Megiddo Mosaïc documentary

“The fascinating mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians, including the first archaeological instance of the phrase ‘God Jesus Christ’.” Dr. Yotam Tepper https://www.museumofthebible.org/newsroom/a-new-documentary-explores-one-of-the-greatest-arc A New Documentary Explores One of the Greatest Archaeological Finds of the 21st Century the Megiddo Mosaic WASHINGTON, D.C., February 28, 2025 — Museum of the Bible announces their partnership with Angel Studios and Evolve Studios for the release of the documentary, “The Mosaic Church,” about the discovery of the 1,800-year-old Megiddo Mosaic in Megiddo, Israel. The documentary tells the story of the Megiddo Mosaic, a decorative floor of the oldest-known Christian worship space in history, dated to AD 230, located within a Roman military camp 15 miles southwest of Nazareth. The mosaic was discovered in an excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority underneath a maximum-security prison and was conserved by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 2005. The mosaic made its world debut at Museum of the Bible in September 2024 and is currently on display in partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority. “We are thrilled to make this film available for the public and continue to tell the remarkable story of one of the most important archeological discoveries of the 21st century,” said Bobby Duke, chief curatorial officer at Museum of the Bible. “This mosaic is critical for encountering and understanding early Christians at a time when they might have suffered persecution by the Roman Empire. It is a story that must be told.” According to Dr. Yotam Tepper, director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The fascinating mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians, including the first archaeological instance of the phrase ‘God Jesus Christ.’ Also featured on the mosaic are one of the earliest examples of a fish being used as a Christian symbol and the names of several of the Christian prayer hall’s patrons — a Roman centurion, an artist, and five women.” “The Mosaic Church” is produced by Emmy Award-winning Evolve Studios in association with The Natural Studios and Alafim Productions and is streaming exclusively at Angel.com/MOTB and on the Angel App. The documentary is narrated by Bear Grylls, star of the Emmy Award-nominated “Man vs. Wild” TV series and host of the Emmy Award-winning interactive Netflix show “You Vs Wild.” "Uncovering the Megiddo Mosaic has been a powerful journey into the early Christian spirit of resilience and faith. I am honored to narrate this story, bringing to life the legacy of the world's oldest-known church for audiences worldwide,” shared Bear Grylls. The documentary weaves together expert insights, historical analysis, and firsthand accounts from those who worked on discovering and conserving the Megiddo Mosaic. It also reveals deep insights into the life of early Christians from just a few generations after the accounts of the New Testament. Watch the trailer HERE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfN0o9h_4Xg The Megiddo Mosaic is on display at Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., until July 6, 2025. ….

“The greatest destroyer of peace today is the cry of the innocent unborn child”

“To me the nations who have legalized abortion, they are the poorest nations. They are afraid of the little one, they are afraid of the unborn child, and the child must die because they don’t want to feed one more child, to educate one more child, the child must die”. Mother Teresa Nobel Peace Prize 1979 Mother Teresa Acceptance speech Mother Teresa’s Acceptance speech, held on 10 December 1979 in the Aula of the University of Oslo, Norway. Let us all together thank God for this beautiful occasion where we can all together proclaim the joy of spreading peace, the joy of loving one another and the joy acknowledging that the poorest of the poor are our brothers and sisters. As we have gathered here to thank God for this gift of peace, I have given you all the prayer for peace that St Francis of Assisi prayed many years ago, and I wonder he must have felt the need what we feel today to pray for. I think you have all got that paper? We’ll say it together. Lord, make me a channel of your peace, that where there is hatred, I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that where there is error, I may bring truth; that where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that where there is despair, I may bring hope; that where there are shadows, I may bring light; that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; to understand, than to be understood; to love, than to be loved. For it is by forgetting self, that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying, that one awakens to eternal life. Amen. God loved the world so much that he gave his son and he gave him to a virgin, the blessed virgin Mary, and she, the moment he came in her life, went in haste to give him to others. And what did she do then? She did the work of the handmaid, just so. Just spread that joy of loving to service. And Jesus Christ loved you and loved me and he gave his life for us, and as if that was not enough for him, he kept on saying: Love as I have loved you, as I love you now, and how do we have to love, to love in the giving. For he gave his life for us. And he keeps on giving, and he keeps on giving right here everywhere in our own lives and in the lives of others. It was not enough for him to die for us, he wanted that we loved one another, that we see him in each other, that’s why he said: Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. And to make sure that we understand what he means, he said that at the hour of death we are going to be judged on what we have been to the poor, to the hungry, naked, the homeless, and he makes himself that hungry one, that naked one, that homeless one, not only hungry for bread, but hungry for love, not only naked for a piece of cloth, but naked of that human dignity, not only homeless for a room to live, but homeless for that being forgotten, been unloved, uncared, being nobody to nobody, having forgotten what is human love, what is human touch, what is to be loved by somebody, and he says: Whatever you did to the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. It is so beautiful for us to become holy to this love, for holiness is not a luxury of the few, it is a simple duty for each one of us, and through this love we can become holy. To this love for one another and today when I have received this reward, I personally am most unworthy, and I having avowed poverty to be able to understand the poor, I choose the poverty of our people. But I am grateful and I am very happy to receive it in the name of the hungry, of the naked, of the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the leprous, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared, thrown away of the society, people who have become a burden to