Inside Israel

Once again, it’s time to hear from our sister in Jerusalem about what she is witnessing there as a believer in Yeshua. Put your prayer shawls on and pray for Israel and Sister J. Now here she is —

Greetings to you in The wonderful Name of Yeshua h’meshiach, Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.  May HE be blessed and glorified and may you be blessed and edified.

His mercy is so far greater than my understanding of it.  Oh He dunks me under every time!  So often I think, “Just hang on, lightening is about to strike that one,” and instead I see His mercy again extended.  What a God we serve!  His ways are far above mine and I am SO THANKFUL

So as I had lauded the prevailing prayers of the Brits in reclaiming territory from the enemy, I also MUST acknowledge with like admiration the effectual fervent prayers and humble repentance of the many prayer warriors in the US who have also stood in the gap and reclaimed territory.  For those of us who have ever lived in America, I am sure that you will agree with me that I, for one, had never expected to once more see prayer and The Name of Jesus Christ boldly presented in the White House. The same house that had so brazenly and so recently been awash with rainbow lights, not representing the rainbow of the promise given to Noah, but the rainbow of rebellion against God’s order.  You prayed and He answered!  ALL GLORY TO GOD!

And just like our sisters and brothers in England understand well that their battle has just begun, I know that you in the US are sobered by that understanding as well, especially in the face of the protests.  What a challenge to NOT respond in the flesh but again to go to the knees!

So what did it look like here?

Well, our daughter and son-in-law were here for Shabat dinner. Yet my husband wanted to watch the inauguration first, so we did. In my eyes, there was a DRAMATIC change of authority from the spirit of secular humanism to the lifting up of THE LORD.  It was interesting to see my son in law’s reaction to The Name of Jesus proclaimed, and yet also for him to see an Orthodox (although not Haradi) Rabbi in the midst praying along.  Our son in law squirmed and left the room after awhile but said nothing, nor did we to him.  I remember well my days before knowing Him Who set me free, how uncomfortable I was in the presence of The Name of Jesus.

What WILL it all look like?  I have NO IDEA.  Do you?  Yes territory is reclaimed from the enemy, but now our country, Britain and America share the honor of having perhaps the three most hated and attacked (by the liberal media) leaders in the world.  Will God grant to President Trump a change of personality and a grace and wisdom?  We KNOW HE ANSWERS PRAYER…so…I’m sure that we are ALL walking ahead with eyes UP, looking unto HIM for HIS mercy.

I don’t know about you wherever you are, but I have received prophecies(by email, proclaiming everything from Trump being (literally) the messiah, to the devil himself.  Diverse prophecies make me run and hide in The Rock.  I do not know what lies ahead, but I can report to you what I am seeing today.  Israelis are cautiously optimistic in general.  Three areas that concern Israelis greatly are:

(1) Everything about the plan to divide the land that God has promised us and to plant a Palestinian state in its heartland.

(2)The recognition that the eternal capital of Israel IS INDEED JERUSALEM and not divided.

(3) And the right to build homes and live anywhere within our borders.

All three of these points are deeply and undeniably rooted consistently throughout scripture but have become THE “politically correct” issues of the day.  There IS a new excitement among Israelis that just perhaps the page has turned.  At the same time, Israelis are very realistic and there is little doubt that none of these will happen without violence and much pain.  But what is the alternative?

To be BULLIED into a corner of the land, a fraction of the Promise, rather than the full inheritance. “Every place on which your foot shall tread, I have given it to you,” God promised Joshua, but the people were intimidated when they saw the battle and many settled for less and it was accounted as sin to us, for we did not move into the COMMANDED promise and OBEY GOD.

Yes, we are reaping the results still today.  Can I say that on the buses there is a mixture of nervous excitement and restrained hope all rolled into the very odd new idea that someone actually LIKES us and thinks we have a right to exist.

There are some inherent dangers in this new moment of grace of being liked.  Israel is called to be a nation ALONE.  “ALONE” IS A LONELY PLACE and our nature makes us want to form alliances and to be accepted among the nations.  We are praying for discernment, no more and no less than God’s purposes.  Remember Hezekiah?  He was such a good king and did that which was well pleasing in God’s sight.  But when he fell ill and God granted to add years on to his life, his relief and joy caused him to walk without discernment:

“ At that time Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick.  And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?”So Hezekiah said, “They came from a far country, from Babylon.” And he said, “What have they seen in your house?”So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.”  Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord:  ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,’ says the Lord.  ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” (2 Kings 20:12-16)

THE TEMPTATION TO MAKE ALLIANCES AND HOPE IN MAN BECAUSE WE ARE WEARY IS A SNARE, on personal levels, and also on national levels.  I would be negligent if I didn’t say that there is real tension in the air.  Everything is changing and in a region this volatile, change usually ignites fires. “BUT I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, AND AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE, TO KEEP THAT WHICH I’VE DELIVERED UNTO HIM UNTIL THAT DAY!”

Our weather has been dry and we are waiting for more rain as other countries are flooding and violent weather continues to call us all to look up.  Jerusalem is generally colder than many other parts of our tiny country, and this year is no different. It’s cold.  Huddled together on the buses in the morning I am thankful that no one has lately come on fanning themselves and saying ‘Hom’lee’  (meaning, ‘I’M HOT!’) and then pulling open the windows.

I see the same faces year after year and watch them grow older along with me.  I remember how surprised I was when we first arrived in the country, to see how younger people rise (more so among the religious then the secular) to give older, pregnant or otherwise needy people, their seats.  Now that I am of “seat priority age,” I surely appreciate reaping the benefits.  It has taken nearly 23 years, but slowly my surroundings have grown commonplace to me.

I think back to stir my memory to recall how surprised I was at the honest friendliness and helpfulness of total strangers when we first came.  How people were so quick to ask, usually in several languages until they hit upon one that you might know. “Where are you from?  How is it going?”

People still want to hear a positive answer to the question: “Don’t you miss it where you came from?  Don’t you want to go back?”

I have been asked this a great deal and can’t help but notice how strengthened and encouraged people are when I honestly answer, “I do not ALLOW myself to look back and miss what was.  That is dangerous!  I am thankful for the wonderful life that I lived and I am even more thankful for my life now, because I am living in what God has promised.”

They stand up straighter…and yes, are encouraged. That is so important to encourage one another to walk on and to keep walking on.  Life isn’t easy, but it is His gift, both here, and where you are.

God bless you and encourage each of you toward Him.  “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”  May we each be found ABIDING IN HIM.

Lovingly,

your sister J