Category Archives: 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 in The Name of Yeshua h’Meshiach, King of kings and Lord of Lords.

Some cities never sleep.  Mine, Jerusalem, is on vacation right now.  Well…not me and a few others, but many shops are closed and many parts of the train and bus lines are nearly empty as the population flocks to the Old City, or the northern or southern parts of the country for the week-long festivities during chol h’mo’ed Pesach…or the appointed (in-between) days of this Passover holiday.  (The word ‘mo’ed’ actually means “appointed time” but is translated in the English Bible as “feast,” which IS implied, but the word is a bit deeper than that.  It means a time appointed to meet with God.)

With the meeting of the simultaneous dates for both Resurrection Sunday and Passover, the population has swelled with tourists, both Jews and Christians, both from outside of the country and from our own north and south.  The Old City, the scene of the holiest of events and the focal point of history, where God chose to put His Name, draws all of us, whether it is to the garden tomb where Jesus may well have risen from, or to the site of the Temple where the Levites invoked the ancient blessing of Moses on the people yesterday. There is no denying that the Old City is the ancient heart of the world, still beating with both mystery and promise. But the city itself is just a symbol, a type of what we who know Him and have found in our own prayer closets. Our own walks-along-the way.

 

The two holidays of Passover and Resurrection Sunday really represent the very foundations of both Covenants…and how amazing that they are one in the same.  The birth and the fulfillment.

I wanted to write this year as the smoke hung heavily in the air from the burning of the hometz (leaven). I watched again that ancient rite of fires burning the last of the leaven from off the land, people bringing out the last of their bread products to the fires.  I wanted to write as I watched fathers holding the hands of their children who were carrying the baked goods, learning their lesson of obedience to God’s commandment.

But even though it moved me greatly, yet more was added to the thoughts about the burning fires today when a sister visiting from Alaska told me that the night before she had observed the park FULL of families barbequing their dinners last night, the first night after the Pesach day of rest).  As she returned to her room later in the evening, the families were already gone and yet the smoke lingered heavily in the valley and she thought how that must have been what it was like at Passover in the days of the temple, when the smoke from all of the sacrifices hung in the air and remained, even when Yeshua was here walking these paths.  The Word speaks much about the sweet smelling sacrifice-Jesus being the sweetest smelling One – and this touched me. I prayed again that He would find the sacrifice of our lives pleasing. So much symbolism surrounds us just now.  May it stir our hearts for Him.

 

So as Passover approached, I did get to witness all sorts of small but poignant things that I wanted to share.  They are the tastes of Jerusalem and her uniqueness as she waits for her Promise who Himself waits to open her eyes.  May these tastes satisfy you with a salt that makes you thirsty to pray for the fulfillment of His perfect purposes according to the longing of His heart.  I wrote these notes as I waited for and rode the train shortly before Pesach:

As I waited for the train, watching it approach, a huge raven landed on the track.  Our ravens differ in appearance from those that I knew in America as these have a dove brown body (our doves are doe-brown…NOT white) and black wings and head.  As the train got closer, it seemed to “play chicken” with the approaching train, not flying off until the very last second. I held my breath, not wanting to see a squished raven.  As I noted the glint in it’s eye (having enjoyed its game) I thought, “Huh!  It’s Israeli.  It has an Israeli chutzpah personality.  It is not politically correct. It challenges itself to its limit all of the time, and this is somehow a reflection of the character of the people.

I was still thinking about this as I got on the train crowded with soldiers.  I stood beside a young soldier with an Uzi strapped across his back and a big lunch bag in his hand.  I could see the cucumber, tomato and pita inside the plastic bag. I smiled at the little boy look on his face.  Looking out the window I noticed brand new flags – an Israeli flag alternated with a Jerusalem flag – all along the tracks.  They had not been there yesterday and I realized that they were just being put up.  I watched as they blew so gloriously in the wind: a proclamation of a promise made by God to Abraham and continued through the days of Moses and down through David and through out the centuries of dispersion and even in the face of constant threats of annihilation. There they flew, fresh flags proclaiming that HE WHO HAS BEEN FAITHFUL WILL BE FAITHFUL.

