Thought for the day….
Month: December 2018
Ergun Caner – Yet Another Deceiver Within The Church
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Ergun Caner Remarries
by News Division · Published November 19, 2018 · Updated November 19, 2018
Ergun Caner is now remarried.
Ergun Caner first gained fame in the days immediately following September 11, 2001. The obscure and little-known pastor grew to stardom through his testimony of having been raised an Islamic extremist who found Christ. His testimony, which he recalled many times in audio and video messages – some of which are still preserved to this day – is that he was born in Turkey, raised in a Madrassa in Beruit and trained in terrorism, learned English watching television with Turkish subtitles, and barely knew English when he walked the aisle in a small Baptist church to receive Jesus.
In reality, Caner was born in Sweden and brought to the United States at the age of three, lived with a custodial parent who was not a Muslim but a hippy (his architect father, who was Islamic, did not raise him), English is his only language, and no one from his childhood or background could substantiate any of Caner’s claims. His brother, Emir Caner, also rose to prominence in a small and backwoods corner of Georgia, riding on the fabricated coattails of his brother, Ergun. Soon, Ergun became the Dean of Liberty University, the largest Christian university in the world, while his brother, Emir – complicit in his silence – became the president of Truett-McConnell College.
Caner’s house of lies began to crumble, however, when numerous bloggers began to notice inconsistencies in his testimony. Caner went on a rapid quest to delete videos and audio from the Internet that contained his lies. Many churches and organizations hosting his video or audio helped him facilitate the cover-up. Soon, Caner sued two bloggers who – through Freedom of Information Act Requests – posted a video of Caner’s false testimony to the United States Marines. He lost those lawsuits, and had to pay restitution and lawyer fees of the defendants.
Liberty University commissioned a group to look into the allegations – led by “Benedict Arnold” Tim Lee – who said that Caner was only guilty of “self-contradictory facts.” Caner was dismissed from his position as Dean, but retained as a professor. After another academic term, Caner announced he was moving to be president of Arlington Bible College, a very small fundamentalist Bible school. Not soon after, however, a rumor circulated that Caner was being considered for the position of president at a Southern Baptist School, Brewton-Parker College in his brother’s state of Georgia. Mark Lamprect of the blog, Here I Blog, wrote a blistering piece about why considering Caner for the position was a sacrilege. Lamprect was encouraged to remove his blog post by megachurch pastor, Johnny Hunt. Lamprect (who not long-after was invited to go golfing with Hunt) did so, claiming that this rumor was to be disavowed. In reality, Johnny Hunt was the one who was pressuring Brewton-Parker trustees to hire Caner all along, as his staff member confirmed to Pulpit & Pen in an email. Brewton-Parker trustees hired Caner, they claimed, “Not in spite of his critics, but because of his critics.”
Megachurch pastor, Johnny Hunt, continued to promote Caner during this time. After criticizing Hunt for inviting Caner to preach at his Woodstock Baptist Church, Hunt had Pulpit & Pen contributor, Seth Dunn (a member of his church) removed by security preemptively just in case Dunn spoke out the day of Caner’s attendance.
In what amounts to the most foolish move ever, Bucky Kennedy and Brewton-Parker trustees hired a man they knew had a deeply flawed character because they didn’t like his critics. Within a very short time, Caner had caused a racial walk-out at his college for mistreating African American students and using the N-word and for an extra-marital relationship that was demonstrated by “sexting” messages with at least one – possibly two – women. During his tenure at Brewton-Parker, Caner lived separately from his wife. In the divorce proceedings that would follow, both Caner and his wife would claim the other committed adultery. Peter Lumpkins, Caner’s VP of Communications, tried to conceal the real reason for Caner’s departure, omitting the (yet-to-be-revealed) sex controversies and likening Caner to the prophet, Elijah. Lumpkins, who left Brewton-Parker in shame with Ergun, was recently given a job by Emir Caner at Truett-McConnell.
Caner today reportedly receives disability payments and has engaged in a bitter custody dispute. He occasionally makes money preaching at church camps and small events.
Caner announced on Twitter over the weekend that he is now remarried (pictured above).
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Walid Zafar Contributor
Research Fellow, Media Matters Action Network
Ergun Caner, Ex-Muslim Evangelical Leader, Exposed As Fake
Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement. He is also one of the most deceptive.
05/19/2010 03:10 pm ET Updated May 25, 2011
Walid Zafar Contributor
Research Fellow, Media Matters Action Network
Ergun Caner, Ex-Muslim Evangelical Leader, Exposed As Fake
Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement. He is also one of the most deceptive.
