SABBATH : A Sign Forever

Signs are important. We could hardly get along without them. We have signs for road safety, for identifying stores, indicating dangers like poison, radiation or high voltage wires, for finding geographic destinations, or merely navigating our way through an airport or sports stadium.

Signs were also important in the ancient world, including the ancient nation of Israel. The God of Israel gave signs to his people and used them for their benefit. One of the most notable was, of course, the rainbow after Noah’s flood. Another was the Sabbath rest on the seventh day of the week. This sign was given to Israel “forever” (Exodus 31:17).

Ruth: Romance and Redemption

Ruth meets Boaz: Ruth 2

In Israel, the barley harvest began in the spring. The community in Bethlehem observed God’s law concerning harvesting: “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest…. Leave them for the poor and the alien” (Leviticus 19:9-10).

"And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor’" (Ruth 2:2). Illustration above by Dan Andreason; below by James Tissot

Ruth was both poor and an alien. She had few prospects in Judah, as Naomi had warned her. However, she was able to provide for Naomi and herself by working hard gleaning the grain left by the harvesters (Ruth 2:2).

There is an almost idyllic quality to the Bethlehem community described in Ruth, which — especially when one considers it existed during the turbulent period of the judges — testifies powerfully to the difference a few people living God’s way can make. Bethlehem would later become famous, first as the “town of David” and later as the birthplace of the Messiah (Luke 2:4-7).

“As it turned out, [Ruth] found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech” (Ruth 2:3). Boaz was a “man of standing [Hebrew: ‘ish gibbor chail, implying Boaz was physically impressive and had noble character]” (verse 1).

Boaz asked his foreman who the stranger gleaning in the field was. The foreman replied that she was the young woman who had accompanied Naomi back from Moab. Boaz then told Ruth to continue gleaning in his field, and helped her far beyond the demands of the law. He even ordered his harvesters to make Ruth especially welcome, enabling her to gather extra barley.

Ruth then asked Boaz, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me — a foreigner?” (verse 10). Ruth’s expression about finding favor in Boaz’s eyes, used by her on three occasions (verses 2, 10, 13), was a culturally appropriate way of showing respect. Ruth thus displayed the type of attitude the apostle Paul later taught Christians to have, when he said, “In humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

Like the Nazis, Islam Carries Deadly Agenda

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A short time ago, few ever heard the word Hamas. Today, that name is part of the daily vocabulary of populations across the Earth. The term is synonymous with another Islamic term, jihad, which is “holy war” in Arabic.

Here in Israel, we are facing the ongoing and relentless hatred of the Arab Islamic world, and recently fought a war of missiles sent from Gaza, the ancient homeland of the Philistines, from which the term Palestinian is derived.

Since vacating that area some years ago in an experiment of “Land for Peace,” the Palestinians under the rule of their elected Hamas leadership has chosen, instead of using that now Jew-free territory to create a viable economy and a peaceful life, to smuggle in and launch thousands of rockets into Israeli civilian towns and cities.

ISRAEL - The British Mandate

The British promised to create a Jewish state, but served their own Arab-linked interests as millions died in the Holocaust.   

by Rabbi Ken Spiro

World War I changed the map of the world. This huge conflict waged over four years (1914-1918) pitted the Allies (chiefly France, Britain, Russia, and later, the U.S.) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Turkish Ottoman Empire) against each other. The end result of the struggle was very dramatic:

• Russia of the Czars disappeared. In the midst of the war, and in some part because of it, the Russian Revolution succeeded, creating the Communist state known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The History of Hatikvah

In celebration of Israel’s birthday we examine the history of our national anthem.

by Marnie Winston-Macauley

Israel, our homeland; a small country that stands for huge ideas and ideals. This small country took a barren desert, surrounded by enemies, and turned it into a lush land, wealthy in its values, and remarkable in its achievements for the region, and for the world.

With the anniversary of Israel’s independence upon us, let us celebrate by looking at our anthem, Hatikvah which has been the voice of Jews for over one hundred years.

The Miracle of Jewish History

by Rabbi Ken Spiro

In the final analysis, Jewish history makes no rational sense.

On January 16, 1996, then President of Israel, Ezer Weizmann, gave a speech to both Houses of Parliament of Germany. He gave this speech in Hebrew to the Germans, fifty years after the Holocaust, and in it he beautifully summed up what Jewish history is. He said:

"It was fate that delivered me and my contemporaries into this great era when the Jews returned to re-establish their homeland ...

"I am no longer a wandering Jew who migrates from country to country, from exile to exile. But all Jews in every generation must regard themselves as if they had been there in previous generations, places and events. Therefore, I am still a wandering Jew but not along the far flung paths of the world. Now I migrate through the expanses of time from generation to generation down the paths of memory ...

