The Next Blood Moon is Almost Here ✡ "There is None Else Besides Him" - Israel365

You have been shown, in order to know that the Lord He is God; there is none else besides Him. DEUTERONOMY (4:35) אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי יְ-הֹוָה הוּא הָאֱ-לֹהִים אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ דברים ד:לה a-ta har-ay-ta la-da-at kee a-do-nai hu ha-e-lo-heem ayn od mil-va-do

Today's Israel Inspiration There are two main ways we can come to an understanding of God: through “His Word” (The Torah) and through “His World” (nature). Many of God's messages were delivered by the Prophets of Israel, and today, we look to their writings to understand "His World" and the meaning of the rare Blood Moon tetrad, each falling on a major Jewish holiday. In a new book, all of the prophecies relating to Blood Moons, Shemitah (the sabbatical year), promises to Israel, and the Jubilee, have been gathered in one book, "Israel First!" Don't miss this #1 Amazon release. Get a FREE sample of "Israel First!" eBook » BLOOD MOONS: What is God Telling Us? What are Blood Moons and how will they affect us? In the Bible, the Prophet Joel states, “The sun shall turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, prior to the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” (Joel 3:4). Watch here » Rabbi Tuly Weisz: Blood Moons a “Sign of Excitement and Messianic Advancement” Rabbi Tuly Weisz, publisher of Breaking Israel News, believes that the upcoming Blood Moon is not a cause for fear, but rather a “sign of excitement and messianic advancement.” Read more » Working Towards Moshiach The world is poised on the brink of cosmic events. Will the coming years bring environment disaster? Catastrophic conflict? World flooding from global warming? Epidemics? Political chaos? This collection of essays discusses the basis for hope and strength in the present chaotic world and demonstrate how we can all participate in the most important activity of our time – working towards the Moshiach (Messiah). Get this Great Deal » Today's Israel Photo Elad Matityahu's dramatic photograph of heavy clouds over the Land of Israel. See more photos by Elad Matityahu » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day and receive a free devotional book » “I Find the Stories Inspiring” 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 » Dear Rabbi, I do enjoy the newsletter and look forward to seeing it in my inbox.  I find the stories inspiring and find peace in the scriptural quotations.  I pray for Israel and I do hope to visit the land of God's chosen people someday soon.  May God continue His blessings and protection of Israel and those who love her. Tom Elliott, Island of Guam Thank you Rabbi for your insights and His plan for the Chosen People and those joining - Delores Mentel Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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MIRACLES: Pastor Saeed is leading inmates to Christ - Joel Rosenberg

MIRACLES: Pastor Saeed is suffering in an Iranian prison, but he’s also leading inmates to Christ. Here’s the latest. (My conversation with his wife, Naghmeh Abedini) by joelcrosenberg

(Washington, D.C.) --“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.” Hebrews 13:3 (NKJV)

On Tuesday evening, I had the opportunity to talk by phone with Mrs. Naghmeh Abedini. She is the wife of Pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been in prison in Iran for converting to Christianity, preaching the Gospel, and helping the underground house church network inside Iran.

This Saturday will mark the third year since Pastor Saeed was arrested in Iran and sentenced to death. A prayer vigil for his protection and release will be held in churches all over the world this weekend. I ask you and your family and church to commit this weekend to praying for this dear brother in Christ and his precious family. I have been invited to speak that day at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. and will address Pastor Saeed's remarkable story.

Saeed was born in Iran in 1980 and raised as a Shia Muslim. In his teens, he was recruited by a Radical Muslim group to become a suicide bomber and thus a martyr for the cause of jihad. But in 2000, God had mercy on Saeed and opened his eyes to the truth of the Gospel. At the age of 20, he renounced Islam and become follower and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As he grew in his faith, Saeed became active in sharing the Gospel with other Iranians, leading them to Christ, discipling them, and setting up and supporting a network of underground churches throughout Iran. Fox News has reported that "his home church movement had about 100 churches in 30 Iranian cities with more than 2,000 members."

In time, Saeed had the opportunity to travel to the United States. There, he met and married Nagmeh, became a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, and the couple had two children, Rebekka and Jacob. As a family, they were committed to reaching the Iranian people with the love of Christ. Several times, Saeed traveled to Iran to encourage the underground church and care for the poor and needy. But in 2012, he was arrested by the Iranian government, beaten, and sentenced to death under Sharia law for converting to Islam -- thus becoming an apostate, in the eyes of Islam -- and leading others to faith in Christ.

