Category Archives: Prayer

February 5, 2014 · 11:48 am

Lord, Help me Love Democrats (Part 2)

In the late 1940’s, Ja-shil Choi had her spiritual eyes opened by the Lord to the ungodly direction South Korea was heading. Her heart was broken by the nation’s sin and knew something had to be done.

At the time, 3% of South Koreans were Christians. These believers were poor and powerless, mainly because of Japan’s occupation of South Korea from 1910 until the end of WWII. Japan banned Christianity during the occupation. Those believers who ignored the ban and were caught by the Japanese were thrown into prison or executed.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3)

The “prayer mountain movement” began during Japan’s occupation. Believers climbed up mountains during the late night hours and prayed until sunrise. They then climbed down to put in a full day’s work before returning again that night.

Ja-shil Choi followed the examples of the “prayer mountain movement” believers and began fasting and praying for her nation, even though she was finishing up Bible school and had three children. She often prayed through the night for ten hours or so. She continued this routine for almost ten years before she met David Yonggi Cho.

The two then began a church in Ja-Shil Choi’s house. The two fasted and prayed 5 to 6 hours per day in what they referred to as a prayer tent.

Their first church eventually grew to one thousand members. David Yonggi Cho then started a second church, which grew to ten thousand members. Along the way, David Yonggi Cho married Ja-shil Choi’s daughter.

A third church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, was built in 1973. Today, Yoido has over 800,000 members with weekly prayer meetings numbering in the hundreds of thousands. A Christian retreat, Prayer Mountain, has facilities for 10,000 believers to spend time in secluded prayer and fasting.

South Korea is now home to six of the world’s largest churches, ranging in size from 47,000 to 800,000. Christianity has grown to 30% and South Korea’s economy is one of the strongest in the world.

How much of this came about because of Ja-Shil Choi’s faithfulness?

We won’t know for sure until we arrive in heaven, but my guess would be: a large percentage of it.

(Continued in Part 3)

1 Comment

Filed under Christianity, Church, Gifts of the Spirit, God, jesus, Kingdom of God, Politics, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Politics, Prophecy, Spiritual warfare

February 4, 2014 · 11:40 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for America (2/4/2014)

Does God still need America? Is America still relevant for His future plans?

Lots of good people are stating that God is not done with America yet and are talking about a great revival, which will sweep America clean from our many sins. A few even mention that President Obama will be saved and changed, much like Paul was on the Damascus Road. If these believers are correct, then America will enjoy a new age of Christianity, unlike any we have witnessed in the past.

Hey! I hope these believers are correct because nothing would make me happier than to be wrong about the future I see for America.

Yet, scripturally America compares well with Sodom. Our nation is a fertile land (Genesis 13:10). We are filled with pride, too much food, and prosperous ease. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, sexual perversion are accepted as being normal.

Jesus Himself said it would be better for Sodom in the day of judgment than it would be for a people like us Americans. You see, Sodom had no Bibles and had never heard about the good news of Jesus Christ. We Americans have millions of Bibles and have heard the gospel so often we have no excuses before His throne.

Our only hope is that His mercy still triumphs over judgment, but even with this there are strings attached.

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 3:13)

My prayer for today:

“Lord, I pray that we Americans open our hearts and billfolds to show mercy to the poor and needy in extravagant ways, befitting our many sins.” (Based on James 3:13 and Ezekiel 16:49)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

Friday’s Prayers for Prisoners (1/31/2014)

C. S. Lewis, that great British defender of the faith, wrote, “There is no doctrine which I would willingly remove from Christianity than that of hell. I would pay any price to be able to say truthfully, ‘All will be saved.'” (Revolution in World Missions by K. P. Yohannan)

How many people in the above photo would you estimate to be saved?

I would guess only 20 to 25.

What do I base my guess on? Approximately 5% of the people in India, the world’s largest democracy, are Christians.

How heartbreaking, huh?

Today I prayed:

Lord, You told us the harvest was plentiful and the laborers were few. Therefore, I pray to the Lord of the harvest, to send out thousands and thousands of laborers into India. (Based on Luke 10:2)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you about prisoners?

