Category Archives: Jerusalem

The Shuk in Jerusalem

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 dear sisters and brothers, with thanksgiving and praise.  May the Lord be glorified and blessed.

Thank you so very much for your prayers and encouragement concerning our trip to Eilat to celebrate my husband’s 70th birthday.  Although it was for him, I did not realize how MUCH I needed a rest from the constant stress of both the pace of life in Jerusalem as well as the tension from the ongoing attacks.

I had never been further south then Mitzpe Ramon, so this trip literally opened a new world for me.

Living in Jerusalem, my world focus had been centered on the borders to the north and west and the countries that neighbor us, namely Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan. The view from the south opened my eyes to an entirely new perspective and landscape.  I’d like to share it with you while it is fresh in my mind.

We left Jerusalem on the 7 a.m. bus to Eilat. It wasn’t long before I could feel the tension leaving my body and I relaxed.  The buses are so tall that they afford you a wonderful view. I am happy to report about my seeing a wild ostrich during the trip down south.

The flooding rains had enriched the colors of the central region. Vivid colors interplayed with bright greens in spite of the fact that we were traveling during another sand storm. But those colors gave way to the wilderness desert colors, equally spectacular in their understatement.

I expected the desert to be sandy, like the pictures I had seen of caravans of camels making their way over sand dunes. But the sand wasn’t sandy in texture. Instead, it was gravely and rocky.  I mentioned that to Philippe and he explained that the English translation of Scripture says “desert” but the Hebrew word implies a “wilderness,” dry and barren.  Hum!  I had a wrong picture in my head.

We arrived in Eilat at around 1:00 in the afternoon, and just as I had suspected, it is indeed a “party town,” full of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment. Although not my choice cup of tea, I was determined to find out what The Lord DID have for me there.  The airport runway is situation RIGHT in the MIDDLE of town.  After a good, long rest, I was able to begin the exploring.

Eilat is situated on the Red Sea, which in Hebrew is ‫ים סוף  (Y’m Soof) or The Sea of REEDS. Yes, this is THE Red Sea (or Reed Sea) that Moses brought the children of Israel through from Egypt. So, you wouldn’t think that I would be as surprised as I was when the local bus began announcing The Way to Egypt.  It SHOULDN’T surprise me…I mean…I KNOW that we border Egypt to the south, but THERE IT WAS!

It DIDN’T surprise me as much when we passed the border crossings into Jordan near Jericho.  I can easily see Jordan when I go to the Dead Sea (yam h’melach or Salt Sea). Until 1967 I could have been there by walking 2 blocks from where I live, but here was Egypt out my bus window.

And not just Egypt.  Philippe pointed. “Just beyond there is Saudi Arabia,” he said, “and if we were to continue traveling south on this bus, we would arrive first at Sudan, then Eritrea (and Ethiopia) and then Somalia. All along the coast of this very same Sea of Reeds.  Touching the opposite shore, just below Saudi Arabia, is Yemen.  And THERE, at the mouth of the Red Sea or Sea of Reeds, is the GULF OF ADEN, flowing into the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.”

No WONDER there is all of this fuss going on concerning this area.

ALSO I suddenly understood how all of the African refugees that we have were able to walk from Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia, right up the coast.  Now this was all falling into place for me and now a whole prayer map formed in my mind that was much more real to me.

We have a southern border and it is TENSE, just like our Western border, and our Northern border.

But on that day, we were not going on to Egypt. We were going to swim with the extraordinary fish of the Red Sea.

And did we ever bask in the liquid creation of God’s imagination.  Oh my, you can look at the photos online or in a library. Pictures of the exotic fish and coral found only in this sea, but to see it in person truly IS a thrill that can ONLY result in worship and humbling wonder at such a Loving Creator who delights in bringing forth such amazing creatures.

I was lovingly coaxed into snorkeling, which I eventually learned how to breathe properly. I swam among bright blue fish striped with florescent red – every bit as large as a basketball.  They were not afraid of people in these shockingly blue, clear waters, but swam in schools along side of us and around us.  Let me tell you, if you ever truly need to REST, swimming in an aquarium will do it.  God is SOOO GOOD.

We visited a “sea world” sort of observatory and learned all about sharks, saw huge sea turtles, rays and mantas, eels and critters. All part of His silent world. His wonders. The works of His Hands that DO INDEED DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD as do the heavens.  Really, all of creation bares His Fingerprints, His DNA, and sings of His great mysterious Love. How could we BUT love and forgive one other EVERYTHING when we are all part of this great plan?  And why is it so easy to love what He has made, except for my brothers and sisters?

