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Sunday, June 30, 2013

World War Z: Paramount Thinks Turks Afraid of Israel, not Zombies

What scare you?:
 ZUMBIS
OR
ISRAEL?

Paramount pictures thinks that Islamic audiences in Turkey can handle a movie in which flesh eating zombies take over the world. But they were afraid that mentioning the word "Israel" might really horrify them. So they took the word out of the movie and replaced it with the words "Middle East."

Go to Paramount's Facebook page and leave a comment that Israel in Turkish is translated as "Israel" not "Middle East." https://www.facebook.com/Paramount

When the West is afraid of irrational anti-Israel sentiment, they end up giving it credibility.

If you can handle a zombie movie, you can handle the word "Israel."
Protest against the movie in the Facebook's Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/WorldWarZMovie
More information about the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z_%28film%29

Zombies don't scare me. I support Israel. What scare me and I don't support is the antisemitism.
God blesses Israel and Shalom!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Where the Word “Amen” Came From


Today I found out where the word “amen” came from.  Specifically, “amen” comes from the Hebrew word… *wait for it*… “āmēn” (אָמֵן).
More interestingly, amen is one of the rare examples where a word has survived thousands of years and been adopted into a few different languages without any real modification to its meaning across time and those languages, dating back pretty much as far as written history, appearing in the earliest Jewish texts.  It was (and is) typically used to mean something to the effect of “so be it | let it be so”, in terms of declaring something to be truthful or to confirm or assert it.  It was also often used as a way to indicate that one strongly agrees with something, which is where expressions like “amen to that” come from.
Bonus Facts:
  • The Hebrew word “amen” originally derives from another Hebrew word of similar meaning:  ʼāmán.  It is sometimes theorized, probably incorrectly, that this Hebrew word has its origins in the Egyptian god Amun, which is also sometimes spelled “Amen”.  However, most scholars think this is a mere coincidence and that there is no real connection between the two.
  • Amen was eventually ported from the Hebrew language to Greek then ultimately to Late Latin by Grecian theologians, who were translating the Bible, and finally to Arabic and English.
  • Amen isn’t just used by Christians and Jews; it is also popularly used by Muslims in pretty much the same way it is used by Jews and Christians.
  • One of the many names attributed to Jesus in the Bible is “The Amen” (faithful and true witness), in Revelation 3:14.
  • The last word of the Old Testament is “curse”, appearing in Malachi: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
  • The last word in the Bible is “Amen” (at the end of Revelations): “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen”
Source: http://www.todayifoundout.com/

GOD PROTECT AND SALVE US!
SHALOM AND AMEN!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Truth About the Israeli Army


Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/mshore33/videos

The notices of the newspapers, TV News, websites, only shows the Israeli Army like evil people or killers. They don't show that Israeli Soldiers defend Israel against terrorists and protect the Israeli Civilians.
Know about the Israeli Army: http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk/about

Every country have the right to protect herself, so, why with Israel will be different?
God blesses Israel and Shalom!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

ANTISEMITISM: The New York Times and the Terrorist's Mom

CAREFUL WITH THE WOLVES DRESSED IN LAMBS!
The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/wor... ran an article about two events: The IDF attack on a wanted terrorist in Gaza and the murder of an Israeli waiting for a bus by the hands of another terrorist. In a puzzling move, the Times selected a picture of the weeping mother of the terrorist to run above the story.

Does this picture really help readers understand these events? Or is it another subtle (maybe not so subtle) attempt by the Times to convey sympathy for the Palestinians at the expense of the Israelis.

Contact them by sending an e-mail to the Public Editor ( public@nytimes.com ) or send an op-ed. Instructions on getting your letter published are at: http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/s...
Read more about anti-Israel media bias at www.Honestreporting.com.

BOYCOTT THE NEW YORK TIMES!
GOD BLESSES ISRAEL AND SHALOM!

Monday, June 24, 2013

TO THINK: Is Israel Part of the Axis of EVIL?