Join with me on Fridays to fast and pray for prisoners, according to Hebrews 13:3.

If you are interested in helping to send laborers into the harvest fields of India, consider sponsoring a national missionary for Gospel For Asia. See more info here.

Lord, Help me Love Democrats (Part 1)

What national leader do you trust? President Obama? Vice President Biden? Senate Majority Leader Reid? Senate Minority Leader McConnell? Speaker of the House Boehner? House Majority Leader Cantor? House Minority Leader Pelosi? Any senator? Any congressional representative? Or even the Republican Party or Democratic Party? Can you believe much of anything these leaders ever say?

If you have the common sense of an amoeba, your answer has to be “NO.”

But maybe you think your favorite politicians and favorite political parties are better than the opposition because your favorites lie less than the other political side. Okay, maybe you are correct with your assumptions, but a liar who prevaricates fewer times than another politician is still what? That’s right! That politician is still a liar.

Good golly Miss Molly!

How did America end up with shameless liars for leaders who have not an ounce of remorse in them, even when they are caught in their lies?

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” (Pogo Comic Strip poster, Walt Kelly, Earth Day, 1970)

Most of us Christians are quick to point our fingers at politicians, judges, attorneys, the media, talk show hosts, or whoever and blame them for America’s downfall. But that is foolish because we believers are the ones who should be wearing sackcloth and ashes, bowing down before everyone in our shame for allowing America to undergo such a horrendous transformation on our watch. We are the blame! Repeat: we are the blame!

It won’t be long before both political parties will be labeling the 2014 Midterm Elections as “the most important elections” in the history of America. So to be ahead of the curve, let’s look at what I consider some bad choices we believers have made over the last sixty years which need to be handled now.

(Continued in Part 2)

4 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, jesus, Kingdom of God, Politics, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Gifts of the Spirit, Kingdom of God, Politics, Prophecy, Spiritual warfare

December 29, 2013 · 8:46 am

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 …

Pre-Celebration snow mop-up.

Oh may The Lord BLESS you as you prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior Yeshua h’meshiach, Jesus Christ, The Light so humbly coming into this dark world and in His great mercy, we know Him and are part of His body. How overwhelming. May the wonder of it all be NEW and full of worshipful wonder to each of us this year and may He find that we have made room for Him.

Blessings to you and may He be blessed and glorified.

Could someone PLEASE tell me how potatoes, hanging in a basket at room temperature can freeze and turn stinky, while the chicken and fish in the freezer can thaw? Because that is JUST what happened in my kitchen, during the 3 days we were without electricity.

Things are beginning to function again. We got a phone line again today, a full week after the storm. *[scratch that one…no phone line again]* Yesterday was the first day that I was finally able to get to work, walking gingerly on the ice and climbing over trees and dirty snow mounds. The geography of this small but powerful city was starkly demonstrated in this blizzard by the delineation line between the east side of the mountain and the west side (we being on the west side). The east side, which faces the eastern deserts, had substantially less snow and damage with just 1 ft or 1/3 meter and we had about 3 feet or a full meter. It felt odd to take the train and bus to work in the morning and passing from a disaster zones into pastoral winter scenes.

My husband and I are still pretty tough, but some people suffered greatly from this storm which is the worst in Jerusalem for the last 150 years. Yesterday an elderly man collapsed downtown and was rushed to the hospital where he died of hypothermia. Although we have received much teasing about being Alaskans and this being a piece of cake for us, I explain to people that in Alaska we had wood burning stoves for heat AND cooking, kerosene lamps, insulated homes and very warm clothing, including furs. We were both prepared for and expecting this kind of weather.

One of our patients, who just passed his 100 year birthday, was without electricity for 3 days but some people took him and his helper in and they were treated royally. Another elderly man looked at me with misty eyes and put it much into perspective when he said, “What was HARD was 1948! Now THAT was hard!”

