Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
- Psalm 121:4
On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. Upon declaring its independence it was immediately at war with its Arab neighbors. Today Israel's enemies are once again preparing for war. Once again, the goal is Israel's complete annihilation. In the 60 years that have passed since the creation of the modern state of Israel, this tiny nation has fought for its survival against all odds. It has survived several major wars and decades of violence. However it is important to remember that the Jew's history in the Promised Land actually dates back more than 3,000 years. It is not only important, it is imperative, because in Israel the past, present, and future are inextricably linked. It could be argued that in no other place on the planet does history play a more central role than in this war-torn region.
In the world media, the propaganda war rages equally fiercely, paralleling the conflict it describes. Talk show hosts parade an army of so-called experts in front of the cameras who spew a bewildering array of claims, counter claims, propaganda, and information; leaving the uninformed Westerner with the impression ...   more »

It may come as a surprise to discover that there are a number of Biblical experts who regard the Book of Leviticus as the most important book of the Bible (Dr. Samuel H. Kellogg, Dr. Albert C. Dudley, J. Vernon McGee, and others). The book of Leviticus focuses on the subject of holiness. Charles Spurgeon once said, "If I had my choice of all the blessings I can conceive of I would choose perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus, or, in one word, holiness." True happiness begins with holiness (Hebrews 12:14; Matthew 5:6).
Holiness isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Nor is it limited to "the Jews in ancient Israel." Leviticus instructs New Testament Christians how to appreciate holiness and appropriate it into their everyday lives. We seem to want Jesus to solve our problems and carry our burdens, but we don't want to allow Him to work in our lives and transform our character.
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” - 1 Peter 1:15, 16
What is holiness? It is the primary emphasis in the Bible. ...   more »

Sen. John McCain / Rev. John HageeWashington DC, Mar 1, 2008 / 03:43 am (CNA).- The endorsement of Senator John McCain by a Catholic-bashing Texas minister won swift rebuke from the president of the Catholic League and a Jewish leader concerned about his “vicious and inflammatory” anti-Catholicism. 
Both compared the minister to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
On Wednesday Pastor John Hagee endorsed Senator John McCain’s bid to become the Republican presidential candidate in the 2008 election. 
Senator McCain responded to the endorsement by calling Hagee “the staunchest leader of our Christian evangelical movement,” praising Hagee’s pro-Israel stance.
President of the Catholic League Bill Donohue harshly criticized the endorsement.
“There are plenty of staunch evangelical leaders who are pro-Israel, but are not anti-Catholic. John Hagee is not one of them,” Donohue said on Thursday.  “Indeed, for the past few decades, he has waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church. For example, he likes calling it ‘The Great Whore,’ an ‘apostate church,’ the ‘anti-Christ,’ and a ‘false cult system’.”
Donohue said that in Pastor Hagee’s latest book the minister claimed Hitler was a Catholic who murdered Jews while the Catholic Church did nothing.  “The sell-out of Catholicism to Hitler ...   more »

Court: Family's religious beliefs 'no evidence' of 1st Amendment violation
By Bob Unruh
A California court has ruled that several children in one homeschool family must be enrolled in a public school or "legally qualified" private school, and must attend, sending ripples of shock into the nation's homeschooling advocates as the family reviews its options for appeal.
The ruling came in a case brought against Phillip and Mary Long over the education being provided to two of their eight children. They are considering an appeal to the state Supreme Court, because they have homeschooled all of their children, the oldest now 29, because of various anti-Christian influences in California's public schools.
The decision from the 2nd Appellate Court in Los Angeles granted a special petition brought by lawyers appointed to represent the two youngest children after the family's homeschooling was brought to the attention of child advocates.
"We find no reason to strike down the Legislature's evaluation of what constitutes an adequate education scheme sufficient to promote the 'general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence,'" the court said in the case. "We agree … 'the educational program of the State of California was designed to promote the general welfare of all ...   more »

