RESPONSE TO EVIL by Morris E. Ruddick

RESPONSE TO EVIL (c) Morris E. Ruddick "Lord, You have set up a banner for those who fear You, a standard displayed because of the truth. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, save with Your right hand and answer us." Ps 60:3-5 Mind-sets are a compilation of assumptions that influence how we live our lives. They are the predispositions of our attitudes which determine how we respond to the circumstances around us. Mind-sets shape an individual's behavior. Cultural mind-sets mold the identity shared by a people. Working with believers in cultures where freedom is at risk has often challenged me to take a closer look at my own individual and cultural mind-sets. One culture I've worked with in particular includes a number of leaders who have spent extended time in hard-labor prisons for their faith. The intent of these incarcerations of brutal conditions was to undermine their faith. It had the opposite effect. In each case, I've been struck by the strength of character, decision-priorities and genuine humility of these friends who bear these brand-marks of their faith. On the other hand, what I have not observed is the focus that the West can give to issues that impact the soul. In conditions designed to break their spirit, those issues included severe deprivation of such essentials as having enough food to live and the realities of facing death. In short, what I have witnessed has been a distinct absence of a victim's mentality. In lands of persecution, almost everyone has a story of tragedy and serious loss. Yet, contrary to Western predispositions, the choice has been to put their tragic pasts behind them to more fully live in "the now." "Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth for that which is ahead." Phil3:13 Paul's admonition is not to "stuff it," but rather to renew our minds and make a choice to transform our thinking by giving focus to remembering those things that are true, noble, just, pure and of good report (Phil 4:8). That's the rallying banner. It's the standard upheld by those we regard as heroes of faith. Foundations to How We Respond At the core of the way of the Kingdom is how we respond to evil. Our mind-sets play a significant role in this response. The first premise is that we cannot hope for much by responding in our own strength or cleverness, no matter how much we verbalize it. It takes a great deal more, even for the most talented. The opening Scripture is about that added dimension that only comes through God. It is from a Psalm describing a people who have strayed and lost the power and protection of God against evil. It outlines the need to be restored and highlights what is required to maintain that place in which God intervenes on their behalf. Over the centuries, the Lord has imparted banners and standards for the good of His people. They serve an initial function to help us avoid the subtleties of evil. When ignored, they still provide the means of deliverance, although at a higher cost when evil inroads can only be met by judgment. The banner displayed gives first priority to embracing the unequivocal fear of the Lord. That calls for a choice. The standard then sets the stage to unveil the truth and the reality of God that empowers deliverance. It is the foundation from which we can cry out to the Lord and expect the manifestation of His power. Bondages result when God's supernatural standards are watered down with the natural. Within the Body are many who enjoy God's blessings yet are constrained from crossing the boundaries into what is represented by the fullness of their callings. The constraints typically are self-imposed, driven by precepts of men, with the standards influenced by both individual and cultural mind-sets and predispositions. The response to evil draws a line in the sand. Not recklessly or arbitrarily, but rather as a choice and a priority to uphold the standard. That choice is contrary to the way the world responds. That sometimes means sacrifice. Yet, that choice is the very foundation that Jesus imparted to His followers during His three year earthly ministry. The Subtle Influence For years I have worked with men and women of God being prepared with modern-day Joseph-type callings. The calling of God in the marketplace is not one of position or status, but a calling of influence. The influence evolves around establishing God's standard against evil, harnessing resources, and bringing deliverance and transformation within the infrastructures of the world's systems. Yet, again and again the pressures and subtleties faced by these modern-day Josephs bring challenge and distortion to their mantles. With the distractions and deceptions, the result is being drawn into safe-places, of spiritually treading water. As an illustration of the subtleties that distort and diminish the standard, the Western media has long advanced a cultural mind-set that turns returning military heroes into victims. It has undermined the standard of the cause of freedom with subtle, downgraded and distorted moralizations. The brand-marks of true heroes are then dishonored and reduced to pity. Pilate's challenge to Jesus was based on this very premise: that Jesus was facing death and Pilate had the authority to release Him. Jesus' response to Pilate was that his authority was limited and defined only by the Father. Figuratively speaking, Jesus spit in the face of death. Jesus was never a victim. His response refused a mind-set of