05/19/2010 03:10 pm ET Updated May 25, 2011
Ergun Caner is one of the most prominent figures in the evangelical movement. He is also one of the most deceptive.
A self-professed Muslim convert to Christianity, Caner plays an important, and arguably dangerous, role in the community. After the 9/11 attacks, when many Americans were searching for answers, Caner stepped up with enthusiasm to present himself as an expert on Islam. He used his own “personal history” (much of it since demonstrated as bogus) to confirm his audience’s deeply-held suspicions about the faith that many of them blamed for the attacks.
Today, as president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a professor of apologetics, he exhibits tremendous influence in shaping the next generation of evangelical leaders.
A burly man with a charming smile, Caner is an eloquent speaker and an even better storyteller. He blends the Gospel with humor. He’s a big fan of Glenn Beck and NASCAR. He speaks about love. He tweets. And, he is well-liked by his students. In the five years that he’s been at Liberty, the school’s enrollment has nearly tripled.
Caner is a protégé of Paige Patterson, the controversial and successful leader of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, who is perhaps best known for forcing the Southern Baptist Convention into the political right. Paterson spoke at the school’s commencement this year.
By the time he came to Liberty University, a Baptist school in Lynchburg, Virginia founded by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell, Caner had already become a prolific writer. He and his brother had written several books aimed at evangelical audiences. Many of the books recounted their paths to Christ. It’s hard not to be moved by the narrative — true or not.
Born in Turkey to a religious father, a muezzin (one who performs the call to prayer), Caner grew up detesting the United States and all it stood for. He learned bits and pieces about his future homeland from watching the Dukes of Hazzard. During his teenage years, his family immigrated to the United States. His father came here to spread the message of Islam and build mosques.
During his senior year in high school, his life changed. Caner found Christ. A friend, “a solitary Christian boy,” refused to take no for an answer and insisted that Caner learn about Christianity. He invited him to his tiny store-front church where Caner talked to the pastor, a man with a sixth grade education who questioned him about his firmly-held convictions. Caner was amazed to discover the true teachings of a faith he had been trained his whole life to hate. He accepted Christianity, as did his two brothers, Emir and Erdem.
When he told his father, he was disowned. It was, he writes, a difficult experience for young Ergun, who didn’t speak to his father for many years. In one of his books, he writes, “For the other 95 percent of the world’s population, conversion to Jesus Christ often means disowning, disinheritance, expulsion, arrest, and even death.” But he was resolute in his newfound faith and was willing to give it all up for eternal salvation. Caner and his younger brother Emir (president of Truett-McConnell College, a small Bible college in Cleveland, Georgia) became shining examples to evangelicals.
If a hardened and hidebound jihadist “trained to do that which was done on 11 September” could come around to accepting Christ, the logic went, it proved beyond doubt that the message of Christ was universal.
The main problem with Caner’s journey from Jihad to Jesus is that much of it is fiction, a complex lie made up to give his conversion more authenticity. He fabricated almost everything. For someone who allegedly fought jihad, Caner’s understanding of the very basic tenets of the faith he is a so-called expert in is rudimentary.
Caner does not know the difference between Islam’s article of faith and the first chapter of the Qur’an. He’s claimed that the lunar month of Ramadan lasts for 40 days. In his book, he writes that he performed all of the rakats (daily prayers). The actual word is salah. It’s not a difference most people would know, but he says he is an expert on Islam. Muslims, he once said, followed something he called the “tobaad.” He’s claimed to have debated Muslim scholars who’ve never heard of him. Court records from his parent’s divorce indicate that he was in Ohio when he was a young child, long before his alleged move from Turkey. On his books, his middle name is Mehmet (Muhammad in Turkish), yet it is listed as Michael on his concealed-weapons permit in Virginia. Before 9/11, he went by E. Michael Caner.
In one speech, Caner told a crowd that outside the mosque in Kabul there was a sign that read, “Do not teach the women to read and write.” The story may or may not be true, but Caner, to give authority to the tale, told the crowd what was written in the native tongue: “bahasha uwtara muwtara seeteeroh.” That’s neither Dari nor Arabic nor Urdu nor Turkish nor Pashtu. It is an entirely made up language.
To his audience, Caner’s tale of moving from darkness to light reaffirmed their convictions about the superiority of Christianity and the decadence of Islam. But the facts eventually caught up with Caner, thanks to a Muslim student in London who methodically went through his speeches and interviews, chronicling each and every one of his lies. Others quickly piled on, including some within the church.
Ironically, in 2005, Caner came to the defense of Florida-based preacher Jerry Vines who angered the Muslim community with his demonization of the Prophet Muhammad. A piece in the Florida Times-Union quoted Caner, who defended Vines by saying, “No one expected a Baptist preacher to actually research.”
