Understanding the Jerusalem issue

Understanding the Territory of Israel

Another Q&A by Capt Dr Thirunavukkarasu Jr R Karasu

1) What is Zionism?

A) Zionism is the belief in the Jewish people’s right to self-determination and to reestablish their homeland in a geographical territory called Israel.

2) What is this territory of Israel?

A) It is the same area that corresponds to the Biblical Canaan in the region of Palestine.

3) What is "Zion"?

A) Zion is just the name of a hill in the city of Jerusalem.

4) Does the Biblical Israel have a capital?

A) Yes, it is Jerusalem, also known as the City of David (Daud in Islam), in reference to Israel’s second king.

5) What are the objectives of Zionism?

A) There are four. 1) To reestablish Jewish administrative sovereignty within Israel. 2) To restore Jewish culture, the Hebrew language and religion (Judaism), 3) To gather those exiled, and 4) To liberate Jews from anti-Semitic persecution.

6) Does Zionism oppose the Palestinians?

A) In principle No. But they oppose any attempt to subvert their nationhood, whether from Palestine or other countries.

7) Why does Zionism create conflict in the Middle East?

A) It doesn’t. The conflict is created by people who want to destroy Israel, and Israel needs to contain this threat.

8. Is “Zionist” referring to the Israeli military?

A) Nope. Zionism is Not: 1) Military operations, 2) Denying Palestinians’ the right to their own self-determination, or 3) Promoting religious conflict with the Arabs.

9) Why is Zionism such a bad word in Malaysia?

A) Because our government wants Malaysians to continue hating the Jews and Israel.

10) Are you saying Malaysia is an anti-Semitic country?

A) Yes. Of all 10 ASEAN countries, Malaysia is the most disgracefully anti-Semitic country, along with Brunei.

11) What proof you have that Malaysia is anti-Semitic?

A) In 1993, Malaysia banned Schindler’s List, an Oscar-winning movie that portrayed a historical account of the horrific Jewish Holocaust. The excuse was that the movie will “make Malaysians sympathetic to the Jews”.

12) Who said that?

A) None other than the chief anti-Semitic and PM-wannabe today, Mr Kerala kaaka Tun Mahathir.

13) Then why are the political parties also anti-Israel, not just UMNO but even MCA and MIC?

A) UMNO has to because they need to appear to be “defenders of the Arabs” to shore up popular support after their embarrassing corruption exposures. MCA and MIC are just faithful lap dogs pandering to their political masters for political survival.

14) But the Opposition also hates Israel. Why?

A) Because they are the same racists who want to program citizens into hating the Jews and everything associated with it - with the usual excuse that Zionism is against Islam.

15) Are Christians Zionists?

A) By definition, yes because our Bible exhorts us to bless and pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem. Jesus Christ Himself was Jew and all Jewish prophets worshipped God in Hebrew.

16) Why is the UN against Israel?

A) The UN itself is a grouping of anti-Semitic countries, which has traditionally sought to destroy Israel through a series of lopsided censures while promoting the Arab Agenda. Thankfully, the US vetoes most of these attempts.

17) Any proof? Or you just saying it because you are pro-Israel?

A) Let’s look at a case example. In 1975, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 3379 that designated Zionism as a “form of racism”. And then it repealed it in 1991 by Resolution 46/86 which now criminalises opposition to Zionism. Why? Because the UN itself now admits that opposing Zionism effectively means opposing a people’s right to self-determination.

18) If the present Israel never existed before 1948, why is there a need to give them their own country?

A) The political goal of Zionism is based on one key premise (as laid by Theodor Herzl): 1. Antisemitism features in ALL societies where Jews live as minorities. So the only way to guarantee their safety is to segregate themselves into their own country.

19) Why are the Jews always rejected everywhere in the world before Israel?

A) Since the 1st century, most Jews lived outside Israel, even though the Biblical Canaan always maintained a small percentage of Jewish population (called the Remnant in the Bible). The first time Jews got expelled was from Babylon’s occupation of Israel in 586 BC (Babylon is the old name for Iraq). The Romans subsequently expelled the remaining Jews from Judea. And then changed the name Judea to ‘Syria Palaestina’ - which is where the name ‘Palestine’ comes from.

20) So Palestine is a Roman creation after it expelled the Jews and redesignated the borders?

A) Yes

21) Do any of the other Holy Books assign Israel to the Jews?

A) Absolutely. It’s in all the Holy Books in Judaism, Christianity and Islam i.e. the Hebrew Bible, Greek Bible and the Quran respectively.

22) What does the Bible say about Islam?

A) Nothing. There is NO mention of Islam in the Bible nor is there any mandate given to wage war with Muslims. Zionism does not seek war with anyone. Israel is strictly a land issue and the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination after being exiles for millennia.

23) So Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is not something new?

A) Correct! It is, in fact, one of the most overdue decisions since George Washington became the first President of the United States.

24) What is the Balfour Declaration that our politicians love to quote?

A) It is a Declaration by the British government in 1917 that endorsed the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The Jewish side was headed by Chaim Weizmann, who later became the first President of Israel in 1948.

25) Did the Balfour Declaration have any multilateral backing?

