This Week's 66/40 Radio Broadcast

Articles and Commentary

• The Betrayal of the Chosen - (Read)
• Faith-Based Charities Face Challenge - (Read)
• The Most Neglected Book - (Read)

Important News Headlines

Memory Verse of the Week

THE BETRAYAL OF THE CHOSEN - (Print)

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 that this is a bad family feud that any wise person should remain far from. It is virtually impossible to sort out the arguments presented by either side without a lot of effort, but one thing is painfully obvious: both sides can't even agree on the historical facts that spawned today's conflict.

How Did We Get Here?

Anti-Semitism has become a serious problem throughout the world. Some may blame the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Arab media, or Islamic leadership for fostering anti-Semitism. Others may believe that such racially motivated hatred is limited to neo-Nazi groups and radical Islamic sects. Yet hatred of the Jews goes back long before even the existence of the Islamic faith, before the Nazi party took power in Germany, and before the advent of television and modern media. The real root of anti-Semitism is Satan's desire to thwart God's plan for the redemption of mankind. Anti-Semitism exists in many places and many forms. It may be displayed in blatant aggression or in more subtle and subversive ways, but all are aimed at the destruction of God's chosen people.

Many people today do not take the Word of God seriously. Some ignore it, many disbelieve or deny it, and others dilute its meaning with conjectures, allegories, and redefinitions. But God says what He means, and means what He says. God delights in making and keeping His promises.

A disturbing aspect of many modern churches is their failure to appreciate the seriousness of God's covenant with Israel. Some believe that Israel "forfeited her promises" by rejecting her Messiah, and that these promises now devolve somehow symbolically, or allegorically, upon the Church. This false doctrine has been taught for centuries and unfortunately such "replacement theology" still continues to pervade the doctrines of many Protestant denominations today.

Most diligent Bible students understand Israel's history up to the Crucifixion, but few really understand how Israel's present predicament came about. These vital chapters in Israel's history should not be overlooked. For more information on the Nation of Israel from the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD to the present check out our briefing called The Betrayal of the Chosen.

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FAITH-BASED CHARITIES FACE CHALLENGE - (Print)

The US Constitution clearly gives Americans freedom of religion. The First Amendment's establishment clause was put in place to guarantee freedom to worship God in whichever way one's conscience dictates. During the past fifty years, however, the establishment clause has often been used to censor religious expression - to protect people from religion - in ways certainly not intended by the Constitution's framers.

On January 29, 2001, days after entering the White House, President Bush established the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. The goal was to help both religious and secular charities make a difference in their communities. Recently the White House published a report called "The Quiet Revolution" which details the success of the program over the past seven years. According to the report, in the year 2006 alone, faith-based organizations received more than 2.2 billion dollars in grants from the federal government.

Having access to federal funds has helped faith-based charities to better serve the people in their communities. Supporters of Bush's initiative point out that faith-based organizations often have much higher success rates than their secular peers. They argue that the government, if it's going to put money into social services at all, should fund those organizations that produce results, rather than just continue to dump money into weak and expensive government programs.

According to the White House, faith-based organizations helped reduce chronic homelessness by 12 percent between 2005 and 2006. Even more impressive, faith-based organizations have cut the recidivism rate in half for non-violent criminals who participate in programs that help them reenter the workforce. Faith-based charities have benefited single mothers and drug addicts, alcoholics and the children of prisoners, AIDS victims and high risk youth. They reach out to the poor, the old, the needy.

Under current law, faith-based organizations can receive federal funds to provide social services without being forced to change their religious identity. However in an article published in the Washington Times it was reported that "There's a heated behind-the-scenes battle brewing in the Senate to kill language in a mental health and social services law that allows religious groups who receive federal funds to continue hiring only people of their particular faith."

President Bush's position has been that: "Government has no business endorsing a religious creed, or directly funding religious worship or religious teaching. That is not the business of the government. Yet government can and should support social services provided by religious people, as long as those services go to anyone in need, regardless of their faith. And when government gives that support, charities and faith-based programs should not be forced to change their character or compromise their mission."

Unfortunately, there are those who strongly oppose government funds being awarded to faith-based charities. Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS) are fighting to have the charitable choice language removed from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration law. They claim the law "subsidizes religious discrimination." If the charitable choice language is scratched from this law, groups like the AUSCS may push for its removal from other laws as well. Conservative groups like the Coalition to Preserve Religious Freedom say that removing the protective language would violate the religious freedom and integrity of those faith-based organizations: "Asking faith-based organizations to ignore religion in making staffing decisions is like asking senators to disregard party affiliation and political ideology in choosing their staff, or requiring the Sierra Club or the Human Rights Campaign to ignore the political and philosophical commitments of potential staff."