He began to tell me about his life, being born here in Jerusalem some 80 years ago (as were his parents, grandparents, and ALL of his generations back). He lived on Kibbutz Ramat Rachel when the modern state of Israel was re-established and all of the surrounding Arab countries declared war. At the same time the British were forbidding the Jews to have weapons. He told me about the few living on the Kibbutz and how they fought for their lives against the infamous Jordanian Legion. He said, “THEN we were starving, freezing and hopeless. But if it weren’t for our miracle we would all be dead.” Yes, that put it into perspective all right.

Just as I was about to leave work today a man stopped by for prescriptions and asked how we had fared. When I first met this man some 16 years ago, my boss told me he held the sad record of being the longest Israeli prisoner of war that had been in captivity and come out alive. He had been held in Lebanon I believe, for seven years and severely tortured and is one of the most positive people I have ever met, always cheerful. Again things fall into perspective.

The day before the blizzard I made notes to write to you about winter clothes as I think that I have a unique perspective in this area, too. In the summer people from different ethnic backgrounds wear different clothing, but it pretty well blends in. In the winter, however, I enjoy the colorful display of diversity that is represented on the bus and train. The rich assortment of countries that have given up their captive children of Israel through aliyah, have their handiwork displayed like a lovely bouquet. I see the intricately woven and designed sweaters and jackets from the regions around Kazakhstan and skin and fur hats and boots that I know are Siberian as we had similar ones in Alaska. There are beautiful rich Scandinavian knits and rich British wools. There are Ethiopian fringed shawls and Moroccan and Yemenite designs pulled out of old trunks as people seek to bundle themselves up in whatever way possible. What a beautiful exhibit of God’s work, a sign emblazed proclaiming, even singing: “I SAID THAT I WOULD BRING THEM BACK FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH AND I HAVE BECAUSE I AM FAITHFUL.” Somehow it reminds me of the scripture in Exodus 12:35, 36 –

“Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

We bring some of the beauty of the places to where we were driven. Perhaps I’m carrying this too far, but it is what I was thinking about as I sat on the train tracing the designs with my eyes bedecking the elderly woman across from me. I give thanks for the toasty clothes I am wearing, given to me as gifts from the body. I pray that I may be clothed in items representing The Kingdom that I am part of, His heavenly kingdom, not representing this earth but with the clothes of a pilgrim.

Perspective is what we get when we look unto Jesus, Yeshua. Then it ALL falls into perspective. What a gift this Christmas season can be, if we put it ALL in His perspective. May we give Him a greater gift of pure incense…prayer…at this time. May we seek Him and to glorify Him with all that we give, and to all whom we serve, and in all that we do.

Before I close and go to bed, I want to share a very special secret with you. Thank you for those of you who prayed for me to know His will and do it. It is a secret from my children. But after MUCH wrestling and prayer, I have taken a leap of faith and bought an airline ticket to go to the Bay Area of California to see our children and grandchildren. It has been 8 years since I have left the country and 1.5 years since I have seen the kids (except for little Ana who was with us for a month this summer by herself). My ticket has me leaving Israel on 15 Jan and returning 27-28 Jan.

I APPRECIATE PRAYER FOR THE MANY THINGS INVOLVED. And especially for our younger daughter who is dated to bring forth her firstborn 8 Jan and for my husband who will be here alone in the middle of winter. For our older daughter who plans to be our younger daughter’s doula. For safety traveling. FOR SALVATION FOR THOSE NOT WALKING IN HIM. Thank you so much for caring when you all have your own families and needs. I hope to write again before Christmas, so I will just ask Him to bless you all and draw you near in your preparations.

Lovingly,

your sis J

1 Comment

Filed under Christianity, Church, Israel, Jerusalem, Prayer, Prophecy

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Israel, Jerusalem, Kingdom of God

December 23, 2013 · 8:12 am

Imagine If

Gospel For Asia sent me a new video entitled, Imagine If, two days ago. It is one of the most creative videos I have ever seen because it depicts what happens in India almost everyday from an American viewpoint. It touched my heart because a vision of my daughter as a little girl abandoned on the streets of India caused us to sponsor six Bridge of Hope children.

The video is 4 minutes and 13 seconds long and can be seen here. I believe everyone should see it.

