(Jerusalem, Israel) — This morning, The Jerusalem Post published a new column of mine calling on the next Israeli government and Prime Minister to do two things:

1. Appoint the first-ever Israeli Ambassador to the Christian world; and
2. Establish a non-partisan Israeli Commission on Religious Freedom and Minority Affairs.

Here are a few excerpts:

• In a world of some 7.3 billion people, fully 31% are self-described followers of Jesus of Nazareth. That represents a global Christian population north of 2.2 billion people, including more than 600 million Evangelical Christians.
• That makes Jesus – known in Hebrew as Yeshua – the world’s most famous and beloved Israeli, and the New Testament the best-selling Israeli book in the history of mankind….
• The vast majority of Christians have a deep love for the Land of Israel and its rich biblical history. Many routinely “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” as commanded by the psalmist. And far more Christians than Jews visit Israel. In 2018, fully 61% of tourists to Israel were Christians. For many more, it is a lifelong dream to visit the Holy Land and walk where Jesus and the prophets and apostles walked.
• To be sure, not all Christians understand or support the modern State of Israel. But many do, and more could. A full-time ambassador to this enormous and strategic world would help…..
• The responsibilities of such an ambassador should include….
• Serving as the government’s primary liaison to all Christian communities outside the State of Israel, educating them about the history of Israel, promoting healthy Jewish-Christian cooperation, and refuting lies told against Israel and the Jewish people in the media, academia and….
• Serving as the government’s primary liaison to all Christian communities inside the State of Israel. Fully 2% of Israeli citizens – upwards of 180,000 people – are followers of Jesus. Most are Arabs, but some 30,000 have Jewish roots. In addition, there are many foreign Christians studying and working in Israel. This ambassador should be responsible for serving these communities, answering their questions and helping resolve their problems….
• Serving as the prime minister’s senior adviser on Christian affairs, including….

To read the full column, please click here.

Note: These are my own personal views. I am not writing in my capacity as the Founder and Chairman of The Joshua Fund, which is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that is never involved in political or legislative affairs.

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

_____________________

• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.

(Jerusalem, Israel) — What are some of the key events that will be happening here in Israel and throughout the region in the week ahead? And what are some key events you may have missed from last week? Here’s an inside look.

What’s Ahead?

• Monday, October 28 — White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner is in Israel today. He is expected to meet in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Netanyahu, then separately with former IDF chief of Staff Benny Gantz. Joining Kushner is Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other administration officials. Among the topics for discussion: the (apparently) soon-coming roll-out of the Trump Peace Plan. (see report in The Jerusalem Post)

• All week — Israeli Blue & White Party leader Benny Gantz and his team continue coalition negotiations to form a new government. The clock is ticking. Gantz has only 23 days left, and little progress has been made so far.)

• Tuesday, October 29 — The “Davos In The Desert” Conference on energy, technology and investment begins at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Senior Saudi officials will speak, as will CEOs and investment bankers from around the world. Senior Trump administration officials expected to attend include Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, and former Treasury undersecretary David Malpass, who now serves as the president of the World Bank. The Prime Minister of India is also expected to speak, as is the President of Brazil. The conference will run through Thursday, October 31. (see “scoop” — including day-to-day schedule — from Axios)

• Sunday, November 3 — The 3rd annual Christian Media Summit, organized and hosted by Israel’s Government Press Office, kicks off in Jerusalem with gala event at the Friends of Zion Museum. Speakers include Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Christian journalists, broadcasters, authors and media executives from all over the world will attend. Invitation only. (see Summit website)

• Monday, November 4 — Christian Media Summit, Day Two. I am scheduled to be one of the speakers at the Summit, held at The Orient Hotel in Jerusalem. (see Summit website)

• Tuesday, November 5 — Christian Media Summit, Day Three. Attendees will travel to various parts of Israel for on-site tours and lectures. (see Summit website)

• Wednesday, November 6 — Christian Media Summit, Day Four. On the final day of the Summit, attendees will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the presidential Residence in Jerusalem. (see Summit website)

What Might I Have Missed Last Week?

