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American Christian Voice Volume 13 No. 6 Contents ABOUT US 4.Yak Bak 5.ACV Mission Statement 5.Impressum 27.Puzzle Page!! 36.Where you can buy a copy of the American Christian Voice... 36.Subscription Info 36.War Room Widow 39.Would you like to join the ministry of the American Christian Voice? FROM THE COVER 16.What the Year and Season Marked by 2018 and Hebrew year 5778 brings 17.Front Cover Answer 23.It is Not the Great Eraser CENTERFOLD 24.The Making of a Miserable Millenial GOLD STAR ATTENTION 2.Gold Star Family Inn information 38.Gold Star Family Inn supporters 41.In Memory of a Gold Star Son: Christopher C. Johnson FEATURES 7.Lead Us Not into Mistranslation 8.The Biblical Significance of Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's

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Capital 9.Trophies Are for Winning 10.When You Don’t Matter to Your Parents... 12.Prophetic Vision: The Spirit of Offense Wants to Attack You in These 8 Ways 14.“Dangerous” Hospitality 15.Here are many brands that are 100% Made in the USA 18.The Mighty Power Of God 19.How to Pray for our Leaders 20.What is Tu B’Shevat? 26.On Leaving Jerusalem 29.Comparing Mexico’s Tough Immigration Laws to the United States 32.The Second Coming of Jesus Christ 34.Why do so many people Hate Joel Osteen? Why do so many people Love Joel Osteen? 35.An Open Letter to many Christians that are Judging or Jealous 37.An Arab Muslim in the Israeli Army 41.Short Bio of CWO2 Christopher C. Johnson, Green Beret U.S. Army 44.Congratulations............You Lost! 46.Year One List: 81 major achievements the Current Administration (CA) aaccomplished

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The Biblical Significance of Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's Capital

When You Don’t Matter to Your “Dangerous” Parents... Hospitality An Open Letter to many Christians HE is the AllConsuming that are Fire! Judging or Jealous Year One List: 81 major achievements the Current Administration (CA) aaccomplished

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The American Christian Voice magazine, Memory Lock Fence and the Gold Star Family Inn are ministries under the nonprofit, 501(c)3 designation, Ozarks Christian Foundation. All contributions in excess of goods and services received are tax deductible. See more details under our websites.

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yak bak

.Feed Back From Our Readers

We have enjoyed reading the ACV over the years and was quite pleased to find it in our local Barnes and Noble Bookstore. We like the insightful articles and have also agreed with many of the opposing viewpoints that we formally held about what is most important in the Christian message.

The article in the last issue about why “Christmas is certainly full pagan traditions and why it doesn’t matter” made me angry at first. Then, I realized I don’t have to celebrate it but I can use it as a tool for reaching the lost. Good job... and dare I say it... Merry Christmas?

Bobby and Mariah West, Tulsa, OK ________________________________ I saw the disclaimer you put in the Christmas issue that it didn’t represent the normal content of the ACV magazine. It was still a great edition but I am looking foward to more perspectives regarding the topic of the universal church and how its members join various clubs (churches). It has helped me love my fellow brothers and sisters without avoiding “doubtful disputations”. Well, except for our more liberal members that haven’t seen the folly of their political leanings. Is that bad? Did I just do it again? LOL

Wanda Selinger, Grandview, TX ___________________________ (The following letter to the editor has been heavily redacted to protect their ignorance) Dear editor, You need to write more articles about the XXXXXXX and how they are destroying America with their XXXXXX practices. Also, the XXXX are XXXXX killers that are ruining the world economic system. Especially President XXXXX and his minions. Wake up church! You are being deceived by this nonsense. If you only knew how many of your XXXXXXX sympathizers were going to hell because of their support for the antichrist and all of his followers you would start printing the truth about how the XXXXX are infiltrating our pure heritage by destroying the markers of history.

Kenneth Bargess, Indianapolis, IN ________________________________

XXXXXX, Murfreesboro, TN Wow, after removing all of your hatred there isn’t a lot of substance to read. You write

to us on an annoying rant of foolishness at least twice each month. I used to get angry until I saw in scripture you are not even a believer yourself. There is nothing about you that resembles a disciple of Jesus Christ. Since you are unconverted, I will pray that Jesus gives you a Damascus Road experience so that you will get a powerful testimony that even you can get saved. ___________________________ The ACV magazine has taught us that there is only one church of which all Christians are a member of and that our clubs do not need to cause a division between us. We learned that the least of these are not actually the poor but rather disciples, ministers and missionaries of Christ and that the Lord is a God of hearts, not heads. These are just few ways that your ministry is changing lives. Keep up the good Work. Carol Gable, Springfield, MO ________________________________ Send your letters to the editor to: American Christian Voice 1030 W. Main St. Hwy 76 Branson, MO 65616 or email: editor@AmericanChristianVoice.com

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American Christian Voice Magazine

ACV Magazine NEW Mission Statement counterfeits, you will know it is not of your Heavenly Father. He loves you. He is good and only does good. He is not "out to get you". He is out to love you. Not because of what you do or do not do but because of what Jesus has already done for you. We encourage our readers to eschew religion and pursue a relationship with God through Jesus Christ as led by the Holy Spirit, thus allowing an open mindedness to differing opinions on complex matters. We strive not to be the fire alarm, but the fire extinguisher.

Please be advised that the contents of this publication often do not represent the positions held by many of the sponsors of the American Christian Voice (or for that matter, the publishers). L  R Proof readers Kairos & Yanni (which explains alot), Lorri Sacoulas, Belen (hidden) and Aysha, the puppy. John took the pic. The puppy is a Cavapoo. (King Charles Cavalier and Mini Poodle.) She came from Kingdom Come Kennels. Thank you, Randy & Debi! See ad below.

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THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS!

The American Christian Voice magazine is published with the primary purpose being to educate the body of Christ through informative articles (Intelligent), to edify the body of Christ through motivating articles of Christian faith and courage (Inspirational), and to promote the message that disciples of Christ are not under the penalty of sin or condemnation of it (Fun!). It is because of what Christ has done... not what we do that makes us in good standing with God. Our obedience is to Love Him and our fellow sojourners. Now that Christ has cloaked us with His Righteousness, God the Father looks at us as Sons/Daughters, no longer at enmity with Him. We are in training now. That is why this publication focuses on politics. If we are to rule and reign with Jesus Christ we should be very much interested in training here and now. We are dedicated to be Kingdom builders as we realize that our diversity should not impede the method in which God chooses to woo through the Holy Spirit the lost through love. We can err in our theological understanding of doctrine and dogma but love never fails. In the law we find death - in love we find Liberty to obey by desire... not compulsion. We implore all people to call out to God and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit. THE Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person. HE will fill your heart, mind and soul with truth; Not some man's opinion of God. In this manner, you when you see the

PUBLISHER Lorraine Sacoulas MANAGING EDITOR John G. Sacoulas PATRONS Kay & Joy Friberg SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Kathy O’Neil, Rabbi Jeremy Storch SYNDICATED WRITERS Tim Challies, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker GRAPHIC DESIGN Lorraine Sacoulas lorri@americanchristianvoice.com DISTRIBUTION Publishers Dist. Group, Allamuchy, NJNational Distribution- Barnes & Noble, BooksAMillion, EntertainMart Ron Wolpers, Central Florida Special thanks to all our prayer warriors that intercede regularly for our sponsors. SUBSCRIPTION/CUSTOMER SERVICE: see page 36 editor@americanchristianvoice.com (417) 3363636 MAILING ADDRESS: American Christian Voice 1030 West Main Street Branson, MO 65616 FLORIDA OFFICE: Ron Wolpers (253) 2501878 rwolpers@gmail.com FREE SUBSCRIPTION ONLINE: www.AmericanChristianVoice.com Any downloading fees charged by news wire providers are for its services only, and do not, nor are they intended to convey to the user any Copyright or License in the material. By publishing this material, The American Christian Voice expressly agrees to indemnify and to hold these providers harmless from any claims, demands or causes of action arising out of or connected in any way with user's publication of the material.

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long over due

Lead us not into mistranslation: Pope wants Lord's Prayer changed Pope Francis says wording of prayer in English implies that God induces temptation – but that is Satan’s department Pope Francis spoke out about the Lord’s Prayer on Italian television.

temptation”.

translation.”

But the pontiff told Italian broadcasters he believed the wording should be altered to better reflect that it was not God who led humans to sin.

The Rev Ian Paul, an Anglican theologian, said the pope’s comments would make traditionalists nervous.

He told the TV2000 channel: “It is not a good translation because it speaks of a God who induces temptation.” He added: “I am the one who falls; it’s not him pushing me into temptation to then see how I have fallen.

By Harriet Sherwood and agency

“A father doesn’t do that, a father helps you to get up immediately. It’s Satan who leads us into temptation, that’s his department.” The 80-year-old also highlighted that the Catholic church in France had adapted the prayer, and uses the phrase “do not let us fall into temptation” instead. The two versions of the Lord’s Prayer most commonly used in England both say “lead us not into temptation”.

Pope Francis has called for the English wording of the Lord’s Prayer to be changed, because it implies God “induces temptation”. The prayer asks God to “lead us not into

said Austen biographer.

“The word in question is peirasmos [from New Testament Greek] which means both to tempt and to be tested. So on one level the pope has a point. But he’s also stepping into a theological debate about the nature of evil. “In terms of church culture, people learn this prayer by heart as children. If you tweak the translation, you risk disrupting the pattern of communal prayer. You fiddle with it at your peril.” The Lord’s Prayer, which is memorized by millions of Christians across the world, appears in the Bible. editor’s note: The Pope is spot on. All temptation is predicated on a lie. If you weigh the entire Word of God with what we know about His true nature, there is no room for doubt that He never lures us in to temptation but through petitioning of the Holy Spirit empowers us to resist ALL seductions of will, thought and deed.

“I’m not aware of any plans to change the translation in the English-speaking world but you can certainly see the logic of doing so,” Ivereigh, the pope’s

“It is not God who tempts us into sin but the enemy of human nature. But tradition and familiarity are also important factors in weighing up any decision to modify a

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The Biblical Significance of Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's Capital

By Jentezen Franklin

In 1995, Democrat President Bill Clinton signed a statute stating, "Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the state of Israel."