Israelis You Should Know: Golda Meir

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Lived: 1898-1978

Occupation: Teacher, Politician, Author

Why she’s impressive: After immigrating to Israel from the U.S. with her husband Morris in 1921, Meir served Israel in many key positions, including Israel’s envoy to Moscow, Minister of Labor, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

After World War II, she traveled around the world to rally support for the establishment of the Jewish state. When she was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, Meir became Israel’s first and the world’s third woman to hold such an office.

What Is Aliyah?

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In its simplest sense, aliyah is when a Jewish person immigrates to Israel – but this is part of a larger movement, the return of the Jewish people from exile around the world back to the land promised to them by God.

The term is derived from a Hebrew word meaning “to go up” or “to ascend,” referring to the journey to a land with exalted meaning for the Jewish people – the land of their spiritual ancestors.

For many Jews living outside Israel, making aliyah is a lifelong dream with deep spiritual motivation. As Rabbi Eckstein writes in his book How Firm a Foundation:

Proof of Ancient Bethlehem Discovered in Jerusalem

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Imagine living in a place so rich with history that significant archeological finds are commonplace. That’s the reality in Israel.

Case in point: the recent discovery of a seal, or bulla, that dates from the 7th or 8th century BCE found in routine excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the walls around Jerusalem National Park.

Eli Shukron, director of the excavation for the IAA, explains the significance of the discovery, “This is the first time the name Bethlehem appears outside the Bible, in an inscription from the First Temple period, which proves that Bethlehem was indeed a city in the Kingdom of Judah, and possibly also in earlier periods.”

For archaeologists this is important because the small clay seal provides evidence of what Christians and Jews have long known to be true -- that Bethlehem wasn’t a “fabled biblical town,” but a real bustling city filled with commerce and trade with neighboring towns. 

Turn, Turn, Turn

With gratitude to God, I write these words overlooking the walls of Jerusalem just two hours before the holyday of Sukot starts and just two miles from where King David himself celebrated Tabernacles. 

Yet, even while wrapped in Jerusalem’s eternal spiritual transcendence, I am typing on a first rate computer connected to high speed Internet in an air-conditioned office.

Many cities like Istanbul, Prague, and Tallinn display similar contrasts between ancient and modern.  But Israel’s ever-present ancient aura is the fuel propelling the country into modernity.

With fewer than 10% of the population of her four contiguous neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, Israel’s Gross Domestic Product is about equivalent to the aggregate of those four countries.  Imagine if tiny Rhode Island produced more wealth than Georgia.  Instead, as you’d expect, Rhode Island’s GDP is about 1/10th of Georgia, which has about ten times the population of Rhode Island.

One explanation routinely offered for the abysmal economic performance by Israel’s four neighbors is Israel’s existence.  There are problems with that excuse.  One, they weren’t doing any better before 1948 or before they launched several unsuccessful wars against Israel.  Two, being surrounded by enemies, the monumental costs of self-defense impose a disproportionate burden upon the tiny Jewish state. 

Osteen Willing to Vote for Candidate of Different Faith

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Joel Osteen speaks at A Night of Hope with his wife, Victoria, at Yankee Stadium. (Joel Osteen Ministries )

For televangelist Joel Osteen, faith isn’t the primary determinant when it comes to voting for a president.

Appearing Tuesday night on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, the Lakewood Church pastor said he would have no problem voting for a presidential candidate who holds a different set of beliefs than his own—and that includes Mormon Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

“That would not stop me from voting for somebody,” Osteen said. “I would look at the total candidate though—you know, what's their experience, what's their education, what do they stand for? I don't think I would vote for somebody just because they're a Mormon or anything like that.”

When Morgan asked about backing a Jewish candidate, Osteen didn’t think twice: “Sure, I could vote for a Jewish candidate—that's how our faith was started. They're God's chosen people in Scripture.” But as Morgan posed the hypothetical question of voting for a Muslim candidate, Osteen was a bit more hesitant.

'Jerusalem Countdown' Highlights Battle Between Israel and Islam on Big Screen

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David A.R. White in a screenshot of "Jerusalem Countdown." (Facebook)

We're counting down to an inevitable conflict between Israel and Islam. That's the premise of a new film that's now showing in theaters around the country. Adapted from the best-selling book by John Hagee,Jerusalem Countdown, the prophecy thriller produced by Pure Flix Entertainment, is getting attention.

The movie follows FBI agent Shane Daughtry (David A.R White), who must find smuggled nuclear weapons in the United States before they are detonated. The only people who can help him are a washed-up arms dealer (Lee Majors), retired agent (Stacy Keach) and by-the-book CIA deputy director played by country music star Randy Travis. The film also stars Christian singer Jaci Velasquez.