We snorkeled again with the exotic fish on our last day. And as we waited for the bus back to the hotel, the sky opened up and down poured a rare desert wilderness rain, flash floods and all.  I have NEVER seen such HUGE RAIN DROPS. Each drop of rain was the size of the end of my thumb. Before the bus arrived the roads became a river.  It was dramatic and beautiful. It cleared the sand from the air that had been there until that point.  By evening we were able to clearly see the mountains of Eilat and Jordan. I feel it was a clear picture of what Moses looked at and what Mount Sinai is like.

Bare red and white and black mountains, standing in very gentle contrast looking every bit like the windblown forms of the desert which they are. Desert colors are so different than forest colors. They are both large and gentle, such a subtle, silent power.

By morning we finally saw the bright blue skies of Eilat, which meant heat, but we were leaving before the heat of the day.

I read in 1 John as we headed home:

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 2:7-10)

So WHY is it so hard to obey This Wonderful God Who has sent His Only Son to be my Savior and Messiah and has given me His Holy Spirit to enable me to do everything He asks of me?  If I can love the fish, why can’t I so freely LOVE HIS KIDS?

About half way home I noticed the sky getting black.  We saw signs along the way that it had rained here.  We had been blessed to NOT be able to see or hear any news while we were gone so we didn’t know about the weather.  We did know that everyone who asked us where we were from showed great sympathy when we said, Jerusalem.” They wished us deep rest.

But, indeed, vacations end and ours did abruptly.

As we got back to the city, we entered a tunnel.  As we exited, it was as if we had entered another world: a flooded one where the sky had broken open. It was POURING down.  When we neared the central bus station, they closed the gates in front of us (we never found out why) so we jumped out of the bus in the downpour and fished our suitcase out from under the bus, wading through the puddles to the train.  Cold and soaked but laughing, we arrived home to happy-to-see-us animals and a shabat dinner prepared ahead of time.

Thank you for praying.  Thank you for letting me share.  Thank you for being the very HEART of His wondrous Creation.

May He be glorified in and through us.

Blessings,

your sis J

The Shuk in Jerusalem

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 —

Shabat Shalom from Jerusalem, where I can testify to you that His Peace − His Shalom − is a most blessed gift in a place where peace is a longed for and illusive commodity.  I give Him thanks today that He gave us such a great gift among so many other precious gifts.  May HE be glorified, blessed and revealed, and may each of you be encouraged and blessed.

As I have walked my life through these past days, my observation bank has been filled with things that I wanted to tell you about. Because I suspect that they are unique, and I also suspect that in many ways they contain glimpses into God’s heart toward these days and His purposes.

It seems to me that we are in, what I have learned to call “Israeli stage two,” meaning that the first wave of shock, grief, and fear is passing into the next stage of “strengthening one another, protecting one another, encouraging one another, laughing, don’t let them win, and sadly, anger.”

So let me simply share with you some of the things I’ve seen as these attacks continue, even today:

I was on the train at the beginning of the week when the woman next to me jabbed my arm with her elbow and said, “Ti’ray!” (Look!) ‘There is Nir Barkat.” (the mayor of Jerusalem).

Sure enough, there he was, standing about two people away deep in conversation with a young soldier.  The rest of the car began to listen as they discussed emotions, ideas, and, Israeli style, within a short minute, most of the other people around joined in.  He was riding the train from the Old City to talk with people, calm them, and to see what ideas we had, what were our worries, our solutions, our observations.

It was nice, and yes, comforting and strengthening to see the mayor with no body guards riding the train to talk to his people.  That night on the news he asked everyone in the city who had a weapon license to please carry their weapon. And for those who didn’t, to arm themselves wisely with pepper spray or an umbrella or the like.  He explained that he WASN’T telling people to kill Arabs or become vigilantes, but for each one to guard his brother’s back. We needed to become soldiers since the battlefront was our streets.

I thought, what a contrast to America and other countries, where crazies are committing mass murders and guns are being outlawed.  As part of the current situation, our gun licensing laws have been slackened somewhat.

