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Presidents in Prophecy

Presidents in Prophecy

America’s Leaders supported the Jewish people long before there was a modern state of Israel. Since the founding of the Jewish state, most of our presidents have been staunch supporters of Israel. Here is some of what our nation’s leaders had to say about Israel.

John Adams felt strongly about the influence of the Jews on western nations, writing: “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations. If I were an atheist of the other sect, who believe, or pretend to believe that all is ordered by chance, I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.”

President Woodrow Wilson
felt strongly that the ancient Hebrews set the standard for the unfolding United States of America: “Recalling the previous experiences of the colonists in applying the Mosaic Code to the order of their internal lives, it is not to be wondered that the various passages in the Bible … [were] held up before the pioneer Americans the Hebrew Commonwealth as a model government.… In the spirit and essence of our constitution, the influence of the Hebrew Commonwealth was paramount in that it was not only the highest authority for the principle, ‘that rebellion to Tyrants is obedience to God,’ but also because it was in itself a divine precedent for a pure democracy.”

Calvin Coolidge, believing the Jewish faith to predominately be the faith of liberty, praised the vast contributions of the Jews to the American Revolution. Among those he honored was Haym Salomon, born in Poland, and made a prisoner by British forces in New York. After escaping, he set up in business in Philadelphia. He negotiated with Robert Morris [the superintendent for finance in the Thirteen Colonies] all the loans raised in France and Holland, pledged his personal faith and fortune for enormous amounts, and personally advanced large sums to such men as James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Baron Steuben, General St. Clair and many other patriot leaders, who testified that without his aid they could not have carried on in the cause.

President Teddy Roosevelt
praised the contributions of Jews to the American nation: “I am glad to be able to say, in addressing you on this occasion, that while the Jews of the United States, who now number more than one million, have remained loyal to their faith and their race traditions, they have become indissolubly incorporated in the great army of American citizenship, prepared to make all sacrifice for the country, either in war or peace, and striving for the perpetuation of good government and for the maintenance of the principles embodied in our constitution. They are honestly distinguished by their industry, their obedience to law, and their devotion to the national welfare.”

At the end of the Second World War, Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president, openly declared his support in favor of the Jewish people: “This is the time for action. Today—not tomorrow—we must do all that is humanly possible to provide a haven and place of safety for all those who can be grasped from the hands of the Nazi butchers. This is not a Jewish problem, it is an American problem—and we must and we will face it squarely and honorably.” Truman strongly supported the rebirth of Israel. He later said: “One of the proudest days of my life occurred at 6:11 p.m. on Friday, May 14, when I was able to announce recognition of the new State of Israel by the government of the United States. In view of the long friendship of the American people for the Zionist ideal, it was particularly appropriate that our government should be the first to recognize the new state.”

President Ronald Reagan, in a great show of support for the Jewish people once said: “Since the foundation of the State of Israel, the United States has stood by her and helped her to pursue security, peace, and economic growth. Our friendship is based on historic moral and strategic ties, as well as our shared dedication to democracy. The people of Israel and America are historic partners in the global quest for human dignity and freedom. We will always remain at each other’s side.”

Thomas Jefferson received a letter from Mordecai Manuel Noah on the occasion of the dedication of a building at the Mill Street Synagogue in New York City—the oldest synagogue in America, having been founded in 1730. In response Jefferson wrote a reply expressing his sympathy at the persecution Jewish people had faced, and highlighting the vital importance of religious freedom. Jefferson said, “Sir, I thank you for the discourse on the consecration of the Synagogue in your city, with which you have been pleased to favor me. I have read it with pleasure and instruction, having learnt from it some valuable facts in Jewish history which I did not know before. Your sect by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal spirit of religious intolerance in every sect, disclaimed by all while feeble, and practiced by all when in power. Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our religious, as they do our civil rights, by putting all on an equal footing. But more remains to be done, for although we are free by the law, we are not so in practice; public opinion erects itself into an Inquisition, and exercises its office with as much fanaticism as fans the flames of an auto-da-fé [public penance prescribed for condemned heretics].”

