Sukkot, or Tabernacles, begins this year on October 13 at sundown, five days after Yom Kippur, and commemorates God’s provision and protection of the Jewish people during their 40-year trek through the wilderness.
The First Commandment proclaims, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:3). To that end, God’s Word provides instructions to light our paths and help us live. One of those instructions for believers…
Heeding the voice of wisdom and experi- ence can prevent many a heartache. Solomon’s son Rehoboam learned that fact the hard way, but this article explains why you don’t have to.
History and literature often speak of the “seven deadly sins”: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. The Bible also lists seven sins and calls them “an abomination” to God: “a proud look…
The most sacred day in the Jewish High Holy Days observance is Yom Kippur. Held in the fall, it is the sixth of the seven observances recorded in Leviticus 23. The words Yom Kippur mean…
Good potential + bad choices = accomplishing little or nothing for God. But you can alter that equation. Read on!
Often it seems that the good kings of Judah had bad sons, and the bad kings had good sons. Most noteworthy of this perplexing phenomenon were good King Hezekiah—undeniably one of the most spiritually virile…
God’s purposes are not thwarted by our sin. God used Jacob’s stubbornness to raise up the 12 tribes of Israel. He used Israel’s failure under the theocracy in the time of the judges to bring…
Well begun is half done,” says the old adage. But we should be dedicated to finishing strong. The apostle Paul ran the race of life in order to win the prize (1 Cor. 9:24).
Jehoshaphat played the fool by trying to travel two roads at the same time. And the admonishment God gave him back then still applies to us today.
Hebrews 3:1–19: Moses is a dominant figure in Israel’s history. Of all the Old Testament leaders, there is none greater. He is described as “the man of God” and “the servant of the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Dt. 33:1; 34:5).
The Bible records several examples of people who were victims of reviling, abusive speech. The prophet Jeremiah was one. His enemies said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah…
Modern Judaism calls the fifth of seven observances recorded in Leviticus 23 Rosh Hashanah. The words mean “head of the year.” And the holiday—which begins at sundown on September 29—is considered a New Year…
Apparently Harvard graduate Barack Obama has trouble with the English language. Or he says one thing when he speaks to Jewish people and another when he speaks to CNN.
A while ago I had a long conversation with our Arab neighbors here in Jerusalem. They came to me to convince me that they are holy people who are more humane than we.
Over the years, many people who have traveled “Up to Jerusalem” with us have told me about the sites and experiences on our tour that affected them the most. The list usually includes our boat…
On April 1, sirens across the entire State of Israel sounded for a full 90 seconds, warning all citizens to head immediately for the shelters. This exercise was no April Fools’ Day trick.
It’s been rather amusing over the years to observe those who think they call the shots for evangelical and/or fundamentalist Christians when it comes to making social or political decisions in American life.
Eckhart Tolle, Jeremiah Wright, Jimmy Carter. Believe it or not, they all have something in common. And if you love the Lord, love your country, and love Israel, you won’t be too happy about it.
Eli was basically a good man. However, God pronounced a terrible judgment on his house, and for good reason. Something had gone wrong, and Eli was not diligent to rectify it.
Ami Ortiz, 15-year-old son of Israeli Pastor David Ortiz, arrived home in March to find an impeccably wrapped package on his front porch. Since it was the season of Purim…
God has always kept His promises. And the prima facie evidence of His faithful- ness is the experience of His ancient cove- nant people, Israel.
God promised David the kingship over Israel. Yet it took more than 20 years for that promise to be realized. Born in Bethlehem of Judea, David was the youngest of eight sons
Although many people, including some Christians, deny that Israel’s return to the land is biblical, they are wrong. It is extremely biblical. And here’s why.
Many years ago my wife and I were on our way to the Jersey Shore in a driving rain. As we drew closer to our destination, the rain began to subside…
The great deluge of Noah’s day did not come without a warning from God. Today researchers studying catastrophic plate tectonics present a flood model that is nothing less than horrific.
This summer marks the 45th anniversary of the ruling that outlawed reading the Bible and reciting the Lord’s Prayer in America’s public schools. But there’s more. Read on.
Jerusalem. The mere mention of it evokes a response. Many love it and passionately desire to visit this ancient city of King David. Or they long to walk where Jesus walked.
Hebrews 2:1–18: In the midst of showing Christ’s superiority to angels, the author of Hebrews paused to apply what he had presented previously. He then warned and exhorted Jewish believers in Jesus—the recipients of this letter…
The previous article examined the biblical view of two types of negative speech: lying and false witness. Now we will observe what the Bible says about other types of negative speech.
Many people who become Christians still struggle in their faith and have an inability to trust God earnestly. Mankind in general has a problem trusting God. Israel is no different.
A biblical prophecy is not merely a prediction. It is a sure promise about the future. God is ever faithful to keep His promises, even though He often does so many years down the road.
World history is boring!” Did you ever hear such a thing? I know I did. Why learn the names of people and places you never heard of? What difference does it make?