• Yesterday was International Religious Freedom Day. (see statement by Secretary Pompeo) 
• Over the weekend, the leader of ISIS was tracked down and killed by US special forces (see Flash Traffic Report)
• Last week, Netanyahu failed to form a government and the mandate passed to rival Benny Gantz (see Flash Traffic Report)
• Last week, Turkey invaded northern Syria, the Kurds felt abandoned by the US, and some prominent Evangelical leaders expressed frustration with President Trump (see Flash Traffic Report)
• Last week, Saudi Arabia appointed a new Foreign Minister — Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud. (see report and brief profile in Gulf News)
• Early on Sunday morning, Israelis turned our clocks back an hour. We are now six hours ahead of Washington, DC and New York City (not the usual seven.)

Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for peace and calm in Syria, for protection for the Kurds, for a new and stable unity government in Israel,  for wisdom and mercy on each of the leaders in the region and their families, and for the Church in the Epicenter to be bold and courageous in walking with Jesus, teaching the Word of God and proclaiming the good news.

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

_____________________

• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.

(Jerusalem, Israel) — The world is waking up to dramatic news: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the terrorist leader of the Islamic State — responsible for waging genocide against Christians and Yazidis in Iraq and Syria — has been killed by US forces.

The raid was ordered last week by President Trump.

This is very welcome news. Though the White House has stumbled badly in recent weeks in Syria, the administration deserves real credit for leading a coalition of Arab, Kurdish and US forces in recent years that successfully crushed the bulk of ISIS jihadists, dismantled their caliphate, and stopped the genocide.

The risk now is that a complete US withdrawal from Syria could create a vacuum that would allow ISIS to reconstitute itself.

That said, taking out the top ISIS leader adds to the White House’s impressive victory.

Several years ago, I wrote a trilogy of political thrillers — The Third Target, The First Hostage and Without Warning — about the genocidal and apocalyptic ambitions of ISIS, and America’s hunt for its leader. I don’t believe that killing Baghdadi ends the ISIS threat, but it had to be done, and for the sake of justice I am grateful it finally has been accomplished.

Here is what we know at this hour:

• “The United States military has conducted a special operations raid targeting one of its most high-value targets, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS),” Newsweek reports. “President Donald Trump approved the mission nearly a week before it took place.”
• ”Amid reports Saturday of U.S. military helicopters over the Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, a senior Pentagon official familiar with the operation and Army official briefed on the matter told Newsweek that Baghdadi was the target of the top-secret operation in the last bastion of the country’s Islamist-dominated opposition, a faction that has clashed with ISIS in recent years,” the magazine noted.
• “A U.S. Army official briefed on the results of the operation told Newsweek that Baghdadi was killed in the raid, and the Defense Department told the White House they have ‘high confidence’ that the high-value target killed was Baghdadi, but further verification is pending DNA and biometric testing. The senior Pentagon official said there was a brief firefight when U.S. forces entered the compound in Idlib’s Barisha village and that Baghdadi then killed himself by detonating a suicide vest. Family members were present. According to Pentagon sources, no children were harmed in the raid but two Baghdadi wives were killed after detonating their own explosive vests.”

Please continue praying for the full healing and recovery of all the ISIS victims, and comfort for all the families who lost loved ones to the ISIS jihadists.

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

_____________________

• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.

UPDATE: On Wednesday evening, Gantz officially received the mandate to form a government. He has 28 days.

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(Jerusalem, Israel) — Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history, is celebrating his 70th birthday this week. He had also hoped to be celebrating yet another term as Prime Minister.

Instead, Bibi was forced on Monday to concede that for the second time this year he has not been able to form a majority of at least 61 seats in the Knesset.

He is also waiting for final word from the Attorney General — likely soon — on whether he will be formally indicted.

And a brand new poll bears serious bad news for Netanyahu.

Tonight, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin is expected to give the mandate to form a government to Bibi’s main political rival — former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, now head of the “Blue & White” political party. Gantz will have 28 days to get the job done and emerge as Israel’s next premier.

Can Benny succeed where Bibi has not?

I wish I could tell you the answer but it’s simply unknowable at this moment.

That said, a new poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute bodes ill for Bibi. Consider these excerpts:

• “65% believe that Netanyahu – if indicted – should resign from his position as chair of the Likud party”
• “53.5% of Israelis think that he should already resign now”
• Remarkably, “47% of right-wing voters support Netanyahu’s resignation” — this includes “31% of Likud voters,” Bibi’s own political party
• What’s more, while “56% of the public support rotation between Netanyahu and Gantz in the position of prime minister” — that is, a national unity government — only “14% support a rotation…if Netanyahu is first in line to serve as PM.”