4 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, God, Gospel For Asia, India, Poverty, Prayer

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Gospel For Asia, India, Kingdom of God

December 15, 2013 · 9:13 am

Inside Israel

Greetings, Dear brothers and sisters. May The Lord be blessed and glorified and may you be blessed.

SHELEG! SNOW!

A big joint gasp went up from the people on the bus this morning as the driving winter rain SUDDENLY turned to big white flakes while I was on the way to work. Three of the mentally challenged regulars began to giggle with joy and their faces filled with real wonder and delight at the beauty. They expressed it with their mouths as well: “SHELEG! NIRAY! SHELEG! EZEY YAFFAY!” (Snow! See! Snow! How BEAUTIFUL!)

They ran to the front of the bus and then the back looking out of the windows. I sent my boss a text message: “Should I go home?”

Jerusalem is very excited when we get snow and also very unprepared, although the city always boasts our readiness and displays our snow plows the night before. It is not a frequent occurrence and we often go for years without seeing any although we all prepare for a “once a year” occurrences. To see it once is great joy and twice becomes a double joy, but this early is a rare event.

Usually if it comes, it is in January or February. As a matter of fact, just several days ago we had all been commenting about the unusual dry heat that we have been having so late. We had gotten up in the night to look out of the window, but there was still driving rain, as it was in the morning when I left the house and the radio had already said that schools would be open. That eventually changed.

Like the rest of the world, we have been experiencing the changes and shifts in weather patterns and intensity, but we have so far, mercifully been spared the disasters that others have experienced.

When snow is predicted for Jerusalem, it is announced on the national news. The mayor is shown smiling beside the snow plows and inspecting the salt, tenderly petting each vehicle with pride and assurance. “Sheleg!” is the focus of every conversation the day before. “It will SNOW tomorrow,” one says. The other replies, “Nah! It won’t snow!”

But everyone is on tip toe. We were told of this strong and large weather system entering the region on Tuesday. I had stopped at the market to pick up some groceries and it was FULL! That is, full of PEOPLE. The shelves were already pretty empty. People were buying EVERYTHING. The check out lady asked the manager. “What is happening today? It’s TUESDAY not THURSDAY (the day when people shop to prepare for shabat). What is happening?” His answer, “Sheleg!” “Ahhhh,” she answered, “I’d better get some food too.”

Usually our snow falls at night when it is coldest. It was an ominous sign to me when it BEGAN at sunrise and it was coming down heavily. Surely it won’t stick, I thought. This was the second day of the predicted country wide (from the Golan to Eilat) 4-day storm and the streets were rivers of water, everything saturated. Trees were down, electricity out much of the night, but before I got to work it was not only sticking but was already several inches thick. I sent another message to my boss. No answer.

Two hours later he called. It would just be he and I today. No one else could make it in.

I told him that there had been no calls, no messages, lots of snow. “Can I just go home?” (I live across town)

“No…wait for me…I’ll be in. It will be fine. If the buses stop I’ll get you a taxi.”

I asked, “And if the taxi’s stop?”

Silence. “Then I’LL drive you home.”

That was NOT very comforting because if the buses and taxis can’t get through, can he?

At 10:30 he arrived and said, “Well…go ahead and leave. It is pretty thick.”

As I approached the bus stop a bus went past, and a snow plow. That was a good sign that things were running. I huddled with an ever growing crowd of people at the bus stop for 40 minutes. No more buses. Someone tried to call the bus company. No answer. I called my boss. “Come on back. I’ll call a taxi,” he instructed.

I trekked back. No taxi places were answering. As we began to drive across town we found out why, seeing taxis strewn across road after road. We skidded, slipped and jockeyed as I gained new respect for my boss who drove like a true Alaskan, avoiding stalled cars, going the wrong way on one way streets, picking up stranded people. It took almost 2 hours to get home, (normally 10 minutes by car) but I was thankful to watch people helping one another and the joy of children throwing snow balls in the streets. A car crowned with 2 snow men holding palm branches slowly made it’s way along the road. Most roads were completely plugged with stalled cars. The train stopped. The buses stopped. The central bus station stopped. The post office didn’t bother opening. The bus company closed.