A bit later that same night, the security cabinet established new emergency measures:  In flash points, particularly Jerusalem, army units were called up to join the police and border guards, which were being stretched to their limits.  Certain Jewish communities outside of Jerusalem, which seemed particularly vulnerable to attack, were to be off limits to Arabs with their gates closed.  Many people do not realize − particularly with Israel being accused of being an “apartheid state” that Israeli Arabs generally walk as freely EVERYWHERE that Israeli Jews do.

I share again that the Palestinians are a people who CHOSE to NOT ACCEPT ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP WHEN ISRAEL AGAIN BECAME A STATE IN 1948, THEREFORE CHOOSING INSTEAD − NOT TO MOVE TO THE STATE GIVEN TO THEM AT THE TIME: JORDAN. BUT TO CLOTHE THEMSELVES IN PERPETUAL “REFUGEE STATUS.” (UNHCR was created FOR THEM ALONE) They are THE LONGEST EXISTING REFUGEE POPULATION IN THE WORLD, refusing other citizenships. Most of these refugee camps have neighborhoods rarely seen on TV news with mansions and all sorts of luxuries.  The Palestinian and even Gaza hotels and malls have been very popular among liberal European travelers. Admittedly less so since the war last summer with Gaza)

At the same time, 2 or 3 of the Palestinian villages (I believe they were all refugee camps but one may not have been) that most of the terrorists were from in Jerusalem were sealed off for 2 days.  (Wed and Thurs) That is the first time that this has been done since 1967.

There was now a security plan in effect so Israeli humor could kick in Stage 2, despite the daily stabbings.

Now remember, MOST Israelis are also soldiers. There is never a past tense to the word soldier here.  Once you are a soldier, you are always one.

However, those of us without gun licenses became more creative as the main venue for these attacks have been public transportation along with the bus and train stops themselves.  Although these places where women, children and old people are abundant are vulnerable − from the very first attacks we saw that the “guard your neighbor’s back” policy was becoming very effective, and a number of attackers were subdued by a blow from a selfie-stick, umbrella, or a good dose of pepper spray.

By day 3, photos were appearing of rolling pins sticking out of religious women’s handbags, to very un-sporty looking men carrying a baseball bat.  A friend told me that the idea she had decided to use was a big potato in a sock as it could pack a good whallop.  Despite the sunshine, there were abundant umbrellas, canes, even healthy people with crutches.

Yes, it really did serve as comic relief and it worked.

Just to let you know: possession of a gun without a license or explosives, of a knife [even a pocket knife] or a rock can get you up to 5 years in jail. No questions asked.

The streets have been much emptier than usual.  I wondered how my trip to work would go on Wednesday morning, although having spent my time with The Lord I was confident in Him and not afraid. Just a bit curious.  The train, even for 6:30 a.m., was unusually empty and there were NO Arabs.

Usually half of the people that I travel with in the morning are Israeli Arabs.  My bus stop, however, is in a spot much more vulnerable and usually more than half of the passengers are Palestinians (NOT Israeli Arabs) and the agitation can be felt on a good day.  I approached my stop prayerfully and looking all around, but there were NO Palestinians there that morning as they must have been in closed villages.  Everyone on the bus looked at one another. There was a collective sigh of relief: no terrorists.

By the time that I left work, there were more Israeli Arabs out and the feeling was calmer.  There were many soldiers everywhere and two at each bus stop.  One would get on the bus and inspect it while the other waited outside closely watching him.

At my stop, the one outside was a girl. Remember: our daughters are also soldiers.   The first soldier rode the bus with us to the next stop and got off.  There was a strong feeling that everyone was doing their job.  By the end of the day, although there had still been several attacks, people felt much more secure.

Thursday I took time to go downtown after work.  The Palestinian villages were still sealed and I hadn’t been to the shuk (market) all week.  I was hoping that by now the prices were down a bit, but I was wrong.  As I walked toward the shuk, I heard singing.  Down Agrippas Street came perhaps 50 young men carrying big Israeli flags, some also draped in them, singing and dancing and encouraging people as they went.  “Am Ysrael Chai” (Israel Lives). “Chazak vey emetz lebcha” (be strong in your heart and of good courage) and many other songs from scripture.  My heart lifted.  I watched soldiers join in and people clapped or sang along.

At the shuk, I greeted my usual shopkeepers and was THRILLED to see that ALL of my favorite Arab vendors were there. So I particularly stopped to talk to them and ask how they were.  Again, except for the high prices, I was encouraged.

