Why is US church sending Jews to the trash-heap of history? | Fox News

Why is US church sending Jews to the trash-heap of history? | Fox News

Presbyterian churches are teaching that their Jewish neighbors are inherently racist and prone to abusing the rights of others. 

That’s the key message of PCUSA’s new congregational study guide, “Zionism Unsettled.” Released by its Israel-Palestine Mission Network, the guide “explores the theological and ethical exceptionalism of Jewish and Christian Zionism, which have been sheltered from open debate despite the intolerable human rights abuses rooted in their core beliefs.”

To be clear, this is no mere attack on Israeli policies, but rather on the very legitimacy of the Zionist enterprise.

PCUSA has theologically resurrected the UN’s infamous 1975 “Zionism is Racism” resolution (later rescinded). It puts all on notice that lovers of Zion -- Jews and Christians alike -- are bigots. READ MORE

The Anti-Zionist Challenge to the Jewish Establishment - Caroline Glick - Page 1

Reblogged from: townhall.com
The Anti-Zionist Challenge to the Jewish Establishment - Caroline Glick - Page 1

There is a difference between speech and war. Both are forms of expression, to be sure. But the essence of the former is engagement, and the essence of the latter is destruction.

This distinction is apparently too subtle for many of Israel’s Supreme Court justices. On Sunday, the Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of the 2011 Anti-Boycotts law. The law allows targets of boycotts to sue boycotters for damages in civil courts, and empowers the finance minister to revoke the non-profit status of NGOs that engage in boycotts. It is being challenged by a consortium of foreign-funded, radical, anti-Zionist NGOs.

The essence of boycotts is destruction, not engagement. READ MORE

The Gospel vs. Doctrine

Reblogged from: www.bibleprophecyblog.com

By Dr. Steven Hayes Continue in My Word

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel ... by which also ye are saved ... (unless ye have believed in vain) ... how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He was seen ..." (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

Today, we hear many say 'doctrine divides', so let's not emphasize 'doctrine'. "God is love, not doctrine". Let's just preach "the gospel", so that people get saved, and not over-emphasize doctrine. But this is a false dichotomy. It's not the gospel vs. doctrine. In point of fact, an immense amount of doctrine is included in "the gospel". Let's unpack the text of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and get a glimpse of all that is involved in this 'simple' Bible passage that defines "the gospel".

To begin with, the gospel is not a fable (cf. 2 Peter 1:16; a "fable" is a fictitious story invented to teach a moral lesson). The gospel involves historical events. Admittedly, it is the correct understanding/interpretation of those events that is critical, but that does not diminish the fact that the historicity of these events is necessary and indispensable. They must be real events that really happened: Christ died, He was buried, He rose again, He was seen in His resurrection body by many people. That Christ was buried is evidence to substantiate the fact that He really died; that Christ was seen is evidence to substantiate the fact that He really rose again! You do not include 'evidences' for a fable, only a real, historical event. In fact, Paul says that if the resurrection of Christ did not really and literally happen, our faith is "vain" (i.e., it accomplishes nothing!; 1 Corinthians 15:14). Since "the gospel" is based on an historical event, the Bible must be an infallible record of historical events, which demands that it be the inspired Word of God. Thus, the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is involved in "the gospel".

All have sinned, and there is a penalty for our sin. Furthermore, there is nothing we ourselves can do about it, which is why "Christ died for our sins". The penalty required for our sin is an infinite penalty, because we have sinned against God, Who is an infinite Being [1]. The only way a finite being (i.e., a creature) can pay an infinite penalty is for that penalty to be enforced over an infinite period of time (i.e., eternal judgment). Thus, the doctrines of the nature of man and the nature of God is involved in "the gospel".
The historical fact that "Christ died for our sins" has to actually accomplish something. This is where the various theories of the atonement come into play. Christ's death on the cross was not just an expression of love, or an example for us to emulate. 1 John 2:2 makes clear that the death of Christ was a propitiation (i.e., substitutionary atonement) for the sins of the world. Propitiation means a payment that satisfies the debt. Thus, the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement is involved in "the gospel".