A) Yes. In 1922, the predecessor to the UN, the League of Nations adopted the Declaration and gave Britain the mandate to establish a Jewish homeland and develop self-governing institutions, and safeguard the civil and religious rights of all who reside in Palestine, including Christians and Muslims.

26) So who ‘started’ it first?

A) This one is tricky. Arabs will say it was the Israelis who “started it first” and Israelis will say the Arabs “started it first”. So let’s look at the facts. In 1947, the UN recommended that Palestine be partitioned into 3 areas: 1) a Jewish state, 2) an Arab State and 3) a UN-controlled territory or “corpus separatum” around Jerusalem. This was adopted in Nov 1947 as UN General Assembly Resolution 181. But the Palestinian Arabs rejected the UN decision (despite a 65% voting majority) and demanded a Single Arab State in Palestine and expulsion of Every Single Jewish citizen. This was what led to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. (So You tell me who “started it first”!)

27) How did the 1948 Arab-Israeli War start?

A) On May 14, 1948, David Ben Gurion declared “Merdeka” for Israel. 5 hours later, Seven Arab countries launched a cowardly joint attack (what else to call when seven guys gang up on one?). This led to 1 million Palestinian Arabs leaving Israel for security reasons. After Israel defeated all 7 countries, the Palestinians wanted to return. Unfortunately, Israel passed a series of laws that prevented those who left from coming back. These are the ones who remain refugees to this day.

28) Do all Muslims hate Zionists and the Zionist Agenda?

A) No. Many Muslim scholars publicly defend the Zionist Agenda, among them Dr Tawfik Hamid, the al Gama’a al-Islamiyya organization, Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi, Sheikh Tasbih Sayyed and so on. Also, some Muslim communities like the Kurds (who were gassed by Saddam Hussein) and Berbers also openly express support for the Jewish right to self-determination. Even leading Palestinian Organisation scholars like Asad Shukri (father of PLO founder Ahmad Shukri) opposed the PLO’s anti-Zionist activities. He was also the first to condemn the strategy of using Islam to condemn Jews and their right to live - which was started by Mohd Aminal-Husayni, a close aide of Yasser Arafat.

29) What about Muslims in non-Muslim countries?

A) In August 2007, the President of the Organisation of Imams in India, Sheikh Maulana Jamil organised a delegation to Israel. They subsequently signed a joint declaration rejecting the lie that the Israel-Palestinian conflict is a war between Islam and Christianity/Judaism, admitting that it is no more than a land dispute that can be resolved peacefully.

30) Can a Malaysian support Both Israel and Palestine?

A) Yes of course. Again, it is purely a territorial dispute and need not involve religion. Many of us still believe in the “Two-State Solution” and that Israel can peacefully coexist with Palestine. It is hard but not impossible. Dialogue is the key.





Written by Servant of Christ, Capt Dr Thirunavukkarasu Jr R Karasu
December 2017

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Suicide bombers storm church and detonate explosives as congregation worships in Pakistan church attack

Suicide bombers storm Christian church in Pakistan as hundreds of worshippers attended pre-Christmas services

Quetta, Pakistan;  Not one but two suicide bombers have attacked a church in the Pakistani city of Quetta, killing nine people and wounding more than 50.

Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister for the south-western Baluchistan province, said many hundreds of worshippers were attending services at the church before Christmas. He said the attackers clashed with security forces, with one assailant killed at the entrance while the other made it inside.

The Baluchistan police chief, Moazzam Ansari, praised the response of security forces guarding the church, saying the attacker who made it inside was wounded and unable to reach the main building. “Otherwise the loss of lives could have been much higher,” he said.

The Quetta police chief, Abdur Razzaq Cheema, said a search was underway for two suspected accomplices who escaped.

Local television showed ambulances and security patrols racing to the scene while women and children were led out of the church’s main gate.

Islamic State claimed responsibility through its Amaq news agency, saying two “plungers” from the group had stormed the church, without providing further details.

Wasim Baig, a spokesman for Quetta’s main hospital, said three women were among the dead while four women and two children were among 57 wounded.

Aqil Anjum, who was shot in his right arm, said he heard a blast in the middle of the service, followed by heavy gunfire. “It was chaos. Bullets were hitting people inside the closed hall,” he said.

Dozens of Christians gathered outside a nearby hospital to protest at the lack of security.

Pakistan’s president and other senior officials condemned the attack.

“Attack of terrorists on Zarghoon road church in Quetta is condemned. Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism cannot be deterred by these cowardly acts,” Mohammad Faisal, a spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said.

Baluchistan has long been the scene of an insurgency by separatists fighting against the state to demand more of a share of the gas and mineral-rich region’s resources. They also accuse the central government of discrimination.

No stranger to such attacks

Quetta is the provincial capital of Balochistan province. The city has witnessed recent several attacks in the past two years. This was the fifth attack this year.

In October, eight people including seven policemen were killed in a terrorist attack.


Islamic State or Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.


Authorities in Pakistan have expressed their concern over the presence of IS in Afghanistan near Pakistan border. Interior Ministry last month issued directives to security forces to strengthen the security of borders following reports that some IS terrorists had entered Pakistan.

