As most of you know I have a great love for the nation of Israel and one of my favorite places in all of Israel is the City of Jerusalem. I never tire of those first glimpses of the Holy City from the summit of Mount Scopus. I walk those ancient streets with a sense of awe and wonder. I can sit on those ancient Southern Steps and imagine what it was like twenty one centuries ago. As I walk through those ancient tunnels I stop to listen to the stories that echo from those stone walls. I sit in quietness in the Garden Tomb and ponder the joys that flow from that empty tomb. Yes, Jerusalem is a truly amazing City. It has a way of grabbing a person's heart and soul.
Central to Jerusalem's history is a large rectangular stone platform that rises above the Kidron Valley. We are uncertain as to who its first owners were, but we know that the Bible describes this place as belonging to a man named Araunah, a Jebusite farmer who used this place as his threshing floor (2 Samuel 24:18-25). David purchased this place and it later became the place where his son Solomon built the first temple. It was also the location of the second temple built after the return from exile in Babylon. It was to this place that Jesus made several visits, including an unforgettable one when He was only twelve.
Now I realize that the central feature upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today is not a temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. and never rebuilt. The central feature is an octagonal building known as the Dome of the Rock, one of the holy sites in Islam.
Okay, you are saying, so there is an Islamic site on top of the historical Jewish Temple Mount. Big deal? Absolutely! I read an article a week ago where the author, Bob Unruh, revealed that the United Nations wants to declare that the Temple Mount is sacred only to Muslims. Now, friends, those just might be the words that would ignite a third world war. But, let me quote from the article which can be found at: www.wnd.com/2016/07/israels-sanhedrin-takes-on-u-n.
"Israel's ancient high court, the Sanhedrin, now reborn, has issued a statement warning the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization not to try to interfere with - or change - the history linked to the Temple Mount. A report by Breaking Israel News says the U.N. agency wants to adopt a resolution at its current meetings in Istanbul that would declare the Temple Mount, site of the ancient Jewish temples, as 'sacred to "Muslims only."' The proposal comes jointly from Palestinian and Jordanian interests and follows an earlier decision by the agency to call the site in Jerusalem in official papers only by the name created by Muslims - Al-Aqsa. But Breaking Israel News reported the new plan is 'far more radical.' It said 'UNESCO's very unholy actions' would deny that there is any Jewish link to the location at all. That prompted the Sanhedrin, which is known in the New Testament for condemning Jesus, to act. That court, which was disbanded about A.D. 425 and now has been re-created, released a statement warning that the U.N., through its statements and comments, is fomenting global terror.
"'The Jewish right to the Temple Mount was established in the Bible, and should therefore be recognized by Christianity and Islam,' the Sanhedrin said in its statement. 'In fact, the Jewish claim to Jerusalem is as essential to those religions as it is to Judaism. The biblical connection between the Jews and Jerusalem led to the building of the First Temple by King Solomon, which strengthened our claim to Jerusalem even more.'"
Friends, archaeological evidence strongly and undeniably supports the facts that the Jewish presence upon the Temple Mount goes back well into the ninth and tenth centuries B.C. Artifacts on display in the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem attest to that historical fact. The Muslim presence upon the Temple Mount did not originate until around the year 636 A.D. In other words, there was no Muslim presence in this place for some five and a half centuries after the temple's destruction by the Romans. The Jewish presence predates the Muslim presence by at least fifteen centuries.
So, what is going on? Very simply put it is this: Muslims want to change the history of the Temple Mount to fit their history. Their way of thinking fits in nicely with liberal thinking of today: if you don't like history, just rewrite it to fit what you want history to say. Destroy any archaeological evidence - we have seen this happen repeatedly with ISIS in Iraq and Syria with its destruction of ancient sites that challenge the history ISIS purports. Sort of the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Sadly, we are doing something very similar in our own nation. History is no longer based upon an interpretation of historical fact, but is now based upon personal preferences.