Please pray that Israel can form a broad, stable, national unity government quickly and does not have to go to a third round of elections.

Please also pray for the Prime Minister and his family, and for General Gantz and his family, and for all of their Knesset colleagues and advisors — for wisdom and for a willingness to work together for the good of the country.

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

_____________________

• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.

(Denver, Colorado) — The Turkish offensive into northern Syria is a dangerous military development. The emerging Russian-Iranian-Turkish alliance is a dangerous geopolitical development. And President Trump’s willingness to so easily abandon America’s Kurdish allies is a dangerous diplomatic development that could have serious domestic political repercussions if Trump and his team are not more careful.

I’m glad that VP Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo are heading to the region to try to persuade Turkish President Erdogan to call off the offensive. And Trump is now threatening Turkey with sanctions and saying he will stand with the Kurds. But it’s far from certain this genie can be put back in its bottle. It may prove too little too late.

Recip Erdogan is not a serious, trustworthy ally. He’s a monster who wants to rebuild the Ottoman Empire. He us an Islamist who supports Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood terror movements. A few years ago, he arrested upwards of 200,000 Turks in a brazen crackdown on his political enemies. He’s allowed thousands of ISIS terrorists to criss-cross his territory unchecked. Now, his forces are killing Kurds, creating a new refugee crisis, and further destabilizing the disaster in Syria that was created by Bashar Assad, Vladimir Putin and the Iranians. I struggle to understand how Erdogan is still a member of NATO.

In his initial phone call with Erdogan before the invasion, President Trump should have made it crystal clear that he would not tolerate a Turkish attack on the Kurds. Unfortunately, Trump gave Erdogan every impression it wouldn’t be a problem, even ordering all US military forces in the area to leave.

A few days ago, I spoke with Amir Tibon, an Israeli reporter for Haaretz, who was stunned that various Evangelical leaders, myself included, were speaking out so strongly on the subject. I thought you might be interested in reading the full article, as well as excerpts.

TRUMP DIDN’T THINK HE COULD EVER LOSE THE EVANGELICAL VOTE — BUT THEN HE ABANDONED THE KURDS

For the first time since entering the White House, Donald Trump has encountered significant criticism from evangelical leaders. Does the president have reason to worry about his own ‘base’?

Excerpts:

• Something unusual happened in American politics this week: President Donald Trump was criticized by leading figures in the evangelical community. One after another, prominent pastors and activists denounced his decision to remove U.S. troops from northeastern Syria and to stand aside as Turkey attacked Kurdish cities in the region. One pastor called the Turkish attack on the Kurds “a disgrace”; another warned Trump he could be “losing the mandate of heaven” over the decision.
• It was the first time since Trump entered the White House in 2017 that he had to endure such a strong level of criticism from evangelical leaders. They had stood by him throughout the worst scandals of his presidency…..
• In the 2016 election, white evangelicals cast approximately a quarter of all ballots in the presidential race, with 80 percent of them voting for Trump — which played a key role in his victory over Hillary Clinton.
• Franklin Graham…tweeted on the subject…he directly addressed Trump and asked him to “reconsider” the decision….
• Pat Robertson, an influential televangelist, warned on air that “the president of the United States is in danger of losing the mandate of heaven if he permits this to happen.” Both men are extremely loyal Trump supporters, who have so far rejected almost any kind of criticism aimed at the president and fiercely defended him….
• Evangelical support for the Kurds is less well-known than the community’s support for Israel, and the two phenomena are very different from each other in terms of scope, history and levels of commitment. Support for Israel is a top priority for most evangelical voters and stems from religious beliefs about biblical prophecies. Support for the Kurds, meanwhile, is a relatively new phenomenon….
• “Trump is still very popular in the evangelical community, and people remember all he’s done for Israel,” says Joel Rosenberg, an author and activist who has led several high profile evangelical delegations to Arab countries in recent years. Rosenberg tells Haaretz that “Trump is seen by most evangelicals as the most pro-Israel president ever, and as someone who has moved American policy in the Middle East in a good direction.”
• But despite that strong level of support, Rosenberg cautions that Trump and his advisers should definitely be concerned by the reaction to the Syria decision. “It’s hard to make a case that this will have any political consequences for the president in the immediate future,” he says. “But it’s worth noting that this is the first time such criticism has been leveled at him from the evangelical community. I don’t think it would be wise to just ignore it.”….
• According to Rosenberg, “It shouldn’t be a surprise that evangelicals care so much for the Kurdish people. The Kurds are loyal allies who fought bravely to defeat ISIS and have protected Christians in the region. They also have a history of working with Israel.” He says that evangelicals aren’t only pressuring Trump on this issue: Many were also highly critical of how the Obama administration, in his words, “abandoned the Kurds” during their fight against ISIS.
• Rosenberg adds that many evangelicals are concerned about the precedent set by Trump’s decision to turn his back on a Middle East ally. “People are asking themselves, ‘Could he also turn his back on other allies in the future?’ Of course, most people when they ask that question are thinking about Israel.”
  Rosenberg tells Haaretz that the evangelical leaders’ calls for Trump to change course were “enormously significant” for another reason. “One criticism that evangelicals have constantly faced in the Trump era is that they’re so close to Trump and are [rarely] willing to contradict him or call him out. There are very good reasons for evangelicals who care about Israel to strongly support President Trump, but you can clearly see, based on the events of this week, that some evangelical leaders are also willing to criticize the president if they disagree with his policies.”….
• Rosenberg, however, warns about taking the evangelical vote for granted. “The risk for President Trump isn’t that evangelicals will turn against him,” he says. “The risk is that a small percentage of the evangelicals who voted for him in 2016 will stay home next November [2020] if they’re not happy about what’s going on in the country and the world.
• “If evangelical turnout goes down by even 1 percent,” he continues, “that could be enough to have an impact in key battleground states. We have more than a year until the election, and no one can say what will happen until then. But it would be good for the president to listen to those who are urging him to reconsider this policy.”