It’s a “PLAY day” for Jerusalem and so very beautiful, but a cold one. My heart goes out to those who can’t keep warm. It is below freezing and supposed to be for several more days. We are blessed with food, a heater, one another, but what of those without? We have a caring country. People WILL go door to door checking on one another. What of the African migrants? What of all of the Syrian displaced people in camps? And the old lonely ones.

I lift up a prayer, a weak one in the face of the immense problem, but when looking at our Immense Immense and Able God, I ask for direction how to pray. I do what I can and check on friends, beginning with the weaker ones. And for some reason that I have not been able to understand, this deep sadness continues in my heart.

Wishing that you could all see Jerusalem in the snow and rejoice in this part of the beauty of God’s creation, I need to go and make a WARM dinner for my husband. May our hearts be warmed to Him and turned to Him and may we glorify Him alone. I send much love!

Your sis here

2 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, Israel, Jerusalem, Prayer, Prophecy

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Gifts of the Spirit, Israel, Jerusalem, Kingdom of God

December 1, 2013 · 8:06 am

Inside Israel

Chanuka snuck up on us this year for sure, but what better time to celebrate miracles and Light then during trouble and darkness! Since we follow the Hebrew calendar here, which is a lunar calendar, the dates of the holidays fluctuate when compared to Western calendars. This year it is very early and will not coincide with the celebration of the birth of Yeshua, but with the American holiday of Thanksgiving, a rare occurrence.

The approach of Chanuka here is signaled in a number of ways. Some of our street lights are strung with blue lights and the 8 branched chanukiah or Chanuka menorah. The Lamp stood in the temple and was designed by God Himself, (and is now the true symbol of Israel AND of The Holy Spirit) is called the menorah and has 7 branches.

The one in the center raised above the others with three on either side. The chanukiah or Chanuka menorah (the word menorah in Hebrew means lamp) often looks like the temple Menorah but has NINE branches, 4 to the left and 4 to the right of the raised center one which is called the shamas or the servant light. This one is used to light the others with one added each night. For example on Wed. night we will light the shamas and with him we will light the first candle all the way on the right. Thurs night will be the shamas and TWO candles all the way to the right and so on. Every house has at least one Chanukiah, they are in shop windows and huge ones are on street corners and in public areas. And of course there are appropriate songs.

Although the Chanukiah is the main symbol of Chanuka there are other signs as well…foods. Even before the lights went up around town, the soufganiot – a form of diet-destroying doughnut – appeared in all of the shops. The traditional soufganiot is a deep fried soft fluffy doughnut filled with jam and topped with powdered sugar, but over the past few years the traditional gut buster has made way for an elaborate assortment of flavors and designs. It seems that once the tradition is broken, the sky is the limit.

Deep fried potato pancakes called latkes, often topped with apple sauce, are also a traditional food. The symbolism here is all in the oil because the miracle of Chanuka is found in the multiplication of the oil for the burning of the temple lamp – one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days until clean oil could be properly prepared. So, we eat tons of oil.

Foil covered chocolate coins (called Chanuka gelt) have replaced the giving of coins as gifts to the children, and the ancient game of dreidel is still played by the spinning of a specially designed top inscribed with Hebrew letters ‫נ -ג -ה –פ nun, gimil, hey, pay – to represent the words nes – miracle, gadol – big, hiyah – happened, poh-here or a great miracle happened here. And of course, that is what Chanuka is all about.

The modern celebration of Chanuka is a half-holiday and is considered a children’s and family holiday. Small gifts are given to the children (who are on holiday from school) and there are plays and fun activities, museums and events taking place daily all around the country. People still work as it is not a Biblically commanded holiday, but there is a festive air everywhere.

We know that Yeshua observed Chanuka, as was recorded in John 10:22,23 – the time when THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD walked in the temple, still unrecognized, among the lamps representing the miracle of the multiplication of Light. isn’t He wonderful?

Since this is the second Chanuka for us without our children and Grandchildren, it is important for me to help my husband battle the depression which settles over him from time to time. This is an intense time of year for his battles. As I look to The Lord for ways to surprise him with joy, American Thanksgiving presented an opportunity to gather friends from America around our table. That is rapidly developing into a day I pray will be filled with His Light and Thanksgiving and encourage my husband in particular.

