Tag Archives: Kingdom of God

March 2, 2015 · 3:37 pm

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 sisters and brothers, in The Name of Yeshua, King of kings and Lord of lords. May He alone be glorified and may you be blessed and edified. I have missed you and feel impressed in my heart to write NOW.

I believe there is a cry for prayer rising with your todayg up from the heart of God that is pressing me to share. A title keeps swirling around in my mind: Purim Protocol.

Most know plenty about Purim, the holiday that is a result of the events recorded in the book of Esther. Many of you have even participated in Esther fasts or other preparations of heart to seek God concerning His breakthroughs for the Jewish people or the body or personal needs, when the enemy seems particularly close at hand. Well, Purim is upon us now: Wednesday through Thursday for unwalled cities, and Thursday through Friday for walled cities, Jerusalem being one of the walled cities. The book of Esther, the only book in the Bible where the Name of God is not directly mentioned, is a short book, just 10 short chapters in length. It is an easy read and we often reflect on: “for such a time as this” and “if I perish, I perish.” Powerful words from the mouths and hearts of people caught or called into a moment of history where doing and saying the right thing was key to the continuance of God’s program and the bringing forth of Messiah from His people.

It has struck me deeply that because of the urgency of the message Esther did not approach the king according to protocol. This could have had dire consequences, unless God protected Esther.

Our countries stand at a brink − not just those of you in America, but for the whole world. Since you are the ones who pray for Israel, perhaps you are aware of the messy, ugly election campaign that currently bogs us down here in Israel. I mention these things because also many of you have written and said that you do not listen to the news, so I am adding a bit of background.

Perhaps you know that our Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, arrived in Washington DC this morning to give two speeches. One to the AIPAC (American Israel lobby group) convention today, Monday, 10 a.m. Washington DC time or 5 p.m. Israel time. The other is at the invitation of the Congressional Majority Leader to a joint session of the US Congress. THIS SECOND SPEECH HAS CAUSED A FIRESTORM!

Background: For at least 9 years (some say as long as 20) our Prime Minister has been harping on the Iranian enrichment program. He has taken every opportunity to express the existential threat that he is convinced this program poses. The world has gotten tired of hearing him and the mockery thrown at him is painful to hear. Nonetheless he has stated time and again that he would take ANY PLATFORM OPEN TO HIM TO CRY OUT ABOUT THIS DANGER.

He accepted the invitation to speak to the US Congress, and the world around him blew up. It was announced that the invitation was “Not according to protocol,” and that his acceptance was an affront to the US President who was not consulted about the visit. It was offensive and a danger to Israel -US relations. He was told that the US President, Vice President, and many others would not attend the speech as it was electioneering. The US Administration’s policy is not to meet with people running for major offices so close to an election.

Our election is the 17^th of March, but the Iranian nuclear deal is running toward completion now. Netanyahu is scheduled to speak to Congress on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Washington DC time and 5 p.m. our time.

Our own news media and politicians are smearing him. How he is able to withstand the pressure must be because of the numerous prayers holding him up. Tuesday night is the night before erev Purim (or the night before Purim begins) meaning that it is during the Esther fast for those who fast.

“All the king’s servants, and people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.” (Esther 4:11)

Then Mordecai bade them to return an answer unto Esther: ‘Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more then all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house will perish; and who knoweth whether thou art not come to royal estate for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

I personally see a connection here that I cannot ignore. Normally it would be unheard of for a Prime Minister to speak to the US Congress against the wishes of a standing President. It is definitely not happening according to protocol.

We need the scepter of the Lord to be extended to Binyamin Netanyahu. We need the anointing of God to be upon him without him taking any glory. We need the message to be accurate and to be heard and heeded.

Because of the media blitz and electioneering AGAINST the Prime Minister in Israel, his election ratings have gone down. I do not know how anyone can think that he is doing this to win votes.

Perhaps I am wrong, but may The Lord be RIGHT and I am asking for you to be aware of this incredibly pivotal moment and to pray according to His Heart, if He calls your heart to prayer.

Outside, the shuk is full of colorful baskets and costumes and the shopping carts are full of goodies to put in the baskets and give out to one another in accordance with Esther 9:20-28

Signs announce Purim parties and readings of the book of Esther will take place all over the country, in homes and chosen spots. The noise-makers, called groggers or greggers will clank out their irritating noise whenever the name of Haman is mentioned during the reading, which helps to keep the children focused on the words.