Jerusalem Countdown debuted on about 50 screens last weekend in a grass-roots campaign to win more screen time. That's similar strategy the producers of the hit movie Fireproof took. Pure Flix CEO and Managing Partner Russell Wolfe told Christian Retailing that the company is offering churches the opportunity to host a Jerusalem Countdown outreach event, so audiences can "witness prophecy unfolding with what is transpiring in the Middle East."

More than 1 million copies of the English version of Hagee's Jerusalem Countdown have been sold since it came to market in 2006. Charisma House has also sold nearly 40,000 copies of the Spanish version. However, Charisma House says there are no plans currently to cross-promote the book with the movie.

http://www.charismanews.com/culture/31889-jerusalem-countdown-premiers-on-big-screen

Taking The Pressure Off

He [Gideon] said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.” But the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”  Judges 6:15-16

Pressure.  Ever felt it?  In sports, we marvel at those who can step up amidst the pressure and sink the winning putt, kick the winning field goal, or make the winning free throws.  

I recently saw the movie The King’s Speech.  King George (B, B, B, Bertie) definitely felt the pressure as he stood to overcome his stammering and deliver the most important speech of his life.  

Have you ever felt great pressure to try to live the Christian life?  Have you ever felt great pressure to be the person God wants you to be?  Have you ever felt great pressure to knock one out of the park for Jesus as you teach or preach or witness or sing or serve in His name?  

Have you ever wilted under the pressure, and then beat yourself up for failing?

Garden of God

"And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land." —Isaiah 6:13

Rebecca Rupp, author of children’s and young adults’ books, recently wrote, “When our kids first started gardening, they wanted to grow doughnuts and bluebirds. If only we could, I thought.”

For young children – and maybe even for grizzled adults – gardening represents the potential for good in our world; it represents the hopes and dreams of people from all walks of life. This wonderful observation may shed light on Isaiah’s comparison, in this passage, between the Jewish people and a tree in the garden of God.

In his day, Isaiah spoke to a Jewish people threatened by an Assyrian empire at the height of its power. The Assyrian forces had conquered far and wide and had successfully exerted its power over much of the Middle East. It seemed then that Assyrian control over their world would never end.

Media Bias Against Israel

GOOD MORNING!

Did you ever suspect that the media may be biased against Israel? However, did you think that perhaps you're over-reacting because just like everything looks like a nail to a carpenter, everything looks like anti-Semitism to a Jew? To point, the classic story of the stutterer who wasn't hired as an announcer at a radio station because "th-ey-ey are are are anti-se-se-meh-tic!"

For example, do you remember the NY Times photo of the Israeli soldier, club high in the air, with a bleeding young man at his feet? The caption read, "An Israeli policeman and a Palestinian on the Temple Mount." They only made 3 mistakes in the caption: 1) It was an Israeli soldier. 2) It was a Jewish young man who was brutally beaten and barely escaped with his life from an Arab lynch mob. 3) It wasn't on the Temple Mount (there was a gas station sign behind the soldier -- and the one thing that both Arabs and Jews ... and perhaps even the NY Times ... can agree upon is that there is not a gas station on the Temple Mount!

Mark Twain once said, "If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're misinformed." Is media bias against Israel just a matter of sloppy journalism -- or is something really going on?

WHO'S WHO IN BIBLE PROPHECY

The individuals listed below are Christians (past and present) who are passionate about their faith.  Some are recognized pastors, scholars and teachers of Bible prophecy and eschatology (study of end-times) who also belong to various denominations.  Also listed here are those from pseudo-Christian organizations (so-called Christian groups that adhere to doctrines outside mainstream Christianity).  This comprehensive list of individuals is meant to help you identify sound teaching on Bible prophecy and prophecy topics only.  Some have devoted their entire lives to teaching Bible prophecy.  Not all are always in agreement, and not all are sound in their doctrines.  Therefore, study for yourselves, and use this as a guide only.

Though there are many good prophecy teachers, some should be avoided.  With that in mind, remember that we are commanded to pray for those whom we take issue with.  Please don't confuse this list with those who claim to be prophets or those with prophetic revelations, dreams, visions or other so-called inspired prophecies.  

The below "apple" rating is solely for the teaching of Bible prophecy and prophecy topics, not for individual ministries or personal lives of those listed.  You might find some listed here who teach sound Bible prophecy, yet to support other doctrines you disagree with.  Their teaching on other important Bible doctrines should not necessarily be confused with the comments here.  Use the Bible as your guide, just as Paul described the Bereans in Acts 17:11, "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."  "Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding."  Proverbs 4:7.