As I watch the people running through the shuk. The freshly harvested huge garlic, fragrant and woven into braids for gifts in glorious contrast with the deep red strawberries, golden bananas, glowing oranges of all hews and sizes, fruits, vegetables, greens, reds, purples, yellows, oranges, among happy but hurriedly focused crowds rushing toward the goal of being ready before the shofar is sounded to announce that it is TIME to sit down to the Passover. I watched a tall (Israelis are generally rather short…like yours truly…or maybe NOT quite as short as me) tourist excitedly pointing his smart phone around and shouting excitedly into it, “You wouldn’t BELIEVE this.  You should SEE it.” It made me smile.

But I also watched a blind woman feeling her way through the produce and a young woman came up taking her arm and saying, “Can I help you?” They turned and smiled at each other and even without seeing, they saw.

Right after that I overheard another young man on the phone calling someone and saying, “You were on my mind and I wondered if you need any last minute help?”

All around me people were helping one another, being kind, greeting one another , “Hag Sameach.” (Happy Holiday.)  In the midst of the outwardly rude, pushing mass, there was a steady flow of kindness and help. It warmed my heart.

 

I was very tired and not feeling well.  So I was happy and thankful to be invited by the elders family at kehila to their Seder in their home, and had only prepared my contribution to their dinner and a gift, needing to work right up to the day of the Seder, on that Friday evening.

I did NOT have a very godly response when my husband announced on Tuesday that he did not want to go. He thought we would just stay home.  Seder is NOT something people have alone.  The scriptures say that each family takes a lamb and if the family is TOO SMALL for a whole lamb, they should take it with another family.  A year old lamb is a LOT of meat, so this implies a BIG GATHERING.  Even when we did NOT gather with MANY people, we at least had our children and a few guests.

Yes…I was angry!  Here I stood before Pesach and Resurrection day, before the commemoration of what He has done and more importantly, WHO HE IS. I was full of sin, anger, even self-righteous anger because I felt like a martyr who had a right to be angry. AND I couldn’t even ASK Him to forgive my husband because I was so ANGRY.  WHAT TO DO?  My prayers were more like: “God…?  Are you there?  Hum…help.”  Period.

I am writing now BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL.

My husband and I had THE BEST SEDER EVER.  By faith and with some anger and depression, I set the table as before Him for the holiday with the Seder plate, the matzo and the grape juice. I set out our haggadot (these are the books that are read at Passover Seder that retell both the story of Passover and are full of teaching commentary.)

Although they are passed down through the ages, different cultural, ethnic, or persuasion groups have their own slants.  We have quite an assortment of haggadot in our home. We have inherited my father’s, we have some from different groups of believers, we have others in Hebrew only and we even have one that I put together one year.

There is one that we were given in ulpan (language class) when we first made aliyah, that was put out by the Misrad h’klita (or the Ministry of Absorption of the Jewish Agency) which is for immigrants and is in Hebrew PLUS every possible other language. It also explains traditions and background for those who don’t yet know them.

So here sits my husband and his rebellious wife. I hand him (he is profoundly dyslexic by the way, and finds reading VERY difficult) the huge pile of haggadot and say, (hoping to make him feel REALLY guilty)  “Ok.  Lead us.”

He said, “I want to do a traditional Seder like your Dad did. We will use his haggadah.”

Well, my Dad’s haggadah was VERY dry and written in King James English, full of this rabbi said this and that rabbi said that. My Dad used to HUM through a lot of it and skip whole portions. It is boring to say the least. We didn’t get far into that one when he picked up one from a believers Seder instead and said, “Let’s change to this one.”

That one was easier reading, but after a while it diverted so far from the traditional that it left out so much that we started flipping through them all.  While he did that, I got up and took the afikomon.

This is a side comment, but perhaps some of you remember that afikomon is a bit of a mystery during the Seder order. (Usually it is stated: we don’t know WHY we do this exactly.)  The leader of the Seder takes 3 pieces of matzo (unleavened bread) and places them in a special bag (or napkin) with 3 slots.  NO ONE QUITE KNOWS WHY BUT the MIDDLE PIECE of this pierced, striped unleavened bread is BROKEN. Then the BROKEN PIECE IS SET ASIDE AND HIDDEN.  AT THE END OF THE FEAST, THE BROKEN MIDDLE PIECE IS SHARED WITH EVERYONE AT THE FEASH.  IS THIS A PICTURE OR WHAT OF YESHUA AND OF THE REVELATION THAT WILL COME?

