ancestral homeland. In a recent Pew study, only 40% of American Jews “believe God gave Israel to the Jewish people.” When asked the same question, however, an overwhelming 82% of white Evangelical Christians agreed!  Unlike the Church of Scotland, so many American Evangelicals reject the ridiculousness of ‘Replacement Theology’ and accept God’s word as true and eternal.

On the one hand, it is entirely discouraging that a majority of American Jews deny what Christians can see, but perhaps this sad statistic has room for a more hopeful interpretation and can be understood in light of a prophetic Biblical text.

The beautiful Psalm 126 describes how future events will unfold: “When God returned the captives of Zion we were like dreamers. Our mouths were filled with laughter and song.”  The Psalm then describes those who will recognize God’s hand in these events: first, “then the nations will say, ‘The Lord hath done great things with them’” and only then will the Jews themselves acknowledge, “The Lord hath done great things with us; we were overjoyed.”

According to many Biblical commentators, the “nations” mentioned in Psalm 126 refers to King Cyrus, who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. The Gentile king issued a declaration thanking God for allowing him to succeed, and asking the Jews to pray on his behalf.  Only then could the Jews express their own joy and wonder at God’s mysterious ways.  But I’d like to share a more modern interpretation of this passage.

Just the other day, I got together with Derek from Florida, one of our Israel365 readers, in Jerusalem.  We discussed this very Psalm at a cafe near the Machane Yehuda market.  Derek pointed out that by first the gentile, then the Jew, recognizing God’s hand in the rebirth of Israel describes the miracle taking place in our generation, where those who throughout history rejected the Jewish connection to Israel are now bearing witness to God’s acts there on behalf of the Jews. The fact that Evangelical Christians today are more than twice as likely than Jews to acknowledge God’s role in giving Israel to the Jewish people has newfound meaning.

As an Orthodox Jew, I am enthusiastic about the possibilities in working with pro Israel Christians who have a unique role today.  Christian Zionists can — and should —  encourage their Jewish friends to study the life and lessons of Abraham, to embrace their Jewish destiny and to uncover their connection to Biblical Israel. Hebron is a city of unity where Ishmael and Yitzchak put aside their differences and came together to bury their father Abraham. May the Biblical city be a reminder for all Jewish and Christian Zionists to put aside our differences to learn from and inspire each other as brothers honoring our Father in Heaven.

Texas A&M to Open Israeli Branch

CBNNews.com Friday, October 25, 2013

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- Texas A&M University plans to open a campus in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth -- the boyhood home of Jesus. It's the first time ever a leading American university plans to open a branch in Israel.

The announcement came this week at Israeli President Shimon Peres' residence in Jerusalem. 

Former presidential hopeful and Texas Gov. Rick Perry took part in the signing ceremony.

Dubbed a "Peace University," it will be situated in Israel's largest Arab city, which also has the biggest Arab Christian population.

"Let me express my hope that you will serve the people, their spirit, to answer a new age, to help bring a new future," Peres said.

"The State of Israel and the State of Texas share a deep respect for our culture, and this university will be a permanent reminder of the power of education to change the lives of people forever in line for the vision of our government," A&M University Chancellor John Sharp said.

Sharp says the school's staff will be Jewish and Arab and the student body diverse, though all Israeli universities have mixed Jewish, Arab and international student bodies and faculties.

According to Peres' office, Texas A&M says it will raise $70 million for construction of the new campus.

Editor's Note: I have now become a big Texas A&M fan! Thanks! 

Steve Martin