Friends, I urge you to take a trip to Jerusalem and discover for yourselves the deep, historic roots of Judaism there. But continue to be in prayer for Jerusalem as the Psalmist challenges us in Psalm 122.
And, here in America, the controversy surrounding gender identity simply refuses to go away. (Note: Sadly I believe this controversy is only going to grow stronger in the coming years until that group has completely shredded what little is left of the moral foundations of our nation.) The following article was written by Jason and David Benham, whose "fix-it-up" program was canceled because of their stand for "one man-one woman marriage." The article was published and can be found at: www.wnd.com/2016/08/schools-push-disturbing-gender-unicorn-on-your-kids.
"The radical, anti-values sexual revolution is accelerating at break-neck speed. Just last week, the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board acted on Obama's high-pressured, open bathroom initiative by taking it to a whole 'nutha' level. CMS introduced 'The Gender Unicorn.' This little guy is the Charlotte school system's new teacher's assistant. He's going to help our children explore and discover who they 'go to bed as,' and who they like to 'go to bed with.' Are you kidding?! He (or she, not really sure) looks cute and harmless - kind of like Barney with a horn. Yet this little thing is geared to grab the imagination of our children and indoctrinate - and even intimidate - them in participating in the sexual revolution. Even the confusing gender symbol is placed over its private area! What kind of nonsense is this?
"But it's worse, because the purple unicorn was accompanied by an entire CMS Training presentation, where parent's rights, teacher's classroom gender references and even school activities have been completely redefined. The NC Values Coalition highlighted just a few points:
1) Parental involvement dependent on student's permission: 'Involvement of parents in the plan is determined in working with the student, considering the student's age and health, wellbeing and safety concerns.' (page 34)
2) Students can choose their bathrooms and changing facilities: "Students must have access to the restroom/changing facilities that correspond to their gender identity.' (Page 42)
3) CMS will remove some gender-based activities: 'CMS will evaluate all gender-based activities; maintain only those that have clear and sound pedagogical purpose.' (Page 46)
4) Students can choose their gender-based activities (intramural sports, dress codes, classes, ceremonies, photos, extracurricular activities, etc.). This includes choosing which gender they participate with during overnight field trips: 'Students are permitted to participate in gender-based activities consistent with their gender identity.' (Page 46)
5) Students shall not be referred to as 'boys and girls' in classrooms, but 'scholars' or 'students': "Avoid gender specific classroom management techniques.' (Page 46)"
The Benham brothers then stated, "It's time pro-morality Americans, whether Christian or not, seek the common good of our nation and start speaking out against nonsense like what CMS is trying to push on our children. We also need Christians to shed the 'we shouldn't be political' cover and start running for local and state elections - especially school boards - to protect our children and the common-sense decency that allows civil society to flourish."
This article came on the heels of a bill, currently being debated in the California General Assembly - known as California Senate Bill 1146 - which, if passed, would disallow institutions receiving California state funding from remaining consistent with their religious tenets related to sexual identity and same-sex marriage. I happened to hear an interview with the President of BIOLA University on the radio a few days ago addressing the consequences if this bill is passed and signed into law. In essence, it would have the effect of shutting down evangelical schools of higher-education in California who would choose to not compromise on biblical convictions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation. And, friends, what happens in California becomes the pattern for what happens elsewhere.
These are days when we need a holy boldness as did the disciples in the Early Church. We need to let those teachers who still take a courageous stand in our public schools that we fully support them. I am sure that, for many, they feel like islands in the midst of a storm-tossed sea. If you know Christian school board members in your community, encourage them. I know at times their hands are tied by all the legal mandates, but there still is room for a bold voice. Write to local elected officials strongly encouraging them to not forsake the values upon which our nation was founded so many years ago. And how we need to pray! It is great to know that God is in control. But He has given us a voice and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let's use that voice and that power to let our communities know that we are standing for truth.
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