Thursday, February 27, 2014

Robin McMillan - The 3-H Club: Hungry, Hope, & How…


Robin McMillan

The 3-H Club: Hungry, Hope, & How…

NewYear'sConf1203 023My friend Bob Jones passed away last week. It was a bitter sweet time; sweet for him and bitter for us. He had been suffering a lot physically the last several years, but not now. He’s in heaven more alive than he has ever been but we will surely miss that man!

I met Bob in the spring of 1989, but I had heard of him the year earlier. During that season I could be accurately described as a weary man who had lost his vision and purpose in God. I continued to look after my family of 6, take my kids to church, but I was deeply dis-satisfied with my life in God, and extemely disappointed as a result of having been fully committed and involved for a decade in a spiritual enterprise that ended poorly.
Hungry:
At this critical crossroads of my life I listened to a tape series from the Kansas City Fellowship that highlighted Bob and the remarkable supernatural relationship he had with God. Immediately I regained my capacity to dream, both in the night and in the sense of once again seeing my destiny in God and believing I could successfully fulfill it. Bob made me hungry for God. Thats ‘H’ number one.

Hope:
I grew up Reformed Presbyterian tradition and am grateful for that heritage but I had experiences in God that were much different than what they were used to particularly in the late 1960′s and 1970′s. The supernatural reality that Bob communicated and radiated, and the unusual nature of his relationship with God gave me hope. Bob ‘legitimized’ my kind of relationship with God.

How:
As I got to know Bob and ministered with him to many people I learned a lot. He had an unusual ability to see exactly what a person needed and could speak into their lives with power and compassion. As I watched and participated with him, he showed me how to be effective in prophetic ministry.

The 3-H Club
Bob made me hungry, gave me hope, and taught me how. That's my job now too; to make people hungry for God, give them a legitimate reason to hope, and show them how they can help other people. I know Bob did this for many other people. He left a great deposit in the world and I am honored to have been a part of his life.
JAN172014

Joseph’s Coat

Josephs coat
In a recent dream I found myself in an expensive clothing store filled with the most marvelous garments. Rack after rack of amazing colorful coats filled the fine establishment. I thought, “Who wouldn’t want one of these fine garments?”

As I gazed over the racks of coats one in particular caught my attention. I carefully pulled it from the racks and tried it on. The coat had a ‘Carolina’ sky blue front, a colorful wide striped back with a delicate expensive amber colored leather collar. I looked at myself in a full-length mirror admiring the fit. It had unusual ¾ length sleeves and was made to fit as a waist length jacket. It fit perfectly. It was as if it were tailor made for me.

I stepped outside to see how it looked in natural light. I was delighted with such a colorful and fine fitting coat. I turned to go back into the store to pay for it only to discover that the store was nowhere to be found. It had disappeared -but the coat remained. I could not pay for it.

Interpretation

God is ready to clothe many with a ‘tailored made’ new anointing in 2014 typified by the coat of many colors that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. This new anointing will release a new level of prophetic revelation represented by the heavenly sky blue color that covered the front of the garment.

In the dream I could not pay for the coat. It had already been paid for. We could never pay enough to obtain something that only God can provide. It is not something we can earn. It must be given and we must deeply appreciate that truth to wear it and use it with humility and wisdom.

The fact that the back was striped speaks of a new level of healing anointing. Isaiah 53:3 records:
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

The expensive leather collar speaks of how everything of value must be paid for with shed blood just as the Lord shed the blood of animals to cover Adam and Eve with leather garments after their fall. Collars can speak of identity. Some crimes are white collar ones while other ones are blue collar crimes distinguishing between the societal level of the crimes. This collar was amber speaking of the color of the glory of God. This coat will be attended by the glory of God.

We find other significance of this anointing from the life of Joseph and his colorful garment:
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors” (Genesis 37:3).

