Tag Archives: Jerusalem

December 15, 2013 · 9:13 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 …

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

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December 8, 2013 · 9:22 am

Inside Israel

“Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path…” Psalm 119:105 Yes, The Lord’s eternal Word…The Living Word, is a Light that will never go out…even when our eyes grow dim! Halleluyah!

The last candle just went out on our chanukiah signaling the beginning of the last day of Chanuka. Even the tiny glow of the last fading candle cast warmth throughout the room which now sits in darkness of the winter night. My favorite Chanuka greeting is Hag oorim Sameach (Holiday of light joy).

I’m sure that we have all sat pensively in front of some flame or other thinking about light and darkness, God having graciously given us these stark contrasts: dark and light, night and day, good and evil. They are before us constantly in such a creative variety of presentations. It is as if He were saying: “These are simple children that I have made and I must remind them again and again, CHOOSE LIFE, FOR WHY WOULD YOU DIE? In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:4-5)

I have been buffeted by much emotion over the past couple of weeks as there has been a wave of contrasting deaths. A dear sister in The Lord, the wife of one of our loving Pastors from the past, went to be with The Lord. She really did graduate, a saint who walked with us as a servant, there is joy around her departure, except for knowing the great loss our Pastor must walk through. So, I pray for him as I pray for our current Pastor at the same time. His precious father also died a different kind of death. One we Jewish believers find far too often in our experience as we pray and pray for the soul of our loved one, and speak as we are able and then they go…and we weep in a different way. These two went in the same week: loved ones of my beloved Pastors, men of God whom I have been blessed with and whose loved ones I prayed for. Two kinds of prayer. How to reconcile it and pray for them in the same breath.

And in the same week two plain old worldly Israeli entertainers also died. Both of these were people who grew up with the country (now 65 years old) and delighted, encouraged and united people. One made it laugh when it wanted to cry, and one gently sang to it of the dreams and hopes of this collective nation. I have never cared much about entertainment but it touched me to me to see how there was a collective grief as if someone close had died and people cried publically. So this I was bade: to enter in to an assortment of grief and ask Him how to partake and comfort. To witness grief without it touching you…well…that just doesn’t happen.

Larissa is another secretary with whom I work. I have already told you about Mali and I know of several of you who are praying for her, and now it’s time to add Larissa. She is all of 22 and greatly feeling the absence of my own children, I have really grown to love these two young women. Both know that I’m a believer and I have shared a bit as each one would receive. So Larissa asked me to go to the Israel Museum with her on our mutual day off. It sounded great and I accepted, knowing full well I would groan as the day approached, but I felt it was right and went.

I had been praying for an opportunity to share more with her. I had taught her to knit and she is preparing to go to art school and had been very interested in my past before Him, my hippie life. It was fun being at the museum with her and she came back to our apartment for lunch and to see photos of my old art work and what I looked like as a hippie. As I shared with her about the snares of hippidom, the right opportunity seemed to arise to share my testimony with her. I asked her to stop me if she didn’t want to hear anymore, but she didn’t stop me.

What happened afterward broke my heart though. I didn’t know that when she was younger she had gone to a girl’s yeshiva (seminary) and had received teaching AGAINST the gospel. She began by telling me that faith was good, but it didn’t matter what you believed in. By this time it was 5 PM and we had been together since 10 AM. I was tired and she had 22 year old adrenalin. Her challenges were theological, religious and philosophical and I could not express answers. My heart nearly broke. I was NOT instant, in season and out of season. I was tired. It all seemed like seed scattered by the wayside. But I do know that even now – or years from now – The Holy Spirit can take those seeds seemingly scattered and cause them to bare fruit for His kingdom.

Should any of you have room on your prayer list and should The Holy Spirit bring her to mind, would you please remember Larissa in prayer?

Soon after I was saved I went to visit my parents who then were living in a Jewish neighborhood in Florida. It very suddenly occurred to me that there was literally NO one in their lives who might be burdened to pray for them. I suddenly realized that so it was with most Jewish people who were rarely in contact with gentiles. The realization of that added weight to the burden that I had for them.

One reason, I suspect, that I had been saved, was that being way out there in the world, I had brushed shoulders with many gentiles who were really believers who PRAYED FOR ME. Thank You Lord! Now I live in a nation where I am surrounded by people who may walk through their entire lives and never meet a believer. But I am so thankful God is NOT limited by our prayers or lack of them. That makes our responsibility also a privilege to join with His Heart in such a hidden way.

Our apartment saga continues to be a bigger and bigger battle. Our landlady has had an offer (too low) and daily she is bringing people through the apartment. I have begun to peruse the local web site – yad 2 – for an apartment. It is all in Hebrew but I know key words. I enter our requirements and press “search” and get a daily list of what is available. I have, by faith, raised our maximum rent level, but the results are still slim.

We have a few limitations. My husband’s business as a self employed hair dresser is in this neighborhood. His personality is such that he would NOT be able to tolerate the travel to and from work as I do. So we are looking at this or a nearby neighborhood. My knees are giving me trouble so I am asking for ground floor. My one requirement is quiet. I don’t tolerate noise well at all.

Last night we went to look at an apartment at the top of our “by faith” maximum rent parameter, but aside from the higher rent, all else SOUNDED good. The size was right and the location was very near. The landlady wanted to rent to an older couple, pets allowed, long term lease. Perfect! It was pretty run down, but not much more then this one. Thus there was potential, but the 1^st floor was 20 steep steps up, and the windows all opened onto the main street facing the train. The noise level was HIGH. It is also – like this one – a cold water flat and there is no heat. I am sharing this to ask for prayer that we will be led without too much more stress to His choice for us, and that WHATEVER His choice is, we will be satisfied. I so want this victory in my spirit. Thanks.