When we first arrived more then 19 years ago, to buy a whole turkey was UNHEARD of. I have written at length about that often in the past: how groups of people would gather around my shopping basket in wonder, full of questions and OF COURSE comments and opinions, like, “NO one could eat all of THAT and who in the world has such a BIG OVEN to cook it in? You are C-R-A-Z-Y!”

It HAS been funny! But now, there has been an increasing aliyah from N. America over the past 5 years or so and the butchers have become educated to the art of having whole turkeys occasionally. It is funny how PROUD they look to share their newfound knowledge. “Ahhhh! Yes! A whole TURKEY! AMERICAN!”

The last time that I wrote, I surprised myself by writing about beggars, and so I have an addendum. On Sunday I was approached by a young religious woman in her 30s. I could see right away she was for real. She asked if I could spare any money for food. I told her that I would and listened to what The Lord urged which was a fairly large sum. I asked her what the problem was and she said with very sad eyes there was no money but that was the least of their problems. As I gave her the money I knew I had to add, “I will pray for you but you must know one thing. I give this gift and prayer in The Name of Yeshua.”

I do NOT usually say this. She stepped back and threw the money at me and said, “I will have NOTHING in The Name of Yeshua!” She ran off. It saddened my heart she was so against His Name that she would not receive either the help nor the comfort He so freely gives, but I was the same way. So I ask for prayer for this nameless young woman in need – He indeed knows her name and her heart and can meet her where she is as He can meet all of our loved ones for whom we ache and pray.

Ok. I must go, but I do not write these things ignorant or ambivalent concerning the intense world events swirling around us. Persia, Syria, Egypt, ancient names are raising their heads and are being granted last days power and being placed in strategic places. I watch with The Word open. I remember the vivid dream I had in 1988 concerning Persia that I am more certain daily was from The Lord as it all unfolds and we are called to watch and pray. May we be found FAITHFUL and NOT trying to sort it all out in our own minds with our own reason. Not my might, not by power and not by humanism, but BY HIS SPIRIT ALONE may we walk before Him in the only Peace available on earth these days…as living and multiplied, thankful LIGHT.

I need to tell you…I love you brothers and sisters. (yes, I’m mushy)

Last addition: (thank you for asking, caring, praying, loving) Our younger daughter lives in a small apartment close to our older daughter in the bay area of California near San Francisco. Their Baby Girl is due January 8 and her health is holding it’s own. Thank You Lord! It does not look as if we will be there.

Several have asked if we are considering moving back. Although our hearts would, there is no doubt that He moved us here. That isn’t an option. Our older daughter, a doula (birth assistant) plans to help at the birth. Our Grandchildren appear to be doing better. Where as our landlady WAS showing our apartment at least 10 times a week, there has been no one to see it for the past 3 weeks. We feel that she is likely asking way too much for an apartment in this poor condition: answered prayer. Although this DOESN’T mean: Yay! We get to stay,” my husband decided we will stop looking for another apartment until we get the 3 months notice. The future is unsure to us but sure to Him.

I am at peace today,

Your sister J

If you are interested on learning more about Chanuka (or Hanukkah), click here.

6 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, God, Israel, Jerusalem, Kingdom of God, Prayer, Prophecy

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Israel, Jerusalem, Kingdom of God, Prophecy

November 8, 2013 · 4:12 pm

The Picture That Still Bothers Me

The above picture of the little Dalit girl going through garbage has bothered me more than any other one I’ve ever used on my blog. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you’ll discover the background is probably her home. The bamboo posts most likely hold up a plastic or canvas cover, which shelters her family.

If this photo bothers me, what do you think it does to my heavenly Father?

Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope ministry reaches children like this with the love of Christ. So far, more than 60,000 children have been helped and thousands of families have found faith in Christ as a result.

If you’re interested, it only takes $35 a month to give a child everything they need—school supplies, a daily meal, medical checkups and more. You can check it out here.