Bible scholars have differing understandings of this coat’s appearance. Aryeh Kaplan in the Living Torah explains it this way: “It was a royal garment. The word passim can be translated as colorful, embroidered, striped, or with pictures. It can also denote a long garment, coming down to the palms of the hands and the feet. Hence, it may be translated as a ‘full sleeved robe’, ‘a coat of many colors’, ‘a coat reaching to his feet’, ‘an ornamented tunic’, ‘a silk robe’, or ‘a fine woolen cloak’.

The coat represents the favor Joseph had from his father and spoke of the primary leadership of his family he would one day obtain. His coat was one of great promise, giftedness and authority.

The coat was a gift. We could never pay for something so precious. But as many of us have discovered, some gifts become very expensive. This next new anointing will be that way too.

In Joseph’s case the coat focused his brothers’ jealousy and hatred. We will discover that this new coat may generate just such responses from those who don’t understand why God anoints those He does. Ultimately his brothers stripped Joseph of his coat, sold him into slavery, dipped the coat in blood, and lied to their father about him having been killed by wild animals.

It was necessary for Joseph to lose the outward sign of the anointing and be severely tested in order to function at the highest level the robe initially promised. The jealousy and hatred of his brothers were part of the price Joseph paid to live out the gift he was given. The garment being soaked in blood reveals that every anointing must be sanctified for it to be ultimately successful. 

When Moses anointed Aaron and his sons for service he stripped them, washed them, clothed them, then anointed them. Afterward he sanctified them with blood:  “Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he brought Aaron’s sons. And Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.” (Leviticus 8:23-24).

How many men and women have been destroyed because they did not submit to the entire process meant to insure the success of the ministry gifts and anointing God gave them? Many. We must be men and women who have submitted to the processes of the Lord if we are to ‘wear’ his anointing successfully. We must never submit to jealousy and selfish ambition if we are to function effectively. Such selfish ambition releases much evil:

“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:14-16. 

God is releasing new levels of anointing, colorful mantles He freely gives, but with each one comes a price. Joseph graduated from God’s school of the anointing and ruled in Egypt with dignity, mercy, and kindness. His understanding of the redemptive ways of God and his lack of self-centeredness enabled him to revive his father’s household and preserve the lineage of the Messiah. 

That is the purpose of the anointing. It is not primarily to make your ministry a success, although it can. Joseph used his anointing to empower and enrich many who had lost their inheritances. It is to restore households, free prisoners, reclaim legacies, and declare the glory of God through the lives of redeemed people.

“That we might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3).

Prepare your hearts. A new precious and dangerous anointing is being released even now. Use yours with wisdom, humility, and dignity.


BUY MOOSETALES


Mystic MooseTales: Redefining Wildlife

My primary purpose for writing MooseTales is to impart two things to the current generation: love for Jesus and authentic hunger for the historic supernatural God of the Bible. I chose the allegorical style because it lends itself to creativity in a wide range of expression and humor.

In my imagination there exists a world where animals walk on two legs, demonstrate all the attributes of humans, and live and interact together with people. In just such a world Theodore Conquest ‘Mystic’ Moose lives and does his exploits. Many of these tales are based on events that have literally happened to flesh and blood men and women. These people I know.

Other events originate from lives of historic Christians I don’t know but have read about or heard their testimonies.
                           click here to purchase

Recent Posts:Joseph’s Coat
Restored Cities: Ultimate Result of the Anointing
The Missing Piece
Offering Your Firstfruits
HOPE

Copyright © 2014 Robin McMillan Ministries, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are listed as a subscriber at Robinmcmillan.me

About Robin

Robin is the pastor of Queen City Church, meeting in downtown Charlotte, NC in the Visulite Theatre @ 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning. QCC is a growing relationally oriented community of believers whose goals are to love God, love one another, and equip folks to live productive lives that honor God.