And so, with this move stretched out before us, our daughter is due to have our new baby on 8 Jan. I have begun praying about going to help out for 7 to 10 days in mid January. What do you think? I am concerned about my husband here alone for that long. Even one day is a struggle for him. And there is the question of being given our notice to move while I am gone and then there is my boss. So with all of this doubt and unbelief plaguing me, I am lifting up my shield of faith and asking to be able to be with our daughter to help a bit and to visit our Children and Grandchildren and to hold and (silently) PRAY over our new Granddaughter. And I PRAY to also see some of you beloved old friends from California. It has been SO many years and my love for you has grown and not dimmed. I don’t know how we can make it work, but will you pray with me? I don’t want to MAKE it work…if it is His will that I go, then I know He will open all of the doors and make the way clear to meet you dear friends.

Although I try to refrain from speaking about the situation here, I would be happy to forward to anyone interested what I consider to be good and accurate articles that come my way. Please feel free to ask if you would like to read concerning Egypt, Iran, Syria or any of the surrounding nations and their situations and how it affects us. There has been an alarming escalation of weapons fire aimed at our border soldiers along the North, from Syria over the past couple of days. Rhetoric is hot and heavy on every border and the momentum seems to be increasing daily. It FEELS as if we are sitting on a time bomb, but you have heard that from me many times over the years. Temple Mount has been closed several times over the past few days due to stone throwing. There just seems to be ‘rumblings and grumblings’ everywhere.

So will we finally turn our eyes upward? Will we, as a nation and as a people called out and chosen to follow The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, finally begin to hunger for The Word and let HIM interpret it to us instead of man and OBEY Him?

The other day as I was reading His Word and was overcome with sadness thinking of what we could have been if our forefathers would have just have simply done what He said. Obeyed Him? Followed Him? Is that what heaven will be like? And those of us who love Him, can we REALLY DO that here and now? Oh I long for that!

I am sure that you do too.

I miss you and apologize that these perhaps immature struggles have diverted me so much. May we who call upon Him set our sites and our hearts to be steadfastly gazing at Him alone. May our first love be rekindled and may He uncover all of our sins and harnesses’ that we might confess and forsake them, be forgiven and cleansed and walk in the Light as He is in the Light. May we glorify Him and finish the work.

I send you much much love,

Your sister J

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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.

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November 17, 2013 · 10:35 am

Inside Israel

Greetings, my brothers and sisters in the precious body of The Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua h’meshiach. May HE, our Head, be blessed and glorified and may you be blessed and encouraged.

…In every place where I record My Name I will come to you and bless you.” Exodus 20:24

Over the years I’ve come to understand that we often use different words to describe much the same experience. A Word can be quickened to us, jump out at us, be a rhema word to our heart, be made alive to us, but in any framework, the written Word becomes living Word and our faith is encouraged. So it was for me one day last week when the above Word put my heart to rest, yoked me to Him and encouraged me to no end. He is just so good!

Somewhere He has recorded His Name and that will be our next home. Period. End of the matter. Have we found it yet? No, but HE has and He will lead us to it at just the right moment. Thank you for your prayers.

As I listen to the planes overhead marking the arrival of the President of France, I’m tempted to write about ‘the situation’ in Israel; things surrounding us from our perspective concerning Persia (Biblical Iran), the ‘peace’ negotiations, and other BIG issues calling us continually to our knees.

HOWEVER…

I will resist. You can ask questions and I can do my best to answer or to point you to those who are called to write about these things with greater authority and clarity. I DEFINITELY have my opinions and views. He has made it clear to me that is not what HE wants me to write about today. Today I will be sharing, again, about our beggars.

Beggars in the Middle East are a unique group of people and I have come to understand them with far more depth then I did 19 years ago, when I deposited my money in every cup and listened to every story, praying with some. Oh, I still deposit my money (excuse me, HIS money) in cups and still pray with some, but this is a colorful group of professional people and I thought that you might like a peek inside.

Begging is considered a profession here. Perhaps not the most noble of professions, but a profession nonetheless. I have heard it excused as a very important and necessary profession, since it makes righteous people. “What?” you might ask. “Exactly how does that work?”

Well, the word for righteous in Hebrew is tsadik. When you give charity (which is one of the commands or mitzvot, in Scripture and very foundational in Judaism) this is called giving tsadakka (or the work or fruit of the righteous). So? When a beggar nudges you and reminds you that you need to give to him, he is indirectly making you righteous. Isn’t logic a wonderful thing? I wonder how often each of us rationalize some act in a similar way that would make The Lord sort of shake His Head (figuratively) with wonder.

AT ANY RATE, I have come to know some of the local beggars quite well. The first one that contributed to my education I met a full 19 years ago. He (an Israeli Arab) was sitting near the Old City with a pathetically grotesque looking leg, full of infection, swollen, filthy and covered with bandages. When I asked him if I could help, he told me that tomorrow he was going to have this gangrenous leg amputated in Bet Lechem (Bethlehem). He still needed so much money to pay for his operation. At that time, Beit Lechem was still part of Israel (before our last set of peace agreements). I said, “But aren’t you an Israeli Arab? Doesn’t the kupot holim (national health insurance) cover it?” I don’t remember his answer, but it DID fluster him for a moment.

His leg smelled so bad. I gave him 100 shekels and prayed for him in the street, laying hands on him and praying for his healing. What a QUICK answer to prayer! It was just a couple of days later that I saw him walking into a store. The plastic leg slung over his shoulder. It was a costume! Surely he could have been a good actor or artist or perhaps this is street art. In case you are wondering, he is in very good health, I see him almost daily, no longer near the old city but on King George Street. He’s given up the rotten leg game, but he is still begging. He’s younger then I am and quite able bodied.

