Monthly Archives: May 2016

Articles, Bible, Faith, Prophecy, Teaching

Is It A Good Time to Visit the Holy Land?



With so much happening in the Middle East today, and with Europe on the alert, is it really a good time to take a Bible land tour to Israel?
Many Bible-believing Christians are very keen to make the visit, but they have two major concerns:





1.    Is it affordable?
2.    Is it safe?
First, I cannot stress enough that your decision to ‘go or not to go’ should not be based on the nightly news. Under no circumstance should a Christian believer make decisions based on fear! Now or ever.
The Bible is full of exhortations to ‘fear not.’ Nowhere does it imply we should fear anything, any time. The only fear we should have is the ‘fear of the LORD.’ When you exercise Godly fear, it cancels out all other fears!
Your decision to visit the holy land should be based on two things:
1.    Prayer and the leading of the LORD; and
2.    Sufficient, accurate information.
Why visit the Holy Land?
There are two consistent and compelling reasons:
3.    To walk where Jesus (and Bible heroes) walked. This is called‘devotion.’
4.    To learn more about the Bible. This is called ‘education.’
There are so many wonderful Biblical places to visit that would fulfil both criteria, including: the Dead Sea, Jericho, Jordan Valley, Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Mount Carmel, Caesarea, Jaffa, Bethlehem, Mount of Olives, Mount Zion, and the Old City of Jerusalem, plus more. In all these sites you can see first-hand where ‘Jesus walked’ and Biblical events took place.
You will learn, grow, enjoy, and even have fun. You can float on the Dead Sea, get baptised in the Jordan River, partake in the Temple Mount sifting project, fellowship with local believers (the ‘living stones’) or do what everyone does – go shopping. Yes, a spiritual pilgrimage can be fun, too.
What is the difference between a tourist and pilgrim?
Tourists visit a place for rest and recreation. Pilgrims can have these same goals but with one dramatic difference. A pilgrim has faith in his or her heart and travels to a place ‘in faith’ in order to connect with a place associated with ‘faith.’
In other words, a pilgrim is a person of faith and the journey in faith is called a pilgrimage.
Is it affordable?
Yes, it is very affordable. For less than the price of a cruise (where much of what you see is ocean water), you can travel, sleep, enjoy abundant fresh food, and live like a monarch.
One the of key questions: is it safe to go?
With screaming headlines about ‘Arab Spring,’ ‘Syrian War,’ ‘Rise of ISIS,’ and increased terrorism, it is a legitimate question. Here is the answer.
First, it is safe enough. Apart from being in God’s will, is there any place on earth that is absolutely safe?
Second, the Middle East is big enough. A bomb going off in Baghdad does not mean there is trouble in Jerusalem. While there are problems in some parts of the region, there is stability in other parts. Israel is one of those places of stability.
Third, one local Christian said this is the safest country in the world, because it is God’s land. So true. Deuteronomy 11:11-12 (NKJV) says:
But the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, 12a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.
Since God’s eyes are always on this land, you can be sure that His eyes will be on you, too.
Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport has been impressively renovated in the past few years. According to Conde Nast Traveler, its readers rated Ben Gurion the world’s Number Four airport, after Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong airports. It is especially ‘state-of-the-art’ when it comes to security issues. There are 11 checkpoints and security posts from the time you drive through the airport gate until you board the airplane. No wonder there has not been an attack at or a hijacking from Ben Gurion in forty years!
Furthermore, both local Jews and Arabs have a vested interest in the security of their pilgrim guests since both work in the hospitality industry (you will find many Arab workers, even in the Israeli hotels). The locals have their ‘ear to the ground’ when it comes to security; they are the best sources of information when it comes to a place being secure. Prayer and following their advice affords you the best protection possible.
This is a hospitable part of the world with low rates of crime. It is safer here than in many major western cities.
Journey in Faith: Remember the pilgrim’s secret weapon: Faith. Unlike the nervous tourist, the pilgrim believes that God is with them and protecting them every step of the way (Psalm 91:1-2). Many comment that they feel safer in Israel than in many other places. This is because they put their trust in the LORD. Those who do are never put to shame.
After all, Christian believer, if you cannot trust God now for your fears, faults, failings, finances, friends, family, and future … then when do you plan to start?
Now is the time!
Is it really a good idea to visit the holy land? If you are led by God and full of faith, then ‘go for it.’ With that kind of attitude, you will be well equipped to enjoy a fearless journey to the Land of the Bible. The results can be life-changing.
NOTE: Teach All Nations is offering two Bible lands tours in November 2016:
The Book of Revelation (Greece and Turkey)
Bible Adventure Tour (Jordan and Israel)