Scriptures and spiritual legacy. Their biblical examples are our biblical examples and we share this heritage in Jerusalem as our spiritual capital while Israel also legally proclaims it as her national capital. Their national history has

n Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, there was a significant spiritual shift in the universe as the US President Donald Trump reaffirmed and formally declared that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This is the first and most necessary step toward another major milestone, moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. While it has been the practice of some to insist on international determination over this topic, it is Israel's right to decide the location of her capital as was spiritually declared by King David and then legally documented in 1950 when the Israeli Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law, and declared Jerusalem to be the eternal, undivided capital of the state of Israel. Declaring Jerusalem to be Israel's capital would not itself mark a change in American law. In 1995, Democrat President Bill Clinton signed a statute declaring, "Since 1950, the city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the state of Israel." Naming the city of Jerusalem the capital of Israel is not just a political right of Israel, it is also of great theological importance to Christians world-wide, and certainly to the churches I pastor. Christianity begins in Jerusalem serving as the context for Jesus' life and earthly ministry. Jerusalem is the city where Jesus was crucified on a cross, laid in a tomb, rose from the grave and showed Himself to many others over a 40day period. It is the city where many believe Abraham brought Isaac up Mt. Moriah and passed God's test of faith and the city where King Solomon built the magnificent temple, declaring it a house of prayer for all nations. It is also the city Isaiah envisioned as the world's center where the nations would beat their swords into plowshares and learn war no more. It is the city where Jesus wept. The significance of Jerusalem to Christians, however, cannot be separated from the significance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people. Their history is our history. We are intertwined through our Old Testament

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become our spiritual history. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as Scripture implores us to do, and we trust her peace and prosperity, not to man-made institutions and international efforts, but to the God of all Peace, and to the greatest Jew to have ever lived, Jesus Christ. There is a strong possibility that many in our congregations will have seen this story as breaking news and be left to themselves to try to understand what it means to the evangelical church. Below is a brief, easy to understand fact sheet that you can use to help your congregation understand the significance of this major announcement. Naming Jerusalem the Capital of Israel Fact Sheet: Historical Significance: The history of Israel dates back to Genesis and the story of Abram who would become Abraham. Abraham was promised a land by God (the promised land), and that land was Canaan and would later become Israel (Genesis 12â&#x20AC;&#x201D;fulfilled when descendant Joshua takes the land in Joshua 6 when the walls come down). David declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel (City of David- 2 Sam. 5). Political Significance: Legally documented in 1950, the Jerusalem Law was passed by the Israel Knesset, declaring Jerusalem to be the eternal,

undivided capital of the state of Israel. Theological Importance: Christianity begins in Jerusalem serving as the context for Jesus' life and earthly ministry The city where Jesus was crucified on a cross The city where He was laid in a tomb The city where He rose from the grave The city where He showed Himself to many others over a forty-day period The city where many believe Abraham brought Isaac up Mt. Moriah and passed God's test of faith The city where King Solomon built the magnificent Temple, declaring it a house of prayer for all nations The city Isaiah envisioned as the world's center where the nations would beat their swords into plowshares, and learn war no more The city where Jesus wept Shared Significance with Orthodox Jews:: The significance of Jerusalem to Christians cannot be separated from the significance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people Their history is our history. We are intertwined through our Old Testament scriptures and spiritual legacy. Their biblical examples are our biblical examples and we share this heritage in Jerusalem as our spiritual capital while Israel also legally proclaims it as her national capital. Their national history has become our spiritual history Final Thoughts: Naming the city of Jerusalem the capital of Israel is not just a political right of Israel, it is the right of all nations. It is also of great theological importance to Christians worldwide, and certainly to the churches I pastor. Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, as Scripture implores us to do, and we trust her peace and prosperity, not to man-made institutions and international efforts, but to the God of all Peace, and to the greatest Jew to have ever lived, Jesus Christ. Jentezen Franklin is the senior pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, with five campuses nationwide. He is the author of New York Times bestÂsellers Right People, Right Place, Right Plan and Fasting. His ministry extends internationally through the televised broadcast, Kingdom Connection, which is seen on multiple television networks.

Trophies Are for Winning Should kids be given trophies for playing sports, even when they don't win? Are participation trophies a good or bad thing for young athletes? Former Olympian and LA Galaxy soccer star Cobi Jones shares his thoughts.

Don’t get me wrong. I love any kind of organized competition for kids. I lived and breathed baseball, basketball, football and soccer growing up. If there was a sport to be played, I played it. And never once did anybody ever tell me that winning was not important or that showing up was all that mattered.

This taught me an important lesson: If you don’t put in the work, you won’t get ahead. And not getting ahead? Well, that feels awful. So, put in the work. Or go home. So, I put in the work. I pushed myself, not to do my best – because who can possibly know what “their best” is? – but to be better. And better. And one day, my chance came. Coach put me in the game. Not because I wanted so

But today, kids get a different message. Losing? No big deal. Showing up? That deserves a trophy. Wow. What an awful thing to tell a kid. Glad my parents or coaches never said it to me. If they had, I’m sure I never would’ve become a pro soccer player.

In high school, I was a good soccer player. I thought I could play soccer in college. Looking back, though, I just wasn’t good enough in those college coaches eyes.

But isn’t that what kids are told today? You’re a winner. Even if you’re not. Even if you come in last. And we’ll give you a trophy…just for showing up, just for participating. This belief – that showing up is an accomplishment – is self-destructive. Because the pain of losing is part of what drives one to improve.

I was cut twice during the tryout period for the 1992 Olympics. My pro soccer team, the LA Galaxy, lost three times in the championship before we finally won in 2002. Guess what? I survived all these disappointments and a whole lot more. They only made victory that much sweeter.

Let me tell you why.

I tried out for the UCLA team as a walk-on. I made it! I was vindicated. I had arrived...on the bench. The coach hardly ever looked at me. I’m not even sure he knew my name. I know he didn't care about my feelings. I wanted to be a starter, I wanted to be a winner. Shouldn't I have been satisfied just for making the team? Of course not. That’s absurd.

They tell you that losing doesn't matter – it matters. They tell you that competition is, at best, not important, and at worst, dangerous. I wonder how my soccer career would have turned out if I’d grown up with these ideas in my head.

By Cobi Jones

I’m not a fan of trophies for everyone. They’re bad for kids. Bad for parents. Bad for society. Other than that, they’re okay.

The frustration of going to game after game and sitting on the bench drove me nuts. I had to practice more. I had to work harder. Or, I had to give up. And I didn’t want to give up.

In the real world, you’re rewarded for achievement, not effort. Promotions don’t go to the employees who did their best. They go to the employees who did the best. badly to play, but because he needed me. I played well. Well enough to start the next game where I scored a goal, and had an assist. After that I started every game. The road to victory – in sports, in business, in life – is paved with losses, painful losses. Losses that can hurt so much it’s hard to breathe. Any professional athlete or successful entrepreneur will tell you that’s true. But participation trophies, everybody-is-thevaledictorian,andlet’s-all-pat-each-other-on-the-back awards communicate a different message.

But what if the kids can’t handle losing? What if it’s too painful? That’s the whole point. It’s your job as the adult, as the parent, to help them understand that losing – that not getting what they want – is a part of life. Nobody likes to fail, but it’s inevitable and it’s the only path, ultimately, to success. Yes, showing up and participating is important. Trying your best is important. But neither deserves a trophy. If you want one of those, go win something. I’m Cobi Jones for Prager University.

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stop trying to earn their favor

his article may be hard for some of us to read. We are talking about a raw, painful subject.

By Jamie Rohrbaugh

But, I implore you: please read it anyway, for you will find comfort herein. And may the God of all comfort give you grace, grace, and more grace as you read. For Day 26 of our 31 days of supernatural encounters (series index here), we are talking about how Papa God can heal your heart when your parents don’t want you … when you don’t matter to your parents. Read: Psalm 27 Know: Your situation could look like any number of things. Maybe you were abused as a young person, and you had to put distance between you and your parents for your own selfprotection. Maybe your mother or dad abandoned you or your family. Maybe your parents were simply not loving. Maybe they never told you they loved you; never took care of you; never provided for your needs. Or maybe their lack of care didn’t become apparent until later in life. Maybe your parent(s) openly preferred one of your siblings over you. Maybe your grandparents never bothered to leave you an inheritance, and your parents have squandered everything they had–so there won’t be an inheritance for you from them either. Maybe your parents always helped your siblings, but never would help you. We all have a story. And whatever the circumstances of your individual story, the result is the same for many precious brothers and sisters reading this: Your heart hurts because it has become obvious that you don’t matter to your parents. And beloved, I am so, so sorry. I feel your pain as the Lord led me to pray for you this morning, and I knew He wanted me to talk to you about this …

… because there is healing for your heart today.

Lord will take you up and adopt you as His child. He is the Father to the fatherless. His heart is always for the orphans.

Related: Healing the Orphan Heart: Your Name Is Carved On God’s Tree

Psalm 27:10 in the Amplified Classic Version says this:

If you don’t matter to your parents, the Lord wants to take away your pain today and heal you.

Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].”

It hurts when your parents don’t want you. It hurts when they don’t value you. It hurts when they prefer your siblings over you; refuse to affirm you; or treat you like trash in any way.

He will never leave you an orphan.

But healing is available for you TODAY. Here’s how:

John 14:18 says: I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” And when you agree

Heart healing happens in a three-step process: to His divine exchange, letting Him become both your father and your mother …

First, we have to tell Jesus about the fullness of our pain. This means we bare our souls to Him, admitting to pain that sometimes we have long kept hidden or pushed down. (Sometimes, in an effort to be strong, we pretend that we are past certain things, or that they don’t matter to us.) It all has to come out–to Him.

… then He will be a better Parent to you than your earthly parents could ever have been.

We have to be willing to see that pain in our hands, extend our hands to Him, and offer it to Him to take. As soon as we do that, He will take it.

He will love you at all times. He will help you sense His love, especially when you’re needy. (All you have to do is ask Him to help you feel Him and His love, and tell Him that you’re hurting and need His comfort.) He will protect you and raise you up like your parents never did.

3. Third, we have to let Him place His love in our hands in the place of that pain.

You can even ask Him to give you an inheritance.