What many people don't realize is that the words "separation of church and state" are not found anywhere in the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or even the Declaration of Independence. That phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association. Furthermore, the "wall of separation between church and state" that Jefferson referred to in his letter was clearly meant to protect religious freedom and to prevent government from attempting to take away our God-given unalienable rights. To learn more about this topic, click on the links below.

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THE MOST NEGLECTED BOOK - (Print)

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. This word occurs 87 times in Leviticus alone. The Hebrew word for "holy" used in Leviticus, qodesh, means "that which is set apart and marked off; that which is different; separateness; apartness; sacredness." The English word "holy" comes from the Old English word halig, which means "to be whole, to be healthy." The related word "sanctify" comes from the Latin sanctis, which means "consecrated, sacred, blameless."

Anything that God said was holy had to be treated differently from the common things of life. The Sabbath was holy because God set it apart for His people. The priests were holy because they were set apart to minister to the Lord. Their garments were holy and could not be duplicated for common use. The tithe is holy.

Holiness Revealed

How did a Holy God reveal Himself and His holiness? The pagan religions were notoriously immoral and involved occultic idols, temple prostitution, and the like. God commanded His people to stay away from their altars and shrines and to refuse to learn their ways. You never call any of the heathen deities "holy." But the "Holy One of Israel" is one of the most oft-repeated names of YHWH in Scripture (30 times in Isaiah alone). In both declaration and demonstration, YHWH made it clear to the people of Israel that He is a holy God, righteous in all His works and just in all His judgments. He also gave them a Holy Law that contained both promises and penalties, of which the Ten Commandments are the essence. It taught them right from wrong, defined things both clean and unclean, and declared the penalties of disobedience. There was no "value relativism" here! The requirements of holiness are uncompromising. Near misses don't count. "The wages of sin is death," and "the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

God's Predicament

God hates sin, but He loves sinners. And because He loves sinners and wants to forgive them, He provided a substitute to die in the sinner's place. The whole sacrificial system declared to Israel that a substitutionary death would be required to die in the sinner's place. All this was a prefiguring of a promised Savior who would lay down His life for the sins of the world. What is the "Gospel"? It is God's proclamation of a plan of mercy to sinners. The very definition of the "Gospel" is built on these very specifications:

"That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" - 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4

The death of Jesus Christ was not a tragedy; it was an achievement.

Relevance of This Book to Us Today

Leviticus is the definitive revelation of the character of God. And God has not changed. It is the revelation of the fundamental conditions of true religion. These spiritual truths still abide: there is for sinful man no citizenship in the kingdom of God apart from a High Priest and Mediator with a propitiatory sacrifice for sin. Beyond the self-offering of the worshiper of God stands the constant testimony that it is only through the shedding of blood - not his own - that man can have remission of sin. We can't appreciate Christ as the solution until we understand the requirements which had to be met.

The Epistle to the Hebrews lays down the principles upon which we are to interpret Leviticus. The typical character of the ordinances is affirmed that the Tabernacle was an "example and shadow of the heavenly things"; the sacrifices prefigured "better sacrifices than these," even the one offering of Him who "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"; and, that the holy times and sabbatic seasons of the law were "a shadow of things to come."

The Book of Leviticus cannot be "read"; it has to be studied. To learn more about this amazing book click on the link below.

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Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons Fastest-Growing 'Churches' in U.S. - February 27, 2008
Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, regarded by many Christians as cults, are the two fastest-growing church bodies in the United States and Canada, according to a newly published report. Christian Post

Adult Stem Cells Treat Immune Disorders, Heart Disease - February 27, 2008
Treatment with adult stem cells harvested from blood or bone marrow may benefit some patients with certain kinds of cardiovascular disorders and autoimmune diseases, a new U.S. analysis shows. Medicine Net

UN Council to OK New Iran Sanctions - February 27, 2008
UN diplomats say the Security Council will approve new sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. But the timing is uncertain and the resolution may not get unanimous support. USA Today

Hope Seen for Cyprus Reunification - February 27, 2008
The decades-long division of Cyprus could be resolved by the end of the year, Cypriot officials say. Greek Cypriots elected Dimitris Christofias president on Sunday, who has pledged to restart talks rapidly to reunify the eastern Mediterranean island. Cyprus has been split into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and a Greek Cypriot south since 1974. AP

India Tests New SLBM - February 27, 2008
India has successfully test-fired an indigenously developed, nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile, according to the Indian Ministry of Defence. Since the Indian Navy does not yet have a submarine capable of firing an SLBM, the test launch of the K 15 (Sagarika) missile was conducted from a underwater platform. Janes

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
Psalms 49:15 KJV

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

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