Please pray:
• For the protection and freedom of the Kurds

• For the safety and boldness of the many Christians in northern Syria

• For wisdom for the President and all US and regional leaders to know how best to handle the situation

• For Erdogan and other enemies that they would change their course and Christ would change their hearts.

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) — For the last several days, I have been in the Twin Cities, speaking at four events at Bethlehem College & Seminary. The school was founded by Dr. John Piper, the internationally renowned Evangelical pastor, theologian and author, and a man who has had a profound impact on my spiritual life, though until we had a lovely dinner this week we had never met.

On Wednesday morning — Yom Kippur, as it happened, the Day of Atonement for the world’s 17 million Jews — I was asked to preach at chapel (to watch the full message, please click here). I chose for my text Romans 1:14-17, in which the Apostle Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it it the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greeks (Gentiles).”

In this critically important yet far-too-seldom-preached passage, Paul calls the Church to be loving yet bold in making sure that every Jewish person and every non-Jewish person in the world has the opportunity to hear the Gospel message in its entirety and to make an informed decision to receive or reject Jesus as Messiah and Savior.

Paul, as we know, was severely persecuted for being so passionate about telling all people the good news of Jesus, but what I love about him was that he was neither ashamed nor afraid.

Sadly, not all Evangelicals share Paul’s passion. And in my message — which begins far more emotionally than I’d expected or intended — I explain why.

I hope you’ll watch the entire sermon — which runs about 31 minutes, and share it with others. Thanks, and God bless you.

(Photos: 1) chapel service screenshot; 2) Dr. John Piper and his wife, Noel; 3) me and my friend of 23 years, Rick Segal, who serves as VP for Advancement at Bethlehem.)

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• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) — Greetings from the beautiful city of Minneapolis. I am here speaking for several days at Bethlehem College and Seminary — founded by Dr. John Piper, the internationally-renowned Evangelical pastor and theologian — on what the Bible teaches about God’s great love for Jews and Arabs, and what the Church’s responsibilities are in loving them, as well.

It’s a particular interesting time of the year to discuss this topic because at sundown, some 17 million Jews — in Israel and around the world — will observe “Yom Kippur,” the “Day of Atonement.” This is a 24-hour period of complete fasting and prayer, in which Jews will ask God and others to forgive and cleanse them from the sins they have committed in this previous year. They will also pray that their names will be “written and sealed” in the “Book of Life” so they can spend eternity with God in heaven, and not be sent to hell.

Yet there is a serious problem facing our community.