"It [the underground church movement] was just growing so fast," Nagmeh told Fox News. "They [Iran's government] see the underground churches as a threat and they see Christianity as a tool from the West to undermine them. They think if the country becomes more Christian, they are no longer under Islamic authority. That's why it's a threat."

It has a been a long, painful, brutal journey for this family. They have suffered immensely because they have been so bold and so brave for the sake of the Gospel. Saeed has been attacked and severely beaten by fellow inmates. This week, he was tasered by prison officials. Yet through it all, God has shown great mercy, and even performed miracles.

"Saeed has shared the Gospel with many of the prisoners he is with," Nagmeh told me. "Some of them are political prisoners, former high ranking officials in the government. Others are hardened criminals. But many of them have given their lives to Christ -- dozens of them."

Prison officials became so infuriated with Saeed for leading prisoners to Christ that they moved him to a different cell. But then more prisoners came to Christ. So they moved him to a different prison. But still more prisoners accepted Christ. Then they put him in a cell with the worst murderers on death row and warned Saeed not to speak of Christ or the inmates would kill him. But Saeed prayed that God would protect him and that God would soften the hearts of these murderers.

That's when he saw more miracles. Several of the inmates in his cell had dreams and visions of the Lord Jesus Christ appearing to them personally. They became followers of Christ. Now they are protecting Saeed and he is able to encourage them in their faith.

A senior U.S. government official told Naghmeh that the Iranian government has told the U.S. that they are angry that Muslim prisoners are converting to Christ.

Saeed believes that one of the reasons the Lord has put him in prison is to reach Iranians with the Gospel. Otherwise, they would have had absolutely no way to hear the good news that God loves us and wants to forgive us and give us eternal life through faith in Christ.

Naghmeh -- who lives in Boise, Idaho, and attends a Calvary Chapel congregation there -- believes that as well. She knows God is using her husband in a powerful way, amidst the persecution and suffering. And she told me she trusts the Lord, and that He is giving grace beyond measure to sustain them all. Still, she and her children still desperately want Saeed home. They miss him terribly, and he needs medical care for the wounds he has suffered in prison that the Iranian government refuses to provide.

So she continues to mobilize people to pray for her husband and for all persecuted Christians in Iran. She is trying to educate the nation and the world as to the plight of her husband and to what the Iranian government is doing. She is also trying to persuade world leaders to take up the cause of her husband and press Tehran for his release. She has met with President Obama and other U.S. leaders. Today, she has been invited to attend the Pope's address to a Joint Session of Congress and is praying the Lord will give her an audience with the Pope. Next week, she will be in New York for the opening of the U.N. General Assembly. She is praying and fasting the Lord will open the door for her to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and to be able to personally request his release.

"If the Iranian government doesn't want him sharing the Gospel with the prisoners, there is a simple solution," she told me. "They can release him, send him back to America, and tell him to never come back again."

Please join me in praying daily for this family, and please share this story with others and get them to pray as well.

As the Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples, "I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

----------------------

Here's the latest news on Pastor Saeed.....

Tasered and Abused, American Pastor Saeed Threatened with New Charges

By Tiffany Barrans, ACLJ

After a short family visitation today at Rajaei Shahr prison in Iran, Naghmeh Abedini, the wife of American Pastor Saeed Abedini, heard disturbing news about possible new charges being brought against Pastor Saeed.  Over the years, the Iranian government continually promised that Pastor Saeed’s eight-year-prison sentence could be arbitrarily extended, and yesterday they took their first steps to fulfill that promise.

Yesterday in Iran, Iranian intelligence officers summoned Pastor Saeed for an intense round of interrogation. Pastor Saeed reported to his family that the interrogators were abusive both verbally and physically.  During the course of interrogation, the officers repeatedly used a taser gun on Pastor Saeed. This new assault  is concerning as Pastor Saeed is still being denied needed medical care for injuries sustained as a result of beatings in the past.

The interrogators threatened that Pastor Saeed will face new criminal charges.  They claimed Pastor Saeed has connections with anti-government groups and has made statements and taken actions against the government of Iran.  Pastor Saeed denied all of these allegations, and once again asserted that he is apolitical and that he has never threatened the security of, made any statements against, or taken any action against the Government of Iran.

This troubling development comes as Iranian President Rouhani prepares to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York.  It also coincides with new efforts by the ACLJ in the international arena as a growing number of global leaders urge Iran to release Pastor Saeed.