The Son, broken and hidden away to be revealed at the end of the feast, which CAN not end until HE is shared with all called to the feast.  I love it so much.

So…to continue…while my husband was distracted and puzzling how to proceed, I got up and took the afikomon from beside him and placed it in my Bible.

So, we ate our rather simple but nice meal after getting through the plagues and moving on. It was now about 8:30 and my husband was ready to end the meal.  I said, “Hey!  Not so fast.  Not without afikomon.”

He said, “Well, that’s easy.  It’s right here…”

I smiled like a Cheshire cat.

“HOW DID YOU GET IT?  WHERE IS IT?” he asked and was truly surprised.

“You don’t get it until I get what I want,” I told him.

According to Jewish Passover tradition, as kids we bargained for a small toy or a bit of candy.  “Ok, what do you want.  I don’t want to be here forever.”

Well, I wanted two things, and I was unmovable: he did the cleaning up AND I wanted to finish the FULL Seder. I had never done that before. Usually after the meal we would sing a few songs because everyone was full and tired and happy. We would bless The Lord and end.

Again, the haggadot came out and we searched.  He picked the one from the Jewish Agency and it stated that the end of the service is called “THE HILLEL” (which is WORSHIP AND PRAISE).

It is ALL taken from scriptureand from Psalms.  Deut. 8:10 says, “ When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”

And so in Judaism the main blessing is prayed AFTER the meal rather then before…and…oh my…true praise and worship it is.  As we read, we both began to weep and worship and praise as His glory was repeated and His Name was blessed and over and over and over Who He IS was lifted up in thanksgiving, page after page of blessing into song.  We finished at 10:30 full of light and joy and love for one another, but mostly for Him Who somehow MIRACULOUSLY brought us out of anger and darkness…NOT with harsh rebuke and chastening, although we so deserved it, but by pointing our eyes toward HIMSELF. In worship, our sin was drowned and we were once again delivered, as the children of Israel went through the Sea of Reeds (yes…it isn’t the Red Sea in Hebrew but the REED Sea.”

With still much to share, may this offering (which it is) be acceptable to Him and encouraging to you.

For His glory.

Your sis J

 

 

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 Brothers and Sisters, faithful and hopeful, trusting in The Blood of The risen Lamb of God, May He be glorified and blessed and may you be blesse.

I doubt that there is one of you who has not heard about our election results, although the final outcome won’t be known until a government is formed.  (Thanks to our incredibly complicated political system.

Polling stations were open across the country from 7a.m. until 10 p.m. At 7 a.m., my husband and I walked out of our apartment and crossed the street to our assigned polling place.  I thought of you as we were immediately greeted by neat, kind faced, strong-bodied security men who blocked the way to the station.  One glance up the block reminded me that our leaders set an example to the country by being at the polls first.  It turned out that our President (Reuven Rivlin) and his wife were voting at our station. All waited patiently for them to finish.

There was a sense of excitement in the air, and indeed this was reflected in a high voter turnout – nearly73%, much higher then in past years.  People were friendly one with another, yet not asking, “Who are you voting for?”

Most people seemed to assume that EVERYONE was voting for change because that’s what the polls had consistently reflected.  What they DIDN’T count on was that the virulent intimidation and aggressive arrogance DEMANDING change, and accusing those who did not believe as they did of being stupid and racist, did not SILENCE their VOTE. We became the “silent majority,” not wanting to be exposed to the violence of words.

It was an upset.  One that made MANY of us smile.

I was thankful to go for an emergency doctor’s appointment and also thankful that my doctor was willing to see me in spite of the incredible winter that we have had here, which has stretched the medical workers to the max.  I saw a Doctor walk into the nurses’ station and in a couple of minutes heard angry yelling from one of the nurses.  As I listened I heard: “Don’t you tell ME why I voted for him!  I’m sick of the liberal media telling me that I was duped or it was fear mongering, or that I am uneducated or racist!  I know EXACTLY what I am voting for and why!”

Hum…sounds like some backlash.

When I went for my blood test, Svetlana was smiling like a Cheshire cat and humming.  “Shalom Svetlana, why so happy?”

Her eyes literally twinkled.  “The election,” she said simply.  “I would rather fear God then Obama and count on His help then America’s.”  A

And THAT was exactly what I had seen as the decision maker here. Will we disobey the world or The Lord?  The chips are finally down on the table.