It’s a divine exchange: He takes the gift of our pain and tears that we offer Him, and He places the beautiful, ribboned gift of His love in our hands–right where our agony used to sit.

Yes, you can ask Him for a literal, physical inheritance. You can ask Him for help in any other way, too:

2. Second, we have to hand Him our pain.

When we receive His love like that, then we have to soak in it and let it work in our hearts. This is how you heal when your parents don’t love you. But there is a divine exchange. When your mother and your father forsake you, the

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You can ask Him to help you sense that you are valuable; to give you a sense of your worth in His sight. You can ask Him to teach you who you are, and help you fit in with your new family of His children. You can ask Him to help you with anything at all–especially things that your earthly parents should have helped you with. Do you want this?

And if so, are you willing to give your pain to precious Jesus, and Abba Father, and Holy Spirit–and receive His love in its place? Are you willing to let Him become both mother and father to you today?

mother to me, Lord. You are everything to me, and I receive You and Your love right now. (Imagine Father actually handing you His love in a beautiful, gift-wrapped package!)

Pray this: “Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ name. Father God, thank You for Your promise that, when my mother and father forsake me, then You will take me up and adopt me as Your child.

Father, I know this is a serious covenant for you. You didn’t make the

mother ever could have. Help me nurse at Your breast, for You are El Shaddai–the Many-Breasted One. Help me depend on You for everything–and run to You first, whenever anything happens at all. Help me see how good You treat me, and change my paradigm about how I can expect to be treated by people. Help me to thank You for everything. Father, I choose to depend on You. But You are faithful, and people aren’t. I know that depending on You is the best choice I can ever make.

Abba promise to be my Parent without meaning it. You are all I have now. Father, I receive this promise in faith today. You know that my mother and father have forsaken me. It hurts, Father. (Tell Father about your pain here.) But Father, I don’t want to bear this pain

So Father, I ask You to manifest Yourself to me in all the ways that my earthly parents should have loved me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit of adoption, and help me to cry out to You as my Father from the deepest places of my heart.

Father, I pluck out every arrow the enemy has ever shot into my heart right now, in Jesus’ name. And I apply the blood of Jesus over every wound in my life. I receive Your love into every wound; into every place in my heart. Let healing come so perfectly that there will not even be a scar. Let Your love soak into me today and every day, and transform me under Your parentage. Thank You, Father. I love You. You are truly everything to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

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Grace Electric 417.699.8685 Email: todrab777@hotmail.com anymore. Jesus bore my sorrows for me, and I know You want to heal me. So Father God, I hand my pain, disappointment, despair, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness to You today. (Imagine yourself actually handing these things to Father, and see Him taking them out of your hands.) Father God, I have given You all the pain. I now receive You in the place of both my father and mother. YOU are now Father and

Provide for my needs in abundance, Father. (Tell Him about any specific needs you have, and ask Him to provide them today, since He is Your Father now.) Help me feel loved. Let Your love dwell in me richly, and help me sense Your love and affection at all times. Send me an inheritance, Father, that is better than anything my earthly father or mother could ever have given me. Help me learn who I am in You, Father. Comfort me today and every day, and comfort me more than my earthly

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suction cups are hard to remove

Prophetic Vision: The Spirit of Offense Wants to Attack You in These 8 Ways

By Ryan Johnson

The spirit of offense operates like an octopus. Offense: It's a word we have either experienced or seen others go through it. It's a hot-topic word as it seems more and more individuals are going through battles of being offended. Whether it is being offended over politics, religion, freedom, protests or choices, the list is long with so many dealing with being offended on some level. To understand more about how offense works against individuals who have a relationship with Jesus, I began to consider how the mindset of offense works. And that's when I saw an octopus. Yep, I know it sounds strange, but it was the image that first came to me. I began to see how offense operates like the arms and the legs of an octopus. Offense has the sole purpose to attach itself to you (to entangle you), and I believe that the Lord is detailing how a spirit of offense will come against you in eight different ways.

1. Mind - Romans 8:5足8: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." When offense takes root, the first place it's coming after is your mind. If offense can attach itself to your thoughts, it owns your ability to process understanding. The moment offense attaches itself to your mind, the ability to have clarity and peace is diminished, as everything now becomes about feeding every thought that is only directed at the hurt through offense.

2. Sight/Vision - Proverbs 29:18 (KJV): "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18 (MSG): "If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend

to what he reveals, they are most blessed." The problem now becomes about what you are seeing, verses that aren't actually there. Once offense attaches itself to your vision, you now become bombarded by everything that you see. You begin to see things as though they are something that they are not. Every post, every picture, every action is something that you see as a direct attack against you. What is a general or a normal statement now looks as a direct shot against you. Offense shifts your vision from fulfilling your purpose into an opposition from everyone/everything. You're now unable to recognize what God is doing as you're devoted to see what is being done to you.

be tainted. Naturally, we will begin to hear what others are saying and process those things to be slanderous towards us. More dangerously is when that affects your ability to hear what the Lord is saying. Your spiritual ear will become more tuned to the lies, manipulation and deception of the enemy.

3. Heart

- Proverbs 6:16足19 (MEV): "These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who speaks lies, and he who sows discord among brethren." This is a very dangerous place to find yourself. The moment that offense attaches itself to your heart, every single thing you do becomes toxic and dangerous. It's out of the abundance of your heart that everything about your true intentions are revealed. It's the moment that your heart becomes so infected that your actions become destructive to those that are around you.

4. Relationships - Proverbs 17:9: "He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends." This has to be one of the saddest things to witness as offense attaches itself to your relationships. Offense will eventually put a wedge between you and your family or friends. Your relationships will change over time as you search out certain people to tell your side to who will be on your side or who is now your enemy. Offense will divide your most devoted friends to now become an enemy because they didn't see it your way. 5. Hearing - James 1:19足20: "Therefore, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God." Offense will attack your ear gate. A spirit of offense will attach itself to your hearing in such a way that not only will your natural hearing be affected, but also the ability to hear spiritually will

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6. Body/health - Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones." Many don't like to talk about it, but the truth is, offense will begin to become a natural issue in your body. The negative thoughts, bitterness, unforgiveness, rage, frustration, unwarranted worries, strife and so forth will eventually take a toll on your physical health. 7. Time - Ephesians 6:2足3 - "'Honor your father and mother,' which is the first commandment with a promise, 'so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.'" If honor produces life, what will offense take from life? Time! When offense attaches itself to you, your time becomes consumed with proving others wrong and you right. You become consumed with payback or restitution to what was done to you. Instead of being about the Father's business, your No. 1 priority is you. Therefore your time is now robbed from your own offense.

discontenment is a matter of comparison 8. Finances - Ecclesiastes 2:26 - "For to a man who is pleasing before Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting to give him who is pleasing before God. Also this is vanity and chasing the wind." I know it's a touchy subject these days, but money is still a relevant issue that

of strategy. Offense will convince you that they will come crawling back to you because they need your money. Truth is, offense attacks your finances and not the finances of those who are pleasing God. A spirit of offense has but one purpose: to destroy you. Offense is straight from the enemy, and if you allow an open door, it will not be long until you see how it affects one of the eight (or more) ways mentioned above. Guard your heart, guard your mind and keep your spirit devoted to the Father. When offense comes knocking, and it will, please walk out what the Bible declares. Don't be the type of person who calls everyone without going to the one whom the offense first began with. Matthew 18:15-17: "Now if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, then take with you one or two others, that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

must be acknowledged in the kingdom. Part of the lack you will experience when it comes to finances can be rooted to a spirit of offense. When offense attaches itself to you, you soon welcome bitterness towards others in ministry, pastors, apostles, prophets, networks, churches, organizations and so on. When that offense digs deep, you will begin to withhold your finances from what you once supported. Offense will convince you to do so as a plan

Ryan Johnson is mantled in equipping the body of Christ to awaken the nations with a prophetic call of a rising ekklesia. As a revivalist and apostolic minister, Ryan ministers with a prophetic voice of revival and awakening, with the demonstration of God's purposes in regions, individuals and the church. This article originally appeared at:

RyanJohnson.us

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do it anyway

lthough some friends supported us, others told us we were crazy to voluntarily open our home to children we’d never met.

risks, I’ve found encouragement seeing how Jesus boldly prayed for His followers in John 17. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed this prayer in today’s key verse: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Notice Jesus didn’t pray for fame, wealth, safety or even that His disciples get a pass and go directly into heaven. Instead, He begged His Father to protect them from our enemy, Satan, the “evil one.” Right here in this world.

Doubts swirled around us. What were we thinking? Could we afford it? We have three daughters. Would they be OK? Were we putting them at risk?

Two of our enemy’s most powerful weapons are doubt and fear. If he can plant seeds of either in our minds, we can be dissuaded from stepping out in faith.

Despite our concerns, other questions weighed mightily on us as well: How do we teach selflessness to our teens unless we model that in everyday life? What might happen if we ask them to live it out directly in their world?

Jesus knew we would need “protection,” because every time we say yes to God, we step a bit further into enemy territory. Yet when we take risks for God, He will protect and preserve us from the evil one.

By Stephanie Raquei

“Dangerous” Hospitality “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NIV)

After lots of prayer and family conversations, we felt certain God had asked us to welcome these children, and He would guide us through it. It took months to be trained and background-checked, but within an hour of getting approved, we said yes to our first placement. As a result, we invited three young siblings into our home through a ministry that’s a precursor to foster care — offering shortterm housing for vulnerable kids whose parents are in crisis, but haven’t done anything to lose their parental rights. Through the training process, we were intrigued by the notion of true biblical hospitality, which in the original Greek means “loving strangers.” Our trainers explained that sometimes “hospitality is dangerous.” Biblical hospitality is risky because it’s inconvenient and occasionally even uncomfortable to truly love a stranger. In the midst of the unknowns and potential

How did that play out in our scenario? We realized following God doesn’t always mean knowing each step, but taking the next one before us. And we watched in awe as the Lord granted reassurance from all our doubts about whether He would provide for us during the placement. After taking in twin 6-year-old boys and their 5-year-old sister, we shared a brief request for some hand-me-down clothes and were inundated by the response. Not just neighbors and friends — but people we didn’t even know who’d heard about what we were doing and wanted to help. Clothing. Furniture. Bicycles. Medical care. All provided free-of-charge. God brought exactly what we needed to move forward in faith. Obedience can be risky. There will be doubt and possibly even fear. And yet we see Jesus, praying for our protection. When we know God has called us, and we say “yes”

to what feels scary, we’ll see God’s hand of protection in miraculous ways. Heavenly Father, guide me and direct me as I seek to love strangers the way You love them. Help me take risks in this world which require Your protection from the evil one. I want to live “dangerously” for Your glory, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: 1 Peter 4:810, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” (NLT) Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” (NLT) REFLECT AND RESPOND: How can you take risks of obedience for God? Maybe get to know your neighbors? Lead a small group? Launch a blog or write a book? Step out of your comfort zone to follow Jesus in loving strangers — the poor, the orphan, the widow? Leave a comment, and share whatever God has placed on your heart so we can be praying for you. If you know someone who’s living “dangerously” for Jesus, would you pray, asking the Lord to encourage her in the kingdom work she’s doing, and then let her know you did through a text, phone call, email or card? © 2017 by Stephanie Raquel. All rights reserved.

