The ‘Danger’ of Christian Zionism
Thus read the first line of a December 2008 news release from the National Council of Churches (NCC). So exercised is this liberal federation of mainline denominations, which claims to represent…
Israel My Glory
Christians Fight for Rights in U.S. Schools
Brittany McComb was one of three valedictorians chosen to give a speech before 400 of her peers at her high school graduation in Henderson, Nevada, in 2006. But during commencement…
Israel in the News May/Jun 2009
A highly placed U.S. intelligence official said Washington intends to abandon Israel in favor of the Arabs in a policy “designed to end with [Israel’s] political annihilation as a nation.” “I have every…
A Promise Kept
The passing of old friends often brings a mixture of sadness and relief to those of us left behind. Such was the case in the recent homegoing of a friend of more than half…
Bible Portrait of the Messiah
Here are two effective ways to obtain a basic biblical understanding of the redemptive ministry of the Messiah. One comes from the New Testament, particularly as compacted in the book…
Israel in the News Mar/Apr 2009
I’ve been in Gaza for a week. We’re in an armored reconnaissance unit, which means we are infantry that goes in front of the tanks….The army was very tight with us about security…
Democrats, Republicans, and Israel
Since Israel came into existence in 1948, Democrats and Republicans have changed places in their attitudes toward Israel. In the first era, 1948–70, Democrats sympathized more with the Jewish state…
Who Holds the Future?
The conversation was between a militant, Russian Communist and a reserved, elderly Christian in the days before the collapse of the Soviet Union. A disciple of Marx and Lenin, the Communist…
Who Is Responsible?
Several years ago singer Barbra Streisand publicly berated actress Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) for her adamant stand against abortion. Asked by Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly to comment, Heaton replied…
Not As Good As It Gets
The consequence of reading the Bible literally is the premillennial vision of a glorious end-times Kingdom established by the glorious return of Jesus to Earth. Amillennialists—those who believe there will be no…
Jesus Is Coming Again!
Heaven is indeed a wonderful place. But I think that when Christians think of the future, they focus overmuch on heaven. Their longing is to be with Jesus in paradise…
Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2009
A female Egyptian lawyer has recommended that Arab men sexually harass Jewish women to force Jews to leave Israel. Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, is perceived…
Russia Is Back in Business
When Communism crumbled in the 1980s and the USSR was no more, the impoverished leaders of what remained were happy to receive aid and comfort from the West. As a result…
It’s Potato Latke Time!
It’s not difficult, and it teaches both children and adults how God protects His people and how important it is to stand up for what you believe. Hanukkah also has prophetic significance because…
Israel in the News Nov/Dec 2008
The UN is poised to insist that Israel pay Lebanon $1 billion to compensate for damages to Lebanon during the 2006 war against Hezbollah. “Yes, you read that correctly,” wrote Michael Freund in a recent article…
Positive or Negative? You Can’t Have One Without the Other
People who make their livings as editorial writers, news analysts, and commentators on contemporary trends and events are on the horns of a dilemma. On the one hand, society yearns for communicators who, in the
Israel in the News Sep/Oct 2008
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.
Who Speaks for Evangelical Christians?
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.
Israel in the News Jul/Aug 2008
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…
Rampaging Toward Change
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…
Why We Want to Kill You
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…
Web Winners
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.
Eleven Things Christians Should Know
“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…
Religion and Politics: Who’s in the Game
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…
Israel in the News Mar/Apr 2008
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…
Mainline or Out of Bounds
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…
Persecution Update
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…
‘Amisha’: The Heroic Housewife
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…
They Say ‘Peace, Peace’ When There Is No Peace
Islam professes to be a religion of peace. But what many Muslims say and what they do are two different things.
Now They Call Me Infidel
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…
Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2008
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…
Checking Up on the ‘Big Split’
We were recently taken by a headline that appeared in The Jewish Week. It read, “Evangelical Split Over Israel Batters Bush.” The crux of the article rested on the premise that evangelical…
Israel in the News Nov/Dec 2007
Intense rocket fire from Palestinian Gaza into Jewish Sderot has led Defense Minister Ehud Barak to declare a state of emergency in the western Negev communities, thereby transferring authority over local councils…
How Fair Is the Fairness Doctrine?