There was a Bedouin lady with crutches sitting on the street as well back when we came and I often gave her money. She now sits there dressed as a religious Jewish lady instead as she begs. There are the really pathetic looking young Moslem mothers (deserted and unwed) who have been sitting outside of the Old City gates also for years. They hold equally pathetic looking babies. Over the years I have noticed that once a baby reaches a certain age they just get a different one. Very effective.

There are plenty of Jewish beggars too. Many old ladies wait at the Western Wall for money. That way, right before or after a person prays there, they can demonstrate their righteousness by giving. There is a fair line up at the entrances to the shuk, each with their own story. Some are legitimate, some are not.

One morning I watched a little old lady go up to a very fancy limousine and dump out her money into a bag extended by an arm, sort of the opposite of drive in banking. But as I said, they are doing society a service by teaching us to give.

I do have my regular beggar. He has become expensive, but has been a subject of much prayer for me as well. He comes to my work every Friday and his name is Mohammed. He’s my age and he is sort of simple. We verified this when we tried to find him a job and no one would hire him for ANYTHING! “Not Mohammed! He can’t do a THING right!” they would say)

Whatever I gave him was never enough. “What? Just this? We have no bread!!” he would say indignantly.

I tested him one day and brought sacks full of food, with plenty of bread making ingredients included. He was thrilled! He rifled through them and again there was that indignant voice: “What? No MEAT? We need MEAT!”

I sighed. “Mohammed! MY family doesn’t eat meat! We can’t afford it!”

Once again his defeated look appeared as if to say: “You don’t understand! You are starving me!”

He brought me his children. “Now you give Mahmud some money.” He was teaching his son the family trade!

I turned to Mahmud. “Why aren’t you in school?” I asked.

“I will mop your floor,” he answered.

“No, no! You are Israeli, right? What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor? President?”

He looked puzzled. “I will mop your floor,” he repeated.

I took on Mahmud as a project. I slipped Bibles and Bible story books in Arabic into sacks of food. Every time I saw him I encouraged him that he could be whatever he wanted to be and guess what? He is in university in Jordan! Of course, that is a BIG burden on Mohammed, who needs more money!

Over the years we have agreed on 20 shekels a week with no complaining. I taught him to say “thank you” and we shake hands. He has begun bringing vegetables and gives me a few as I hand him the money. It has brought some pride to him. I am also glad for that. It is funny how we have grown close over the years. I pray for them and am concerned for them and I see that he is also honestly concerned for me, and not just the money. We have an interesting relationship.

Yeshua told me in Luke 6:30 “Give to every man that asks of you; and of him that takes away your goods ask them not again.”

It was Mohammed who brought me to my knees concerning this verse. “Lord! If I obey this verse, I will be giving to the countless that line the street – some for drugs, some for alcohol… or I will be giving everyone 10 agarot (about 2.5 pennies) to soothe my conscience or I will be avoiding them all together! How do I obey this verse?’

He brought to my attention where the verse tells me to give to everyone who ASKS of me, not everyone who is lining the street begging. I began to notice that some people do come up and ASK of me and I prayed that The Lord would send me those He wanted to and keep away those who would use HIS money for other devices. He has been faithful. Isn’t The Holy Spirit wonderful?

So, there you have “Beggars of Jerusalem 101,” the introductory course. God is so creative. He is only Good.

Thank you for praying for our family over the years. Some of you may remember that beginning with the American holiday of Thanksgiving, my husband usually has a hard time. Well…this year appears no different – perhaps a bit early. The reality of all of our children and Grandchildren being gone becomes too heavy for him at times and he despairs. If he comes to mind, please keep him in prayer? Also our younger daughter’s due date for first Baby is 8 Jan. She still does not have health insurance. She is very dyslexic and is having a hard time filling out the paperwork for Medical. She and her husband live very near to our older daughter and family and our older daughter is a doula (birth assistant) and does plan to help with the birth, but younger daughter is far from a picture of health. I have found myself praying specifically that she would have an easy, blessed birth with no complications. She has asked for prayer that Baby will not be dyslexic or prone to depression (as she has been). That is a request from her and you may remember that they are NOT walking with The Lord. Her husband has not yet ever known Him.

And THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR THIS NATION AND PEOPLE; FOR HIS PERFECT PLAN…FOR HIM TO BE SEEN AND GLORIFIED…FOR THE FULLFILLMENT OF HIS WORD AND PURPOSE THAT THE WORLD MIGHT KNOW SALVATION, LORD! POUR OUT YOUR SPIRIT!

Lovingly,

your sis J

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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

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October 20, 2013 · 2:22 am

Inside Israel

I was very naive when we made aliyah (immigrated to Israel), and so it surprised me how incredibly many things were different from what I was used to. The small and intricate, basic workings of simple tasks were different, and one that had struck my culture-shocked self right away as unnecessary was the fact that I had been spoiled by the ease with which western medicine was distributed. Of course, there we would receive a huge bill, where as here it is considered a right.

However, it didn’t make sense to me that when I was feeling so ill, first I would have to go to the doctor. Next, I would have to travel in the other direction to the lab. Then back across town the other way to do an x-ray. “Why couldn’t it all be neatly in the same building?” I complained. Thankfully, I now both understand our system and why it is this way, AND have accepted the grace of the light yoke to not complain about these very small inconveniences.

So, this week, although it was physically necessary to take a taxi several times due to lack of any strength, when I could take the bus and train, I did, I noticed something. Some of you who have read these letters over the years may remember me speaking about the ways of mentally handicapped people on the buses. Mentally handicapped (and otherwise handicapped) people are treated very differently here then in my past experience. They are mainstreamed (even in the army where possible) and, rather then people looking at them with any measure of pity or embarrassment, they are sort of everyone’s children.