the society, and are shunned by everybody. In their name I accept the award. And I am sure this award is going to bring an understanding love between the rich and the poor. And this is what Jesus has insisted so much, that is why Jesus came to earth, to proclaim the good news to the poor. And through this award and through all of us gathered here together, we are wanting to proclaim the good news to the poor that God loves them, that we love them, that they are somebody to us, that they too have been created by the same loving hand of God, to love and to be loved. Our poor people are great people, are very lovable people, they don’t need our pity and sympathy, they need our understanding love. They need our respect; they need that we treat them with dignity. And I think this is the greatest poverty that we experience, that we have in front of them who may be dying for a piece of bread, but they die to such dignity. I never forget when I brought a man from the street. He was covered with maggots; his face was the only place that was clean. And yet that man, when we brought him to our home for the dying, he said just one sentence: I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, love and care, and he died beautifully. He went home to God, for dead is nothing but going home to God. And he having enjoyed that love, that being wanted, that being loved, that being somebody to somebody at the last moment, brought that joy in his life. And I feel one thing I want to share with you all, the greatest destroyer of peace today is the cry of the innocent unborn child. For if a mother can murder her own child in her own womb, what is left for you and for me to kill each other? Even in the scripture it is written: Even if mother could forget her child – I will not forget you – I have carved you in the palm of my hand. Even if mother could forget, but today millions of unborn children are being killed. And we say nothing. In the newspapers you read numbers of this one and that one being killed, this being destroyed, but nobody speaks of the millions of little ones who have been conceived to the same life as you and I, to the life of God, and we say nothing, we allow it. To me the nations who have legalized abortion, they are the poorest nations. They are afraid of the little one, they are afraid of the unborn child, and the child must die because they don’t want to feed one more child, to educate one more child, the child must die. And here I ask you, in the name of these little ones, for it was that unborn child that recognized the presence of Jesus when Mary came to visit Elizabeth, her cousin. As we read in the gospel, the moment Mary came into the house, the little one in the womb of his mother, leapt with joy, recognized the Prince of Peace. And so today, let us here make a strong resolution, we are going to save every little child, every unborn child, give them a chance to be born. And what we are doing, we are fighting abortion by adoption, and the good God has blessed the work so beautifully that we have saved thousands of children, and thousands of children have found a home where they are loved, they are wanted, they are cared. We have brought so much joy in the homes that there was not a child, and so today, I ask His Majesties here before you all who come from different countries, let us all pray that we have the courage to stand by the unborn child, and give the child an opportunity to love and to be loved, and I think with God’s grace we will be able to bring peace in the world. We have an opportunity here in Norway, you are with God’s blessing, you are well to do. But I am sure in the families and many of our homes, maybe we are not hungry for a piece of bread, but maybe there is somebody there in the family who is unwanted, unloved, uncared, forgotten, there isn’t love. Love begins at home. And love to be true has to hurt. I never forget a little child who taught me a very beautiful lesson. They heard in Calcutta, the children, that Mother Teresa had no sugar for her children, and this little one, Hindu boy four years old, he went home and he told his parents: I will not eat sugar for three days, I will give my sugar to Mother Teresa. How much a little child can give. After three days they brought into our house, and there was this little one who could scarcely pronounce my name, he loved with great love, he loved until it hurt. And this is what I bring before you, to love one another until it hurts, but don’t forget that there are many children, many children, many men and women who haven’t got what you have. And remember to love them until it hurts. Sometime ago, this to you will sound very strange, but I brought a girl child from the street, and I could see in the face of the child that the child was hungry. God knows how many days that she had not eaten. So I give her a piece of bread. And then the little one started eating the bread crumb by crumb. And I said to the child, eat the bread, eat the bread. And she looked at me and said: I am afraid to eat the bread because I’m afraid when it is finished I will be hungry again. This is a reality, and yet there is a greatness of the poor. One evening a gentleman came to our house and said, there is a Hindu family and the eight children have not eaten for a long time. Do something for them. And I took rice and I went immediately, and there was this mother, those little ones’ faces, shining eyes from sheer hunger. She took the rice from my hand, she divided into two and she went out. When she came back, I asked her, where did you go? What did you do? And one answer she gave me: They are hungry also. She knew that the next door neighbor, a Muslim family, was hungry. What surprised me most, not that she gave the rice, but what surprised me most, that in her suffering, in her hunger, she knew that somebody else was hungry, and she had the courage to share, share the love. And this is what I mean, I want you to love the poor, and never turn your back to the poor, for in turning your back to the poor, you are turning it to Christ. For he had made himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, so that you and I have an opportunity to love him, because where is God? How can we love God? It is not enough to say to my God I love you, but my God, I love you here. I can enjoy this, but I give up. I could eat that sugar, but I give that sugar. If I stay here the whole day and the whole night, you would be surprised of the beautiful things that people do, to share the joy of giving. And so, my prayer for you is that truth will bring prayer in our homes, and the fruit of prayer will be that we believe that in the poor, it is Christ. And if we really believe, we will begin to love. And if we love, naturally, we will try to do something. First in our own home, our next door neighbor, in the country we live, in the whole world. And let us all join in that one prayer, God give us courage to protect the unborn child, for the child is the greatest gift of God to a family, to a nation and to the whole world. God bless you!

