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Religion

Woman Served Religion For 22 Years Until She Heard The Audible Voice Of Jesus

by Christel Berns June 22, 2021

A Muslim woman was seeking to fill the void in her heart by serving religion for 22 years until she heard the audible voice of Christ that turned her life around.

Serving Religion For 22 Years

Hedieh and her parents migrated to the United States in search of the American dream. Finally, they found it, and their daughter grew up in a wealthy family. But despite all the wealth, Hedieh always felt empty. She wondered why when she had everything, she still felt sad. So, to fill the void, she went deeper into their religion.

YouTube | 700 Club Interactive

Desperate to know God, Hedieh tried different branches of Islam. Then she found a group that was a fit for her and became an ambassador against extremism and terrorism. The Muslim felt she was contributing to the country and her faith. So for more than two decades, she maintained a strict adherence to Islamic law.

“It was this never-ending attempt to control your fleshly desires, your behavior, in an effort to draw closer to God,” she said. “You’re always afraid of what He’s gonna do to judge you and it’s not about love at all. You were constantly praying to a god that didn’t answer you.”

An Encounter With Jesus Christ

As a result, Hedieh got frustrated and left Islam after serving for 22 years. Her Imams even warned her that she sure is now going to hellfire because of her decision. She felt lost but longed for God in her life.

One day, she watched a video preaching of a Christian pastor online. He spoke about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Hedieh was moved and began to be confused with her present belief. Soon after, she prayed a desperate prayer in an Islamic way.

“Can You please reveal Yourself to me? Because I am so utterly confused on who You are,” Hedieh cried out to the One True God. And all of a sudden, an audible voice replied, “Hedieh, it’s Me.”

From that moment, Hedieh was never the same again.

Hear the whole story and share to bless others too!

"I Audibly Heard the Voice of Christ" - Muslim Woman Encounters Jesus

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YouTube | 700 Club Interactive

June 22, 2021 0 comment

Articles Video

Lecrae Shares How He Lost Religion And Found Faith

by Christa September 17, 2020

written by Christa

Hip-hop artist, Lecrae, has been outspoken about his Christian faith and his walk with God. In a recent video, he talks about how he chose faith over religion.

Lecrae’s fans got insight from the Grammy-award winning artist through his Youtube channel. In his latest video, he candidly shares about his perspective on religion over faith in his upcoming book, “I am Restored.”

Lecrae’s upcoming book, I Am Restored

Lecrae

“For me, faith or religion was one of the ways I found to deal with all the particular traumas,” he shared. He share about the abuses and traumas he experienced at a young age. From physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, run-ins with the law, Lecrae definitely had hurdles to overcome.

The abuse and trauma eventually wore on Lecrae’s identity. The only time he felt valued and appreciated was when he was performing. “I can earn the love, respect, admiration from the people by performing,” he said.

“The scary thing about living a life like that is that when you are no longer able to perform, who are you?” He could relate to professional athletes who wrestles with their identity when their careers end. “Because they spent so much in their lives performing for identity. And so your identity is wrapped up in your performance.”

Religion vs Faith

Sadly, he says, this kind of struggle is also found in Christianity. He sees it in the system of religion. “In religion, I’ve got to earn God’s love. I’ve got to earn God’s acceptance by my performance.”

He goes on to explain how a relationship is different from religion. “Relationship is where I’m performing out of acceptance, out of love. I’ve already been accepted and loved. And so now, when I’m out there doing what I’m doing, I’m doing it because I know I’m loved.

“But it takes faith to believe that you are accepted, that you are loved. And so I choose faith over religion.”

Furthermore, he got so accustomed to the way of how he earns love and acceptance from people that it translated into his relationship with God. “If I don’t perform well, He’s not gonna love me,” he said. But God is the best Dad, Lecrae pointed. Nothing we do can make Him love us less.

He added, “Relationship derived from through faith is way more rewarding than religious activity. I don’t want a religious relationship with God, I want an authentic faith-driven one.”

How I Lost My Religion

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ALSO READ: Lecrae Reveals Plans To Retire From Music After His Upcoming Final Album ‘Restoration’

September 17, 2020 0 comment

Articles

Mormon Missionary Meets Jesus After Pastor Challenged Him To Read The Bible As A Child

by Christel Berns November 8, 2019

written by Christel Berns

Just like Paul (Saul) in the Bible, Micah Wilder was a very zealous believer of religion. He was a Mormon missionary who came to know Jesus after being challenged by a Pastor to read the Bible like a child.