Anyway, I won’t repeat some of the poignant stories right now, but as I got on the bus, a rather raucous man sitting behind the bus driver was bouncing up and down in his seat and saying, “No more news! Get some nice music on the radio! No more news!”

I smiled as the driver reached up to his radio, smiling in the mirror at the man of about 40 with somewhat exaggerated and unkempt features, continued to direct him and bounce up and down in his seat. “Turn it to GLAGALITZ (army radio)! Oh, there you go. That’s nice music! I don’t want anymore news!” He had picked some quiet music and the driver turned it up loudly for him. He turned around to smile at everyone in the bus and everyone smiled back at him and assured him that he had chosen very nice music indeed.

Since I had missed a week of work already by this time I had a fresh eye for remembering the specialness of these moments, and it occurred to me: I DON’T SEE THESE PEOPLE ON THE TRAIN. Very rarely do I ever see them there and it hit me: on the train, there is nothing personal and no driver. Unless they ride with the same people every morning, who will tell them when to get off or take them home if they forget their stop? On my way to work there is a regular crowd of about 10 or so people who seem to work at the same sheltered job, and I enjoy watching the daily care and interchange.

Continuing on my way to the lab, I was thankful that it is right near the shuk, as our food supply had run low while I lay in bed. I got off in front of the bakery where I planned to buy bread. Those of you who have been here have all commented about how blessed we are to have such an abundance of great bakeries, and you are right. I recently found a tiny place that sells excellent home made 100% rye bread, straight from their stone oven, so I thought I would stop by as it was along my path. I looked toward it and there was a line in front as the owner was JUST pulling up his metal covering (not a door…just seals off his space).

This seemed odd to me as it was already after 9:30 and they are usually open around 6 or 7am. I joined the elderly crowd, mostly Russian, and I propped my weak body against the counter listening to the colorful conversation. As I did I had some time to observe this very unique bakery and to be there in time to witness a rare treat. This bakery is a Bokhara bakery. Now here we open a fascinating chapter because there is a Bokhara neighborhood in Jerusalem – a wonderfully mysterious old neighborhood. A very mysterious, colorful history, but I am speaking about the bakery now and if you want to glimpse a bit take a look at here or here.

But back to the tiny bakery which consists of a kiln oven in the wall, a Persian Uzbekistani painting on the rest of the wall, and perhaps a 5 feet long counter and a table. The whole space is probably 5 feet by 10 feet. As I watched, the man cracked open the oven and I looked inside at a rounded clay oven perhaps 5 feet high, 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep. Wood fueled flames licked up the sides between clay bricks, and the man threw cup after cup of water into the oven, on to the breads as well, all around putting out the fire and sending up clouds of steam. I saw my rye breads between bricks (no pans needed, the bricks are the pans) but before he deftly pulled them out with towels, he got a long wooden pallet as I had seen used in other stone ovens and the pita ovens, and, and he scooped the unusually shaped breads from all across the walls and ceiling, where the dough had been placed the night before. He put my hot rye bread in a bag and I handed him my 10 shekels, well spent. Come and visit and I will take you to this shop. Even as I was in pain and weak, I was thankful to have caught such a moment.

You know, the Lord is just so incredibly GOOD. I was lying there in a great deal of pain and there was temptation to be discouraged. Yes, I gave in and had a pity party for awhile and then repented, but some of the things that I remembered and thanked Him for were rare moments that I have had that He made to delight my heart.

I know that you have had them too, and sometimes, we miss them, so perhaps it’s good to be reminded to look for them. I have always loved animals and He has spoken to me much through His creation. Over the years He has allowed me to watch the rare entry into the bay of a pod of killer whales on the hunt, to have a bald eagle hover by my window just a few feet from my face, to watch Alaska grizzly brown bears up close as they scavenged and played in our local dump, to pet a totally startled wild hyena, which I mistook for a strange looking huge dog while walking to work at dawn on a cloudy morning, to watch herds of elk and caribou up close and mountain rams fight on a mountain top, to live under the northern lights, to have a pony and ducks and run with wild dogs in the hills, and well, the list went on. I was soon weeping with thanksgiving, that a God, MY GOD, Who knows me so intimately, cared enough to bless me with all of these- well hundreds of spontaneous blessings − small details that He KNEW would delight my particular heart.

And now I can add watching Bokhara bread appear from a stone oven as a token of love from God Who comforts us all along the way.

This is the very same God Who knows we need housing, and will open and provide the way and the same God Who knows of your most secret need.

I have also been hearing the rumblings of planes as I lay at home sleepless. Several nights ago the planes continued to fly overhead for at least 10 minutes without stopping. They are preparedness flights, not the real thing. There has been much scoffing at our Prime Minister’s insistence to stand firm concerning Persia. He’s been called a paranoid warmonger and told that the world is tired of hearing him. Our Knesset just opened the winter session and I listened to the opening speeches. The opposition leader (Shelly Yakamovich of Labor for those who follow) mocked him and repeated the worldview to his face. “You have isolated us! We are just a small country and you are making us the fools in the eyes of the world. Everyone else is wrong, and only WE are right,” she mocked him.

I have caught just a glimpse of understanding the heart of God concerning COVENANT. It is not hard to understand, but WE BREAK THEM ALL THE TIME. HIS idea of Covenant is so far above my understanding that I can only bow to it. I have read through my Bible for the past few years with a notebook, particularly for making note of every promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for the inheritance of their descendants to the land of Israel. I knew there were many, but I just didn’t expect to fill a notebook with promises.