 

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Never Forget

Never Forget

 


Recently, we hosted International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Friends of Zion Center in Jerusalem. Our keynote speaker was Rena Quint, a Holocaust survivor. As a child, Rena endured unimaginable suffering. At the age of nine, she lay down under a tree, choosing to die there rather than in the stifling, disease-ridden barracks of the Holocaust. She had spent most of her childhood in ghettos, labor camps, and death marches, with little water to drink, covered in filth. Her entire family—her mother, father, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins—were murdered in the Holocaust. Many people do not realize that in Poland alone, 99 out of every 100 Jewish children were killed.

On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, our Friends of Zion Center was filled with Holocaust survivors, many from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and other parts of Europe. They all have one thing in common: Friends of Zion is caring for them. Every week, Holocaust survivors gather at Friends of Zion to sing, share meals, and comfort one another. Thanks to you, all of this is made possible.

The only community center in Jerusalem dedicated to Holocaust survivors was built by Friends of Zion. These survivors—once children during the Holocaust—are now elderly, and many rely on Friends of Zion for essential care. They sleep in beds we provide, eat meals we supply, and receive life-saving medications through our support. I recently visited the home of one such survivor to deliver her medicine. With tears in her eyes, she said to me: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

For more than a decade, we have cared for Holocaust survivors—not only in Israel but also throughout Ukraine. I first encountered this heartbreaking reality when I saw an elderly Holocaust survivor—her concentration camp number still tattooed on her arm—digging through a dumpster in the dead of winter. She had to be close to 90 years old. She was homeless. At that moment, I made a pledge: we would help every Holocaust survivor in Ukraine. And we have been doing it ever since.

A few years ago, I shared my personal story—how I was named after my great-grandfather, Rabbi Michael Katz-Nelson, who was burned alive in a synagogue along with 2,000 other Jews. The cantor of that synagogue was the grandfather of Israel’s ninth president, Shimon Peres, who later served as our International Chairman.

After hearing my story, the Chief Rabbi of Israel said to me, “You are a Jewish man, but you have never had a Bar Mitzvah.” He arranged for Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein—who survived a deadly attack on his synagogue in San Diego, losing several fingers in the process—to officiate my Bar Mitzvah at age 70. This was a deeply moving experience for me.

It was then that the Spirit of God spoke to me: none of the children of the Holocaust had Bar Mitzvahs or Bat Mitzvahs. They were in concentration camps when they should have been celebrating this sacred rite of passage. So, we sent out a message across Israel, inviting every Holocaust survivor who wished to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah to come to Jerusalem—all expenses paid. They stay at Friends of Zion at no cost, and we hold a special ceremony for them at the Western Wall, followed by a joyous celebration.

I share this with you to express my deepest gratitude because you have been a light and a source of hope for some of the most precious people on this earth…people who have endured unspeakable suffering.

 

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Blessings & Curses

Blessings & Curses

Genesis 12:3

 For Individuals and Nations

 

The promise God made to Abraham so long ago in Genesis 12:3 is still in full effect.  It is eternal and unchanging.  It is just as true now as it was then.  The Word declares, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).  Many Believers have written to me because they are worried about living in a world that has been shaken.  I have good news for you!  The Lord is your refuge.  It doesn’t matter how great the storms, God will protect His people.

The power of God is not dependent on who wins an election or who controls a government.  All human power is subject to His control.  The blessing of God, both for individuals and for nations, comes to those who obey His Word…and the decision to bless or curse Israel is the pivot point of life.

When we bless what God wants to have blessed, we are positioned to see Him work in great and mighty ways.  Deuteronomy 28:8 says: “The Lord shall command a blessing upon you….”  The passage goes on to describe the amazing blessing that God has for you.  This blessing rains down on every part of your life — your health, your family, your finances, and so much more.  God wants to bless everything you touch!