 If Israel with all the technology advances that have, where she have contributed to the whole world, even with all aid that has given to the countries (even enemy countries), even being a democracy, and even so, is part of the axis of evil, then, I WANT TO BE IN THIS AXIS TOO!
 If the "Palestine" with all terrorism that caused, even killing innocent people, even repressing its own people, even promoting the genocide of the Jews, and even so, it is not part of the axis of evil, I don't know which axis the "Palestine" is, ONLY I KNOW THAT I DON'T WANT TO BE THERE!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Celebrating 65 Years of Defense


May 31st, 1948: On this day, 65 years ago, Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, founded the Israel Defense Forces. It hasn't always been easy, but over the past six and a half decades, we IDF soldiers have never wavered: looking danger in the eyes, confronting fear with bravery, and making the impossible possible. We do not take our responsibility lightly. We have the sole duty of protecting the existence of the State of Israel, and we promise to pass this sense of duty and devotion on to future generations of soldiers.
Happy Birthday, IDF

For more from the IDF:
http://www.idfblog.com/
http://twitter.com/idfspokesperson/
http://www.facebook.com/idfonline/
http://www.idf.il/english/
Source: https://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk/videos

Congratulations IDF! I am delayed, but I want to wish HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
God blesses IDF and Israel!
Shalom!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Take Action For Israel 27 (NETANYAHU vs. ABBAS)

Netanyahu wants peace with Abbas if he put an end to TERRORISM. But Abbas wants peace when he put an end to ISRAEL.

NETANYAHU TO ABBAS: GIVE PEACE A CHANCE:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to return to the negotiating table without preconditions. “Since he doesn’t speak Hebrew, and my Arabic isn’t great, I will turn to him in a language we both understand,” Netanyahu said at a special Knesset session dedicated to the Israeli-Arab conflict. “I say: Give peace a chance.” The prime minister said that he was ready to resume negotiations with the Palestinians at any time and was ready to make sacrifices to arrive at an agreement. “Don’t miss this opportunity,” he added, lamenting that during the last four years, he and Abbas had only spoken for a total of “a few hours.” Netanyahu reiterated that a successful outcome to peace talks would be possible if Israel’s security was guaranteed and if the Palestinians recognized Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.
THE ANSWER OF ABBAS: NO PEACE WITHOUT JERUSALEM AS PALESTINIAN CAPITAL:
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared Wednesday that there would be no peace or a Palestinian state without Jerusalem as the capital of that state. "We won't accept any city other than Jerusalem as our capital," Abbas said during a speech at a conference on Jerusalem in Ramallah. "The responsibility for defending and restoring Jerusalem and purifying its holy sites is not that of the Palestinians alone, but the entire Arab, Islamic and Christian nation." Abbas urged Muslims and Christians to visit Jerusalem and its holy sites "to affirm the Arab and Islamic depth of the holy city." He said that it is the responsibility of the “entire Arab, Islamic and Christian nation” to restore and purify those sites. Abbas claimed that Israel does not like to see any Arab, Muslim or Christian in Jerusalem. He said that there will be no peace, security or stability without Jerusalem. Abbas also accused Israel of working toward "isolating Jerusalem from its Palestinian surrounding and emptying it from its [Arab] residents in violation of international law." He also claimed that Israel has begun changing Jerusalem's demographic and geographic character by demolishing Arab houses, expelling Arab residents and building settlements in the city. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli President Shimon Peres, in speeches last week, both appealed to Abbas directly to ask him to return to the negotiating table.

GOD BLESSES AND PROTECT ISRAEL!
SHALOM!