I was happy but surprised to get the same reaction from a co-worker the following day, a young woman in her early twenties. She told me that she got into an argument at university about her vote and was shocked at the ugly words thrown at her.  “I let them roll off,” she said.  “So if it’s war now…at least we don’t wait till the West makes deals with our so-called neighbors and arms them further.  If we look to God, He promises to be with us, doesn’t He?”

On the other side, there is angry disbelief that so many people can be so stupid.

But generally, on the bus and train, I feel that people are much calmer, more secure and less discouraged.

As I said, because of our incredibly complicated political system, we still don’t know who the government will be or even who will be at the helm, but in my spirit I sense that there IS a renewed strength.  By the way, when the soldiers votes were counted, they raised our Prime Minister’s party by a full seat, showing that even the young soldiers are backing him, unexpected and encouraging.

I have no doubt that it WON’T be easy, but I would rather be in His will and cast upon Him.

I think you are hearing enough of world reaction…and you know, I am neither an expert nor a political analyst, just a witness. Hopefully, a faithful one.

 

Exodus 12:1-3  “ And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, ² This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. ³ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:” (at sundown on Friday the 20^th of March began the first month according to scripture…the month of Nissan leading up to Passover, (Pesach), the celebration of the liberation through the blood deliverance of God by the blood of the pascal lamb…AND…THE FULLFILLMENT…still not fully embraced here in the land.)

And now Passover preparations are entering full gear and that includes A LOT of work. Funny how we can make His gracious gifts so heavy at times.

Most of our larger food stores have already been scrubbed from top to bottom. The hometz of food with leaven, not kosher for Pesach, moved to a far corner. It will either disappear altogether or be shrink-wrapped and sealed by a rabbi with a label that can not be broken by law until after Pesach.  On the shelves, matzo appears along with special cookies and cakes, flours, gefilte fish, grape juice and all sorts of foods peculiar to this holiday.

GARLIC APPEARS IN THE SHUK.  That might sound funny, but the highly fragrant fresh huge bulbs of garlic, still caked with earth and bulky with long leaves seems to hail the oncoming Pesach.  The garlic, woven into braids or wreaths are a much-enjoyed gift to receive at Pesach.  The shuk also opens new stalls filled with inexpensive dishes and cutlery, pots, single use items, all fresh for Passover, never having been in touch with leaven of any sort.

Homes are being scrubbed from top to bottom and hometz being removed there as well. Many people will replace all kitchen items. Some throw out couches and all sorts of household items that might have crumbs inside them.

In the midst of these preparations, the synagogues are also full with heart-preparation taking place.

Yes, the mad dash has begun!

But in the midst, the reason is not forgotten…and I think particularly this year, so soon after the elections, people will be looking for comfort in the scriptures and their meaning.

May the Lord bless you,

your sister J

 

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 in The Precious Name of Yeshua h’Meshiach, Jesus The Messiah, The Christ, The risen Son, King of kings and Lord of lords…may He ALONE be glorified and may you be blessed and edified.

I do greet you lovingly with shalom that comes from Him alone.  Surely there is no peace in the world. How sad it is to see so many lost without Him and His peace.

My cousin is here visiting us from New York City.  She knows that I’m a believer because I have shared my story with her.  She had planned on coming with me to fellowship on Shabat, but is now waffling.  Just before coming here, she met an old friend whom she hadn’t seen in 30 years.  Her friend is a Gentile believer who lives in Jerusalem and apparently shared very forcefully with Paula about Jesus. Thus far, it has had the opposite effect, so I am praying.

Our foster daughter, Yvonne, is scheduled to arrive this coming Monday. Then the day before she leaves on 1 March, my husband’s brother has tickets to arrive and to be here until two other very old friends from NYC arrive.  Phew! Here goes!

In the midst of this, I doubt that any of you could be unaware of the intense worldwide mockery and opposition against our Prime Minister’s upcoming speech before the US Congress.  I cannot imagine such pressure against a single man.  I do appreciate your prayers for him.

I am personally convinced that there is no political motivation involved but that he truly is a voice crying in the wilderness about the Iranian threat.  You might remember the dream that I had back in 1988 about Iran and the bomb.  That dream took place totally out of any context in my life at the time. It is one of the only two dreams that I ever had, which I felt was prophetic.  Up until recently it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for it to come to pass, but the days are running and are even here.