Micah grew up in a very strong and faithful Mormon home. He was taught that through religious works and duties he could make himself right with God. He was even taught that there’s no salvation outside of the Mormon church. And when he was 19 years old, he went to on two year Mormon mission in Orlando, Florida.

As a young Mormon missionary, Micah was naive about the fact that Orlando is a very evangelical and Bible-based area. But even though this was the case, he was convinced that he would be able to convert others to Mormonism. He believed he would become the greatest missionary ever.

Mormon Missionary with his parents

Micah Starts His Mormon Mission

Without hesitation, he began knocking on doors telling people about his faith. A few months later, in his overzealous attempt to convert people, he talked to a Baptist minister hoping he could win over the congregation too. He sat down with him and tried to convert him to Mormonism. But the Pastor’s response shed light on the truth that Jesus is the only way to be right with God. Micah was then presented with the Good News in Jesus Christ.

Initially, he argued with the Pastor. However, the Pastor only challenged him to read the Bible as a child. And frustrated, he left and decided to take on the challenge.

For 18 straight months, Micah read the New Testament. Eventually, as he continued to saturate himself in the Word of God the truth of Jesus changed him. Three weeks before his two year mission ended, he became a born again believer of Jesus. Micah was changed and he couldn’t hide it!

Micah Boldly Witnesses That Jesus Christ is Lord

The day finally came when Micah had to stand in front of his peers and leaders to share their testimony of what he had learned during his mission. He got up sharing one thing, “that Jesus Christ is all that I needed, that His blood and His grace were sufficient for my eternal life. I knew for the first time in my life that I was saved not because of my works but because of the free gift of grace that He was offering me.”

Satanist Meets Jesus After His Mom Prayed For 33 Years

The audience sat in silence. Two days later, after publicly sharing his testimony, Micah received a phone call from one of the Mormon leaders. They wanted to talk and it was one of the most terrifying moments of his life.

His mom was a tenured professor of BYU and his dad was a high priest in the Mormon church. He had two brothers who had completed their two year missions. He had a girlfriend who was also Mormon and a scholarship at BYU. It had been his life and everything wanted to be. But God called him out of that into a relationship with Him.

Ready To Lose Everything To Gain Christ

He pleaded to God for help and to give him strength and grace. Micah turned to the Word of God before the confrontation. He was led to Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” God spoke directly to his heart before having to face them.

“I realized so quickly that if I lost everything in the world for the sake of gaining Christ that it was worth the cost because I was gaining something that far surpassed anything that the world or my religion could offer. And that was a relationship with my Lord and my Savior, my God,” he spoke in tears.

Confronting The Mormon Leadership

The day came when he had to face the Mormon leadership. Micah shared the Gospel and explained that all he needed was Jesus. Jesus was enough to pay for his sins and reconcile him to Father God.

“I knew that He had bought me and paid for my salvation with His blood and I was His,” he proudly recalled.

And what happened next was something Micah never imagined possible. He was prepared to lose everything for sake of Christ, but God gave him more than what was lost.

Watch the video for the full amazing testimony of Micah Wilder.

Ex Mormon Gives Most Incredible Testimony EVER! Will Give You Chills!

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Source: Adams Road Ministry

November 8, 2019 0 comment

Articles

‘Ad Astra’ Star Brad Pitt Reveals Transformation From Atheism To Christianity

by GOD TV October 4, 2019

written by GOD TV

The “Ad Astra” star Brad Pitt, talks about his transformation from atheism to Christianity in an interview.

Brad Pitt

William Bradley Pitt (popularly known as Brad Pitt) has been an American actor and film producer for over three decades. The award-winning actor was cited as the world’s most attractive man by media outlets for a number of years.

Brad was born in Oklahoma into a conservative Christian household and was raised as Southern Baptist. But the iconic star later oscillated toward agnostic and atheism.

“I grew up with Christianity. Always questioned it, but it worked at times. And then when I got on my own, I completely left it and I called myself agnostic. Tried a few spiritual things but didn’t feel right. Then I called myself an atheist for a while, just kind of being rebellious. I wasn’t really. But I kinda labeled myself that for a while. It felt punk rock enough,” Brad said in an interview for his new movie.

“I cling to religion”

He then revealed that he’s coming back his Christian roots.