‘We live in a world that is burning’: Pope Leo XIV

Taken from: Pope Leo interrupts holiday to issue warning: ‘We live in a world that is burning’ Pope Leo interrupts holiday to issue warning: ‘We live in a world that is burning’ Story by Joshua McElwee Pope Leo XIV has issued a stark warning about a “burning” world as he interrupted his two-week holiday to urge Catholics to address the climate crisis. This marks the Vatican's second significant appeal on global warming within a week. Speaking from Castel Gandolfo, an Italian hill town near Rome where he is on holiday, the pontiff declared during a small outdoor ceremony: "Today … we live in a world that is burning, both because of global warming and armed conflicts." Leo, who was elected on 8 May to succeed Pope Francis, said: "We have to pray for the conversion of many people … who still do not see the urgency of caring for our common home." While refraining from naming specific climate-induced disasters, he characterised the global situation as an "ecological crisis". Leo said the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church was committed to speaking about the issue, "even when it requires the courage to oppose the destructive power of the princes of this world". The Mass included a prayer for victims of the flash flooding in Texas, where at least 111 people have died and 173 are still missing. Leo celebrated Wednesday's Mass according to a new Catholic rite that exhorts people to care for creation, first published by the Vatican on 3 July in its latest push to address climate issues. Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official who helped to organise the Mass, said that Leo's decision to interrupt his holiday was a sign of the importance the new pope will place on environmental matters. "By offering this Mass … at the beginning of his holiday, Pope Leo is giving a beautiful example of thanking for God's great gift and praying that the human family learns to care for our common home," said Cardinal Czerny. Garden mass Francis, who died on 21 April, was also a firm proponent of care for creation. He was the first pope to embrace the scientific consensus about climate change and urged nations to reduce their carbon emissions in line with the 2015 Paris climate accord. ….

Sacred Heart an antidote to Pharisee-like smugness, complacency and presumption

by Damien F. Mackey One rarely hears even mentioned the Nine First Fridays (Five First Saturdays) – the Communion of Reparation package so desired by Heaven. Here it was mentioned but not explained; mentioned in a negative context without its benefits being proclaimed. Keeping all the Jewish Law - impossible. We used to be told that if you go to Mass on Sundays and say the Rosary you’re right. So said a Dominican priest during a homily in the context of smug Pharisaïsm. Keep the whole Law and you will be pleasing to God. Jesus, of course, turned all that on its head, calling the Scribes and Pharisees ‘hypocrites’ (Matthew 23:13): ‘Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to’. Similarly, the Dominican priest noted that there was far more to it than just going to Mass on Sundays and saying the Rosary. [There is a verse in Acts (15:29) that almost seems to support the simple view: Do this, and you will be OK: ‘You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well’]. Sadly, there are those who make the effort to have their children baptised and confirmed, thinking, then, they are “done”. Now they can freely get on with their lives, often making quite a success of things in a worldly sense, while ever remaining at an immature level of faith. The Dominican went on to include the Nine First Fridays, the completion of which can be considered by some faithful to make them right. Nothing he said was at all incorrect within its context. We do need to be warned against smugness, complacency and presumption. One rarely hears even mentioned the Nine First Fridays (Five First Saturdays) – the Communion of Reparation package so desired by Heaven. Here it was mentioned but not explained; mentioned in a negative context without its benefits being proclaimed. [A few weeks later, at the same church, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, a Dominican priest in his 90’s did mention the Nine First Fridays, with a brief explanation of them, though he said that they were “not compulsory”]. I could not help wondering that instead of the Nine First Fridays being brought up in passing, in a negative context, wouldn’t it be far better to proclaim the devotion and its marvellous effects and the promises associated with it? Surely Heaven’s remedy will provide a perfect antidote to any tendency to Pharisaïc smugness and the like, promising, as it does, that: “Tepid souls shall grow fervent … Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection”. At the end of the 17th century Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) and asked her to spread devotion to His Most Sacred Heart. In a letter written to her Mother Superior in May 1688, St. Margaret Mary set out what is called The Great Promise Our Lord made regarding the Nine First Fridays and what we must do to earn it: “On Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave, if I mistake not: ‘I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, My divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment.'” We need help with our complacency and presumption, and this is it! We’d be silly to neglect it. If we do these devotions properly, to the best of our ability, the Promises are beyond all telling: https://holycross-olog.vermontcatholic.org/nine-first-fridays-devotion-of-reparation-to-the-sacred-heart-of-our-lord 1. I will give them all of the graces necessary for their state of life. 2. I will establish peace in their homes. 3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. 4. I will be their strength during life and above all during death. 5. I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings. 6. Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy. 7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent. 8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. 9. I will bless every place where a picture of my heart shall be set up and honored. 10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out. 12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant all to those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in My disgrace nor without receiving their sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. First Friday Requirements: To meet the requirements for the First Friday Devotion a person must, on each First Friday for nine consecutive months: 1. Attend Holy Mass 2. Receive Communion 3. Go to Confession