Robin has a deep conviction that the Lord is preparing to move in our nation in an unprecedented way. In addition to pastoring QCC Robin has an itinerant ministry that is characterized by the presence of the Lord in signs and wonders, manifestations of the Holy Spirit, healings, and outbreaks of joy. If you are interested in inviting him to your church or conference you can contact him at robinmcmillan@me.com or complete the form on the ‘invite’ page.

Some Honest Questions for Andy Stanley - Dr. Michael Brown

Dr. Michael Brown

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Some Honest Questions 

for Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley
Andy Stanley
According to megachurch pastor Andy Stanley, if your religious convictions conflict with your ability to serve those you differ with, that’s your business, but you should “leave Jesus out of it.”
What exactly did he mean by this? And has he thought through the implications of his statement?
Since I have been unable to reach Pastor Stanley directly and since he expressed his views publicly, I want to take this opportunity to raise some questions for him—really, for all of us—to think through carefully.
But first let me give the background to the controversy, which surrounded Kansas House Bill 2453, designed to protect religious individuals, groups or businesses from being penalized for refusal to participate in services related to same-sex marriage.
Although the bill has been dropped from consideration for the moment, many critics have been up in arms about it, comparing the bill to Jim Crow laws. (For a refutation of that complete misrepresentation of the bill, see Ryan T. Anderson’s article“‘Homosexual Jim Crow Laws’? Get Real.”)
One of those critics was Fox News correspondent Kirsten Powers, who wrote that pastor Andy Stanley told her that “he finds it ‘offensive that Christians would leverage faith to support the Kansas law.’ He said, ‘Serving people we don’t see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity. Jesus died for a world with which he didn’t see eye to eye. If a bakery doesn’t want to sell its products to a gay couple, it’s their business. Literally. But leave Jesus out of it.’”
He further stated, “Jesus taught that if a person is divorced and gets remarried, it’s adultery. So if (Christians) don’t have a problem doing business with people getting remarried, why refuse to do business with gays and lesbians.”
Here are my questions for Pastor Stanley, and I ask these for the purpose of clarification, not as an attack on his faith or his commitment to the Lord:
1. Were you responding to the actual content of the bill, or were you responding to how critics misrepresented the bill? As Ryan Anderson notes, “The bill would protect all citizens from being forced by the government into recognizing or celebrating a same-sex marriage if it ran contrary to their religious beliefs.”
So, the issue is not whether a bakery would be willing to sell cookies to a same-sex couple or would “do business with gays and lesbians.” The issue is whether the bakers could be punished by the government if they declined to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony, which would mean inscribing it to “Bob and Bill” and putting two male figurines on top of the cake. Were you aware of this distinction?
2. Why do you find it “offensive” that people of faith also “leverage faith” when it comes to freedoms of conscience, speech and religion? If the government told you that you were required to perform same-sex weddings in your church, would you not “leverage faith” in your response?
3. You stated, “Serving people we don’t see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity,” and I absolutely understand the point you are trying to make. But are you telling me that, if I am in the medical supply business and I am asked to supply medical equipment for a late-term abortionist, I should do so, since “serving people we don’t see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity”? Are you saying that it is the “essence of Christianity” to help a late-term abortionist rip up a baby in the womb?
Are you telling me that if I lived in the days of slavery and I was asked by some slave traders to manufacture shackles for the slaves that I should do so with excellence and diligence, since “serving people we don’t see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity”?
Is that what you mean? If not, could you clarify what is different between these scenarios and that of a Christian being asked to help facilitate a homosexual marriage, something that our Father clearly abhors?
4. Do you see a difference between Jesus dying for a world “with which He didn’t see eye to eye” and Jesus participating in sin? According to the Scriptures, Jesus didn’t participate in the stoning of the woman caught in adultery—to the contrary, by His words, He stopped it from happening—but He certainly died for those who wanted to stone the adulteress. (He died for her too.)
Can you agree that it is one thing to lay our lives down for our lost friends and neighbors and another thing to participate in their sin? Didn’t Paul tell us directly in Ephesians 5 not to partner with the sons of disobedience in their works of darkness?
5. Is it right for you to tell a Christian company that if they want to act on their convictions, that’s their business, but they should “leave Jesus out of it”?How does a Christian business “leave Jesus out of” their business? How do people who seek to put Jesus first in every area of their lives now leave Him out of their lives when it comes to making important moral and spiritual decisions?
Pastor Stanley, if you were a Christian photographer and a nudist colony asked you to do a photo shoot for their annual volleyball tournament, would you “leave Jesus out of” your decision and just tell them, “I’d rather not”? Or would you tell them that, as a follower of Jesus, you could not do this in good conscience? Or perhaps you would do the very best photo shoot they’ve ever had, since “serving people we don’t see eye to eye with is the essence of Christianity”? Is that what you mean?
My dear brother, would you please clarify your position? The stakes are very high.
Michael Brown is author of Hyper-Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire on the Salem Radio Network. He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. Follow him at AskDrBrown on Facebook or at @drmichaellbrown on Twitter.
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The Truth Behind Palestinian Water Libels - Israel Today magazine

