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 —
“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:13)
Greetings DEAR brothers and sisters, in The precious Name of Yeshua h’meshiach – Jesus The Messiah. May HE be blessed and glorified, and may you each be deeply grounded, encouraged and blessed.
At this moment, while I am here in the middle of Jerusalem, I could not stretch my strength further today and travel to Modein tonight to join with brothers and sisters together at the grave of our dear sister and brothers, Sophi, Rodrigo and baby Itai. It is the shloshim or 30 days and a time for closing of the early days of grieving. Many believers (and many air force soldiers) are gathering together as I write, to strengthen the family at the grave site. I am there in heart. It was also Rodrigo’s birthday…
At the same time, while I am here in the middle of Jerusalem, huge fires are raging in both parts of Alaska that were my home. In the Valley area and also in Bristol Bay. The village that my husband was born in, a remote village of some 65 people, is on fire and in danger of being completely destroyed. It is so remote that there are no fire fighting facilities and residents are attempting to beat it back….
At the same time, while I am here in the middle of Jerusalem, my boss of 21 years had a heart attack today. Thankfully it was a light one and he has already had catheterization, but it was emotionally intense and puts the future of the Doctor’s office where I work in question.
And that was just today.
There is a temptation to be thrown off kilter ( or at least, it is for me) and try to do more than observe all of this and pray. I want to become fully involved with every cell of my being.
It got me thinking about the Indonesian tsunami that happened in 2004 which killed some 230,000 people. What I remember about the calamity was being stunned by a report that the power of the massive movement of all of that water had shifted the earth on its axis. If you are interested, there is much scientific data. A cursory google search just now turned up this rather easily read report —
“The devastating earthquake that struck the Indian Ocean on 26 December was so powerful that it has accelerated the Earth’s rotation, geophysicists have declared. They estimate that the shockwave shortened the period of our planet’s rotation by some three microseconds.
The change was caused by a shift of mass towards the planet’s centre, as the Indian Ocean’s heavy tectonic plate lurched underneath Indonesia’s one, say researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This caused the globe to rotate faster, in the same way that a spinning figure-skater accelerates by tucking in her arms.
The blast literally rocked the world on its axis, add Richard Gross and his NASA colleagues. They estimate that Earth now tilts by an extra 2.5 centimetres in the wake of the jolt.
The shortening of Earth’s day is no cause for consternation, particularly in light of the huge humanitarian crisis sparked by Sunday’s events. The death toll from the tsunami that lashed coasts across the Indian Ocean has now passed 100,000.
“I would be stunned if there was any change in the rotation rate that would necessitate addition or subtraction of a leap second.”
But the change will nonetheless be relevant to physicists charged with keeping the world’s official time, which since 1967 has been based on a battery of around 250 highly accurate atomic clocks in 60 labs throughout the world. These labs report to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures near Paris, which sets the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).”
So, those of you who have been commenting on ‘time speeding up’ are scientifically correct.
But back to “the temptation.” It seems to me that the temptation is to spin off center. To be caught up in the intensity of all of this emotion. Surely Jesus wept! I am DEFINITELY NOT saying not to be emotionally involved since it is The Lord Who gave us compassion and emotions. But the same Lord gave us balance and COMMANDED us to follow HIM. I can’t follow Him very well if my eyes are elsewhere, even on the waves that are about to encompass me.
With this thought in mind, I found myself laughing about this on the train today.
The Jerusalem bus drivers are notorious for using passengers like bowling balls. You know: look in your mirror and there they are! Passengers! Lined up for a perfect STRIKE! Step on the brakes and swerve quickly, how many can be knocked over at once?
Yes, I am exaggerating for humor’s sake, but it really feels as if we are bowling balls sometimes. Today the train played a similar trick. Usually the drivers brake slowly but perhaps the brakes were sticky today and WHAM! Every time there was occasion to brake, we all went flying. Keeping babies, packages and old people balanced was a challenge.
Physically, I lose my balance more easily these days, and I DON’T want to lose SPIRITUAL balance, too.
“Occupy till I come.”
The Lord admonished us in the parable in Luke 19.
In John 15-17 and SO many other places He tells us that we are IN the world but not OF the world, and that was spoken in Israel, to Israelis first. So, HOW AM I TO WALK in the streets of Jerusalem when my own personal world is turning upside down? Experiencing an axis-tipping tsunami and my country at the same time is actively fighting wars on each border. Plus, NASTY FILTHY elections taking place AGAIN. I see the streets filthy and people worn with fatigue and cares of this world…
“Occupy till I come.”
It’s that old Israeli army saying again about standing on your spot and guarding that ONE SPOT assigned to you: h’a’zek b’ma’amad. Hold on! Stand your ground! Hold on to The Lord AND hold on to the vision. This is what He wants me to do at any given moment.
You are probably rolling your eyes and saying, “Well, duh! OF COURSE!”
But it hasn’t been that easy, and yet I see that it really IS what He is calling me to do. He keeps telling me to “Walk past the graves…even as HE DID!’ He walked right OUT of them. His eyes were on His Father and HE AROSE TO GIVE US ETERNAL SALVATION WITH VICTORY.
Keep my eyes on Him when people look at me and ask me about what we believe or reject me and get angry for the same. Keep my eyes on Him when my boss has a heart attack. The 21 years of work may just be over NOW, BUT I have committed my care and feeding to Him and that is settled. My eyes on HIM.
To keep my eyes on Him when the tiny remote village so key in my family history just might fade into the past before my eyes. MY EYES ON HIM. When the bank tells me that if I don’t make an appointment via an “app.” (Sorry guys, but I’m in technological rebellion perhaps.)
I can not cash my paycheck (deposited by law) or do any other banking business. The world is changing SO QUICKLY and yet He is giving me NO SLACK to fret or become indignant or to go anywhere for help but to HIM.
The changes aren’t letting me catch my breath. And here is a good one … make that two:
One thing that I have lacked for so long has been a steady prayer partner. I am all for closet prayer and enjoy it daily, but I have been unable to get out at night when our prayer meetings take place aside from on Friday morning. Then I am there for such a short time. The Lord has brought a DEAR close friend to stay with us for awhile and we have been able to pray DAILY together. It made me realize how I was starved for a prayer partner, true fellowship before the throne. THANK YOU LORD!
Thank you for praying for my trip to England and my time of sharing my testimony with my family.
My 15 year old Grandson, our oldest Grandchild, had been to a Bible camp in California while they lived there. This year, he chose to go back to the camp. This time, he gave his heart to The Lord. I have received a few messages from him and of course am praying for him to be ROOTED, GROUNDED, FRUIT BEARING, SUBMITTING TO GOD AND RESISTING THE DEVIL, LOVING THE WORD AND RIGHTLY DIVIDING IT AS THE WORD OF TRUTH AND NOT BEING DECEIVED OR TURNED ASIDE. I believe, that HE Who has begun a good work in Noah, will perform it until that last day. And even in THIS I must keep my balance.
Thank you for your prayers for me, my family, and for this country, which IS central in the Heart of God and pivotal in the last days, as from the beginning. May The Lord be blessed and Alone may He be glorified and adored. May you be encouraged and blessed.
Lovingly,
Your sister J
Larry Who 