That’s precisely why Caner’s duplicitous persona went unchallenged for so long. No one expected a preacher to so boldly fabricate his entire background. It was all a ruse, intended to play off the evangelical movement’s ignorance and fear of Islam.
For months, Liberty University refused to investigate Caner’s background. Now that local press and even the Associated Press have written about the controversy, the school has set up a committee to investigate the allegations. If they excuse his behavior, they risk tarnishing their credibility. If they punish him, they risk provoking the anger of the evangelical community.
An unrepentant Caner maintains his innocence, saying that he “never intentionally misled anyone.” He blames the campaign to discredit him on Calvinists and their Muslim interlocutors. At the same time, many of his duped followers are refusing to accept reality. They are taking their anger out on those who have exposed the fraud and not on the charlatan himself.
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Tullian Tchividjian Back in the Pulpit at “Leave A Mark Church,” Columbus Ohio
By News Division · Published November 17, 2018 · Updated November 17, 2018
Tullian and his new wife, Stacie
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Tullian Tchividjian Back in the Pulpit at “Leave A Mark Church,” Columbus Ohio
by News Division · Published November 17, 2018 · Updated November 17, 2018
Tullian and his new wife, Stacie
Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of Billy Graham who has been forced into resignation in two ministry positions for repeated extra-marital affairs, finds himself back in the pulpit today and tomorrow at “Leave A Mark Church” in Columbus, Ohio.
Tchividjian once pastored D. James Kennedy’s Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church but was defrocked by the Presbyterian Church of America after he was found to have engaged in at least one extra-marital affair. Tchividjian filed for divorce from his wife, and partially blamed her for his wicked behavior and the rough aftermath of its fallout. The presbytery found that Tchividjian was “unfit for Christian ministry,” but laid out a path for his eventual restoration. He has not met the requirements of restoration. He moved on to fill a staff position at Willow Creek PCA in South Florida, only to again confess to another extra-marital affair. At least one of Tchividjian’s sexual partners has claimed it was a case of clergy sexual abuse. Tchividjian then married a strange woman and began to rebrand himself as a minister “to the broken,” preaching a sermon about his own “redemption.”
Aside from his sexual escapades while in the pulpit, Tchividjian has adopted a theology to suit his sin. Growing increasingly antinomian, many had begun to warn the world of his changing doctrinal views even before news of his affairs became public. His views of God’s law, in particular, have been in constant flux, as he’s denied the abiding validity of God’s Moral Law and promoted a gospel with little call to holiness or the mortification of sin. Most recently, Pulpit & Pen has covered Tchividjian claiming the Gospel is “immoral.”
The Christian Post reported on Tchividjian, recently writing a post demanding that Christians show grace to fallen pastors, claiming that it was “sinful” to remember someone’s scandals.
By a quick survey of the facts, Tchividjian is a serial adulterer, serial marrier, and practical antinomian who is still under the discipline of his presbytery. That will not stop him from taking the pulpit of a Columbus church today and tomorrow.
“Leave A Mark Church” will host Tchividjian so he can talk about redemption, apparently in spite of a lack of repentance. The church is pastored by Steve Combs. The website of the church reads:
After a season of self-destruction leading up to, and following, his resignation from Coral Ridge, Tullian is now married to Stacie, and together they have five children and one grandchild. Tullian longs to see broken people encounter God’s boundless love. We are very excited to have Tullian as our special guest at Leave A Mark to share his story of hope and healing with our community.
While any claim of repentance or supposed restoration is – if valid – a cause for celebration, it is disheartening to see someone who has not repented of sins but only capitalized on them, take the pulpit in an ostensibly Christian church. While forgiveness is always available for the contrite and penitent in the Cross, this does not mean that those who have failed to meet the pastoral qualifications of Paul’s Epistles to Timothy and Titus can be restored to the spotlight of Christian ministry.
Inviting Tchividjian to preach at Leave A Mark Church is not only disrespectful to the Presbyterian Church of America which has made a (rightful) decision of discipline toward him, it’s disrespectful to all those who have been taken advantage of by clergy. A clergy person, having an affair a sexual relationship with a staff or church member (as is the case with Tchividjian) is similar to a principal or teacher having an affair a sexual relationship with a student. The pastorate is a position of trust, and if violated, should hold long term and grave consequences.
Leave A Mark Church is not only defaming their church, and Jesus, it is being terribly insensitive to those who have been victims of predatory pastors.
Comment-
In the meantime, Tchividjian, if repentant, should do the godly thing and take up a job at a carwash. There’s nothing dishonorable about seeking discipleship in a local congregation and working with your hands, living a quiet and peaceable life.