There is a move afoot to resurrect the misnamed Fairness Doctrine and impose it on conservative broadcasters. If it is successful, liberal politicians will debilitate Christian radio and virtually shut…
God’s Prophetic Time Out
The question is often asked concerning how the church fits into the prophecy of the 70 weeks in the book of the Jewish prophet Daniel. Here is that prophecy: Seventy weeks are determined…
Two Great Days, Two Great Doctrines
If you’re interested in learning the exact differences between Israel and the church, this amazing outline is just what the doctor ordered.
Israel in the News Sep/Oct 2007
Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must learn from Hamas’s takeover of Gaza. “Every piece of land that we unilaterally evacuate becomes a place where rockets are deployed against us. We must ensure…
Emissaries of the Devil
For more than 2,000 years, the great imitation has gone on. And over the same period, millions upon millions have placed their hopes for health, happiness, economic prosperity, and communion…
Israel in the News Jul/Aug 2007
Former Knesset member Azmi Bishara faces allegations that he sold intelligence information to Hezbollah for several hundred thousand dollars during Israel’s Second War in Lebanon last summer. He is also suspected of stealing millions…
The Rip Van Winkle Syndrome
Remember the story about Rip Van Winkle, the likable fellow of Dutch descent who slipped away from a nagging wife and bedded down for a nap under a shady…
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is one of the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. It is sometimes confused with the Rapture of the church. However, there are distinctions…
So Much for the Divine Spark
Most of us have had such sentiments thrown at us when we’ve lamented the current state of affairs and extolled the virtues of the “good old days.” Well, since the genocidal…
Pulled into Heaven
Christians are not born; they are born again. No one is a Christian because of lineage, heritage, or parentage. Individuals become Christians when they realize they are sinners with no…
The Price of Faith
In Pakistan, death awaits everyone who opposes Islam. Mujahid el Masih knows. In 1997 thousands of Muslims attacked his Christian village, setting fire to 1,500 homes, plus cars and medical clinics…
Israel in the News Mar/Apr 2007
American rifles supplied to the Palestinian Authority (PA) may be used against Israel if PA President Mahmoud Abbas has his way. WorldNetDaily’s Aaron Klein reported that Abbas has called on Arab…
Eye on the Middle East Jan/Feb 2007
Unity is not a word often bandied about in Middle East circles. For whatever it’s worth, however, there has been a rare occurrence of unity in a coalition of Conservative…
The Certainty of Our Security
As the year turns, Americans find themselves moving into a new political reality. The operative word in most quarters is uncertainty. Where will the “new direction” take us? No one…
Is Israel an Apartheid State?
Even before the State of Israel was established, Jewish leaders consciously sought to avoid the situation that prevailed in South Africa. As David Ben-Gurion told Palestinian nationalist Musa Alami in 1934…
Saddam’s WMDs…From Someone Who Knows
In Iraq he was known as General Georges, former air vice marshal in Saddam Hussein’s military and one of Saddam’s top advisors. His name is Georges Sada, and he is a Christian. His book…
Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2007
In a move presented as an effort to counter the growing strength and influence of Hamas, the United States has been arming and training Fatah fighters, headed by Palestinian Authority…
Eye on the Middle East Nov/Dec 2006
The late Yasser Arafat and his Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) cronies made a big mistake years ago when they chose to line their own pockets with the loot garnered from the benevolent West, rather…
Questions That Beg for Answers
Here we go again. Just as they exploded with rage over 12 cartoons published in a Danish newspaper in September 2005, Muslims again are demonstrating that they will not extend freedom of the press…
Happy Hanukkah
On December 15, as it grows dark, our family will gather around the dinner table to light the first candle on a nine-armed candelabra and sing Maoz Tzur Yeshuati: “The Strength of My Rock…
Brigitte Gabriel Conclusion
When the Palestinians started fighting in Lebanon [in the 1970s], the war took on such savagery that it was inconceivable. They would massacre the Christian cities. City after city. A signature Palestinian way…
Israel in the News Nov/Dec 2006
The father of an Israeli soldier abducted and killed in 2000 says he has proof the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) filmed the kidnapping, sold the film to Hezbollah, and then denied…
Eye on the Middle East Sep/Oct 2006
Over a year ago, in a good-faith attempt at conciliation to Palestinian and international demands, Israel left the Gaza Strip. Eight thousand to 10,000 Israeli citizens were expelled from their homes…
Rediscovering Evil
The TV news anchors were discussing an unspeakably vicious murder that had been committed without provocation. The report was shocking but, unfortunately, the fare we have come to expect on the evening…