Log onto tan.org.au for more information

Articles, Prophecy, Teaching

FINDING A SPOUSE: Part 2



He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the LORD — Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV)
In Part 01, we looked at some of the factors that cause people to ‘get it wrong’ while in search of Mr. or Miss Right. These factors included:



1.      A corrupt, sex-saturated culture;
2.      Worship of false gods, which is far more prevalent than one realises, including materialism, statism (an overarching role for the government), and selfism;
3.      Opportunism;
4.      Narcissism: people can put on a prolonged act before the real person is exposed.
5.      The scourge of pornography. Latest count is that 46% of Americans view porn during the week. It also has a devastating effect on male virility.
6.      No fear of God;
7.      Ignoring wise counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says it all: ‘Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.’
In Part 02, we will look at ‘how to get it right.’ Please note that these are principles, not a magic formula.
Seasons: Ecclesiastes says to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. There’s a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck (3:1-2). There is also a time to marry when your season comes. We have a season of singleness which is a gift from God: during this time we grow, develop, form our values and prepare for our future. As maturity and commitment set in, there is a time to marry. With so many waiting until their late 20s and early 30s before marriage, the possibility is strong that they had been in their season long before they actually marry. This can present complications. In other words, don’t wait too long because seasons change.
Decision: First, we need to make a decision to marry even before we meet someone. Everything flows from decision. It is amazing how many people entertain the idea of marriage, but allow life to flow by without actually doing anything about it. Men especially need to ‘prepare to launch’ by deciding that the time of girlfriends and floating around is finished: it is time to be a man and find a wife. As Proverbs 18:22 says that the man who finds a wife finds a good thing and the favour of God will be on Him. At the age of 25, I came to the conclusion that my time for marriage had come. Weeks later, the Lord identified to my future spouse. Having made the decision to marry, it was no effort to ‘make a move’ once I knew who it would be.
Have realistic expectations: It is almost entertaining how people have ‘fairy-tale’ criteria of whom they are going to marry: a certain educational background, physical appearance, social status, the perfect gentleman etc. The problem with these things is that they are 100% natural, not spiritual. Proverbs 31 describes the amazing virtuous woman; note that it says little about her appearance. Her spiritual life and ‘fear the LORD’ is what made her suitable. Whoever God has for you will be ‘a work in progress’ (just like you), so don’t see them as they are, but how God will make them.
TO BE CONTINUED

ACC, Education, News

What planet are you on?

The first time I went overseas everything was foreign to me. The food, language, sights, smells, and customs. It was disorienting. It was so strange that I would not have been surprised to see two moons in the sky. It was like another planet.

Church feels like that to many people who are not used to a Church service. That’s why the apostle Paul taught that the public meeting of the Church should be, well, public. He instructed the women in the Church in Corinth to cover their hair so that ‘they‘, the visitors from a Jewish culture, would not be put off the message. He taught that everyone shouldn’t go on and on in tongues or ‘they‘ would think they were mad and would be put off the message. (This is not the gift of tongues and interpretation. But even here Paul said it was better to prophesy so people could understand). He encouraged the women not to call out across the room in the meeting because ‘they‘ would be distracted from the message. I go to churches regularly where the interjectors distract.

The secret culture of the Church where people sing about lamb’s blood and broken bodies, want the names and addresses of people they have never met, collect a ‘tithe’, suddenly go off the song being sung and leave visitors standing, put their hands on and shout at people who have wandered out to an ‘altar’ call – all without a word of explanation, is alien to the public.

 Unless a Church is happy to stay where they are or only want to accommodate other church goers, they need to live on planet earth. Spirit contemporary Churches have found how to blend pentecostal expression with seeker awareness. Firstly explain everything that is happening, everything, clearly and succinctly. Secondly adjust language; prophecies don’t have to be in King James English and can be in the third person. Structure ‘free’ times; ensure people go to new people during a ‘greeting’ time and ‘free’ worship is short and is incorporated into a song and has a similar melody line. Non structured times disconcert new comers who don’t know what to do. Become an interpreter of culture and language to open the door and let ‘them’ in.

The post What planet are you on? appeared first on Australian Christian Churches.