On point :). I hope the PCA’s path of restoration included this, car wash job and all. I don’t get how so-called “fallen” pastors (like Mark Driscoll), can so quickly get up behind the pulpit again. Why not spend 10 years just being part of a local church and serving as a greeter or coffee server? I suppose we all love power and recognition on some level. I hope Tullian can truly repent in a Christ-glorifying manner.
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Trump is Stopping the United Nations from Becoming the Single World Government
Christians around the globe can hear the hoofbeats of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and we can discern the desire for the breakup of our national sovereignty, and the endorsement of the New World Order (NWO). As Christianity is largely refused acceptance by the West, the door is swinging wide open, and the world will one day wake up to “One Nation Under Satan.” At the present moment, however, President Donald Trump is still a fly in their soup, a burr in their saddle, and a stone in their shoe. Let us pray for our national patriotism and sovereignty to remain intact.
Maranatha, Pastor Steve <><
Trump is Stopping the United Nations from Becoming the Single World Government
December 26 2018
Trump is Stopping the United Nations from Becoming the Single World Government
December 26 2018
As other world leaders continue to push for globalism, steering the world down the path to a single global government, US President Donald Trump remains defiant. In a seemingly lone battle, aside from outsiders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump seems to be the only leader with a prominent seat at the table who is standing in the way of the United Nations becoming a single world government. While addressing the UN in September, Donald Trump urged other nations to reject globalism and embrace patriotism. His speech to the United Nations, however, was interrupted by derisive laughter from other world leaders. In the course of his bold address, Trump highlighted the achievements of his presidency, slammed America’s enemies – Iran foremost among them – and railed against globalism in its spiritual home, the UN general assembly (UNGA).“America is governed by Americans,” Trump said.
“We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.” The main theme of Trump’s speech was patriotism, and he urged states to focus on their own national interests. He said: “Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination.” The French president, Emmanuel Macron, cemented his role as the anti-Trump on the world stage.
Macron claimed that nationalism will lead the spread of global lawlessness, “in which everyone pursues their own interest.” He said: “All against all ends up to everyone’s detriment.” 
Trump’s address to the United Nations was a stark contrast to former President Barack Obama’s final speech in 2016, in which he criticized those who seek a “simple rejection of global integration.” “The world is too small, we are too packed together, for us to be able to resort to those old ways of thinking,” Obama told world leaders. “Today, a nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself,” he added. Electing Donald Trump as US President has certainly thrown a spanner in the works for the globalist agenda. The UN Plans to be Our World Government By 2030According to E. Jeffrey Ludwig, the United Nations is working toward becoming the world government by 2030. Although there was a socialistic thread in its founding document, the United Nations was formed based on a vision of human rights presented in the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (UDHR) which placed the concept of rights at the forefront for the progress of the world body. And rights are the mainstay for uplifting human freedom and the dignity of the individual. The UDHR document followed many amazing documents that presented rights as the central concept of the post-feudal world: the English Declaration (or Bill) of Rights of 1689, the U.S. Declaration of Independence with its important and forceful assertion of inalienable natural rights, the powerful U.S. Bill of Rights enacted in 1791, and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789). The word “rights” appears in almost every sentence of the 1869-word UN document. The document is literally obsessed with rights, and one must assume they are likewise obsessed with the rights’ successes as manifested in the United Kingdom, the U.S., and France. However, there are some deviations from the rights usage we are all familiar with. In Article 3, instead of the inalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” found in our Declaration of Independence, the UN declares everyone’s right to “life, liberty, and security of person.” Are they implying that security will bring happiness? Or are they implying that happiness is too ephemeral a value, and too Western? Perhaps more mundane survival goals are needed by most of the world.