pity, as He held to the standard. Jesus said He came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill, to bring completion to them. He drew a line in the sand with destruction and death. Yet, until the time He was turned over to Pilate and Herod to face crucifixion, the focus of His earthly ministry dealt with the response to evil within the household of faith. "From the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force." Matt 11:12 The Evil Within The evil within the household of faith is far more subtle than the evil from outside the community of God's people. Ranging from factors such as obsessive introspection leading to majoring in minors and spiritual myopia to outright misuses of authority, the result has long been a people of feeble power, fragmented and divided. Nevertheless, overcoming these vulnerabilities represents the cohesive foundation needed to maximize the power in responding to evil coming from the world's system. No one group has the total picture, which is why we need one another. The level to which the evil within the community of God's people is properly addressed will be the level destabilizing and diluting the impact of the evil lurking outside the camp. "Do not be afraid of the sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being taken." Prov 3:25-26 The inroads of evil into the household of faith find their seedbed in mind-sets, the most devilish being religious mind-sets. Instead of being the influencers and overcomers, the Body has systematically become culturally compliant and spiritually anemic. The perception is viewed as the reality. Most purveyors of news are no longer presenting facts, but rather the spin of events within the view of a creeping system of godless values and evil-intended priorities. In God's eyes, the reality is based on the standard. God's standard is the driver for our mind-sets, the factor that determines what is right and the priorities we ascribe in stewarding our destinies. That standard is then wielded to the degree that our thinking and actions are in oneness with Him. "Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads and look. Then ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies. Then walk in it and you will find rest for your souls." Jer 6:16 When God's people are in alignment with Him, His glory will manifest. God's glory manifested when King David brought God's people together. That was King David's greatest accomplishment and will be the standard for the model in the millennium. To grasp the dynamics needed to realize the release of God's glory in the face of evil requires a closer look at what pride really is, how true humility upholds the standard and the role of suffering. With that is the need to understand how the Word of God defines wickedness within the ranks of the household of faith. The Seduction of Pride. There is a fine line between pride and honor. True honor comes from God. Pride, however, is self-created and rails against the knowledge of God. Self-righteousness is based on pride. It seduces and distorts. The Bible says that pride is like death and cannot be satisfied (Hab 2:5). Jesus addressed this dynamic manifesting with the Pharisees. They reached for the standard and missed. Their elitism and self-serving ambition for status and power pushed them away from God. It manifested in the mind-sets and the priorities they gave to the way they lived their lives. Jesus called them hypocrites because of their spiritual myopia. The history of God's people is filled with stories of "strays" who have misused their authority and operated under short-sighted, prideful illusions of their own significance in their stewardship of God's power. The Bible describes them as wicked. Proverbs 12:5-7 draws a sharp comparison between the righteous and the wicked. It applies within the boundaries of God's people. The divergence is between being just and operating with treachery and deceit. It speaks of the wicked seeking to entrap, of being ensnared by their own words, while the righteous maintain their integrity through backlash to emerge not only whole, but with new dimensions of purpose and enlightenment. Remember Job's response to his "friends" and the later end for Job. "When Job prayed for his friends the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as before." Job 42:10 It is the way of the Kingdom to respond to evil with good. In short, the root of the righteous, defined by this standard, cannot be moved or uprooted (Prov 12:3). It emphasizes our complete dependency on God and the importance of humility and a listening heart in maintaining the standard to stay the pathway. Humility and a Listening Heart. At the core of a righteous heart is the humility that comes from a genuine listening heart. We continually need to be hearing from God and the truth of His Word. We likewise need the wisdom from those who have gone before us as well as the God-fearing whose orientations are not constrained by our own search for what is truth. "[The Bereans] were more fair-minded.... in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."Acts 17:11 That's not to suggest a potpourri of opinions, but rather the discernment of the essentials needed to grasp the biblical standard guiding the steps of the community of faith. The need calls for more than a doctrinal statement on a web-site. The world we live in, along with today's factionalized Body demands strategic-level wisdom in establishing the scriptural common ground of how we