My ray of light came during one reading of Gen 24:3-6. This is where Abraham has his servant put his hand under his master’s thigh and swear to find a wife for Isaac among his own people, the descendants of Shem (Noah’s son) and NOT to have him marry a wife from the people of the land of promise, namely from the Canaanites the sons of Noah’s son Ham. This was the son whom Noah cursed (Gen 9:25) Ishmael (AND Esau, by the way) took wives of the sons of Ham. GOD had chosen a seed and the enemy will do everything to rob that seed. GOD had a plan. The enemy had a plan. God still has a plan to work out and so does His (and our) enemy, and the challenge for me is STILL to always take His side and His view and His path, no matter HOW wrong it looks in the sight of the world.

Lord knows I could never do that on my own as the enemy would be oh so quick and happy to take advantage of my imaginative and sometimes extreme fleshly nature. God forbid that I would formulate opinions without the guidance of The Holy Spirit in these deceptive times. HOWEVER, JACOB, WHO HAD HIS PROMISES AND HIS COVENANT, LOOKED WITH HIS FLESH for the expected results when his sons stood up, not in a very compassionate manner, for the Covenant and plan of God.

And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

But that was NOT the result.

And guess what? That is just what the opposition is saying to Netanyahu. This is what the world is saying to Netanyahu. This is what Netanyahu has to stand against. We know that he believes the Old Testament (the Tenach and the Prophets) and studies it both alone, with Knesset members, family members and receives many believers (local and foreign) and values their advice as well. We continue to pray for Him to come through to receiving Messiah. But I’m seeing the responsibility that this man has to take that COVENANT before God and find out how to STAND in opposition to the entire world – mockery from within and without. May we see clearly to stand also with God’s Word by His Spirit.

Until next time, I send much love,

your sis J

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October 13, 2013 · 8:43 am

Inside Israel

Yesterday I was a witness to something that I must grow in my understanding of, but it was a unique window into a part of the Jewish world that many of you pray for: the ultra orthodox. The 93 year old spiritual leader of Israel’s Shas political party died. He had also been the Chief Sephardic Rabbi for many years. His name was Ovadia (meaning, servant of God) Yosef.

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. (Matthew 23:9)

“My father! My father!” were the cries that went up as passionate grief and sometimes hysteria rippled its way through gathering throngs of people. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was a colorful, controversial figure considered by many to be a great Torah sage, perhaps the greatest of our generation, in spite of the fact that he was often mocked by the media for saying politically incorrect things and questionable statements. His words were constantly picked apart and quoted out of context, but now he was appearing bigger then life in his death.

He entered the hospital about a month ago with deteriorating health. Huge prayer meetings were called on his behalf as his health went up and down. He rallied several days ago, but yesterday he suddenly lapsed and family was called. The president of Israel was at his side when he died in Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. At the time, the halls and area of the hospital were jammed with his followers.

Although I was watching the events unfold while at work on ynet internet news, I was not prepared for what happened next. It was a cultural departure from my westernized Jewish upbringing. He died around 1:30 and I went home at about 2:30. At 4:30 I heard lots of sirens and helicopters. I thought, it’s either a bomb (pigua) or Rabbi Ovadia’s funeral starting, so switched on the TV to see. I saw live coverage on every channel of the masses of mourners gathering and the footnotes said that the funeral would begin at 6 PM.

According to Jewish law, the funeral is to take place the same day, before sundown when possible. The bodies are not buried in coffins here, but in shrouds.

I had an appointment downtown at 6 PM so decided to leave early. However when I arrived at the train station I was surprised to see throngs of people walking silently but swiftly along the tracks, in the streets and sidewalks toward the center of town. I remembered former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s funeral following his assassination, but this was totally spontaneous. A flashing sign at the station told me that train service was discontinued due to the expected crowds. It was soon obvious that there were also no buses getting through. Very shortly, neither were cars.

I went home and turned on the TV to get an overview of what was happening. At that point ½ million people were expected for the funeral and the security forces were gearing up for crowd control, but even they weren’t prepared for what happened. Now, you have to understand that our total population is 8,012,400 of which about 20% are Arab and at least 40% are children, so half a million pouring down the narrow ancient streets of Jerusalem to attend a funeral is a LOT of people.

It turned out that this was an underestimate. Soon the highway coming up into Jerusalem was completely blocked with walkers as people abandoned their cars on the sides of the road and began walking from many miles away. Inter city buses were stranded along with all commuters. EVERYTHING ground to a halt. Ambulances became hospitals as crushed or injured people were being treated in ambulances that could not get through to a hospital.

It is estimated today that upwards of 850,000 people packed the area around the cemetery. There are no estimates on how many failed to make it that far. Although the funeral was to take place at 6 PM, the body could not be moved through the crowd to its final resting place until 11:30 PM. There was a human surge, the likes of which I have never witnessed before in Jerusalem. I encourage you to examine some of the links and get an idea through photos or video. You can see them here, here and here.

Even these do not convey the intensity of the event.

What I watched were people grieving, beating their chests, and crying, “Abba! Why did you leave us alone?” My heart was wrenched and grieved for a people following mortal man as if he were a god. Many of the prayers had been prayed for this man’s life were prayed on the graves of the patriarchs or prophets or other idolized rabbis. As I watched, I prayed for the day to come when they will, with even deeper passion, weep for Him Who was pierced for them.

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem…” (Zechariah 12:10)

In THAT day their weeping will be turned to joy and they will no longer be left alone, just as you and I are not.

Yes, it was a powerfully emotional event we witnessed yesterday, the result of my people seeking for Truth in the darkness and finding the death which can not rend the grave.

Until next time, I send much love,

your sis J

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October 6, 2013 · 8:05 am

Inside Israel

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

I greet you in The Name of The Lord, Yeshua, Jesus. May He be glorified and blessed and may you be blessed.