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What the Year and Season Marked by Insights to 2018 and Hebrew year 5778

By Chrystal Evans Hurst

ooking at what the Lord God has revealed about these years through the picture He paints by the Hebrew characters representing these numbers, and the numeric values, history, and the leading and insight provided by the Holy Spirit. The prophetic anointing revealing the future, and also possible paths – knowing God also reveals what could occur so we can act now (particularly through pray) to avoid it occurring or at least reducing the impact, as well as encouraging the goodness of God. Submitted insights for your prayerful consideration with Christ Jesus, knowing only His word stands, and may all else fall to the ground In summary: When bringing together the insights revealed by the Holy Spirit, the pictures and words revealed by 2018 AD and Hebrew year 5778, the first aspect to note that this marks the gate opening and the entering in to a major shift in season/era, one that brings great harvest, war (including WW III), trinity kings, and the return and the saints reigning with Christ. The season will take place over a thousand years, although key elements in terms of harvest, war, and the battle of kingdoms, and Christ’s return is likely occur in the first two hundred or so years – if not quite a bit sooner. See the unfolding eras section below on more of this. For the year of 2018 and 5778, and the next few that follow, expect to see the first fruits of this era that has been marked by God in time. Thus, new beginnings and doors open, but also out-breaks of war, and significant battles. A time to seek peace and protection for God’s people, and His lost children. Yet also expect to see major harvests of food (natural and spiritual), and souls – with the hearts and souls of many finding rest in God as they have opened their hearts to Him (through Christ). In this period there will be choices being made, and divisions occurring, and key is discerning the right gate to enter. This not a time for sitting on the fence, and people will be looking to draw lines. Earthly

loyalties will be tested, and it is important to seek Christ’s direction, as in that place you will find refuge. Gates/communities will begin to form based on the key elements of prayer and the word of God, acknowledging the King of kings, and the treasure of a loving community that spends time together. Ironically, the ministry of reconciliation will also be tested, and seeking to find peace with your neighbour will be a battle, but still the call of Christ. IMPORTANTLY, peace cannot come by comprising your relationship with God, and key is holding true to the Word of God, prayer, and communion with Christ and His faithful brethren. Peace in God is what is sure, not the “peace by man”. Sadly, some in the church will be deceived in to sacrificing key tenets of their belief, and so their relationships, in order to somehow create a type of peace with worldly forces who will not tolerate things that they believe come from God that in their mind are contrary to their humanistic or demonic beliefs. We need to pray against forces seeking to create stark divisions in society. There is a strong sense that this is a time where new beginnings will arise, and perhaps ones of restoration. Doors of life opening to bring fresh hope, and particularly after a long season of battling and suffering. Persistence with God in prayer and worship, despite the battles, sees gates and doors opening in places that looked like walls. A time for decision, but enter in. The continuation of an amazing season where the double and even quadruple

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portion of God come of Him entering in to those with an open door to Him, and thus He overflows bring nourishment, creative miracles, rest, and transformation. Where the Apostolic release will be manifested in a greater order (and not just in the Church). One in amongst a season of warring in the natural and

What You Know For the End Tim Will Prepare

spiritual, and needing to wage war with the Sword of God against the outbreak of major wars that occur or are threatened. The grace of God bringing an overflow of Him in us and His church, and thus being a sanctuary and answer in the season of war.

y 2018 and Hebrew year 5778 brings A true place of rest, and perhaps speaking of a season of rest from war. We have now entered a period of the renewed watch (looking up) for Christ’s return, with a real sense we will see God entering His House….church, the Temple, and

w Will Prepare You mes... What You Are You For Eternity

His people (Jews and Christians). This is key to forming the new communities in God. Signs in the heavens, and wonders on earth, will increase to help encourage us to follow this call.

We need to be aware, that God’s desire for all His children to be saved, and that is the sea of humanity, there comes a time where the gentleness and kindness of God makes way for the fear of the Lord as a compelling force for those seeking to turn to Him. Expect to see prophets arising with the anointing of Elijah such that they are heard in the streets and cities, and by kings and leaders, and recognised by them as prophetic voices. These voices in fact may be recognised first by the world before churches as the religious spirits blind many from the truth prophetic unction (as they do not always tickle ears). Sign and events will increase that will cause people to ponder their eternal destiny (as the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in Matthew 24). Press in for the warfare of heaven, knowing our weapons are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. Be alert, and pray, for the rest from kingdom wars on earth is at risk….man’s works will endeavour to rise up. God warns so we can pray, and seek the hand of the Prince of peace to combat the dogs of war. The works of man in the trading and financial systems in the world continue to be vulnerable to the writhing of Leviathan as he is moved away from the church. Watch for the King of kings, having entered

the house of the Hebrews, He prepares for the harvest. Expect to see a continued call to gather and watch for His return, and hearts of God’s people (Israel and perhaps even the Church) opened to receive a mighty move of God to enter in to our realm as preparation for Christ’s return. Again, watch for great harvest of Jews making a decision for Christ, and even a renewing of the relationship of Christians to Christ…the heavenly signs with sun and moons point to the beginning of this season.

Jewish Years Explained: 5778? We began the year 5778 (Jewish New Year’s began on the last Feast of Trumpets) and sooner or later, someone will wonder, “5778 years from WHAT?” The simple answer: 5778 years from the creation of the world, as determined by counting back years in the Bible. The setting of this date is credited to Maimonides, who mentions it in his book, Mishneh Torah: Sanctification of the Moon, 11:6, written about 1178 CE, but it may have been in use for some time before that. This kind of numbering is called Anno Mundi meaning “Year of the World.”

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ANSWER TO FRONT COVER: Most likely you will see Jesus in 40 years. How do we know this? After much prayer, fasting, research, soul searching, and investigating the 750 books that are currently available trying to predict when we will see Jesus, it occurred to us that given the average age of our readers, most of you will be dead. Not very scientific I know, but probably just as accurate. To all of our non-believing critics who suggest Christians have been waiting for 2,000 years to see Jesus: in reality, no believer in Christ has ever waited more than 80 to 100 years maximum. editor

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religion can wet the fuse, be careful

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

The Mighty Power Of God

n 1866 Alfred Nobel invented an explosive made of nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material. It was by far the most powerful explosive that had so far been invented.

[dunamis] of the Lord was present to heal” (Luke 5:17). In promising His apostles that they too would work

Using this same word, Paul, by inspiration, declares that “the gospel of Christ…is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, to every one that believeth…” (Rom. 1:16). This is because, according to this gospel, or good news, “CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS”, and “THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS”, he says, is to believers “THE POWER OF GOD”(ICor.1:18).

When Nobel and his friends saw what his invention could do, and had to decide on a name, they sought for the strongest possible word for power — in any language. The word they finally chose was the Greek word dunamis, from which our word dynamite is derived.

miracles, He said: “Ye [shall] be endued with POWER [dunamis] from on high”(Luke 24:49).

This word, in Greek also the strongest word for power, is used again and again in the New Testament and is generally translated simply “power”. When our Lord wrought miracles, for example, St. Luke testifies that “the POWER

POWER [dunamis] of God” (Matt.22:29), and St. Paul declares that Christ was “declared to be the Son of God with POWER [dunamis]…by the resurrection from the dead”(Rom.1:4).

When the Sadducees questioned the resurrection, Jesus answered: “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the

But not only are believers saved by the power of God; they are “KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD” (IPet. 1:5). Indeed, the adjective of this same word “dunamis” is used in Hebrews 7:25, where we read that the Lord Jesus Christ is “ABLE…TO SAVE… TO THE UTTERMOST [THOSE] THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM”. Thus the Bible uses the very strongest word for power to show how secure is the salvation of those who trust in Christ.

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don’t pray they will die, pray they will be saved dislike. It gives us a tool to use to transform the political system. Most important of all, it helps us to change things from the inside out—which is where all true change begins.

First, let’s look at what the Bible has to say in terms of dealing with our leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV), where instructions on worship are given, it says:

ave you noticed how upset people can get about their leaders? Television, radio, the internet and blogs are full of people spouting their opinions, pro or con, about whoever is in power. It seems that people just can’t resist bashing this leader or bad mouthing that one. Political parties of both persuasions are going through great upheaval based on the widely divergent beliefs of their members. This divisiveness often filters down to the state and local levels. And it has even affected families, often tragically. Families are being torn asunder by the often diametrically opposed beliefs of different family members who cling to the conviction that they are right, and everyone else is wrong. Some of these family members feel it is somehow their “duty” to push their opinions and agenda onto other family members. In a number of cases, families no longer speak to each other because of this bad behavior on the part of certain family members. Sometimes these highly opinionated people make it a habit to send negative emails out to everyone they know, putting down the leader they dislike. You may be acquainted with people who do this (of course, none of our readers do this!) You may know people who continually bash Obama or Hillary. Others continually bash Trump. There’s a lot of “trash talking” out there, even in the Christian community. It neither serves us personally, nor does it serve the body of Christ. In addition, it does not promote the establishment of God’s kingdom here on the earth. So as a Christian, what are appropriate ways to think and speak about our leaders? How do we pray for our leaders? How can we help further God’s plan here on the earth? Is there a part that we can play, and if so, what is that part? I would like to offer some suggestions and a framework for praying for our leaders. This approach moves us out of the pointless (and actually harmful) activity of bashing the leaders or political parties that we

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and for all those that are in authority (emphasis added), that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and acceptable, and pleases God our Savior...”

picture, in all its complexity. He can see not only the problem, but more importantly, He can fully see the solution to the problem. Even more than that, He knows what steps need to be taken, and in what order, to move from the problem to the solution. Here’s where our part as believers comes in. Even though God has a perfect plan for working things out, that perfect plan needs to get communicated to people, especially those people who have the power to influence and change the political system, such as leaders.