How exactly can Jewish people receive forgiveness from God without a Temple in Jerusalem? How can we receive atonement when there is no place where we can make the blood sacrifice of a perfect, unblemished lamb that God requires for atonement?

In the Torah — notably in Leviticus 17:11 — the Lord is crystal clear: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”

Elsewhere in Scripture, this point is made yet again: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22)

Yet since 70 AD, we Jews have had no Temple in Jerusalem. For almost 2,000 years therefore we have had no place to make proper, acceptable sacrifices. Therefore, we haven’t been able to put our trust in the shedding of the blood of an innocent perfect lamb. That’s very serious. It means that according to the Law of Moses, we cannot receive atonement of our sins, even on the Day of Atonement.

Where, then, does that leave us?

The Hebrew prophets Jeremiah, Daniel and Isaiah point to the answer:

1. The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah tells us that the Lord will one day introduce to the Jewish people a “new covenant” — very different from the covenant He made with Moses — and through this new covenant the Lord says, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (see Jeremiah 31:31-34)
2. The Hebrew prophet Daniel sheds light on how the new covenant will work. Through Daniel, the Lord tells us that the “Anointed One” — the Messiah — will come one day “to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness.” Daniel tells us that when the Messiah comes to bring atonement that He will be “cut off” — something terrible happens to him — and that all this will happen before the Temple and Jerusalem are destroyed. In other words, Daniel makes it clear that after the Messiah comes to bring atonement the Temple won’t be needed, but that the Lord won’t allow the Temple to be destroyed before the Messiah comes. The Romans, of course, destroyed the Second Temple and the City of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Thus, according to Daniel, the Messiah had to come before 70 AD. (see Daniel 9:21-27)
3. The Hebrew prophet Isaiah then tells us something truly extraordinary: after the Anointed One comes, we Jewish people will look back at Him and say, “he (the Messiah) took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all….he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (see Isaiah 53)

In 1973, after carefully studying the Hebrew prophets and the New Testament Gospel According to Luke, my Orthodox Jewish father came to the conclusion that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah for which we Jews have waited. My father realized that he could only receive forgiveness and atonement and have his name written in the Book of Life by placing his faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, so that’s what he did. (To watch him briefly share his story, please click here.)

Several years later, I came to the same conclusion and placed my faith in Jesus the Messiah. (To watch me share my story, please click here.) 

That said, don’t take our word for it. If you are Jewish, I hope you’ll look up these Scriptures, study and consider them for yourself, and come to your own conclusion.

If you’re not Jewish, perhaps you’ll take a moment to share this with someone who is, as well as pray for all Jewish people to find the atonement that can only come through the new covenant.

Thanks so much. Gmar Chatimah Tovah! “May your name be written and sealed in the Book of Life!”

(Quebec, Canada) — This morning, Fox News Opinion published my new column. The following are excerpts. Here is a link to the full column.

• For too long, U.S. senators have hesitated to stand with Saudi Arabia, a long-time American ally and vital energy supplier to our allies in Europe and Asia. But as the Iranian regime shows its power, it’s time to pick a side….
• In a “60 Minutes” interview on CBS Sunday, MBS said he had no prior knowledge of Khashoggi’s murder and no personal involvement. But he said he takes “full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government.”….
• Apart from Khashoggi, the recent cruise missile and drone attacks against oil facilities in Saudi Arabia briefly cut Saudi Aramco oil production by half, caused global oil prices to spike, and pushed the region to the brink of a new and dangerous military confrontation.
• The attacks also raised two critical questions for members of the U.S. Senate.
• First, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blaming Iran for the attacks, is it not true that U.S. national security interests necessitate standing firmly with the Saudis – along with Israel and our other Sunni Arab allies – to both counter and neutralize the rapidly rising Iranian threat?
• Second, does not standing with Saudi Arabia involve re-engaging with MBS, even after the most complicated year in U.S.-Saudi relations since 2001?….
• Far too many senators backed President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal that gave upwards of $150 billion to the mullahs in Tehran. Even now, some senators continue clinging to the vain hope that Iran’s leaders want to rejoin the civilized world of peaceful nations.
• Still other senators have let their anger at MBS tempt them to jettison the longstanding and important alliance with Riyadh despite the kingdom’s vital role in counterterrorism and its role as the supplier of the oil to the world at…..

To read the full column, please click here.