Education

Inside Israel Report May 2016

Inside-israel

Increase in Tourism and Israeli Travel 

During the recent Passover holiday in Israel, over 1.1 million travelers passed through Ben Gurion Airport, both Israelis and tourists. This is a marked increase of 13% from last year. The top destinations for Israelis were Italy, France, the Greek Islands and the United States. The busiest airline was Turkish Airlines but only for quick layovers in transit to other destinations. Although it might be the cheapest way to travel, Israelis have been warned not to stay in Turkey because of threats towards Israeli tourists.   

Read more.

Please pray for continued safety for Israelis traveling abroad and for the tight security at Ben Gurion Airport. 

Israel Will Never Leave the Golan

Prime Minister Netanyahu recently declared that the Golan Heights would forever remain under Israel’s sovereign control. In a recent visit to Moscow, Russian Prime Minister Putin and Netanyahu discussed the Golan Heights and Netanyahu explained that it was crucial for Israel’s security for it to remain in Israeli hands. Syrian fighting has brought Hezbollah close to Israel’s borders with heavy weaponry and Israel does not want another war with Hezbollah, who fired hundreds of rockets on Israeli civilians a few years ago. Part of the Golan Heights is shared with Syria, a close neighbor to Israel. Often, because of Syria’s civil war, stray mortars or airplanes have entered Israeli space. 

Read more.

Please pray for Israeli’s safety along its border shared with Syria.  

Holocaust Survivors Living in Poverty Receive Budget Surplus

A new study recently published showed that 45,000 Holocaust survivors live in poverty and are worried about their finances. They are also lonely and in poor health. On May 5, Israel remembered the six million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust by observing a moment of silence throughout the country. Cars, buses, businesses, schools and people came to a stop for a minute while listening to the sirens blasting. There are 190,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel, of whom two-thirds are women. The average age is 80 and 13% are over 90 years old.  In addition, 13% of them die each year. As a result of this recent study, the Knesset Finance Committee transferred one million shekels from a 2015 budget surplus to help these dear Holocaust survivors.    

Read more.

Read more.

Please pray for these dear Holocaust survivors to be healthy and happy with a sound mind and heart.

Israelis Fly to Canada to Help with Forest Fire

An Israeli-based non-profit and non-governmental organization has sent volunteers to provide primarily psycho-social interventions in order to deal with the needs and responses of the evacuees who are staying in temporary shelters. Mostly, the volunteers are sent to developing countries and this will be the first time they are sent to Canada. Israel is a leader in dealing with helping people through stressful relief situations; and once the fire is put out, they will send in other teams to help clean up the debris.   

Read more.

Please pray for this fire to be put out and the devastation to be cleaned up fast so peoples’ lives can be put back in order.

Israel Celebrates 68 Years!

As Israel celebrates its 68th modern birthday, its population has grown by 2.2% in the last year to 8.5 million. Over 195,000 babies were born and 36,000 people made Aliyah (Jews immigrating from another country to live in Israel). The Jewish population is 74.8% and the Arab population is 20.8%. In 1948, Israel’s population was 806,000 and its only city of 100,000 people was Tel Aviv/Jaffa. Now Israel has 14 cities of more than 100,000. Israel is a leader in the world among high-tech innovation and medical advances and research. Israelis celebrated Independence Day with BBQs, picnics, hikes, fireworks and airshows. It was a joyous day throughout the country!  

Read more.

Praise God for 68 years of the rebirth of Israel!

Israelis Vote on “Most Israeli” Fruit and Vegetable

Over Independence Day, a poll was conducted to find which fruit and vegetable was the most “Israeli.” The citizens voted the tomato the most Israeli and that they like to eat it diced in a salad. The “Israeli Salad” is made up of cucumber, tomatoes and onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and a sprinkle of vinegar. The citrus fruit was voted the most “Israeli fruit.”  Israelis are known to consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The tomato is excellent in anti-oxidants, lycopene and alpha and beta carotene. The citrus is an excellent source of vitamin C. This might contribute to Israeli’s high level of fitness and general good health. 

Read more.

Please pray for the farmers and farmland to remain healthy and able to bear fruit.

Serving the Holocaust Survivors

Right before Holocaust Remembrance Day, a group of Chinese Christians who were visiting the country stopped their touring and helped Chosen People Ministries to unload a food delivery truck, package food parcels and get them ready to be handed out to Holocaust survivors. Chosen People Ministries in Israel has a vibrant work among this dear population of people. Many of them are poor and this extra supply of food is helpful to their finances. They were happy to receive the food parcels, especially from visitors who had traveled so far!