By Susie Link

How to Pray for our Leaders

How do we play our part? We play our part through the activity and the power of prayer.

So in terms of prayer, the Bible clearly tells us that we are to pray for our leaders and for all those who are in authority, not judge or criticize them. This establishes the Biblical precedent that we are to follow in dealing with leaders. Now that we’ve established the Biblical foundation of prayer for our leaders, the question shifts to, how do we do this? How do we pray for our leaders? Here is where Christians, as well as others, start to do crazy things. Even as believers, when we pray for our leaders, we often spend our prayer time telling God what to do! We start praying that He take this person out of power, or put this person in. We start begging God to do what we think He should do, or pleading with Him to make the changes we think should be made. Truth be told, we’re not sure that God is capable of fixing things without our guidance, so we make sure to give Him a plan, in case He can’t figure things out or is getting Alzheimers! When we do this, we forget the simple but profound truth that God already knows what to do. He knows more than we do, much more! He can clearly see the overall

How do we pray? We pray that our leaders became more and more open and receptive to hearing God’s wisdom and direction, and that our leaders are guided each step of the way in understanding and implementing God’s plan. By approaching prayer for our leaders in this manner, our opinions and our solutions are taken out of the picture. Using this method, we no longer have to “tell God what to do” or “instruct God on how to fix things”, based on our own limited understanding. Instead, by praying in this way, we are decreeing, affirming and holding the vision Continued to page 20

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may God allow our leaders to eat from the tree of life Continued from page 19 that the minds and hearts of our leaders are becoming more and more open to hearing and understanding God’s solutions. We also need to pray that God gives our leaders the strength and courage to follow through with God’s plan and carry out the guidance they hear from God. As we go through this prayer process, we need to keep in mind that God can work through anyone! No matter how incompetent or “bad” you might think a particular leader is, God is perfectly capable of either working through them, working around them, or working them out of the picture and replacing them with the

Ask the Rabbi -

From Rabbi Jeremy Storch

What is Tu B’Shevat?? In 2018, the “birthday of the trees” begins at sundown on Tuesday, Jan. 30 and ends at sundown on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tu B’Shevat or the “birthday” of all fruit trees, is a minor festival. The name is Hebrew for the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat. In ancient times, Tu B’Shevat was merely a date on the calendar that helped Jewish farmers establish exactly when they should bring

their fourth‐year produce of fruit from recently planted trees to the Temple as first‐fruit offerings In the Jewish scheme of the world, trees have always occupied a key and revered role. According to the Creation story, seed bearing plants and fruit trees were put on the Earth before any other living thing (Genesis 1:11‐12). In other words, the first thing God did once He had firm land was to plant

right person to handle the task. It’s not our job, as believers, to tell God what to do or how to do it! It is our job to pray for our leaders to clearly hear, understand and bring about God’s plan. It’s our task to pray that our leaders are guided by God’s wisdom and motivated by God’s love and fairness. It’s our assignment to hold this vision on a consistent basis, knowing that God is working in and through our leaders, as well as in and through the people around them, even if it's not apparent to us. When we pray in this way, we put ourselves in alignment with the part of the Lord’s trees! The Tree of Life, which God placed at the heart of the Garden of Eden, became a symbol of Jewish existence, a core value of individual and communal living: continuity The early Zionists (1940’s and 50’s) seized upon Tu B’Shevat as an opportunity to celebrate their tree planting eﬀorts to restore the ecology of ancient Israel and as a symbol of renewed growth and ﬂowering of the Jewish people returning to their ancestral homeland. In modern times, Tu B’Shevat continues to be an opportunity for planting trees — in Israel and elsewhere, wherever Jews live. Many American and European Jews observe Tu B’Shevat by contributing money to the Jewish National Fund, an organization devoted to reforesting Israel. As a result of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) reforestation projects in Israel, the land once desert now supports successful farming endeavors, and millions of trees cover the hills. To contact Jeremy for ministry in your congregation, for a radio or television interview or other special event, or for information on his albums or teachings, please call or email:

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prayer that says, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” As Christians, we can help establish God’s kingdom here on earth by making it a daily habit to pray that God’s wisdom and direction illuminate the minds and hearts, not only of our own leaders, but of leaders of all other countries in the world. When we pray using these steps, we stop being part of the problem, and we become part of the solution, working together with God. If you don’t already do so, I encourage you to start praying for our leaders today! Susie Link... see page 4

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better not make an oath than break it

By Kathleen Caruso O’Neil

It is Not the Great Eraser

ew Year’s Day is a time of good intentions. We tend to make resolutions with the hope that we can erase all the things that are not working in our lives. Then we blow the resolve in the first month. We spend all of our time trying to fix things in our own strength. If we want to lose weight, we decide it is time to join the gym and then neglect the membership within a few days or weeks. If we want to quit smoking, drinking alcohol or doing drugs, the hunger for it breaks our focus. If we want to be better parents, we try to spend more time with the kids and listen to what they say without lecturing them; then when they misbehave, we lose it! What is the remedy? New Year’s resolutions are not the way to change things. I don’t pretend to have a solution but I do know this; there is something that causes us not to accomplish many of the things we resolve to change. Now don’t stop reading!! I will tell you what you already know yet may be confused by. Victory is attainable through Jesus. We all know He is the answer but often we don’t know what the question is or should be. We know He has given us everything that we need for life and godliness but we don’t know how to receive it into our lives. We have heard all the platitudes. As a new believer, I had a friend with TMJ and started to give her the regular Christian

rhetoric about letting God touch her. Her husband, a Christian of many years, admonished me. “We have heard it all before. Just listen and love us.” Did I learn? Not really. For years, I played the role of the ‘church lady’ who acted as if she owned the church and had all the answers. It was wonderful to be a ‘know-it all.’ Since the early 80’s, I have come to understand that we can’t give what I don’t have. If I don’t a true revelation of the love of God, I certainly can’t help anyone else with that issue. I have discovered that when I give up hope of something, it seems to appear. After Joe died, I never wanted to marry again. In time, Keith came into my life and my ‘vow ‘to never marry’ ended quickly and we were married within five months. I used to journal about losing weight and hating myself because I could never accomplish it. Then, without much effort, I lost fifty pounds. Really? How does that happen? I know a man that was facing prison or death from drug use and one night, when he thought all was lost, Christ met him in the midst of his despair. It didn’t happen quickly, but in a relatively short time, he was on his road to sobriety. Don’t wait until January 1st to seek changes in your life. Start today spending time pursuing the Truth, Jesus Christ. In whatever way, you hear from the Lord, trust Him. Quit trying to erase your problems with resolutions you may not keep.

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VOL.13 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

By Tim Challies

The Making of a Miserable Millenial

e hear a lot about the millennials today, don’t we? Millennials are that generation born somewhere between the early eighties and around the year two thousand, which means they’re mostly young adults today. The way you hear some tell it, you’d think these millennials are the cause of or maybe the solution to just about every single problem in the world. Speaking personally, I love the millennials. Some of my favorite people just happen to be millennials. Well, I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with one of them and as I spoke with her, something clicked and I think I came to understand why that generation seems to be having some common struggles. So let me tell you today about the making of a miserable millennial. Just a little while ago I was at the physical therapy clinic, getting some work done on my ailing arms and the therapist worked on me for a little while and then he handed off the treatment to this young student. She was there, I guess it was part of her training program. Now, if there’s ever a time you feel compelled to make small talk, I suppose it’s when someone is massaging your arms, or working over your arms in some way. And so, as she was doing that I started talking and I asked her about her program and about her work-place experience and what she planned to do with her life, and as we chatted, what came across was this deep discontentment. This deep sense of purposelessness. Really it was this deep, deep sadness. And I started asking myself, how did she get there? I know the neighborhood she’s from, and I tell you, it’s one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in all of Canada. So, it’s not like she’s lacking for anything in life. She went to a great high school and then had gone on to this higher education at a premier college. She had every privilege. She even had a work placement at what’s considered a really good clinic. And yet, as we talked, she was really, really unhappy. So how did she get to be such a miserable millennial? Okay, I don’t want to extrapolate too much from a single conversation. It’s dangerous to make one person kind of stand-in for

millions and millions. But, I asked her a lot of questions. And what she told me really displayed, and what she said to me was very consistent with what I’ve seen from so many other people from that generation. So here in my view, is how you go about making miserable millennials.

people. I found out recently that, at my kid’s high school, something like 60 or 70 percent of the students are on the honor roll. Everybody’s on the honor roll. Well, that’s just in keeping with this whole philosophy of self-esteem. Make everybody special by putting everybody on the honor roll.

First, give them the notion that they’re all exceptional. You see, for years now, children have been assured, you are special, you are

The second step is to entitle them. You see, in the past, we used to speak a lot of duty.

exceptional, you are one of a kind. Really, it’s been communicated to them that the world revolves around them. Their parents and their teachers, and even their therapists. Everybody’s been making this effort to boost their self-esteem, to make them feel like they are especially amazing

Duty towards family, or nation, or society. No, no, today, we get rid of all that talk of duty. Instead, we talk about passion. Assure people, if they do have a duty, it’s only to themselves. Give them the notion they deserve to be happy. Fulfillment comes really by pursuing your personal passion.

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Assure them they deserve nothing less than to dedicate themselves to that thing in life they’re most passionate about, the good life, the best life. The only significant life is to pursue that one great passion. Finally, when you’ve done all that, make sure you remove any notion of the

death, maybe reincarnation, or something like that. But certainly, don’t let them think that they’re accountable to a true higher being, to a personal deity, to somebody who created them and created the world around them and because of all that, has a claim on them.

