Breaking News. Spiritual Perspective.
We have led many tours to Israel, and sometimes people are hesitant to go because they are fearful of terrorists and possible war in Israel. When they express those fears, Tom and I always share that we feel safer walking the streets of Jerusalem than we do walking the streets of Atlanta. There is a sense of God’s peace and presence in Israel that supersedes the threat of war and terrorism.
He would have been 81 years old today had he not been gunned down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. But Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of nonviolence, justice and love will never die. It can be heard from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, to the mountaintops in Israel. King said, “Bigotry in any form is an affront to us all.” Continue to live the dream. Watch video below.
Every visitor to Israel has at least one special moment from his or her trip that stands out. Whether it’s walking on the same paths on which Jesus walked, sitting in a restaurant talking with local Israelis or planting a tree to help the desert rebloom—a visit to Israel is memorable.
I asked believers from around the world to share their unique memories. From Wales to China to the United States, they responded with stories they’ve treasured in their hearts—in some cases for decades. Here are their special moments.
A 220-person Israeli delegation arrived this week in Haiti to aid victims of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the country late Tuesday.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a fleet of doctors, nurses and aid workers to provide medical care, food, shelter and other necessities to the tiny country. Relief efforts include a Home Front Command field hospital and rescue unit, workers from Magen David Adom, an organization similar to the American Red Cross, and Israeli police officers.
No other book of the Bible has more to say about the captivity of God’s people and the promise of freedom and restoration than the book of Isaiah. Isaiah ministered as a prophet to the people of God in and around Jerusalem during the period when the nation of Israel was a divided kingdom.
Zechariah 12:1-13:9 is a powerful prophecy of when the veil of the Jewish people will be dropped and Israel will be saved in a day. Zechariah prophesies, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born” (Zech. 12:10, KJV).
At 4:53 p.m.—the moment when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake turned Haiti
upside down a week ago Tuesday—hundreds of Christians spent a minute
praying for survivors, churches and relief teams on the ground in
Port-au-Prince.
Ministries are also responding to the diaster, providing relief and/or medical
assistance to the small nation. To make a financial contribution to quake victims, scroll down to the
ministry of your choice and click on the link.
Photo courtesy of Haiti-based Love a Child
We may never know with certainty which of the four sites associated with “Emmaus” is the true location. Which one is the actual location where Jesus appeared to His disciples following His resurrection?
The story in Luke 24 recounts how two of Jesus’ disciples met Him while traveling. They were heading west from Jerusalem, to Emmaus. They spoke with the “stranger” for a while and only later, when they ate together, was Jesus’ true identity revealed. Later, the two disciples headed back to Jerusalem.
Prayer is one of the most valuable weapons of spiritual warfare. When we slip to our knees to communicate with God, He spiritually transforms our hearts and we send out prayers that can effect change in Israel and other hot spots around the world. The Bible says we “ought to always pray” and never let up (Luke 18:1). Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you with a passion for prayer and watch Him bless you, Zion and the nations in 2010. To pray with us, click here.
Although it takes a back seat to rumors of war, a tsunami of faith is quietly overtaking the Muslim world. Islamic adherents are laying aside their allegiance to Muhammad to follow Jesus Christ, despite the social ostracism, persecution and possible martyrdom that converts to Christianity face. Propelled by dreams, visions and miracles, this wave of revival is bringing vast numbers of Muslims—some say millions—into God’s kingdom.
When Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land, news of their conquests spread quickly.
The terrified Gibeonites devised a plan to avoid being conquered. Several men approached the camp dressed in dirty, worn-out clothes, carrying old wine and moldy bread. They told Joshua they were ambassadors from a distant land and asked Israel to enter into a covenant with them (Joshua 9).
In Genesis 12:3, God makes a promise to Abraham: ‘”I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'”
In my own life I have seen proof of this promise; when I have blessed Israel and the Jewish people, God has showered His blessings on me. That is why we have set up the “Bless Israel” fund through Christian Life Missions.
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Millions of people around the world will celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25. They will exchange gifts, fellowship together over dinner and keep other traditions passed down to them through the years. According to theologians, Jesus did not celebrate His own birthday. But did He participate in the Jewish holiday called Hanukkah? To discover the Bible’s answer to this question, watch video below.
In an overwhelming show of support, the House of Representatives passed the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 on Tuesday.
The bill, which passed 412-12, requires “the president to report to Congress three months after the law’s enactment—and every six months thereafter—anyone who has provided Iran refined oil, helped to import oil or helped it develop its domestic refining capacity,” the examiner.com reported.
Our group enjoyed another jam-packed day in Israel as we visited Bet Yigal Alon Museum, Tel Dan, Hazor, Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Peter’s Primacy and the Ein Ayub, the spring of Job.
And today I learned dreams really do come true. When I heard earlier this year that my name had been submitted for consideration, I struggled whether or not I should accept the invitation. The thought of making this trip without my wife Wendy really bothered me—until I had a dream one night in May.
Current events in Israel have brought much to mind regarding those in Messianic ministry today. Whatever the sociopolitical problems faced by those ministering in Israel, too many engaged in reaching the Jews are misunderstood. So, my review here is with an eye toward equipping leaders to help others understand this timely, prophetic and uniquely difficult ministry.
Israel was disobedient to God, and Jesus was rejected by His own. Yet, God has not rejected Israel. He promises to make a new covenant with them when He will write the law of God on their hearts and put the laws in their minds.
The only sin we cannot remit for others is rejection of Jesus Christ. Even though many of our Jewish brothers and sisters have rejected Jesus Christ, we can still pray for God to give them the gift of faith to believe and also godly sorrow so they will repent.
One of the characteristics of prophetic revelation is that it is sometimes allegorical or symbolic, and it is fully understood only after future events have taken place. From the Old Testament perspective, it was not altogether clear what the Messiah would look like.
The prophets foretold the coming of both a kingly Messiah and a suffering servant, but no one even remotely considered that both were the same person.
Christian Leaders for a Nuclear-Free Iran (CLNFI) sent a letter to Congress today urging lawmakers to place sanctions on Iran to prevent the Middle East country from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Representing millions of evangelicals, Roman Catholics and other Christians, CLNFI told Congress the time has come to “act.”
“Now that super-majorities in the house and senate have made their support for sanctions known, and now that the Iranian regime has made its increasing defiance clear to the world, the time for Congress to act has arrived,” said Richard Land of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Hanukkah or Festival of Lights is a Jewish holiday marked by eight days of celebration. Jews around the world commemorate the rededication of the Second Period Temple by lighting candles, praying and giving gifts. Hanukkah is observed once a year in December and begins today at sundown, according to the Hebrew calendar. To learn more about the Festival of Lights and how to celebrate this historical holiday, watch video below.
