Both teams have several Christians, who share their stories and their faith in this CBN Sports report.
Watch here: CBN TV - CBN Sports at Super Bowl XLVIII
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, January 30, 2014
CBN TV - CBN Sports at Super Bowl XLVIII
Both teams have several Christians, who share their stories and their faith in this CBN Sports report.
Watch here: CBN TV - CBN Sports at Super Bowl XLVIII
Is God Playing in this Year’s Super Bowl?
Is God Playing
in this Year’s
Super Bowl?
“Lord, hearken unto my voice; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” (Psalms 130:2)
(Photo: U.S. Air Force/ Wiki Commons)
In a recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), half of all sports fans included in the survey revealed they believe God may play a part in determining the Super Bowl outcome. 1,011 adults were surveyed regarding their sports interests and their beliefs regarding supernatural influences on sporting events.
“As Americans tune in to the Super Bowl this year, fully half of fans—as many as 70 million Americans—believe there may be a twelfth man on the field influencing the outcome,” said Dr. Robert P. Jones, PRRI CEO. “Significant numbers of American sports fans believe in invoking assistance from God on behalf of their favorite team, or believe the divine may be playing out its own purpose in the game.”
48% of those surveyed agreed that God rewards athletes who have faith, giving them good health and success. More than one fifth of sports fans perform some sort of ritual they believe will provide their team with an edge. More than a quarter said they prayed for the success of their team at some point. Interestingly, more football fans turn to prayer than other sports fans: 33% as opposed to 21%.
“America’s football fans stand out from other fans in their belief in the supernatural, which may not be surprising after last year’s Blackout Bowl,” said Daniel Cox, PRRI’s Research Director, referring to last year’s power outage mid-game.
19% of those fans interviewed acknowledged God’s influence on the outcome. More than half of those also said they prayed for their team.
Courtesy of PRRI
Upon hearing the results of the survey, one Jewish educator and football fan explained, “God doesn’t care about football, God cares about people.” He believes God determines the outcome of sporting events such as the Super Bowl for the greater influence it might have. “One team’s win may create a job for someone, or put someone else in a better mood.”
Other Jewish educators talked about the positive influence professional sports have on their students’ spiritual lives. The Times of Israel spoke to Denver Academy of Torah head of school Rabbi Daniel Alter. He mentioned the 2007 World Series, in which the Colorado Rockies faced the Boston Red Sox. He said his students were more focused on prayer than ever before.
“That created a conversation on the role of prayer,” Alter said. “It brought up questions: Does God care? We probably will be having some of those conversations in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.”
Barry Segal’s Incredible Journey - Rick Joyner Video | Prophetic Perspective on Current Events
Barry Segal - Vision for Israel
Watch here: Barry Segal’s Incredible Journey -
Barry Segal’s Incredible Journey
Rick Joyner
Barry Segal
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Mr. Segal talks about being mentored by Derek Prince and what led to starting “Vision for Israel."
Rick Joyner and Barry Segal
Watch here:
Israel Honors Foreign and Local Christians
Israel Honors Foreign and Local Christians
Thursday, January 30, 2014 | Ryan Jones - ISRAEL TODAY
The Israeli Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus and the World Jewish Congress on Wednesday jointly hosted the eight annual Night to Honor Israel's Christian Allies.
After various Israeli politicians and Christian leaders spoke about the shared roots and shared destiny of Christians and the Jewish people, the organizers got to the meat of the evening, the honoring of two Christians who have done much to advance Jewish-Christian relations in recent years.
One of those Christians is a known quantity. Jane Hansen Hoyt has, through her international ministry Aglow, done much not only to support Israel, but also to advance women's rights around the world.
The other honoree is an anomaly. Just over a year-and-a-half ago, a previously unknown Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth began to publicly call on fellow Arabic-speaking Christians to join the Israeli army and fully integrate with Israel's Jewish society.
Father Gabriel Nadaf has been slandered and threatened much for his troubles, but very rapidly, the anomaly he represents has become a movement.
The nation of Israel today, thanks to the efforts of Father Nadaf and others in this movement, is very much aware of not only the Christian ally that exists out there in the world, but the one that lives right here in the Land of Israel, as well.
Nadaf told the gathering that the budding relationship between local Christians and their Jewish countrymen is "a cause of great pride for me," but noted that much more needs to be done.
"I am here to open the eyes of the community," Nadaf stated. "It is up to us to say ‘enough.’ The Christian community wants to integrate into Israeli society and opposes the stances of its leadership, which is not interested in doing so."
But the Israeli government representatives said there is also much that needs to be done on their end to fully bring local Christians into the fold.
"It is about time that we accept you as partners in everything," Member of Knesset David Rotem told Nadaf. "We [the Jews] are more your brothers than anyone in Jordan, Lebanon or Egypt."
Rotem was alluding to another campaign being led by Nadaf and his associates to have the Israeli government recognize them as a minority separate from the Arab Muslims. Many, Nadaf included, argue that local Christians are not truly Arabs, even if they do speak the language. Christians, they point out, have been in the land since long before the Arab Muslim conquest.
Shai Hermesh, a former Knesset member and current head of the Israeli branch of the World Jewish Congress, further encouraged Nadaf, insisting that "you are with us, but more importantly, we are with you [the Christians]."