Pastor Saeed has repeatedly expressed to the Iranian Government, both during his interrogations and at trial, that he poses no threat to the Government and was only present in Iran to assist Iran’s most vulnerable children by building a government-approved orphanage. Still, the Iranian Government continues to look for ways to keep this innocent U.S. citizen  imprisoned.

In reaction to this news Naghmeh Abedini had this to say:

When will this nightmare end? Saeed is not a criminal.  Being a Christian and motivated by Christian values to help the poorest and most needy children in Iran should be seen as good for the Iranian society.  Hearing that yet again the hardliners in Iran are trying to fabricate evidence against my husband and that he was abused and tasered is almost too much to bear.

It is time for governments all over the world shift their focus to the injustices of the Iranian Government and call on the Government of Iran to free my husband.  It is time for businesses seeking to do business in Iran to look beyond their bottom dollar and see the instability of a government known to imprison innocent men and women who have exercised their fundamental freedoms.  Whether we operate in the field of business, government, or simply are members of human society, we must expect and demand more of our leaders.

I pray that as President Rouhani plans his travel to the United States next week, he will hear relentless voices crying out for Saeed’s freedom.

Saturday marks the third year of Pastor Saeed’s imprisonment. And there will be hundreds of prayer vigils that day around the globe – prayers for Pastor Saeed and his family.

The ACLJ joins Naghmeh in calling for world leaders to do more to free Pastor Saeed.  We have heard from more than 265,000 people urging  U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene directly with the Iranian Government on Pastor Saeed’s behalf. We renew that call today.

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joelcrosenberg | September 24, 2015 at 12:34 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3n0

Israel: Storm Clouds Are Gathering - Sam Nadler

Israel: Storm Clouds Are Gathering

9/24/2015 SAM NADLER  charisma news

Photo above: Storm clouds are brewing over Israel, but God has Israel's back. (Wikimedia Commons )

Few prophetic portions of Scripture fail to mention Israel. We see in God's Word that the existence of this relatively tiny country is essential for the furthering of God's plan in this world for when Israel as a nation confesses Yeshua as Lord, He has promised that He will return (see Matt. 23:39).

The enemy knows this and has plans to launch an all-out attack on Israel in an attempt to prevent this from happening. Yet God knows Satan's plans, and has told us through His prophets how it will all end. God places yet unfulfilled prophecy in Scripture not to make us speculative about the future, but to assure us the future is under His control so that we would live confidently for Him now. 

Allow me to share a prophetic passage from the Book of Jeremiah to illustrate:

"At that time, declares the Lord, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people. Thus says the Lord: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness, when I went to give Israel rest. The Lord has appeared to him from afar, saying: Indeed, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you" (Jeremiah 31:1-3).

The time that God is referring to here is revealed in the previous verse, Jeremiah 30:24. This is speaking of a future time when His anger and wrath will be poured out. Yeshua speaks of this time as well in Matthew 24:31. The Babylonian captivity which took place in Jeremiah's lifetime was foreshadowing a future tribulation period, called "the time of Jacob's distress" (Jer. 30:7). The Hebrew word for "distress" is tsara, which can mean "trouble" or "tribulation" (The Yiddish word, tsuris, comes from this Hebrew word). 

We see in Scripture that this horrific period of time, to take place in the "last days" (Jer. 30:24), will have 3 purposes:

• To prove that Satan is a liar—he can't protect his own from the wrath of God (2 Thess. 2:3-12; Zech. 3:1-3).
• To punish the nations for their sins, especially the sin of anti-Semitism (Is. 29:7-8; Zech. 14:16; Matt. 25:40,45).
• To prepare Israel for the returning King Messiah and His Messianic kingdom (Deut. 4:30; Hos. 3:5; Zech. 12:10). 

This period of time will be so awful that God has to assure us that Israel "will be saved out of it" (Jer.30:7). 

Today, storm clouds are gathering as nations are plotting against Israel. Iran has promised that when they get the bomb, they will use it to destroy Israel. Though these threats may seem to be far removed from us, believers who aren't Jewish should not assume they will not be affected, for these nations have also promised that once they get rid of the Saturday people, they will take on the Sunday people. 

All followers of Yeshua need to be involved in fighting the good fight in these last days, for it says in Zechariah 14:1-2 that ''all nations will come against Israel." "All nations" means all nations; I believe that this will include the United States as well. This is why we must be praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

It's not that Israel needs the support of the U.S., but that the U.S. must support Israel in order to be on the same page with God. For God says in Genesis 12:3 that He will bless those who bless Israel, and curse those who curse her. We must pray for our government to repent and realize that it is in the U.S.'s best interest to support Israel.

