We didn’t always celebrate Easter. Here’s how my parents & I became followers of Jesus Christ.

joelcrosenberg posted: " What a joy and undeserved honor it is to celebrate Easter in the Holy Land, where Jesus of Nazareth traveled and taught and healed and loved His neighbors and His enemies. Unfortunately, too few Jews and Arabs in this region get as excited about Easter" New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog We didn't always celebrate Easter. Here's how my parents & I became followers of Jesus Christ. by joelcrosenberg What a joy and undeserved honor it is to celebrate Easter in the Holy Land, where Jesus of Nazareth traveled and taught and healed and loved His neighbors and His enemies. Unfortunately, too few Jews and Arabs in this region get as excited about Easter as I do. Amongst six million Israeli Jews, about two million Israeli Arabs, and another four million-plus Palestinian Arabs, only about 30,000 are born again believers that Jesus is the Messiah who died on the cross and rose again from the dead on the third day, according to the Scriptures. The good news is wonderful news -- but not enough people in this part of the world know it or believe it. Then again, my family and I weren't always excited about Easter. There was a time when we hadn't heard the Gospel. And even when we did hear about God's free gift of forgiveness and hope and eternal life, we didn't all immediately believe it. My parents and I understand what it's like to be lost, and to feel lost, and to genuinely have no idea that God loves us and wants to adopt us into His royal family. Today, I'd like to share with you our spiritual journey. In this hour-long audio message (divided up in 5 to 10 minute segments on YouTube), I explain the process my parents went through to come to faith in Jesus Christ, how I later came to faith in Christ myself, and later how I experienced a powerful spiritual revival in my junior year of high school that completely transformed my life. I hope it will encourage you in your own spiritual journey, and that it will be something you can share with family and friends to help and encourage them, as well. Thanks and God bless you. My spiritual journey — part 1 — how becoming the author of The Last Jihad triggered people asking me a critical question Part 2 — how my Jewish grandparents escaped from Russia, my father's Jewish upbringing, my mother's Gentile heritage, and how they met Part 3 — my mother's spiritual journey Part 4 — my father's spiritual journey, and then how I came to faith Part 5 — how I learned I was Jewish, and then my crisis of faith in high school Part 6 — the conclusion of my story, and so what? Why should this matter to you? (Photo: The (empty) Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.) ————————– Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about ISIS plotting a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — is available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | March 28, 2016 at 6:19 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4uc Like Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/we-didnt-always-celebrate-easter-heres-how-my-parents-i-became-followers-of-jesus-christ/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

FDarkness falling over Turkey. Israel tells its citizens to leave Turkey immediately as ISIS threat to Jews & Christians grows.