Continuing on, the hypostatic union is necessary. Christ must be a Man in order to die (God cannot die!). Christ must also be a Man to redeem mankind (i.e., qualification of a Kinsman Redeemer; cf. Hebrews 2:14-16). He must be a perfect, sinless Man to "die for our sins", else He would have to die for His own sins. However, if Christ is merely a Man, even a Perfect Man, for Him to pay the penalty for my sins, which involves an infinite penalty, He would have to suffer for an infinite period of time (forever); but in such a case, the penalty for my sins would never be paid (i.e., only in eternity), so it is no help. For me to be saved, I need Christ to be able to pay for my sins in a finite period of time. The only way for an infinite penalty to be paid in a finite period of time is for the One paying it to be infinite; an infinite Being can pay an infinite penalty in a finite period of time. For Christ to be an infinite Being, He must be God. Christ must be both a Perfect, sinless Man and God, at the same time. A corollary to this is that the only way to produce a God-Man is by a supernatural, virgin-birth. Thus, the doctrine of the nature of Christ (including the virgin-birth and the hypostatic union) is involved in "the gospel" (cf. 2 John 1:9).

Many professing Christians think the doctrine of the Trinity is irrelevant or unimportant. Many are even embarrassed by it. Admittedly, it is hard to understand, and it is even harder to explain to an unbeliever. Without the Trinity, however, "the gospel" unravels. On the cross, Christ (who is God) was paying the penalty for our sins. To whom was He making this payment? God. So, God was suffering for human sin, and at the same time God was judging human sin. Jesus cried, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" If God is one Person, then He cannot be suffering for sin and judging sin at the same time. For this reason (among others), there must be a plurality of Persons within the Godhead. God the Son was suffering for human sin, and God the Father was judging human sin. Thus, the doctrine of the Trinity is involved in "the gospel".

Finally, even some eschatological doctrine is relevant to "the gospel". The Bible teaches clearly that the resurrected Jesus Christ will come again to judge the world (2 Timothy 4:1). Thus, a denial of the bodily return of Christ is a denial of coming judgment. It is this coming judgment from which "the gospel" saves us. Thus, even the doctrine of the return of Christ is involved in "the gospel".

Doctrine Is Important

The gospel cannot be separated from sound, Biblical doctrine. Implicitly loaded into "the gospel" is an immense amount doctrine which, if denied, renders one's faith vain.
Doctrines that are essential to "the gospel" have come to be called "the fundamentals". Historically, those who have sought to define and defend these fundamental doctrines have been known as 'Fundamentalists'. To compromise on a fundamental doctrine is to jeopardize "the gospel", and to deny a fundamental doctrine is to deny "the gospel". Fundamentalists refuse to extend Christian fellowship with those who deny a fundamental doctrine on the basis that they do not share the same understanding of "the gospel" (i.e., they are not Christians).

As this article has demonstrated, fundamental doctrines include the inspiration of Scripture; the virgin-birth, true humanity and undiminished deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; the substitutionary atonement of Christ; the bodily resurrection of Christ; and the bodily return of Christ to judge the world. These are not the only fundamental doctrines. However, every attempt to exhaustively enumerate the fundamental doctrines has failed, and today no one believes such an exhaustive list can be compiled. The reason for this is that our doctrinal understanding (i.e., clarification and articulation of doctrine) is constantly progressing, and it is doing so generally in response to new heresies that arise [2]. As new heresies continue to arise today, our doctrinal understanding/clarification continues to be refined ...

Endnotes

---

[1] As an illustration, consider the consequences if someone kills a mosquito, a dog, a baby—even we recognize there ought to be different penalties for these crimes. What makes the difference? The value of the person against which one commits the crime determines the just penalty.

[2] If you think of the historic creeds (e.g., Apostles, Nicean, Chalcedonian), they were continually revised and expanded with time in order to clarify points that were being challenged by heretics.

Kerry, EU, listen up: We, Israeli Jews, are not for sale

Reblogged from:
Kerry, EU, listen up: We, Israeli Jews, are not for sale | i24news - See beyond

 

Shraga Blum

Published February 07th 2014

 

Lieutenant-General Evelyn Baker commanded the British troops in Mandatory Palestine in 1946 at the time when the underground Irgun blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which housed the British military command. The officer’s reaction will remain in the annals of history. He issued a decree forbidding British soldiers from frequenting Jewish establishments in Palestine. "Thus," he said, "we will hit the Jews where it hurts them most - their wallet - which will show our vile contempt for them."

This way of thinking about the relationship of the Jew to money is present in the DNA of an important part of humanity, influenced by centuries of Christian anti-Judaism and social and racial anti-Semitism. But it does not arise only during casual conversations between friends. The themes of classic anti-Semitism are sometimes found implicitly in the attitude of the international community towards the Jewish state, which has become the "Jew among the states."

Regarding the question of the relationship to money, current affairs provides us with two emblematic examples of the oftentimes unconsciously anti-Semitic spirit that influences countries which, ironically, claim to be Israel's friends.