And in the midst of the preparation for the age-old customs of Purim, we once again see a broken protocol and a plea for mercy against annihilation.

May The Lord be glorified.

Lovingly,

your sister J

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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February 28, 2015 · 11:31 am

What If We Ate A Few Less Cookies This Year?

It’s one of those chilly evenings in February. You are watching television when the doorbell rings. You hit pause on the remote and walk to the front door, expecting to see the neighbor’s daughter selling Girl Scout Cookies. But instead of a girl pulling a red wagon filled with overpriced cookies, you are confronted by eleven million abandoned Indian children. Each child has a hand out, begging for help. Each looks desperate and malnourished. You blink your eyes and hope the nightmare scene in front of you will change.

I know. I know. This is unrealistic and will never happen on our front porches.

Yet, the fact remains that there are eleven million abandoned children between the ages of 4 years and eleven years of age on the streets of India. Most are abandoned by parents who can’t afford to feed them. These children don’t have the option of blinking their eyes and hoping their nightmares will end because they won’t…unless we decide to help them.

How can we help?

By sponsoring a child through Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope program for only $30 per month. Gospel For Asia has helped 72,000 children so far and hopes to sponsor 500,000 children in the near future.

Maybe we could eat a few less cookies this year and help Gospel For Asia reach its goal one child sooner.

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February 27, 2015 · 1:15 pm

What’s Our First Response? (Part 2)

Untergang der Titanic (“Sinking of the Titanic”) by Willy Stöwer, 1912

When I wrote Part 1, my thinking was that the answer to the question – What’s my first response – would be to pray. But after reading the comments on Part 1 and upon further reflection, prayer may not be the best answer for us at the precise moment that calamity ambushes our lives.

Why?

Let’s say, our ship is rapidly sinking in the midst of the ocean or a tsunami is staring us in the face or an epic earthquake strikes our homes, are we really going to take the time to pray? Probably not. Every second may be the difference between living and dying. We will need to react without thinking.

How can we do that?

“It is better to live ready than to get ready!” (Smith Wigglesworth)

To Wigglesworth, living ready meant spending time with the Lord and His Spirit in prayer and studying the Word on a daily basis. Wigglesworth then expected the Holy Spirit to lead him in every situation – expected or unexpected.

Is this scriptural?

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. (Luke 6:12 NLT)

The next few verses reveal that Jesus called all of His followers together for a meeting. There He chose twelve men to be His inner group or apostles. Now, do you really think He interviewed the whole group to find the best men? No, of course not. Jesus lived ready and was the Son of God. The Holy Spirit then led Him to choose Peter, Andrew, John, James, and the rest of the apostles.

What about us believers?

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

The secret to being led by the Holy Spirit is to follow Jesus’ example, and in the words of Smith Wigglesworth, “living ready at all times.” To do this, we need to spend time in prayer and study the Bible on a regular basis.

So, what is my answer to the question: “What’s my first response?”

I don’t know right now, but I will know at the time because I live ready and expect the Holy Spirit to lead me if calamity strikes. As for now, I will walk in peace, trusting the One who can see my future before it happens.

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February 23, 2015 · 12:04 pm

What’s Our First Response? (Part 1)

Untergang der Titanic (“Sinking of the Titanic”) by Willy Stöwer, 1912

In her article, “The Simple Secret to Surviving Any Crisis or How to Prevent Paralysis During an Emergency,” Patricia Lewis quoted military survival instructor, Dr. John Leach, on how we can prepare ourselves ahead of time:

“All you have to do is ask yourself one question – if something happens, what is my first response? Once you can answer that, everything else will fall into place. It’s that simple.”

Lewis also quoted Dr. Leach’s research on survivors and victims from dozens of life-threatening disasters from around the world:

“… around 75 percent of people are so bewildered by the situation that they are unable to think clearly or plot their escape. They become mentally paralyzed. Just 15 percent of people on average manage to remain calm and rational enough to make decisions that could save their lives. The remaining 10 percent are plain dangerous: They freak out and hinder the survival chances of everyone else.”

Why do 75% of the people in life-threatening calamities freeze and become mentally paralyzed?