“Oh, man, I’ve gone through everything. Like, I cling to religion,” Brad added. “Then I found myself coming back around to just belief in-I hate to use the word spirituality, but just a belief in that we’re all connected.”

In 2017, Brad opened up about his Christian upbringing.

He said that he grew up in a family that attended a Baptist church and described it as the “cleaner, stricter, by-the-book Christianity”.

But when he was in high school his parents joined a “more charismatic movement which got into speaking in tongues and raising your hands”.

While he gave a negative approach to his parent’s faith, Brad gave some sort validation to speaking in tongues saying: “I know they believe it. I know they’re releasing something. God, we’re complicated.”

Recently, Brad was seen with Kanye West, who has also recently shared about his Christianity, at a Sunday Service.

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Kanye West and Brad Pitt ???? @dcapofficial

A post shared by Kim Kardashian Snapchat ???? (@kimkardashiansnap) on Sep 1, 2019 at 12:51pm PDT

As more celebrities come to Christ, revival is brewing in the entertainment industry. May these celebrities and their influence be used for the glory of God!

Reference: HUFFPOST

This article was written by Gail Marvel.

October 4, 2019 0 comment

Articles Faith

Life After ‘Church’

by Navigator Jo October 1, 2019

written by Navigator Jo

Exploring the move from the deconstruction of our religious faith to our reconstruction creates the need to replace old habits with new spiritual practices.

For many, this journey entails walking away from Church-as-we-know-it (CAWKI) because we’re asked to leave because of our new ‘heretical’ thoughts, because we know Jesus has more than this for us or even just because we no longer share much in common with those Christians around us who aren’t seeing the paradigm shift God has initiated.

Whatever the reason that leads us to leave the traditional model of Church, the question is ‘now what’?
As an alcoholic needs to replace their activity of drinking with something more positive, a former church-going Christian needs to replace that act of church attendance with something new that empowers them to respond to God and find another level of freedom, life, and joy.

Letting go of church as we know it

For those who find themselves outside of CAWKI and yet have a greater yearning for connection with the Trinity, there must be an intentional initiative to create new patterns of spirituality to replace the old patterns of religion. This may take some time. The default will always be with the familiar (right or wrong) like the attending of meetings on a Sunday morning because for many years that is what we did and were taught was essential. Wonderfully we can now allow Holy Spirit to show us a new way (which is actually the ancient way we have lost being recovered from obscurity).

To engage with His new paradigm it is essential to shift from having meetings “about” God to experiencing encounters “with” God.

God intends and longs for us more to be much more experiential and much less religious in our following of Jesus.

Let’s allow Him to redevelop our sense of wonder, awe and mystery. Let’s not default any longer to the mindset fixated on “knowing”. It’s so liberating that we can take comfort in not knowing all the answers. (Of course, we don’t anyway).

Good habits and rhythms that can help us redevelop our sense of wonder and reposition us to a new mindset for experiencing the Divine are vital and lead us to greater spiritual maturity and health.

Such practices have the potential to place us in a posture of receiving and experiencing God on an entirely new level. Some of these will be more effective for some than for others. We all need to take time to develop our discipline in practicing these experiences that facilitate drawing us into a deeper awareness of God.

As we begin to create new spiritual practices, our awareness of God and our connection with Jesus will become more and more natural for us. Eventually, our experience will be an automatic shift from a physical reality to a spiritual one with apparently very little effort. We exist in both realities while we are on Earth but what is so badly out of kilter is the dominance of the physical over the spiritual when we are designed to live the opposite way round. We are meant to view our physical existence through the lens of a spiritual reality, not vice versa.

Creating new habits

Remember, everyone will have a different way of connecting with God and it’s massively helpful to find that! The goal is to create new habits of connection with God that replace the tired old religious ones we once found so necessary and that now resonates with us so little.

Learn to wait for Him, to listen to Him. Sometimes speaking directly to Father, Jesus and/or Holy Spirit and other times simply sit and experience His company in total silence, just basking in His presence, alone or with others.

It’s really quite extraordinary where and when you can encounter God! A spirit interaction with God can be shoveling horse poo (happened to me), walking by the river, gardening, engaging with music, journaling or driving the car (and many more). I’m talking about ongoing, authentic, dynamic connection and exchange in our spirit with God that brings revelation, perception and that results in transformation.

Are you hungry for this? In His love and desire to be close to you, God generates that hunger in us because it’s His deepest longing that we would ‘know Him’ intimately 24/7, in the highs, the lows, the mundane and the exceptional really it is!