Today as I write, the world has taken, again, another rapid leap toward “the end of the story” and, as is written, we here in Israel find ourselves at the center of much of the conflict. It MAY come as a surprise to some of you that we are generally very thankful for what we heard last night from our Prime Minister. As a matter of fact, I personally saw a number of directly answered prayers. (Full speech may be seen here.)

We saw our Prime Minister stand against the entire world in a hostile environment and speak the truth. We saw our Prime Minister speak honestly about our purpose, vision and intent, without a “forked tongue.” We saw him stand tall and, MOST important to me, and a direct answer to prayer, we heard him quote the scriptures from the prophet Amos:

“In our time the Biblical prophecies are being realized. As the prophet Amos said, ‘They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall till gardens and eat their fruit. And I will plant them upon their soil never to be uprooted again.’”

At this point he quoted the verse in Hebrew and stood even taller. It seemed to me that The Lord strengthened him. He ended the speech with:

“Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel have come home never to be uprooted again.”

He told the world that we were willing to stand alone against Iran, but he knows that it is written in the book of Daniel that Michael, the angel of our people, stands with us against the prince of Persia, and we are NOT alone. I don’t believe that I am alone when I say that his speech filled me with a joy and peace because he found the strength to withstand the world and to stand. I am NOT afraid. If we are in God’s will, we are safe, although we may lose our lives. If we are OUTSIDE of God’s will we are NEVER safe, although we may save our lives.

I used to look at the scripture in Luke 21: 16-18 that says: “And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.But there shall not an hair of your head perish,” and wonder, how can I be killed but my hair be ok? But it IS easy to understand when we look at it all according to God’s economy.

Oh the incredible JOY of being in the center of His will! I don’t think any of us would trade that for an extra minute on this earth. I firmly believe that when we are in the center of His will, the enemy has NO AUTHORITY to take us a minute before the boundaries that The Lord has set for our times.

So, I am NOT afraid NOR am I shouting, “Doomsday War.” I don’t know the times that are in God’s very able Hands. Now THAT is PEACE!

Well, I also know that the American government shut down and am aware of the practical problems that this causes for many. Yet, there are severe problems in other nations as well, not to mention all of the personal mountains in our private lives. But for those of you who are praying at this time for Israel, would you continue to pray for protection over Prime Minister Netanyahu’s life while he is in America? He plans to be there, I believe, until Friday, and he is greatly hated by many.

Oh my, it is late. I must be up at 4:30 and off again at 6:30. I still like the buses much better then the train but am using my train time to constantly turn to The Lord and keep my VERY fleshly nature in check, bringing it again and again to the Cross. I am tired so will close but our personal prayer requests remain. We need to be able to find a new place to live after 19 years and are not finding suitable affordable housing. We need peace and to be led by Him. Our younger daughter, now 6 months pregnant, and her husband are still living with our older daughter and are unsettled. She is also still sick. Thanks for helping me carry my load. Can I help you with yours?

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Don’t you just love that?

I send much love,

your sis J

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September 22, 2013 · 10:40 am

Inside Israel

5 Sept 2013 – My elderly neighbor’s voice was very loud as he was on speaker phone to a friend. I worked in the kitchen and went to close the window when I caught his words basically saying: “Yes, and the Suez Canal was not that far…” I began to listen. This is the day that the 40^th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war is being commemorated. I listened as he and his friend recounted their minute by minute experiences. “No. That was Thursday and I still didn’t know what was happening. Rumor said that there would be a cease fire (hafsaket esh) but we were still fighting.”

I had listened to a stirring account given by a man on the radio news this morning. He said that in the first day of the war alone he lost 85 of his friends, family and unit. The interviewer asked how he had survived and he immediately said, “That was only God.”

It was better then listening to the news where I heard a disappointing statement given by our Defense Chief this week saying that Israel can depend on no one but herself, her capabilities and the IDF (our military). I gasped with grief, not a mention of The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God have mercy!

I said out loud: “We depend on You Lord! Our eyes are upon You!”

Dear Brothers and sisters, Shalom. May The God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, by the power of The Holy Spirit. May you be blessed and may The Lord be glorified and blessed.

I wrote the above several days ago and then time ran out and I lagged several days behind.

“Succot Sameach. Happy Succot!” we said yesterday to bus drivers, vendors and strangers on the street, rushing home after work to prepare the dishes to bring out to the sukka. There was a heavy air between my husband and me this year as we put up and decorated our succa. Some family issues weighed heavily upon us, as well as the uncertainty concerning our move and the lack of family with us tried to block out the joy of the holiday. Finally, however, the succa was up, and I added new scripture verses this year to the ones I normally hang in Hebrew and in English. Our visitors usually include local believers, Christians from the nations here for the MANY feast related meetings and prayer watches, and local friends and neighbors who are not yet believers, some of whom don’t yet know what we believe.

The scriptures therefore have a multifold purpose: to glorify Him, to remind us of why we are sitting in the succa, to spur us to Him, to declare Him and His purposes both to those who come in and go out and to the very heavens above, to stand in agreement with Him.

So I carefully pin the computer generated hangings I too hastily put together on our walls made of strips of different material I have collected over the years. My husband cuts the palm branches from a few date palms around our house and puts them on top of the lattice of loose sticks that are laid across our clothes line. Usually I am able to get some willow and other branches added in, but this year it is just date palm. As tacky as it sounds, I then put up the ‘plastic’ fruit hangings − grapes, pomegranates, peppers etc. − I have collected over the years, much like Christmas ornaments. Then I put up the fresh fruit I bought at the shuk yesterday: pomegranates with their stems and leaves and boughs of early yellow dates.

