The Bible says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19). The "acceptable year of the Lord"—the Year of Jubilee—was the last in a 50-year period.

During the first 49 years, the Israelites could own slaves, sow their fields, prune their vineyards, and gather the harvest; but each seventh year was set apart as a Sabbath for the land. At the beginning of the fiftieth year, the trumpet sounded, proclaiming the Year of Jubilee. This was a year when the ground wasn't worked, slaves were set free, and debts were erased. It was a year of rest for the entire land. read more

3:11PM EST 11/20/2009

The great theme of faith continues as we study the book of Hebrews. We have learned that faith sees the unseen, and we endure in faith and hope when we keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Now we turn our eyes heavenward to look into realms of glory in heaven.

I have often wondered why some great men and women of faith die young. Recently a great servant of the Lord named Ruth Heflin died. I personally felt she had many more years of service to offer the Lord here on earth. She wrote a book called Glory. read more

2:49PM EST 11/20/2009

Officials in Israel last week indicted the man accused of sending a bomb to the home of a Messianic minister in March 2008 that nearly killed the pastor's teenage son.

Jack Teitel, 37, was indicted for attempted murder, among other charges, for allegedly sending a bomb hidden in a gift basket to the home of David Ortiz, pastor of a Messianic congregation in Ariel, Israel.

(Photo of Ami Ortiz, Compass Direct News) read more 2:28PM EST 11/20/2009

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said President Barack Obama must choose between Israel and Iran. The comment was made Tuesday in Istanbul during an economic address before the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference.

"The support of both Israel and Iran can't go hand in hand. No change is made unless great choices are made," said Ahmadinejad. "We will clasp any hand that is extended sincerely toward us, but changes should be made in practice." read more

4:19PM EST 11/13/2009

As I showered in preparation for our last day of sightseeing, I reflected on many of the places we've visited. A list with a one- or two-sentence description would fill the rest of this blog. While each now holds a special place in my heart, and many brought the Bible to life and me to tears, one common thing connects them—fear. Rather, the lack of it.





I've realized how much we live in fear in the United States. With crime, murder and rape rates at mindboggling levels, we're forced to bolt our doors at home, keep our cars locked while in the driveway, and be always mindful of our surroundings. Despite these safety precautions, robbery, theft, murder and rape dominate the nightly news. read more
3:03PM EST 11/13/2009