The future is indeed under God's control. But how would He have us to live confidently for Him now? 

This section of Scripture in Jeremiah is meant to prepare believers to be a witness and instrument of grace to Jewish people, planting the seeds that will one day bring forth 144,000 zealous Messianic Jewish believers (Rev. 14:1). 

Jeremiah 31:1 is the only place in the Hebrew Scriptures that prophesies a national restoration of Israel, that "all the families of Israel" will be restored. Perhaps Paul was thinking of this verse when he wrote in Romans 11:26 that, "all Israel will be saved."

Here in the Hebrew Scriptures, God assures Israel that despite the horrors of that period of time, He will do His greatest work for them. The future problems to be faced will not be the last word on the people of God, for God's Word is always the final word and in His Word we have hope not only for Israel, but also for ourselves, that is if our lives are founded upon that same Rock (Matt. 7:24-25). The hope of Israel is the only sure hope for all people. 

This national restoration of Israel is still in the future tense, but today God has set apart a "remnant according to His gracious choice" (Rom. 11:5). God has many Jewish people today who are ready to hear and respond to the Good News, and He has sent us to tell them! 

For Israel and for each person individually, there is only one way of salvation: by His grace (Jer. 31:2). I've been at meetings where over 70 Jewish people have come to faith at once, yet each one had to accept Yeshua by grace through faith as they responded to God's love for them in Messiah. What God does in Messiah for each of us, He will also do for the nation of Israel when they trust in Yeshua and make the confession of Isaiah 53 as a nation. 

God's everlasting love which "draws us" (Jer. 31:3) is completely beyond our experience as it is based on His righteous character. He loves each of us knowing who we are and never, ever gives up on any one of us! This is why we must never give up on Jewish people—because God never will. He has called His body to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6), and bring the Good News "to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." (Rom. 1:16).

Today we can move forward in this great calling, confident in a God who holds the future as well as the lives of each of His children! 

Dr. Sam Nadler is a Jewish believer in Jesus and has been in Messianic Jewish ministry for over 40 years. Sam is the president of Word of Messiah Ministries, which is bringing the Good News to the Jew first but not to the Jew only, and planting Messianic congregations in Jewish communities worldwide. To encourage and equip the body of Messiah in our shared calling, Sam is invited to speak in churches across the country, and has written multiple books on Jewish evangelism, discipleship, and the Feasts of Israel. For more information and resources, or to invite Sam to speak at your church, visit: www.wordofmessiah.org. 

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Shemitah Brings No Financial Collapse, but Bigger Picture Looms - Strang Report

 

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Shemitah Brings No Financial Collapse, but Bigger Picture Looms

 9/23/2015 STEVE STRANG  charisma news

Just because the stock market didn't crash on the Shemitah doesn't mean it's not unstable. (iStock photo )

Listen to the new Strang Report podcast weekly at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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What a week this is on the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashana on Sept. 13-14, the Shemitah on Sept. 13 and today ends Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement (which started last evening.)

Most of the world goes on as if nothing is happening when these Jewish holidays come around. The Christian community, however, has become increasingly aware of what these significant holidays mean and what God is saying during this time.

My good friend and author Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has done more than anyone else to raise awareness of these holidays in his book The Harbinger, in which he drew parallels between God's dealing with ancient Israel and His message to America. If nothing else, the parallels are striking.

One of the harbingers discussed in the book is the Shemitah, the Jewish year of rest that happens every seven years. It includes a day called Shemitah, the last day of the year—Elul 29 on the Jewish calendar—in which all debts were forgiven.

The previous two Shemitahs—in 2001 and 2008—marked the biggest drops in stock market history. Thankfully, the drop this year wasn't as much, but as I explain below, the Shemitah of 2015 still wiped out an estimated total of $7 trillion from the global markets.

As the Shemitah approached last Sunday, plenty of speculation swirled on what would happen. Of course, the markets were closed for the weekend and this week, there has been no comparable drop. Social media has been abuzz with messages like, "if doomsday has not arrived within the next 24 hours, do you think we will be hearing any apologies from the prophets?" I feel that sort of remark is irresponsible because no one I know of predicted doomsday. It's not comparable to the book "88 Reasons why Jesus will come back in 1988," which was totally discredited when Jesus did not come back as predicted.

