Passover! It's Funny This Time!

At a time when a blasphemous movie like "Noah" has been inflicted on the public, it is refreshing to read this breaking news today that gives credence to the Torah concerning the ten plagues on Egypt in the Exodus Passover story. An Egyptian columnist wants to sue Israel for the biblical plagues visited on Egypt when Moses spoke God's message to Pharaoh to "let My people go!" Ahmad al-Gamad has proposed that Egypt sue a number of countries for damages over the past few thousand years - Israel and also France, Turkey, and Britain!

This is hilarious! Al-Gamad's reasoning is that the real culprit was the Pharaoh, and the people of Egypt should not have had to suffer the plagues for Pharaoh's ill-treatment of the Israelites.  On top of that the columnist demands that all the precious commodities used in building the Tabernacle at Mt. Sinai were stolen from the Egyptians upon the exodus of the Israelite slaves. He is seeking information on the value of all these materials so that Egypt can be compensated.  How laughable!

Unlike the movie, "Noah," this story at least has some basis in biblical fact, which, coupled with the crazy absurdness of it, makes it "refreshing news."  And there are extensive quotes from Exodus, which is also refreshing!  But it does have inaccuracies. Al-Gammad says the plagues came from "curses" cast by the Jews' ancient forefathers on Egypt's ancient forefathers.  He did not credit the God of Israel for His judgments, which is the real story. And the truth of the matter concerning the materials for the Tabernacle is this: "And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians" (Ex.12:36).

If you like to laugh, read the article here: 

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/12970/egyptian-wants-sue-israel-damages-caused-biblical-plagues/

With Passover coming up soon - April 14-15, sundown to sundown - it would be a good idea to read the entire miraculous deliverance story of the Exodus in the Bible.  You can find it in Exodus, chapters 7-12 (short version), but to get the background, start at the beginning of the Book of Exodus.  THIS IS REAL HISTORY! MIRACLES ALL OVER THE PLACE.  Passover is Independence Day for the new nation of Israel! It is the oldest celebrated religious rite in existence today, and it is based on historical fact.

Incidentally, if you want the TRUE STORY OF NOAH, read Genesis, chapters 6-9. It needs no dressing up to be the subject of an exciting movie. The truth is exciting enough already!

Keep reading my blog in days to come for the story of the BLOOD MOONS! Are these signs of the end of the world?

Return to the Land - Part Two: God's Peace Plan for Israel

This message, "Return to the Land," is a continuation of my report on the 2002 Passover Prayer Tour - Part Two: God's Peace Plan for Israel. It is relevant in 2014. The facts are still the same. 

The subjects covered are extremely important to our understanding of the present conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. I explore the history of the Holy Land subsequent to World War I and leading up to last-days prophecy from Ezekiel and Zechariah. Miracle stories from Israel's Six-Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973 are included.

Two important books for understanding the Mid-East conflict are The Mountains of Israel, The Bible & the West Bank by Norma Parrish Archbold, and When Day and Night Cease by Ramon Bennett. Every lover of Israel, and, indeed, every Christian, should have these two books! The maps in Archbold's book and the map here will help you as you listen to this 27-minute message.

The return of the Jews back to Israel occupies more Scripture - over 700 verses - than any other topic in the Bible! Tom Hess lists these verses in his book, Let My People Go. Aliyah (immigration) is increasing every day, in many cases because anti-Semitism is also increasing! Prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes! Don't you want to be a part of it? All these things are leading up to the return of Christ. Let us be prepared to help the Jewish people in their return to the Land where all things will be consummated when the Jewish Messiah returns!

April 27, 2002 at Harvest Church in Columbus, MS - Part 2

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John and Charles Wesley were early Zionists!

The BDS movement against Israel, which includes Boycotting, Divestment, and Sanctions, is active within Christian churches. Having been a Methodist for over 50 years, it saddens me that the church founded by John and Charles Wesley has fallen prey to this BDS movement.  The Wesley brothers would surely weep over their Methodist church today, because they were early Zionists, believing in the restoration of the Jewish people back to their ancient land even way back in the 1700s!

I just read an article that reveals how far the Methodist church has left its foundations. The author, Avner Boskey, said that Wesley had a revelation of the last days restoration of the Jews to their land of Israel (including today's West Bank and East Jerusalem) coupled with an evangelical heart for Israel's salvation. Charles Wesley even wrote three Zionist hymns based on Scripture.

Hitler used the strategy of boycott against the Jewish people which led to the Holocaust. In a Methodist Conference of the UK in Portsmouth, England, a boycott measure against Israel was passed on June 30, 2010. The decision was made to boycott Jewish goods and services produced in Judea and Samaria in the so-called West Bank and East Jerusalem. Up to this point, the Methodist Church had never boycotted any country.  Israel has the distinction of being the first!

The conference adopted the "Kairos-Palestine" document, declaring that the State of Israel is "a sin against God and humanity." This is close to Adolph Hitler's statements against the Jews. The document did not even denounce terrorism but used words like "peaceful struggle," etc.

In his article, "Aldersgate or Ichabod," Boskey asks the question, "Who will intercede with the God of Jacob so that Ichabod will not be written over the archways and entranceways of the churches of the United Kingdom?" You can read the whole article at http://davidstent.com/aldersgate-or-ichabod/

The Methodist Church is not alone in the BDS movement. Many other churches and groups have joined in. We need to pray and help inform people and to be aware of the enemy's strategies against Israel!