We see a reprise of items from our Bill of Rights such as the condemnation of cruel and unusual punishment (Article 5), due process (Articles 6,7,8,9, 10, 11, 14, 17), illegal search and seizure (Article 12), and freedom of speech and assembly (Articles 19,20). But there are new rights introduced which, as early as 1945, were pointing the way towards intervention by the UN in the daily lives of people throughout the world. Throughout the document, they assert the right to food, clothing, medical care, social services, unemployment and disability benefits, child care, and free education, plus the right to “full development of the personality,” (imagine, the UN says I have the right to be me) and the “right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community… and to enjoy the arts” (we each have the right to enjoy a painting or a movie). However, they do not state the right to appear on the “Tonight Show” or “Saturday Night Live,” so there were limits to their largesse. In 2015, seventy years after their original rights-based document, the UN took a giant step towards the global government that was only hinted at in their first organizing document. They issued a document entitled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” This document has 91 numbered sections of the UN’s program for world government. The UDHR is only referenced once in the entire document in Article 19. Unlike the original “mother document” that was under 1900 words, this document is 14,883 words. The 91 items are addressing issues under the five headings of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. Additionally, the document provides 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve life on the planet. What is meant by the term “sustainable?” The most often quoted definition comes from the UN World Commission on Environment and Development: “sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 
The earlier ideas and ideals of rights, freedom, equality, and justice are subsumed under meeting of needs and explicit environmentalism which emphasizes preventing the depletion of scarce planetary resources. Of course, the takeoff is the Marxist axiom that society should be organized around the idea of “from each according to his ability to each according to his needs.” Thus, Marxism is implicit in sustainability but is nuanced by its alliance with seemingly scientific adjustments and goals related to environmentalism. A technical jargon is welded to Marxist intentionality to produce a sense of fittingness and modern progress. The entire “Transforming Our World” document is cast in a stream of consciousness of pious platitudes for a utopian future. It is an outsize utopian dream. Five of the 17 items pertain to the environment. There are goals for the cities, for women, for the poor, and even for life under the water. Absolutely no sphere of human activity is exempt from control by the UN. The key word, of course, is no longer “rights” except the oblique reference in Article 19. In fact, this writer did not see the word rights even once in this document even though that word appeared in practically every sentence of the original UN document. The one-worlders of the 1950s and early 1960s are now in the UN driver’s seat, and they have made their move. The overlay of Marxist talk about “meeting needs” has moved to center stage. The UN has assigned itself a time frame for moving forward in its plan for planetary hegemony. This projected transformation detailing (yet without details) a new world order of environmental responsibility and a significant reduction of poverty and hunger never speaks to the practical dimension of vast manipulations of people by cynical leaders and ignorant bureaucrats who hold their positions through terrorism and bribery. They never discuss incompetence and corruption, twin brothers in the family of venality. The document portrays a sincere world where all those in power want to help humanity despite the daily evidence of the selfishness, corruption, murderous intents, devilish manipulations, thefts, personal immoralities, hatreds, and utter depravity of many governmental leaders in every country in the world, and among the leaders of business as well. Is not the Agenda for Sustainable Development itself one of those devilish manipulations? The sustainability ideal is not wedded to a Christian worldview; instead, individual liberty is submerged in a scientifically determined collectivist mindset with final decisions in the hands of the devilish, all-knowing Big Brothers. The relevance of the individual is downplayed. It is being put forward by a UN that is no longer pro-western, a much larger body than existed in 1945. Will you accept it, or is it time, more than ever before, to begin rethinking our membership in that unsustainable body?
Reported by: Neon Nettle
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The Plans Of The New World Order-
President Donald Trump is perceived as a mere speed bump that will soon be in the rear view mirror. The United Nations desires to dictate policies whereby individual rights are taken away, and national sovereignty and patriotism are all but distant memories. They issued a document entitled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” Sustainable Development is total dictatorship over nations and individuals. The United Nations’ Small Arms Treaty will result in the total confiscation of all guns throughout the planet. Potential dissenters are already targeted through their data base, and the net will be drawn in, as soon as they take total control. Complete submission to the agenda of Global Government is perceived as the only option. The United Nations, Democratic Party, Rhino’s and moderate Republicans, and the mindset of younger people are all on board already. Events such as political elections and orchestrated calamities and/or disasters will be the vehicles used to usher in this new age. To the discerning Christians, there is already an awareness of this future phenomena. As far as the naïve are concerned, they will one day be in for a major surprise. Most people will fall in line lockstep with the Brave New World when Big Brother comes to the forefront. If one believes in the Bible and can perceive the paradigm shift that is taking place, then their correct perception is not “if” but “when” these changes will occur. Pray for the Lord’s intervention (if it is His will) to retard these prophesied events that are replete throughout the Bible, especially in the book of Revelation. Blessings, Pastor Steve <><
Pray For Revival In America!
Sanhedrin Calls On Jerusalem’s Next Mayor To Prepare For Rebuilding The Temple
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Breaking Israel News November 10, 2018
ARTICLE
Sanhedrin Calls On Jerusalem’s Next Mayor To Prepare For Rebuilding The Temple
By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz/Breaking Israel News November 10, 2018
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Jerusalem will have a new mayor this coming week and more than any other election this year will decide the religious nature of Israel’s capital. The nascent Sanhedrin has addressed a letter to the two candidates emphasizing the role of the Third Temple in municipal current policy.