Israel in the News: Special Report
Brigitte Gabriel is a survivor of Islam’s jihad against Lebanese Christians. Her story will astound you. Reared in an Arab country that taught her to hate Israel, her love for the Jewish state…
The Lowdown on Hezbollah
Hezbollah makes no secret of its objective, namely, the destruction of Israel. It committed an act of war by crossing the international border and attacking soldiers in Israel and kidnapping two…
Eye on the Middle East Jul/Aug 2006
Speaking before the British House of Commons on June 8, 1982, President Ronald Reagan gave his famous “evil empire” speech in which he affirmed the reality of evil in the world and insisted…
Ignoring the Obvious
While Americans burn time arguing the merits, or lack thereof, of the absurd fiction The Da Vinci Code (24 percent of its readers said the novel aided their “personal growth and spiritual understanding”), a real-time…
Israel in the News Jul/Aug 2006
A senior Palestinian Authority (PA) religious leader has said on a PA-affiliated Web site that Christian Zionists worship “Satan as God.” So reports Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). The author of the PMW article…
Eye on the Middle East May/Jun 2006
In a world overrun by head-scratching contradictions to anything resembling common sense, here’s one more. Israeli Brig. Gen. Aviv Kochavi has been forced to cancel plans to study…
Sixty Years From Now
While rummaging through some photos recently, I ran across a picture of the Corrie ten Boom tree of honor at the upper end of the Street of Righteous Gentiles at the Yad Vashem Holocaust…
These Are the Facts
Israel became a nation around 1450 B.C., some 2,000 years before the rise of Islam. Jewish people have lived in the land continuously since the days of Joshua—some 3,000 years. The Jewish…
JNF Blueprints the Negev
More than 6 million Israelis live on 8,000 acres less than Nebraska plants in wheat alone. With Israel’s population now at 6.6 million, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) is looking toward the Negev…
Praying at the Wall
Editor’s Note: The Western Wall in Jerusalem is the holiest site in all of Judaism. Historian Nancy Ceperley has a profound love for Israel and the Jewish people, imparted to her by her late…
How the JNF/KKL Makes the Desert Bloom
For years The Friends of Israel has planted trees in Israel through the Jewish National Fund, or Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF/KKL). With each tree purchase comes a certificate that lists the activities…
Israel in the News May/Jun 2006
The Palestinian Authority’s ruling Hamas terror group has launched a Web site for children, using cartoons and children’s stories to preach the moral desirability of being a suicide terrorist. The Hamas-run Al-Fateh.net…
Eye on the Middle East Mar/Apr 2006
When Israel’s prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was stricken with a devastating, career-ending stroke in January, an era came to an end. Sharon was the last of the giants who have fallen…
The Day Rose-Colored Glasses Turned Green
On January 25 things looked pretty good for wishful thinkers who perpetually see the world through rose-colored glasses. The Palestinian election polls were showing a 10-point spread between Palestinian President Mahmoud…
Israel in the News Mar/Apr 2006
As the government declares “war” on unauthorized Jewish communities, Arabs, funded by the Palestinian Authority (PA), are deciding Israel’s future borders through unhindered illegal building. Unauthorized Arab building…
Eye on the Middle East Jan/Feb 2006
“What’s it to me?” That’s a question repeatedly bandied about by Americans and people residing in the affluent zone we call the Western democracies. There’s plenty of “bread and circus” and little…
A War Strictly off the Record
The teenagers were on their way to their Christian school in Poso (Sulawesi), Indonesia. As they walked through a cocoa plantation, none could have imagined the horror awaiting them. Hiding beside the path, hooded jihadists…
Myths/Facts: Israel & the Middle East Jan/Feb 2006
Myth: Egypt is no longer a military threat since signing a peace treaty with Israel. Fact: While Egypt remains formally at peace with Israel and honors its Camp David commitments, Cairo has nevertheless amassed…
The Mysterious Golem
One of the strangest teachings of Kabbalah concerns the creation of the legendary golem. Some kab b alists claim that, with the right ingredients (such as clay) and the pronouncement…
The Anti-Terror, Pro-Israel Sheik
Few Muslims these days have the courage to support Israel and condemn terror. Sheik Abdul Hadi Palazzi, a highly educated imam, professor, co founder and cochairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship…
Israel in the News Jan/Feb 2006
The Palestinian Authority (PA) wants the United States to pressure Israel into allowing PA polling stations and campaigning in Jerusalem, enabling the Hamas terrorist organization pledged to Israel’s destruction to campaign…
Myths/Facts: Israel & the Middle East Nov/Dec 2005
In Gaza, Israel’s intent was always to withdraw completely, and no settlements were viewed as vital to Israel for economic, security, or demographic reasons. The situation in the West Bank is completely different.
