2 Corinthians 5:9-16 The Judgment Seat of Christ (Day 3) (davidhocking.org)

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Reasons to Forgive by Greg Laurie (harvest.org)

Reasons to Forgive

By Greg Laurie

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

—Ephesians 4:31-32

Without even knowing you, I know this about you: You have been hurt in life. You have had people say unkind things to you. You have had people do mean things to you. There have been incidents in your life where you've been treated unfairly.
Some want to rationalize that there is no need to forgive those who have wronged them because they don't deserve forgiveness. But they have to ask themselves whether they deserve forgiveness themselves. As C. S. Lewis pointed out, "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive."
Here is what the Bible has to say about forgiving those who have wronged us: "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:30–32).
God's command to forgive should be enough. But let me offer another reason why we should learn to be forgiving: it might actually extend our lives. Recent studies have suggested that those who do not forgive are more likely to experience high blood pressure, bouts of depression, and problems with anger, stress, and anxiety. Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, a researcher at Hope College, said "If you are willing to exert the effort it takes to be forgiving, there are benefits both emotionally and physically."
People who have been studying the medical benefits of forgiveness have come to the same conclusion that the Bible came to long ago: it is a good thing to forgive others.

The Judgment Seat of Christ (Day 2) 2 Corinthians 5:9-16

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TRUMP WILL USHER IN A NEW AGE IN US-ISRAEL RELATIONS

Clinton-era CIA chief condemns Obama's behavior towards Israel, and believes that Trump will repair the relationship!

Former CIA chief and Undersecretary of the Navy (James Woolsey) on Sunday blasted the Obama Administration's handling of the US-Israel relationship and its conciliatory stance vis-à-vis the Iranian regime.

A registered Democrat, Woolsey was critical of what he described as the Bush Administration's intelligence "failure" prior to the Iraq war.

In September, 2016, Woolsey crossed party lines to become Donald Trump's senior national security adviser.

Woolsey broke with the Obama Administration over budget cuts to the military, the controversial 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and the icy relations between the White House and Israel.

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Woolsey said the incoming Trump Administration was likely to alter or reject the Iran nuclear deal, signed by the Obama White House but never ratified by the US Senate.

When asked what would be the most consequential policy change President Trump would likely make, Woolsey replied: "I think definitely the agreement with Iran on nuclear weapons and nuclear technology."

"It's a terrible agreement," Trump's adviser continued, "it's the worst I've ever come across in nearly 40 years of negotiating agreements with the Soviets and so forth. I think that anybody who brought that agreement back as something that was effective and verifiable would be laughed out of Washington. And the people who brought this one back should have been."

Woolsey went on to call hopes that the nuclear agreement would constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions as "fanciful".

"They can call anything, on the spur of the moment, to be a military facility and therefore can't be inspected. If I'm an inspector and I start out to go inspect something, before I get there they turn it into a military facility. They never disseminated all of the paperwork that had to be - in copies of the agreement - that had to be disseminated. So the steps that are obligatory to us - paying the funds that have been withheld from banks and so forth - should never have been paid and should be stopped now. It is really a very, very bad and dangerous agreement because it lulls us into a false sense of security and it is not going to be an effective restraint on the Iranians."

The former CIA Director added that any arrangement with the Iranian regime would have to take into account that government's history of evading treaty obligations.

"The Iranians never don't cheat.  Negotiations for them are not about a deal where there's a quid pro quo and each side goes away more or less satisfied. That's totally alien to them. From their point of view, it's about dominance. It's about showing dominance. And this agreement they are very pleased with because they believe it shows their dominance."

During the interview, Woolsey praised Vice President-elect's 2014 comments on Israel, calling the US-Israel relationship the "most cherished" one with a foreign power.

"I think that that's a good statement. I would put Britain and Israel together in that."

He added that the Trump White House would strengthen the US-Israel relationship, repairing damage done during the Obama Administration.

 

"I think that we're headed back towards the old days that some of us lived through and worked on matters in the Middle East where the US and Israel worked very closely together and had each other's back. I think that's coming back again. It's excellent and we will hopefully get away from the Obama Administration propensity to treat your friends - like Israel - as enemies and your enemies - like Iran - as friends."

JARED KUSHNER COULD HELP MAKE PEACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND ARABS!
By Gary Willig (Arutz Sheva News)

President-elect Donald Trump said that he would "love" to make peace between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, and that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, could be involved in the process, during a meeting with the New York Times last week.

Reporters from the Times tweeted many of the things which Trump said throughout the meeting, including his statements on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Journalist Mike Grynbaum tweeted that Trump said: "I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians, that would be such a great achievement."

Trump made similar statements in an interview with the Wall Street Journal earlier this month.

"That's the ultimate deal," Trump told the Wall Street Journal. "As a deal maker, I'd like to do...the deal that can't be made. And do it for humanity's sake."

Jason Greenblatt, Trump's adviser on Israel, said during the campaign that Trump would not be wedded to the idea of the two state solution.  He also told the Times of Israel: "I think he's going to try to help the Israelis achieve peace with the Palestinians. He'll be there to guide them and not force peace upon them."

Trump briefly spoke about who would help him negotiate peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors: his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Times reporter Elizabeth Bumiller tweeted from the meeting with Trump: "Trump: Jared Kushner could help make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians."

Kushner is an orthodox Jew. He is believed to have helped his father-in-law prepare his pro-Israel speech at the AIPAC policy conference earlier this year. He is listed by AIPAC as a benefactor for its real-estate committee. A donor must give AIPAC a donation of at least $36,000 in order to be listed as a benefactor.

EDITOR'S NOTE

: The Bible speaks of a false peace imposed upon Israel by a coming world leader (Daniel 9:27). We are, of course, concerned about peace for the people of Israel as well as the Palestinians who are often used as "pawns" in the global goals of some Muslim nations and leaders.

The real peace that needs to be brought to Israel will come from the "Prince of Peace" our blessed Messiah - a peace that will endure forever!

May God give us all wisdom!