Member of Knesset Gila Gamliel, who co-chairs the Christian Allies Caucus with MK Rotem, told Nadaf, "For us, you are an Israeli hero!"
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Scarlett Johansson Continues Stand Against Anti-Israel Bigotry - ISRAEL TODAY
Scarlett Johansson Continues Stand Against Anti-Israel Bigotry
Thursday, January 30, 2014 | Israel Today Staff
Israel continues to be pleasantly surprised by Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson's principled and determined stand against the anti-Israel bigotry of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The BDS is upset that Johansson has agreed to be a spokesperson for Israeli soda maker SodaStream because the company's main factory is situated in the so-called "West Bank." Among those making up the BDS movement is Oxfam International, a confederation of organizations working to end poverty and related injustice around the world.
Scarlett was one of Oxfam's most recognizable ambassadors. But then the organization joined the public criticism of the actress for representing a product produced by "Jewish settlers."
On Wednesday, a statement released by Johansson's people announced that she "has respectfully decided to end her ambassador role with Oxfam after eight years. She and Oxfam have a fundamental difference of opinion in regards to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement."
In a recent statement to the Huffington Post regarding the matter, Johansson argued against the position of the BDS movement and, by extension, Oxfam, by pointing out that they had wrongly characterized SodaStream and its involvement with the Palestinians.
"While I never intended on being the face of any social or political movement, distinction, separation or stance as part of my affiliation with SodaStream, given the amount of noise surrounding that decision, I’d like to clear the air," read the statement. "I remain a supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine. SodaStream is a company that is not only committed to the environment but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights. That is what is happening in their Ma’ale Adumim factory every working day."
The entire episode is very telling regarding the true intentions of the BDS movement. It mattered not to Oxfam and other BDS activist outfits that what Johansson said is true - that SodaStream, and other Israeli businesses in the "settlements," are providing a crucial economic lifeline to local Palestinians, the bulk of whom are grateful for the jobs and would suffer tremendously if the proposed boycott were to actually be successful.
At the end of the day, this movement's primary goal is to harm Israel, not to better the lives of Palestinian Arabs, and that is an approach that can never lead to peaceful coexistence. It is refreshing to see a member of the West's social elite recognize such hypocrisy and distance herself from it.
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Israeli Court Recognizes Messianic Jewish Congregation - ISRAEL TODAY
Israeli Court Recognizes
Messianic Jewish Congregation
Thursday, January 30, 2014 | David Lazarus, ISRAEL TODAY
Messianic Jews have won another battle for recognition in Israel. This time Israel's Supreme Court has determined that a Messianic congregation in Jerusalem should receive the same full tax exemption as a synagogue.
The battle began back in 2010, when ultra-Orthodox Members of Knesset Moshe Gafni of United Torah Judaism and Nisim Zeev of the Shas party passed a law providing Jewish synagogues relief from all municipal taxes. Lawyers from the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) then petitioned the court to also provide a Messianic fellowship in the capital with the same status. And they won.
The ruling is significant in that it allows for full tax relief for all space used by the Messianic congregation, including the meeting hall, a drug rehabilitation center, children and youth activity rooms, pastors' offices, and space for secondhand clothing distribution.
According to JIJ, since the case began in 2010, congregations applying now for the discount will be paid back retroactively for all municipal taxes incurred over the last three years. The Jerusalem Institute for Justice is encouraging all Messianic Congregations paying municipal taxes on their facilities to apply for the tax break. The new ruling promises a major windfall of tens of thousands of shekels each year now available for Messianic congregations in Israel.
As with any new law its implementation needs to be worked out on the ground, and already there is opposition.
Secular Israelis fed up with corruption and scandals involving rabbis and religious organizations over the past years are not happy that synagogues don't need to pay their share of municipal taxes. Many feel that religious Jews are already an unnecessary burden on Israel's struggling welfare system.
The popular new secular government party "Yesh Atid" (There is a Future), lead by Finance Minister and former television personality Yair Lapid, has put a proposal on the floor of the Knesset to cancel the tax break for synagogues.
Lapid had garnered support from many Messianics in Israel's last election, particularly amongst the younger Israeli believers who were attracted to his fresh ideas on economic equality.
Now the Messianics find themselves, perhaps for the first time in their short and turbulent history, partnered together with the Orthodox Jewish parties enjoying the new tax break. As one of the lawyers from JIJ said, "Finally, the Messianics have a common interest with the Orthodox political parties."
According to the JIJ lawyer, it is very unlikely that anti-Missionary groups will try to overrule the new law in order to prevent court recognition of Messianic congregations, as they themselves enjoy the same tax benefits.
When authorities visited the Messianic congregation in question, they took notice of "drums and a sound system in the hall." Did such equipment belong in a non-profit religious organization?
In his testimony before the court, the spiritual leader of the congregation was able to explain: "The gatherings in our meeting hall are for the purpose of prayer and Torah study. We use musical instruments and a sound system for praise. We believe that according to the Book of Psalms we are to worship God with all kinds of musical instruments, including drums and cymbals."
In its decision to grant the Messianics full tax relief retroactively for the past three years, the Supreme Court's Appeals Committee referred to the congregation specifically as "a non-profit Messianic Jewish organization that provides a sanctuary for prayer for all of her members." The Messianic congregation was clearly not considered a church by the court, nor, for that matter, would they call it a synagogue.
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