– Navigator Jo

October 1, 2019 0 comment

Articles

Spiritual Warfare: It’s time to put on your armor Church

by Jordan Wells July 20, 2019

written by Jordan Wells

There is increased spiritual warfare that the church has begun to experience in this hour. I have seen it first hand in my own ministry, and those that write into our ministry. Many are under attack personally, but more than us being attacked personally, I believe the church globally, and nationally is under attack. I felt strongly the Holy Spirit speaking this over the Body, that it was time for us to engage in skillful warfare. We must put on our armor and prepare for the battle ahead of us. I want to help the body with this article with some basic things I have learned in spiritual warfare over the years.

The Victory Of The Cross – Our Spiritual Warfare

Colossians 2:13-15: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

One of the greatest revelations I have received in the ministry of spiritual warfare is that the Victory has already been won by the cross and the blood. Spiritual Warfare is not just about fighting the devil. Many misunderstood the ministry of spiritual warfare and it’s importance in enforcing the Victory Of The Cross. Some reject spiritual warfare saying it’s too devil focused. However, this is not true nor biblical. Spiritual Warfare is about God, not the devil. Spiritual Warfare is about enforcing the victory that has already been won through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The verse above said that as a result of the cross hell was disarmed, and openly defeated. If two nations both have nuclear weapons and are in a war, and then suddenly one of the nations is disarmed the whole trajectory of the war changes. All because their weapons were taken. If this happened in a natural war the battle would be over. All that would need to be done is overthrown by the victor.

When Satan’s kingdom was disarmed, by what Jesus did on the cross, we were commissioned as Heaven’s ambassadors. This gave us the legal authority to advance and bring under subjection all demonic power. The cross and the blood are our legal documentation in the spirit to advance into the darkness of Satan’s kingdom. So as you begin to engage the enemy, it’s important that you do it from a place of victory. We do not have to be afraid of the enemy because he has already been defeated. In prayer and intercession we must begin to declare in the realm of the spirit that Satan, you have been legally defeated once and for all. I overturn your plans and enforce the Victory Of Christ.

Spiritual Warfare and The Authority Of The Believer

We as believers have been given authority in the earth through the death and resurrection Of Jesus Christ. Jesus then, before ascending back to the Father to sit at His right hand, delegated His authority to us as His bride over all the powers of the enemy, giving us legal authority in Jesus name over all demonic powers. The spirit realm and prayer is all about legalities. Heaven has a courtroom, we must grasp that prayer is about more than just loving on Jesus. That is our focus, but spiritual warfare prayer and intercessory prayer is mostly a legal battle. That’s why most of the deliverance is about what doors were opened for Satan to enter. Satan is legalistic, Satan is a demonic lawyer in the spirit. That’s why he is so effective in nations at changing laws. Believers must understand that we have been given Christ’s authority in prayer. We must also understand that though we have been given the authority of Christ, there are levels of authority like in the United States Army. I was given a powerful revelation which is that the army of God is actually set up similar to that of the United States Army. In the army, there are Captains, Lieutenants and so on. When you become a believer you are given entry-level authority like a person joining the military. Satan kingdom is also organized this way, he has a ranking. We see this in Ephesians 6.

As believers our authority gives us the ability to speak to demonic powers and they must obey legally. I believe this is why God has breathed on teaching the courts of heaven. He wants to equip us to be more effective in prayer legally. Many have prayed prayers for twenty years with no answer. In understanding the authority that has been given and using it in prayer, we by using our legally delegated authority, will cause regional principalities to bow, and see the overthrow of demonic structures and much more in Jesus name.

The Blood – The Weapon of Spiritual Warfare

One revelation that we have lost in spiritual warfare is the revelation of The Blood Of Jesus. Having a revelation of the blood will save your life. In natural warfare when a soldier is badly wounded and taken to the hospital they are given blood to bring them back to strength and life. In the Old Testament book of Exodus, the blood was used as protection in Egypt, as the spirit of death came upon the land to kill the firstborn. Only those that applied blood had the spirit of death pass by there homes. The blood was deaths do not enter warning. This declared in the realm of spirit divine protection. This is what applying the blood also does in our lives and ministries. It says, “devil you have been defeated and can not enter this life, city and or nation.” In the new testament, the blood is both a defensive and offensive weapon in the spiritual battle. As we apply the blood in prayer Satan is reminded of his defeat. The blood terrorizes the enemy’s kingdom and is a continual reminder of his defeat and our victory. There truly is power in applying the blood of Jesus. As we pray for cities, nations and even our personal lives. Like in the book of Exodus when we apply the blood we will see deliverance released. We will see the protective power of the blood overcome the powers of this age. We must apply the blood, and also lose the blood as we pray. There is deliverance and healing in the blood. The Bible is the book of Revelation (find scripture) says that we overcome Satan by the blood. The key to God’s people to overcome in this season is locked up in a revelation of the blood of Jesus. It’s time that you began to use the blood as a weapon in your offense and defense in warfare.