Peace is much more than simply the absence of war

“As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace— but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you’.” Luke 19:41-44 “Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss”. Pope Leo XIV Alison Sampson given to Sanctuary on 10 April 2022: https://sanctuarybaptist.org/2022/04/10/the-things-that-make-for-peace/ Luke | The things that make for peace …. Disciples praise his deeds of power and sing of peace; yet Jesus weeps. … Once upon a time, a baby was born. Angels announced it, and a heavenly host sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to God’s people on earth!” (Luke 2:13). The little one grew in wisdom and stature, and soon enough taught the ways of peace: good news for the poor; release for the captives; recovery of sight for the blind; freedom for the oppressed; and cancellation of all debt (Luke 4:18). People listened, and followed, and noticed his deeds of power. And in the place where the prophet Zechariah had foreseen a humble king riding on a donkey, a king who would rout all their enemies and send them packing, his disciples gathered with him and walked towards the debt-ridden, cross-encircled, oppressed and occupied city of Jerusalem, a city which longed for deliverance, a city which groaned for peace; and mirroring the words of the angels, a crowd of people sang, “Blessed is the king who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven! And glory in highest heaven!” (Luke 19:38). The angels sang of peace on earth; the people sang of peace in heaven: and all to the glory of highest heaven: the very throne room of God. This was a song of mutual hope and blessing so powerful, so viral, that all creation sang! For if they were silent, said Jesus, even the stones would shout! They sang of a glorious peace: God’s peace. Not the bland peace of conflict-avoidance. Not the violently enforced Roman Peace. Instead, they sang of shalom: right relationship between God and people and land. Shalom: the integration of all things: a cosmic harmony. For in Jesus’ storyworld, everything is connected: God and people; heaven and earth; economic justice and the health of the land; and through Jesus, shalom flows from God through the whole cosmos: from the highest reaches of heaven down, down through the skies right down into sheep and shepherds and earth and stones; and so angels and people and even boulders sing. All creation hums with this promise of right relationship between heaven and earth, a promise fulfilled by the one who comes in God’s blessed Name. So surely Jesus is singing and dancing, swept up in this cosmic celebration of love, healing and redemption: but instead, we are told that he stops. While his disciples are praising his deeds of power and raising their voices in song, he looks over the suffering city, and his heart cracks wide open: he weeps. And with tears in his eyes, he turns to his disciples and says, “If you, even you, had only recognized the things that make for peace!” Wait a minute! They’re right there, aren’t they, praising his deeds of power, singing of peace, and joining in the cosmic parade? Haven’t they recognized the things which make for peace? On the surface, it’s all very puzzling; so let’s zoom out. In Luke chapter 9, we are told that Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem; then for the next ten chapters, he taught. He told parables about the kingdom. He preached. He commissioned; he debriefed; he explained; he exhorted; he encouraged; and he told many, many stories. In everything, he taught. Through all this teaching, he revealed the promise at his birth: the way of peace. He showed that it’s all about trusting him, and only him: not our right theologies, not our moral behaviour, not our own efforts, and not our bank accounts. He called on his little flock to free themselves of their possessions and all false reliances, and he promised that in God’s kingdom they would have enough. He taught that the faithful can be rejected, and suffer, and die; and he located his own body among the marginalized poor. In stories such as the neighbourly Samaritan, he raised up hated enemies as righteous; and he repeatedly shared meals with all the wrong people, breaking bread, drinking wine, and revealing a culture in which everyone is welcome at the table and the greatest are those who serve. Through these and similar teachings, he showed his disciples how to live. But as they are walking towards Jerusalem, his disciples seem to forget his teaching. Instead, they seek the destruction of a Samaritan village. They argue and jostle among themselves for high status in the kingdom of God. Outside Jericho, they try to block a blind man from receiving sight. And once they are in Jerusalem, rather like many observers of a certain mega-church today, they praise the awe-inspiring Temple, while the impoverished widows who gave everything for its construction and maintenance are completely invisible to them. And as they walk and sing, his disciples are praising not his teaching, but his deeds of power: for perhaps they long for this power to crush their enemies and save them. The sort of power promised by Zechariah, whose humble king would lead an army to devour their enemies and “drink their blood like wine” (Zechariah 9:15-16). Perhaps now, even now, they still long for a triumphant