I called Anam, an Christian Arab patient of ours whom I’ve befriended, to see how she and Boutrous and their family were doing.  She was on the way to the hospital near our house to visit with the Jewish wife of a stabbing victim still in extremely critical condition.  Ironically he is a very active Jewish leader in the co-existence movement.

Yesterday morning (Friday), there were many more Arabs and Palestinians on the streets and transportation again, but the tangible fear in the air was much less although there were rolling pins and vigilance.  The attacks continued but soldiers, police and general public have been alert to subdue many of them.  On the bus stop coming home I saw a poster: “Dear soldier and police.  We thank you so much for what you are doing.  Please come by (address nearby) for coffee, sandwiches, cake or call this number and we will bring it to you.  Anything that you might need, be in touch.  We love you.”

Yep!  We have a motto here:  FEED THEM! Every soldier on the train was being offered food from someone’s bag.  They are all family.

A couple of further observations:  Last Sunday I met a dear sister downtown for coffee: the streets were certainly bare and there were police with sniffer dogs patrolling along with police and ambulances racing up and down the tracks. But we sat having our coffee when suddenly a very skinny, sickly looking young Arab woman in black from head covering down, came through begging for money with her hand out.  She did NOT look AT ALL like the usual beggar in this area and alarm bells went off in all of us as this was a HIGHLY unusual event for this place and time.  Everyone shook their heads no − also unusual − and an older woman alerted the police.

The following day I mentioned this to Mali.  She had been in the border police.  When I shared what had happened she looked alarmed and said, “No No!  NEVER go near them!  They are sent out because they have aids or some other very bad sickness.  When you give them money they will touch you and seek to kiss you and leave saliva. They will even suddenly lick you!  It is a tactic that was much used in the intifada!”

I thought about the kiss of Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus.

Also at work we began getting new requests for anti-anxiety meds from those who do not normally use them.  But sadly from those who had been in attacks before.  Yosi, a dear bus driver, whose bus had blown up during the intifada and many had died.  How amazing that he could even return to driving bus, but now he requested anti-anxiety meds.  Maya came in.  She had been in a bombing. Others followed.  Elisheva, who is mentally challenged and very timid, came in.  It also made me think of those young people who are doing the attacking.  So many of them are also mentally challenged and impressionable, manipulated, used by their “handlers” who wouldn’t DARE put themselves in harm’s way.

Later that evening, the singing flag waving encouragers, the same age as the attackers, came singing and dancing up past our apartment and we stood on our merepesset (terrace) as they sang  “HaTikva” (The Hope), our national anthem.

Last night there was another group and a different singing.  It began at about 8 p.m. and they were still singing at 11:30. A different, but bigger group and not regular singing. They were praying and crying out to God − The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob − singing their prayers as Jews do and as believers do when we worship. The singing was plaintive, insistent and passionate.  I have not heard this during a time of struggle before and I was, again, encouraged.  For our people NEED to know that God is calling us to Himself.

I have spent this time only reporting to you what I witness around me.

Yesterday at IFI I got a copy of Chuck Cohen’s news letter and I want to send you the first 2 paragraph’s as I feel such an urgency that THE BODY OF CHRIST is at a critical crossroad concerning EVERYTHING, but that the way the body embraces GOD’S PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING ALL AROUND US AND THAT INCLUDES ISRAEL, WILL DETERMINE MUCH IN THE DAYS TO COME.  If you wish, you could read the rest of his letter on the IFI website http://www.ifi.org.il/

How do we respond to the events in our world possibly having prophetic significance? Events such as: anti-Israel, pro-Hamas Jeremy Corbyn elected to lead the UK’s Labour party; Pope Francis meeting US President Obama on Yom Kippur; the Pope speaking to the UN General Assembly [GA], saying he came in his own name (John 5:43); the flag of “Palestine” raised at the UN two days after the 4^th red moon – the only ‘blood’ moon that appeared over Jerusalem; an Islamic immigration-jihad invasion of post-Christian Europe with most EU leaders paralyzed by their political correctness; Iran accepted by the global community, especially the EU, as the EU tries to boycott Israel; Russian and Iranian troops in Syria, just north of Israel’s border; a floodtide of anti-Semitism and an increase of aliyah [Jews returning to Israel].

We live in the final days before Messiah’s return. Yeshua has already told us how to respond: lift up our heads and watch and pray (Luke 21:28; Mark 13:33). 