joelcrosenberg posted: " I've been to Turkey at least a half dozen times over the years and have always loved it there. Just last October, I traveled to Istanbul for a series of meetings. I visited the Blue Mosque and various locations that I'd written about in The Third Target" New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog Darkness falling over Turkey. Israel tells its citizens to leave Turkey immediately as ISIS threat to Jews & Christians grows. by joelcrosenberg I've been to Turkey at least a half dozen times over the years and have always loved it there. Just last October, I traveled to Istanbul for a series of meetings. I visited the Blue Mosque and various locations that I'd written about in The Third Target, including the area of restaurants and cafes where I'd set a fictional terrorist attack that nearly kills my main character, J.B. Collins, the New York Times foreign correspondent. I'm so glad I went, but it's going to be awhile before I go back. Turkey is fast turning from a moderate, peaceful democracy -- indeed, long model of tolerance in the Islamic world since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1920s -- into a dangerous dictatorship under President Erdogan, an increasingly tyrannical Islamist. What's more, Turkey is becoming both a transit point for ISIS and al Qaeda and other jihadists, and even a target of Radical Islamic terrorism. On March 20th, for example, a suicide bomber with links to ISIS blew himself up in the heart of Istanbul, killing four and wounded 36 people. Among the dead were three Israelis, including two with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. Eleven more Israelis were among the wounded. It was just one of many recent attacks. Intelligence agencies are warning that Jews and Christians could be targeted with more terror attacks soon. Now the Israeli government is warning its citizens to leave Turkey immediately. Soon, I plan to write more about the darkness falling over Turkey, a country I love dearly and one where I've taken my wife and children repeatedly over the years. For now, here's more on the warning issued to Israeli citizens: "The Counter-Terrorism Bureau at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday issued a travel warning calling on the public to avoid visiting Turkey and urging Israelis currently there to leave as soon as they can," reports the Times of Israel. The warning, which raised the terror risk in Turkey from level 3 (basic concrete threat) to level 2 (high concrete threat), came in the wake of a terror attack in central Istanbul on March 19, in which three Israelis were killed and several others wounded," the Times noted. "That attack, the PMO said in a statement, underscored the threat emanating from Islamic State cells that seek to attack tourism sites and proved that IS has 'high capabilities of carrying out further attacks.'" "Terrorist infrastructures in Turkey continue to advance additional attacks against tourist targets – including Israeli tourists – throughout the country," the statement added. Israelis in Turkey should "leave as soon as possible."" On Saturday, Turkish police warned of possible Islamic State attacks against Christians and Jews. "IS has been blamed for four of six bombings that have rocked Turkey in the past eight months, including a double suicide attack at a peace rally in the capital, Ankara, in October that left 103 people dead," noted the Times. "The police have warned that IS group members may have scouted out places of worship as well as consulates and embassies, saying that churches and synagogues especially in Ankara, as well as foundations belonging to non-Muslims, should be on their guard," the article noted. "Israel has not stated definitively whether last Saturday's blast had deliberately targeted Israelis. It has praised Turkey for its handling of the aftermath of the bombing. The Israeli victims of the attack were Yonathan Suher, 40, Simha Dimri, 59, and Avraham Goldman, 69. Suher and Goldman were also United States citizens." ————————– Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about ISIS plotting a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — is available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg   joelcrosenberg | March 28, 2016 at 7:07 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4uH Like Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/darkness-falling-over-turkey-israel-tells-its-citizens-to-leave-turkey-immediately-as-isis-threat-to-jews-christians-grows/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

Amidst the enormous tensions in the Middle East, now is a good time to celebrate Purim. Here’s why.

joelcrosenberg posted: " Amidst all the trauma and tension in the Middle East, let's stop for a moment and focus on some good news -- the Biblical story of God supernaturally preventing genocide and saving His people. This week, we celebrate Purim. This is the ancient Jewish h" New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog Amidst the enormous tensions in the Middle East, now is a good time to celebrate Purim. Here's why. by joelcrosenberg Amidst all the trauma and tension in the Middle East, let's stop for a moment and focus on some good news -- the Biblical story of God supernaturally preventing genocide and saving His people. This week, we celebrate Purim. This is the ancient Jewish holiday we read about the Book of Esther in the Old Testament. It celebrates the remarkable story of how the Lord used two faithful believers — Mordechai and Esther — and a movement of prayer and fasting to save the Jewish people from an evil Persian regime determine to annihilate them. Several years ago, you may recall that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu presented President Obama a decorated copy of an Esther Scroll telling the Biblical story. They discussed the parallels between ancient times and today. There are many remarkable parallels, as I describe here in a video blog. Here are four ways you can celebrate this year: Learn – Jewish families around the world read the Book of Esther as a family to remember all the details of this amazing story, and Christians should, too. To read the Book of Esther on-line, please click here. To read notes of a message I gave to the National Religious Broadcasters convention in 2010 on "Israel, The Iran Threat, and Modern Day Lessons From The Book of Esther," please click here. Or perhaps you might watch the video blog we made above for The Joshua Fund. Pray– We are to praise the God of Israel that He saved and redeemed the Jewish people. We are also to thank Him that He also saved so many Persian (Iranian) people who turned to the Living God at the end of the story (many people miss this part). Especially this year we should follow Mordechai and Esther's example by praying and fasting for the redemption of the Jewish people amidst the current tensions with an evil Persian regime that wants to annihilate them. Let us also be praying faithfully for the Persian people to be saved and redeemed, as well. Give — On Purim, the Lord encourages us to give food and other gifts to the poor. As we read in Esther 9:20-22, "Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor." May we be faithful to the Lord in giving to the poor and needy and vulnerable, as well. Go — As you celebrate Purim with family and friends, start praying about going on a tour of Israel, and perhaps Jordan, as well. Come visit the Biblical sites of the Holy Land, walk where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked. See the places where our Lord Jesus Christ loved and served people and preached the good news of the Kingdom of God. Study the Scriptures in the places where so many of them were written, and discover how to be a blessing to Jews and Arabs (and Persians!) in our day. After all, Christ commanded us to love our neighbor, and to love our enemies. What better way to do that than to come visit the epicenter where it all began! May the Lord bless you, and all of Israel, and all of the Persian people this Purim season. ————————– Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about ISIS plotting a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — is available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | March 25, 2016 at 6:34 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4tP Like Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