Monday, June 17, 2013

SHAME: "Palestinian" evangelical in “propaganda tour” of Brazil


Christian leader questions group's sponsorship of 'anti-Israel' message

Michael Carl
A Christian leader in Brazil says he’s alarmed by what he regards as a campaign by evangelicals to spread pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli propaganda.
Julio Severo, a pro-family activist and blogger, told WND he’s concerned about a speaking tour in Brazil that features Bethlehem Bible College President Emeritus Bishara Awad in support of Open Doors, International.
Severo told WND that at an event in Brazil, Awad spoke of “the Palestinian plight provoked by Israel.”
“He did not mention anything about Muslim violence against Christians,” Severo said.
Severo worries that the tour will gain credibility because of the sponsorship.
“I am only a very small Christian, and to expose Open Doors for opening doors to such anti-Israel, Christian Palestinianism is a big challenge,” Severo said.
He said his concerns are both political and theological.
“In the speech, he repeatedly mentioned that he and his people are under occupation,” Severo said. “As a Christian, he didn’t give the Israeli point of view.”
Bethlehem Bible College is the host of the controversial Christ at the Checkpoint Conference. The Jerusalem Post quoted Awad as being critical of American evangelicals’ support of Israel.
“Many Christians support Israel whether it is right or wrong, but don’t look into the issues of peace and justice,” Awad said. “If that’s being political then fine, but unfortunately, some people, instead of coming and listening and participating, just attack us. We want to have serious engagement with Zionist groups, and have open forum for ongoing dialogue.”
Awad told WND in an interview that his ethnic background is an important factor in how he sees the Palestinian-Israeli issue.
Bishara Awad
“I am an Arab and my people are under occupation. But I am also a Christian and love the Lord Jesus,” Awad said. “My people are suffering greatly under the occupation. The economy is terrible and my people are under great economic stress.
“We aren’t suffering at the hands of the Muslims in Palestine,” Awad said. “Some people don’t want to believe this and that is their right.”
Severo is skeptical and he points to a report by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. In that report, Awad is quoted as saying an Israeli-built wall completely encircles Bethlehem.
“We have many problems in this land. We are under military occupation. The Israelis built a wall around us and this wall goes around Bethlehem,” Awad said.
But the committee report points out that a map shows that the wall doesn’t completely encircle Bethlehem.
However, Awad added that he knows the situation would only be more severe for his people if Bethlehem and the Palestinian Authority territory were under the control of the surrounding nations.
“Looking at the countries around us, like in Syria and in Lebanon, there certainly is persecution of Christians, and Christians are leaving. The people here are leaving because they don’t like to be under occupation,” Awad said.
“However, if the tables were turned (and an Arab neighbor controlled the territory), I would be very scared because of what I see around those countries,” Awad said. “I see how the Muslims are treating people and how they’re ever treating their own people. They’re killing their own people. There’s no mercy; there’s no love.
“It’s becoming more and more extreme with extreme Muslims. Even some moderate Muslims are happy about what’s going on in Syria with Muslims killing Muslims,” Awad said.
“The Middle East is in an uproar altogether, and I’m afraid the table will be turned around one of these days and the Palestinians will be under a worse regime than right now under Israel,” Awad said.
But Awad emphasized, “I don’t want my people to be under anyone’s control, under anyone else’s guns.”
Open Doors spokesman Paul Estabrooks said neither Open Doors nor Bethlehem Bible College is anti-Israel.
“Bishara thoroughly enjoyed his trip to Brazil celebrating OD-Brazil’s 30th anniversary. He was there to promote OD, not to promote his school or Palestinian causes.
“I spent one week at BBC and heard not one word of negativity toward Israel,” Estabrooks said.
Estabrooks explained that there is a significant theological debate surrounding the Arab-Israeli conflict and even whether Israel has a right to the land the modern state of Israel occupies.
Awad said he and Bethlehem Bible College reject what is termed by critics as “replacement theology,” the belief that the Christian church has taken Israel’s place as the inheritor of God’s covenant blessings and promises.
“I do not believe in replacement theology, and I believe in the right of Israel to exist,” Awad said.
Estabrooks confirmed Awad’s claim.
“He expressed that he does accept Israel as a nation and he does not personally, nor does the Bible college, hold to replacement theology. In recall, he thought that his emphasis at the meeting was just on the New Covenant, not on anti-Israel propaganda as charged,” Estabrooks said.
In a search of the Bethlehem Bible College website, the college’s “FAQ” page has this comment about the relationship between the college and Israel: “Due to Israeli occupation, Bethlehem residents have lost thousands of dunums of land for the purposes of Israeli settlement construction and the building of the separation wall.”
The site says, “Political violence during the 2nd Intifada and the continual loss of land have created a desperate economic situation in the city of Bethlehem, which has an unemployment rate of 22.4 percent, the highest in the West Bank.”
The college has not responded to WND’s requests for comment.
Estabrooks said: “Let me assure you that Open Doors also does not endorse or propagate replacement theology nor are we in any way anti-Israel as a nation of God’s chosen people. Neither have I heard this expressed or taught in my many experiences at Bethlehem Bible College over a 20-year period.’
Estabrooks explained Palestinian Christians have a different view of Israel, because they are both Palestinian and Christian.
“Furthermore, Christians I have met in Palestinian Israel are far more aggrieved at the mistreatment they receive from Israelis than the minimal challenges presented by Palestinian Muslims against them. Is it not understandable then that Palestinian Christians might express publicly the frustrations under which they live each day?” Estabrooks asked.
Estabrooks said that Open Doors subscribes to Christian author and pastor John Piper’s views of Israel. Piper’s seven points are as follows:
1 God chose Israel from all the peoples of the world to be his own possession.
2 The land was part of the inheritance he promised to Abraham and his descendants forever.
3 The promises made to Abraham, including the promise of the land, will be inherited as an everlasting gift only by true, spiritual Israel, not disobedient, unbelieving Israel.
4 Jesus Christ has come into the world as the Jewish Messiah, and his own people rejected him and broke covenant with their God.
5 Therefore, the secular state of Israel today may not claim a present divine right to the land, but they and we should seek a peaceful settlement not based on present divine rights, but on international principles of justice, mercy, and practical feasibility.
6 By faith in Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, Gentiles become heirs of the promise of Abraham, including the promise of the land.
7 Finally, this inheritance of Christ’s people will happen fully at the Second Coming of Christ to establish His kingdom, not before; and till then, we Christians must not take up arms to claim our inheritance; but rather lay down our lives to share our inheritance with as many as we can.
Source: WND, via Last Days Watchman