The first example is perhaps the most significant. According to former US ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, who is heavily involved in the current talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the document which will soon be put on the table by Secretary of State John Kerry contains a point that has never been considered before. As part of a final agreement, substantial benefits would be provided for the hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Arab-Muslim countries who were expelled or forced to leave after the establishment of the State of Israel, leaving behind their possessions and centuries of history. READ MORE

Does God Expect Me to Be Perfect?

Reblogged from  www.christianpost.com
Does God Expect Me to Be Perfect?

By Dan Delzell, Special to CP

February 6, 2014|7:43 am

 

Nobody is perfect. So why even try to be? It is a hopeless pursuit, right? Yes and no. Here are a few thoughts about perfection which might surprise you, or at least give you a new perspective on yourself and God.

God is the ultimate "perfectionist." Until you understand that fact, you might not see the beauty of the Gospel message, as well as the beauty of God's perfect Law.

When we think of a perfectionist, we imagine someone who is so obsessed with perfection that he micromanages other people and every situation. Such a person obviously misses the big picture in life. God approaches it differently. God never misses the big picture, and He has given us the free will to manage our own thought life and our own decisions.
God's Law is perfect. And His standards are completely righteous. So what is God to do with man, who comes along and brings his imperfections into the equation? How is God supposed to respond to these flaws in man?

God responds the only way a perfect and holy God can respond. He addresses man's imperfections in a manner which is perfect in justice. This calls for punishment. Otherwise, God would not be perfect. He would condone imperfection. This would make God far less than perfect.

Here is where Jesus comes into the picture. He literally bore the punishment you and I deserve to pay. (see Isaiah 53:5) That is what the cross accomplished. But there was more than justice going on at the cross. There was also deep and abiding love. (see John 3:16) The righteous One taking the punishment of the imperfect ones. Love and justice. Mercy and punishment. Sin and grace. The innocent Lamb being sacrificed on the "altar" of the cross.

In order to get into God's family, not to mention heaven as well, one must indeed be perfect in God's eyes. This can only happen by having God look at you through the "lens of Jesus" so to speak. This occurs when a person trusts Jesus as Savior. When you accept the fact that Jesus bore the sentence you deserve to be given, your sin is completely washed away. Without that washing away of sin, no one is even close to perfect in God's eyes.
So are you completely perfect in the Father's eyes today, or completely sinful? Those are the only two options.  READ MORE

NewsRoomAmerica.com - Earthquake Activity At Yellowstone National Park Not Unusual: USGS

Note from the blogger: Sorry about passing the wrong information to my readers. 
The explanation for the anomaly is found in the article below:

NewsRoomAmerica.com - Earthquake Activity At Yellowstone National Park Not Unusual: USGS

*** FLASH *** INDICATIONS OF SEVERE EARTHQUAKE / ERUPTION AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

X-Class Flares & 7.0+ Earthquake WARNING for the Next 4-5 Days! (Video) (Video) (Video) | Earthquakes

*** FLASH *** INDICATIONS OF SEVERE EARTHQUAKE / ERUPTION AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Sunday, 02 February 2014 05:06

February 2, 2014 -- (TRN) -- A seismometer inside a borehole at Yellowstone National Park has begun reporting staggering underground activity near the southwest corner of Yellowstone Lake, possibly signaling the beginning of an eruption of the Super Volcano at the Yellowstone National Park. TRN has obtained the image of the Seismograph report and now YOU can see it for yourself!  This could be very nasty. . . (UPDATED 2-3-2014  9:00 AM) Yellowstone lake is pretty much the center of what is the Yellowstone Caldera; the mouth of a massive Super Volcano, located beneath the park. The activity began around 12:00 Noon, Mountain Standard Time (MST) on February 1, and was detected by a seismometer in Borehole B944 then continued, non-stop, all day yesterday getting worse and worse as the hours wore on.  The activity is continuing right now at 6:06 EST AM as this news article is being produced. The map below shows the location of Borehole B944 in relation to Yellowstone Lake and the rest of the park. The readings being reported from seismometer inside Bore Hole #B944 are literally "off-the-scale." Is an earthquake brewing, or is this the beginning of a catastrophic eruption of the Yellowstone "Super Volcano?" Seismographic Printout from Yellowstone National Park, Bore Hole #B944, for February 1, 2014.  The time stamp goes down the left edge.  Look at what starts happening from 12:00 Noon for the rest of the day.  By 3:00 PM MST, things get real dicey; by 5:00, it is clear there's real trouble happening underground.  By 7:00 PM, the seismographic gear is totally overwhelmed; with all readings going utterly off the scale.  This could be a sign that a massive eruption of the Yellowstone Super Volcano has begun deep underground. READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEOS

Mid-East Prophecy Update J.D. Farag

Does the New Testament teach Christians to offer a 10% tithe?