Samuel’s sons did not walk with the Lord. Therefore, the people wanted a king who would rule over them and fight their battles (1 Sam. 8:19–20). They wanted to be just like other nations.
Tell 10 Jewish people they are the Chosen People of God and at least half will reply, “I wish He had chosen someone else!” While such an example of Jewish wit is amusing…
Below are excerpts from U.S. President George W. Bush’s speech to the Israeli Knesset in May to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary. Speaking of God’s promise to give the Jewish people the land…
As it is written in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “There is nothing new under the sun.” And this is so. When I go to people who consider themselves good servants of God, they always ask me the same questions…
Widespread “Israel at 60” celebrations in Jewish communities this year are reminders of the certainty of God’s promises to the Jewish people. Christians who have been participating in these events realize they are expressing…
Replacement Theology, which strips Israel of God’s promises, has been around a long time. But in every generation, there also have been men who believed, long before 1948, in Israel’s national restoration.
The 10-year-old had a tight grip on a dollar bill when his father pulled into the parking lot of the general store. The boy anxiously held out his dollar and asked…
It’s difficult to believe that FOI has been around for 70 years. Well, maybe not so difficult when you learn how we began and what has undergirded our ministry to this day.
If you want to hold a growth group, Bible study, prayer meeting, or weekly religious gathering of any type in your home in Freehold, New Jersey, you likely will find yourself before the zoning…
When the Archbishop of Canterbury recently suggested the inevitability of instituting some aspects of Muslim Sharia law in Britain, he caused a justifiable furor. His comments also raised hackles in Canada…
Despite its military victories, Israel still does not enjoy peace. So the country’s anniversary celebration took a different turn this year—for a significant reason.
To protect itself from car bombs and suicide bombers, Israel is constructing a security barrier that runs roughly along the perimeters of the 1949 armistice lines. Unfortunately, huge chunks of the barrier…
Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni, Ehud Olmert’s former military aide, was appointed head of Central Command in June 2007 by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi.
Maj.-Gen. Yair Golan is the recently appointed commander of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front, replacing Yitzhak Gershon who stepped down following harsh criticism of his command’s performance during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
Three men played key roles in Israel’s ancient history. Each man reveals an aspect of God’s work with the nation and His special blessing on it.
Israel, once so secular, is becoming more religious. Plans are afoot to build a third Temple, and several interesting events are confirming the truths of Bible prophecy.
In 2004 on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, a new Sanhedrin arose after an absence of more than 1,400 years. Staffed by Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis who want Israeli life…
A terrorist mind-set is concerned with occupation. To them, everything is an imperialist or Zionist conspiracy. The reality is that the terrorist mind is occupied with half truths. Although many times the terrorist knows the truth…
As Israel turns 60, its economy is moving ahead more rapidly than anyone would have guessed. Here are some facts and figures that probably will astound you.
Israel’s recent economic prosperity is hardly shared by everyone living here. Sadly, the poverty rate has actually grown this decade as the stock market and financial compensation for most chief executive officers (CEOs) roared ahead.
Israel may be small, but it ranks high when it comes to education. Such regard for learning is rooted in Scripture. Nehemiah 8:8 states, “They read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God…
Seventy-one-year-old Iowa resident Ruth Brown may have no idea that she owes a debt of gratitude to an Israeli company located south of Haifa. Doctors had probed Ruth’s stomach and performed a colonoscopy…
Hebrews 1:4–14: No chapter in the Bible presents such a full picture of the deity of Jesus Christ as Hebrews 1. After completing His earthly ministry, Christ was restored to the dignity and glory He possessed in eternity past…
The Bible indicates that human speech can have powerful influence. Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” In other words..
In a world stricken by the compulsion to forget and plagued with perpetually erratic behavior, it is not surprising that some people no longer see Israel as a little David struggling for survival…
When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.” So says the investment firm of E. F. Hutton, anyway. The company’s slogan made the point that it is so good at what it does that everyone…
Much information, good and bad, is available today via the Internet. So we’ve compiled a list of Web sites we believe are good and well worth navigating. Some are Christian sites; others are not.
Not long ago I was out walking, and four ultra-Orthodox men stopped me on the street. “Do you recognize us?” one asked. “I am not sure,” I replied. “We had a long conversation with you…
We recently received a personal invitation and media advisory from international Muslim leaders calling for a meeting at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This Muslim-Christian event was billed as an “historic olive branch.”
“Bethlehem will become a town of churches devoid of Christians if you transfer the area to the Palestinian Authority,” predicted the late mayor of Bethlehem, Elias Freij, pleading—in 1993—not to transfer…
An interesting contest seems to be heating up as the world paves a road to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The religious left has felt compelled to issue a series…
Sometimes special people cross our paths, showing us the best of what Christianity is all about. Let us introduce you to a few of these saints who have made a difference in life on this earth.
Media producers and conservative Christians have long argued about whether film and television fare can so affect people, especially youth, that it influences their actions. Secularists in the celluloid industry have loudly…
Christ did for us at Calvary. The blessings that accrue to us are manifold, and so are the responsibilities.