An unbiblical view of God… leads to deception about who God is, what He is doing and what He is about to do. At a time like this, as nations come against Jerusalem, but Jews increasingly return to Israel; as deception grows in the Church and violence permeates societies as in Noah’s day; as immorality smothers believers and non-believers, and Islam acts upon its threats against all that is holy, it is crucial for followers of the Lamb of God to know this God and His nature – as He has chosen to reveal Himself in His Word.

An unbiblical view often emphasizes one aspect of His nature while de-emphasizing others. Is He a God of love? He also is a Man of War (Ex. 15:3; Psa. 24:8; Isa. 42:13; Rev. 19:11). Is He a God who forgives? He is also the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25; Rev. 20:12). An incomplete view of the biblical God blinds believers to some of His work today as coming from His hand.

The vilest fruit of replacement/fulfillment theory is just this – the proclamation of an unbiblical God, with an accompanying blindness to His current works. If Israel is no longer essential or central to biblical theology, then why bother with the rediscovery of our Hebraic roots, the land of Israel, aliyah and the IDF, threats from Islam to destroy the Jews and Yeshua’s return to Jerusalem, and so much more?

The divine ointment for healing this spiritual blindness is to accept all of His Word as it truly is – the Word of the Living God! Instead of us judging God’s Word, His Word must judge us. Study the Word, but approach it with a fear of His absolute purity, so that even if we do not fully grasp what is written, it still remains in our spirits and minds as God’s Word, awaiting His illumination.

May The Lord be glorified in all that we think and do and say…may we rest in His great grace which is able to accomplish in us all of His purposes…for the glory of His Name!

Lovingly,

your sister J in Jerusalem

The Shuk in Jerusalem

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 who have the joy of knowing that you are purchased by The Precious Blood of The Lamb and that your names are written in the book of life.

   “The fear of The Lord is His treasure”!  Isaiah 33:6b

The fear of God. Do I really have it or do I weigh actions and appearances of others in my decisions?

Twenty-one years ago, on Yom Kippur, I hand wrote my very first letter to several friends that has blossomed into this letter. I had never seen or witnessed anything like this before: Yom Kippur in Jerusalem.

I grew up in New York City where we observed Yom Kippur as a family along with the other Jewish families.  We children were quietly excused from school, which was not closed, but we were not penalized for our absence. The same happened for Catholic students who were given “free release” for weekly catechism classes. I remember first fasting on Yom Kippur when I was eight years old. But before that I remember being given a new coloring book and we KNEW that we were to be quiet and holy on this most solemn of days.

My sister and I would play quietly on the floor, ignoring the yells of the kids outside playing near our home.  We knew not to envy them. It was who we were: Jewish. This day was our solemn separation.  Our father would be either resting or would don his prayer shawl and be reading his Machzor (prayer book), which contains mostly scriptures and beseeching prayers from those scriptures. He was crippled and even though he was not orthodox, he would not drive on that day.  Nonetheless, the city noisily buzzed around us, and we were a silent island within the city.

That is why I was AMAZED on my first Yom Kippur in Jerusalem!

Between 12-2 p.m. on the day before (called ‘erev Yom Kippur), everything was closing down as people rushed home for a light dinner and to clean up.  The city and country ground to a COMPLETE halt before sundown. Soon, figures dressed in white began to fill the streets, walking with the Machzor in hand.  NO vehicles…NO motors or engines…a totally silent city is an awesome thing to experience!  The shabat horn wails throughout the city to announce that the Yom Kippur day of Atonement (our day begins at sundown) is here and has settled upon us.  The time is NOW.

But then, to my great surprise, just as the flowing white clad figures entered the synagogues to cry out for repentance and cleansing, another phenomena appeared.  In stark contrast to my own childhood, the streets began to FILL with loud unruly children (and some adults) on bicycles.  The streets empty of vehicles were now full of clanging and laughter in total contrast to the mournful sobs in the synagogues.  This was something I had never expected. It didn’t seem to fit.  Late into the night the children and then the teenagers filled the free airspace with raucous noise.

I find this hard.  It bothers me greatly.  Where we live now, we are above a store in a very noisy square and last night’s din was worse than anything that I have ever remembered here or in NYC.  It went on until 4am.  I wept.  But in the midst I have to ask God to search my own heart:  Am I judging or is this a holy anger?  IS it truly that children are not learning a fear of God or is it that I want to apply law’ to their behavior?  Search MY heart, Lord, for I do not know my own heart and certainly Your ways and thoughts really ARE higher than mine.