Israel Passover Prayer Tour Adventure and Teaching on Romans 9-11

Report on 2002 Israel Passover Prayer Tour & Romans 9-11 

Part One - God's Peace Plan for Israel

Christianity is Jewish! Jesus, the Apostles, the Bible authors and the first Church were all Jewish! How did our Jewish roots get cut off? This was my fourth trip to Israel. Two ladies, Mary Jo Morgan and Phyllis Huie, went with me to attend Lars Enarson's Passover Prayer Tour, Passover Convocation at Christ Church in the Old City of Jerusalem (photo of me with Messianic Pastor, Shmuel Suran), and outreach conference, "Let the Thirsty Come," in Tel Aviv.  The conference was the largest gathering of believers, both Jew and Arab, in Israel since Pentecost! Members of the tour served as hosts. My job was greeter, as well as working with children and in the prayer room. This tour took place at the height of suicide bombings, yet I felt completely safe in the center of God's will. While we were there Arafat was quarantined in Ramallah! Listen to my exciting adventures and also a teaching on the place of the Church in the salvation of the Jewish people.

April 27, 2002 at Harvest Church in Columbus, Mississippi

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Jews party on Feast of Purim!

Jews relive the miraculous events of Purim by acting out the drama as it is read from the Scroll of Esther in the synagogue. The villain of the story is Haman, and every time his name is read, it is met by a thunderous roar of clapping, stamping feet, booing, and the grinding noise of twirling noisemakers called groggers. One tradition was to write Haman's name on the soles of the shoes. As the feet were stamped Haman's name was literally erased, in accordance with the curse God pronounced to "blot out the remembrance of Amalek [Haman's ancestor] from under heaven" (Deut. 25:19), because the Amalekites had attacked the unarmed Israelites as they passed through Sinai.

Through Queen Esther and Mordecai, the Jews are delivered from Haman's wicked plot to annihilate them, and a feast ensues which is commemorated every year since then. Presents are sent to one another and to the poor, and special holiday foods are enjoyed, one of which is Hamantashen, reminiscent of Haman's three-cornered hat. The holiday is also celebrated with masquerades, costumes, and carnivals. Little children really enjoy this holiday. The girls get to dress up as Queen Esther. In Israel there is a parade and carnival every year in Tel Aviv.

Purim is celebrated this year on March 16. In Israel it is celebrated an extra day. God has preserved the Jews throughout the ages, so He is the real hero behind this biblical story.

How are Purim and Passover related?

I just read a fantastic article and want to share it with you here. This is timely, because the Jewish holiday of Purim will be celebrated this Sunday, March 16. What a revelation to find out that in the story of Queen Esther when wicked Haman and King Ahasuerus threw the dice ("purim") to set a date for the destruction of the Jews, the time they sat down to do this, Nisan 13, was the day before Passover! Therefore, the Jews' neighbors all over the Persian kingdom received the king's edict the next day, Nisan 14, at the very time the Jews were beginning the Feast of Passover, a celebration of their deliverance from Egypt! Now they needed a new deliverance from Haman's wicked plot to annihilate them on Adar 13, eleven months later! Their celebration of Passover must have been quite dismal indeed! Read this insightful article and see how this relates to the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua!
http://janediffenderfer.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/purim-and-the-passover-deliverance-part-1/

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

A message delivered at Luverne United Methodist Church, Luverne, Alabama. 

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Learn how Jesus used the Old Testament in His battle with Satan and hear testimonies of how you can get the victory in your own life, using the Word of God!  Remember that Jesus and His disciples only used the Old Testament, because the New Testament had not yet been written.

August 1, 2001

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PURIM

I am reading the book of Esther in my daily Bible reading, and it so happens that the Jewish holy day of Purim will be celebrated this coming Sunday.  (That's a little "God-incidence," wouldn't you say?)  Today in chapter nine I noticed something that puts to rest the age-old accusation that Jews are greedy!  When the Jews defeated their enemies by order of King Ahasuerus after Esther had pleaded for their lives, the Jews did not lay a hand on the plunder!  Read it for yourself in Chapter Nine of the Book of Esther.  The whole story is very interesting.  In making application to our personal lives we can meditate on the fact that Esther was chosen by God "for such a time as this," and He has chosen us "for such a time as this" today!

One New Man

A message delivered at Trinity Church in Columbus, Mississippi. 

One New Man: Mizpah for Israel, Jew and Gentile

February 11, 1996

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Beginning of My Jewish Roots Journey

Corrie ten Boom's "Hiding Place" in the Beje, Haarlem, 1998

Welcome to my new blog. Thanks to my daughter, Susan Petrey Carriker, for setting it up for me!

My Jewish roots journey began in the 1970s when I read Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place." My heart was drawn to the plight of the Jews under the Nazis. My prayer was that I would have the courage that Corrie had in hiding the Jews should I ever have the opportunity.

Then when I made my first trip to Israel in 1994, I realized that I had gone back to my roots! The discovery of the Jewishness of Christianity was fascinating, and I began to study the modern Hebrew language. My Savior's identity was clearly Jewish, and His name was/is YESHUA, which means "The Lord is salvation." How appropriate since He would "save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).