WE, CHRISTIANS, MUST DEFEND OUR BRETHREN PERSECUTED, BUT THIS DOESN'T GIVE US THE RIGHT TO BE AGAINST ISRAEL.
ISRAEL IS THE ONLY NATION OF THE MIDDLE EAST, WHERE THE CHRISTIANITY HAS GROWN AND MANY CHRISTIANS LIVE IN PEACE.
OUR DUTY AS CHRISTIANS IS TO BLESS ISRAEL AND NOT CURSE HER!

VIDEOS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSECUTE CHURCH: http://www.youtube.com/user/BookIsaiah53/videos

GOD BLESSES THE PERSECUTE CHURCH AND ISRAEL!
SHALOM!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

GOD THE FATHER

Lord God the Father, Almighty,
Thank you for your undeserved love,
For not treating me according to my sins,
But according to your great love that You felt for me.

Thank you for your blessings that You gave me
And by corrections when I needed.

Thank you for being a good Father to me,
Although I have not been a good son to You, Lord.

Thank you for love me
Even if I have not loved You.
Teach me to love You, Father.

Thank you for your fidelity
Even in my infidelity.

Thank you for having loved me
Even when I was your enemy.

I was born as a son of wrath,
But You has welcomed me as your son.
Thank you Father.

You chose me to be your beloved son
And You have been my beloved Father since then.
Thank you my Beloved Father.

You gave me the eternal life,
With this, I will be your son eternally.
Thank you eternally,
My Eternal Father!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

I AM: יה-וה

"So, Moses said unto God: Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I am has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:13, 14).

The bishop Beveridge illustrates, so fabulous, one of the names by which God chose for himself: "I AM".  He did not say, I am your light, your guide, your strength or tower, but only, I AM. He placed his hands, such as that in white, so that people could write, under them, what they wanted.

As if he were saying: are they weak? I am strong. Are they poor? I am rich. Are they in trouble? I am distress. Are they sick? I am health. Are they dying? I am eternal life. They have nothing? I am everything. I am wisdom and power. I am justice and mercy. I am grace and goodness. I am glory, beauty, holiness, perfection, eternity. The Lord, I AM.

The Lord is everything to us. He is the reason for our joy and happiness. He is our Lord and Savior, the companion for all hours and all the circumstances. Without Him we are nothing and without him we can do nothing.

He is the bread which came down from heaven, the source from which we drink and never thirst, the Rock where we signed in, the most precious treasure that we bring stored in the chest.

When the sorrows of life in reach, he animates us and fills us with joy. When the struggles begin to get us forces, he strengthens our hope. When our path seems surrounded by darkness and disappointments, He is the Light that leads us to victory desired.