 We see in the life of Abraham the impact of that kind of blessing.  God told Abraham that blessings would overflow him…and they did!  Abraham was living in a fruitful place, and Lot complained.  Abraham gave Lot that fruitful spot and went to a dry, barren land.  Even in that place, God blessed him and turned it into an oasis so great that his crops and herds multiplied.  Abraham became the wealthiest man in the East.

There is a commanded blessing for those who bless God’s Chosen People.  That is true for individuals, for families, for churches and even for nations.  And there is a judgment for all those who harm the Jewish people.  The Hebrew word in Genesis 12:3 for cursing literally means to visit with heavy blows.

I don’t want to live in a country under God’s curse.  I don’t want my children and grandchildren to suffer in a land receiving heavy blows.  I want God’s blessing instead.  And to do that, we must bless Israel and the Jewish people.

I have experienced God’s blessing time and time again…not because I’m something special, but because I have dedicated my life to blessing and defending the Jewish people.  The Genesis 12:3 blessing is not just for a few, but for any individual or nation that meets God’s condition.

What Is Our Nation’s Future?

 

“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

For more than four decades, I have watched Islamic terrorism heading, like a whirlwind, toward our shores. America is plunging headfirst into a lake of fire, and many are not fully aware of it. The hour is too late to tiptoe through the tulips. After 9/11, there was a brief period of introspection and evaluation, but that largely vanished without any major national changes taking place.  Now more than 23 years later, as we see prophetic events unfolding in the Middle East and around the world, it has become time to shout this message from the housetops: If America is to be saved, saintly, moral, God-fearing Americans must wake up, and wake up now!

According to the ancient prophet Ezekiel: The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood’” (Ezekiel 33:1–6).

The sad news is that preachers in America are, by and large, not crying out. I hear hardened, secular commentators, ungodly politicians, and abrasive talk show hosts crying out in support of the Liberal Left agenda, but Christians too often remain complacent, their voices silent. I fear that America is receiving perhaps its final call to repentance. God is now judging this nation in the same way He has judged every nation that has rejected His call and challenged His prophetic plan.

Jesus warned: “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building” (Luke 17:26–28).

The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah enjoyed the same prosperity as Noah’s society. Ezekiel wrote:

“This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness” (Ezekiel 16:49).  They had no idea that the good times were God’s final mercy call before destruction. God judged Sodom, yet Sodom had no Bible. America is the Bible capital of the world, with an abundance of churches. If anyone should know what is going on, we should.

I am no prophet, but I challenge you to search the ancient Scriptures, and to look up the words judgment, nations, and curses. You will surely see that God is not a respecter of nations; that mighty America is in big trouble. King Josiah was only 18 years old when God stirred his heart over something the king had read in the Scriptures. Suddenly, the young ruler saw that his nation had offended Almighty God and was heading toward destruction. He cried out, “God’s wrath is being stored up against us” (see 2 Kings 22:11–13). Josiah truly repented and led his nation back to God.

For those who say, “America is immune; it will not happen here. There are too many godly people in America,” I say, “Remember Israel!” Down through the ages, God allowed Jerusalem and the temple to be destroyed again and again. There is a prophetic line drawn over which a nation may not cross; when it does, God says, “Enough!”

It’s hard to believe that anyone could deny that the events of September 11 were a curse. I can assure you, every family that experienced the pain of that devastating day felt wretched as they lost loved ones. That day of infamy was certainly not a blessing! The fanatics who carried out that attack were religious to the extreme, but I can assure you, there is nothing peaceful about their brand of religion.  Where are those who weep for America, who grieve for her sins of arrogance? Millions of Christians have closed their eyes to what is happening in the land of the Bible. Even some preachers are telling jokes in the pulpit, and mocking those who are weeping over the attempt by some of America’s leaders to stick their fingers in the apple of God’s eye. 

