In _______ I Trust
Fill in the blank: In ________ I Trust. In a world that increasingly doesn’t make sense, what can we put your trust in? The answer is printed on our money. Before the verse “In God We Trust” appeared on our currency, the phrase appeared in a verse of the “Star Spangled Banner,” reflecting America’s long […]
GOD BLESS AMERICA — IN THE NAME
Israel Isidore Beilin May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989 The name Irving, while not inherently Jewish, was a common secular or “Americanized” alternative to the traditional Hebrew names Isaac and Israel. So it was for Irving Berlin, one of the greatest American song writers there’s ever been. He is famous for many songs, especially […]
ABRAM WAS SENT, WE ARE CALLED
Genesis 12:1 — The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. In Hebrew, the name Siloam שִׁלֹחַ in Hebrew, transliterated as Shiloach, means “sent” or “sending forth”. This meaning is derived from the Hebrew verb שלח (shalah), which means “to […]
A MEDITATION ON LIFE
A Journey of Faith: Reflections on Life’s Path Through Scripture This morning a dear friend sent me a text with the following expression: “God I thank you for all that you have given me, all that you have taken away from me and all that you have left me. You gave me life, you took […]
THE WORLD WITNESSED THE SHIELD OF DAVID
Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2). Psalm 146.10 — The Lord will reign forever! Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Hallelujah!” What the world witnessed in Israel’s so called “12-Day War,” and before against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis is […]
TODAY’S PARALLELS TO ANCIENT PERSIA
A ~400 Year Old Biblical Story and Parallels to Today The Megillah (scroll) of Esther tells the story of how Queen Esther of Persia, a woman who was hiding her Jewish identity, risks her life to prevent the genocide of her people by a wicked man named Haman. Haman plans to kill Esther’s cousin Mordechai […]
BIG IS IN THE MAKING
Can you sense it? Doesn’t it feel like something big is in the making in the Middle East? We have seen amazing events. Nobody was predicting Israel to achieve the results it has in the war with Iran, let alone how it is crushing Hezbollah and Hamas. On the one hand, Israel has total air […]
THE RISE OF PERSIA
Flag of Persia Resistance Movement in Iran The Lion and Sun is a Classical Persian element in Iran’s national flag until the 1979 revolution and is still commonly used by nationalists and opposition groups of the Islamic Republic government. Israel naming it’s operation in Iran “Rising Lion” is a brilliant strategy. Israel is sending a […]
THE PROBLEM WITH PASSION PLAYS
Passion plays are dramatic renditions of Christ’s arrest, trial, lashing, and crucifixion (and often other elements of his life such as the Resurrection). The History of Oberammergau’s Passion PlayThe first recorded Passion Play, the one that began a tradition still practiced today, was in Oberammergau, Germany, in 1634. Devastated by the Bubonic Plague in 1633, […]
Why Christians Should Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
Jesus was unquestionably a Jew. He was born to a Jewish mother in Galilee, lived according to Jewish customs, participated in synagogue worship, celebrated Jewish festivals, and taught from Jewish scripture. All of his disciples and early followers were also Jewish. His entire ministry and life were rooted in first-century Jewish culture and tradition. Understanding […]