Millennials are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as starting ... Wikipedia Period: 1981 – 1996 And I saw that’s exactly where this girl was. She knows, she’s convinced that she’s special. And she really believes she deserves to pursue her passion in life. She knows that nothing in the world is more important than her own happiness. She knows that her ultimate duty in life is to her own joy. She believes that she’s accountable to no one but herself. And that there’s nothing for her beyond this life and beyond the grave. So she’s been well educated, and she’s been well trained and she’s got a great job and she’s living a good life, but she’s miserable. Because she’s not sure that she’s passionate enough about this job, that she’s doing the best thing with her short little life. And she’s wondering, what will her life add up to if she doesn’t change the world? If in this short little life she’s got, she doesn’t accomplish something that’s worthy of the history books.

transcendent. Let them believe that this life is all there is. This life is all that matters. Let them think, if you don’t find the highest pleasure now, you’ll never find it. If you never find the highest pleasure now, you’ve wasted your life. And maybe you can allow them to absorb some notion of life after

Well, I kept thinking about this, and I thought about how the Bible offers something so much better. The Bible offers true meaning and true hope. See the Bible assures us there is a higher being, there is a personal God who created the world and created all that’s in the world. The Bible begins with the words, in the beginning, God created. God pre-existed this world. He formed this world. And if he’s the creator, he’s got rights over everything that he’s made, and that includes people.

exceptional in some way. It tells us we’re all created by God, we’re all created in the image of God. Each of us, fearfully and wonderfully made, just as God intended us to be. But it also tells us that we’re sinners. We’ve fallen far short of the glory of God. We’ve rebelled against God. Well, this knowledge then compels us, we must seek a solution to our sin. And that solution is to put our faith in Jesus Christ, to receive His salvation. We understand ourselves best when we understand we’re made in the image of God, we’ve rebelled against God, we’ve been saved by the kind grace of God. And finally, that matter of entitlement. As forgiven sinners, we become deeply aware that we live by grace. We now live to bring glory to the one who saved us. We don’t need to live out our own passions. Something far better happens. We get to live out God’s passion. We don’t have to make much of ourselves. Far better, we get to make much of God. We don’t have to love ourselves. We get to love God and love others. See, it turns out that our true joy, that our deepest fulfillment comes by living outside of ourselves. We gain this glorious duty, this great delight of living for the good of other people, rather than the good of ourselves. We get to turn our gifts and our talents and our time and our energy and our enthusiasm, everything we are, we get to turn it all to doing good for others, which in turn brings glory to God. And of course, we now believe in someone. Someone who transcends this world. The fact, we’re convinced that we will exist beyond this world. We don’t need to live our best lives now because a better world is coming. A better world is awaiting us, where we’ll live eternally in a state of perfect harmony with God and man. We don’t have to experience every joy in the short time here, but we can wait and we can experience the fullness of joy in the life to come. So I guess my message to those miserable millennials is to look to the Bible. Pick it up, read it, try it. Why don’t you try it? Because within its pages, you’ll find out who you really are. You’ll find out who God really is. Who He calls you to be. And you’ll find how to live a life that is truly satisfying, a life that is never-ending.

www.Challies.com

Second, the Bible agrees that each of us is VOL.13 #6 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM

On Leaving Jerusalem

By Tim Challies

have spent the past few days in Jerusalem, combing the city for historical objects that will help me tell the story of the Christian faith. I’ve found some neat artifacts and will describe them soon enough. I’ve also spent time thinking about this notion of the Holy Land, the holy city, and holy places, and will tell you more about that soon, too. But as I head to the airport to fly home, I find myself reflecting on the media, of all things.

teaching. I don’t know much about Jerusalem, but surely it couldn’t be more placid and normal than this. Yet again, at the end of the day I connected to the Internet and saw all these images of chaos and violence. All the while my phone was buzzing as people told me they were

they were serious or significant or that they will not continue to escalate. I’m not proposing there is a conspiracy theory in place or that everything has been staged by the media. Nothing of the sort. Rather, I guess at the end of it all I just realize in a fresh way that while the media is great at

praying for me, asking God to keep me safe (something I very much appreciated, of course).

capturing events, they are not so great (or so interested) at capturing context or proportion. Their focus is on the narrow trouble spots while outside the view of their lenses, life for the multitudes may be continuing as normal. And in this case, in West Jerusalem, things really were, as far as I could see. The Jerusalem I experienced on the ground was very different from the Jerusalem I saw on my screen. That is something I hope to bear in mind in the future as I read and watch news from afar.

As I was making my final preparations for this trip, I began to hear of President Trump’s decision to relocate the American embassy, thus recognizing Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv, as the capital of Israel. Not surprisingly, this deeply significant move sparked outrage in many quarters. Immediately there were calls for protest across Muslim lands. I heard about all of this and was quite concerned. I imagined finding myself in the middle of a violent hotspot. But, with non-refundable flights and a room already paid for, I was leery to bail on my trip. I appealed to some Israeli friends to seek their counsel and they said to come. In the end, I decided I’d just ensure the Canadian flag on my bag was facing out, that I remained wary, and that, hopefully, I acted wisely. I landed at Tel Aviv, and as I approached Jerusalem in a taxi, I half expected to see flames rising over the city. There were none. As I walked through the neighborhood where my room was located, I would not have been surprised to see panicked citizens scurrying through the streets. All seemed calm and normal. Yet when I got settled and connected to the Internet, I saw the headlines dominated by pictures of riots and violence. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this. The next day dawned and I crisscrossed the city, visiting churches, markets, and museums. Though there was an obvious police and military presence in many parts, there were no signs of imminent or ongoing trouble. Business remained open, tour groups continued their tours, schools kept

I was curious. The next morning, I saw that my natural route to the location I intended to visit went through the area where these protests had taken place. Rather than go the long way around, I thought I’d head in that direction and divert if necessary. As I approached, I saw hundreds of reporters, but not a single protestor. The square was ringed by cameras and journalists, but it was otherwise calm and normal. People were strolling through it in all directions, heading to and from the market. Nearby carts were selling fruit and pastries and shops were open for business. And once again the news made it all look very different. And now I’ve made my way back to Tel Aviv and am about to board my flight home. I made it safely. But, to be honest, I never felt unsafe. At least, I never felt any less safe than in many other cities I’ve visited. I am not saying that protests did not happen there. Neither am I denying that

WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM | VOL.13 #6

I am returning thankful. Thankful for safety, thankful for all that answered prayer, thankful for a profitable trip, thankful to God for allowing me to visit a city that has factored powerfully in the story—his story–he is telling in and through this world.

www.Challies.com

Online readers, we’ve included a link to printable PDF puzzle page!

ACROSS 1 Canned chili brand 6 Son of Abraham 11 Discs 14 Book after Daniel 15 City of pilgrimages 16 Representative 17 Anesthetic 18 Fisherman disciple 19 Adam's wife 20 Musician (3 wds.) 22 Rotate 23 Body of water 26 Aurora 27 Astray 29 Advertisements 30 Snout 32 Excavate 33 Plague of Egypt 35 Personified 40 Mix 41 City destroyed by fire 42 OT prophet 43 Biblical name for Turkey 45 Fuzz 46 __ Francisco 47 Impolite 50 Meet 51 Do unto __

54 Band instrument 55 Compass point 56 Aces 57 Site of Jacob's well 60 Charged particle 61 Beverage 63 Also-ran 67 Cain fled to this land 68 Out and __ 69 Chest 70 Government agency 71 Metric capacity unit 72 Strike (KJV) DOWN 1 Her 2 Child 3 Fire remains 4 Nerd 5 __ of Eden 6 Stimulate emotionally 7 Was looked at 8 Acting (abbr.) 9 Genius 10 Coupe 11 Thin paper 12 Name for Satan 13 Use money 21 W.C. 22 Flag 23 Popular condiment

24 Revises 25 Computer code for characters 27 First man 28 Evergreen tree 31 A witch lived here 34 Deletes 36 Glitter 37 Wrong 38 Sounds 39 Sugar-free brand 41 Transgressions 44 Deface 48 Dit's partner 49 Glorifies 51 Speak up 52 Military unit 53 Makers of the Prelude 57 Scotsman 58 Not mine 59 Part of a house 61 Calorie 62 Kimono sash 64 __ Lanka 65 Eastern Time 66 Caviar

Dear Lord, Help me not despise the things I do not know or understand. ~William Penn

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is it because no one wants in?

COMPARING MEXICO’S TOUGH IMMIGRATION LAWS TO THE UNITED STATES group of Mexican senators- get this!– visited Georgia calling for repeal of the state’s tough immigration control laws, with one claiming that they “poison” the relationship between our country and Mexico. What a laugh! Never mind that a Georgia State University economist estimates $2.1 billion of the state’s $16.5 billion budget goes to support illegal immigration-related costs and enforcement. Georgia, according to the Department of Homeland Security website, has more illegal aliens than Arizona. The Mexicans’ publicity stunt led me to research the toughness of their country’s laws. Here’s what Mexico’s “Law on Population” contains: • Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society. Immigration officials must “ensure” that “immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance” (Article 34). Furthermore, Article 37 says foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics.” Can you imagine the uproar if our Congress debated, let alone passed, such a stipulation? • Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country. Article 73 says federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with immigration authorities in assisting with the arrest of illegal immigrants. • Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned (Article 116). • Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will

be fined, deported and/or imprisoned as felons (Article 117). • Illegal immigration is a felony (Articles 123, 125). • Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law. For example, a Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison (Article 127). Here’s what the Mexican Constitution also says: • Non-citizens cannot participate in the country’s political life (Article 33). Non-citizens are also forbidden to participate in demonstrations or express opinions in public about domestic politics. • There are no equal employment rights to immigrants, even legal ones, in the public sector (Article 32). • Fundamental property rights are denied to foreigners. Article 27 states: “Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters and their appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of waters….” • An immigrant who becomes a naturalized Mexican citizen can be stripped of his Mexican citizenship if he lives again in the country of his origin for more than five

years (Article 37). • Foreigners may be expelled for any reason and without due process. According to Article 33: “The Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.”

By Phil Kent

Clearly, Mexico’s immigration laws are far tougher than the United States. Yet its sanctimonious legislators will spin gullible American journalists about how they somehow hold the high road with regard to their immigration laws. If anything, our Congress ought to adopt some of Mexico’s tough laws, with the hope that continued citizen pressure will push the Current Administration to enforce them.

