Focus pulls video urging prayers for rain on Obama
By Mark Barna

Focus on the Family Action pulled a video from its Web site today that asked people to pray for “rain of biblical proportions” during Barack Obama’s Aug. 28 appearance at Invesco Field in Denver to accept the Democratic nomination for president.

Article Continues… (Colorado Springs Gazette)

Honestly, my problem with Focus comes down to this statement in the article:

The video’s point, Shepard said, is that in his view Obama has not clearly stated his stances on abortion and gay marriage, important themes within the Christian right.

I strongly oppose abortion, and while I’m not a fan of gay marriage, I honestly feel it’s none of my business who is sleeping with who. However, my concern is that Focus is teaching the Evangelical sheep* out there that these two issues are the biggest, and that’s simply not the case.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants nukes.

Our “friends” the Saudis have been given the green lights to move forward with a nuclear plan of their own.

Czar Vladimir Putin has nukes, and is starting something evil over in his part of the world; nobody has the guts to stop him.

But please, let’s keep arguing over gay marriage.

*While it may sound insulting on my part, the blunt truth is that most Americans don’t research the candidates themselves; they look to someone else to tell them how to vote. In a perfect world, pro-Obama media bias wouldn’t matter, as everyone would actually know what each candidate stood for behind the facade.

New Israeli regulations could cripple Christian ministries
By Nicole Jansezian

Israel’s Ministry of Interior has decided to reinstate an old regulation that is threatening to cripple, if not shut down, several Christian ministries by limiting the time volunteers can spend serving in Israel to 27 months.

Article Continues… (Israel Today)

Admittedly, I need to do some more research on this one. I know previous limitations on volunteer stays had something to do with preventing these volunteers from being able to request citizenship. If there’s a fear of watering down Israel’s Jewish identity, then that makes sense. However, I’m unsure of the reason for cutting the time from 5 years to 2.25 years.

Based on my minimal involvement with the bigger Christian organizations this will hurt, all I see this doing is harming the needy in the land. If these organizations aren’t the reason, then I guess I’ll have to do some digging and come back to this later.

By Rabbi Yehiel Poupko

A Midwest bible college recently held a program on “Christian Zionism.” Two presenters–whom I’ll call Professor Jones, a New Testament scholar, and Professor Smith, a Hebrew Bible scholar–discussed the topic, “The Theology of Israel and its Political Implications.”

Full Article (Christianity Today)

I post this only so people can see differing points of view from Christians regarding Israel. Neither is a view I agree with, but they are out there, and we have to contend with them.

I’m just going to say it: I hate Christianity Today. In addition to articles like this that display two incorrect Christian views of Israel, David Neff, the editor of Christianity Today, is one of the 30 Christian leaders that sent a letter to President Bush encouraging the division of Israel!

n January 2006, when Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon had a stroke, permanently incapacitating him, the American evangelical leader Pat Robertson attributed Sharon’s medical condition to divine intervention resulting from Sharon’s withdrawal from Gaza a few months earlier.

Full Article (DanielPipes.org)

I have no idea if Robertson is right, as I’m no prophet and definitely not qualified to speak for God. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting topic.

Prominent evangelical Christian organizations based in Israel are facing legal hurdles in obtaining long-term visas for their permanent staff to remain in the country, hampering their day-to-day activity, Israeli and organization officials said Monday.

The sticky legal issue, which comes at a time of burgeoning support for Israel in the evangelical Christian world, is under negotiation with the Interior Ministry.

Full Article (Jerusalem Post)

I hope this can be sorted out. I have enough knowledge of at least two of these organizations to be able to say proselytizing isn’t even a minor focus of either group. It’s an unfounded claim.

(IsraelNN.com) A Christian group led by a minister who teaches that ten million Jews are destined to be killed plans to visit an IDF base next week. A Jerusalem City Council member is trying to stop the visit.

The group leader is Richard Booker, a Christian minister and the Founder/Director of the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies who will be participating in the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) Feast of Tabernacles extravaganza this coming Sukkot holiday. First, however, he will lead a tour of devoted followers on a tour of northern Israel – including a visit to an Israeli army base.

The tour’s promotional literature states that during the visit, “we will have the opportunity to get acquainted with IDF soldiers and give gifts of encouragement.” The visitors also plan to have lunch with the soldiers, and will proceed from there to “our adopted Children’s Center for the underprivileged. We will distribute warm winter outfits to the kids and help them build their sukkah.”

Full Article (Arutz Sheva)

Okay, I know Evangelical views on what will become of the Jews vary, so I ask my readers: What do you make of this guy’s stance? Agree? Disagree? Why?

American Christian Zionist umbrella group Christians United for Israel (CUFI) sent a letter to US President George W. Bush earlier this week insisting that he stop pressuring Israel to surrender its biblical heartland for the creation of yet another Arab Muslim state.

The letter, which was released to the press on Tuesday, noted that “land-for-peace is a failed policy of the past that has produced nothing but more war.”

Full Article (Israel Today)

How an Evangelical Christian can be opposed to Israel is truly beyond my understanding…