come together and how we operate as the community of faith -- in a way that draws the world. "You are the light of the world, a city [community] set on a hill that cannot be hidden." Matt 5:14 The homosexual community mapped out just such a strategy roughly three decades ago. They have exceeded their goals. But then Jesus observed that the sons of this world can be more shrewd in operating with their own kind, than the sons of Light. To have a story to tell begins WITHIN the household of faith, with the degree to which we are listening to one another. The common ground involves how we OPERATE together. That will require humility. Humility toward God and others is a Kingdom key. It is an igniter for unity. Humility is the shield against pride and the fear of man. Paul described the ultimate spiritual enemy we are dealing with as death. True humility inoculates us against the fear of man and the age-old seductions of death and destruction. The Response and Role of Suffering. People who have faced death in combat and survived, understand the reality involved in face-offs that "cheat" death. Winston Churchill was a man who over the course of his life had many encounters with death. He was intimately acquainted with how evil operated. His demeaner was fearless. His consistently big-picture response was to uphold the standard against evil. When he was made Prime Minister, what he was dealing with was a faceoff with death. Hitler's machine had conquered most of the European continent. Churchill was surrounded by those seeking to appease evil. As irreverent and as unorthodox as Churchill could be, he was much like a modern-day Cyrus. God knew and called Cyrus long before Cyrus knew there to be such a One as the God of Israel. In the world of 1940, Hitler may have been the human mechanism, but it was death that was on the march. In its grip were the chosen of God, with the anemic stewardship of the Lord's standard in the crucible. Churchill's response to death, to this amassing evil was to draw a line in the sand. Not unlike King David, with wisdom beyond his own brilliance, he rallied the free world and brought them into unity. The response involved a time of extreme sacrifice and suffering. Historically, times of great revival have been directly correlated with times of sacrifice and suffering. So it is that we find ourselves today with evil amassing before us. The Big-Picture Response These are times described in Isaiah 60 as when darkness is covering the earth and deep darkness the people. Evil has aggressively come out of the closet. The clarion call for the household of faith is to give heed to the big-picture and gird up the loins of our mind-sets. Humility and listening hearts, along with facing the realities is no longer an option. "While following the way of your judgments, we have eagerly waited for You. At night my soul longs for You. Indeed my spirit seeks you diligently. For when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." Isa 26:8-10 The need is to redirect the focus of the energies given to the fund-raising soap boxes, and sweep aside the idols occupying our minds (Ezek 14:5). In responding to the big picture of what is happening around us, is the need to draw a line in the sand, calling the evil within for what it is and to begin giving focus to the strategies needed to fully draw on our Great Equalizer in facing the realities. Peter notes (1 Peter 4:17) that judgment first comes to the household of faith. Jesus said that each would be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice seasoned with salt (Mark9:49). That's the mix, it is the cost required to be carriers of His presence. In facing the disarray and division, it is time for the household of faith to uphold the big-picture standard, serve as God's calling card, as He draws all men to Himself. "We have a strong city [community]. Lord, You have established and strengthened our walls and ramparts. So, open the gates, that all who are righteous may enter, the ones who have remained faithful. The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. For in You we have an everlasting Rock." Isa 26:1-7 ___________________________________________________ Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the call of God in the marketplace since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation and designer of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program, Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and equips economic community builders where God's light is dim in both the Western and non-Western world. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" and "Leadership by Anointing," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders called to impact their communities with God's blessings. They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.comand other popular outlets. Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled by the generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors whose vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize the persecuted church to be the head and not the tail. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card atsign@strategicintercession.org  Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your congregation on the wisdom the persecuted church has for the times emerging in the West.  2014 Copyright Morris Ruddick - sign@strategicintercession.org Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check: http://www.strategicintercession.org

