The United States confirmed on Friday that it believes an American citizen carried out a suicide bombing within Syria, AFP reported.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki did not provide any details about the suspect, who had been identified in a New York Times report as a man in his 20s from Florida and of Middle Eastern descent.

"I can confirm that this individual was a U.S. citizen," Psaki said, adding that he was "involved in a suicide bombing inside Syria."
According to a video released by supporters of the rebel Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, the American, has been identified as Abu Hurayraal al Amriki.

FOUR DEAD IN SHOOTING AT JEWISH MUSEUM IN BRUSSELS – ISRAELI COUPLE AMONG THOSE KILLED: Four people died in a shooting incident Saturday at the Jewish Museum in central Brussels. Two of the four fatalities were an Israeli couple in their 50's from Tel Aviv, the Foreign Ministry confirmed Sunday. Police have no suspects in custody. The gunman arrived at the museum at around 15:50 carrying a backpack, entered the building then opened fire before fleeing in a car. The shooter aimed for the victims’ throats and heads, according to witnesses. Belgian authorities believe the attack was motivated by antisemitism. Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said the four victims had been caught up in a terrorist act. "It's clearly extremely serious," he was quoted as saying, "and on the Jewish Museum too, which isn't a coincidence. The museum is located in a bustling area of the Belgian capital. About half of Belgium's 42,000-strong Jewish community lives in Brussels. Security around all Jewish institutions in the country has been raised to the highest level, and PM Elio Di Rupo was meeting with police and senior officials to discuss the situation. (Jerusalem Post/Ynet)

Pray for the comforting of families who lost loved ones in this brutal attack. Pray also for the protection of Brussels’ Jewish community against further antisemitic violence - and for the terrorist murderers still at large to be apprehended and brought to justice.

Posters in support of the RCC upcoming visit..

Following, posters not in support of the visit:



Oh, Right, Sorry, I forgot, there are none. Two residents of Jerusalem were arrested in connection to banners posted in the city decrying Pope Francis’s upcoming arrival in Israel on Sunday, reported Israel Radio on Friday.

The posters called on Pope Francis to leave Israel and to return holy relics looted by the Romans from Beit Hamikdash (Second Temple). The suspects were found with dozens of such posters still in their possession.

Brings to mind the two witnesses who will stand in the streets of Jerusalem during the Tribulation - they too will be silenced for speaking truth.

MUSLIMS STONE, ATTACK CHRISTIANS AT CHURCH NEAR BETHLEHEM: Christian Arab residents of the village of El-Khader in the Bethlehem area were savagely attacked by local Muslims as they celebrated a Christian holiday last week. Christians attempting to participate in services at Saint George’s Monastery in the village were intimidated and attacked with rocks and stones. Author Lela Gilbert, author of Saturday People, Sunday People, reported the incident: “Some local Muslims tried to enter the church during a service honoring St. George - the initial instigation isn’t clear,” she wrote. “But when the intruders were asked to leave, one of them stabbed a Christian man who was outside the church serving as a guard. He was hospitalized. Several then started throwing stones at the church. Seven or eight Christians were injured and property damage was done - broken windows etc. The police didn’t show up for an hour.” Police did not comment, but according to Christian media analyst, Dexter Van Zile, “whatever police presence there was, it was insufficient to prevent an outbreak of violence, which resulted in several injuries including one broken nose. No matter how you look at it, the episode represents a failure on the part of the Palestinian Authority.” Van Zile added. (Camera/Israel National News)

Islamist persecution of Christians across the Middle East is soaring. Pray this issue will become a matter of national importance and publicity in the US and European countries, and that aid will be cut to government’s supporting or overlooking violence against Christians in their midst. Intercede that the Gospel will permeate the Middle East - even through those who are being persecuted

PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE YOUNG LADIES AND THEIR FAMILIES

Israel on Sunday offered assistance to Nigeria in locating 276 high school girls still held after being abducted four weeks ago by the Boko Haram terrorist network. The offer came as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke from Japan Sunday to Nigerian Goodluck Jonathan.

"Israel expresses it deep shock at the crime committed against the girls," he said. "We are willing to help assist in locating the girls and fighting the terror that is afflicting you." For weeks Jonathan has refused international assistance to help locate and free the girls, and only agreed to accept help from the United States, France, Britain and China last week.The statement did not elaborate on how Israel might enlist in the search. A spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry said he knew of no cooperation efforts under way.

Nigeria is one of Israel's closest friends in Africa. Israel provided Nigerian authorities with medical supplies  following a Boko Haram attack against three churches on Christmas Day in 2011 that killed dozens

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUNNI AND SHITE MUSLIMS:

The religion of Islam was established by Mohammed in the seventh century A.D. In 622 he set up the first Islamic state, a theocracy in Medina, Saudi Arabia. There are two branches of the religion he started. The Sunni branch believes the first four caliphs -Mohammed's successors - rightfully took his place as the leaders of Islam. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate rulers. These heirs held power continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire following the end of the First World War. Shiites, in contrast, believe only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Mohammed. In 931 the Twelfth Imam disappeared. This was an impacting event in the history of Shiite Muslims who are concentrated in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, and who believe they suffered the loss of divinely guided political leadership at the time of the Imam's disappearance. Not until the ascendancy of Iran’s, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1978 did they believe they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure. Another distinction between Sunnis and Shiites has to do with the Mahdi, “the rightly-guided one” whose role is to bring a just global caliphate into being. The major difference is that for Shiites he has already been here, and will return from hiding. For Sunnis he has yet to emerge into history. Al-Qaeda, until May 2011 ruled by Osama bin Laden is a Sunni Muslim terrorist organization. The Lebanon-based terrorist group, Hezbollah, is Shiite-backed group. Iran’s Hassan Rouhani is Shiite. The two factions are bitterly opposed to each other, but both are avowed enemies to Israel and the West.

So... the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

 US Sen. Rand Paul said he will introduce legislation that would cut US funding to the Palestinian Authority unless its government recognized Israel as a Jewish state. Paul (R-Ky.), a likely contender for the Republican presidential nod in 2016, said the law was needed because of the interim governance agreement last week between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. He said he would introduce the legislation this week. “In the absence of such a clear, unambiguous statement on the part of the newly unified Palestinian government, the United States should act to enforce the law and cut off aid to the Palestinian government until they recognize Israel’s right to exist,” Paul said. Referring to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is termed a terrorist group by the US, Israel and the European Union, Paul said, “Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with an entity that does not believe it should exist and that has used terrorist tactics to seek its end.” (Ynet)