The Love and Mercy of God Part One
The key Old Testament word for God’s mercy is hesed. Scholars have translated it frequently as “mercy” or “lovingkindness.” Hesed appears 245 times…
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Israel in the News Sep/Oct 2011
Israeli doctors recently saved the life of 7-month-old Odai al-Kafarna of the Gaza Strip by repairing a hole in his heart. His grandmother, who brought him to the Israeli hospital…
Zvi Sep/Oct 2011
Anyone who remembers our War for Independence in 1948 knows about Latrun. It is an area in Israel located on a hilltop on the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Jul/Aug 2011
I look forward to meeting Dr. Haldor Lillenas in heaven someday. This pastor/evangelist was a prolific writer of some 4,000 hymns and sacred songs extolling the Bible as God’s Word…
Eye on the Middle East Jul/Aug 2011
A different atmosphere has emerged in Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak’s departure. The Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Iran are no longer viewed with disdain; and Hamas has an office in Cairo.
Bowing to the Bad Guys
A recent report that Guantanamo’s Muslim detainees have convinced the U.S. prison not to fly the American flag where they can see it is consistent with the inexplicable descent into the absurd…
Being Right in a Rough World
When the news first broke that Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan, television captured images of college students celebrating in Washington, DC, and National Public Radio gave unenlightened coverage…
A Palestinian State: How to Lose and Still Come Out a Winner
It used to be that winners were winners and losers were losers, and to the victor went the spoils. Not today, particularly when it comes to Israel. See for yourself.
They Cry in Silence Jul/Aug 2011
Muslims Murder a Convert. Two Muslim extremists in Somalia murdered a member of a secret Christian community in Lower Shabele region in April as part of a campaign to rid the country…
Leaning on His Word
What does every believer need but doesn’t want, has but doesn’t know what to do with? The answer is trials. We don’t want them, but we have them. When we have them…
Gaining Perspective
Even in the best of times, life can get you down. Perhaps that is why the Psalms are particularly suited to comfort people going through tough times. Who hasn’t been comforted…
The Uniqueness of God’s Word
The Bible was written by 40 different men over 1,600 years. How do we know it’s God’s Word? Read this article and find out!
Fortress of Faith, Castles of Sand
Christianity in America is under attack as never before. The press is particularly hostile. But the source of other threats may surprise you.
God Was in Our Boat
One of my favorite sites in Israel is the Sea of Galilee. It’s a great experience to take a boat ride across its calm and quiet waters. Although we know…
The Power of God’s Word
The Bible is not merely another book. It has the power to transform lives. If you don’t believe it, this article is definitely for you!
Scrolls, Scripture, and the Savior
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me (Jn. 5:39). Housed in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem is a curious…
Happy Birthday, KJV! 400 Years
May 2, 2011, commemorated a special day in printing history. It was the 400th anniversary of the first printing of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, one of the most beloved…
Keeping Up With False Teaching
Throughout history God sounded the alarm to His people to be on guard for false teachers. The Torah warns of false prophets (Dt. 18:20–22). The Gospels warn of wolves dressed…
The Father of Faith Hebrews 11:8–22
Now the book of Hebrews moves from the faith of men before the flood to the faith of men in the patriarchal period. The author uses Abraham’s faith to illustrate…
The Love of God Conclusion
In Titus 3:3 the apostle Paul presented a graphic description of unsaved man’s fallen disposition. He wrote to Titus, “We ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures…
Israel in the News Jul/Aug 2011
In August it will be six years since 10,000 Jews were expelled from 21 beautiful communities in Gush Katif/Gaza and the Shomron (Samaria). Most still live in trailer towns like Nitzan…
Zvi Jul/Aug 2011
Something happened recently that was hard even for me to believe. But as we say here in Israel, “When God wills it, everything is possible.” Not long ago my wife was in the hospital.
From Bill Sutter’s Desk May/Jun 2011
Blatant attempts to defame Israel as illegitimate and deny the Jewish state its rightful place among the countries of the world have been painfully obvious to those of us who stand with…
Eye on the Middle East May/Jun 2011
There are 450 different theme parks, amusement parks, and water parks in the United States, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks. Disney, the largest and most recognized, has six…
Connecting the Dots
Nehemiah had his work cut out for him. God had promised to return the Jewish people to their land after their captivity in Babylon. And true to His Word, God brought Nehemiah…
Beware the New Barbarians
An ultra-liberal movement is ripping its way through American culture. I call its purveyors the “new barbarians.” When we think of barbarian, we often picture Neolithic-looking creatures in animal skins, wielding giant clubs.
