21.12.24
A miracle on Saturday: 16 lightly injured following the shooting from Yemen. The missile landed in the heart of a residential neighborhood in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area and miraculously did not hit any of the buildings. The Houthi Ballistic Missile hit a playground between several apartment Buildings in Jaffa, now a mixed Arab and Jewish suburb of Tel Aviv. The Houthi military spokesman took responsibility for launching a ballistic missile into the central Israel.
Only once in the New Testament, in Act 9:36, is a woman literally referred to as a disciple.
When Tabita died, two men went to Lydda and asked Peter to come.
Peter has experienced something similar before. Back then in Capernaum, in the house of the synagogue ruler Jairus. At first it looked as if they had arrived too late. Jesus behaved in exactly the same way as Peter did now and first of all made sure there was calm. Jesus said to the dead woman: ‘Talita kum’ (get up girl) (Mark 5:40-41).
Peter must first talk to God. He does not simply pray for a miracle, but the miracle arises from the prayer. Then he will have said: ‘Tabita kum’.
We are always in danger of praying for something obvious instead of listening in prayer to what is on God’s heart at that moment.
This is how the first raising of the dead occurs among the followers of Jesus.
Peter stays in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. Tanners belonged to the unclean professions. Peter stays with just such a person. It is a clear statement: no one is excluded from the people of Jesus.
more from Acts: https://jesus-news-israel.net/tag/acts/
new reports on
27.5.24
Monday morning, there was an unexpected exchange of fire between IDF forces and Egyptian army soldiers near the Rafah crossing. Reports on four Egyptian soldiers that were killed. According to the IDF the Egyptians opened fire first. No casualties reported on the Israeli side.
The area from which rockets were launched in Rafah towards Tel Aviv.
The Israeli army deliberately stayed out of this area because of the displaced and did not enter it, for humanitarian reasons. Hamas fired rockets from it.
Contrary to the claims of the Arabs – the killing of senior Hamas officials was carried out in the Rafah area, and not in the safe zone defined by the IDF. The place of execution of senior Hamas officials in Rafah is near UNRWA warehouses in the west of the city more than a kilometer away from the safe zone. And this is in contrast to the Arabs’ claims that the IDF bombing was in the safe zone
In the displaced tent in Rafah, several long-range missiles were found that exploded on them.
Jesus says: ‘Eternal life has already begun. Whoever comes to living faith has eternal life (John 6:47).
The surprising thing is that eternal life begins when we connect with Jesus.
We are not followers of Jesus in order to be with God one day. Rather, God wants to be with us and share life with us now. We are building a relationship with God now that will last for all eternity.
So our present life is not there to obtain eternal life with God. It is about divine life being revealed and experienced in the here and now.
In the temple, the first followers of Jesus took part in the public prayers and readings (Acts 2:46-47). At that time, there were no Bibles for individuals. So reading the Holy Scriptures together was an important part. Even today, reading the Bible together opens up new perspectives.
They celebrated together in their homes. These were probably Continue reading Together on the way
Jesus goes to the heavenly Father (Acts 1:9-11) and thus clears the way for the direct work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). The heavenly Father determines the time of his return (Acts 1:7).
With his ascension, Jesus has completed his first mission on earth. He has gone in the flesh to a real, otherworldly place. He promised to prepare dwellings there for his followers (John 14:2). Jesus has not vanished into a spirit world, but is seated at the right hand of the heavenly Father (Acts 7:56).
The two angels make it clear to the disciples that they should not dwell on the past, but live with the vision of the coming reign of God (Acts 1:11). Continue reading Living with the vision of the coming kingdom
At the end of the year, we take stock.
Jesus once said: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
This is where we draw up a profit and loss account and compare the two. What is profit? What is loss?
There is hope. One who balances the books. One who saves damaged souls and gives new life: Jesus Christ. He says: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest“ (Matthäus 11,28). No matter what the balance of your life looks like at the moment.
Before the end of the year, it is good to take a time out, give God our loss, surrender to God and start into the new year with God’s help.
Rashi, a Jewish scholar, made it clear: “When a person is judged, he stands alone before his Creator. He has no one to whom he can transfer responsibility (for his actions) or to whom he can hold himself accountable for his mistakes.”
What matters is not where we stand, but in which direction we are moving.
In the Torah, God promises a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18,18-19). What this prophet says has a normative value. Anyone who does not keep his words will be called to account by God himself.
Moses is not yet the promised man who can defeat evil (Genesis 3,15). There are many prophets in the Jewish Bible (Tanakh / Old Testament), but none became as important a figure as Moses.
In Exodus 34,10-12, personal relationship with God, miracles and signs are listed as characteristics of Moses.
Jesus says of himself that he has a relationship with the heavenly Father like no other (John 10,30) and that he hears the voice of God (John 8,28). His close relationship with the heavenly Father enabled him to work miracles. He is the first since Moses to heal a Jewish leper (Mark 1,42). He feeds thousands with loaves and fishes (Mark 6 / 8). He calms the storm and thus, like Moses, has power over nature (Mark 4). The honour and will of God are more important to him than his own life (Matthew 26:39). He says: Whoever sees him sees the Father (John 14,9). He is a deeply humble man (Philippians 2). He met Elijah and Moses (Matthew 17,2-3).
Jesus is like Moses, even more so. He explains the context of the Scriptures to his disciples. His message is revolutionary. So Jesus, with his deep relationship with the heavenly Father and his miracles, is the prophet like Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18,18-19.
A strange story is told in Genesis 22: Abraham takes his son Isaac to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him at God’s command. At the last moment, God interrupts the event and provides Abraham with a sacrificial animal.
How can God command such a thing when He Himself has said: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed” (Genesis 9:6).
In Genesis 22, we read that Abraham trusted that he and his son would return: Continue reading Life through a sacrifice
When we give Jesus what we have, he increases it to show people that there is enough for everyone.
John 6:9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” … 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. … 12 “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” … 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.”
The miracle becomes visible when the loaves are collected. In thanks we become aware of what God is doing in our lives.