Christians make up about 1.6 percent of Pakistan’s 200 million people and have long faced discrimination - sidelined into low paid jobs and sometimes the target of blasphemy charges.

Along with other religious minorities, the community has also been hit by Islamic militants over the years.

“Attack of terrorists on Zarghoon road church in Quetta is condemned. Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism cannot be deterred by these cowardly acts,” Mohammad Faisal, a spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said.

SOURCE



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Prayer Requests

Today's Prayer Requests

Patty Hecker | I pray that my husband get out of prison really soon so we can all be a family again. I also ask that I get full time employment work where Im at or somewhere else. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Chaz hahn | David saberski my freind recives jesus in his heart amd gets out of the cult he is in jesus name amen

VERA BANKSTON-JONES | FATHER GOD,Keep my head up that's been a hard test these few days well really this past year. I find myself overwhelmed in the frivolous life I'm living. More so for people then I am self your guidance is always been helpful yeah and I need a strong firm stand! Only with you Lord can I do anything!.......SELAH

Yudaraj p | Please pray for me our India Please pray for me my future  Please pray for me my church ministry Please pray for me our needs

Tamara Baker | I'd like to request a prayer for my father that has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Help him over come, and help us all to understand all that this disease does to someone. And for strength for my mother that deals with more than one should, because she has the biggest heart and will try to help everyone. To let us all have a wonderful Christmas day as a whole family like the ones we had when I was young. I would also to pray for everyone to see and hear the Lord's word's to live in his ways.I pray that I will get what the Lord knows I need, I trust with my whole heart that if I am to get gifts for my grandbabies, children, and parents, that you will show me the way and what I'm supposed to do. Thank you Lord for your love, strength and knowing what is best for me.

Andrey | Please pray to the true God for us to decide the issue with the re-registration of the land. For more than 6 months, we can not re-arrange the inheritance. Money is no longer on the notaries and on the advocates, one hope for the Creator!

vijay aggarwal | Plz pray for money in abundance for a comfortable life

Jerusalem Decision: 'Biblical Timing of Absolute Precision'

'Biblical Timing of Absolute Precision': John Hagee Praises Trump's Jerusalem Decision

Jerusalem; City of David

Right before President Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announced the U.S. Embassy in Israel would be moving there, pastor and best-selling author John Hagee joined CBN News' FAITH NATION program for analysis on the Jewish State.

He discussed why Israel is important to Christians, as well as what's behind the Trump administration's support of the Holy Land. Hagee is the founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel.

"What President Trump is doing is one of the most courageous political things that's been done in Washington in a long time," Hagee, who is also the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, told CBN News.

"Many presidents have promised to move the embassy and declare Jerusalem as the eternal capital, but they have promised without performing," he continued.

"President Trump, when I spoke to him in the White House about this several weeks ago, he said this very emphatically. He said, 'Other presidents have failed you, but I will not disappoint the Christian community in this issue. I will stand with Israel, and we will at some point in time, move the embassy,'" said Hagee.

He also talked with the president about the significance of moving the embassy in this "Jubilee Year."

"...I told him that God measures everything in modules of 50 years," Hagee explained to CBN News. "And I said this is a principle that's carried out in Leviticus, the 25th chapter."

"I said, 'If you look at 1917, it was a Jubilee Year, and the Balfour Amendment came, and then in 50 years, it was 1967, and Jerusalem was reconnected to Israel,'" he continued.

"'And you add 50 to 1967, and you're in 2017.' I said, 'This is the year to move the embassy and make that declaration because it is a biblical timing of absolute precision,'" Hagee said. "Thank God, he's going to do exactly that."

Pastor John C. Hagee

Meanwhile, CBN's Gordon Robertson says that Trump's move for Israel was long overdue from America's leaders.

And Hagee also emphasized the significance of the Jewish state to God and why Christians need to acknowledge its global importance.

"...I believe at this point in time, Israel is God's stopwatch for everything that happens to every nation, including America, from now until the Rapture of the Church and beyond," he said.

"Christians should care about Israel because the entirety of the Bible beginning at Genesis all the way to the end is God's position paper on the Jewish people," Hagee explained.

"God found a man by the name of Abraham and He made a covenant with him," Hagee continued. "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, recorded in the book of Genesis, that He was going to give them a strip of real estate in the Middle East, and that piece of real estate would be theirs forever."

"Forever means today, tomorrow and forever," he said. "It has nothing to do with what the Palestinians think, what the Russians think, what the UK has the opinion of; it belongs to the Jewish people."

"And Israel is the gateway to God's blessing in the Bible," Hagee continued. "Genesis 12: 'I will bless those who bless you.'"

"World history can be summed up in one sentence. The nations that blessed Israel were blessed of God, and the nations that cursed Israel were cursed of God," he said.



Watch the Video interview here


SOURCE

Proclaiming the faith of the Gospel everywhere

India Mission: focusing on the Christian mission

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, In 1 Corinthians 9:23; Paul said: "And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."

Today, I have the privilege to share with you some of Pastor M. Lazar and team mission works from India. How God in His mercy and love has been their rock and hope. here is a brief introduction and the vision God has given to him.