Morris Ruddick Global Initiatives Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org

"Key Prophetic Words and Strategies Over - Israel, Cuba, China, America and More!" by Chuck D. Pierce

"Key Prophetic Words and Strategies Over - Israel, Cuba, China, America and More!"

Chuck D. Pierce, Corinth, TX

The Elijah List

Dear Watchmen:

Ferguson, Missouri has been in the news since the Lord sent us there on June 18, and said that this area would become the dividing line of the nation. We have stayed focused on the borders and all the issues of immigration and drug cartel wars.

I believe nearly all of us have seen the reports coming from Jerusalem with a new wave of violence. Cars have been used as weapons to drive into innocent bystanders, and most recently, men armed with butcher knives and guns attacked a synagogue.

The Lurking Dragon!

When we were flying into Tel Aviv earlier this month, I saw an unusual sunset. The sun, though setting, looked like it was rising from the ground. Above the glory realm hovering on the ground was sky. In the sky was a perfectly formed black dragon! The message the Lord had me to deliver in Jerusalem was:

"The dragon is hovering over Israel. There is a birth that is near and the enemy wants to stop what God is birthing. 

There will be much conflict in the next several months but you can stop the dragon from having his way."(Photo of Chuck Pierce in Israel via Glory of Zion Ministries)

I went on to speak from Revelation 12. I called Rick Ridings, the leader of the 24 Hour House of Prayer in Jerusalem. Rick had already planned to share an earlier vision of a great fire-breathing dragon circling the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. He shared that when flames came from its mouth, violence was released onto the Mount (which has been the scene of increasing turmoil over the past several months). Amazing!

We must stand and turn the enemy from Israel. In the vision, Rick was made to be aware that the dragon's real intentions were to ignite a much larger and more far-reaching conflagration of violence. Suddenly, he saw two words in the heavens, "NOT NOW." His message was: "I saw a dragon on the Temple Mount, but God said, 'NOT NOW!'"

A great foot descended from Heaven, pinning the dragon to the ground. Then the Lord reached down, placed shackles on the dragon's feet, and imprisoned it in the underground mosque at the southeast corner of the Temple Mount. 

As this was happening, in the worship room where Rick was having the vision (which has a view of the Mount), the leader was singing from Psalm 149 about the high praise of God's people "putting kings in chains and nobles in shackles." (Photo of Chuck Pierce in Israel via Glory of Zion Ministries)

In the days following this, conflict continued and many in the media were predicting an impending huge eruption of violence and the start of a new intifada ("uprising").

In a second vision on November 4, Rick had a vision of the imprisoned dragon shrieking and attempting to break out of its dungeon in which it was imprisoned - demon spirits were going forth from its mouth out of the confines of the prison to incite terror. Rick felt the Lord say we were to ask Him, as the Judge of the Universe, to give a "gag and restraining order" to silence the dragon for this time period.

Watch Cuba!

I gave this prophecy about Cuba and New Orleans on September 21, 2010 during a staff meeting. The Lord showed me Cuba becoming a nation that we would begin to see differently. Then in 2011, Cuba (and Castro) would be favored.

Venezuela would go through a government shift! Then they will align with Iran and Russia over oil, and form a thick shadow of deception. This shadow of deception will attempt to overshadow Cuba. The shadow will rest on Cuba and the leaders of Cuba will align with this confederated network. This shadow will attempt to come in through the Gulf of Mexico and enter America, to vie for its control through the port of New Orleans.

China will take a stand on behalf of America's future before America fully stands up (since China is gaining economic rule in America in the ports). New Orleans will have to establish the presence of God at its gate to withstand this, or else rioting will occur and the transfer of wealth will shift wrongly in the ports. (There have been reports for almost three years of spying subs in the Gulf.)

Key Prophecy for NOW: Anne Tate, Chuck Pierce, Michelle Hadley, Keith Pierce, Rebekah Faubion

Our service on Sunday morning was just amazing. Following our Convergencia Hispana gathering on Friday and Saturday, the sound of the nations was released during our worship and the portals of revelation of Heaven were opened. The Spirit of God began to declare as Brian Kooiman gave a tongue for interpretation.

"This is a season where you're going higher than you ever imagined. I am taking you higher and higher and higher and higher; you have only begun to glimpse where I'm taking you. Raise your sights! Raise your eyes! Look at Me! I Am taking you higher and higher.

"There are certain things you can't see where you presently are. Until you begin to become buoyant in faith with Me, you will not be able to see what I would have you see. So keep going higher, and you'll get to a place where you can breathe only by the Spirit. I Am taking My people to a place where they will require the oxygen of My Spirit to begin to move into the thoughts that I have. Vision is coming to you in a new place."

Song of Spirit:

I know you're tired, but come on higher anyway
I know the battle has been weary, but come up higher anyway
I Am giving you an aerial view
I Am giving you an aerial view
You are going to see things that you've never seen before
I am going to download strategies that you didn't have before! (Photo of Convergencia Hispana gathering via Glory of Zion Ministries)

"Lift Your Eyes! You've looked at the roots and the trunk of the tree, but you've not seen what's in the top of the tree. I have things hidden that have been captured there that only you can begin to gather, by coming higher. 