The Truth Behind Palestinian Water Libels

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff  
Earlier this month, the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, sparked a political and media brouhaha when, from the Knesset podium, he suggested that Israel severely limits the Palestinians’ access to clean water.
Israelis from across the political spectrum were incredulous that Schulz would repeat blatant Palestinian propaganda without bothering to check the facts, which he admitted to not doing prior to addressing the Israeli lawmakers.
The facts, as they relate to this issue, are readily available to anyone interested in the truth.
But, just in case others engaged in commenting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict similarly don’t have the time for checking facts on their own, Prof. Haim Gvirtzman of the Israeli think tank Begin-Sadan Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) has published a thorough review of the situation titled “The Truth Behind Palestinian Water Libels.”
The executive summary of Prof. Gvirtzman’s survey reads:
"Water shortages in the Palestinian Authority are the result of Palestinian policies that deliberately waste water and destroy the regional water ecology. The Palestinians refuse to develop their own significant underground water resources, build a seawater desalination plant, fix massive leakage from their municipal water pipes, build sewage treatment plants, irrigate land with treated sewage effluents or modern water-saving devices, or bill their own citizens for consumer water usage, leading to enormous waste.
“At the same time, they drill illegally into Israel’s water resources, and send their sewage flowing into the valleys and streams of central Israel. In short, the Palestinian Authority is using water as a weapon against the State of Israel. It is not interested in practical solutions to solve the Palestinian people’s water shortages, but rather perpetuation of the shortages and the besmirching of Israel.”
This is the same tactic that we have seen with the so-called “Palestinian refugees.” While Israel has fully integrated the hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Arab countries (and while their descendants would never dream of considering themselves refugees), the Arabs have purposely kept Palestinian Arabs and their descendants living as refugees for nearly 70 years.
Click here to read the full text of “The Truth Behind Palestinian Water Libels.”
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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Rick Joyner - "Stories of Bob Jones' Life" - MorningStar Ministries

The 2 Spies - "What are you waiting for?" by Paula R. Stern

Posted: 25 Feb 2014

If you haven't noticed lately Jew-Israel hatred is on the upswing in the world. In line with what The 2 Spies are seeing happen world-wide and along the reasons for this blog in the first place~ we want to share with you an article by Paula R. Stern. She wrote what we wish we could have. Please take her words to heart. The 2 Spies


Paula R. Stern Paula R. Stern is CEO of WritePoint Ltd., a leading technical writing company in Israel. Her personal blog, A Soldier's Mother, has been running for more than 5 years. She lives in Maale Adumim with her husband and children, a dog, too many birds, and a desire to write her thoughts and dream of a trip to Italy, Scotland, and beyond.

Sometimes, simple truths really are… well, simple.