Read the words of Zechariah concerning the nations that touch Israel.  “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. . . .Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place. . . .On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zechariah 12:3, 5–6, 9–10).

What happens when a nation is cursed? God’s hand of protection is lifted, the powers of hell given free reign. God forgive anyone who does not see the warning signs! Even today’s weather patterns seem to bear out these forewarnings. There is not a person living who can recall such days of hurricanes with disastrous floods and at the same time tinder-dry forests that have caused the ignition of countless fires of devastating proportions.  At the same time, our winters have grown colder than any seen in modern times, while the wicked heat of the summer takes a rising toll each year. The warnings of this country’s falling away from God’s protection and guidance seem to be everywhere we look.

Many of us have long loved the wonderful promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. It is an extremely hope-giving scripture, but its context is in the midst of a warning for Solomon. Look for a moment at the entire passage: “Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.  Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. . . .‘But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.  And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord  God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them” (2 Chronicles 7: 11–14, 19–22).

Solomon was being warned. And given our condition today, this is valuable advice. America has idols worse than any manmade stone edifice Solomon could have erected: idols of relativism and greed.

With them we have made the laws and compassion of God seem meaningless. We have turned our backs on Him by accepting as normal such abominations. God said if we did that, we would be given over to the reprobate minds that perform such acts. (See Romans 1:21–32.) If that is the case, how can anyone be surprised that we are reaping the harvest of consequences that grow from the seeds of the rebellion we have sown?  

 

 

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God’s Steadfast Love

God’s Steadfast Love

 


The little Old Testament book of Hosea doesn’t just tell us of God’s love for Israel; the prophet lived it out in a way that would be difficult, if not impossible for many. Hosea was instructed to find a wife, and not just any wife, he was to marry a prostitute, the basest of women. Hosea was to love with a God-like love a woman who perhaps would
not reciprocate his affection. The prophet was to enter into a one-sided marital relationship. Jehovah wanted Hosea to love the wife he would choose with the same love that He had for Israel. This was to be about Hosea’s unconditional love for her.

Ready to fulfill God’s instruction, Hosea set out to find God’s choice for him. He settled on a woman named Gomer—not a name we hear a lot today. Oddly, it means “complete.” Much to Hosea’s surprise and chagrin, he fell deeply in love with this woman. They married and had three children together. But one day the ordinariness of being a wife and mother got the better of Gomer, and she abandoned her family only to return to the life of prostitution. Like many men—and women—today who have been betrayed by a spouse, Hosea took up the reins of parenthood and raised the children alone, all the while desperately lonely for the wife who had abandoned him.

God allowed this for a time, but one day He instructed Hosea to go out and search for Gomer who by then had been abandoned by her lover and had sold herself into slavery. He searched all the back alleys and houses of ill-repute until he found his beloved wife—even though still an adulteress. How was it possible for Hosea to love Gomer that much—to love her desperately? We find the answer in Hosea 3:1, “Love her as the Lord loves.” The account of Hosea and Gomer is a remarkable illustration of God’s great and gracious love, an outstanding biblical example of sacrificial love.

Hosea had finally found Gomer—dirty, unkempt, ill, and wretched, a mere shadow of her former self, yet he still loved her. He offered far more than she might have been worth on the auction block—fifteen shekels of silver and thirteen bushels of barley (see Hosea 3:2.) I like to picture Hosea wrapping her in his cloak to protect her from prying eyes and then leading her home. Once there, he gave her specific instructions (verse 3): You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.

Was it easy for Hosea to offer that kind of forgiveness to the one who had so betrayed him? Marriages are destroyed by far less than Hosea endured. But God had a lesson for Israel: He loved them with an everlasting love. It was a mirror of God’s constant love which reaches far beyond our sinfulness all the way to the Cross where Love hung between heaven and earth. God loves you so much that He was willing to send His Son to die so that we could become part of His family…and that love never changes no matter what we do. I encourage you to rejoice in God’s love for you today.