This is a day that you must ask Me to bring you into a new place. Some of you will fall from this high place, but do not fear. There will still be life in you, and you will rise again."

Shatece McLeod then gave another tongue for interpretation:

"Today is the day I come with an injection of My holiness. The injection of My holiness will go into your blood veins in a new way, and it will activate the DNA inside where I have been received by you. Get ready for this injection, because all that receive this infusion will receive an open Heaven.

"You will receive the authority to deal with the disturbance in the second airways. So get ready, get ready, get ready because when I, I Am, when I, I Am, comes upon the scene and you begin to fall upon Me and rest, you will see Me released to go before you.

"I Am raising up a standard of righteousness among you this hour. Many of you have been confused of the purpose of My grace. My grace is not here to let you wallow in your short-comings and your fear and your lack. My Grace is here to raise you up to the standard of My favor, of My excellence, of My purpose in this world. My grace is not for you to wallow in.

"Get out of your wallowing! Get out of your mud pit! Get up and stand! If you cannot stand today in this standard that I Am raising, then you come and you lay your face at My altar and you put down everything else; I will raise a new standard before you. (Photo of Convergencia Hispana gathering via Glory of Zion Ministries)

"Your shins are stuck in the mud and you've been striving to get through that hard place that you've been in. Part of that place is from your making; other parts are because the enemy has come in like a flood and muddied your path. 

But I am going to interject an anointing down through your feet that will cause you to now walk through that which has bogged you down. If you will change your mind from how you see My grace, then My grace will interject and fill you, energize and move you forward."

May each of you be thankful for all that He is doing in your life!

Blessings,

Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries

Email: chuckp@glory-of-zion.org
Website: glory-of-zion.org

Charles D. "Chuck" Pierce serves as President of Global Spheres, Inc. (GSI) in Corinth, Texas. This is an apostolic, prophetic ministry that is being used to gather and mobilize the worshipping Triumphant Reserve throughout the world. Chuck also serves as President of Glory of Zion International Ministries, a ministry that aligns Jew and Gentile. He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting which helps direct nations, cities, churches, and individuals in understanding the times and seasons in which we live. 

Chuck and his wife, Pam, have six children and seven grandchildren. He has authored over 20 books, including the best-sellersGod's Unfolding Battle Plan, Interpreting the Times, Redeeming the Time, and Time to Defeat the Devil.

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Israel in Their Hearts: The Jewish State's Honorary Consuls

Monday, November 24, 2014 |  Yossi Aloni  ISRAEL TODAY

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Israel

They are the long arm of Israeli diplomacy, and they aren't even Israeli citizens. They help foster strong relations, and open doors that would otherwise be shut. They are motivated by love for Israel, and, no, they receive no monetary compensation. In fact, they invest much of their own time and money to fulfill their important diplomat mission.

Introducing the honorary consuls of the State of Israel, a total of 77 specifically accredited persons, many of them non-Israeli Jews, but also including a large number of Bible-believing Christians.

Earlier this month, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs held its second Honorary Consuls of Israel conference, which was attended by 48 of the honorary consuls, representing 36 nations, 13 of which don't even have official diplomatic representation in Israel.

One of the honorary consuls in attendance was Roberto Nelkenbau of Bolivia, which severed all diplomatic ties to Israel in 2009. As the only representative of Israel in the South American country, Nelkenbau is often called upon to provide consular services to Israelis visiting Bolivia, which remains a popular destination for backpackers from the Jewish state.

Following the summer's Gaza war, the Bolivian government decided to punish Israel by canceling a 1972 agreement that exempted Israeli visitors from obtaining a visa before arriving. Nelkenbau quietly negotiated with his government on Israel's behalf, ultimately securing an understanding whereby Israelis could continue to travel to Bolivia and pay at the border for a temporary visa.

The backpacking and hiking adventures in which these Israelis partake are often dangerous, and Nelkenbau regularly plays a key role in dealing with accidents involving Israelis in Bolivia.

And while he is known to Israelis visiting the country, Nelkenbau is even more recognizable among his own countrymen. Like most of the other honorary consuls, Nelkenbau is a known public figure in his country. He is a former professional race car driver who today owns a chain of popular cinemas.