UPDATED (Quebec, Canada) — Greetings from chilly Quebec! Lynn and I are just finishing up a wonderful Joshua Fund Cruise of New England and Canada where I’ve been teaching all week on God’s love for Israel and our Arab neighbors, Bible prophecy and the geopolitics of the region. Some 200 guests plus board members and TJF staff came with us. I so wish you were with us, but more on that later. And maybe we’ll do this again.

For now, I wanted to update you on the places where I’ll be speaking in the States over the next two weeks. Please make plans to join us at one or more of these events. I’d love to see you.

• Sunday, October 6th: Dallas, Texas — Speaking at First Baptist Dallas at all morning services.
• Sunday, October 6th: Dallas, Texas — Speaking at First Baptist Dallas at evening Q&A event (5:30-7pm)
• Tuesday, October 8th: Minneapolis, Minnesota — Speaking at Bethlehem College & Seminary (founded by Dr. John Piper) at two events: a Writer’s Workshop (5-7pm, register here) and an evening lecture and Q&A (open to the public from 7-9pm, register here).
• Wednesday, October 9th: Minneapolis, Minnesota — Speaking at Bethlehem College & Seminary Chapel (Noon, open to the public).
• Sunday, October 13th: Orange County, California — Speaking at Greg Laurie’s Harvest Church (all morning services).
• Saturday, October 19th: Minneapolis, Minnesota — Speaking at Rock Point Church and doing an evening of Q&A. (NOW SOLD OUT/NO WALK-INs — sorry)
• Sunday, October 20th: Minneapolis, Minnesota — Speaking at Rock Point Church (all morning services).

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

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• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.

In both their Arabic and English editions, the Saudi Gazette has just published a rare and possibly unprecedented front-page interview with an Evangelical Christian speaking candidly about war, peace, reform, the Crown Prince and what followers of Jesus believe. 

To read the full interview, please click here. 

JEDDAH — Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman is leading Saudi Arabia through the most dramatic, positive and exciting social and economic reforms in the history of the Kingdom, said Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times best-selling author and head of the Evangelical Delegation, in an exclusive interview with Saudi Gazette, following his visit to the Kingdom recently…..

Rosenberg: None of us want to see another war in the Middle East. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are commanded in the Bible to pray for peace and to be peacemakers. So, we are praying fervently for peace and stability. At the same time, however, we regard the Iranian regime as sheer evil, determined to export their Revolution of death and destruction in a wicked scheme to establish a global Caliphate….

Rosenberg: As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am commanded in the Bible to love my neighbor and pray for my neighbors. That’s why I accepted the Crown Prince’s invitation to come last year and again this year, despite the criticism against the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is my neighbor. I want the best for the people and leaders of this Kingdom. Yes, I see the problems. I’m not blind to the mistakes, nor to the criticisms. But I also see real progress. And I want to commend the Kingdom for all the good reforms they are making, even while respectfully urging you to make even bolder reforms. Religious leaders who are paralyzed by cynicism and are constantly critical are not helpful. If we want to see positive change, we need to praise what is good and build honest and sincere friendships in which we can talk openly and candidly about what is not good….

Rosenberg: Few Saudis know much about Evangelical Christianity. I hope they will learn more about us over time. There are more than 60 million Evangelicals in the United States, and more than 600 million worldwide.

Evangelicals believe in the teachings of the whole Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. We believe that Jesus is the Messiah. We also believe He is God and that He loves all people and wants every person in the world to know and follow Him.

The Bible teaches Christians to share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone in the whole world, and to encourage them to read the Bible for themselves. The most famous verse in the Bible is found in the Book of John, chapter three, verse 16. It reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

We love that verse, and we live by it. But we are never supposed to force our religion on anyone. Some people have done this in the past, claiming to be Christians. This grieves me, but I can tell you they were not following the model or teachings of Jesus found in the New Testament.

I think there is much we as Evangelicals can learn from the people of Saudi Arabia. And I think that after the Crown Prince invited us twice to the Kingdom there is growing curiosity among Saudis about us and why we seek to be ambassadors of peace and reconciliation….

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• To pre-order my next political thriller, THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN, please click here.
• NOW AVAILABLE: To buy your own copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE — my latest political thriller about the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to thwart a plot by Iran to buy nuclear weapons from North Korea — in hardcover, e-book, large print, or audio formats, please click here. 

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• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and others. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much.