In a complex world, we worry about all the angles, all the issues. And, in hesitating until everything becomes clear, we miss the simple truth, the simple solution. We paralyze ourselves as time passes and, worst of all, we rationalize away the dangers of today, as we magnify the potential dangers of the unknown. 

It was safe before, we kid ourselves, it will be safe again. Tomorrow will be better. They can’t really hate us that much, or worse, they don’t really hate us — they hate Israel and as soon as they realize… it will be okay. Just one more day, one more week, one more month…

So what prompts all this philosophizing?

For the life of me, I don’t understand the Jews living in France. I don’t understand the Jews living in Poland. I don’t understand the one Jew living in Afghanistan (nor the one living in Eritrea) and I can’t believe there are still 100 Jews in Egypt, Algeria, Iraq or Botswana. I don’t understand the Jews living in the Ukraine and, to be honest, I don’t much understand the Jews living in America either.

The only place, at this point, where I can understand Jews living is Israel — and maybe Canada and Micronesia. I don’t necessarily agree with Jews staying in Canada, but at least for today, I can understand it. 

As for Micronesia, I don’t actually know where Micronesia is and as far as I can tell, Google and common sense say there aren’t any Jews living there but they support Israel time after time (maybe because they figure the Arabs can’t find them either?).

But seriously — if you are a Jew living in the Ukraine today, why aren’t you packing your bags? If you are a Jew living in France, do you really expect it to get better? And, if you are a Jew living in the US, do you expect your grandchildren to still be Jewish?

Don’t tell me how hard moving to Israel is — I did it. I came here with three small children and no savings in the bank. We were lucky and blessed and have worked very hard to get where we are. I was lucky — I was offered a job three days after I moved here; my husband came a few months before and a company promised to hire him. 

Why? Because he told them he was willing to start the next day and his wife would ship him clothes. They told him to go back to the States, pack his bags and come home to Israel in two months. He did.

We were lucky because we came when our children were young enough to learn the language quickly and we weren’t picky about where we would live. We were blessed because out of the job I was offered, I built a career and a company. We were blessed because when the first place we chose to live didn’t work out, we moved into the most amazing of cities and communities here in Maale Adumim.

It wasn’t easy and it won’t be easy for the Jews who move here from wherever they are now. But it isn’t nearly as complex or dangerous as remaining in places where you aren’t welcome; where you have to hide who and what you are.

Once the road to Israel was physically dangerous — now, you are a flight away. That’s all it takes. Pack your bags, go to the nearest Israeli embassy or consulate and say, “I want to go home.”

Can Israel handle a mass immigration? We did it before. No one asked Israel if it could accommodate a mass influx of Jews from the Arab countries or from the Soviet Union. They came, they were helped. They learned; they assimilated into the country. 

We have absorbed hundreds of thousands of Jews who came because they couldn’t stay. My next door neighbors are Moroccan, Yemenite, French, American, Russian, South African, British and even some who are several generations Jerusalemites.

Easy? No, not easy, but not nearly as complex as you would imagine and the journey that will change your life begins with a first step. Decide to leave now.

One of my uncles just visited Israel for the first time since 1971. Everywhere we went, he was amazed — by the roads, by the buildings, by the technology. There are few countries in the world as modern as Israel, and none, not a one, that is as safe. Yes, that’s right — safe.

Crime is very low here; healthcare unbeatable, even with the recent Hadassah strike and even with limits to the national healthcare packages. The air is clean; the water of excellent quality. The vegetables are fresh; the bread baked daily and brought to the stores. Yes, life really can be that simple if you don’t insist on making it so complex.

Why, why are you staying in frozen lands where you have to hide your Jewishness when today, in the middle of our winter, it was sunny and in the 70s. Where today, the Jewish Sabbath, our synagogues were full and bursting with song and pride. And tomorrow, we’ll start our work week. Our children will go to school or to some of the best universities in the world.

What holds you to a place where honestly, you know you aren’t wanted? Why would a Jew remain in Poland in the shadow of the concentration camps? Why live in France and worry about the safety of your children?