The Full Armor Of God & Spiritual Warfare

As we advance the kingdom through spiritual warfare prayers we must understand that we are not naked soldiers, but have been given a six-piece weaponry suit that is supposed to be put on daily, never to be taken off. Many believers are praying naked in the spirit. Paul in writing about this armor is paralleling our armor as believers to that of the Roman soilers of his day. Can you imagine a soldier going into battle with no weapons or natural covering? This is what many believers are doing daily. These six pieces of armor equipment are:

First, the belt of truth
Secondly, the breastplate of righteousness
Third, the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel
Fourthly, the shield of Faith
Fifth, the helmet of salvation
Sixth, the sword of the Spirit;

These six weapons are our secret weapons in the spirit. With these, we will be able to stand against every attack that Satan brings against us.

The Belt Of Truth

A belt is meant to hold up something. This piece of armor is meant to hold up a standard of spiritual truth. This protects us from deception and the lies of the enemy. This belt, when put on in prayer, protects us from error in the spirit. Many false prophets are born out of a lack of putting their belt of truth on in prayer.

The Breastplate Of Righteousness

This piece of armor is meant to protect our hearts from being lead after other lovers. Idolatry becomes our portion when in the secret place we do not put on our Breastplate that protects the heart. Satan is after the hearts and minds of a generation this army is crucial to our hearts staying established in God’s loving nature.

The Shoes Of The Preparation Of The Gospel

Shoes represent walking, always ready to run, and flee Satan’s temptations. Like Joseph who ran from the wife of Potipher. We must run, while also being prepared to preach the word of life to the lost. These shoes are preparational and needed in warfare.

Shield Of Faith

Demonic darts are constantly being shot at the people of God. These are darts of witchcraft, lies, and doubt, among other things. The only way we can survive is by having the shield of Faith. In seasons of an attack on all sides, we must in prayer lift up our shield even concerning our family members, churches and cities. Our shield is not just for us. Every demonic arrow will fall as you walk with your shield in hand.

The Helmet of Salvation

The greatest battle taking place in the earth right now is not the LGBTQ agenda or racism. But is the battle over the control of the minds of the human race. The mind is the battlefield, this piece of armor in my experience is our most important. We are told to pull down strongholds. These strongholds are not just in cities or regions, but are in the minds of people; in prayer, we are to pull down strongholds in the minds of people and also ourselves. We are then to put on the helmet of salvation, which is the mind of Christ. This helmet gives us heavens perspective. It protects our minds from the lies of the enemy.

The Sword Of The Spirit

A sword is meant to kill and is offensive. This weapon is the key to our victory in warfare praying. It is the word of God that we use in prayer as our sword. Like Jesus in the wilderness, after he fasted, Jesus used the scripture to fight back against the enemy. We must pray the scripture, and use them as our foundation in prayer. The word of God is sharp declares the word, and as we pray the word in prayer every demonic spirit or structure must move. The word is binding in prayer and is legal in the spirit. It is like a bomb against Satan’s kingdom.

July 20, 2019 0 comment

News

Israelis Prepare For The Return Of The Jewish Temple

by GOD TV April 29, 2019

written by GOD TV

Anticipating the rebuilding of the Third Jewish Temple, Israelis have decided in recent years to revisit the skills needed and especially the rites of Passover.

Prior to the Passover this year many Israelis gathered in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday April 15th to practice the sacrificing of the Passover offering.

In the time of the two temples, every Jew would participate in a Passover offering which was sacrificed in Jerusalem.

Photo by Eitan Elhadez/TPS

April 29, 2019 1 comment

Israel News

JPPI Study Finds Significant Rise in Number Of Israeli Jews Affiliated With Reform and Conservative Movement

by GOD TV October 23, 2018

written by GOD TV

Between 12 and 13 percent of Israelis are turning to the Reform and Conservative movement, a study by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) has found, adding that these numbers illustrate significant growth in the last decade.