Just as you must have a plan to achieve your goals in life, so also God has a plan. From the world’s foundation, God’s goal to glorify Himself included a plan to redeem lost humanity.
What does it take to live a holy life? If you can faithfully master three important points, you’re well on your way.
The world today ignores many traditional beliefs, values, and mores. But none has endured as much erosion as the concept of submission. Years ago most people respected and submitted to the authority over them.
world are bound to encounter opposition. And though suffering for one’s faith may be difficult, it produces some undeniable and sometimes surprising benefits.
The apostles Peter and Paul had much to say regarding submission to governmental authority, employers, and spouses. But the underlying point—the bottom line—is that all people, particularly believers, should willingly and readily submit to God.
The Lord of the universe knows everything about you, including your needs. This excellent article explains how you can depend on Him because He is the perfect CARE-giver.
The Doomsday Clock (see doomsdayclock.org) has graced the cover of each issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago since the magazine’s inception in 1947. Midnight symbolizes total nuclear destruction…
Hebrews 1:1–3: Hebrews is without question one of the greatest and most important books in the New Testament. In it the writer presented an in-depth study of both the deity and humanity of Jesus the Messiah…
Our earlier study noted that God is a personal being, possessing intellect. As such, He thinks. In His Word, God refers to His thoughts and indicates they are different from and higher…
And your eyes need to be there as well because the Jews are God’s people, and Israel is the land of destiny. Israel is God’s measuring rod and blueprint for what He is…
Reasonable, educated speculation based on an understanding of the Jewish seating custom can help us appreciate the drama in the Upper Room at Jesus’ final Passover more than 2,000 years ago.
My God, the soul which Thou hast placed in me is pure. Thou hast fashioned it in me; Thou didst breathe it into me, and Thou preservest it within me…
In Isaiah 53:8 the prophet spoke of the distorted trial held for the Servant of the Lord and of His death: “He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation?
Two Jewish holidays seem to have strikingly similar origins: A man arises who hates the Jewish people and decides they must be dealt with. One such enemy enslaved them, while the other sought…
January was one of the worst months for Kassam attacks in Sderot. Arutz-7 reported many straight days of more than 40 hits per day. Parents keep their children home from school…
I live in a neighborhood in Jerusalem where many Russian immigrants live. I have lived in this home 34 years, but many of them arrived recently and do not go to synagogue…
This year—2008—marks the 60th anniversary of the rebirth of the nation of Israel. On May 14, 1948, the Jewish People’s Council assembled at the Tel Aviv Museum to approve the historic proclamation…
A man identifying himself as a “missionary in Jerusalem” wrote a scathing response to an op-ed piece I wrote recently for The Jerusalem Post. The writer castigated me for my apparent lack of love…
Leaders of the National Council of Churches U.S.A. (NCC) are fond of reminding us of its size and influence. In fact, a Web site reviewing the organization’s newest yearbook called the NCC…
Unbelievers will go to the mat to prevent dog fighting, but believers won’t do the same to prevent worldwide persecution of their brethren in Christ. Read what is happening while we sleep.
When ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Avraham Bernstein of Freehold Township, New Jersey, decided to hold a Friday evening Shabbat service in his home almost ten years ago, he had no idea he would become…
COMPASS DIRECT NEWS—Pastor Mark Jaikumar was recovering recently in a private care facility in Bangalore, Karnataka state, India, after being kidnapped and blindfolded and overhearing Hindu extremists’ plans to kill him…
Ancient Rome was no friend to Christianity. Christians simply didn’t fit in, and they paid a heavy price. Is America following in Rome’s footsteps? See for yourself.
I had never seen a Bible or even touched one. In 2001 I was living with my uncle who abused me and threw chairs at me. I went to a friend’s house…
Born-again believers and Jewish people have been persecuted for millennia. And, unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. Why? Because of the everlasting hatred.
They were boiled in oil, tortured, and persecuted in the most heinous ways. But they endured because they understood an important, eternal truth that we should not forget today.
Being a believer in Jesus is not always easy. In fact, more often than not it brings persecution, trials of all kinds, and many deep valleys through which the child of God must walk.
Islam professes to be a religion of peace. But what many Muslims say and what they do are two different things.
Jonah 4:1–11: If we were writing the book of Jonah, how would we end the story? We’d probably have Jonah rejoicing over being restored from disobedience, rescued from the belly of a fish…
In two previous articles concerning morality, we observed biblical descriptions of various types of eyes that reflect the moral condition of a heart. After examining one more type, we will consider two…
Israel has been the object of constant terrorism—a barrage of 9/11s all through its history. As a percentage of their total population, Israel has lost far more lives to terror…
Who is the Servant of the Lord presented in Isaiah 53? The answer is critical to understanding the great price God paid for our redemption. Some believe Isaiah 53 does…
ARUTZ-7—The Jewish state’s first Arab minister, Raleb Majadle, has declared that Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount is nonexistent and that he will always give his allegiance to Islam over Israel…