The Jerusalem mayoral election held last week ran five candidates, but the results were so close that an additional runoff vote next week is needed to choose between the top two. Moshe Lion with 33 percent of the vote and Ofer Berkovitch with 29 percent will run off against each other – with neither achieving the 40 percent of the electorate required to win office.
The politics of the eternal Jewish capital are most fiercely fought on the battlefield of religion. In addition to his political connections, Lion, religiously observant, was endorsed by leading ultra-Orthodox rabbis, an important asset in a city in which the Haredi represent approximately 35% of the overall Jewish vote.
Berkovich, on the other hand, was the only one of the candidates that led a secular lifestyle. He has campaigned for businesses to open on the Sabbath. Not only is that policy distasteful to the city’s religious residents, but Berkovich perceives Haredi politicians as having a negative impact.
“The other candidates are liable to capitulate to the Haredi extortion, and may not understand the strategic steps the city needs to take in order to flourish and get on the right track,” Berkovich told Times of Israel. “They weren’t partners in the successes of recent years: the vibrant cultural [scene], economic development, the urban revolution… I don’t think they know what is needed, I don’t think they know the city well enough, I don’t think they understand what to do here.”
The religious Jewish aspect of being the mayor Jerusalem was amplified to an even greater degree in an open letter that the Sanhedrin sent to the two candidates.
“With God’s merciful approval, one of you will be chosen as head of the city, may it be built and made ready for its ultimate purpose,” the Sanhedrin wrote. “We call on the candidates as well as the voters to make choices based on truth and on the main aspect of Jerusalem, which is the building of the Temple.”
The Sanhedrin wrote a similar letter to U.S. President Donald Trump after he won the election, calling on him to take a role in building the Third Temple just as Persian King Cyrus helped the Jews build the Second Temple after the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE.
“Avoiding this essential issue endangers the existence of the city and its identity as the capital of Israel, thereby endangering Israel itself,” the Sanhedrin wrote to the mayoral candidates. “Every Jew and all of humanity are commanded to ascend to the Temple Mount.”
“We expect you, as candidates, to relate to this role the city has as home of the Temple. This subject is not simply a matter of religious belief but must also be expressed in political, fiscal, and educational terms.”
The Sanhedrin emphasized the importance of Jerusalem in the world. In the letter, they noted that the capital of Israel is frequently the focus of domestic politics and, in the case of Trump, has become an essential part of his platform. In the letter, the Sanhedrin praised Trump for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem in its entirety is sanctified as Holy and is the spiritual center of the world, the throne of God. We urge you to make public your plans relating to this aspect of the city. There are several ways this can be accomplished, such as festivals of holiness to replace those of impurity.”
The Sanhedrin has already begun working toward this end, holding full-dress reenactments of the Temple service before the Biblical feasts. Another glorious example of this was the World Creation Concert held the week before Rosh Hashana, which several representatives from South American countries attended.
The Sanhedrin emphasized that the city will change when the Temple is built, requiring massive improvements to its infrastructure.
“Jerusalem must prepared to host the millions of pilgrims who will attend the feasts when the Third Temple is built,” the letter said. “We also call on the government to prepare a center for an international body to replace the United Nations and the Hague, one that will be rooted in the Bible.”
Originally published at Breaking Israel News – republished with permission.
Read more at http://prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2723#p0iQAjLDIu8iM4Mj.99
God With Us | Day 10: God Waiting
God With Us | Day 10: God Waiting
Our Daily Bread Ministries
Jesus Waits for Me
Day 10
God Waiting
By: Julie Ackerman Link
Today’s Reading: John 14:1–6
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
2 Peter 3:9
During the Christmas season we wait. We wait in traffic. We wait in checkout lines to purchase gifts. We wait for family to arrive. We wait to gather around a table filled with our favorite foods. We wait to open presents lovingly chosen.
All of this waiting can be a reminder that Christmas is a celebration of waiting for something much more important than holiday traditions. Like the ancient Israelites, we too are waiting for Jesus. Although He already came as the long-awaited Messiah, He has not yet come as ruler over all the earth. So today we wait for Christ’s second coming.
Christmas reminds us that God also waits . . . He waits for people to see His glory, to admit that they are lost without Him, to say yes to His love, to receive His forgiveness, to turn away from sin. While we wait for His second coming, He waits for repentance. What seems to us like God’s slowness in coming is instead His patience in waiting (2 Peter 3:9).
The Lord is waiting to have a relationship with those He loves. He made the first move when He came as baby Jesus and the sacrificial Lamb. Now He waits for us to welcome Him into our lives as Savior and Lord.
God patiently keeps His promises.
Merry Christmas!