He and, yes, the God I AM. And our happiness is guaranteed when I AM and our God, when we believe in his care and protection, when we turn our lives.

By Paulo Barbosa
SOURCE (in Portuguese): http://josiel-dias.blogspot.com/

SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AuthenticGirl87?feature=watch

MORE INFORMATION: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LXorXGkahM / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUpWdjsr-HE / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz_6z40EmWw / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wrEgjUqpg4 / http://israelinenglish.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-mercy-of-god-for-us.html

GOD BLESSES US AND SHALOM!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

ISRAEL CARES ABOUT THE UNITED STATES

A letter to President Obama from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offering condolences and prayers for those affected by the tornado that struck Oklahoma:

Galit Cohen of IsraAID, an Israeli humanitarian organization working all over the world, speaks to United With Israel about IsraAid’s relief efforts in Oklahoma to provide assistance and aid to victims of the recent tornado.
United With Israel recently interviewed Galit Cohen. Galit Cohen is a staff member of IsraAID, an Israeli humanitarian organization, that is presently working on the ground in Moore, Oklahoma, helping American tornado victims by providing disaster relief and counseling. Although IsraAID was also active in the Oklahoman towns of Bethel and Little X, IsraAID decided to focus on Moore because it was hit the worst. IsraAID is the only international humanitarian organization providing disaster relief assistance to Oklahoma at this time.
Presently, the situation is quite dire in the areas where IsraAID is operating. According to Cohen, “It’s extremely bad. It’s shocking. You have cars where you can’t see that it was a car until you see the tires.” She described a trailer park where only 5 out of the 30 trailers survived and how homes were transformed overnight into piles of wood and bricks. Cohen claims that the devastation was so bad that it will take years to fix it. The situation is particularly bad for communities in Oklahoma that lacked insurance to cover the cost of damages.
Cohen told United With Israel that every day, IsraAID is given a new assignment and they go wherever victims are to help them salvage and rebuild their lives. Once they cleared a park that was full of fallen wood. Most of the time, they help families clear the debris from their homes and their yards, and to rescue whatever small items that they can, before the bulldozers come in to tear down the wreckage. Cohen claimed that in most instances, there was not much left for them to rescue because of the damage incurred by the tornado, yet at times, some families are lucky enough to salvage some things. For example, one woman just wanted to be able to save her sons ring from his football team and with the help of IsraAID, she was able to do so.

In addition, IsraAID has been providing counseling to the local population in tornado affected areas in Oklahoma, who were traumatized in the wake of the natural disaster. According to Cohen, “We had a specialist in trauma management and counseling and she worked in Little X with the Red Cross and with the victims of the tornado and tried to calm them down. She worked with a woman who lost all her clothes except one outfit and all she wanted was a plastic bag for what was left of her house. A counselor helped her. This is the level of devastation.”
The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “The worst sin to our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that is the essence of inhumanity!” This is why Israel has helped to promote women’s rights and combat gender-based violence in South Sudan, assisted Haiti with medical care and agriculture, and worked to help Hurricane Sandy victims. Helping others is one of the core values of the Jewish people. IsraAid’s mission is to “support and empower the efforts of local communities affected by war, natural disaster, acute poverty and massive displacement, to move from emergency situations to sustainable living.”
The local population in Oklahoma has received IsraAID very warmly. According to Cohen, “We inspire people by our existence here. There is eternal gratitude. We had a group of people from the Christian community” who “said that our presence inspired them to keep up their work.” One woman whom Cohen encountered in Oklahoma was very impressed that people would come from the other end of the world just to help out. Cohen claims that it was not just her, for members of Oklahoma society, whether they are waiters, working in McDonalds, or are members of the Jewish or Christian community are “moved by our presence here.” According to Cohen, “The entire community from Oklahoma gave us a group hug.”

For information about IsraAid’s good works check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/israaid

By United with Israel Staff writer Rachel Avraham.
MORE INFORMATION AND DONATION: http://israelinenglish.blogspot.com/2013/05/chabad-to-rescue-for-oklahoma-residents.html / https://www.israelgives.org/amuta/580472959

THIS SHOW THAT ISRAEL CARES ABOUT THE UNITED STATES, BUT, DOES THE UNITED STATES CARE ABOUT ISRAEL?
THINK ABOUT IT AND SHALOM!