Eying the Ashes
Almost 50 years ago in America, the cry “Burn, baby, burn!” swept across Los Angeles, California, as riots that began in the Watts neighborhood raged out of control. They would be…
They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2011
Pastor in India Attacked. A pastor in India was stripped, beaten, and wounded by 10 Hindu extremists recently while praying in a home for a sick 8-year-old boy. The extremists arrived on motorbikes…
Walking in the Spirit
Believers today must walk in the Spirit. It is the essence of the stewardship of our dispensation and the criteria by which God will evaluate us. No one in the Old Testament…
By Grace Through Faith Alone
For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness’” (Rom. 4:3). Under the Old Covenant, people believed God accepted the blood of bulls and goats…
The Holy Spirit: A Believer’s Best Friend
And I will pray the Father; and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him…
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Jewish people react to the topic of the Holy Spirit much like Gentiles react to gefilte fish—with a rolling of the eyes and contortion of the face. Gentiles react that way…
A Look at the Gifts
Ships and boats have always intrigued me. Row boats, motor boats, fishing trawlers, riverboats, houseboats, battleships, and ocean liners—they all capture my imagination. As a child I knew the names of many famous…
Our God Who Helps
The Jewish Scriptures present the first glimpse of God’s creation of the earth by saying, “The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2). There were not…
Blessings of the New Covenant
Believers who live on this side of the Messiah’s empty tomb, the Day of Pentecost, and the book of Hebrews ought to learn to wallow more carefully in the New Covenant.
Baptism and Indwelling
New Covenant believers must be careful not to look with disdain on what God did with His people in ages past. In fact, Yahweh proved Himself blindingly gracious under the Old Covenant…
The Great Enabler
Throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is seen acting dramatically in the lives of people to enable those individuals to do that which, left to themselves, they could not do.
A Phenomenal Shavuot
Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims and strangers from all over the ancient world. They came from Mesopotamia, Judea, Asia, Egypt, Libya, and even Rome. It was summer; and Jewish people were gathering…
The Filling of the Spirit
Spirit-filling empowered John the Baptist to “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God” (Lk. 1:16) and be the forerunner of the Messiah “in the spirit and power of…
Faith Before the Flood Hebrews 11:4–7
n Hebrews 11 a gallery of portraits is paraded before us, painted by the hand of God. Each portrait presents the unique faith of individuals who performed great exploits. These men and women…
The Love of God Part Four
The previous article focused on the world as an object of God’s love and explained the distinction between agapao and phileo, the two key Greek words associated with God’s love…
Israel in the News May/Jun 2011
“What kind of monster butchers an infant?” American TV personality Glenn Beck asked his viewers recently, following the brutal massacre of five Israelis in the West Bank town of Itamar.
Zvi May/Jun 2011
This May it is 63 years since Israel became a state. I remember it well. Much time has passed, and I have grown much older. After everything I endured in my life…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Mar/Apr 2011
In 1950, a mere two years after the birth of the modern State of Israel, a historic conference was convened by then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in Jerusalem’s King David Hotel.
Eye on the Middle East Mar/Apr 2011
Students at Princeton University voted last fall on a referendum combining politics and cuisine. The issue raised by The Princeton Committee for Palestine wanted students to approve a boycott on hummus.
The Heart of Prayer
Early on New Year’s Day a car bomb exploded outside a church in Alexandria, Egypt, killing 21 worshipers and seriously injuring dozens more. The next day was Sunday, and Christians throughout…
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
The timing was striking. The article appeared in the December 5, 2010, issue of The New York Times. Harvard philosophy professor Sean D. Kelly wrote about what makes a “life worthy of…admiration.”
An Unsought Exodus
A new crusade to rid the Middle East of Jewish people is picking up support around the world. Will it succeed? Read this.
They Cry in Silence Mar/Apr 2011
Somali Girl Shot to Death for Embracing Christ. A 17-year-old girl in Somalia who converted to Christianity from Islam has been shot to death in an apparent “honor killing.” Nurta Mohamed Farah…
Reasons to Pray
All was quiet except for the windshield wipers swishing vainly back and forth as heavy snow reduced visibility to zero. It was a good time to pray—for many reasons
Worship Prayer
Worship should be an essential element of prayer. The modern-day word worship comes from the old English word weorthscipe.1 It referred to “worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being.”2 These meanings indicate…
When God Seems Silent
Imagine crying out to God but receiving no response. He’s always there, of course, but sometimes it doesn’t seem that way. Here’s what to do when God seems silent.