The Mystery of the Shemitah is just that—explaining this phenomenon to those who didn't understand it. And looking at the patterns that have occurred are interesting. I was involved in the editing of The Harbinger, and I know the author was meticulous not to predict anything. As the publisher, I didn't want to be put in a box.

In fact, Rabbi Cahn told me this week: "You know of my initial concerns and reluctance concerning the likelihood of a focus on date-setting. To counter that, I've continually issued continuous cautions that nothing had to happen on any date (namely Elul 29)."

Of course, many of us prayed that no financial calamity would happen this time. There have been many Shemitahs over the centuries when no collapse occurred. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad this time as in 2008.

But wait. While on the surface it may seem as if "nothing happened," journalist Bill Koenig provided us with these statistics that I believe everyone needs to see.

I believe it is important for you to be aware of these numbers Bill sent me. Please take the time to contemplate them:

• During the course of the most recent Shemitah, the Dow Jones industrial peaked on May 19, then reversed momentum, and began a long-term descent.  
• The Dow Jones reached its all-time high of 18,351.36 on May 19.
• The Dow Jones closed at 16,443 on September 11, the last day of trading for the Shemitah year. It was the same on Sunday, September 13 (Elul 29), a non-trading day and the end of the Shemitah year. The value that was erased approached 2 trillion dollars!
• The collapse included Black Monday—August 24—the largest intraday crash in Wall Street history—over 1,000 points.
• The Shemitah of 2015 wiped out an estimated $5 trillion from international markets.
• A total of $2.1 trillion erased from U.S. stocks in six days—Aug. 26, 2015 according to CNN Money. (The Dow Jones: August 18, 2015: 17,511. On August 25, 2015, it was 15,666). Drop: 1,845 points.
• The Dow Jones high during Shemittah and the Elul 29 level, an estimated loss of just under $2 trillion of market capitalization: May 19, 2015: 18,351.36. September 13 (Elul 29) 16,443. Drop: 1,908 points.
• August 24, 2015—The Dow Jones' most dramatic intraday trading day ever ($5.7 Trillion in Equity Market Values Erased Worldwide.)
• The Shemitah struck the new engine of the world's economy—China—even more dramatically. The collapse of the Chinese stock market was one of the greatest in history—wiping out over 40 percent of its value in just a few months.
• The Shemitah of 2015 wiped out an estimated total of 7 TRILLION dollars from global markets!

What does all of this mean? Cahn shared a few insights in a personal email that he gave permission for me to quote: He went on to explain: "But very important: People's focus on the Elul 29 day crash template obscured the fact that it is a minority pattern and exception (happened only in 2 of the last 7 crashes of the last 7 Shemitahs)—and obscured the larger and very major things that actually did happen.

"The overwhelmingly predominant template of the Shemitah—and shown continuously in The Harbinger—is that of a rising stock market coming to an end in the midst of the Shemitah, reversing momentum and descending in a long-term (not day) descent—which may involve increasing volatility and dramatic-day crashes," Cahn wrote.

There are many who have a "Pollyannaish" approach that "everything will always be OK." Instead, we must be like the sons of Issachar, "discerning the times" and understanding what God is saying to us.

And remember that God's dealings are more than simply financial and more than simply with the American economy. Let's not be naive and assume that if the economy is humming along that means God is blessing us because we deserve His blessings due to our goodness!

If you agree with this, help us get this word out by sharing this far and wide on social media.

Steve Strang is the founder of Charisma and CEO of Charisma Media. Follow him onTwitter or Facebook.

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How This God-Defying Government Twisted Upside Down - Albania

The celebration stage with a dove is positioned in front of "The Temple of Atheism." (Courtesy/Brian C. Stiller)

How This God-Defying Government Twisted Upside Down - Albania

 9/23/2015 BRIAN C. STILLER  charisma news

The stark reversal of Albania's religious life was impossible to miss.

As I walked down the main avenue of Tirana to the location of our final service of celebration, I realized it would take place in front of what many locals dub as "The Temple of Atheism."

That afternoon in the warm September sun, representatives of various faiths, including the president of the Albanian Evangelical Alliance, planted a tree and a colleague gave the location a new name, "The Garden of Faith."

Few of us have ever seen such a rapid upturning of a God-defying government. It now not only allows but also celebrated an open declaration of Christian faith, permitting Sant'Egidio to use the building which had been constructed as the intended mausoleum of the atheistic dictator who had made it criminal to believe.