Monday, June 10, 2013

The Mysterious Prophecy of Isaiah 53



Isaiah 53 tells the story of the Servant of the Lord, whose mission
in life was to help men and women discover a deep and satisfying
relationship with their Creator.
Read the chapter: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53&version=NIV...

Jesus Christ is the Moshiach (Messiah) that the Jews was waiting, more proves are here: http://israelinenglish.blogspot.com/2011/04/jesus-christ-was-jew.html / http://israelinenglish.blogspot.com/2012/12/jesus-christ-true-moshiach.html

FREE BOOK "Isaiah 53 Explained": http://isaiah53.com/free-book
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.chosenpeople.com/main/

THINK ABOUT IT AND GOD BLESSES YOU!
SHALOM!

WATCH THIS VIDEO AND THINK ABOUT IT:
For more information visit: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/
Recorded at WorshipGod11 for the album "The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11". Ryan Baird sings "Isaiah 53," co-written by Jonathan and Ryan Baird. For chord charts, lead sheets, and more info on this song click here: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/Songs/...

If you want to know what Sovereign Grace Music is up to right now, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SovereignGra...

Worship resources: worshipmatters.com

Get it on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/isai...
Get it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Isaiah-53/dp/B0...

Lyrics:
No majesty or beauty
He came to dwell with the lowly
Man of sorrows, despised, rejected
As one from whom men hide their faces
Despised and we esteemed Him not

Oh He has come, look upon the One
Jesus, Son of God, lifted up for us

He bore our griefs and afflictions
Pierced for our transgressions
We like sheep have gone astray
Each of us to his own way
His punishment has brought us peace

Oh He has come, look upon the One
Jesus, Son of God, lifted up for us
Oh see His love, Jesus, heaven's light
No longer to be despised
Glorious in our eyes

Unto death He was stricken
Assigned a grave with the wicked
Raised to life and seated glorious
Savior King, our God victorious
Never more to die, He lives

Oh He has come
Oh see His love

Music and words by Jonathan and Ryan Baird
© 2011 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)

http://sovereigngracemusic.org/

ISAIAH 53:12: Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus (משיח) prayed, “Father (אלוהים), forgive them (the Jews and the Romans), for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
GOD BLESSES YOU AND SHALOM!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

THE MERCY OF GOD FOR US

BY JON BLOOM
God is not content for us just to understand the idea that nothing is too hard for the Lord  (Jeremiah 32:17). He wants us to have the overwhelming joy of experiencing it. But the sometimes agonizing period between his promise and his provision can push us to the brink of what we think we can believe, as it did for Abraham and Sarah.
[This imaginative conversation takes place shortly after Genesis 17:22.]