What’s So Special About Christmas?
When it comes to the holidays, and I’m asked to name a favorite, it’s not difficult. Thanksgiving is the day. It’s a time when the air is crisp and clear…
They Cry in Silence Nov/Dec 2005
Good news and bad news are coming out of Indonesia. As you may know, this is a country dominated by Muslims (88 percent), many of whom are radically opposed to Christians…
The Staggering Cost of Disengagement
The cost of family relocation alone is estimated to be nearly $1 billion of the country’s annual $59 million state budget. In addition, the Israel Defense Forces will spend some $500 million to remove military…
Eye on the Middle East Nov/Dec 2005
For Israelis, Gaza is history—it’s over. The tears have been shed, and lingering, bitter memories still distress many of the displaced. For example, the evacuees from Kfar Darom will not forget the heavy price exacted…
Israel in the News Nov/Dec 2005
ARUTZ-7—As the Israeli flag was being lowered over Gaza to mark the end of Israel’s 38-year-presence in the area, teenaged Arabs threw rocks at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops near the demolished Neveh Dekalim community.
Myths/Facts: Israel & the Middle East Sep/Oct 2005
In March 2005, Israel announced the intention to build 3,500 homes on a strip of territory that has been declared state land between the community of Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem (Jerusalem Post, March 20, 2005).
A Grave for Israel?
In light of the situation in the Middle East, the poet’s words are hauntingly prophetic. Not only do they carry refrains from Israel’s ancient prophets, but they echo the Holocaust, pogroms, and the perpetual anti-Semitism…
Jephthah’s Vow: Did He or Didn’t He?
For centuries scholars have debated the fate of Jephthah’s daughter. Did Jephthah sacrifice her as a burnt offering (Jud. 11:31) because of a foolish vow he made to Jehovah, or did he constrain…
Slated for Destruction: Life in Gush Katif
When Israel abandons Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip, it will walk away from 21 communities that house schools, businesses, farms, and 900 acres of high-tech hothouses that yield nearly 70 percent of all Israel’s…
They Cry in Silence Sep/Oct 2005
It is hard for those of us in freedom-loving countries to imagine being thrown in jail for teaching children the things of God and the love of Jesus. But this is precisely what is taking…
Eye on the Middle East Sep/Oct 2005
In the quest for peace and survival in the Middle East, a little history and a few questions may be to our benefit. Following Britain’s defeat of the Muslim Ottoman Turks in 1917, the Mandatory…
Israel in the News Sep/Oct 2005
ARUTZ-7—An outstanding issue in the ever-so-complicated disengagement/expulsion is what to do with the residents’ property. “What-ever we can fit into two large containers, we will take,” army Brig.-Gen. Guy Tzur told the people of Gush…
What Darwin Did Not Know
We now know that if Darwin could have foreseen coming scientific developments, he would have had good reason to be concerned that his theory might one day be proved wrong. In particular, Gregor Mendel had not…
A Hand of Help for Gaza
Although the context is far removed from the essence of that ancient encounter, if you have ever ventured into the Gaza Strip you have likely thought something similar. On my last visit…
Myths/Facts: Israel & the Middle East Jul/Aug 2005
Long before 1967, when Israel captured the West Bank, Arabs used violence to try to first prevent the establishment of a Jewish state and then to destroy Israel. Anti-Jewish riots began in 1920 and were…
Creation vs. Evolution: The Battle for Truth
Richard Dawkins, noted scientific scholar, ethologist,1 and author, describes someone who does not believe in evolution this way: “It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in…
Have you an Answer?
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? (Job 38:4–5) .
Eye on the Middle East Jul/Aug 2005
In this troubled world, it’s always a plus to live in a safe place where the neighbors are friendly and always ready to lend a helping hand. Good neighbors are even more important…
Tales From a Tract
Shortly after his death on April 19, 1882, a rumor spread that Charles Darwin repudiated his “discoveries” and had turned to Christ. The story first appeared in the American Baptist journal, the Watchman Examiner…
Israel in the News Jul/Aug 2005
Police detectives searched the IDF soldier’s vehicle after they deemed his behavior suspicious. Heroin was found, and he was arrested. During his arrest, the soldier told the police officers that he was a neo-Nazi…
You Only Get One Mistake
I have a friend who spent his military career in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a sapper—a military demolitions specialist. His job was to defuse land mines and other lethal explosives. Upon being inducted…