ISIS claims responsibility for Brussels bombings. Here’s the latest.

joelcrosenberg posted: ""A wave of bombings that killed at least 30 people in Brussels were carried out by Isis militants, the group has claimed," reports the UK Independent. Two minutes ago, Reuters published a similar story that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the horrifi" New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog ISIS claims responsibility for Brussels bombings. Here's the latest. by joelcrosenberg "A wave of bombings that killed at least 30 people in Brussels were carried out by Isis militants, the group has claimed," reports the UK Independent. Two minutes ago, Reuters published a similar story that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the horrific attacks in the city that is headquarters for the European Union and NATO. "In a statement released through one of its propaganda outlets, the so-called Islamic State said 'explosive belts and devices' were used," the Independent noted on its website. "Islamic State fighters opened fire inside Zaventem Airport, before several of them detonated their explosive belts, as a martyrdom bomber detonated his explosive belt in the Maalbeek metro station," a spokesperson said. "The attacks resulted in more than 230 dead and wounded." The group also said Belgium was targeted as "a country participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State." ————————– Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about ISIS plotting a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — is available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | March 22, 2016 at 3:53 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4tw Like Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/isis-claims-responsibility-for-brussels-bombings-heres-the-latest/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

The Obama administration (finally) accuses ISIS of genocide. Here’s the latest.

joelcrosenberg posted: " It finally happened today. After months of calls by religious leaders and Mideast lfor the White House and State Department to call the ISIS slaughter of Christians, Muslims and Yazidis what it really is -- genocide -- the administration finally did so." New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog The Obama administration (finally) accuses ISIS of genocide. Here's the latest. by joelcrosenberg It finally happened today. After months of calls by religious leaders and Mideast lfor the White House and State Department to call the ISIS slaughter of Christians, Muslims and Yazidis what it really is -- genocide -- the administration finally did so. "The Islamic State is committing genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shiite Muslims in Iraq and Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry declared on Thursday, a historic announcement that nonetheless is unlikely to spur greater U.S. military action against the terrorist network," Politico reported. "The declaration is a rare one — the U.S. has a record of trying to avoid the term 'genocide,' which carries with it political, moral and some legal obligations," the article noted. "The only other time the U.S. has used the term in an ongoing conflict was in 2004, when it described the atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region." More excerpts from the Politico article: The Islamic State "is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology and by actions, in what it says, what it believes and what it does," Kerry said in an appearance before reporters on Thursday morning. "Naming these crimes is important, but what is essential is to stop them." Kerry's decision was welcomed by lawmakers and faith-based advocacy groups who have lobbied for months to ensure that Christians would be included among the genocide victims of the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS, ISIL or Da'esh. Kerry's inclusion of Christians also defuses a potential Republican attack line during this year's presidential campaign, even though Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has already declared she believes the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a non-binding resolution declaring that the Islamic State was committing genocide against a range of groups including Christians. Congress had given Kerry until Thursday to make his determination, but on Wednesday, the State Department said he would need more time, making his announcement a bit of a surprise. Still, administration officials have long warned that a declaration of genocide does not mean that the U.S. is legally obliged to step up its military involvement in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq or Syria. The U.S. already is leading a coalition of dozens of countries who are backing up Iraqi forces battling the jihadists. U.S. Special Forces also are on the ground in Syria carrying out operations against the group, whose members subscribe to a severe form of Sunni Islam. Advocates of using the term genocide, however, insist that it is important because it could help galvanize the international fight against the terror network, possibly spur potential recruits to stay away from it, and in the long run help bring perpetrators to justice in international tribunals. ————————– Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about ISIS plotting a chemical weapons attack against Israel, Jordan and the United States — is available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg   joelcrosenberg | March 17, 2016 at 2:28 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4t9 Like Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/17/the-obama-administration-finally-accuses-isis-of-genocide-heres-the-latest/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