Abram entered the tent, his eyes on the ground, his mind a world away. He was breathing hard. Sarai was repairing a cloak. She watched him as he walked to the back corner and collapsed on the cushions with a sigh. She recognized the bodily weariness of a divine encounter.
“The Lord  has spoken to you again, hasn’t he?”
There was a pause.
“Yes.”
It usually took Abram a while before he could talk about these encounters, so Sarai pulled her threadwork up close again where she could see. Another reminder of her aging body. But now her hands were trembling. She dropped them back into her lap. What had the Lord said?
“Ishmael!” The name pierced through Sarai like an arrow. She looked through the open flap and saw Hagar hand her son supplies to carry to the cooking fire. The boy was thirteen and beginning to look like a man. He was his father’s delight, the flesh of his flesh. But not of hers. The Lord had promised Abram offspring. But it was a deep, bewildering grief that he had granted it through Hagar, her own maidservant. And it had been her own idea.
“Sarah.”
She looked over at Abram. What had he just called her? 
“Yes, I called you Sarah. The Lord has changed your name.”
The Lord spoke of her? Her heart sped with a rush of hope-fueled adrenaline.
“He changed my name? What do you mean?”
“You are not merely a princess. You will be the mother of kings.”
Sarah just stared. His words didn’t register. A childless mother of kings?
“The Lord said, ‘I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her’ (Genesis 17:16). Sarah, God is going to give you a son, and through him, nations.”
Sarah’s whole being staggered. She steadied herself with her left hand and cupped her mouth with her right. Tears streamed. Grief, hope, and confusion churned inside her. A child? She had tried to bury this desire and she felt fear at resurrecting it. And she was ninety. She hadn’t had a feminine cycle for years. How could this possibly…
“I know what you’re thinking. I thought the same thing. When God spoke it, it was too much to take in and I said, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before you!’”
The familiar pain shot through Sarah.
“But God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.’”
Isaac. Her desire now had a name. Sarah mouthed it but still had no voice.
“Yes. Because the whole idea seemed so ludicrous that I laughed to myself.” 
“But… I can’t… Husband… I’m ninety years old.” Sarah began sobbing. “My body is no longer able to bear children. My time has passed.”
Abram walked over and enveloped his wife in his arms. “I know, Sarah. We are powerless to have children. Now more than ever. But if we’ve learned anything these twenty-five years it’s that our hope doesn’t rest on our power to do anything. Our hope rests on the Lord’s power. Our entire lives are built on what he’s promised. And the lives of our descendants must be built on his promises for generations before they ever occupy this land. Their survival will depend on them trusting the Lord’s promises and not their own power. Should it really surprise us that the first descendant the Lord gives us is a reminder of this?”
Sarah leaned into her husband.
“And, my precious wife, our Isaac will always remind us, and many after us, that the Lord makes us laugh at the impossible.”
“Your faith strengthens mine, Abram.”
“Abraham.”
Sarah looked up at him puzzled again.
“Yes, the Lord changed my name too.” Abraham smiled. “A mother of nations needs a father of nations, doesn’t she?”

There are times when God orders our circumstances in such a way that from a human standpoint his promises are impossible to fulfill. And if at that point we find these promises almost unbelievable, as did Abraham (Genesis 17:17–18) and Sarah (Genesis 18:11–14), what God has exposed are the boundaries of our faith — boundaries he means to expand.
Resting in the promises of God is learned in the crucible of wrestling with unbelief — seasons, sometimes long seasons, when everything hangs on believing that God “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Romans 4:17) and there is no safety net.
If you’re in such a season, as difficult as it feels, God is being incredibly kind to you. Because such seasons are when we really learn that nothing is too hard for the Lord (Genesis 18:14). And the joy in God that results makes any agony endured not even worth comparing.
Abraham and Sarah “grew strong in [their] faith” (Romans 4:20) because God pushed them to believe more than they thought was possible. For the sake of our joy he does the same for you and me.
SOURCE: http://www.desiringgod.org/

Know more about the Mercy of God:
For more information visit: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/
Recorded at WorshipGod11 for the album "The Gathering". Dale Bischof sings "Have Mercy on Me," co-written by Pat Sczebel and Dale. For chord charts, lead sheets, and more info on this song click here: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/Songs/...

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Lyrics:
I am a sinner, You're blameless, Lord
My sins against You can't be ignored
They will be punished, I know they must
Your laws demands it, for You are just

If You would count everything that I've done wrong
Who could stand?
But there's forgiveness with You, God

Have mercy on me, have mercy on me
A broken and a contrite heart 
You won't turn away
Have mercy on me, have mercy on me
Because of Your steadfast love

Father of mercy, You gave Your Son 
To make atonement for wrongs I have done
What You required Jesus fulfilled
I don't deserve it, I never will

Music and words by Dale Bischof and Pat Sczebel.
© 2011 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)

http://sovereigngracemusic.org/
SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/user/SovereignGraceMusic?feature=watch
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/two-kinds-of-regret-one-kind-of-hope / http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/god-s-mercy-in-messed-up-families / http://israelinenglish.blogspot.com/2013/03/remember-god-loves-you-so-much.html / http://jmartine3402.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/amor-de-dios-por-melove-of-god-for-me/ / http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0113.htm

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust — there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.
For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. 
Lamentations 3:21-32
SHALOM!

Monday, June 3, 2013

TO THINK: Israel and "Palestinians"

If Israel loves the peace, the "palestinians" love the war.
If Israel loves the life, the "palestinians" love the death.
Everything that Israel loves, the "palestinians" hate.