Today, most Americans have the attitude that someone will take care of them and therefore they have nothing to worry about. They’ve lost the courage to think for themselves, so they put their lives into the hands of others. This propensity starts young, when schoolchildren are taught to accept without question whatever is the current government line, rather than learn independent thinking skills. As adults, we specialize in denial unless told otherwise. (Patricia Lewis)

I read this article three times before it dawned on me: most of us Christians belong under the 75% heading of victims who will be bewildered and freeze in almost every crisis. We may even fall under the 10% grouping that will freak out and hinder others in their chances for survival.

Why?

Well, what do we Christians really know?

For sure, we know how to sit in pews. Stand when told to stand. Sit when told to sit. Sing when told to sing. Throw a check into an offering plate when told to give. Say “Amen” when told to respond to a sermon. And leave all decisions in the hands of the paid professionals – the clergy.

This is not biblical discipleship because we are not equipped, not built up, not walking in the unity of the faith or the knowledge of the Son of God and in His fullness.

So, what can we do?

Each of us needs to ask himself, “If something happens, what will be my first response?”

Then, we need to come up with the right answer for ourselves now.

(Continued in Part 2)

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February 22, 2015 · 1:04 pm

I Hear Asia Calling

For the last six months, I have been fasting and praying one day a week for the nations where Christians are suffering the worst persecution. I used Open Doors’ World Watch List to chart my course, beginning with North Korea on 9/5/2014 and then India last Tuesday.

My plan was to continue down the World Watch List for the rest of 2015, but my Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation changed my mind. When I read about India, it dawned on me: India and the rest of Asia hold major parts of my heart.

Therefore, beginning with Tuesday, March 3, 2015, I will be fasting and praying for India and one other nation in Asia each Tuesday.

Why am I waiting until March 3rd to make a change? I will be taking a short vacation this Tuesday through Thursday.

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February 17, 2015 · 10:55 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (2/17/2015)

Each Tuesday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

India. 1.3 billion people with 59 million Christians.

The oppressive caste system is blocking social mobility. Economic wealth is unevenly distributed. A new Hindu government (in power since May 2014 and led by Hindu hardliner Narendra Modi) is radicalizing society. All traditions of Christianity are affected by persecution in India, but Christian converts from a Hindu background and non-traditional Protestant groups are suffering most. At the top level the influence of fundamentalist Hindus has increased. Hindu radicals have started monitoring Christian activity in much detail. Many of them have planted spies in churches. Reports on pastors and church members beaten because of allegations of conversion are frequent; sometimes Christians are even killed. (World Watch List)

Prayer Points for India:

For Christian converts to stand strong against those who are trying to force a return to Hinduism
That hatred against Christians instigated by radical political parties may end
That the new government of Narendra Modi will give Christians the freedom to express their faith without violence in every part of India.

India is the world’s largest democracy and the second most populous country, behind China. It is a highly diverse country, with a multitude of languages, cultures and religions. The social and political structures in India are largely determined by religion, caste and language. Despite India’s increasing presence in the global economy, the vast majority of the rural population remains impoverished. India is the birthplace of Hinduism and has the second largest Muslim population in the world, after Indonesia, with at least 14 percent of its 1.2 billion people claiming that affiliation…(The Voice of the Martyrs)

The lyrics for the song, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, are based on the last words by an Indian man who along with his family converted to Christianity. His children, his wife, and he were executed for refusing to renounce their beliefs in Jesus. If you have the time, listen to the above song and the narrator tell the history behind the song…awesome.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray for all of the believers in India who have decided to follow You, although they may wonder about their beliefs from time to time and may not have anyone to walk with them, I pray they will never turn back from following You. (Based on the lyrics of I Have Decided to Follow Jesus by S. Sundar Singh)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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February 16, 2015 · 12:02 pm

The Rumors of Larry’s Death Were Not Greatly Exaggerated (6)

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Have you ever heard of Fred Smith?

When Smith attended Yale in the 1960s, he wrote a term paper, which invented an industry and dreamed of changing the impossible into the possible. His professor couldn’t visualize the revolutionary implications of Smith’s ideas and gave Smith’s term paper an average grade. The professor’s reasoning: the business was not feasible.

Smith’s impossible dream became a reality on April 17, 1973, when Federal Express began operations with 389 employees, 14 planes, and 186 packages in Memphis, Tennessee. The packages were flown to 25 cities and delivered the following day.