I believe that we are witnessing huge events, and that just as the worldwide weather patterns have changed into extreme patterns that populations are not prepared to deal with, it now seems to be in every area of life.  I feel that the life I have known is rapidly becoming extinct.  I don’t mean to be so dramatic, but from this vantage point, that is how I see it. I still wonder at how The Lord took me from living at the ends of the earth, a quiet life, uncaring about “current events” and what the world was doing, and for reasons of His own, placed me in the center of the earth and said: “What do you see?  Write it down.  You are a witness.”

In the past I have shared much about our fellowship (kehila) and many of you have prayed for different ones here.  Over the years that stopped for some reason, but it was in my heart to share some things with you about our fellowship today.  It’s great!

We are blessed with a Pastor who seeks Him and brings His Word faithfully without diluting it or removing from us the burden of responding to it.  It is a challenge to never coast, and also a most valuable gift.  There are many members of the kehila going through much fire right now. And I wonder if some of you might take one or more to pray for them. I know with me, that is how it works.

The Holy Spirit can put on your heart one person to battle for, so with that in mind I want to share a couple of needs:  Luba is a 67 year old sister who made aliyah from Russia 19 years ago.  She was already a widow back them and has one daughter who lives in the Tel Aviv area. But the daughter has her own burden and is pregnant with her 10^th child. There’s no way for her to travel to help her mother.  One or more of the children are always ill with a cold or something, which also means that she can’t be with her Mom because Luba has a very rare and deadly cancer.  She has gone through chemo and radiation and needs a miracle.  We are all trying to care for her, but really, she is alone too often and is very weak.  Perhaps someone might pray for her.

Another is Keren.  She is still in a wheel chair after some 9 years already and it is hard on her, Tsaki (her husband) and the two girls.  She became paralyzed after she had an epidural (spinal) during the birth of their second daughter.  This godly young family needs their hands lifted up.

Carmen (with 5 godly children) and Hanna have recently had their backslidden husbands leave them. They also need encouragement.

Another sister, Elana needs prayer. I share these names just now because I felt an urging to in my spirit.  If one person is picked up by just one it is worth it.  The body is an amazing organism.

 

Once again I notice how MUCH this tiny country has changed in tangible ways, just since we arrived twenty years ago.  I was looking around our super market and remembering how it was when we came. Birds flew through the stores and perched on the shelves.  There was no English to be seen on any label, and our food experiments were often humorous. We could have delicious yogurt, especially when you couldn’t read that it was 28% fat sour cream. And who knew back then, that the nut butters were mixed with chocolate or that the zucchini was pale and not dark green.

There was much to learn by trial and error, plenty of erros. And NOW, there is much written in English, both on labels and signs.  And speaking of signs, I loved the fact that there were no billboard signs, no graffiti, no advertising anywhere to be seen when we came.  That too has changed and signs are displayed on every available space now, including buses and trucks.

I didn’t particularly like the fact that sales were a totally foreign idea in Israel back then.  If a food was outdated and you asked to pay a lower price, the merchant would look at you as if you were crazy and ask, “Why?”  Products would go from full price to the garbage. There was no in-between.  Now we have sales.

When we came the country was still naïve.  There was much more hope in the air.  In so many ways, the country has caught up with the West and lost its naiveté.

Thankfully I still think it has it’s flavor – the underlying heartbeat that exclaims, “The Lord has claimed us. Oh Abba Father, where are You and where are we?”

His hunt for the heart of this people will be won. He WILL be displayed and glorified in a people still lost.  His Word IS faithful, as is His Spirit.  How do you explain Israel?  How do you mark her towers and chart her path?  ONLY through His Word.  From Genesis through Revelation there it all is laid out for us to wonder at and walk and BELIEVE.

There is a new exhibit that has just opened at the museum called “By the rivers of Babylon.”  On display are ancient stone tablets with writings recording the Babylonian captivity and confirming the words of the prophets.  These were just found.

Will we hear them louder now?  It’s all knee work, isn’t it?  It’s all so simple; going to the cross, dying to self, following faithfully. Come, hear, obey, and LOVE.  Don’t I wish it were as simple to keep my feet in the center of that path?

God bless you and keep you.

Lovingly,

your sis J