2 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, Gospel For Asia, India, Kingdom of God, Poverty, Prayer

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Gospel For Asia, India, Kingdom of God

November 3, 2013 · 8:51 am

Inside Israel

Shalom dear sisters and brothers. May you be blessed and edified, and may Yeshua h’meshiach be blessed and glorified, lifted up and exalted for Who He Is.

I have been silent because The Lord has been dealing with my heart. Although I am still waiting for “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” to really be evidenced, I still want to thank Him openly for the victory that will come because He Who IS the Author of my faith is ALSO the Finisher of that faith. In His faithfulness, it is simple ‘faith’, the very foundation of where we stand it Him and how we live, that has been lacking in me. He is so incredibly FAITHFUL to expose our sins when we are His and that is such a wonderful gift. Because then we can repent and be restored and wait for Him to show us the way into His victory, but you know all of this.

Don’t you just love the intricate way in which The Lord works in the secret places of the heart? I mentioned in my last email that I was ill. Both my blood (white blood cells) and liver failed suddenly and I was in a great deal of pain. He got my attention. I was looking in the other direction, so it took a lot to quiet me down before Him.

In the midst of the week I spent in bed I had a very vivid dream. In fact, I jumped out of bed praising The Lord with great joy. Yet strangely, I had chest pains at the same time. Let me explain: I dreamt that I walked down a small quiet alley looking for a place to rent. I met a patient from my work that I know lives in a lovely home and I said, “Marion, we need to move and I wonder if you know of a place for rent?”

As I said that, she waved her hand and said , “I have been looking all over for you. I want you to rent my house. I am alone and don’t need it. I just want a small room up north and you are perfect for it. It has 4 bed rooms, 3 bathrooms, lots of windows, and a big garden and it is just too much for me.”

I said, “Oh Marion, it sounds lovely, but we need to pay a very low rent…”

She said, “Never mind! How does 2,500shekels sound? If that is too high I will lower it.” (That is a ridiculously low rent and a place as described in my dream would begin at 10,000 shekels per month.)

My heart danced and I began to praise The Lord. As I walked back to the main street, there was a large sheep there and I ran to it, but as I got close I saw that it was nearly dead and very mangy so I didn’t touch it. Just beyond it I saw a second lovely sheep, but again as I approached, I saw that it was sickly and near death. Finally there was a third, decorated and looking lovely, but once again, I saw that it was sick and near death. That is when I woke up.

And that is when The Lord began dealing with me. As I went to prayer, thanking Him again that He has the place for us; I became more and more puzzled about the 3 sheep. I began to think about how the children of Israel cried in the wilderness for meat and He sent them quail, but leanness to their souls. That scripture always sends chills down my spine and I have prayed for years I wouldn’t desire things that might bring leanness to my soul and here it was in my face. I WAS NOT WALKING BY FAITH TOWARD THIS MOVE and TOWARD HIS PROVISION OF A HOME.

I remembered another time, many years ago, that He exposed my deceitful heart. I have always HATED flying. It scared me to death. Well, that isn’t too good when you live in rural Alaska and there is NO way in or out of your village except by air, often in a small plane and even more often, in severe weather. I battled and battled and read the Word and prayed and repented, but there they were every time − sweaty hands and a pounding heart.

One day we were in an AWFUL storm in a small plane bouncing all over the sky and I was absolutely silent inside. No sweaty hands, nothing. I told The Lord I wasn’t afraid to die in this storm and began to thank The Lord for the victory. This time He spoke to me LOUDLY, over the roar of the storm and said, “This isn’t faith, this is resignation and that is NOT faith. It is a counterfeit. You still want to be in control and you still are not trusting Me that when I tell you to go somewhere I will get you there.”

Oh boy! He hit the nail on the head. A line in Isaiah 22:23 always brings a picture to my mind of this type of work that The Lord does in our hearts: “And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place…”

True faith is that sure place in my way of thinking and I am so good at making my flesh LOOK spiritual. Yet it is NOT a sure place and it WON’T hold the nail firmly, but will crumble when any weight is put on it.

So how GOOD is The Lord to expose these areas that could lead so far astray.