The Lord’s Coming Judgment In Microcosm
Indonesian rock band swept away by tsunami, several members killed
Alex Young,Consequence of Sound
World
Indonesian rock band swept away by tsunami, several members killed
Alex Young, Consequence of Sound 10 hours ago
Seventeen performing as tsunami hits
Over two hundred people were killed, and hundreds more were injured, after a tsunami struck costal Indonesia on Saturday. Among the victims were members of the Indonesian rock band called Seventeen, who were performing on stage as the tsunami hit.
According to Reuters, among the dead were four members of Seventeen: bassist M. Awal “Bani” Purbani, guitarist Herman Sikumbang, road manager Oki Wijaya, and crew member Ujang. The band’s drummer remains missing.
Seventeen was performing on the Tanjung Lesung beach as part of a holiday party thrown by state electricity utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).
Video footage posted to social media captured the exact moment the tsunami came crashing onto the stage, sweeping away band and audience members alike.
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Hebrews 9:27 King James Version (KJV)
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…”
Malachi 4:1-3 Chapter 4 (ASV)
God’s judgment on the wicked
“For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith Jehovah of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith Jehovah of hosts.”
Can you imagine what the Lord’s final judgment and the Great Tribulation Period described graphically in the book of Revelation will be like? The above story is a preview to God’s judgment upon rebellious man. The tsunami took them out before they knew what hit them. Likewise, God’s final judgment will be sudden, swift, and without remedy or any possibility of deliverance. If you are lost and know not the Lord, call on Him today before it is too late. The following is a typical comment by one who read the story:
“We should be constantly humbled and respectful of the power that the Earth has over us.
Even in times of joy, like the concert, Mother Nature reminds us who’s in charge—with deadly results. Prayers for all who have suffered and died.” Scot
Notice his references to the “power” that “earth” and “Mother Nature” have over us and that “they are in charge.” …and then he comically says we need to pray for those who have died. Pray to who? Mother Nature or Mother Earth? This is a typical cross section of fallen man, who seeks not the Lord, and attributes “powers” to the creation rather than to the Creator. Read Romans 1 below for a complete Biblical response to those who worship the creation rather than the One who made everything. Note especially verse 25. If we ignore God and lack repentance, our eternal estate will be hell. Salvation: Don’t leave earth without it.
John 14:6 King James Version (KJV) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Pastor Steve <><
Romans 1 King James Version (KJV)
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
Pray For Revival In America!
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Sudden Destruction: Ignoring The Signs Of The Times
By Michael Brown/AskDrBrown.org January 01, 2019
ARTICLE
Sudden Destruction: Ignoring The Signs Of The Times
image: http://prophecynewswatch.com/images/recent/clockjan012019.jpg
By Michael Brown/AskDrBrown.org January 01, 2019
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The images are disturbing, unnerving. But they are real. All too real. A rock band is performing in Indonesia to the delight of the audience when suddenly, without warning, a massive wave sweeps them off the stage to their deaths. There are screams of terror, then there is blackness. This is what sudden destruction looks like. Yet the Bible says it will come one day to the whole earth.
The band was named “Seventeen,” with a large Instagram following, and the band’s sole surviving member, Riefian Fajarsyah, lost his wife in the tsunami. To date, the death toll nationwide has reached 430, with another 1,500 injured and almost 22,000 displaced.
Of course, as tragic as these figures are, they pale in comparison to the 2004 tsunami which struck multiple countries at the same time and resulted in a death toll of 227,000. But, in the aftermath of the 2004 tragedy, “countries including the UK, Germany and Malaysia donated detection buoys and other equipment to Indonesia to help warn of future tsunamis,” although upgrading has been needed for the equipment.
Still, the recent tsunami came without warning.
As related by survivor Bapu Suwarna, “The sound grew and I even heard crashing sounds. Seconds later I saw people running from the tsunami wave shouting ‘Tsunami! Waves! Waves!'”
He added: “It took only seconds not minutes after hearing the thunderous sounds and then the waves hit us. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely request that the government set up an early warning system so people can anticipate an incoming tsunami. I didn’t have much time, after the loud sounds were heard.”
It was literally a matter of seconds. Moments later, there was devastation.
Yet, to repeat, the Bible says that this will happen again in much greater fashion and on a much grander scale.
As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thes. 5:2-3).
Please don’t take these words lightly. If you believe the Bible to be true, then what Paul wrote will come to pass.
Jesus issued similar warnings as well, telling His followers that, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot–they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all–so will it be ion the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).
The point Jesus and Paul are making is simple. People will ignore the signs of the times. They will be lulled into a sense of false security. They will be caught up with the spirit of the world, enjoying their lives, focusing on themselves, oblivious to God and His demands.