 

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Rise & Shine: Living in God’s Favor

Rise & Shine: Living in God’s Favor

For many decades now, I’ve traveled the world as an ambassador for Christ and a herald of His life-changing favor.  In every continent and nation, I’ve met people in search of new beginnings, and they yearn to live in the Favor of God (F.O.G.).  They see the marvelous promises the Lord has given them in the Scriptures, but often they’re frustrated because they don’t know how to activate those promises.

When I talk with people in my travels, they tell me of their desire for breakthroughs in their life.  Some need God’s healing touch in their body or their emotions.  Others are desperate for a financial turnaround.  Many are seeking a breakthrough in their marriage or their children.

It grieves my heart that many of these precious people can quote Bible verses about the promises of God, yet, they often are missing some crucial ingredient of implementation and activation.  They lack the necessary tools to bridge the gap between the doctrine of God’s favor and the actual experience of that favor.

I want to help YOU experience more of God’s favor
so you can receive the breakthroughs you need.  As you learn how to implement these truths, your life will never be the same!

If you’ve spent any time reading God’s Word, you’ve surely seen that your Heavenly Father loves you and wants to bless you with the good things of life.  Jesus makes this absolutely clear in Matthew 7:11: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

As much as your earthly father may love you, your Heavenly Father loves you more…so much more.  Your Father in heaven longs to show you His kindness, approval, and favor.  However, it breaks God’s heart—and breaks my heart as well—to see so many of His children missing out
on the abundant life He wants them to have (John 10:10).  Often they are trying hard to do the right things, but something is missing.

My friend, if you are frustrated today in some area of your life—such as your finances, your relationships, your emotions, or your health—I have good news for you: The Favor of God (F.O.G.) can reverse your losses and turn things around for you!  Living in the F.O.G. will help you turn the head of God, touch the heart of God, and move the hand of God.  It’s a place where you can gain affirmation from the Father and His Word rather than from those around you—at home, at work, or wherever else you may be.  As God’s favor releases emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial success into your life, you will no longer have to allow people or problems to define you.

When you’re living in God’s favor, you will attract His blessings like a magnet.  He will also activate the gifts and tools you need to BE a blessing to others, and you’ll be equipped to fulfill your calling and perform His work on earth.  However, I’ve discovered that while many people have heard about God’s favor, they still don’t understand how to activate His favor in the practical areas of their life.

The Favor of God (F.O.G.) is released in your life when you learn how to activate the promises in His Word.  Peter writes that you’ve been given “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).  This means you must study the promises of His Word and wait for Him to speak to you by His Spirit.  And when God has promised you something, you can’t let anyone talk you out of receiving it!

The Bible describes specific attitudes and actions that touch God’s heart and release His favor.  In order to unlock the amazing treasures He has given you in Christ, you must learn to practice Radical Obedience, Forgiveness, Humility, and Generosity.  The Bible is filled with stories of people who changed their entire destiny through one step of faith, obedience, forgiveness, humility, or generosity.

The story of a blind man named Bartimaeus is a beautiful illustration of how to unleash more of God’s favor in your life—even when your situation appears hopeless.  One minute this man was begging along the roadside, just as he had done for much of his life.  But in a moment’s time, everything changed for him.

Suddenly he could see! He had received a new beginning beyond his wildest dreams.

Bartimaeus had stumbled upon the secret to unleashing God’s miracle-working power, and his life would never be the same.  When he went to sleep that night, his life was completely different than it was when he had awakened that morning. So, what can we learn from this amazing story, told in Mark 10:46-52? Let’s take a look…

When Bartimaeus encountered Jesus, he “sat by the road begging” (v. 46). This man had learned to depend on the favor of PEOPLE to give him his daily sustenance.  However, even though God wants to give you favor with other people (Luke 2:52), you must look to HIM as the main source of your favor and provision.  That’s why King David wrote, “those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10).

