Why Israel? Good question!

You don't have to be a Bible scholar to know much about this Middle Eastern country the size of New Jersey. The country of Israel is in the news on a very regular basis.

What is Zionism, anti-semitic, and the End Times nation have to do with Christians in the world? Let's find out.

Today, we look at the history - His story - of how God has raised up a nation to be the instrument of God's revelation of Himself to the world. We delve into the history of this nation that has been a pivot point in international politics and faith for millennia.

Why has so many nations sought to eradicate the Jewish people from the Earth? Why, after not being a nation for so many centuries has Israel established itself in spite of the surrounding nations seeking its destruction.

One thing is for sure: "He is faithful Who promised." Hebrews 10:23. Israel is an incredible example of God's enduring faithfulness.

How do you fit in the wealth scale of the world? (Tom's million dollar bill is obviously not real.)

- $2,920 is the approximate median annual income across the globe.

- The average global income is $12,235.

- Monaco's average income is $186,000 per year.

JD Rockefeller was asked how much money is enough. His simple answer was, "Just a little more."

That seems to be the attitude of a vast majority of people. We see wealth as a goal to reach yet many have no clue just how wealthy they already are. And because of this ignorance, they continue to chase the gold while at the same time amassing more and more "stuff."

So, the biggest question is, "Is your wealth a blessing or a burden?"

Today we look at the Biblical foundation of what and why we are wealthy and also the snare of chasing wealth.

Is having more wealth really the answer to life's problems or is there something to this "contentment" idea?

Biblical fasting is not just a diet.

Need to lose a few pounds? Not eating for a while help with that.

But there's more to Biblical fasting than just not eating. And the benefits of this kind of fasting are more than just losing weight.

There's one declared fast in the Old Testament that the whole nation of Israel participated in: The Day of Atonement. It was a face to face dealing with sin.

And like the feasts we talked about last week, this day pointed forward to the sacrifice Jesus gave to set us free from sin.

We deal with the different types of fasts, from the 40 day fast of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah to the different partial fasts like that of Daniel.

It's important to remember that we're not just hanging around here on earth awaiting our final trip to heaven but we have been called to fight spiritual battles. It takes discipline and intention to walk in Christ's victory.

Fasting with a spiritual purpose is so much better than just trying to lose some weight.