“Jews, out of France,” they screamed out in a protest attended by 17,000 people. No, not in the 1940s but just last month. What I want to ask the Jews who live there is what in God’s name, are you waiting for?

The European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights did a survey of almost 6,000 Jews living in eight countries. More than 75% said they felt that anti-Semitism is on the rise. An amazing 38% of the Jews polled in Sweden, France, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Latvia said they frequently avoid wearing anything that would indicate they were Jewish (skullcaps, jewelry with Jewish symbols, etc.). Many said they have been harassed or encountered anti-Semitic acts.

While anti-Semitism appears to be down in the United States overall, there is a marked increase on US colleges. That means while you might be safe, your college-age children are not.

Is life easy in Israel? Compared to what Jews are going through now in the Ukraine, France and elsewhere, actually, it probably is… on one condition — that you come here ready to be Israeli, ready to live here as we do. 

You might not be able to afford such a big house, two large cars and Hershey’s chocolates. The house might be smaller, maybe even an apartment. You might have to take public buses and trains and eat Elite chocolate — but you’ll be safe, you’ll have a present and a future as human beings and as Jews. 

Your sons and daughters will grow tall and proud; your grandchildren will walk in a land they own.

No, life isn’t easy in Israel, but it isn’t nearly as hard as living where you are waiting, just waiting until an ancient and modern disease strikes too close.

What, what in God’s name are you waiting for?

#5 - as much fun as riding a camel in Israel.



NOW THINK ON THIS
- THE INSPIRATION CONTINUES

March 7, 2014

25 Messages.

157 pages. 

165 photos.

My 5th book.

Amazon Paperback & Kindle.

Steve Martin
Love For His People


INTRODUCTION 
Page

Now Think On This – The Inspiration Continues are more messages that I have written for Love For His People and Now Think On This blogs. They cover a variety of topics to encourage you, believers in Jesus (Yeshua), for your daily walk and stand for His plans and purposes.

Many times these messages came as a result of inspiration by the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh). I would be driving along, and He would give me a thought, which I would then write down on a notecard or whatever piece of paper was handy.

Two of my previous books, Ahava Love Letters (2013) and Now Think On This (2014), came as one result of my 10th trip to Israel in 2010. We had just established our ministry to bless friends in Israel and the nations, which we named Love For His People, Inc, in April of 2010. I was asking the Lord for the next directive. His response was to use one of the gifts He had given me – to write. Some would call it a teaching gift. It took me a long time to see it that way, but now I do. And so I write in obedience to Him.

Daily we are bombarded with negative news, pressures of the job, and conflicts to be dealt with. We all need encouragement. We need the assurance that our Creator, the One who knows the plans He has for us, is still in control. These messages will bring you hope, give you the solid sense of His hand on all, and increase your faith to stand strong on your convictions. I purposely kept each one short so you can read them alongside your Bible or other daily material.

Plus more than 165 photos that I took!

Steve Martin





Prophecy foretold the revival of the Hebrew language! By Dr. David R. Reagan Founder & Director, Lamb & Lion Ministries



Prophecy foretold the revival of
the Hebrew language!

Dr. David R. ReaganBy Dr. David R. Reagan
Founder & Director, Lamb & Lion Ministries

For many years I have been taking pilgrimage groups to the Holy Land. One of the places we always visit is the Dead Sea Scrolls Museum in Jerusalem. The centerpiece of the museum is the Isaiah scroll that is displayed in a circular glass case.

I usually gather my group around the scroll, explain its importance and then turn the group loose to explore the rest of the museum. One year, after releasing the group, as I was walking away from the Isaiah scroll, I heard someone behind me suddenly start speaking loudly in Hebrew. When I turned around to see who it was, I discovered a young boy about 13 years old with his parents. The boy was reading the scroll, using a pointer. I supposed he was practicing for his Bar Mitzvah, for reading a section from the Scriptures is always a part of that ceremony.