You see, the Favor of God (F.O.G.) is all you really need. Everything else will follow when you seek Him and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Bartimaeus started his day seeking favor from anyone passing by on the road, but then he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming by.  Faith began to rise in the heart of this blind man, for he knew that Jesus was no ordinary man.  “‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (v. 47) Bartimaeus cried out.  At that point, people in the crowd told him to be quiet, but he “cried out all the more” (vs. 48).

If you need some kind of breakthrough in your life today, it begins when you recognize that Jesus is nearby and you begin to call out to Him by faith.  And a crucial principle here is to not let anyone talk you out of your plea to the Savior!  There will always be naysayers, trying to discourage you and undermine your faith, but you need to keep crying out to Jesus for your miracle.

Something stunning happens at this point in the story: “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called” (v. 49).  If not for the impassioned cries of Bartimaeus, Jesus would have passed right on by.  But sensing faith in the voice of this blind beggar, Jesus “stood still.”  If you’ve been crying out to Jesus for some kind of turnaround in your life, I encourage you to take a moment to picture Him stopping…pausing…standing right in front of you.  Yes, the Lord of all creation is taking time to stop and hear your petition, ready to meet your need!

Those near Jesus told Bartimaeus, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you” (v. 49).  Some other translations say, “Cheer up!”  In other words, your negative words or attitude can block God’s favor.  Bartimaeus had an attitude of expectancy, and that was a vital factor in the miracle he would soon receive.  He was also told to “rise” and hear Jesus’ voice.  Without a hint of hesitation, this desperate man sprang into action: “Throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus” (v. 50).

Notice that if you want to activate the Favor of God (F.O.G.) in your life, you often must take action of some kind.  It’s likely that Bartimaeus never would have received his healing if he had remained seated on the side of the road.  OBEDIENCE is one of the most important ways to unleash God’s favor, and we see that principle here in the story of the beggar who needed a breakthrough.

Another thing Bartimaeus did was throw aside his old garment.  If you are going to start a new life, you need a fresh set of clothes!  We see this in passages such as Isaiah 61:3, where God promises to give us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”  In order to enter into a new dimension of God’s favor, you will need to cast off any old garments of fear, depression, unbelief, or unforgiveness.  It’s a new day!

Jesus next asks Bartimaeus one of the most important questions in the entire Bible—and it’s the same question He is asking YOU today: “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v. 51).

Let that sink in for a moment.  Jesus is right there with you, and He wants you to tell Him what your greatest need is.  What, exactly, do you want Him to do for you?  This is a critical component of what it takes to unleash the F.O.G. in your life:

You must be able to define the miracle you are seeking from God.  To no one’s surprise, Bartimaeus told Jesus that he wanted to receive his sight.  I’m sure Jesus already knew this, just as He already knows the desire of your heart today.  However, He wants you to pray it and say it, letting your specific request be known before His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16, Philippians 4:6).

When Bartimaeus’ breakthrough came, it was sudden and amazing: “immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road” (v. 52).  Of course, Jesus could have told the blind man that his healing would come gradually, over a long period of time, but that was not the case with Bartimaeus. Jesus had unleashed the miraculous, and the results were instantaneous.

How did this happen?  What secret had the blind beggar discovered? Jesus told him plainly: “your faith has made you well” (v. 52).  Through faith and obedience, Bartimaeus had activated God’s supernatural favor and healing power.

You must understand that God created you in His image for a purpose.  Jehovah God wanted to have an intimate relationship—friendship—with you.  There is a DNA component of God that is within us.  When He is magnified, this mysterious “X” factor activates His Word.  The Bible says in Luke 2:52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

Are you increasing in favor, or are you decreasing?  The revelation of Living in the F.O.G. will help you to focus on His image and not yours.  Once you know how to activate God’s Words, you will find yourself starving your fear and feeding your faith.  You will see the Enemy’s attacks from a king’s perspective—as an opportunity for a heavenly promotion.