Pastor M. Lazar is from Tamil Nadu, South India. GOD has chosen him from a poor family. Started serving GOD while in Chennai.  During that time GOD gave a vision that: He was taking the Bible and walking in a valley of dry bones.  After that, he prayed to GOD so as to understand the vision and GOD said to him to preach HIS WORDS among poor people and to plant Churches in villages those who don’t know CHRIST.  (According to Ezekiel 37:1-14)

According to that vision, he obeyed GOD and came to a village named as Walajabad in Oct 2001 and started to serve GOD.  Now V.A.Koil(a village) as centre serving GOD for the past 17 years also in many villages.

Photos of the Church in Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet Village

We have been doing ministry in this village for the past 8 years in a rented place in a small hut.  About 50 children and families attend the church. Due to the heavy rain last year this church has been damaged severely.  The place owner also telling us to move the church to some other place. The team is believing God as always.

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village church kids

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Ki-Thi-Ri-Pet village place of worship

Here is the church building in Indira Nagar village

Due to the same storm last year, the church building roofs have been damaged very much. About 15 families (60 members) are coming to this church. the team hope to renovate the church. Praying and believing God

the church building in Indira Nagar village

Indira Nagar village

For the church in V.A Koil Village

The team use this village as the centre because it's surrounded by other villages. Here about 70 people which include more than 100 children come to this church.  For the past 5 years, we prayed to GOD to renovate this church.  GOD heard our prayers.  Last year we have renovated the church.

On every 2nd Sunday believers from our other branch churches gather here for the Holy Communion.  For that, we are using two-wheelers to bring them from their villages to here.  They are coming from around 2 to 3 km to this church.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN V.A.KOIL CHURCH – 2016

V.A Koil Village

V.A Koil Village

With much prayer, I am sending this information regarding the team's ministry.  Please keep this in your prayer.  As God speaks in your heart, support the work of God.  Thank you for your kindness.



Author Bio-
Pastor M. Lazar from Tamil Nadu, South India. GOD has chosen him from a poor family. Started serving GOD while in Chennai.  During that time GOD gave a vision that: He was taking the Bible and walking in a valley of dry bones.  After that, he prayed to GOD so as to understand the vision and GOD said to him to preach HIS WORDS among poor people and to plant Churches in villages those who don’t know CHRIST.  (According to Ezekiel 37:1-14)

According to that vision, he obeyed GOD and came to a village named as Walajabad in Oct 2001 and started to serve GOD.  Now V.A.Koil(a village) as center serving GOD for the past 17 years also in many villages.

Pastor M. Lazar contact details
Facebook Page
Email: pr.lazarwbd@gmail.com

Upcoming Program

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Calls for Prayer for Trump & Israel

Calls for Prayer for Trump, Israel: 'What He Has Done...Will be Eternally Celebrated' Says John C. Hagee

Pastor John Charles Hagee; founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church,
a megachurch in San Antonio, Texas

On the day President Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and announced the U.S. Embassy would be moving there, the founder of Christians United for Israel, Pastor John Hagee, issued a call to pray.

"Let's unite together on this historic day to pray for our president, our nation and the nation of Israel like never before," he wrote on Facebook. "Let's pray that the United States will remain resolute in its commitment and support of Israel."

Hagee, who is also the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, also delivered a video message in that Facebook post.

"President Trump has made a bold and courageous stand that will be remembered in history forever, like President Harry Truman, who made a bold and courageous decision to recognize Israel at statehood," Hagee said.

"What he has done today will be eternally celebrated," he continued in the video. "This shows the world that Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is not up for negotiation, and America is and shall always remain a loyal ally of Israel."

Hagee also referenced how in the Bible, Israel is referred to as the "apple of His (God's) eye."

"The apple of one's eye is its center," Hagee wrote. "The prophet Zechariah declared that if you come against Israel and her people, it is as if you have thrust your finger in the pupil of God's eye."

"God made a covenant with the Jewish people, and He does not lie or break covenant," Hagee continued.

The New York Times best-selling author went on to write, "Psalm 122:6, King David commands us to, 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.'"

"Righteousness and peace are destined to spring forth from Jerusalem to all the nations of the earth; therefore, it benefits all of us to pray for this Holy City," Hagee continued.

"The scriptural principle of personal prosperity is tied to blessing Israel and praying for Jerusalem," he wrote. "Prosperity is not purely associated with material blessings, but to the Lord's favor and protection as well."

Hagee also called upon Christians "to minister to the Jewish people in a substantial and material way," writing it's "our duty" to do this.

He then referenced Romans 15:27: "For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things."

Hagee concluded the post with an expression of gratitude for support and prayers for Israel and the United States.

"While so many in this world may sit in judgment of Israel, THANK YOU for standing in the gap for our support of Israel and our great nation," he wrote. "Let it be known that together we are united in our support and prayers for the nation of Israel and the Holy City of Jerusalem!"






SOURCE

'The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful'

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the president’s announcement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - while other Middle East leaders have condemned the US President’s decision, saying it could embolden terrorist organisations.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 

“Thank you, President Trump, for today's historic decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Jewish people and the Jewish state will be forever grateful,” Mr Netanyahu said.