As I listened to the young man, I realized I was witnessing a miracle. It occurred to me that a Greek boy of his age could not read the Greek writings of Homer (ca 8th Century BC) nor could an American or British boy read the English of Chaucer (14th Century AD). Yet this boy could read Hebrew written 2,000 years ago.

How was that possible? Because biblical Hebrew has been revived from the dead and is spoken as the national language of Israel today.


The Death of the Hebrew Language

But I am getting ahead of my story. Let's return for a moment to the days of the Bible.

The worldwide dispersion of the Jewish people began in 70 AD when the Romans ruthlessly ended their revolt against Roman rule by destroying the city of Jerusalem, including their marvelous Temple. This dispersion from their homeland was accelerated after their second revolt was put down in 136 AD.

As the Jews were scattered, they gradually stopped speaking their native language during the centuries that followed. Those in Europe took German and mixed it with Hebrew, producing a hybrid tongue called Yiddish. The Jews who settled in the Mediterranean basin mixed Hebrew with Spanish and developed a language called Ladino.

Hebrew became confined to the synagogues where it was used for Torah readings. By the beginning of the 20th Century, most Jews could not understand the Torah readings. For them, it was like a Gentile experiencing a Catholic mass conducted in Latin.

But all this was to change miraculously, and in the process, the fulfillment of a very important end time Bible prophecy began.


The Key Prophecy

The prophecy I have in mind is the prophecy about the revival of the Hebrew language. It is found in Zephaniah 3:9 —
For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord. (NASB)
The New International Version states that the Lord will "purify the lips of the people." The New Living Translation says God will "purify the speech." The English Standard Version puts it this way: "I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech."The Living Bible paraphrases the verse to read: "At that time I will change the speech of my returning people to pure Hebrew so that all can worship the Lord together."

The more literal translations of this verse leave the clear implication that the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy will occur when all the peoples of the world are once again unified in their language, likely speaking biblical Hebrew.Whether this will occur during the Millennium or the Eternal State is not made precisely clear in the Scriptures.

For example, Isaiah 19:18 says that during the Lord's millennial reign, there will be cities in Egypt where people will be speaking Hebrew. And our key verse, Zephaniah 3:9, is set in the context of being fulfilled after God has poured out His "indignation" on the nations (Zephaniah 3:8). That's speaking of the Tribulation, so the implication is that the establishment of a universal language will occur at the beginning of the Millennium.

On the other hand, Zechariah 8:23 tells us that during the Millennium, "ten people from all languages and nations will take hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you'" (NIV). So, it sounds like national languages will continue during the Millennium, and thus the unity of language will not occur until we reach the Eternal State.

But, as you will see, the revival of biblical Hebrew as the spoken language of the Jewish people today must be considered a miracle of God and at least a partial fulfillment of Zephaniah 3:9. In that regard, it should be noted that there is no other example in world history of an ancient language being revived as the spoken language of a modern nation. The restoration of biblical Hebrew to a modern day spoken language is a unique historical phenomenon.

God orchestrated the revival of spoken Hebrew through a baby born to an Orthodox Jewish family in 1858 in Lithuania, which at that time was part of Russia. He was given the name of Eliezer Yitzhak Perlman and would later be known as Eliezer Ben-Yehuda.
Read about the fascinating person who was key to
prophetically reviving the long dead language of Hebrew!