Those who lament that secularism has no ending and that its dominating presence cannot be broken, need only to come to Albania. Situated on the northwest borders of Greece on the Adriatic Sea, 75 kilometers from Italy, Albania is part of the Balkans.

The Ottoman Empire (Islamic Turks) occupied it for 500 years. Invaded by Italy in 1943, it became a Nazi protectorate. A year later a communist republic was formed under President Enver Hoxha and lasted until 1991. He outlawed any form of worship and religious property was confiscated. Believers, be they Christian or Muslim, were tortured and often executed. In 1967 Hoxa declared Albania "the world's first atheist state."

After the Soviet collapse, the walls keeping Albanians locked in also fell. The faltering economy fostered crazy expectations, motivating the Albanians to invest in Ponzi schemes. It is estimated that a third of the population was caught in one or more of these schemes. The inevitable collapse triggered public unrest and a backlash against the government. Although freed from the Enver Hoxha dictatorship, people's lives were not easy.

And now, in September 2015, I was participant and speaker in a "Peace Is Always Possible" conference. This annual event led by Sant'Egidio, is a Catholic based spiritual movement founded in the 1960s by a group of Italian teenagers with a hunger for the Scriptures, for prayer and with a heart to care for the poor and disabled.

As I sat on the platform, I thought of the hard journey of the Albanians from the prison of not just a faithless secularism but also through an imposed faithlessness.

Secularism is an attitude that presses up against faith saying, in effect, "You have no right to voice your views here." Imposed atheism says, "We will put you in prison if you even show evidence of belief."

This kind of controlling atheism rips away at the heart, forcing one to deny what you know to be true. It creates a bifurcated and dysfunctional soul: In public you must be on guard to use language suitable to authorities; but even in private, you never know if your spouse, child, parent or sibling is informing on you to the secret police.

Sant'Egidio has expertise in crafting peace initiatives, fostering contact with a myriad of groups and religions, with the resonating theme, "Peace is always possible." This optimism isn't a frivolous attempt to ignore the deep, troubling craters of hatred and violence. Rooted in the gospel, members fervently believe that prayer is essential to the peace process. My presentation advanced an understanding that prayer is, in essence, spiritual warfare.

While the wars of humanity are triggered by territorial and selfish impulses, the demonic exacerbates human conflict, escalating feelings to hatred, murder, rape and torture.

It is encouraging for me to see this community operating with comfort as they work with other religions, open to hear from any and all. Yet they give nothing away. Founded securely in their Christian faith, they let others say what they wish, believing that within dialogue there may come points of connection that may lead to initiatives and actions of peace.

I wish that among evangelicals—rooted and secure in our doctrinal and theological faith—we might have such conversations, not being defensive or reacting, but following the example of the famous evangelical missionary statesman E. Stanley Jones, who in his organized dialogue with various religious groups in India fostered understanding.

Our evening dinners in Albania opened the door for multiple conversations with significant leaders in countries who bristle with anti-Christian hostility. My prayer is that the Lord will give opportunities to walk through those doors, knowing the Spirit allows us to enter places where in our wildest dreams we won't imagine going.

Life isn't secured by government, the strongest of military might nor a political or philosophical bias or doctrine. But our hope is framed by a deep and settled belief that our lives revolve within the orbit of our Lord's creative presence.

Prayer is not our last resort. It is our only resort.

Brian C. Stiller is a Global Ambassador for The World Evangelical Alliance. Stiller is founder of Canada's national magazine, Faith Today. He hosted a national weekly television program Cross Currents. He is the author of a number of books.

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Pastor Ed Young Asks Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo a Seriously Pointed Question

Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys

Pastor Ed Young Asks Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo a Seriously Pointed Question

 9/21/2015 JESSILYN JUSTICE  charisma news

Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo grew up in the church, but it wasn't until college that he truly felt the spiritual tug.  

"I grew up in the church a little bit, in a Sunday school. But I had never known like, how to give yourself over to the Lord," Romo says. "You could say, I never thought deeply about it than just Sunday schools, churches. And Jesus was Santa in some ways." 

Later, Romo learned how to give his life over to God—something pastor Ed Young paralleled with the quarterback's professional life. It's also how Romo deals with the haters. 

"Whether they say good or bad thing, it actually doesn't affect my life, ... It's not going to define you unless you allow it to," Romo says.

Take a look to see what we mean. 

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!