This move, he added, “reflects the President's commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, to fulfilling his promises and to advancing peace.”

“There is no peace that doesn't include Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Mr Trump's decision, saying the move will aid extremist organisations.

“These procedures do also help in the extremist organizations to wage a religious war that would harm the entire region which is going through critical moments and would lead us into wars that will never end which we have warned about and always urged to fight against,” he said in a televised address.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said the decision “disqualified the United States of America to play any role in any peace process”, even though Mr Trump called the change in Jerusalem’s diplomatic status a step towards working for a lasting agreement between Israel and Palestinians.

Jordanian King Abdullah also joined the chorus of disapproval of Mr Trump’s move.

“There is no alternative to a two-state solution, and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement,” said King Abdullah, speaking in Ankara - the capital of Turkey - alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is also opposed to Mr Trump’s decision.

According to CNN, the Jordanian King added that any such agreement must allow for an independent Palestinian state and that “ignoring Palestinian Muslim and Christian rights” in Jerusalem “could fuel terrorism.”

 image of an Israeli flag and a U.S. flag displayed proudly next to each other
on the old city wall of Jerusalem

The news outlet reported that Mr Erdogan said a wrong step taken by the Trump administration on the Jerusalem issue would catalyse a reaction across the Islamic world that could destroy the foundations for peace.

Regarding Mr Trump, Mr Erdogan said, “No one person's personal ambitions should be allowed to alter the fates of billions of people. Any such move would only embolden terrorist organizations.”

French President Emmanuel Macron called Mr Trump’s decision “regrettable”, saying it “goes against international law and all the resolutions of the UN Security Council.”

“The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations,” Mr Macron told reporters at a news conference in Algiers.

SOURCE

Relocate the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

“This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in a historic speech on Wednesday.

“This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality,” Trump said from the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. “It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done.”

He also announced his decision to relocate the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take a few years because there is currently no site or design for the building.

You can read the president’s full speech below.

Thank you.

When I came into office, I promised to look at the world's challenges with open eyes and very fresh thinking. We cannot solve our problems by making the same failed assumptions and repeating the same failed strategies of the past. All challenges demand new approaches.

My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act urging the federal government to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city - and so importantly - is Israel's capital.

This act passed Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority, and was reaffirmed by unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago. Yet for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law's waiver, refusing to move the US embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital city.

Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage, but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time.

Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.

Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While previous presidents have made this a major campaign promise, they failed to deliver. Today, I am delivering.

I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. This is a long overdue step to advance the peace process and to work towards a lasting agreement.

Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like every other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital. Acknowledging this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace.

It was 70 years ago that the United States under President Truman recognized the state of Israel. Ever since then, Israel has made its capital in the city of Jerusalem, the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times.

Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli supreme court. It is the location of the official residence of the prime minister and the president. It is the headquarters of many government ministries. For decades, visiting American presidents, secretaries of state, and military leaders have met their Israeli counterparts in Jerusalem, as I did on my trip to Israel earlier this year.

Jerusalem is not just the heart of three great religions, but it is now also the heart of one of the most successful democracies in the world. Over the past seven decades, the Israeli people have built a country where Jews, Muslims, and Christians - and people of all faiths - are free to live and worship according to their conscience and according to their beliefs. Jerusalem is today - and must remain - a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

However, through all of these years, presidents representing the United States have declined to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In fact, we have declined to acknowledge any Israeli capital at all. But today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It's something that has to be done.

That is why, consistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, I am also directing the State Department to begin preparation to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will immediately begin the process of hiring architects, engineers, and planners so that a new embassy, when completed, will be a magnificent tribute to peace.

In making these announcements, I also want to make one point very clear: This decision is not intended in any way to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement. We want an agreement that is a great deal for the Israelis and a great deal for the Palestinians.

We are not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved. The United States remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides. I intend to do everything in my power to help forge such an agreement.

Without question, Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in those talks. The United States would support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides. In the meantime, I call on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites, including the Temple Mount, also known as Haram al-Sharif. Above all, our greatest hope is for peace - the universal yearning in every human soul.

With today's action, I reaffirm my administration's longstanding commitment to a future of peace and security for the region. There will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement. But we are confident that ultimately, as we work through these disagreements, we will arrive at a peace and a place far greater in understanding and cooperation.

This sacred city should call forth the best in humanity - lifting our sights to what is possible, not pulling us back and down to the old fights that have become so totally predictable. Peace is never beyond the grasp of those willing to reach it. So today we call for calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate. Our children should inherit our love, not our conflicts.

I repeat the message I delivered at the historic and extraordinary summit in Saudi Arabia earlier this year: The Middle East is a region rich with culture, spirit, and history. Its people are brilliant, proud, and diverse, vibrant and strong.

But the incredible future awaiting this region is held at bay by bloodshed, ignorance, and terror. Vice President Pence will travel to the region in the coming days to reaffirm our commitment to work with partners throughout the Middle East to defeat radicalism that threatens the hopes and dreams of future generations.