Also like Nelkenbau, many of the honorary consuls are from nations in which Israel has no embassy or official diplomatic representation. These consuls, in effect, serve as Israel's ambassador. They raise the Israeli flag with pride at their residences, the addresses of which are often used by the Israeli government for all matters pertaining to government or local media.

One of the longest-serving honorary consuls is Benny Gilbert of Barbados. Despite Barbados' small size, Gilbert has been able to play an important role in Israel's global diplomacy. Any time there is an important vote regarding Israel at the UN, the Jewish state scrambles to find nations willing to vote on its side. In such situations, the Israeli Foreign Ministry calls up Gilbert and guides him in how to approach the government of Barbados and what message to convey. More than once, Gilbert's intervention has resulted in Barbados abstaining from votes on important anti-Israel resolutions.   "My greatest success was convincing Barbados to abstain from a vote on accepting the [State of] Palestine at the UN, [a motion] the government had planned to support," said Gilbert.

 Fredrik Ekholm is one of the newer honorary consuls. He represents Israel in the city of Vasa, Finland. As a devout Christian, Ekholm is constantly on the lookout for anti-Israel boycotts, which he and a group of like-minded Christians immediately seek to counter by promoting the boycotted Israeli goods.

"I explain to people that they must not be foolish. Even if they have criticism of Israel, it is no reason to boycott Israeli products, which are the best available," said Ekholm. "I believe that doing business with Israel is a blessing."

To learn more about ever growing ties between Israel and Bible-believing Christians, be sure to subscribe to Israel Today Magazine - SUBSCRIBE NOW >>

Ekholm owns a company that imports Israeli wines and Dead Sea products to Finland. He also regularly organizes pro-Israel conference and rallies, and never tires of directly intervening when he comes across biased anti-Israel news reports.

"Whenever I read or see reports negative of Israel, I immediately pick up the phone and contact the reporter in question to correct him," said Ekholm, who has become something of a one-man PR army.

"The problem is that the media in Europe constantly reports false information," he explained. "We have to find a way to deliver the right information, and one way is through videos. In Finland, we have published numerous videos, for instance showing Hamas hiding rockets in residential areas or calling for Israel's destruction. Those who see the videos often change their tune."

Jewish businessman Philip Kaye has been serving as Israel's honorary consul to Wales since 2010. In this capacity, Kaye works closely with the Israeli Embassy in London, in addition to also operating as a one-man PR war room. Not a scrap of anti-Israel propaganda in the local media escapes Kaye, who immediately responds either personally or by mobilizing a network of pro-Israel voices.

"People are affected by the information they receive. This is not a lost cause, and we must not give up," said Kaye.   During the last Gaza war, Kaye hosted the former mayor the rocket-battered southern Israel town of Sderot, David Buskila. "We introduced [Mayor Buskila] in churches, where he explained life under the threat of missiles," said Kaye. "Unfortunately, we were unable to arrange any media interviews."

Presently, Kaye is working to bring Israeli musicians for a first of its kind music festival in Wales. "I try to advance Israeli interests not only in politics, but also in culture and economy," he said.

But doing this work often comes with a price.

Kaye has received threats in the past, but said local police are on the case and he is not frightened. Much more harrowing is the situation for Israel's honorary consul in Cordoba, Argentina, Mr. Alejandro Orchansky. The Jewish businessman's private home has been the scene of four demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists, and he has received a number of death threats necessitating regular police protection.

Orchansky related that the situation is so bad that most are scared to actually speak up for Israel, or to even be neutral on the subject.

"I fight constantly with a local media that is completely against Israel," he said. "I spoke to journalists and asked, 'Why don't you allow anyone to write in favor of Israel, or at least to be neutral?' The answer shocked me: 'What do you want, we would be the only ones!'"

Orchansky lamented that the media in Argentina are "like cattle. I found the best way is to avoid politics and instead show the beauty of Israel. I show Israel's achievements in medicine, education and culture. I also take governors and other trainees on tours of Israel. They all return to Argentina as ambassadors for Israel."

During the recent conference, attending honorary consuls met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who provided an overview of the current situation in the region. They also received briefings from senior Foreign Ministry officials and toured local "hot spots" like the Gaza border.