Fasten your seat belt.  You are about to begin a wild heavenly ride that will change your life forever, as it did mine.  I wear a bracelet inscribed with the words Living in the F.O.G.  I’ve been asked repeatedly what that means.  F.O.G. is an acronym for Favor of God.

What is God’s favor and how can you live in it?  Favor is “unmerited grace; regard shown by another, especially a superior; an act of kindness; a token of love; effort on one’s behalf.”  Because you are His child, God, in an act of kindness and as a token of His love, extends unmerited grace, and works tirelessly on your behalf.  Not only does He bestow favor on you, He blesses you with favor and affirmation from those around you.  God acknowledged His Son when He said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

Living in the F.O.G. will help you reach the place in life where you can turn the head of God, touch the heart of God, and move the hand of God, a place where you can gain affirmation from the Father and His Word rather than from those around you—at home, at work, wherever you may be.  You can learn to refuse to allow people and problems to define you.  The one thing that has the power to release emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial success in your life is “F.O.G.”

To have the Favor of God in your life, you must focus on the image of God and not your own.  Any image that comes before His is a graven image.  When Moses delivered the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel, the second one was: “Thou shalt not make thyself any graven image, or any form of what is in the heavens above, or what is in the earth beneath, or what is in the waters under the earth” (Exodus 20:4).

The Bible says we were created in God’s image.  What does that mean?  God emotes; He hears; He sees; He feels; He has personality.  He created you for friendship, relationship.  Knowing that, how can you live in His image?  First, surrender your life to Him.  Then, you magnify His image in four ways that represent His DNA. 

The Favor of God means that He will give you the resources you need to develop His image in your life, to do what He has called you to do—whether it is to be a missionary or an evangelist, a pastor or teacher, a salesman or chief executive officer, a doctor or a stay-at-home parent ministering to your family. 

Whatever you need, He will supply, and all because of the Favor of God.

In Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Since my encounter with Jesus at the age of eleven, He has spoken to me again and again—through His Word.  I’ve heard His still, small voice through prayer, and I’ve applied the four principles that define God’s very DNA in my life. 

This is what Jesus did; He was Radically Obedient, He forgave, He humbled himself to the Father’s will, and He lived a life of Radical Generosity.  Those four traits are in His DNA—the same DNA as the Father.

When you magnify the image of God, you are manifesting the DNA of God in your own life.  Then, and only then, can you live in the Favor of God and activate the Word of God. 

What is DNA?  I could give you a long, scientific explanation about deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that contains your genetic code, but I like to use the definition, “Divine Nature Acquired.”  Paul wrote that “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  I know this is true because it happened to me.  And I know that once you experience God’s favor, your life will never be the same. 

 

 

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The Jerusalem Prayer Team with Dr. Michael D. Evans exists to build Friends of Zion to guard defend and protect the Jewish people and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray for peace in Jerusalem because the Scriptures tell us to in Psalm 122:6. The Jerusalem Prayer Team was inspired from the 100-year long prayer meeting for the restoration of Israel held in the ten Boom family home in Haarlem, Holland. We are committed to encouraging others to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and God's Chosen People. Jerusalem Prayer Team members are also members of Churches United with Israel, Corrie Ten Boom House, Friends of Zion Heritage Center and Jerusalem World News. The Jerusalem Prayer Team mailing address is PO BOX 30000 Phoenix, AZ 85046 or you can call us at 1-888-966-8472. The Jerusalem Prayer Team is a dba of the Corrie ten Boom Fellowship. The Corrie ten Boom Fellowship is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and is registered with the IRS, Fed Tax ID# 75-2671293. All donations to CTBF (less the value of any products or services received) are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Donations made to the Jerusalem Prayer Team are put to work immediately and are not refundable.