©29 August 2014 Revive Israel Ministries

What is Truth?

By Asher Intrater

There is a clash of so-called "truth" in the world today.  When Yeshua stood before Pilate, He told Pilate that He was the truth and was born to bear witness of the truth. Pilate's last words to Yeshua are a significant question:

John 18:38
What is truth?

Yeshua seemed not to answer. What could He answer? He was the Truth incarnate standing before Pilate. His very presence was the answer to Pilate's question.  However, Pilate was looking for something rational or philosophical. Yeshua's truth was personal and moral.

Truth comes from three sources:

1. Yeshua (John 14:6).
2. The Spirit of God (John 14:17)
3. The Word of God  (John 17:17)

Truth has a moral quality. A true person is someone you can trust.  Truth is not just affirmed mentally; it must be obeyed (Romans 2:8, Galatians 3:1, 5:7). Real truth is spiritual and has an ability to change our lives in a dramatic way.

John 8:32
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

There is a flood of lies in the world today (Revelation 12:15).  Truth seems to be irrelevant to most discussions (Isaiah 59:14-15).  Perverted sexual relations are called “natural alternatives.”  Lies of Islamic Jihad are considered legitimate.  Israel is accused of war crimes while the terrorists are hailed as freedom fighters.  Every kind of weird cult and philosophy is considered reasonable, while Christians are portrayed as fanatic fundamentalists. Darkness is called light; and light darkness (Isaiah 5:20).

But the truth remains the truth and nothing can change it (II Corinthians ).  We are to be a people who "love the truth" whether or not it is socially acceptable (II Timothy 2:10). We are called to be a "pillar and stronghold" of the truth despite the darkness in the world (I Timothy 3:15). 

By Eddie Santoro

It was Tuesday evening at 7PM. After one final, massive volley of rockets launched into Israel, the fifty long days of Operation Protective Edge seemed to come to an end as Hamas and Israel agreed to an open ended cease fire.

The ink had barely dried on the paper when the leaders of Hamas crawled out of the holes they had been hiding in for nearly two months and declared “victory”. The tragic face of that “victory” should have been overwhelming to them. Over 2,200 of their fellow citizens had been killed and more than 10,000 were wounded. Formerly flourishing neighborhoods had been reduced to rubble. Over 15,000 buildings were either destroyed or severely damaged and the electrical, water and sewage infrastructure were nearly gone. Over 1,000 of their fighters were dead. The secret tunnel system in which they had invested millions of dollars in order to carry out a massive surprise terror attack against Israel laid in ruins. Their armaments were nearly depleted and these leaders who are so ill equipped to govern their people now faced a daunting humanitarian catastrophe.

But none of this mattered! Not the suffering. Not the death. Not the overwhelming destruction. Once again it was “the lie” that had to be declared and endorsed. So with much forced fanfare, they ordered their defeated people to gather and declare their “victory” over Israel in the midst of the rubble.

On the political front, they fared no better. All of the original demands that Hamas had so arrogantly boasted would need to be met were ignored in the final cease fire agreement. There will be no seaport or airport. The prisoners were not released, the needed funding for their employees will not come, the buffer zone surrounding their border with Israel is still in place and the blockade, except for humanitarian and rebuilding supplies, is still in effect.

How different the reality on the Israeli side. Saying very little, Israel accepted the Hamas surrender. Over those same fifty days there was minimal damage from the over 5,000 rockets and mortars that were fired into Israel. This nation had not wasted its energy in empty boasting but had prepared for the coming fight. The Iron Dome intercepted over 700 rockets that would have wrought untold damage to our cities. Israelis had shelters to take cover in. Our neighborhoods remained intact. Our infrastructure is undamaged. Our economy is still strong. And, although tragically 63 Israeli soldiers and 7 civilians were killed, it was a high but unavoidable price to pay in order todamage this terrorist group. Israel claims that Operation Protective Edge has set Hamas back ten years!

The God of Israel who protected this nation supernaturally these past fifty days will continue to protect his people today and will be our shield tomorrow.

This past weekend supplement of Yediot Aharonot (largest selling Hebrew newspaper in Israel), featured a two-page article with large color photos of Brigitte Gabriel.  She was interviewed about a now viral video (over 1 million views) of her response to a moderate Muslim law student in the U.S.

In the video Brigitte mentions that even if only 15% of the 1.2 billion Muslims in the world are radicals, that comprises 180 million people bent on the destruction of Western civilization and the murder of people of all other faith orientations.  "The peaceful majority is irrelevant.  It is the radicals that are driving the agenda."

To see the video, click here.