Service of the Heart
It was to be a day of trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy (2 Ki. 19:3). Assyria, the most powerful military force on Earth, invaded Judah. King Sennacherib demanded Jerusalem’s surrender, all the while mocking…
For Roses and for Thorns
It’s easy to thank God when things go right. But what about when things go wrong? Scripture has lots to say on the subject of thanksgiving.
Jesus’ Prayer for You
Did you ever wish you could speak with Jesus face to face? Many times I’ve longed to see His face, hear His voice, look into His eyes, and simply share what…
Elliott and Intercessory Prayer
How often do you go to the throne of grace on behalf of others? This excellent article explains why doing so may be one of your most important ministries.
Teaching Teens to Pray
Some sat on the floor, others in camp chairs, and a few reclined on the stairs. The students, ages 14 to 22, listened curiously as I posed five simple survey questions.
Israeli Diplomat Ambushed by NY Times Staff
The New York Times, flagship of the liberal American media, has never been a friend of the Jewish state. But the newspaper’s aversion to Israel turned to open hostility in December when its top…
Setting TIME Magazine Straight
In his latest article on Israel and the Palestinians, TIME magazine’s Karl Vick prejudges matters almost from the outset in his reference to “Israel’s 43 years of occupation of Palestinian territory.”
The Bedrock of Faith Hebrews 11:1–3
The author of Hebrews revealed in chapter 10 that salvation is established on the bedrock of Christ’s sacrifice and not through the Levitical system. Christ’s death for sin and His abiding priesthood…
The Love of God Part Three
God’s love is one of the great themes of the Bible. The previous articles on this theme focused attention on His love in the Old Testament. Now let’s begin to examine His love…
Israel in the News Mar/Apr 2011
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flag now flies in Washington, DC. PLO officials hoisted their banner over their U.S. mission for the first time in January.
Said mission chief Maen Areikat…
Zvi Mar/Apr 2011
Never has anyone come to our church to investigate those attending. Yet so it was recently. An elderly woman came because she had heard about me and that I am a Holocaust survivor.
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Jan/Feb 2011
“I’ve rarely felt such fellowship and trust among Christians and Jews.” That’s how Jewish author Dr. Stephen Spector reflected on a remarkable event held recently at Ohev Shalom in Richboro…
The Magic of Mahmoud
Like a diminutive political time bomb, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stalked the halls of the United Nations in September. He took his vitriol to the podium of the General Assembly…
Assessing the Fear Factor
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, leader of the crusade to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City, trashed his “moderation” pose when he disregarded millions of concerned Americans…
The Invisible Revolution
When I read the comment in Wired magazine last fall, I was so astonished I had to read it again. It reaffirmed my suspicion that there is a quiet, almost…
When the World Descended Into Madness
Hitler’s evil obsession once plunged Germany into barbarism and madness that afflicted the entire world. And what lies on the horizon may be more madness in the making.
They Cry in Silence Jan/Feb 2011
We have been hearing reports that the sprawling Muslim country of Indonesia is a model of pluralism and religious harmony. According to an article on www.america.gov by Louise Fenner, “Indonesia…
The Jewishness of the Temple Mount
So prolific is Muslim propaganda that many Westerners today question the Temple’s historicity. So it’s time to review the evidence.
The Beginning of PA Denial
The Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) political denial of the Jewish Temple’s existence first came to international attention at the Camp David II Summit in July 2000. In a final effort to resolve…
Muslim Backpedaling
Muslims today vociferously deny a Jewish Temple existed on the Temple Mount (Haram). However, their own literature affirms this fact and shows how they have changed their position to accomplish…
Rebuilding the City of Gold
Surrounded by trouble and enemies, Nehemiah forged ahead to repair and rebuild Jerusalem. If you think times have changed, you’re in for a surprise.
Archaeology Backs the Bible
In 2008 building remains from the first Temple period (eighth and ninth centuries B C.) were discovered in the northwest part of the Western Wall plaza that runs adjacent to the Temple…
Zerubbabel: Man With a Mission
Today’s Muslims claim the Jewish Temple of Jehovah never existed in Jerusalem. The Bible says differently, as you’ll soon see.