Finally, I head out through the area in search of boughs and colorful flowers. I come back with lots of fragrant myrtle, branches from the red pepper trees laden with red peppercorns, a blue hanging flower, and various lovely leaves and fragrant herbs, and I hang them where there are spaces. I have to be careful that the pomegranates are not hung above where someone will sit as they can HURT when they fall! Bowls of huge sweet grapes, dates, all colors and varieties of fruit and nuts sit on the table. The living Thanksgiving offering is prepared in a living tabernacle to house living stones hoping to be a sweet smelling savor to Him. Time to enter in.

This is my “close up view” of yesterday’s preparations.

Around us swirl a huge flurry of events including a spiraling amount of convocations hosting Christians from around the world. What a cacophony of activity. When we first made aliyah, there was ONE Christian Feast of Tabernacles’ conference which hosted believers from all around the globe. It was one of the biggest events in the general Jerusalem calendar yearly. Over the past few years groups have split off and other groups have come in, depending upon persuasion and emphasis of doctrine, and perhaps geographic area of the world. The result has been multiple large conferences going on simultaneously.

How blessed we are to have many, many thousands of believers from all over the world gathering to pray and intercede for the nation and to worship The King. Although we don’t often get to go to partake in any of the meetings due to work constraints and so forth, we often get meet encouraging visitors during the holidays. Our kehila will be full of visitors tomorrow night. One was with us last night in our succa from California. She joined, with a pastor friend and his wife, as we sat under the Jerusalem stars sharing The Word, testimonies, and His glory.

Along with the Christian feasts, there are both huge and small Jewish gatherings in individual and group succas. The secular make it a “nature feast” and travel and camp and have fun. Each morning thousands of people wend their way to the Western Wall or to synagogue with their “four species:” a palm branch, called a lulav, two willow called the aravot, minimum of three myrtle branches called haddasim , and finally one citron called an etrog. They pray and say special blessings. There will also be the ‘Blessing of the Cohenim, the proclaiming of the priestly blessing over the people sometime later this week at the western wall.

AND there will be the Jerusalem March where believers come front and center: marching through the streets of Jerusalem often in traditional dress depicting their home countries and with banners proclaiming scriptures and promise. The streets are all closed and lined with joyful spectators, amazed that Christians come to bless them. What a season!

Leviticus 23:33 “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁴“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. ³⁵On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary workon it. ³⁶For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

³⁷‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— ³⁸besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord. ³⁹‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. ⁴⁰And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹You shall keep it as a feast to theLord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴²You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, ⁴³that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I amthe Lord your God.’” ⁴⁴So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord. (For a few of the MANY other references in scripture see: Deut 31:10,Zech14:16, John 7:37, 2 Chron 5:3 and 2 Chron 7:8-end (amazing celebration)

I must continue to work during Succot so it is a particularly busy time for me. The first and the last days of the feast are both proclaimed days of rest. I don’t work on those and neither does public transportation or anything else. Yet how I love to see the succas lining the streets as I make my way to and from work, and to hear the noise of people inside. Occasionally, if I have a moment, I will drop in to a stranger’s succa and become an immediate friend. The succas are open to all. Strangers are welcome. It is a law in Jerusalem that every house must be built with a place for a succa, even if that is in the street out front.

The last day of Succot is Simchat Torah, or Joy in the Torah. It symbolizes the end of the yearly cycle of reading the torah scroll and the beginning again at “In the beginning GOD…” ( Gen 1:1)

A dear friend who was just in our succa for lunch today told us how it just hit her they are not talking about reading the Bible, but THE SCROLL. It is rolled out through out the year, and at the beginning of the new cycle of reading through the scroll, it must be manually and carefully rolled up to start again, which is no small job. What an interesting thought: someday this world will be “rolled up as a scroll” and there will be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. We do long for such a day.

It is time to go and prepare the evening meal. I do love sitting outside and hearing the wind in the trees and the birds signaling the different times of day. It’s like hearing The Lord signaling the different seasons. May we have ears to hear.

Brief family update: our new son-in-law whom I’ve told you about, and whom I’ve asked for prayer, is suddenly becoming very “religious.” This is a shock and actually a panic. I told you that our daughter has been a backslidden believer and her husband a backslidden Haradi orthodox Jew. I have been praying The Lord would pursue them unto Himself as they both truly seem to want and be looking for His Truth.

Suddenly, however, he met a rabbi who is very cultish and has taken him in − hook line and sinker. They are currently in California living with our older daughter and family. It has become VERY strained, painful and grievous on many levels. Our younger daughter who is pregnant cries all of the time. Thank you for praying for them as there is tremendous tension now where there was joy. May we ALL – and our families and our generations − be found IN HIM FOR HIS GLORY.

I want to take a moment to thank you for caring. I mean that. Thank you for caring for us, our family, this people, this nation. Thank you for caring for the Church worldwide. Thank you for loving God and being Light in such a dark world.

Blessings to each of you,

Your sis in Jerusalem, J

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

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

September 15, 2013 · 6:11 am

Inside Israel

Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, the day of repentance, the day of dread, the day that it is said all the hearts are examined, and those who are appointed for death, will be written for death, and those appointed for life will be written for life. Then the books are closed and sealed.

“G’mar khatima tova” is heard every few minutes. Literally it means: “may you finish with a good signature stamp.” We wrote in English − in my childhood days − “May you be inscribed in the book of life.” Others wish me also “tsom kal’’ or an easy fast and I respond, “tsom mashma’oti” or “may you have a MEANINGFUL fast” and then we enter into a short conversation concerning the true meaning of a fast before God.

A Hebrew language teacher advised me to say “tsom mo’il” or may you have a beneficial fast.

“What?” I asked. “Why is that better then a meaningful fast?”

My boss was quick to answer: “I want my fast to give me points.”

Wow! Talk about saying it as it is.