According to the report, about 800,000 Israelis identify as either Conservative or Reform

“There are 125 total Reform or Conservative communities throughout Israel, 56 of them with permanent synagogues,” the study says. “There are there are 280 rabbis affiliated with the movements nationally, 85 of them working in communal capacities, and 8-10 new rabbis are ordained in Israel each year by the movements’ seminaries.”

The author of the study, Dan Feferman, explained that most secular Israelis are not really secular or detached from Judaism.

“[They] largely engage in Jewish practice, holiday observance of some sort, and lifecycle events. This connects to a general shift to post-materialist societies in the West, which has inspired some renewed interest in spirituality, religious practice, culture, and tradition,

“However,” he said, “those secular Israelis are also turned off by Orthodox Judaism, more specifically the Rabbinate and the religious establishment, and are increasingly exposed to non-Orthodox alternatives through travel abroad and interaction with local communities, interactions with Diaspora Jews in Israel and attendance of Reform or Conservative bar/bat mitzvahs or weddings.”

Shmuel Rosner, the head of the Pluralism Project at JPPI under which this report was written, told TPS that it is “important for Israelis to go beyond the myth of ‘no Reform Judaism’ in Israel – a theme that the Orthodox factions are naturally trying to promote.”

Rosner explained that the report was done as part of a concerted effort by JPPI to learn more about the contours of Israeli Judaism.

Asked what the most surprising finding was, he highlighted the fact that “Reform and Conservative Judaism have become the go-to option for many secular Israelis.”

According to the study, significantly less funding and support is given the Reform and Conservative movement than Orthodox and Haredi groups, he said, adding that it was millions versus billions of shekels.

“However, the movements are able to access some funding, including for rabbi salaries, synagogues, and educational programs,” Feferman explained. “They also garner significant cooperation from various government offices on specific [education] programs and some municipalities.”

Feferman said that the unequal status of the non-Orthodox movements in Israel is a constant point of contention between the Israeli government and many Diaspora Jews. “Significant elements of the government and the constituencies they represent are strongly opposed to the liberal movements, and even to expressions of religious pluralism,” he wrote. “At the same time, while there is wide support for these movements among the public, this support is not afforded high importance or priority by the supporters themselves.”

This means that policies favorable to these movements may find favor with Diaspora Jewry, but will cause domestic “political discord.”

He emphasized that “continued attempts by the Haredi parties to push legislation that would grant greater control to the Rabbinate and block the non-Orthodox movements [as well as Modern Orthodox groups], is driving many Israelis to bypass the Rabbinate altogether.”

Some of these bypassing efforts are led by Modern Orthodox groups alongside the Reform and Conservative Movements. This could make the Rabbinate irrelevant to a significant portion of Jewish Israelis if this trend continues – marriage, kashrut supervision, conversion, etc.

He also quoted a 2017 Hiddush survey, which found that when respondents were asked which they would choose for themselves or their children, assuming all options were recognized by the state equally, half noted a preference for a non-Orthodox marriage ceremony – of these, 11 percent said they prefer Conservative or Reform, 30 percent civil marriage, and 9 percent said they would cohabitate without any official marriage.

According to the survey, 84 percent of secular Israeli Jews preferred a marriage outside the Rabbinate and only 16 percent of secular Israeli Jews still said they would prefer to be married through the Orthodox Rabbinate.

Asked about the reaction the Orthodox and Haredi streams in Israel will have to the study, Rosner said it would be “panic.”

“They see the trends and don’t exactly know what to do about them – that’s why we see harsh rhetoric of Orthodox leaders against Reform and (to less extent) Conservative Judaism,” he said.

Rosner added that he does not “expect the government to do much” in response to the findings. “This is something that should be built from the ground up by the people interested in this rise of progressive Judaism,” he added.

JPPI’s President, Avinoam Bar-Yosef told TPS that “in the past, secular Israeli Jews tended to utilize the Chief Rabbinate services in ceremonies marking major life-cycle events as an expression of unity, more and more are showing fatigue with the religious establishment and turning to alternative spiritual options. Alternative Kashrut certification are also increasingly sought.”
Bar-Yosef emphasizes that the study shows how some of those who were perceived in the past as “secular Orthodox” mention that they prefer that “the synagogue they don’t attend” be Reform or Conservative.