Reblogged from the-end-time.blogspot.com

Short answer? No.

For many Christians in a New Testament church it might come as a surprise that a 10% tithe, or a tithe at all, is not required.

Lon Hetrick at Average Us wrote a blog entry titled Why Pastors Should't Teach Tithing and it begins this way--
Were you taught the tithing system? I was. I believed it, practiced it, and even preached it myself. But no more. ... The system goes like this:

1. Tithing is commanded by God.
2. Therefore, Christians should give 10% of their income to their “storehouse” (i.e. the church you attend).
3. God promises to bless people who tithe.
4. Failing to tithe is disobedient to God, robs Him of His due, and shows that you don’t trust Him to provide for your needs with the remaining 90% of your income.
5. God withholds His blessing from non-tithers, and they forfeit the peace of mind and security which tithers alone enjoy.

And then Mr Hetrick continues with 4 reasons why he thinks Pastors shouldn't teach tithing.

As much as I love church life, there is one thing that I have a peeve about. It is when a church decides to carry debt, the tithes and offerings start to decline, the powers-that-be get nervous, and the pastor decides to browbeat preach a series of guilts messages to the congregation on tithing. I am not speaking of my own church but I have seen it happen.

Here is Dr MacArthur at Grace to You on tithing:

Does God require me to give a tithe of all I earn?
Leviticus 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Exodus 25:2; 1 Chronicles 29:9

Two kinds of giving are taught consistently throughout Scripture: giving to the government (always compulsory), and giving to God (always voluntary).

The issue has been greatly confused, however, by some who misunderstand the nature of the Old Testament tithes. Tithes were not primarily gifts to God, but taxes for funding the national budget in Israel.

Because Israel was a theocracy, the Levitical priests acted as the civil government. So the Levite's tithe (Leviticus 27:30-33) was a precursor to today's income tax, as was a second annual tithe required by God to fund a national festival (Deuteronomy 14:22-29). Smaller taxes were also imposed on the people by the law (Leviticus 19:9-10; Exodus 23:10-11). So the total giving required of the Israelites was not 10 percent, but well over 20 percent. All that money was used to operate the nation.

All giving apart from that required to run the government was purely voluntary (cf. Exodus 25:2; 1 Chronicles 29:9). Each person gave whatever was in his heart to give; no percentage or amount was specified.

New Testament believers are never commanded to tithe. Matthew 22:15-22 and Romans 13:1-7 tell us about the only required giving in the church age, which is the paying of taxes to the government. Interestingly enough, we in America presently pay between 20 and 30 percent of our income to the government--a figure very similar to the requirement under the theocracy of Israel.

The guideline for our giving to God and His work is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

“This article originally appeared here at Grace to You” in accordance with their general copyright policies.

Personally I believe the bible is clear on giving. We are to meet each other's needs, to give generously, and sacrificially. We are to support our pastor and staff at the church. I believe firmly the bible teaches this.

But I don't like it when pastors who don't preach verse by verse feel free to pick and choose topics to preach on depending on their personal preference, fears, wants, vengeances, or perceived needs of the church members or the church in general. In this way, when money is tight, their go-to passage is Malachi and we're off and running with the pressure to give. ('Oh, nooo, the balloon payment is coming up!) This often means that people are targeted, or passages get left unpreached, and sometimes the meaning gets twisted, as so often the Malachi verse does. Worse, the giving that is done after these sermons tends to be emotional rather than cheerfully biblical.

If a pastor preaches verse-by-verse, money sermons will only come up when the text demands it. Everyone will be clear that the sermon isn't a personal point he's making to drive home, targeted at a church need, a controversy only a few know about, or personal likes or dislikes of the pastor, but simply a providential organization of sermons ordained by God as His under-shepherd preaches through the text.

Giving sacrificially doesn't mean giving wantonly or recklessly. So often the Malachi verse on tithing is not only incorrectly applied to New Testament churches but is taken a step further by telling people to sow a seed, and you will reap a harvest, meaning, give money you don't have and it will come back to you ten fold just because God will be so impressed with you. We are to shepherd our finances, not throw money away on a great adventure of testing God. You notice the Christians in the book of Acts sold property to give to the church, but they didn't take a loan, give the loan money, and expect God to subsidize the debt until the property was sold off. They sacrificed, had the money in hand first, and laid it at the Apostles feet. (Acts 4:34).