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words lose their meaning

ven two of the grandchildren of Billy Graham, the famed evangelist who helped popularize the term “evangelical”, are abandoning the word. "The term has come to represent white Republicans and . . . sometimes close-mindedness and superiority," said granddaughter Jerushah Armfield, a writer and pastor's wife in South Carolina. Jen Hatmaker, a Texas-based author with a large evangelical following, sees "a mass exodus" from the label in her community. "The term feels irreversibly tainted, and those of us who don't align with the currently understood description are distancing ourselves to preserve our consciences," she said. At Princeton University, a campus group changed its decades-old name this year from "Princeton Evangelical Fellowship" to simply "Princeton Christian Fellowship." We offer the best in burgers (fresh ground chuck, buffalo or elk), gyros, hot dogs, chicken (417) 3344835 • sandwiches Pickup, Dine in, and more! Patio • 1412 W Hwy 76 in Branson, MO

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By Jirair Tashjian

rmageddon. Antichrist. Rapture. Left Behind. These phrases are popular these days. A war breaks out in the Middle East and suddenly prophecy experts say the end is near. Books are written and dates are set. Fiction books and movie series bring in millions of dollars and generate media hype. But what exactly does Scripture teach us about the coming of Christ?

There is no question that the New Testament writings teach that Christ will return. "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). Yet this promise of Christ’s return in Acts 1 is prefaced by a discussion between the disciples and the resurrected Jesus. The disciples ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus replies, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority" (Acts 1:7). There are repeated warnings in the New Testament against speculating about the time of Christ’s return. Yet every century since Jesus has seen apocalyptic groups or persons calculating the time of Christ’s return and the culmination of history.

There Has Been A Delay Not only does the New Testament warn against such speculations and date-fixing, it also indicates in various ways that the coming of Christ may be later than first expected. One must always live a life that is worthy of the gospel and not worry about the time of Christ’s return. A brief survey of some of the parables and sayings of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) will clearly show that by the time the gospels were written there was already an awareness among early Christians that the return of Christ has been delayed. The Gospel of Mark, which is taken by a vast majority of scholars to be the earliest gospel, was probably written shortly before Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. In chapter 13, known as the eschatological discourse of Jesus, Mark reports what Jesus had predicted about the Temple some 40 years earlier. Of particular significance for us is the repeated warning that the war between the Romans and the Jews and the terrible conditions

surrounding the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem must not be taken to be the apocalyptic end of the world. "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come… This is but the beginning of the birth pangs" (Mark 13:78). A bit later in the chapter, we find this astonishing saying of Jesus: "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32). This is an astonishing saying because by the time Mark wrote his gospel, Mark and his Christian community would have viewed the resurrected Jesus as the exalted Christ who would surely have knowledge of when and how the course of history would wind down. But Mark still gives us this saying that states that not even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, knows the day of the hour. Matthew and Luke, who used Mark to write their gospels, stress even more strongly than Mark that Christ’s coming has been delayed. Matthew attaches several parables to the eschatological discourse of Mark that he incorporated into his gospel. At the end of chapter 24 we find the parable of the good and wicked slave. The wicked slave says to himself, "My master is delayed." Instead of fulfilling his responsibilities like the good slave, "he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards." The master of that slave will return "on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know." The outcome will be that the master "will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 24:46-51). In the following chapter Matthew attaches three more parables, all of which spell out how we are to act while we are waiting for Christ whose coming has been delayed. In the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25:113) we learn that "the bridegroom was delayed." The wise virgins had brought extra oil whereas the foolish ones ran out

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of oil as they waited for the bridegroom. While they went to buy more oil the bridegroom came and the door was shut. Matthew is admonishing his Christian group to count on some delay in the return of Christ and remain vigilant in their Christian life. But how does one wait for the coming of Christ? The next two parables in Matthew 25 spell out the answer. The parable of the Talents urges Christians to invest what has been entrusted to them and not let it sit idle. The final parable, the Sheep and Goats, which is a parable of the final judgment, makes it even clearer

what that investment is all about. It means to feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit the imprisoned. Jesus the judge will say to those who have done these acts of compassion, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." The delay in Christ’s coming must be taken as a God-given opportunity to minister to needy people in Christ’s name. Luke also makes it clear in various ways that there has been a delay in the coming of Christ. The reason Jesus tells one of his parables is that "he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately" (Luke 19:11). The parable of the Pounds, which is similar to Matthew’s parable of the Talents, makes the point that the kingdom of God may not appear immediately. One must be ready for the long haul and be prepared to render faithful service in the world in the time that God has granted his people. The Gospel of John does not include

anything like the eschatological discourse of the Synoptic Gospels. Instead, John gives us the farewell discourse of Jesus just before the passion narrative. In the farewell discourse Jesus does speak of his coming back, but there is no talk of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven as in the Synoptic

Gospels. In John Jesus speaks of going away and preparing a place for his disciples and returning to take them where he himself is (John 14:3). But it is not quite clear what the coming again is. Even though the passage above seems to refer to what we call "the second coming," a few verses later in 14:18-19 Jesus says, "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live" (14:18-19). Here the reference seems to be to his postresurrection appearances to his disciples. That gives us a clue that the unrealized future eschatology of the Synoptics becomes a much more realized eschatology in John. This is not to say that there is no future eschatology in John. But somehow the future coming of Jesus, and his postresurrection presence with his disciples, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and God’s presence among his disciples have been blended into a single event. The disciples in John are not urged to watch and pray and be ready for the unknown day or hour, as in the Synoptics. In some sense the return of Jesus has already taken place. To understand this theological move one must read the whole Gospel, or at least chapters 14-16. But this brief quote from chapter 14:16-18, 23 will illustrate the point: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you

forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you… Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. A careful study of the writings of the apostle Paul likewise demonstrates that Paul himself shifted his position from his earlier expectation of the imminent return of Christ to one of awareness that there might be a delay. In his earliest letter, 1 Thessalonians, Paul includes himself among those who would be alive when the Lord returns. He states first that those who have died in the Lord will be resurrected, and then adds: "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever" (4:17). In 1 Corinthians15:51 he says, "We will not all die, but we will be changed."

The clearest example that early Christians in the later decades of the first century had to deal with the issue of the delay of Christ’s return is 2 Peter 3:4. Scoffers were asking, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!" The answer that the letter provides for such scoffing is that "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (3:8-9).

In his later letters, however, Paul seems to consider the possibility that he might not be alive when the Lord returns. In Philippians 1:20-21 he says, "Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain." Paul still believed that the coming of was near (Philip 4:5), but he reckoned with the possibility that it may be beyond his own lifetime.

Jirair Tashjian

In Romans, another of Paul’s later writings and something of a theological summary of his preaching, Paul says hardly anything about the return of Christ. His whole emphasis is on the transforming power of Christ in the lives of believers in the present life. However, toward the end of the letter he makes this statement: "Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light" (13:11-12). Here Paul is aware that some time has passed and that salvation, i.e. the final consummation of salvation at the return of Christ, is nearer "than when we became believers."

In subsequent centuries the church realized that the Second Coming was not going to be as imminent as first-century Christians thought and developed its theology and practice in ways that made provision for future generations of people. With the exception of fringe groups and their apocalyptic fervor, the mainstream of Christianity no longer thought that the coming of Christ was any time soon. So it began to build schools for the education of the young, hospitals for the sick, cathedrals for worshipers, and ecclesiastical structures to carry on the work of the church.

editor’s note: I believe it was Jesse Duplantis that amusingly said, “None of us know the exact time of His return. The Father hasn't even told Jesus which day He's going to come. The Father knows that if He told Jesus the exact time, Jesus would tell us! He wants to see us more than we want to see Him! He can't keep a secret from us, because He loves us too much. I'm pretty sure He's at the throne tonight asking His Dad, Jehovah, "Can I go get them? Are we ready?"

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is it because the message of condemnation is so rampant?

Why do so many people hate Joel Osteen? Why do so many people love Joel Osteen?

et’s start with why so many people hate him. It has been said from his detractors that he is a smarmy, Norman Vincent Peale, idealist that preaches a cotton candy Gospel that focuses on ourselves rather than Christ. He has made millions of dollars from preaching the Word of God but refuses to condemn the lost and refuses to berate homosexuals and other miscreants. His wife is beautiful and his father handed him a mega-church on a silver platter. He’s too upbeat. He has too many teeth. ed

By Bernard Fuscola, Beliefnet.com

Here is a different perspective from a Beliefnet interview from the past: Behind the Scenes With The Osteens Beliefnet went behind the scenes with the Osteens as they prepared for America’s Night of Hope in Washington DC. The entire team truly operated like a family working together toward one common goal – leaving the city better than they found it. “You can’t have faith if you don’t have hope,” Joel Osteen says “A lot of people are down, discouraged and they don’t have a vision for the their future. So we try to lift people’s spirits and let them know what’s ahead of them is better than what’s behind them. And when you really believe that down on the inside that’s what allows God to bring it to pass.” Joel and Victoria Osteen tagged team the city – as she traveled to local schools in the area reading to children and he blessed America’s legislative body praying for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. A powerful pair and very much in love, Joel tells the story about how they met, “I was with my friend Johnny at the time and we stopped by her parent’s jewelry store to get a battery for my watch. I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. A couple weeks later I invited her to a Rockets game!” That arena location of their first date is now the location of their ministry, Lakewood Church, where they bless people from all over the world. Joel and his longtime friend Johnny McGowan laugh as

they recount when Johnny encouraged him to finally ask Victoria on a date. McGowan travels with Joel and the two have a great friendship, “He’s the same Joel wherever he goes,” he says. “People ask me all the time what’s Joel like… and I say exactly what you see on t.v.” Joel affectionately known as the “smiling pastor” takes on a different, more serious, role as he sits in the control room framing shots and reviewing creative aspects in preparation for the event. One can easily see why Joel said “If I wasn’t doing what I’m doing, I would be working in television production. I love production and when my dad was alive that was my role at the church. ”The main stage is lit, production crew and technical staff are running around getting everything in place for America’s Night of Hope. The Washington Nationals stadium is completely

This group of

extraordinary young people represented youth from Lakewood Church and youth ministries in the DC/Northern Virginia area. Because of them parks were transformed, schools were enhanced and the hearts of all who witnessed the work were change. “It’s meant the world to us,” said Capitol Crisis Pregnancy Center Executive Director Janet Durit, “to have Lakewood Church, the largest church in the country, to send a team of people here to volunteer as Jesus’ servants to do anything they were asked to do. It was really pretty amazing!” The Osteens also donated strollers and necessities to help Durit and her team continue to serve the community. It’s finally the big night!

transformed and ready for Joel and Victoria to hit the big stage. The Osteens brought their son Jonathan and daughter Alexandra along. The siblings are both very active in serving on the worship ministry at the church and are on program regularly for the A Night of Hope tour. As Jonathan tune’s up his guitar for the big night Joel nudges him to play something for the cameras, but Jonathan chooses to leave us in suspense. One special component of this trip to Washington DC was the Generation Hope Project. Youth came together to participate in several outreach projects in the DC inner city and when asked why they were here one participant said, “we’re just trying to show the Gospel in a different way, out here with community service” and another chimed in “we’re just

excited to see what God is going to do with this place!”