Concluding the visit, Israel's Foreign Ministry called the honorary consuls "an important part of Israel's diplomatic 'Iron Dome,'" referencing the anti-missile system that saved so many lives during the Gaza war. 

PHOTO: Israel's honorary consuls meet with President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem. (Chaim Tzach)

To learn more about ever growing ties between Israel and Bible-believing Christians, be sure to subscribe to Israel Today Magazine - SUBSCRIBE NOW >>

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Shabbat Shalom Israel!

May the good Lord, God of Israel, 

Yeshua HaMashiach, 

be your protection!

Nazareth Priest: In Israel, Christians Have Freedom

Thursday, November 20, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff

Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Nazareth-based Greek Orthodox Christian priest of Aramean background, has become a symbol and vocal witness of the situation for Christians in Israel, and how that differs from the way Christians are treated everywhere else in the Middle East.

Speaking before US congressional leaders in Washington, DC this week, Father Naddaf explained:

“In the Middle East today, there is one country where Christians are affectionately granted freedom of expression, freedom of worship and security. It is Israel, the Jewish State. In Israel, Christians enjoy good education, employment, welfare, healthcare, and high socio-economic standing. In Israel, Christians have freedom, which no Muslim power has ever offered us.”

In telling the American lawmakers about his own journey of faith, Father Naddaf recalled moving as a young man to the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Haifa, where, in the course of meeting and working with Jews, he discovered that “the idea that I needed to be scared of Jews, or that there was something dangerous about them was simply not true. The myth was shattered.”

It is this same hate-filled misinformation about Israel’s Jews and their intentions that is fueling the current violence centering on Jerusalem.

Father Naddaf is currently in the US on a speaking tour on behalf of The Face of Israel organization.

Father Naddaf and his efforts amongst and on behalf of the Aramean Christian community in Israel is the focus of a feature story in the upcoming December issue of Israel Today Magazine. Don’t miss it - SUBSCRIBE NOW >>

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"This is The Gate of Heaven" ✡ Shabbat Shalom!

And he was afraid, and said: 'How full of awe is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'  GENESIS (28:17)   וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה  אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם בְּרֵאשִׁית   כח:יז va-yee-ra va-yo-mar mah no-ra ha-ma-kom ha-zeh ayn zeh kee im bayt e-lo-heem v'-zeh sha-ar ha-sha-ma-yim

Shabbat Inspiration The ground upon which Jacob spends the night and encounters God, recounted in today's verse, was none other than the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. When Jacob awakens, he realizes that it is no ordinary place, but “the gate of the heavens”, the most propitious place for prayers to ascend to God and the site where the Temple will later stand. According to Rabbi Chaim Clorfene, the Temple is referred to as a house “because in the Temple, God's revealed presence - the 'shechina' - dwells with His people, just as a husband intimately dwells with his wife in their home.”   Get more Shabbat inspiration with our Shabbat Shalom Book » Love In The Face of Terror The widows of the Har Nof massacre have asked that this Shabbat be dedicated to 'ahavat chinam' - love for no good reason.  In the words of the super-talented Portnoy Brothers, in a single they just released from Jerusalem, "Learn to love the ones who love you less."   Watch here » Demolition of Terrorists’ Homes Begins in Jerusalem The destruction of terrorists’ homes sends a sharp, clear message to those who wish to harm Israeli civilians and security forces. That message says; terrorism and causing harm to innocents carries with it a heavy price.   Read more » Shabbat Shalom Book Get inspired each week by the Torah portion with this book by Sondra Oster Baras, who has been teaching Scripture to Christians from a Jewish point of view for over a decade. Edited by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, with beautiful photographs of the heart of Biblical Israel. Get this Great Deal » Today's Israel Photo The skies of Israel really do seem like the gates of heaven.  In today's picture, by Daniel Malkiel, we can feel the spirit emanating from the inspiring sky over Israel's lush farmland.   View more scenes of Israel » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day » “Your Daily Messages Help Us So Much” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » Hi Rabbi Tuly, Greetings from South Africa. Thank you so much for your daily messages. They mean so much to me. I am part of a group of Christian people studying the Torah, and your daily messages help us so much. Thank you, Pat B. The Blessings we get from the readings and scriptures are indeed awesome and superb. They have brought light and inspiration in this part of the Pacific. Regards and God bless! Seva Nauru Secondary School. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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