It is time for the many who desire peace to expel the extremists from their midsts. It is time for all civilized nations, and people, to respond to disagreement with reasoned debate, not violence. And it is time for young and moderate voices all across the Middle East to claim for themselves a bright and beautiful future.

So today, let us rededicate ourselves to a path of mutual understanding and respect. Let us rethink old assumptions and open our hearts and minds to possible and possibilities. And finally, I ask the leaders of the region - political and religious, Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish and Christian and Muslim - to join us in the noble quest for lasting peace.

Thank you, God bless you, God bless Israel, God bless the Palestinians, and God bless the United States.

Thank you very much. Thank you.




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What happened To Lebanon Christians

My 911 Happened To Me in 1975 -Brigette Gabriel

As a 10 year old girl, Brigitte Gabriel did not have to read about radical Islam from a textbook, or through stories. She experienced it. When her native homeland, Lebanon, was bombed by Islamic terrorists, the rubble of her home was around her, along with the sounds and smells that come along with that. After escaping with her life, she later became an American citizen. She thought all of the memories and realities of Radical Islam were long gone. That all came crashing down when the events of September 11th struck terror in the hearts of America. This event was different for her than most. As most Americans had never experienced terrorism at such a level, this brought all of the pain and emotions that Gabriel thought she had left, back to the surface of her own life.

It was the terrorizing events of September 11th that changed Gabriel’s life, in more ways than one. Gabriel was about 10 years old when she experienced the terrorist attacks in Lebanon. At that moment, she asked her father why this was happening. Fast forward a few decades, and she found herself reciting the very same words of her father, when her daughter asked her why the events of September 11th were happening. “Mommy why did they do this to us?” Gabriel continues, “and I found myself looking at my daughter and repeating to her exactly what my daddy told me in Lebanon, 30 years ago. ‘They hate us because they consider us Infidels and they want to kill us because we are Christians.’” It was this very moment that defined in her what she has been called to do in her life, as an American, to be an activist against Radical Islam and to educate Western Civilization about Radical Islam.

It is this very understanding of who Gabriel is, and her background, that emphasizes her authority when speaking about Radical Islam. As noted earlier, her knowledge does not come from books, or writing a thesis, but from personal experience. This was truly demonstrated when she spoke about the history of the ideology of Islam recently at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. It is no surprise to say that Radical Islam is a national threat today. Gabriel openly addresses this concern by stating, “...what I’m going to do right now is crunch 1,400 years of Islamic history in 5 minutes and make it as exciting as I can possibly make it.”  As she begins speaking, she underlines her speech with the wisdom, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Often times, the Western Culture has been unaware of the original foundations of Islam. Gabriel continues by explaining how Islam started with the prophet Mohammed and his “revelation.” As Mohammed desired to make this “revelation” known to others, it was made known to only his immediate family and friends. Unsatisfied with the results, Mohammed went to Medina in hopes of a better response to Jews in Medina.  So, he took excerpts from the Old Testament. Gabriel expresses, “This is why you see a lot of similarities between Judaism and Islam. For example, Jews don’t eat pigs. Muslims don’t eat pigs. Jews pray few times a day. Muslims pray few times a day. Jews fast on Yom Kippur. Muslims fast on Ramadan.”

She continues to emphasize how the original spiritual beginnings of Islam took a militant turn, as we are seeing now in the world with ISIS. The response of the Jewish audience didn’t have the response as Mohammed had hoped. When Mohammed was once for them, he was now against the Jews. “That’s when Islam went from a spiritual movement for the first 12 years of Islam into a political movement cloaked in religion.” It was this very reaction that caused Jews and Christians to be viewed as ‘second class citizens’, or “Dhimmi”, in Islamic language.

As the militant movement against the Jews continued under the leadership of Mohammed, he created his own methods of marking those that he was against. “Jews and Christians were given identifiable clothing. The yellow star, which was given to the Jews that most people think, is a German invention. It was actually an Islamic invention, in the 9th Century, in Iraq…” It is this very revealing truth of history that causes one to pay more attention to the mindset -shattering truths that Gabriel offered to all of those who listened. She continued to express the true events of what took place during The Crusades, The history of The Caliphate, the significance of ISIS, the history of Yasser Arafat and why the current peace treaty with Iran regarding their nuclear program MEANS NOTHING TO IRAN.

Be not only educated, but empowered in truth to know how to respond to the events facing our culture today, and so much more. Greg and John shared in this segment. Also shared in this segment: prophet Mohammed, Islam, Medina, military, the yellow star, persecution, Jizyah tax, Ben Carson, Donald Trump, Radical Islam, Germany, The Crusades, Saudi Arabia, Taqiya, Mecca, peace treaties, Yasser Arafat, Oslo Accord, Iran, Nuclear Agreement, Afghanistan, and The United Nations.

Your Testimony - God’s Story in You

You have a story and if your story is God’s story in you, then that story is a testimony and can be a powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Sharing your story requires thought but no special training. “You are an expert on what happened to you!” And you can share your testimony anywhere with anyone and give them the “reason for the hope that is in you.”

You can share about Jesus Christ through your story - what God has done for you, what He is doing, and how you have experienced his grace and goodness in your life.