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As the stadium stands fill up with people, excitement fills the air both online and at the stadium. People log-in to the live chat room hours before the event starts in anticipation. The Osteen’s six-person social media team moderate comments like: “Really looking forward to watching this event.Thank you so much for making it available online!!! God bless you all!!” and “We are from Kuwait and waiting for this event since last night!! Waiting with expectation.... Of blessing through the Word of God,” and finally “We have our whole church congregation in our sanctuary and are eagerly waiting for the event to start. We cannot wait to see how Joel will bless all of us today!” The fact that the event was postponed due to rainy weather did not keep the people from coming and the power of God from pouring out all over Washington DC and the world. What an exciting weekend! Joel opens America’s Night of Hope, true to form encouraging the hearts of God’s children with his opening, “Receive favor…you would not be alive unless God had another victory for you! Somebody needs what you

have!” Being with the entire Osteen team was truly transformational – and just like the city – I too was left a little better then before.

www.BeliefNet.com By the way, Mr. Osteen works for his church for free. Because of book royalties does he make millions of dollars from preaching the Word of God that I mentioned earlier. How many of your pastors deny a salary for a full time position with the church? And he never asks for money. Hmm, why do so many send it? ed ___________________________________

An Open Letter to many Christians that are judging or jealous Recently, an obscure but crazy talented Christian writer lambasted Jim Bakker and promoted a hate filled book recently released by a literary hack. My response... Your Jim Bakker critique is stunningly ignorant. It has been over three decades since Jim committed (by your assessment) an “unpardonable sin.” Did you think it wrong for Billy and Ruth Graham to shelter Jim in their own home straight out of prison? They not only loved on him, they refused to condemn him. Alan Dershowitz, a liberal Jewish attorney and no fan of televangelists, wrote a missive to the courts that Jim’s conviction was very poor jurisprudence. That stunning observation led to Jim’s early release from prison. You have tried, sentenced and now are executing Jim Bakker. Where did you get your law degree from? I was a former school teacher to the remarkable children that Jim and Lori have adopted. I currently live near Jim's current ministry and meet countless individuals that have been saved by his efforts to lead them to Christ. Dare I say, manifold the harvest of souls than yours? Oh, wait... it's not a competition. Well it is when you speak against one anointed by God. While you are educating your (fortunately small) audience about “Tulips”, Jim is saving marriages and thwarting suicidal people from killing themselves. (I have met them). You have no idea who Jim Bakker is, friend. Jim has blessed millions of people on the

planet. I will take Jim with all his flaws because of his enormous capacity to love, over your ministry that doesn't know how to cover their brother in Christ. He who is forgiven much loveth much. I guess you haven't sinned enough yet to reach a level that will change your perspective. Good for you. It has been said that, "When we see our sinfulness and rebellion against God, and when we see our hypocrisy in condemning others for committing the same wrathdeserving sins, then we can also marvel at God's goodness in patiently and tolerantly withholding the wrath that we deserve. That is what leads us to repentance." When you pass away, It will not make the major news networks and it won't be because you are a Canadian. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist, Ay?) I didn't even know that R.C. Sproul passed away for a week until I read it on your newsletter feed and he was one of the world's foremost Calvinist teachers. I don’t recall any condemnation from you regarding R.C. Sproul and his son’s missteps. I forgave them both, covered it with love and moved on. His teaching on the Holiness of God has always been my favorite. However, it didn't change my life like the revelation of how much God loves me like Jim's teaching. That revelation of who I am in Christ was a game changer. You attend Grace Fellowship Church (Canada). Where is your grace for Jim? Jesus instructed the disciples that if people are not against Him they are for Him. Leave them alone.

However, even many of the truths that you write about overshadow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I still enjoy your perspectives and will continue reading them. I will cover your spiritual immaturity with the Grace you have yet learned for a co-laborer in Christ. I suppose your problem with Jim now would be that you do not like the way he sells merchandise as a means for fundraising. Have you never bought something from the likes of the Home Shopping Network? Why not buy it from a Christian Ministry that does great work for people? I will bring to your attention that Lori’s House is a phenomenal home for unwed moms. So while you are railing against abortion, Jim and Lori are actually saving the unborn by giving these girls an alternative. Sorry, I have to make an observation: Most of the critiques against the ministers of God that have powerful television ministries come from those who cannot get that kind of support. Perhaps your understanding of God limits you from having the most powerful stage on the earth. You may teach that we are children of a King but for many of us, we live like it. Jealous much? Thank you, Jim, for teaching us that! Now, let’s address why Joel and Jim have such an appeal. There are enough ministers spewing condemnation and sanctification by behavioral performance to shake a stick at. The critic would cite the Bible verse that warns against a message that appeals to ticklish ears. What if the real ticklish ears are those immature believers that still want to make it about the law and religion?

Is that not good enough for you? When Jim goes home, the world will know it and many will mourn the loss of a great man of God that has populated the Kingdom with millions of souls. You are one of my favorite writers but, as I have always suspected, for many people Calvinism is a distraction from intimacy with God. (Not all, but many). All head knowledge, no heart. Pretend as you may, Reformed theology doesn't create grace-filled believers; just the pride of intellectual ascent. Your ministry and impact will long be forgotten on the trash heap of mediocrity while generations of Christians will still be blessed after Jim has been gone for decades.

P.S. I am allowed to judge condemnation... it is just not permissible to judge Grace. It is not my desire to undermine you or Calvinism, just to defend and protect my brother, Jim. My name is John G. Sacoulas, and I approved this message.

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you will never read this in liberal publications

An Arab Muslim in the Israeli Army Why would an Arab Muslim serve in the Israeli military? Because he, like many Israeli Arabs, proudly defend the nation that has given them freedom and opportunity. Mohammad Kabiya, Israeli Air Force reservist, shares his remarkable story.

Did these students not understand that those rockets could just as easily be aimed at them? Hamas didn’t care who they killed as long as they landed inside the borders of Israel. Had my fellow Arab students forgotten that Israel had left Gaza a few years before? That there wasn’t a single Israeli living there? That day, I dropped out of school to join the Israeli army, the IDF. A few months later, I was a soldier in the Israeli Air Force. After months of training, I was assigned to the Search & Rescue Helicopter Unit.

By Mohammad Kabiya

Israel’s or the Palestinians’? Is it possible to be an Arab and an Israeli? The question became even more difficult when I saw men from my own village wearing the uniform of the Israeli army. Only Jews are I don’t have to do this. I want to do required to serve in the military. this. Because my country is a No one forced these Arab men special place, unlike any other. “If the to join; they chose to. Palestinians and “Why?” I asked them. Free. Diverse. Vibrant. other surrounding “Our home is here, in Yet, other countries— nations laid down Israel,” they said. “Our countries not so free, not their weapons, there home is under attack. so diverse—call for my Our neighbors in this would be peace. If country’s complete home are Jews. They Israel lays down her are being attacked. We destruction. The moment my country lets its guard fight together.” weapons, she will down, it will be destroyed. cease to exist.” Still, I struggled. My country is Israel. I went to high school in I grew up and still live in a small Nazareth. There, unlike the village village named after my family’s Bedouin where I grew up, most of the Arab students Arab tribe. Our roots in this land run deep. identified as Palestinians even though they are citizens of Israel. In 1948, when Arab armies invaded the new state of Israel, my family thought of Some of the students—my friends—hated leaving our village. Some of them did. But Israel. They couldn’t understand me. when the Jews’ leaders heard that, they “You’re a Palestinian”, they said, “so you implored us to remain. “This is our country, must hate Israel.” When I said that I didn’t, for both Arabs and Jews,” they said. “Stay, that we had far more freedom and and we will work together to build it.” opportunity than Arabs anywhere in the Middle East, they called me a traitor. My family stayed. My parents were born here, made their lives here, started their After high school, I went on to study own family here—in Israel. electrical engineering at Technion, a leading Israeli university. During my first In 2002, I was a teenager. It was a violent semester, heavy rocket fire from Gaza time. Palestinian suicide bombers were forced Israel to launch a counterattack. blowing up Israeli civilians—a danger to Arabs and Jews alike. Israeli troops entered Not long after the war began, I witnessed a to the West Bank to stop them at their group of Arab-Israeli students expressing source. As a result, many Palestinians were their solidarity with Hamas, the Palestinian killed. terror organization that controls Gaza and is committed to Israel’s violent destruction. I was torn. Whose side was I on, I thought: am an Arab. I am a Muslim. And I love my country. In fact, I’m prepared to die for it. Which is why I serve in its army.

Our job was to save lives. We never concerned ourselves with the identity of the people who needed our help. We rescued Syrian civilians wounded in their country’s civil war, Palestinian children from Gaza requiring urgent medical care, and countless Israelis of every religious and ethnic background. A life—whether it is Muslim or Jewish, Palestinian or Israeli—is a life. On a base of 6,000 soldiers, I was the only Bedouin. But it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was keeping Israel—our home—safe. We came from all parts of the country and from many parts of the world. We were every shade of skin color. Our shared goal created a deep bond. Today, I am a student at Haifa University. Half of the students are Arab. More than once, I have seen the Palestinian flag being waved at a rally or protest on campus. In Israel, you can do this because, whether you are a Jew or an Arab, you are free. What more do you need to know? I am Mohammad Kabiya for Prager University.

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