military peace. A routing of the Romans. A renewed autonomy. Blood running through the streets. And so Jesus weeps, because even his disciples have not internalized his teaching, and he sees where this will lead: Betrayal. Denial. Humiliation. Crucifixion. And some years later, the brutal destruction of the city and all of its inhabitants. So he weeps, and he says to those who are walking with him, “If you, even you, had only recognized the things that make for peace!” You want deeds of power: but not my teaching. You want financial security: but not kingdom economics. You want love: but not for your enemies. You want forgiveness: but not to forgive. You want good news: but not for others. You want shalom: but you will reject the fulfilment of God’s peace: indeed, you will reject me. And so disaster is coming, “because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” (Luke 19:44) As people who lift their voices with the cosmic choir in the company of our weeping Saviour, I wonder: What blocks us from living by his teaching? Do we, too, want God’s peace, but not the uncomfortable person of Jesus? What are the many ways we betray and deny him, and undermine and avoid his teaching? And on the other side of denial and disaster, will we accept the sting of forgiveness, and his renewed words of peace, and commission, and blessing? …. Pope Leo XIV led a peace plea at St. Peter’s Square amid Donald Trump-approved U.S. strikes on Iran. Mega© OK Magazine (AU) Pope Leo XIV issued a stark warning of an "irreparable abyss" as U.S. forces conducted airstrikes on Iran following President Donald Trump's go-signal to target the nation’s critical nuclear sites. The Pope used his Sunday Angelus prayer at St. Peter's Square to emphasize the need for peace and global diplomacy amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. On June 21, Trump approved the strikes in coordination with an Israeli offensive, marking a larger hostility as Iran pledged to protect its territory. "Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss," the Pope declared during his weekly address in Piazza San Pietro. He urged for "rational attention" to peace negotiations and noted that "now, more than ever, humanity calls out for peace, a plea that requires rational attention and should not be silenced." Pope Leo continued, "No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future. Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflict." The pontiff did not shy away from addressing the ongoing strife between Israel and Palestine, highlighting the suffering of civilians in Gaza and other areas. He pointed out that humanitarian needs are becoming increasingly urgent amid the dramatic circumstances. …. In Iran, anxiety mounts over the potential for a deeper, more chaotic conflict as tensions rise, particularly following a week marked by conflict with Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. military actions on Sunday, calling it a "dangerous military operation" and warned of "everlasting consequences." During a rapid press briefing the evening before, Trump praised the armed forces and expressed gratitude to God for their success in the operations. …. Former Pope Francis, who served for 12 years, previously criticized Trump's mass deportation plans and the president's approach to immigration, asserting that "a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian."

Holy importunity – boldly audacious and faith-filled praying to the Lord

“I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need”. Luke 11:8 (NIV) This, the way that the Patriarchs and holy men and women of the Bible, and the Saints ever since, have prayed to God, is well explained in A BIBLE DEVOTION article, entitled “Importunity” (Tuesday, July 16, 2024): https://www.adevotion.org/archive/importunity LUKE 11:5-8 KJV 5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. The lesson of this parable is NOT that we must persist in prayer to obtain an answer from an unwilling God. But that we should be bold in asking. A parable may teach by showing similarity or by contrasting differences. The point here is based on contrast. This becomes more clear, just a few verses later, in verse 13. LUKE 11:13 KJV 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? How much more willing is God -- than any earthly friend! Friends may sometimes be undependable, but God is always dependable! God is "rich unto all that call upon Him" (Romans 10:12). Read the story again and you will see that Jesus was asking a question: "Who would have a friend that would not help in a time of need?" Someone like that would not really be a friend. A friend would not say, "Don't bother me!" However, even if the friendship was not that strong, if someone has the boldness and audacity to ask for help in the middle of the night, they would not be refused by someone they knew. Even if it was inconvenient and they really didn't want to help, if you have the nerve to knock on their door and present your request, they will not ignore you. Your audacity and boldness will overcome any reluctance they might have, and you will get your request. This assumes some relationship was already established. For if you knock on a stranger's house at midnight insisting they give you something, you are more likely to be met with a weapon, instead of having your request granted. Understanding this about human friends, HOW MUCH MORE your Father in Heaven, who is perfect, can be counted on to help whenever you come to Him. The key is that you must have the confidence to come and make the request. Note that this person was coming to get something for someone else. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when we need it for ourselves. But Jesus was especially encouraging us to ask boldly for help for other people. They may not have a relationship with God, so they can't ask Him for help and have confidence in receiving an answer, but you do, and you can! Why was the person shameless in asking? Because he was his friend. He had a relationship, so he boldly did something out of the ordinary, knowing he was being unreasonable, but having confidence to do it because he knew his friend. Although the friend, at first, realizing how unreasonable the request was, talked reluctantly, nevertheless, granted what was asked. The word translated "importunity" in verse 8 is a Greek word, used only once in the New Testament, which literally means "without shame." It pictures someone without bashfulness or reluctance. Someone who did not hold back, or hesitate. Someone with audacity, even recklessness in their disregard of anything stopping them. These descriptions indicate faith -- a belief that if I make the request, it will be granted. Unfortunately, some modern Bible translations translate this word as "persistence." This is simply because many people, even translators, have not clearly understood this parable. Translation is not an exact science, but is subject to the bias and level of understanding of the translator. So every translation is affected by the beliefs of those who do the translating. In this parable, the person did not stand outside the door for days on end while continuing to ask for bread. So the point cannot be to just keep on asking for a long time, but to be bold in asking, instead of being held back by fear or doubt. Persistence in prayer (in the sense of keeping on asking for a long time) is not the idea Jesus was encouraging in this parable. The point isn't that God is reluctant and needs to be persuaded. But that we should not be reluctant asking God for help. Jesus makes the point clear in the next verse by saying, ask and you will get, etc. LUKE 11:9-10 KJV 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Some translations insert the idea in verse 9 of "keeping on" asking, seeking, and knocking, but that idea is not from the Greek New Testament text, but from the Latin translation. Nothing in this parable gives us any evidence it took a long time for the request to be granted. Instead of getting the idea of knocking on a door for several years from this parable, we should realize Jesus was encouraging us to be bold in asking for God's help, especially for others. So don't hesitate! Don't think God is too busy, or the need is too small or too big for God. Even a human friend will help, if asked. HOW MUCH MORE will your Heavenly Father who loves you, and also loves those you want to help. SAY THIS: I will be bold in asking God for help -- especially for other people's needs.

Growing world concern about overkill in Gaza

by Damien F. Mackey “Using disproportionate force after being attacked is immoral”. Pope Francis We read in March 2025: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-20/netanyahu-protest-home-after-gaza-strikes-corruption/105073994 Thousands march on Netanyahu's home to demand he quit over continued war in Gaza By Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran and Haidarr Jones in Jerusalem Thousands of Israelis have marched on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in central Jerusalem, to vent their anger over fighting in Gaza and demand he quit. It came as Mr Netanyahu announced plans to sack the head of Israel’s domestic spy agency Shin Bet. What’s next? Hours after the march, Israel announced it had sent ground forces back into Gaza. abc.net.au/news/netanyahu-protest-home-after-gaza-strikes-corruption/105073994 …. Thousands of Israelis have marched through the streets of central Jerusalem to set up camp outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence, venting their anger at his decision to return to fighting in Gaza. Protesters gathered on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Wednesday morning local time, before walking to the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, and onwards to Mr Netanyahu's home in the leafy suburb of Rehavia. Armed with banners, drums, loudhailers and air horns, the march shut down major roads and caused traffic mayhem as it snaked its way through the city under the gaze of a heavy police presence. Mr Netanyahu's private residence, a short walk from the Israeli Prime Minister's official residence, is on Azza Road — anglicised as Gaza Road — a somewhat fitting location given the criticism of his handling of the war in the strip. "The situation in the country is very terrible," protester Ori Biran told the ABC. "Our government is corrupted, and we think we should come here in protest … we don't want violence and we don't want corruption in the country. "We believe that every action from the beginning of the war is caused by [Benjamin Netanyahu] and that's his fault, and we believe that he needs to be replaced." Ori Biran says he was motivated to protest over alleged corruption within the Israeli government. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones) The protest was organised prior to Mr Netanyahu's decision to launch fresh strikes on Gaza in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and came as a result of his decision to try to sack the head of Israeli's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet. The list of grievances against the prime minister and his government was lengthy. World leaders react to Israeli strikes on Gaza …. While the US has stated it supports Israel's next steps, European and Middle Eastern governments are warning the renewed strikes risk undermining regional stability. The renewed fighting in Gaza was front of mind for many, particularly given the threat it posed to the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in the strip — 59 in total, 24 believed to still be alive. Protesters chanted that the Prime Minister had the blood of hostages on his hands. Mr Netanyahu stands accused of being beholden to loud right-wing voices within his coalition, who have been agitating for a return to war in Gaza. Among them, the controversial politician Itamar Ben Gvir — who quit the government and his post as National Security Minister in protest over the initial ceasefire deal in January, and was welcomed back into the fold hours after Israeli strikes resumed this week. …. Protesters told the ABC they were unhappy with government corruption and a return to fighting in Gaza. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones) …. Hours after the march, Israel announced it had sent ground forces back into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said they had taken control of half of the Netzarim corridor — a stretch of land running from Israel to the Mediterranean, which had cut the north of Gaza off from the rest of the strip a the height of the fighting. Israel had withdrawn its forces from the area weeks after the ceasefire came into force. …. Israeli academics call for immediate action “We will not forgive ourselves”. An Urgent Call to the Heads of Academia in Israel By Cedric Cohen-Skalli (4) An Urgent Call to the Heads of Academia in Israel To the Association of University Heads in Israel, the Board of Academic Public Colleges, and Academics for Israeli Democracy, We, members of the academic and administrative staff in institutions of higher education in Israel, call on you to act immediately to mobilize the full weight of Israeli academia to stop the Israeli war in Gaza. Cedric Cohen-Skalli University of Haifa, Department Member Israeli higher education institutions play a central role in the struggle against the judicial overhaul. It is precisely against this backdrop that their silence in the face of the killing, starvation, and destruction in Gaza, and in the face of the complete elimination of the educational system there, its people, and its structures, is so striking. Since Israel violated the ceasefire on March 18, almost 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza. The vast majority of them were civilians. Since the start of the war, at least 53,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including at least 15,000 children and at least 41 Israeli hostages. At the same time, many international bodies are warning of acute starvation – the result of intentional and openly declared Israeli government policy – as well as of the rendering of Gaza into an area unfit for human habitation. Israel continues to bomb hospitals, schools, and other institutions. Among the war’s declared goals, as defined in the orders for the current military operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” is the “concentration and displacement of population.” This is a horrifying litany of war crimes and even crimes against humanity, all of our own doing. As academics, we recognize our own role in these crimes. It is human societies, not governments alone, that commit crimes against humanity. Some do so by means of direct violence. Others do so by sanctioning the crimes and justifying them, before and after the fact, and by keeping quiet and silencing voices in the halls of learning. It is this bond of silence that allows clearly evident crimes to continue unabated without penetrating the barriers of recognition. We cannot claim that we did not know. We have been silent for too long. For the sake of the lives of innocents and the safety of all the people of this land, Palestinians and Jews; for the sake of the return of the hostages; if we do not call to halt the war immediately, history will not forgive us. We will not forgive ourselves. It is our duty to act to stop the slaughter; it is our duty to save lives. It is our duty to save what can still be saved of this land’s future. The institutions of higher education in Israel must raise their voices, address their students and the public at large, look at reality directly and call things what they are – unspeakable actions being done in our name, with our own hands, that will ultimately result in destroying higher education in Israel and the entire society from within. …. There follows a list of almost 1200 Israeli academics for the “Black Flag” Action Group: …. Signed, 1 Abed El-Qadir Kanaaneh, Tel Aviv University 2 Abeer Baker, Haifa University 3 Abigail Jacobson, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 4 Adam Shinar, Reichman University 5 Adam Weiler Gur Arye, Tel-Hai Academic College 6 Adi Alajem, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 7 Adi Artom, Tel Aviv University 8 Adi Inbal, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 9 Adi Maoz, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 10 Adi Shorek, Tel Aviv University 11 Adi Weinberg, Tel Aviv University 12 Adia Mirovitz, The Multidisciplinary Center, Jerusalem 13 Adiv Gal, Other 14 Adriana Kemp, Tel Aviv University 15 Adva Berkovitch Romano, Tel Aviv University 16 Agnes Klochendler, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 17 Alex Furman, Technion 18 Alexandra Kalev, Tel Aviv University 19 Alik Pelman, Technion 20 Aliza Shenhar, Haifa University … Etc., etc., etc. Hamas, Netanyahu, must step down Netanyahu and Hamas must step down. Hamas is a Frankenstein of Netanyahu’s own making: https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/ For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces The premier’s policy of treating the terror group as a partner, at the expense of Abbas and Palestinian statehood, has resulted in wounds that will take Israel years to heal from. By Tal Schneider Follow 8 October 2023, 3:58 pm …. Bolstered by this policy, Hamas grew stronger and stronger until Saturday, Israel’s “Pearl Harbor,” the bloodiest day in its history — when terrorists crossed the border, slaughtered hundreds of Israelis and kidnapped an unknown number under the cover of thousands of rockets fired at towns throughout the country’s south and center. …. One thing is clear: The concept of indirectly strengthening Hamas — while tolerating sporadic attacks and minor military operations every few years — went up in smoke Saturday. …. ‘Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold’. Matthew 24:12 Our fearfully corrupt world, hearts hardened by debauchery, love towards innocent children having grown cold owing to mass abortions and infanticide, is generally incapable of the sort of appropriate humane reaction that was