Here’s a question for you: Are you Ready to share your faith story with others and how God’s story has transformed your story?  please use the contact us form or send an email via businessofchrist@gmail.com


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Bible Frequently Asked Questions

Some Twenty-Five Typical Bible FAQs

One of the reasons Donald Trump is on my profile is because of his Administration’s unapologetic return to Christianity. He not only brought back Bible study and prayer into the White House but also recently told Americans to wish each other Merry Christmas instead of “Happy Holidays”.

I respect people’s right to atheism, or to believe or disbelieve anything. But one interesting trait about Facebook atheists is that they only dare mock Christianity - never the other religions. The more aggressive ones go a step further, sharing juicy tales about Jesus’ alleged relationship with Mary Magdalene, about how Roman soldiers “hid His body” (to deny the Resurrection of course), His “gay relationship” with the Apostle John etc. These are of course mainly from TV’s pseudo-intelligentsia - ranging from CNN to the History Channel.

So why is the world so obsessed with Jesus Christ? And why is everyone so angry that there are still millions of Christians who believe that Jesus is God?
Honestly, I don’t know. But what I do know is that many people are still confused with what the Bible is all about. So here are few typical Bible FAQs:

1) Why aren’t Christians leaving their faith despite continued attacks against Christianity by popular media?

A) Because our Bible has already mentioned that in the last days, the number of attacks against God will intensify.

2) Why do Christians still believe in God despite the “evidence” that God doesn’t exist?

A) Because Christians base their belief on something called ‘faith’, which means you can “prove” or “disprove” that what they believe is true or isn’t true.

3) Isn’t that what we call “blind faith” since Christians cannot see God?

A) The term “blind faith” is just a meaningless phrase created by people who can’t understand why people believe in something. For instance, they can’t “prove” their mother loves them either. And they can’t see electricity, magnetism or planet Pluto either. But they still believe in those things.

4) That’s stupid. You can prove your mother loves you from the way she looks after you. And you can prove electricity, magnetism and planet Pluto exists from mathematics.

A) Then it’s also stupid to say God doesn’t exist when God looks after us. Also, Stephen Hawking once ‘proved’ God exists through mathematics alone. (he proved that the simultaneous ‘creation’ of masses between 2 celestial bodies must be continuous to preserve the distance between them to ensure the relative gravitational forces between them stays constant).

5) Why is there no mention of things like dinosaurs in the Bible, or stuff about science, technology and significant events in history?

A) The Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs as much as the Quran or Mahabharata doesn’t mention about the Apollo moon landing. Religious scriptures focus on the relationship between Man and his God, not history, geography, science or technology.

6) What about that silly story about Creation, Adam, Eve, the snake and the apple?

A) First, it’s not an apple but an unspecified forbidden fruit. Second, the story of Creation is intended to reveal the Ordering of the world as God destined, and how systems in external and internal environments came about. It is NOT a scientific account of how the universe came to be.

God knows that we are not quantum physicists and hence, spared us from unnecessary and irrelevant details as to how He works. Finally, the story of Adam and Eve, the serpent (not snake) and the fruit is not some cartoonish tale but an allegory of Man’s creation, his communion and eventual separation from God. The plan for redemption came about immediately after he sinned, not some “idea” that God had after Jesus came.

7) Is the Bible even relevant in this time and age?

A) You bet. It’s the world’s best-selling book of all time, and still sells up to 100 million copies annually. Total sales are above 5 billion copies over the past 4 centuries.

8) What is the Bible?

A) It’s a collection of sacred texts and scriptures that Christians consider to be divinely inspired to govern the relationship between God and Man.

9). How do you know the Bible is not just some fable written by a bunch of old Jews?

A) Altogether, there are 66 books written by different people from Moses to John, over a thousand years and spread over 1 million square miles of territory with no possible contact with each other. Over a thousand years, the stark consistency between the writings of each is statistically improbable, which makes the Bible a shockingly consistent account of all historical prophecies and predictions.

10) Then how come many Christians themselves are distancing from the Bible today and Sharing Facebook articles that discredit it?

A) Because they are frustrated with the Bible’s strong stand against issues they feel uncomfortable about. The Bible challenges their permissive attitudes towards things like abortion, drugs, homosexuality, and confronts their pro-liberal agenda. So they attack Christianity and the Bible instead.

11) What about the Crusaders, white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan?

A) Christianity has nothing to do with the Crusaders, racists or the Klan as much as Islam has nothing to do with terrorist activities by Muslim groups, Hinduism with the mob attacks against Indian Muslims or Buddhism with the killing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.

12. What good is the Bible when we can’t use it for anything?

A) You don’t “use” the Bible. It is not a magic book. It doesn’t cast spells or incantations. It is just a compilation of authoritative texts from divine origin that went through a normal human process of writing and editing.

13) If Christianity is correct, why is there Catholic and Protestant?

A) Again, the schisms in religion are common in all religions. That doesn’t negate the authority of the scriptures. Catholics look to the Bible within the context of sacred tradition and doctrine issued by Church fathers. Protestants focus solely on Scripture, nothing else.

14) So how do both view the Bible?

A) All Christians view the Bible as an infallible source of doctrine, though not necessarily accurate in history of factual details concerning the non-relational aspects of Man’s communion with God.