Congress to Obama: Label ISIS attacks against Christians “genocide.” Here’s the latest.

joelcrosenberg posted: " "The evidence is in, and it's chilling — the Islamic State is intentionally waging a war of genocide against Christians in Iraq and Syria. The jihadists are systematically trying to exterminate the Christian population in both countries by forcing follo" New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog Congress to Obama: Label ISIS attacks against Christians "genocide." Here's the latest. by joelcrosenberg "The evidence is in, and it's chilling — the Islamic State is intentionally waging a war of genocide against Christians in Iraq and Syria. The jihadists are systematically trying to exterminate the Christian population in both countries by forcing followers of Jesus Christ to convert to their brand of Apocalyptic Islam or enslaving them, murdering them, starving them, and/or driving them out of the region." Readers of this blog may recall I wrote this in a January 23 column, "ISIS waging war of genocide against Christians in the Mideast. New UN report provides chilling details." To its shame, the Obama administration still refuses to name what ISIS is doing against Christians, Muslims and Yezidis genocide. The administration is legally mandated to make a determination by March 17th on whether what ISIS is doing is genocide, notes the U.K. Daily Mail. To its credit, the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan resolution declaring it genocide. It passed 383 to zero. "The House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed a resolution labeling the ISIS atrocities against Christian groups in Syria and Iraq 'genocide,' a term the State Department been reluctant to use about the attacks and mass murders by the terror group," reported CNN. Let us pray that the Senate soon follows suit, and the President, as well. Let us also pray that the U.S. government will demonstrate bipartisan resolve to strengthen our alliance with Sunni Arab nations like Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates and intensify military action to crush ISIS and liberate northern Iraq. As I portray in The Third Target and The First Hostage, the leaders of the Islamic State believe they are required by Allah to commit genocide to accelerate the coming of the Mahdi, the establishment of their Caliphate, and the End of Days. They must be stopped immediately before their savagery expands and they strike inside the U.S. homeland. Here are excerpts from the Fox News story: The House approved a resolution Monday that declares the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East -- putting even more pressure on the Obama administration to do the same ahead of a deadline later this week. The resolution passed the House with a unanimous vote of 383-0. The resolution came to a vote just days after the release of a graphic new report by the Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians on ISIS' atrocities. The report made the case that the terror campaign against Christians and other minorities in Syria, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East is, in fact, genocide. "When ISIS systematically targets Christians, Yezidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities for extermination, this is not only a grave injustice—it is a threat to civilization itself," Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., said in a statement. "We must call the violence by its proper name: genocide." The resolution was voted on ahead of a congressionally mandated March 17 deadline for Secretary of State John Kerry and the White House to make a decision on whether to make such a declaration. The measure is an effort to force the administration's hand on the issue, as the administration has so far declined to take an official position. There is a similar measure in the Senate that has yet to be voted on. "Christians, Yezidis, and other beleaguered minority groups can find new hope in this trans-partisan and ecumenical alliance against ISIS' barbaric onslaught," Fortenberry, who is co-chairman of the Religious Minorities of the Middle East Caucus and represents America's largest Yezidi community, said in the statement. The measure also received the backing of House Republican leadership, with Speaker Paul Ryan calling on the Obama administration to take action in light of recent attacks against Christians. "Last week, ISIS militants killed 16 people, including four Catholic nuns, at a retirement home in southern Yemen," Ryan said in a statement Monday. "This is the latest in a string of brutal attacks committed by ISIS against Christian and other minorities. Yet the administration has still not called this what it is: A genocide."..... ....In addition to the genocide resolution, the House also voted on a measure to create an international tribunal to try those associated with atrocities by the Assad regime, ISIS and related groups. The measure passed in a vote of 392 to 3. The no votes came from Reps. Justin Amash, R-Mich, Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii. At least three presidential candidates -- Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz on the Republican side, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side -- have called on the administration to designate ISIS atrocities against Christians as genocide..... joelcrosenberg | March 15, 2016 at 7:44 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-4r7 Like Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/15/congress-to-obama-label-isis-attacks-against-christians-genocide-heres-the-latest/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com