 By Tom Deweese
The Real ID Act passed the Senate on May 10, 2005, and was signed into law by President George Bush with a compliance date for State DMVs of May 11, 2008. 
Most Americans have staunchly and consistently opposed any kind of a national ID card each time it had previously been considered. But Congress approved the Act, tucked largely out of sight inside an emergency war spending and tsunami relief bill. This stealth passage of the Real ID Act shocked and angered many Americans, especially those who remembered Congress’ own assurances when creating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with language actually written into the US Homeland Security Act of 2002, that “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the development of a national identification system or card.”
Now in 2008, after nearly three years of incessant fear-mongering and challenges to opponents’ patriotism, the public is still outraged, and resistance is swelling. Seven states have now enacted binding legislation to stop Real ID (Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Washington), with Oklahoma on the verge of being the eighth. Fourteen more states have passed resolutions in at least one chamber registering their ...   more »

 Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Peter Wilson, Europe correspondent | February 28, 2008
THE Iraq war has cost the US 50-60 times more than the Bush administration predicted and was a central cause of the sub-prime banking crisis threatening the world economy, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.
The former World Bank vice-president yesterday said the war had, so far, cost the US something like $US3trillion ($3.3 trillion) compared with the $US50-$US60-billion predicted in 2003.
Australia also faced a real bill much greater than the $2.2billion in military spending reported last week by Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston, Professor Stiglitz said, pointing to higher oil prices and other indirect costs of the wars.
Professor Stiglitz told the Chatham House think tank in London that the Bush White House was currently estimating the cost of the war at about $US500 billion, but that figure massively understated things such as the medical and welfare costs of US military servicemen.
The war was now the second-most expensive in US history after World War II and the second-longest after Vietnam, he said.
The spending on Iraq was a hidden cause of the current credit crunch because the US central bank responded to ...   more »

Trial for Indicted Fundraiser Tony Rezko Set for Monday
By BRIAN ROSS, RHONDA SCHWARTZ and AVNI PATEL
With the corruption trial of one of Sen. Barack Obama's longtime friends and supporters set to begin Monday in Chicago, Ill., reform watchdogs say it will reveal the "cesspool" of Illinois politics in which Obama came of age and has said little about in his campaign for president.
"We have a sick political culture," said Jay Stewart, the executive director of the Chicago Better Government Association, "and that's the environment that Barack Obama came from."
Stewart says he does not understand why Obama has lectured others about corruption in Washington and Kenya but "been noticeably silent on the issue of corruption here in his home state, including at this point, mostly Democratic politicians."
There was no immediate comment from the Obama campaign.
The trial Monday involves federal charges of bribery and extortion against Tony Rezko, a real estate developer who became known in Illinois politics as a behind-the-scenes operator and fixer.
While Obama is not considered a target of the Rezko investigation, Stewart says it will shed light on a man who was pivotal to Obama's political career.
"This wasn't just some guy ...   more »

Cutting-edge leaders of the emerging, missional, mosaic and monastic streams are convening Thursday evening in Washington state to re-imagine ways to express the Christian faith.
Cutting-edge leaders of the emerging, missional, mosaic and monastic streams are convening Thursday evening in Washington state to re-imagine ways to express the Christian faith.
Under the banner of “The New Conspirators Conference,” attendees will contemplate what “God is conspiring” through the new generation of Christian leaders to make His kingdom relevant in a rapidly changing world.
“As far as we know, this is the first time that such a broad range of new conspirators have come together to communicate, connect and create with one another,” conference organizers said on their Web site.
Speakers and participants at the Conspirators conference include Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution; Karen Ward from Fremont Abbey; Efrem Smith, co-author of The Hip Hop Church; Dwight Friesen from Mars Hill Graduate School; Julie Clawson, an emerging church planter; Mark Scandrette, author of Soul Graffiti; Christine Sine, author of Godspace; and Tom Sine, author of The New Conspirators.
Participating “conspirators” will seek to create new expressions of discipleship, community, church and mission in an environment described by the conference as ...   more »