Today, we think little about dropping a package off at a Federal Express site or a competitive carrier and then expecting the package to be delivered the next day or soon after. Yet, the whole air/land express industry was just a dream fifty years ago and pooh-poohed by experts at the time.

Let’s say that I sat next to Fred Smith in his business class at Yale and also had to write a term paper on a proposed business, just like Smith did. For my business model, being the believer that I am today, I would have written:

1. My publishing company will have no partners, except for family.

2. It will never ask for money.

3. With the exception of book stores and eBook publishers, my publishing company will not set prices for its books.

4. My publishing company will operate under the U.S. and state business laws as a business and not as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt organization.

5. The millions of dollars generated by my publishing company will help feed and care for the poor and needy of the world.

What do you think the professor would have said to me after reading my paper?

The professor probably would have called me into his office, closed the door, and stared at me for a few minutes in total quiet. Maybe he would have shaken his head and blown out a deep breath before saying, “Son, you remind me of the two guys who came up with the brilliant idea of buying watermelons in San Diego for $1 each and then hauling them to LA and selling them for 50¢ each. It wasn’t long before the two men learned they were losing lots of money. One of the guys came up with an idea and said, ‘We need a bigger truck so we can be like K-Mart and make up our losses with volume sales.'”

I can guess what my grade would have been on the paper. Can you?

(Continued in Part 7)

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February 15, 2015 · 3:57 pm

Too Good Not to Post Today…Really!

I have been praying about something for years and recently I acted on them. I sent an email to a person in hopes of seeing my prayers being turned into reality. I laid everything on the line: my hopes, my dreams, my vulnerabilities, and so forth.

The net result of my email was zero. Nothing happened. The man never sent me a reply nor did he even acknowledge my email.

Now, this doesn’t bother me in the least because after almost thirty years of walking with the Lord, I have learned a few things about myself. The chief one being that not every idea of mine is from the Lord. Thus, I need to test them and see if they are from Him.

Okay, working with that particular man in the way I envisioned was not from the Lord. Thanks Jesus, I get it.

Then, Mark Pedder, a missionary to the Philippines, posted the above video on his Facebook account. I watched it and bingo! It grabbed my heart. I transcribed the three-minute video word for word and a powerful revelation arose within me. I am now praying and seeking the Lord on the rest of the details and the Lord’s timing.

Here’s the point I want to make: we never know exactly how the Lord is going to speak to us. We just need to seek Him and allow Him to be a BIG God…One that can even use a dancing guy to reveal His plans to us.

(The video is from Derek Sivers and his website can be seen here)

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February 15, 2015 · 9:17 am

Inside Israel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God bless you and keep you.

Lovingly,

your sis J

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February 13, 2015 · 6:56 pm

To Listen or Not to Listen to Prophecy…That’s the Question (Part 5)

What is the first thought that enters your mind when the word “prophet” is mentioned? Do you instantly think of a wild-haired, bearded man wearing coarse camel-hair clothing with a leather belt, bursting onto the scene, much like an Elijah or John the Baptist?

Or do you think of our Lord Jesus walking through crowds of people and ministering to them?

And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:11)

Most Christians can easily picture pastors, teachers, and evangelists as ministries for the Lord, but then we struggle with the ministry of the prophet. The main reason for our struggles are the more than fifty-five examples of prophets mentioned in the Old Testament. These were the main characters, and with the exception of Jesus, we know more about the Old Testament prophets’ ministries than all of the other ministries in the whole Bible combined.

What do we really know about the ministry of the pastor, teacher, or evangelist? Very little.

But what do we know about the ministries of the Old Testament prophets:

1. The prophets were God’s mouthpiece to the people of Israel and other nations. There were no ifs, ands, buts, whys, howevers, therefores, or testings of the prophets’ words. All words were to be accepted as from the Lord. Period.

2. If the prophets’ words failed to take place, the people were not to fear them.

3. If the prophets’ words led people away to follow other gods, then the prophets were to be killed.

4. The Spirit of the Lord came upon prophets (also a few kings and priests) to prophesy.

5. If the prophets failed to speak God’s words to the people of Israel, the prophets were held accountable for what happened to the people.

6. The Old Testament prophets suffered heavy afflictions because of their prophecies.

I do not want to understate the value of studying the Old Testament prophets because there is much to be gleaned from studying them. Yet, we need to view their ministries through the light of the cross. The Apostle Paul wrote: