I grew up reading Dr. Seuss books. Cat in the Hat, Hop on Pop, and Green Eggs and Ham were some of my favorites.

Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel is the number one children’s author of all time having written and illustrated 44 books.  But did you know he was rejected 27 times before being published?  So, what enabled him to become one of the most loved and respected authors in the world? His perseverance.

He never gave up on his dream. And the words and stories he left behind can teach us a few things about pursuing our wildest dreams despite the obstacles we face.  Here are some of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes that inspire us to persevere.

1.  “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” What do you do when life’s challenges bog you down? What do you do when see a roadblock? Don’t give up. Dig deep. Keep looking for creative solutions, whether they are left, right, low, or high. A new idea might take you down the right path…if only you try.

2. “Think and wonder, wonder and think.” We want to do it right the first time, but sometimes returning to the drawing board time and time again can give us a better idea. Always keep your mind open to a new approach. Reflect on the possibilities. Even though your schedule is jam packed, stop for a moment so you can think and wonder and wonder and think.

3. “When he worked, he really worked.” Some people give up before they ever really work toward their goal. In our culture today, many don’t appreciate the value of hard work. We were all created to work and work is good. Work is necessary for a productive life. Work is not only healthy for the body, but also healthy for the mind. When we work, we should do it with all our heart.

4. “Did he run? He did not. Horton stayed on that nest. He held his head high and he threw out his chest, and he looked at the hunters as much as to say, shoot if you must. But, I won’t run away. I meant what I said and I said what I meant, an elephant’s faithful one hundred percent.” When verbal bullets come your way and when others want to hurt you, stay the course. Stand strong for what you believe. Remember that God is ultimately in control.

For the original article, visit . Mark Merrill is the president of Family First.

There are two references in the book of Romans about making Jewish people envious of what we have received as believers and followers of Yeshua/Jesus.

The first explains that the rest of the world has been given the gospel in order to make Israel envious, because most of Israel and especially their leadership did not receive it: “Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather … salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious” (Rom. 11:11, NIV).

While G-d had every intention of reaching His other children—the other sheep in His family, as Jesus puts it in John 10:16—He never completely broke off His relationship and covenant with His firstborn child, Israel. The apostle Paul makes this clear to us in his statement about them falling beyond recovery. “Not at all,” he says concerning this. But salvation has been given to the nations, not only to bring G-d’s other children in His family to faith, but also to somehow provoke the firstborn child into the light.

In G-d’s eyes, the two go hand in hand, because He will never let go of wanting Israel to return to Him, just like He would never want to let go of us from accepting Him, despite the fact that all of us—both Jew and Gentile alike—have our own free will to accept G-d’s plan of salvation for our lives.

As I often state, our Father in heaven is a family man, and He is committed equally to all of the children in His family. Despite Israel’s current blindness to the gospel, “They are [still] loved on account of the patriarchs” (Rom. 11:28). The apostle Paul makes very clear to us that this veil over Israel is only temporary and will ultimately be lifted (see Rom. 11:25-26).

We should never take our eyes off His firstborn, as this redemption will actually take place, which I think was truly the heart of all the apostles and definitely the heart of Christ, who actually forgave them on the cross. Was it actually a paradox that the firstborn took the Lamb of G-d outside the city and sacrificed Him in a fulfillment of the Passover story itself, that all of us would be able to find G-d’s redemption? Didn’t G-d show us a picture of this through the offering of Isaac—what would actually be necessary in order for us to find that redemption?

The second Scripture about envy is an edict to Gentile believers from the apostle Paul about how to position their ministry of the gospel toward the Jewish people. While Paul was the ordained apostle to bring the gospel to the nations—his focus was more upon reaching the world—he still had his priorities straight in always trying to bring Jesus’ message of salvation to the Jew first:

“I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Rom. 11:13-15).

After all, who is ultimately going to reach the Jewish people with the gospel? Will G-d supernaturally touch Israel on His own, like most modern teachings about Israel’s redemption leads us to believe? I think not, for has not G-d always chosen man to be His vessel of communication, to pour His love through us to reach a lost and dying world? Are we not now His living temples with His Ruach Hakodesh, His Spirit of Holiness dwelling in us? (1 Cor. 3:16).

As Paul states,. “How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Rom. 10:14-15).

There can be no doubt that G-d has actually chosen His church to reach Israel and indeed to make them envious, as Scripture cannot be clearer. Then how come we seem so separate from this calling?

I actually answer that question in my first two articles for Charisma Magazine on Reconnecting Israel and the Church and G-d’s Mercy Plan. In them, you will discover exactly how G-d has laid out His plan of salvation for Israel, and you will better understand how and why, up to this point, we have been so disconnected to this most significant call for Gentile believers. You will also better understand the Father’s plan to use His church to reach Israel so His family can be united once and for all, which I believe will ultimately bring about the L-rd’s return. I would encourage you to read them both.

We are in a new day and have already entered the time of transition between Jew and Gentile to awaken Israel spiritually and unite the family of G-d (Rom. 11:25-26). Just look around you—the Jewish people are already back in the land in the fulfillment of numerous prophetic Scriptures, and the Messianic awakening has already begun with thousands of Jews, including myself, coming to know Messiah. And this is just the beginning.

This is why, at this time, we must ensure we are not ignorant to the mystery that exists between Israel and the church (see Rom. 11:25-26). We need to focus upon this subject a whole lot more than we are currently doing. I believe this issue is tantamount to both groups, who are intricately linked into the Father’s family plan to show His glory to the earth. I see Israel and our focus on their spiritual restoration as a golden key that unlocks unquenchable kingdom power (Rom. 11:15; Ezek. 37:9-11). I see the church’s hands upon that key to unlock it, as its salvific agent ordained by G-d in His final plans to release His mercy to awaken them (Rom. 11:30-32).

I address this subject in its entirety in my new book, The Ezekiel Generation, which launches this fall, as well as the many issues we will need to face and address in order for this reconnection to take place, including how to make Jewish people envious of what we have in Christ.

So, what did the apostle Paul mean by making Israel envious? And can the gospel, the way it is currently being presented, make them jealous?

What Did Paul Mean?

Believe it or not, we have already partly answered this question in this article. For are we not His living temples, indwelled by His Holy Spirit, because we have receive the new covenant that was given to Israel, mainly before them, because their leaders rejected it? As Jesus foretold, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first” (Matt. 20:16).

If we have accepted the gospel of Jesus into our hearts and have fully surrendered our lives to faith through His L-rdship, then as per His promise, both the Father and the Son have set up home within us and we have intimacy with G-d through the Holy Spirit (John 14:23). However, because most of Israel is still to receive the new covenant, they do not yet have personal intimacy and relationship with G-d in the way that He brings the new covenant to us through Messiah. Therefore, G-d has bestowed a mission upon us as new covenant believers—especially Gentiles who have accepted Christ into their lives—to attempt to win the Jews back to faith by demonstrating the intimate connection of their own personal relationship with the G-d of Israel.

In fact, this is how I was won over to the faith, because after a while the Christian girl who would not let go of my coattails clearly demonstrated the dynamic of her relationship with my G-d. And if I was totally honest with myself, I did not have this type of contact with G-d at that time, even though I was trying to get it, because salvation, along with the personal connection to G-d that it brings, can only come through Christ. She constantly told me that I could not have the Father without the Son and that they were intricately connected.

I truly believe with all my heart that it is this intimacy and personal relationship that the new covenant brings us through Christ, that if properly reflected will draw them to jealousy, which we will discuss in more detail in part 2 of this article coming soon …

Until then, I leave you with this Scripture from Isaiah:

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your G-d. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for and that she has received from the L-rd double for all her sins” (Is. 40:1-2).

Grant Berry is a Jewish believer in Yeshua/Jesus and author of The New Covenant Prophecy and The Ezekiel Generation. He has founded Reconnecting Ministries with the specific focus to help the church reconnect spiritually to Israel and considers it vital to the kingdom of G-d in the last days. His message focuses on the unity, love and healing that the Father wants to bring between Jew and Gentile yet clearly points out the differences and misunderstandings between the two groups. Now is the time to look more carefully into this mystery to make way for healing and reconnection in the Spirit. For more information, please visit .

Have you noticed that many prayer requests are for failing health in our churches? God wants his people to be healthy in every way – spiritually, mentally, and physically. The bible is filled with examples and healing scriptures.

Here are seven rules that are essential for restoring and maintaining good health.

1. Seek Jesus Out. In most instances of healing in the bible, the sick person went directly to Jesus for healing or someone else sought him on their behalf. Two blind men even followed Jesus into the house he was staying, crying out for him to heal them! A woman with an issue of blood fought through crowds just to touch the hem of his garment, confident that doing so would heal her.

If you need healing, how often are you seeking Jesus out through prayer? Are you acknowledging him as you go about your daily life? Don’t leave your healing to chance; stick to the one who can heal you like glue.

2. Exercise Your Faith. Jesus always healed in response to faith. In the story about the two blind men (Matthew 9:27-30), Jesus asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” When they responded that they believed, he said: “According to your faith let it be to you.” Then he touched their eyes and they were opened.

If you are having difficulty believing that Jesus can heal you, then pray “Lord, help my unbelief!” In addition, read stories of healing in the bible to strengthen your faith.

3. Eat with Wisdom. The bible warns us that whatever a man sows, that he reaps. It is unwise to expect good health and healing if you practice habits that destroy health, such as eating a regular junk/fast food diet. The food you eat becomes your flesh, blood, and bones. Daniel chapter 1 is a great example of this fact. In the story, Daniel purposed in his heart not to eat the king’s rich food but instead asked for vegetables and water only. Then, he requested his appearance be examined after 10 days.

When Daniel was re-examined, it was found that he looked better and healthier when compared with those who ate the rich food. While you don’t need to live exclusively off vegetables and water, a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein should be your goal to supply your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to generate energy and support health.

4. Exercise Diligently. Proverbs 21:25 says, “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.” Consider taking care of your health as just part of your job. Aim to be a good steward over the body God has given you by exercising regularly as you are able. Jesus and the disciples had no choice but to walk everywhere they wanted to go. Our ancestors didn’t have a choice either – if they didn’t hunt or harvest food, they did not eat. However, we do have a choice – we can be diligent with exercise or live in idleness. But with each choice you sow, a reaping will come; please choose wisely.

5. Speak Healing Scriptures. Are you speaking life or death to yourself? If you are consistently talking about how sick you are, all you do is discourage yourself and encourage “dis-ease.” Instead encourage yourself and speak as if you are already healed. Build up your faith with healing scriptures. Encourage others and strive to be pleasant in your dealings with them. Proverbs 16:23-24 advises:

“The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

6. Laugh Often. Wisdom from Proverbs states: “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” Do you know what the best thing to laugh at is? Your problems! After all, there is nothing too hard for God. So when you are faced with a problem, say “God I don’t know what you are going to do about this, but I can’t wait to see how you are going to get me out of this one!”

Buy a clean joke book or watch comedy programs and movies that you enjoy. Cultivate the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mistakes. Strive to fill your heart with laughter every day.

7. Walk in obedience. Ensuring that you are always walking in step with God’s will for your life is the best health insurance policy! Take the ultimate healing scripture to heart:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

May you practice each of these seven rules daily and reap an abundance harvest of health and healing! 

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Kimberly Taylor is the author of ‘The Weight Loss Scriptures’ and many other books. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify of God’s goodness and healing power. Visit and receive more free health and weight loss tips.

I want to go to a deeper issue that is necessary to examine. The next part of fantasy we need to look at is the emotional component. What are the emotional forces that drive men to fantasy? 

Emotional maturity and emotional intimacy are the forces in play that drive us into fantasy. If pressure reveals gaps in our emotional maturity, then the key to our maturity is our perspective on pressure.  

Do you see the connection? If you want to grow, you have to have a way of thinking about pressure because it’s not a matter of if pressure is coming on your life. It’s a matter of when it comes. You can’t escape pressure.

Jesus said that pressure is coming. John 16:33 states, “In this world you are going to have tribulation, but take comfort I have overcome the world.”

Adam sinned. Pressure entered the world—moral pressure, emotional pressure, relational pressure, vocational pressure and more. Now Satan is in the mix, trying to use pressure to accomplish his goals.

But guess what? God is in the mix too, using the pressure in your life to accomplish His goals, if you let Him. Now it’s not just about when the pressure is going to come; it’s about your response and attitude is toward that pressure when it arrives. That is critical.

If you are involved in athletics in any way, you get this whole idea of pressure. When top-performing athletes enter the playing field, they need to be used to the pressure. They run techniques, drills and plays under pressure at practice, so that when they get into the game, they can negotiate and navigate to be successful—under pressure.

The same thing is true in the spiritual life. There are two coaches: God and Satan. They have different perspectives on pressure. That’s what I want to talk with you about. 

There are two stakeholders in how you handle pressure. You have two people vested in your ability to handle pressure, trial, delay, difficulty, relational conflict and emotional chaos.

You need to know that God uses pressure to test us. If God uses pressure to test us, then Satan uses pressure to tempt us.

One, like a good coach, is putting you under pressure for positive reasons. But Satan wants to use pressure to tempt you to escape your reality and the feelings associated with being under pressure.

We see in David the perspective on pressure from the heart of the “man after God’s own heart.” In 2 Chronicles 29:17, it says, “I know my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (emphasis added). 

I want you to notice the word “test.” Just like a good coach, God our Father puts us into situations where we have to choose right or wrong. We have to choose between our feelings or our faith, between the material world or God’s world.

Today, He’s going to put you in situations where you have to choose. What’s right? What’s wrong? Choosing between feelings or faith? He’s going to do that because He wants to grow you and mature you—like any good father would.

Remember when the government tested the Emergency Broadcast System? They wanted to be sure that it worked.

I want you to know that this is a test of the spiritual maturity broadcast system. This is only a test. God is seeing what’s there. He wants to grow you up. He wants to bring a mirror up to your life. He wants to move you from boy to man. So you need to know that this is for your growth. When we know that the pressure is there for positive reasons in our life—it encourages us to persevere, to realize the gain and to get better. 

Satan, however, is using that same pressure to tempt, not to test. That’s what we see in Luke 4:1-11.

You see how Satan has not changed his game book? He runs the temptation plays over and over again. I bring us back to the garden because the garden is the symbol of pressure. Adam was in the garden, and under moral pressure he chose feelings. Jesus was in a garden. He was put under moral and spiritual pressure. He chose faith. Adam chose self. Jesus chose significance, spiritually.

Men will be put under pressure. The same dynamics exist in your life. We’re all experiencing those gardens of pressure.

This article is the second in a series titled Fantasy Island, Part 2, where Saddleback Church’s Kenny Luck takes a closer look at the emotional aspects of fantasy. In this series, Luck also will discuss God’s will for men like you who want to grow in maturity, truth and reality rather than in Satan’s plan to replace your reality with his fantasy, escapism and unreality. Click here to read Part 1.

Kenny Luck is the founder of Every Man Ministries and the men’s pastor at Saddleback Church. His 20th book, Sleeping Giant: No Movement of God Without Men of God, is the proven blueprint for men’s ministries and was recently released through B&H Publishing. Watch and read more of Kenny’s teaching at . Follow Every Man Ministries now on Facebook, Twitter (@everymm) and YouTube.

On Friday, Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, spoke at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., for the 12th annual Israel Solidarity Event. Dr. Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, and Rev. Malcom Hedding also delivered addresses.

The Israel Solidarity Event celebrates Israel’s independence, when it became a sovereign nation in 1948, and encourages people to stand in solidarity with Israel to support its right to exist. This is the 65th year of Israel’s independence.

Staver urged Christians and Jews to stand in solidarity to one another and for the nation of Israel.

“Israel and America share a common bond through our history, heritage and faith,” he said. “Christians and Jews must stand in solidarity to one another and together must stand in solidarity with Israel and its right to exist as a sovereign nation. Along with our shared common values, Israel and America also share common threats. We are comforted and assured by the Scriptures that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not intimidated by adversity.”

In 2011, Liberty Counsel launched the Liberty Ambassador Counsel (LAC) program, designed to strengthen ties between Israel and the United States. Among other things, the LAC provides tours to Israel with twin goals: to strengthen the Christian faith of attendees and to equip them to become goodwill ambassadors for Israel.

The LAC tours visit biblical and historical sites, but unlike other tours provides attendees the opportunity to visit and hear from leaders in government, the military, business, academia and the religious community.

“A trip to Israel is a life-changing experience. You will never be the same. Your faith will be strengthened, and you cannot help but be a lifelong goodwill ambassador for Israel,” Staver said.

When are you ready to date or have a girlfriend?  Dating requires a level of maturity and sacrifice that develops over time. Just because you are attracted to someone or like their attention is not a strong foundation on which to begin a relationship.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Date for the right reasons. Don’t do it to be cool or because other people are. Don’t be pressured into dating because of expectations, including from your parents. A lot of guys don’t date much or at all in high school, and that’s fine. Often, guys who begin dating at a later age have better experiences with girls and girlfriends and healthier relationships because they have developed more maturity and self-assurance than they had at a younger age.

2. Show extra-good manners around girls.  Show signs of courtesy as a young man. Holding the door for her and walking her to her car at night are thoughtful things to do.

3. Speak respectfully of all girls.  If you develop a reputation for treating any girl poorly or saying inappropriate things about even one girl, we can almost assure you that many girls will hear about it. And this may hurt your chances of many girls wanting to be your friend or date you. The reputation you have among girls is important.

4. Keep things in perspective. Before entering a relationship, take the time to write out or think about the characteristics you’d like your wife to have. Look beyond right now; consider yourself in 10 or 15 years. What do you see your life looking like then? What will be your priorities then? This will really help you when pursuing relationships. It’s good to have friend relationships with girls outside of a dating relationship. That’s more time for you to learn about girls and what your preferences are without being in relationship.

5. Take the initiative and lead in the relationship. God charges men to take the initiative, and girls usually like that. Call them to talk or ask them out (Ask them out well in advance of the date night).  Suggest the plans for what you will do on the date.  Of course, make plans according to what you think she will like and be willing to change your plans, but take the responsibility to come up with the ideas.

6. Take the lead. Establishing boundaries, determining intensity and pace of your relationship and talking about your relationship are your responsibilities. That’s your role, and don’t neglect to do it, even if the girl is being more assertive and aggressive in pushing the relationship.

7. Plan creative dates. Girls like it when they know you spent time thinking about them, and a creative date shows a lot of care.  Girls especially like it when there are good opportunities for casual conversations on a date.

8. Go slowly with your relationship. Good relationships are marathons, not sprints, and many relationships start out too quickly and intensely to last. You can’t run a marathon at full speed. In the early stages of the relationship, resist the urge to talk every single day, to see each other at every opportunity, and to kiss and say “I love you” too soon.  Your relationships will be much more likely to thrive and survive.

9. Remember your other friends. When you’re in a relationship, it is easy to get tied up with the other person. All other relationships begin to lessen, and the one with your girlfriend becomes your priority.  However, if you and your girlfriend break up, who will be there to support you? Besides, it’s good to hang out with your friends and grow in relation with them too. After you’ve planned a date with your girlfriend, be sure to make time for your friends. Or go out as a group frequently.

10. Respect her future.  Remember that you are with someone’s future wife. You do not want to do anything that would damage her future relationships. You would not want a guy doing something inappropriate with your sister. Keep that in mind as you are dating and make sure the relationship does not turn sexual. You and she don’t want that baggage.

Used with permission from the book, Flight Plan by Braxton Brady and Lee Burns.

All Pro Dad is Family First’s innovative and unique program for every father. Their aim is to interlock the hearts of the fathers with their children and, as a by-product, the hearts of the children with their dads. At , dads in any stage of fatherhood can find helpful resources to aid in their parenting. Resources include: daily emails, blogs, Top 10 Lists, articles, printable tools, videos and eBooks. From fathers can join the highly engaged All Pro Dad social media communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

A few years ago, I was asked to produce a short-film for the Negev Tourism Office. Specifically, they wanted me to help them make a video advertisement promoting all the sites and attractions in the Israeli desert.

Why did they come to me? Because I’m a Messianic Jew, and they wanted the video to target Christian tourists around the world. They needed someone who spoke “Christianese,” who would know how to market what they were selling to a specific audience.

I remember arriving at the bus station in Beersheva to meet the crew I’d be working with on the film. Someone from the tourism office was there to pick me up, and I was a bit surprised to see they sent an orthodox woman. I could tell by the way she was dressed that she was religious.

She couldn’t have been more welcoming, and she was so excited to take me around to all of the historical sites that would be featured in the video.

After a couple hours in the car together, visiting everything from Abraham’s well to various war memorials, we had become chatty and seemed to be enjoying one another’s company.

I got up the courage to ask her how she felt about this project we were working on, and specifically how she felt about working with a Jew who believed in Yeshua.

Her answer rings in my ear to this day.

“Chaim,” she said, “some Israelis hate the religious. Some hate the secular. But everyone hates you.”

The Most Hated People on Earth

My friend and colleague Ron Cantor has a book called Messianic Jews: The Most Hated People on Earth. The title has always amused me. But here I was, experiencing just that.

This woman was being very honest with me, telling me how people really feel.

Just this week, former Israel Defense Forces Chief Gabi Ashkenazi gave a rare interview, where he was asked what the greatest threat to Israel is. His response: “Internal divisions over Judaism.”

I guarantee you, he wasn’t thinking of Messianic Jews. He was thinking of the ultra-orthodox versus the more “secular,” or mainstream, Israeli Jews.

But as polarized as those two sides are, there is nothing that unites them quicker than their mutual disdain for Jews who believe in Jesus. To both groups, Messianic Jews are considered missionaries (a very dirty word in Israel), trying to destroy Judaism and force Jews to abandon their faith and become Christians. We are the new Hitler, but instead of sending them to gas chambers, we’re trying to steal their souls.

You think I’m exaggerating?

The chief rabbi of the city of Ashdod staged a rally outside a Messianic Jewish congregation in 2010 and said those exact words. “Hitlers!” he called us. I should know—I was there, and I was nearly attacked by the angry crowd. Were it not for the police officer who escorted me away, the footage I shot of the inflammatory rally would never have been shown on Israeli national television.

“Leave Us Alone!”

Modern-day Israel sprang to life after the darkest period in our people’s history. The Holocaust was a human catastrophe unparalleled in its horror. The Jewish people had been driven from their homes by the Nazis. And now, at the end of it all, they finally had a home of their own—their biblical, historical homeland, no less. They were safe in Israel. They could finally rebuild the Jewish nation after two millennia in exile.

Most Jews just want to be left alone. They’ve been fighting Arabs, literally, since the day of Israel’s declared independence. Wars and intifadas and terrorism never cease. The last thing Israeli Jews want to deal with are fellow Israeli Jews trying to convince them that Yeshua (the perceived “Christian God”) is actually their Jewish Messiah.

They just want to be left alone, in peace.

Thus, the conflict for Messianic Jews. We are compelled, and in fact commanded, to share our faith in love. And yet we know our friends and family here in Israel are so loathe to hear such “Good News.”

Pray for Us

Moving to Israel has been the greatest challenge of my life. It means being thousands of miles away from my loved ones; trying to adjust to a new culture and learn a new language; trying to navigate new government bureaucracies, from the driver’s license office to the tax authority; trying to make new friends and fit in with a new community; trying to find a good job with my limited Hebrew; trying to survive the summer heat of the Middle East; and trying not to give in to fear when war and terrorism rage around you.

The list of challenges are endless.

But the greatest challenge by far has been realizing what an alien I am among my own people—realizing how much ignorance there is about the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments; realizing how much hostility there is to the very mention of the name Yeshua; realizing how ostracized I am, even in the midst of the most ostracized group on earth … the Jews.

When looking at it through the eyes of men, we, the Messianic Jews, are in fact the most hated people on earth. The anti-Semites hate us for being Jewish. The Jews hate us for preaching an unfamiliar form of Judaism.

But when looking at it through the eyes of God, we are actually quite the opposite. We are, in fact, the most loved and blessed people on earth. We are twice chosen—chosen to be a part of the special tribe known as the Jews, whom God set apart for a special relationship, and chosen again to have our eyes opened to the truth of God’s salvation in the form of Yeshua.

While so many stumble around in blindness and darkness and angst, we have our fulfillment, we have our forgiveness and we have our Yeshua!

So don’t feel sorry for us, we Israeli Messianic Jews. But please, do join us in prayer.

We need you stand with us as we persevere to share the gospel with the miraculously reborn nation of Israel. That is God’s heart. That is our collective privilege. And so we carry on …

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Chaim Goldberg is the director of media for Maoz Israel and writes a weekly column for Charisma Media’s Standing With Israel website.

How will you be remembered? Most likely you will not be remembered by many people, and not for long by most of those who do. For example,

• Several times recently I have asked someone, “Does the name Tom Skinner ring a bell?” I’ve been a little startled when they said, “No.” How could the memory of the greatest black evangelist of the 20th century so quickly pass into obscurity?
• Recently I was thinking about several of the great men who built our community—men responsible for our highways, parks, and local universities. Their contributions have long since been forgotten, as well as their names.
• A famous Bible teacher died a few years ago. I cannot, for the life of me, remember his name.
• I cannot remember the first name of my great grandfather. Can you?

And so it goes.

Given the brevity of personal notoriety, what can we invest in that will leave a lasting legacy? And what should be our realistic expectations?

A Realistic Legacy

Jim is 20 years older than me, yet we have always co-labored in ministry together. My wife and I were honored to be invited, along with about 40 other guests, to his 50^th wedding anniversary.

Also in attendance were his happy wife, his children who flew in for the occasion, and his pastor who thought enough of him to comment on his life. In his case, no one from his work attended. And he was very happy.

Wouldn’t it be enough to discover that a happy wife, children who still want to be around you, a pastor who would be willing to say something nice about you, and about forty friends were willing to assemble and celebrate your life?

What more can a man really want? It’s a realistic and lasting legacy.

How can you and I achieve such a legacy? Here are a few ideas to consider …

1. Decide What Is Important and Write It Down. Make a list of what you think is most important, frame it, and hang it where you will see it regularly.

More than 25 years ago, I did just that. I made a list of my ten most important philosophies, values, and beliefs. They hang on a wall in my office in plain view….

What’s Important?

• To love God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
• To keep family life as our highest priority after God.
• To invest in people and relationships.
• To think and act with integrity.
• To pursue excellence in every undertaking.
• To express gratitude whenever possible.
• To lead a disciplined, prudent life.
• To acquire wisdom in humility and the fear of the Lord.
• To trust God completely and not worry about life’s many cares.
• To live by setting and working toward realistic goals.

These are the standards by which I have measured my life. These are the particular ways I have articulated my understanding of the Bible.

Since a legacy is what you leave behind, for me a lasting legacy is everyone in my family loving and serving Christ. That’s first and foremost. Second, a lasting legacy is to have invited as many as possible to join us in eternal life.

A distant third might be to have someone stand at my funeral and proclaim, “He did what he said was important. He loved the Lord and his family. He invested his life into people and relationships. His life displayed the integrity, excellence, and gratitude which he prized. He led a disciplined life, pursuing wisdom and humility in faith. And he was a hard worker. And also, he was content, at peace, and joyful.”

What’s on your list? What are the ingredients of your lasting legacy? Try it. Make a list. You can frame and hang it, or you can put it on a piece of paper that you leave in your Bible. The more you look at it, the more impact it will have on your thinking.

2. Make Memories. Frankly, I do not remember many of the routines of my childhood. Do you? Instead, I remember the special occasions and memorable experiences. I remember crabbing off a bridge with a chicken neck on a string, being the king of my sixth grade class, surf fishing with my family at the beach, and shooting a rabbit that didn’t die right away.

Spend time with your children. Love is spelled T – I – M – E. I dated my children. Every Tuesday night I took one of them out for dinner and an activity. My son liked go carts. My daughter liked the mall. They both loved being with their dad.

My adult son told me, “Dad, I want to have a job like you did because I can never remember you missing a single one of my games, and I want to do that for my kids too.” Kids remember the funniest things, but they all remember that time = love.

Vacations are show-stoppers in the memory bank. That’s because they break with routine. They’re special memories. The brain secretes chemicals that burn special experiences into our brains—bad as well as good. Be sure to make vacations different and special.

Another growing up memory of mine was of wanting to know God. As an altar boy, I used to pour over the prayers hoping that I would experience the presence of God. One childhood memory I definitely do not have is that of receiving Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. How different might life have been if I had responded to the gospel at an early age? Make sure to make the gospel known to your children from their youngest age. That’s the one memory that will most alter their lives.

3. Practice Spiritual Disciplines

A legacy doesn’t just happen; it takes diligence, forethought, planning, and execution.

One of the oldest traditions of Christian faith is the practice of spiritual disciplines. The spiritual disciplines are how we keep our lives focused on the ingredients of a lasting legacy.

Spiritual disciplines do nothing to improve your record with God—that’s what Christ did on the Cross. But they do deepen and enrich our spiritual lives. There are many lists of the disciplines, each somewhat different. My top 12 includes creation, the Bible, prayer, worship, the Sabbath, fellowship, counsel, fasting, spiritual warfare, stewardship, service, and evangelism. Almost any Christian virtue or duty can be turned into a discipline.

Spiritual disciplines will help get you where you want to go—to a lasting legacy. Here are four disciplines that are on my “must do” list.

1. Be part of a disciple-making church. The mission is, “Go and make disciples.” If you are not in a church that’s focused on the mission you’re in the wrong place.

2. Read the Bible for yourself. The Bible is God speaking to us. You will not grow deeply until you set aside quiet times when, without interruptions and distractions, you can tune your ears to hear the speech of God.

3. Participate in a men’s small group. Couples groups are good, but there is an unparalleled bond that develops in a men’s small group. In our experience, most meaningful change takes place in the context of small group relationships.

4. Pray for your wife, and, if possible, with her. Easily the number one issue facing men is that marriages are not working correctly. One of the most powerful solutions is to pray for and with your wife.

Why not give these ideas a try? A list of what’s really important to you reviewed regularly, a plan to make memories with your children, and a commitment to practice spiritual disciplines.

These may not be all of the ingredients of a lasting legacy, but they seem more than adequate to assemble a wife, your children, your pastor, and 40 friends.

Patrick Morley is founder and CEO of Man in the Mirror. After building one of Florida’s 100 largest privately held companies, in 1991, he founded Man in the Mirror, a non-profit organization to help men find meaning and purpose in life. Dr. Morley is the bestselling author of The Man in the Mirror, No Man Left Behind, Dad in the Mirror, and A Man’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines.

Robert Guerrero has taken thousands of punches—literally—during his professional boxing career from some of the world’s best fighters. As a fervent believer in Jesus Christ, he’s also endured some pretty fierce life-jabs from the enemy, including his wife’s struggle with cancer and a near career-ending injury in 2011.

In both arenas, the fighter nicknamed “The Ghost” has been knocked down more times than he’d like to remember, only to get up before being counted out. All of that—and his faith—he says, has only strengthened and prepared him for the biggest night of his professional life.

Saturday night, he’s set to take on undefeated Floyd Mayweather—one of the best the sport has ever seen—for the World Boxing Council (WBC) and Ring Magazine Welterweight championships of the world. Not surprisingly, Guerrero is a big underdog for the bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, to be televised by Showtime pay-per-view.

“The fact that I’m even in this position is only by God’s grace and His divine intervention,” says Guerrero, a former six-time world champion with a record of 31-1-1. “With everything we’ve been through, I really do believe that God not only has placed me in this position to be thankful and enjoy my life, but also to step into that ring and be a shining light for Him.

“With all He’s done for me and my family, for me to ignore the privilege of spreading the gospel would be selfish and irresponsible. Win or lose this fight, all the glory belongs to Him.”

Selflessness has become one of Guerrero’s defining characteristics. A few months after winning the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super Featherweight crown, he relinquished his title to stay home and care for his wife, Casey, who was diagnosed with leukemia.

Giving up a championship he had worked so hard to earn wasn’t something his wife asked him to do. With two small children under the age of 5, however, Guerrero knew it was the right thing to do.

“It wasn’t a question of if he was going to do it. Robert never hesitated because that’s the type of man that he is,” Casey Guerrero says. “He didn’t give putting his career on hold a second thought when it came to being by my side and taking care of our family. He didn’t know how long it was going to take or what he was going to do in the meantime to provide for us. All he knew is that he was going to trust God and know that He was going to work things out.”

Of course, Robert Guerrero is only human, and questions of why God would allow him to work so hard simply to give it up entered his head and his heart.

“Simply not knowing what was going to happen and how you were going to make a living, that takes a big toll on you,” he says. “If there’s one thing with boxing, it’s that when you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind. To not be able to be in the ring and to show off the talents that God gave me, it was difficult to go through that.

“I was very happy to step up and take care of our kids, and it was difficult to have to explain to them where their mother was and how she was fighting for her life. Casey’s the real trooper for what she had to go through, and I praise God for her healing every day.”

After extensive treatments, including bone-marrow transplants, Casey Guerrero’s condition began to improve and, in a matter of months, with her leukemia in remission, Robert Guerrero was back in the ring. In his first fight following his return, Guerrero scored a TKO over Roberto Arrieta.

In July 2011, Guerrero became the first of three fighters in history to win both a Featherweight and Welterweight world title when he moved up two weight classes and beat former undefeated Turkish fighter Selcuk Aydin. The other two fighters to accomplish the feat are Henry Armstrong and Manny Pacquiao. Guerrero also became only the second Mexican-American fighter—next to Hall of Famer Oscar de la Hoya—to win championships in four divisions.

It was at that time that Guerrero was offered a substantial amount of money by Golden Boy Promotions to have his likeness appear in advertisements for Corona beer. Because of his Christian convictions, Guerrero quickly declined the offer.

“Robert’s the real deal when it comes to his relationship with Jesus Christ,” says Bob Santos, Guerrero’s manager. “That was a tremendous promotion he turned down, and I knew what the answer was going to be right away when I called him about it. His character really amazes me.

“It took a tremendous amount of courage for him to step away from his career when he decided to take care of Casey. He basically said he would do what he would have to do support his family. He knew it was the right thing to do.”

Surprisingly, less than a month after winning the Welterweight crown, it appeared as if Guerrero’s career would come to a screeching halt. He suffered a shoulder injury while sparring for a fight with Marcos Maidana. He underwent arthroscopic surgery, and his future remained uncertain for more than a year.

“At that point I was thinking, ‘Maybe God has a different calling for me,’” says Guerrero, who got saved in 2005 at the age of 21. “He’s the master planner, not me. Things happen for a reason, and the injury was just one of those things. I believe it was a test to see if I would stay faithful, and I think I have. That’s why I now have this title shot.”

The Guerreros have a plaque hanging in the bedroom hallway of their home with Philippians 4:13 embossed on it: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Another favorite scripture of Guerrero’s is Acts 2:38, which says, “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

“I let the Holy Spirit guide me every day,” Guerrero says. “I know I need to repent every day and be thankful for what God has given me.” 

Guerrero says he admires fellow boxer Andre Ward, the World Boxing Association/WBC Middleweight champion of the world and another warrior for Christ in the ring. “Andre’s doing it the right way,” Guerrero says. “I hope that I am too.”

Eventually, Guerrero’s shoulder healed up. It was then that he turned his attention to Mayweather, whom Guerrero has been hoping to fight for quite some time. It took a few months for the promoters to sign the contracts, which was yet another test of Guerrero’s faith and patience.

And during his training period for the Mayweather fight, the enemy put another obstacle in his path. On a promotional trip to New York, he was arrested at JFK Airport for possession of an illegal handgun, which he never tried to conceal. He has a license to carry the weapon in his home state of California but not in New York, one of the toughest states on gun laws.

Guerrero’s public relations representative, Mario Serrano, says Guerrero underwent the proper procedure when he checked into the airport. Because Guerrero has a California license and the gun is registered in his name, Serrano says he expects the charges to be dropped in the weeks following the fight.  

Guerrero calls Mayweather (43-0), also known as “Money,” the “ultimate challenge.”

“He is the best fighter in boxing right now, hands down,” Guerrero says. “I am like those throwback fighters; I want to fight the best. As a champion, you catch the eyes and hearts of others and plant seeds. I hope that I will continue to do that no matter what the outcome of this fight will be.”

Last Independence Day, Israel Hayom photographer Ziv Koren and I toured Israel’s borders. We went to the Egyptian and Gaza Strip borders, as well as the Syrian and Lebanese borders, the crossings to Jordan and the West Bank separation fence in northern Samaria.

We saw the incredible investment Israel made, both in money (billions) and equipment (technology), to stop infiltration and reduce threats.

So when we got a phone call from farmers in Lachish about the numerous break-ins in their area, we were incredulous. But the stories were so troubling—and the statistics so dramatic—that we decided to drive there on Wednesday and see things for ourselves. To speak in cliches, what we saw was not a fence but a hole—a black hole.

Our talks with security forces revealed that everyone is aware of the problem, and every week the item appears on their desks at the Judea (Hebron) Brigade, which is in charge of the territory; at the Judea and Samaria Division; at Central Command and their counterparts in the Israel Police; at Border Police; and at Shin Bet.

Everyone knows just how big the hole is, the extent of the damage that has already been done and how troubling its future potential is. Just to clarify things, since the beginning of 2013, more than 20 terror cells in the West Bank were busted and their members arrested for planning to abduct Israelis. Had one of them decided on Wednesday to use one of the surrounding Palestinian villages as a launching point, nothing would have stood in their way of kidnapping a soldier at the Lachish training base or a civilian at any one of the nearby communities.

Despite the clear and present danger, nothing is happening to remedy the situation. Members of the security establishment talk about tactical operations, but the herders and farmers in the area can’t remember the last time they saw an Israel Defense Foces ambush in place, or even a patrol. They now take it upon themselves to defend the fence and secure all the cattle and every tractor.

Sound ridiculous? This is the day-to-day reality at the Lachish strip.

Even repair work on the breached fence hasn’t been carried out, making the barrier that was meant to stop terrorist attacks and thievery one big, inviting hole. One feels compelled to say that one day everyone will wake up when it’s too late, after a terrorist attack or abduction is carried out, yet still, we should hope that someone— the defense minister, public security minister, chief of general staff or police commissioner—will decide this very morning to act and do what’s necessary.

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