After this incident, my blood tests immediately began to return to normal and my doctor said, “Huh, looks as if it was an acute attack of lupus (which I THOUGHT that I was healed from). You must be under too much pressure.” (Sin will do that!)

So, there you have it. I’m still struggling concerning the situation about our housing, but I’m struggling TOWARD Him and I do want His provision alone.

One of the things that we have to look at with this move is TRANSPORTATION. I have learned to deal with the long battle on train and buses to get home from work, but my husband works a block from where we live now, and he is not willing to battle his way to work and back.

And speaking of transportation, I had a shady experience on Friday morning when I got aboard the train and my monthly pass registered: RED. That means not valid. “Wait I said to myself, “I have a hofshi hodshi (monthly pass) so it CAN’T be red.” Suddenly it hit me, “Aargh! Today is 1 Nov! I didn’t get a new pass. UH OH!”

Once you board the train there is no way to purchase a ticket, and should an inspector be coming through you are slapped with 180shekel fine. Now, there are many cheats who ride the train that try to get away with it, but I serve The Living God and I answer to Him. What to do? If I were to get off the train and load my card, I would miss prayer meeting. So, I asked The Lord to guard me and kept riding, thankfully to prayer meeting without a ticket.

It felt wonderful to buy my pass an hour later because I did NOT like that guilty feeling. I was so thankful that through His Precious Blood we can be free from all guilt. Being Israeli, it is hard to dodge guilty feelings. All you have to do is turn on the news and there it is again. It leaves you wordless and would leave you hopeless IF you didn’t know the scriptures and believe He is faithful and His promises are true.

Last week, as a good will gesture, our allies insisted Israel jumpstart the peace talks. I do NOT know what that means, but still, Israel released 26 more prisoners. These were NOT like the prisoners released in the past. ALL of these had murdered Israelis. They were all murderers. I’m NOT speaking of people in a gun battle with soldiers, but I am speaking of people who entered homes and slew sleeping families. This was incredibly painful for the entire country, but even more painful was to watch the celebrations at their return. They were honored as war heroes, given a grant of several thousand US dollars each and also a pension of more then $1000 USD monthly to recognize their service to their people, this is from the destitute Palestinian govt.

Abbas then promised all of his people there would Be NO peace agreement signed until EVERY Palestinian was released. I am naïve because I really did expect some outrage from the rest of the world, at least from our allies.

What DID illicit outrage however was our announcement the following day that we would be building more apartments and a park in our neighborhoods. For this, we were censored and accused of sabotaging the peace process. A grievous speech was made by the leader of South Africa in favor of their Palestinian friends which so distorted fact and history, there was just no reply which could be made.

I found it hard being a Jew as a young person and I see it is hard to be an Israeli. There is a constant bombardment of words designed to make this nation and people feel guilty for even living. BUT, there is a Book of WORDS, which tells us why and how we MUST live. It explains WHY the battle is so incredibly intense and filled with hatred. As the world grows darker, I KNOW I am not the only one The Lord is refining with added intensity and purpose. The lessons are both harder and more exacting, wouldn’t you say? Right now I need to learn what His Faith is and I THOUGHT I knew it. I see that I still walked in the shadow and He will no longer allow me to.

This nation is choosing daily on level after level and the day will soon come when we will REALLY choose if we are willing finally once and for all to stand alone and look to God ONLY for our very survival.

Thank you for standing with us as a nation and people AS THE LORD PRESCRIBES IN HIS WORD. Thank you for standing with us as a very imperfect family, but part of HIS body.

AND PRAYER WAS ANSWERED. OUR YOUNGER PREGNANT DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND HAVE GOTTEN THEIR FIRST TINY LITTLE APARTMENT AND HAVE MOVED OUT OF THEIR SISTER’S HOME. They are 5 blocks away and thrilled to finally be living in a place they are not sharing with anyone else. So now all of our children and Grandchildren are in the Bay Area of California for now, until they come home. Thank you for praying for salvation.

I send my love,

your sis J

5 Comments

Filed under Christianity, Church, God, Israel, Jerusalem, jesus, Kingdom of God, Prayer

Tagged as Christianity, Church, Israel, Jerusalem, Kingdom of God, Prophecy