on display for all to see in the person of Riyad Mansour, a Palestinian United Nations envoy: https://abc7news.com/post/palestinian-ambassador-riyad-mansour-breaks-down-tears-describing-deaths-children-gaza/16590201/ SAN FRANCISCO -- Riyad Mansour faced Israel's ambassador at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday and demanded he account for Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza. "Is it civilized to block aid and to starve a people?" Mansour asked Danny Danon. "If this is civilized, what is barbarism?" He spoke of the recent example of a six-year-old girl escaping the flames of a school-turned-shelter, where 36 people were killed including her mother and five siblings. And he decried the Israeli bombing of a doctor's house that killed nine of her 10 children. His voice quivering, he recalled "the images of mothers embracing their motionless bodies, caressing their hair, talking to them, apologizing to them." "Unbearable! How could anybody?" he asked, breaking into tears and putting his hand on his forehead. After a long pause he excused himself and said, his voice still shaking, "I have grandchildren. I know what they mean to their families. ... Flames and hunger are devouring Palestinian children. This is why we are so outraged." UN envoy breaks down in tears over death of children in Gaza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=758B51aU-z8 In the past, peacefully-minded Palestinians would generally, perhaps, have been too frightened to protest against the atrocities of Hamas. But now, with the people starving, and dying, en masse, they have become far more emboldened, with protests frequently erupting against the Hamas terrorists. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g71lk09npo Hundreds join Gaza's largest anti-Hamas protest since war began 27 March 2025 Rushdi Aboualouf Gaza correspondent Alex Boyd BBC News Hundreds of people took to the streets of Beit Lahia, with many chanting anti-Hamas slogans. Hundreds of people have taken part in the largest anti-Hamas protest in Gaza since the war with Israel began, taking to the streets to demand the group step down from power. Masked Hamas militants, some armed with guns and others carrying batons, intervened and forcibly dispersed the protesters, assaulting several of them. Videos shared widely on social media by activists typically critical of Hamas showed young men marching in the streets of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza on Tuesday, chanting "out, out, out, Hamas out". Hamas said it condemned those who it accused of pushing "suspicious political agendas" and shifting the blame from Israel. Pro-Hamas supporters downplayed the significance of the protests and accused the participants of being traitors. The protests in northern Gaza came a day after Islamic Jihad gunmen launched rockets at Israel, prompting an Israeli decision to evacuate large parts of Beit Lahia, which sparked public anger in the area. Israel has resumed its military campaign in Gaza following nearly two months of ceasefire, blaming Hamas for rejecting a new US proposal to extend the truce. Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of abandoning the original deal agreed in January. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and thousands displaced since Israeli military operations resumed with air strikes on 18 March. One of the protesters, Beit Lahia resident Mohammed Diab, had his home destroyed in the war and lost his brother in an Israeli airstrike a year ago. "We refuse to die for anyone, for any party's agenda or the interests of foreign states," he said. "Hamas must step down and listen to the voice of the grieving, the voice that rises from beneath the rubble - it is the most truthful voice." Footage from the town also showed protesters shouting "down with Hamas rule, down with the Muslim Brotherhood rule". Hamas has been the sole ruler in Gaza since 2007, after winning Palestinian elections a year prior and then violently ousting rivals. Open criticism of Hamas has grown in Gaza since war began, both on the streets and online …. Pope Leo XIV calls for ceasefire https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/05/28/pope-leo-calls-ceasefire-gaza/83902349007/ Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Gaza, laments 'cries' of parents of dead children Leo's social media post follows similar messages from his predecessor Pope Francis. National Security & World Affairs Reporter Cybele Mayes-Osterman • It was not the first time Leo has spoken out on international conflicts. In his first Sunday message, he urged "no more war." • Leo's May 18 inauguration kicked off speculation about whether he would promote social justice, as Francis had. • Pope Francis repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza, including in an Easter Sunday message a day before he died. Pope Leo called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages in a May 28 general audience, following in the steps of his predecessor Pope Francis, who was both praised and criticized for using his position to advocate for ending the war in Gaza. "In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers who hold tightly to the bodies of their dead children," Leo said in St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City. "To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting. Liberate all the hostages. Completely respect humanitarian law." …. Leo assumed the papacy earlier this month after he was chosen in a closely followed papal conclave following Francis' death on April 21. It was not the first time Leo has spoken out on international conflicts. In his first Sunday message, he urged "no more war," a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages as well as an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine. On May 21, he addressed the crisis in Gaza during a weekly Sunday audience, advocating "an end the hostilities," and asking Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the war-torn and impoverished enclave. ….