Why the Waqf Rules
When Israeli statesman Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in 2000, he was surrounded by 1,000 Israeli police. His visit, along with the announcement that the complex would…
Ezra and the Restoration Period
When Ezra the scribe returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, he led a mar- velous revival. So why does he seem underappreciated? Read on!
O the Good Life!
When the United Nations voted to create the independent State of Israel in 1948, most of world Jewry rejoiced. Israel provided a safe haven for thousands of traumatized Jewish Holocaust survivors…
Silver and Taxes: So What Else Is New?
According to Bible prophecy, an inferior empire (symbolized by silver in Daniel 2:31, 39) would replace the gold kingdom of Babylon. The Medo-Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. According to fifth-century…
Islam Rewrites the Bible
Millions of people today fail to grasp the differences between Jewish and Muslim claims to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. But the differences are enormous. Jewish claims are based on Scripture…
Words of Warning Hebrews 10:26–39
This section of the book of Hebrews comes on the heels of a strong warning in 10:25 that believers not abandon assembling together, as some were doing. In fact, Christians in every generation…
The Love of God Part Two
The previous article began to focus on God’s love in the Old Testament. God’s love involves a confirmed, inner, favorable disposition toward the objects of His love and a high, passionate degree…
Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2011
The Western Wall belongs to Muslims and is an integral part of al-Aqsa mosque and Haram al-Sharif (Islamic term for the Temple Mount complex), according to an official paper published…
Zvi Jan/Feb 2011
As it is written in Proverbs 19:21, “There are many plans in a man’s heart; nevertheless the Lᴏʀᴅ’s counsel—that will stand.” A few years ago, a religious school invited me to speak about…
From Bill Sutter’s Desk Nov/Dec 2010
Before Benjamin Netanyahu began his current term as prime minister of Israel, he spoke about Iran at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. I’ll never forget hearing him declare with conviction…
Eye on the Middle East Nov/Dec 2010
Here in the United States, citizens are befuddled about the meaning of the word illegal. A dictionary informs us it means “not according to or authorized by law.” Which says to most…
No One To Talk To?
British scientist Stephen Hawking is one more atheist trying to tell us there is no God. In his new book, The Grand Design, Hawking contends, “Because there is a law such as gravity…
A More Perfect Union Nov/Dec 2010
Julea Ward was getting A’s in her classes. She had completed all of her required work for a master’s degree in counseling at Eastern Michigan University, but problems arose during…
Hope We Can Believe In
Are you worried about the future? Politicians tell us “change” is what we need. But God knows what we need, and He delivered it around 2,000 years ago.
They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2010
On August 6 Afghan police discovered the bodies of 10 Christian-aid workers in a remote village in northern Afghanistan. Six of the slain were Americans. All were members of the International…
The Greatest Mystery of All
Consciousness, black holes, “rare antimatter.” These are considered some of the world’s greatest mysteries. But one mystery surpasses them all.
The Messiah of Daniel 9
It’s a ritual of mine always to purchase a program when I go to a baseball game. A program is vital to the serious sports enthusiast because it provides information that helps…
The Peace Only Jesus Brings
Inner peace, outer peace. Peace in this world, peace in the next. Everyone talks about it, but few understand what true peace is all about—and how Jesus will change the world.
Tampering With Freedom of Religion
President Ronald Reagan often called the White House a “bully pulpit,” meaning its power and prestige gave the president of the United States the ability to speak out on issues and influence…
Messianic Wannabes
So many people have claimed to be Christ who returned to Earth. But a brief look at their lives and ministries tells a different story.
The One Deuteronomy 18:15–22
Jewish people have been looking for the promised Redeemer since the days of Moses. Who is He, and what should they look for? The Scriptures reveal all.
Tsedek and Mishpat: The Perfect Rightness of God
There is perhaps no virtue more central to who God is and how He works in the course of human history than that of justice or righteousness. A small constellation…
Jewish Pseudo Messiahs
History is filled with people who envisioned themselves to be greater than they really were. Here are a number of Jewish men who either saw themselves as God’s promised Redeemer…
What Christmas Is Really About
More and more people today fail to understand the meaning of Christmas. It isn’t about presents, cards, carols, warm family gatherings, or lots of good food. Christmas is about the Incarnation…
A Lifestyle of Faith Hebrews 10:19–25
To this point, the book of Hebrews has been doctrinal in nature. Using comparison, the author has shown Christ’s superiority over angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood. He has also shown…