I can think I’m so smart and really know nothing as You do. ONLY BY YOUR SPIRIT DO WE KNOW ANYTHING after all.   I remember the illustration of a little boy being made to sit down quietly and saying, “I am sitting on the outside but standing on the inside.”

I, personally, was a firm disciplinarian, believing with all of my heart that when one learns to submit into RIGHT discipline, then we learn the great key of disciplining ourselves.

Hebrews 5:8-9 says:

“…though He was a Son yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

But God views a judgmental heart as a grave sin. Search my heart, o Lord, and conform me to Your heart.

Noise bothers my flesh greatly. “Lord!  Grace!”

I went out on to my merepesset and found that with the loud roar of the voices, I was free to raise mine in prayer for the people to be open to His Spirit and that He might come to them and reveal Himself.

What a gift we have in the peace of a cleansed heart.

I think back to the first time that I experienced the feeling of being FREE from the weight of sin and its penalty. Sometimes I take that for granted now.

Late Monday afternoon I stopped at the shuk for several things. Then as I ran to the train, a strong odor stopped me.  I looked up and there it was: the shuk h’kaparah −the sacrifice market that I mentioned in the last letter.  Crates of live chickens were stacked beside me but the table on which they were being killed was not visible as it used to be.

In front of me I watched, an orthodox  father was entering with his 3 young children.  He was explaining to them what would take place as they would all go in to receive this symbolic cleansing.  They were completely attentive to their father, nervous before the weight of the ceremony.  These children would NOT be out riding their bikes I am certain, as in the religious neighborhoods this does not happen.

Food at the shuk has been less varied for the past week or so and WAY more expensive since our intense heat and sand storm did damage the crops.  But there was no lack of vendors to help you buy your repentance from one end of the shuk to the other.  Sacrifice is a word that we know as a people, but it is just that we MISSED THE Atoning Sacrifice.  We didn’t recognize Him. So we continue to look and search and weep. (Those who have not as yet seen Him.) For they look for the way to atone through sacrifice, and … well… it has to be expensive…it has to be paid for…perhaps we can buy it as well.

Many religious men line the shuk offering kaparah – atonement, for sale. The money goes to charity as do the chickens.  Some let you confess your sins, and most record your name and pray for you and promise to keep your name in prayer. There are many different formulas.  Desperate people. Desperate to enter THE PEACE that we have been so FREELY GIVEN. They will try anything.

Will this be the year that they have their eyes open to THE SACRIFICED ATONEMENT?  That is what we believers fast and pray for today with our people − that they too might KNOW HIS GREAT FREEDOM AND PEACE.  OH WHAT A GIFT WE HAVE RECEIVED SO FREELY!  Do we recognize how precious it is daily?  Oh Lord, help me to be daily sharpened by Your Spirit.

As is the custom here, on the news broadcasts leading up to holidays, an assortment of local rabbis are given some time to share a meditation.  On this morning’s news, one was talking about the scapegoat.  He spoke of the High Priest taking two identical goats and casting lots for the one to be released into the wilderness while the other was to be sacrificed. It’s blood was then brought into the Holy of Holies, along with the blood of a bull, just once a year. (SEE LEVIT 16) He spoke about the lots being cast. One would be killed and one would be set free, through no fault or action of his or her own.  He said it was just chance by a lot.

I thought about my own salvation.  I often look at Jesus’ parable of the fishing net.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,  which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.” (Mat. 13:47-48)

For YEARS I was concerned that He might decide to throw me away because I was so aware that His great mercy had found me in His dragnet, maybe by chance.  But slowly, slowly He gave me the assurance that He was well able to complete that which He had begun in me. I began to know a deeper peace and rest in my faith. It is ALL His work and none of ours, although He does call us to obedience. ONLY BY HIS SPIRIT CAN ANY OF US DO IT AND ONLY BY HIS SPIRIT CAN ANY OF US FIND HIM…EVEN MY PEOPLE, ISRAEL.  HE MUST DO IT!  And ccording to scripture, HE WILL!

THANK YOU FOR HAVING A HEART TO PRAY FOR ISRAEL.  MAY WE EACH SEE HIM MORE CLEARLY AS WE GATHER DAYS…AND MAY WE BE SEEN AS MORE OF HIM AND LESS OF US FOR HIS GLORY ALONE.

God bless you.

Lovingly,

your sister J