“Well, when I fast, my desire is to draw closer to God and to find those things that stand in the way of a deeper relationship, and repent from them,” I said.

He thought and said, “You must be ahead of me.”

But I added, “No. I could NEVER have enough points to win my way into the book of Life. I am way lower then you.”

His answer was from the teaching of the sages: “Those lower are far ahead…”

So it is at the time of Yom Kippur. The seriousness of it impacts the entire nation, a nation of people seeking to secure their place in the book of life. I am in the midst, SECURE that my name IS INDEED written in THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE. How wonderful to be both without fear or dread, and be assured that I have the adequate atonement.

It is almost sundown and the streets are silent as people finish up their last meal. I caught the last bus and train home from work. The buses stopped at 1:00 and the trains at 2. The television and radio stations shut down at the same time, and our airspace and airport are also closed, along with all of our borders. We are effectively sealed off from the world to be sealed in with God and here in Jerusalem it is silent.

Many of the believers take this time to fast as well, not to obtain atonement and gain points to get into the book of life, but hopefully, after spending special time asking The Lord to examine our hearts for any sins of compromise, presumption, unforgiveness, hardness, whatever we may have been blind to– to pray for the blinders to be taken off our nation and our people. For the veil must be be stripped from the eyes and YESHUA must be revealed as He says is Zech 12:

“And they shall look upon Him Whom they pierced and mourn for Him as for an only begotten Son.”

The Pascal Lamb IS among us and His once and for all time sacrifice IS sufficient and oh what reason for rejoicing! Zechariah 8:18 speaks of a day:

Zech 8:18 “And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.”

The entire chapter, indeed the book, is full of promises yet to be fulfilled, but I have heard people say, “How can a fast be a joyful feast?”

Oh, what joy to feast on The Lord and His heart for Israel during this fast. To me it already is a joyful feast and I long for the day that it will be for the entire nation.

The synagogue service is really a culmination of a month of prayer. For the past ten days many have been praying prayers of slichot or forgiveness at the western wall or in their synagogues at 4:30 in the morning. There have been daily special prayers and reading of scripture mid day and evening and into the night. Many, if not most, of what is read in synagogue and being prayed is directly from scripture and very passionate. But as is true in Christian churches, so it is in synagogues, people can sit hardened and unrepentant under The Word. People can harden their hearts, stiffen their necks, close their ears and remain blind.

On shabat, our Pastor’s wife challenged us to examine our own hearts once again concerning this issue of forgiveness before The Lord’s supper (tsudot h’adon in Hebrew):

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

“And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Years ago, as I was struggling and losing the battle to forgive a sister who seemed continually to hurt me, I suddenly understood my unforgiveness had the power to bind her so she could not be loosed in heaven. The awful understanding so horrified me that I seemed to stand on a precipice looking at the power we had toward one another, and The Lord set me free to forgive. Although I still struggle at times, the impact of that view has stayed with me all of these years. I have been forgiven MUCH. How dare I not forgive everything? I stand in the midst of a people who long to know that forgiveness.

This morning at prayer, a sister visiting here from another country for this season of feasts and conferences, shared that last night after being at a prayer conference, she had been able to witness to a group of 5 locals. She was amazed at how hungry and open they were to hear the good news. I envied her ability to share so freely.

Most Israelis will accept much more willingly the testimony of a gentile believer then a Jewish one. Indeed, today at work I had a strange experience that used to be much more common and it took me a bit aback. Some new immigrants came in to see the doctor where I work for the first time and we began to talk. They just arrived a week ago from the state of Texas. When they asked where I was from and I told them, suddenly the woman took a deep breath and looked askance at her husband and I remembered that look. She had been warned about me. She began to ask some specific questions which left little room for doubt.

I don’t feel worthy of the title: dangerous.

Years ago large groups of people were warned by their rabbis to stay away from me as I was such a dangerous woman, but I thought my lack of fruitfulness had stripped me of that distinction. But of course, the knowledge of Him – His Name – is dangerous. Dangerous to the enemy and to all we hold dear in this life, and the knowledge of Him so radically changes EVERYTHING.

Years ago, before we moved here, a young Israeli man stayed in our village to work in the fishing industry there. We became very close and I talked to him much about The Lord. One day I said to him, “I can not convince you. You ask Him yourself. Ask Him, ‘Do you have a Son, is He The Messiah, and is His Name Yeshua (Jesus)?”‘

He bowed his head and did just that and to my shock, he crumpled in a heap on to the floor. He began to weep and to pray. But when it was over he said to me, “Do you know what I just did? I have separated myself from my people, my nation and my family.”

Well, I knew that feeling partially. I remember thinking, “Uh oh. I’m Jewish. What will happen to my parents,” but I didn’t understand then Aam Israel – the people/nation so ancient and so veiled. I had been in the captivity (dispersion or diaspora or scattering) for too many millennia to fully understand.

So, the kitchens of Israel or at least most of Jerusalem are closed now for 25 hours. Darkness has fallen and the synagogues are full. The vehicle-free streets are full of children riding bikes. Although we are sealed off and silent, today also marks 40 years since the Yom Kippur war and 20 years since the disastrous Oslo “peace accords” were signed.

People are dying as I write in Syria. Iran is plotting our demise and the world stands on the precipice. It is the right moment to stand sealed off before The Lord.

And, of course, Wednesday night we get to, once again, to dwell in our little succa’s (booths) for a week and rejoice together. What a great great God we serve. He certainly knows what is best.

If you choose to fast and or pray along for this nation, it might be a good time to read the book of Hebrews. It is so rich in truths which are still hidden here.

Thank you so much for caring and for even reading what I write. I am so blessed by you, dear sisters and brothers.

Lovingly, your sis J

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

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