Here is an essay called Their Greed, Your Seed: Apostasy in the Church Part 3, addressing the 'sow a seed' issue.

I urge you to search out the New Testament biblical stance on tithing, and giving- because the two are not the same. Be sure to give generously as your finances allow, biblically and cheerfully!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Further reading:

Does the teaching on tithing in Malachi 3:9-10 apply to us today?

What does the bible say about sowing and reaping?

Are we obligated to tithe?

Tithing

9 Marks of a Prosperity Gospel Church

Stop trying to save us, Mr. Kerry. We're not interested

From http://www.i24news.tv/en/opinion/140203-stop-trying-to-save-us-mr-kerry-we-re-not-interested

Karni Eldad

Published February 03rd 2014

 

In American movies, there is usually good and evil and a clear end. More than that; American directors give so little credit to their viewers, that they instruct the composers of the soundtrack to prepare us for each scenario: If something is about to be scary or funny or romantic - we will know in advance.

Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to intensify the drama and pressure us in any way possible, and he scares us with background music for the end of the Jewish state (because we will be outnumbered by the Arabs if we don’t give them a separate state). He tells the violins to screech when he talks of an economic boycott that will choke us, and instructs the woodwinds and kettledrums to roar when he tells us that the end time is near if we don't sign here, here, and here. READ MORE

The Rapture (Part 19)

By Dr. Andy Woods Sugar Land Bible Church

My previous articles commenced a series on the rapture of the church. We began with the question, "What is the Rapture?" This question can best be answered by noting ten truths about the rapture from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. In previous articles from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, we saw that the rapture is an important doctrine and not something that can be marginalized or explained away as a secondary doctrine. We also noted that the rapture is an event that is distinct from the Second Advent of Christ. We further observed that the rapture will involve the catching up of every believer to meet the Lord in the air, and that the rapture will involve a reunion between living and deceased Church-Age believers. We then began to examine several more points from 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. We noted that the rapture will be a resurrection, will exempt an entire generation of believers from death, will be an instantaneous event, is a mystery, is an imminent event, and is also a traditional doctrine now being recovered. 
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Crowded Out - Greg Laurie

 www.harvest.org 
Reblogged from Prophecy update

            

The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.

-Luke 8:14

I have always been amazed by weeds. You can take a little flower, plant it in the perfect location, water it, and make sure there are no pests to threaten it. You can do everything possible for that flower, and it will slowly grow. But then, in the same amount of time, some weed springs up from a little crack in the sidewalk and that weed chokes out the flower.

But the weed doesn't suddenly burst out of the ground, grab the flower, and start shaking it. The process is gradual. First, there is a flower growing, and then the weed appears. The next day, the weed is a little closer. And on it goes until the weed starts to wrap itself around the flower and choke out its growth.

That is what Jesus was describing in the parable of the sower when He spoke about those who are "choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). This isn't something that happens overnight; it happens over a period of time.

I also find it interesting that it is the "cares, riches, and pleasures of life" that prevent the seed of God's Word from maturing and producing fruit. These aren't necessarily bad things in and of themselves. But these are good things that become the most important things and choke out the spiritual things.

This is not a picture of someone who says they don't want to pray, read the Bible, or go to church. Rather, this represents someone who thinks those are good things to do. But over time, they start losing interest, and the things of this world become more important to them than the things of the next world. And that is what chokes them out spiritually.   

Palestinian leader turns to Putin for Palestinian state, dumps US and Israel as peace partners

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 24, 2014, 11:07 AM (IST)

Tags:  Mahmoud Abbas,  Vladimir Putin,  oil,  John Kerry,  Binyamin Netanyahu, 

 

Good friends once again

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) launched his “diplomatic intifada” against Israel and exit from the Kerry peace initiative Thursday, Jan. 23, from Moscow. His meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev marked his breakaway from the US-led peace process with Israel, four months before it was due to expire, and signaled his bid for Russian backing for a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian leader’s defection caught both Secretary of State John Kerry and Prime Minister Binyamin unprepared – and surprised their intelligence agencies. Putin and Abbas almost certainly planned in advance to drop their bombshell on the day both Kerry and Netanyahu were otherwise engaged at two international events in Switzerland, Geneva 2 on Syria and the World Economic Forum.
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U.S. ranks behind Rwanda, Belarus, Azerbaijan in ease of creating new business, World Bank says | WashingtonExaminer.com

U.S. ranks behind Rwanda, Belarus, Azerbaijan in ease of creating new business, World Bank says | WashingtonExaminer.com

The Ukraine: Between Two Empires

The Ukraine: Between Two Empires