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6 Ways to Prevent an Embarrassing Ministry Scandal - J. Lee Grady

J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA MAGAZINE
The recent sentencing of Dr. Yonggi Cho of South Korea is a reminder that we need a fresh commitment to integrity.
I was devastated to learn last week that South Korean megachurch pastor David Yonggi Cho was found guilty of embezzling $12 million in church funds. I was aware that the famous hero of faith was struggling with problems at his massive congregation, Yoido Full Gospel Church, which is in Seoul. Cho’s 56-year effort to build what is now the world’s largest church made him one of the most respected spiritual fathers in the Pentecostal movement.
Some American leaders knew that Cho’s problems were linked to his son Cho Hee-jun, who was also convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for his role in an elaborate stock scheme that involved millions of dollars of church money. Hee-jun was immediately jailed. Thankfully, the elder Cho will not have to serve his prison sentence (it was suspended), but he will have to pay a $4.7 million fine.
I still respect Dr. Cho. A former Buddhist, he had a dramatic conversion to Jesus and was used by the Holy Spirit to bring the gospel to a nation that for centuries was closed to Christianity. Cho remains a legend. But the events of last week serve to remind us that even the greatest spiritual giants have feet of clay, and even the biggest ministries can fall into scandal if principles of integrity are not practiced.
This seems the best time to offer the simple reminders below. Today a new generation of megachurch pastors and ministry leaders has emerged, and this generation may not be aware that a few wrong moves could put them in the middle of the next big ministry scandal. If you are a leader, please post these rules in your board room, in your CEO’s office and in your ministry’s employee manual. If you are not in leadership, please pray that these rules are followed at your church, no matter how big it is:
1. Never build a cult of personality. The top reason ministries fail is that the organization starts revolving around a person instead of Christ. I don’t care how gifted or anointed the leader is—if he (or she) allows others to put him on a pedestal or if he climbs there himself, a fall is coming. Paul told the Corinthians, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11, NASB). Paul didn’t build his ministry on himself. In addition, he shared the spotlight with his successor, Timothy, and his other team members. If a leader can’t share power, he is headed toward disaster.
2. Develop a culture of openness. Healthy ministries encourage staff members and church members to give input. I’ve found that in ministries that experienced scandal, employees constantly felt intimidated, controlled or even threatened. Did you know that the word occult comes from a Latin word that means “secret” or “covered up”? Ministries that engage in cover-up or secrecy are not managing their work in a Christian manner.
3. Insist on financial transparency. Churches and ministries are funded by donors, and donors have a God-given right to know that their funds are being used properly. Ministry leaders also have a God-given stewardship, and they must acknowledge that the funds given to them are not for personal gain. All financial transactions of a ministry should be scrutinized by designated leaders (including an outside accountant) to prevent corruption.
4. Don’t build a family dynasty. There is nothing in the Bible that says a Christian leader is supposed to turn his ministry over to his family. And nepotism is often the cause of financial scandal. If a leader stacks his board or church staff with family members, they will be tempted to make financial decisions that benefit themselves. And in many cases, parents who employ their children find it difficult to bring correction when there are serious offenses.
5. Beware of creating a greed monster. In today’s megachurches, huge amounts of money begin to roll in on Sundays—and if leaders are not careful, this kind of success can eventually destroy them. We must remember that God entrusts us with these funds in order to engage in the work of ministry, not to provide leaders with mansions, luxury vehicles, bodyguards, private jets, shopping allowances and second or third homes. When you feed greed, it will always come back to bite you. I personally believe that pastors and ministry leaders should voluntarily put a cap on their salaries instead of insisting on being treated like corporate bigshots.
6. Never tolerate a spirit of entitlement. Financial blessing can affect people in dramatically different ways. One person can humbly receive it, thank God for it and live in constant gratefulness and humility. The next person can accept the blessing and then begin to think they deserve royal treatment. This spirit of entitlement can invade a church or ministry subtly at first, until leaders begin to make demands. I once knew a preacher who asked to be driven from her hotel to the conference in a limousine—yet the distance was less than one block! This insane behavior should be confronted, not coddled.
Paul told his spiritual son Timothy that church leaders must be “free from the love of money” (1 Tim. 3:3) in order to assume that responsibility. We would do well to revisit that mandate today. Instead of tarnishing ourselves with another scandal, let’s show the world that we can handle money right.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project(themordecaiproject.org). You can follow him on Twitter at @leegrady. He is the author of 10 Lies Men Believe and other books.
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