The report, authored by Dan Feferman, is based on data from a survey conducted by the Jerusalem-based JPPI with Prof. Camil Fuchs on 3,000 Israeli Jews for a an upcoming report on Israeli Judaism.

Written by Ilanit Chernick | Photo by Adi Gefen/TPS

October 23, 2018 0 comment

Faith

So-Called Discipline

by Daphne Delay October 19, 2018

written by Daphne Delay

I think I’ve prided myself in being disciplined. This was actually an “uh-oh” moment for me when I realized it because we need to be careful of being prideful about anything. It wasn’t intentional of course, I simply (1) have that type of personality, and (2) wanted to please God.

But the real uh-oh came when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart with these words: “Some so-called disciplines aren’t much different than religion.”

I immediately thought about how many times Jesus called out the Pharisees for their strict adherence to rules and religious regulations (can we call it discipline?) that actually stifled truth, love, mercy, and freedom. And Jesus wasn’t soft about it either.

“As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, ‘You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.’” (Luke 11:37-42 NLT)

Jesus sat down to eat without performing the customary practices of the religious leaders– and was criticized for it. This should speak to our hearts as well. What are we doing out of religious duty (discipline) that has no faith, no power, and therefore no results?

“’Teacher,’ said an expert in religious law, ‘you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.’ ‘Yes,’ said Jesus, ‘what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.'” (Luke 11:45-46)

What sorrow awaits you… I believe the sorrow Jesus was referring to was disappointment. The dictionary defines disappointment as a failure to fulfill the expectations, hopes, plans, or wishes of a person. In other words, these leaders were going to be sorely disappointed if they thought their acts of religious discipline was going to earn them some kind of favor or reward.

The disciplines God is asking of us involve mercy, justice, and love.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we need to throw out all our restraints and live in a free-for-all society. But when our so-called disciplines (regimens, rules, conduct, and practices) are duty-bound with no fruit of God’s presence, generosity, compassion, or love — we’ve missed the mark (big)!

Paul told the Colossians:

“You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as,^‘Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!’? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” (Colossians 2:20-23 NLT)

In other words, we don’t need to be guided by the standards and opinions of men, but by the standards and love of God.

The Holy Spirit’s warning was an eye-opener. I know I’m going to continue having a regular quiet time with God, praying over food (especially in restaurants where I’m not in on the washing and cooking), gathering with believers at church, and so much more. I hope you will too. But let’s not call it discipline. Instead I pray we’d practice devotion— the result of an earnest attachment, dedication, and allegiance to the One who loved us first and set the example of what it really means to be free.

October 19, 2018 0 comment

Video

Nas Daily: “What Would God Do To Expensive Religious Buildings?”

by GOD TV October 10, 2018

written by GOD TV

Nowadays, religion has been overrated. Oftentimes, people show their faith through a legalistic perspective. Churches, mosques, and even temples are all beautiful structures made with gold. Memorizing long prayers has become a tradition within the walls of these buildings. However, the real heart behind all these religious things created by men has been long forgotten. Religion only created a division between God’s children. Where did this all start?

Before there was religion, there was God. There is God and there will always be God. Then God created man in His own image and likeness [Genesis 1:27]. Moreover, because we are like our Creator, every individual walking on earth has a vacuum in their heart to worship the One who created them. Thus, because of sin, people forgot about the One true God and worshiped other things besides Him— giving birth to religion.

God knew what was going on, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to break the religion men created for themselves and bring His children back to the real heart of things to set them free. “Jesus declared, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself,”’ [Matthew 22:37-39].

This is what the famous vlogger, Nas Daily, discourses on his 1-minute video, “How Much Should Religion Cost?” He expresses his thoughts about what God would do to expensive religious buildings if He were here. Surprisingly, he describes God as Someone Who would help humans in need rather than prioritizing building luxurious churches, mosques and temples.

Nas was exactly right. 2,000 years ago, even Jesus Himself criticized the religious leaders. He told them they crushed people with unbearable religious demands and never lifted a finger to ease the poor people’s burden [Matthew 23:4]. The whole chapter of Matthew 23 is Jesus rebuking leaders for being religious and ignoring the things that do matter—justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Jesus demonstrated what it’s like to worship God– and that is to love Him and His people.

“This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will be My place of repose? Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being, declares the LORD. This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.” [Isaiah 66:2]

Credits: Nas Daily

October 10, 2018 0 comment

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