They will be sure that “all is well” and that judgment will never come. And then, suddenly, it will be at the door. And then, suddenly, it will be too late.
But that’s not the end of the story.
Jesus and Paul gave these warnings for a reason. It was so that we who believe, we who love the Lord, would not be caught unawares. It was so that we would be serving and alert rather than partying and slumbering.
To quote Paul again, from this same passage just cited to the Thessalonians, “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes. 5:3-9).
This, then, is how we should live. This, then, is how should we conduct ourselves in this world.
As Peter wrote to his readers, “Since all these things [speaking of the present heavens and earth] are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth gin which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2 Pet. 3:11-14).
We who walk in the light, we who are children of the day, we who live lives honoring to the Lord, have nothing to fear. Let us not fall asleep in the light.
Originally published at AskDrBrown.org – reposted with permission.
Read more at http://prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2858#oOblqetdlOMKGldl.99
God With Us | Day 9: No Glitz, Just Glory
God With Us | Day 9: No Glitz, Just Glory
Our Daily Bread Ministries
Jesus’s Love for Me Is Glorious
Day 9
No Glitz, Just Glory
By: Xochitl Dixon
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 53:1–12
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
Psalm 63:3
Looking at the handmade Christmas ornaments my son, Xavier, crafted over the years and the annual mismatched baubles Grandma had sent him, I couldn’t figure out why I was not content with our decorations. I’d always valued the creativity and memories each ornament represented. So, why did the allure of the retail stores’ holiday displays tempt me to desire a tree adorned with perfectly matched bulbs, shimmering orbs, and satin ribbons?
As I began to turn away from our humble decor, I glimpsed a red, heart-shaped ornament with a simple phrase scripted on it—Jesus, My Savior. How could I have forgotten my family and my hope in Christ are the reasons I love celebrating Christmas? Our simple tree looked nothing like the trees in the storefronts, but the love behind every decoration made it beautiful.
Like our modest tree, the Messiah didn’t meet the world’s expectations in any way (Isaiah 53:2). Jesus “was despised and rejected” (v. 3). Yet, in an amazing display of love, He still chose to be “pierced for our rebellion” (vv. 4–5). He endured punishment, so we could enjoy peace (v. 5). Nothing is more beautiful than that.
With renewed gratitude for our perfect decorations and our perfect Savior, I stopped longing for glitz and praised God for His glorious love. Sparkling adornments could never match the beauty of His sacrificial gift—Jesus.
God’s beauty and majesty is recognized by the measure of His sacrificial love.
God With Us | Day 8: The Giver of All Good Things
God With Us | Day 8: The Giver of All Good Things
Our Daily Bread Ministries
Jesus Gives Generously to Me
Day 8
The Giver of All Good Things
By: Harold Myra
Today’s Reading: Psalm 34
I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.
Psalm 34:1
Some of the most hilarious episodes in the popular “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strips are the Christmas ones in which Calvin chatters to his stuffed tiger Hobbes about Santa and the presents he wants from him. The unregenerate, unrepentant Calvin wants lots and lots of gifts from Santa. But he’s torn because he knows he’s supposed to be good to get them. He tries to figure out how he can con Santa into believing he’s a good little boy. Calvin really, really wants those gifts! And Santa? He’s the source of gifts, nothing more.
We smile at the little boy’s antics. The distinction between seeking God and only seeking the benefits we may get from Him is similar. Yet isn’t God the giver of all good things? (James 1:17). It might be helpful to remember our own childhood Christmas celebrations. Hopefully along with the excitement of opening presents, we also loved and appreciated the givers who loved us.
Psalm 34 offers a picture of gratitude that appreciates both the gifts and the Giver. Through experiencing God’s goodness in the gifts He gives us, we “taste and see that the Lord is good” (v. 8) and are moved to praise Him “at all times” (v. 1). As we focus on the love and majesty and grace of God, we can more fully enjoy His gifts, because our hearts will beat in rhythm with that of our heavenly Father.
Gratitude appreciates both the gifts and the Giver.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE ~ The Deity of Christ
Jack Van Impe has been referred to as the Bible Answer Man and the Belgium Bible Bombshell. Neither label would be an overstatement of this man of God and his tremendous wisdom and knowledge of the Bible. His memorization of the Word of God is off the charts. Enjoy his following exegesis on the Deity of Christ. In Christ, Pastor Steve <>< Merry Christmas!
Jack van Impe Ministries <jvim-weekly@jvim.com>
Dec 18 at 6:41 PM
Jack Van Impe Ministries International Newsletter
December 17, 2018
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