15) Why is there an ‘Old’ Testament and a ‘New’ Testament? Which is correct?

A) Both. The Old Testament describes Man’s attempt to reach God through his own works, while the New Testament describes God reaching Man through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. As Man’s attempt to reach God failed, the applicability of Christianity is contained in the New Testament. But the Old Testament still lays the basis of the New Testament as it contains many prophecies that confirm Jesus Christ as God’s final Revelation.

16) What is the Old Testament about?

A) The OT has 4 parts. Part 1 comprises the Torah, Part 2 the former Prophets, Part 3 the Latter Prophets and Part 4 the Poetic books.

17) What is the Torah (or Taurat)?

A) The Torah comprises 5 books, starting with Genesis that talks about Creation and God’s early relationship with humanity, His covenant with Abraham and how he led the children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan. The Torah also contains the 10 Commandments revealed at Mount Sinai.

18) Why don’t Christians apply the Ten Commandments anymore?

A) Because as the New Testament teaches, the Ten Commandments describe Man’s attempt to live holy and righteous through a series of Do’s and Don’ts alone. That failed, as works alone doesn’t guarantee the intent and motivation of the heart. Jesus however, fulfilled the entire Ten Commandments and hence, paved the way for direct Man-God communion through belief in His saving grace alone.

19) What is the former Prophets?

A) They are the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. They talk about the struggle of the Israelites to possess the land, Israel’s transition from a theocratic state to a monarchy, the succession of kings and the tragedy that fell on Israel that ended in foreign conquest and exile.

20) What are the Latter Prophets?

A) They are accounts from individual prophets called the ‘major’ prophets (Isaiah to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel) and minor prophets (Hosea to Malachi).

21) What are the Poetic Books?

A) They comprise expressions of Man’s deep passions towards God, from love to anger to lamentations to despair to hope to joy everlasting e.g. Psalms, Proverbs and Job, Song of Solomon (but not to be confused with Jon Solomon), Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

22) Ok now what’s the New Testament about?

A) The NT comes after the OT and is about the coming of God in the form of Jesus Christ, His life, His sacrifice, His resurrection and ultimately, the promise of His return.

23) Why is the Bible still relevant today?

A) Timothy 3:16 says “All scripture is inspired by God, and used for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness". It is the perfect Book to improve our shitty human characters.

24) How does Islam view the Bible?

A) In Islam, the Bible is held to reflect true revelation from God but in a manner that had been distorted (Arabic Tahrif), which necessitated the giving of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to correct this deviation.

25) How do Christians respond to this Islamic precept?

A) We Christians reject the Islamic assertion owing to the verse in Hebrews 1:1 that says “in the past God spoke to Man through the prophets but in the last days, has spoken through his Son, Jesus Christ” - meaning there is NO further revelation AFTER Jesus Christ”. We are also warned and repeatedly advised to reject any other presumed addition to that which God had already revealed.

26) How do you know that the Bible’s written form is still exactly as it was intended?

A) Jesus said not one “jot nor tittle can be removed from the Law until all had been fulfilled”. The word ‘Jot’ refers to the smallest written letter in the Hebrew alphabet while ‘Tittle’ refers to the stroke that distinguishes letters e.g. a single stroke between the letter O and Q. This means Jesus Himself had 200% assurance that the written texts of the Jewish Law back in His time was 200% exact as the original Commandments given to Moses on Mt Sinai. This gives Christians the assurance that the present written form of the Bible’s King James version is already the full and completely accurate account.

27) So what do asshole Christians like Donald Trump and you really believe?

A) It’s as simple as A, B and C. We Christians believe that:

A) The Bible is the Word of God, meaning that God Himself, inspired, intervened and influenced the words, message, and collation.

B)The Bible may be inaccurate as far as science is concerned (as there was no need for God to give the prophets of old revelation pertaining to things like dinosaurs, geology, age of the earth, shape of the earth, the cosmos, study of the atoms and so on), but contains NO errors in matters pertaining to faith and practice towards the betterment of humanity, and

C) The Bible is written EXACTLY as how God intended it.
America was built on the basis of Christianity and the Bible, from the advent of the Pilgrim Fathers to the founding fathers to the written Constitution to the US Dollar Bill which says “In God We Trust”. And Trump’s Administration will continue to return American institutions to what was once the bastion of real Christianity, anchored with a strong and unshakeable conviction in the Bible, despite the perils and pitfalls that befall mortal men.

As such, the Bible will continue to inspire some of the greatest monuments of human thought, art, literature and music, and serve as the last line of defence against fundamentalism, extremism and human savagery brought about by evil men and their religions. It will continue to provide the ideological basis for immigrant societies and free them from regressive thought patterns, obsolete patriarchal attitudes, caste systems, poverty and violence against women and children.

Finally, the Bible will continue to inspire men and women to acts of great service and courage to ensure freedom and real liberation, develop human capital and most of all, provide a source of religious and moral norms to unite communities and help them care for one another.

God bless you all. Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

Written by Servant of Christ, Capt Dr Thirunavukkarasu Jr R Karasu
Hanoi, December 2017