Can one be an effective witness to Jews? Many Christians involved in ministries in the land of Israel say it is easier to minister to Arabs. Statistics verify that there are more Christian Arabs than there are Messianic Jews. The Apostle Paul tells us why this is true today: "a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:25-26). Comparing Jews and Arabs would be an error. Arabs are Gentiles and should be coming to know Yeshua at a faster rate than the Jews. Arabs are deceived while Jews are blinded (or calloused) to the Gospel--blinded by God for a season. The good news to those who are called of the Lord to minister to the Jews is that they will come to know the Messiah--all Israel will be saved! That means that our devotion to and loving patients toward Isaac's seed will have great reward; maybe not today or tomorrow or next month, but God will removed the blinders in His time.
For now, the Jews are looking for their Messiah to bring peace in the promised land. Robbie's and my time in the land has let us know how little peace there is. Jews constantly fear rockets and threats. They have to be careful to stay in their Jewish neighborhood as the Arab neighbors are free to express hatred and violence. We have seen it: Arab's are safe in Jewish neighborhoods, but Jews ARE NOT safe in Arab neighborhoods.
Jesus tells us to take the Gospel to the world so none will go into eternity without the blood of Jesus. For certain--God provided His son for all. So, as His people who are 'grafted in," we must not support anyone who insists that the "replacement" church, Arabs, or any other entity has rights to dispossess Jews from their God-given territory. Arabs would prosper, too, if they would recognize and agree with the authority of God's Word.
Front entrance
A recent visit to Nimrod's Castle (video at the bottom) reminded us of how far back the hatred goes. An inscription dating 1275 by the Mameluke Sultan gives the intent of their presence in the Land of Israel at that time: "Killer of rebellious deviators, renewer of justice and the whole world." In other words, one had to convert to Islam or be killed. While the castle was amazing, it was a reminder of what true intolerance looks like. It was named Nimrod's Castle after the Bible character who was a hunter. Bible scholars note that Nimrod was a "hunter of men's souls." That same spirit still resides within Islam and those that embrace that religion. They will one day (maybe sooner than we think) turn on the Bride (Christ's true church) as bitterly as they have been against the Jews all these centuries.
Taken from the upper tower
Ruins...destroyed by an earthquake
Nimrod's castle crumbled as will Islam. The evil voice of Islam is strong and insights fear for masses in almost every nation. Jerusalem is the city of the Great King. God's Word is the foundation that will stand through all wars for The Lord is our warrior king. May we ALL bow down and worship at His footstool.
This was a thrilling day. Hundrends (more like one thousand plus) gathered at the top of Ben Yehuda. There was a super charged excitement in the air to go along with the sand blowing in from the desert. We got to meet Billie Brim, one of our favorite prophecy teachers. Robbie grabbed Pastor Hagee's hand before the security could push him away. We met many other very nice people from Dallas. If it could have been advertised, many more would have participated, but it had to be kept low-key for safety purposes. It seemed to be well received by the response of the onlookers. This rally had many more attendees than "Christ at the Checkpoint." The atmosphere was totally different. This was full of joy, unity, and the presence of the Lord. It was an honor to stand with those who stand with Israel!!
Purim is so named because Haman cast lots (Purim) to determine the extermination day
of the Jews. This 2 day celebration for the Jews is taken from the book of
Ester. It is similar to our Halloween in that many dress up in costumes and
give treats. However, there is a huge difference in the meaning: Purim
represents deliverance from evil.
Some of the Jews keep to this spiritual meaning with fasting,
Torah readings and celebrating in the Synagogue. To secular Jews, it is a time
to celebrate with more of a “party” atmosphere, remembering their freedom from
oppressors. (The Jews have had many oppressors!)The video attached is taken on
Ben Yehuda at 2:30 the 3rd day of Purim. Many families, religious
and non-religious alike, were enjoying the day. As we were heading home, a religious
Jewish man at the bus stop told us it is the one day of the year (Adar 14) that
it is alright to drink alcohol—not to get drunk, but to be merry. I prefer the joy of the Holy Spirit!!
Mordecai (a type of the Holy Spirit) is the real hero of the
story of Ester. Resident of Susa (Persia), he kept a watchful eye for the Jews.
He also stepped in to save the King’s life. All was well between the King and the
Jews until Haman was elevated to a place of authority. Feeling his power, Haman
required people bow to him. A righteous Jew would never bow to anyone but God. Furious,
Haman found out that Mordecai was a Jew and conspired to not only kill
Mordecai, but all of the Jewish people in all of the 127 provinces on the 13th
of Adar. Haman built gallows of which to hang Mordecai and then commanded the citizens
of Susa (modern day Iran) to kill the Jews. Historians and commentators say that Haman was
a descendant of the Amalekites who hated Jews. The Jews went to battle many
times against their Amalekite enemy throughout their history. Haman had a
life-time of hatred toward the Jews and knew it was his time to even the score.
At the prompting of Mordecai, beautiful Ester (Hadassah),
Mordecai’s young cousin he raised as his own daughter, was brought into the
king’s palace and chosen to be queen. Upon learning the fate of the Jews at the
hand of Haman, Ester intervened in her people’s behalf. The evil was revealed;
Haman was ridiculed and executed upon his own gallows he intended for Mordecai.
(Read Psalm 35) Israel will be vindicated from all the nations who have plotted to shame and destroy the Chosen people. The greatest victory is ahead.
A beautiful truth is that deliverance came right before the greatest potential of destruction. Jews
have had many enemies and God has always and will always deliver them. For all of us, Ester is a picture of
triumph over the enemy of our soul. Not only was Christ executed in our place,
but because he was, we were given authority over all the power of the enemy.
“The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble
and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any
nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children;
and to plunder the property of their enemies” (Ester 8:11-12).
Ester (the Bride) who
stepped into the King’s presence to intercede for the Jews is a picture of the church who should take their place before the Throne of God, giving
Him no rest until He makes Jerusalem the praise of the earth
(Isa. 62:7; Joel 3). It is imperative the Church hear Mordecai’s call for “such a time as this.”
Robbie and I hiked through the Tel Dan
National Park that was once the dwelling place of the tribe of Dan. The Dan
Spring, fed by the melting snow of Mt. Hermon as well as underground springs,
was roaring all around us as we walked the different paths viewing ruins from ancient
civilizations. While standing mesmerized at the crashing water, the words of
Yeshua came roaring into my soul, “Rivers of living water will flow from
within.” The picture I was getting was
of the power of the Holy Spirit that is to operate within the believer. Christ
said He had to go away so He could send God’s spirit to empower us just
as the Holy Spirit had empowered Him. It is a well of living joy. The banks around
us were full of fragrant foliage that only water can bring--what a picture of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Ancient Canaanite Gate
Wall of the flour mill at Tel Dan
In the New Testament, we
read that Jesus went up to the temple courts to teach on the last and greatest
day of the Feast of Tabernacles and loudly proclaimed, “If
anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the
Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who
believed in him were later to receive” (John 7:37-39 and see all of chapter
7 and John 4:14). Jesus used culture and the events of the feast days for his
powerful proclamation.
Sukkot is celebrated for 7 days. It is also
known as the Feast of Tabernacle and Feast of Booths that is right after Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The 3 make up the Fall feasts and is one of the 3
feasts required for Jews to go to Jerusalem to worship. Sukkot was
a time of joyful celebration that included a daily water libation ceremony; a law whichMosestransmitted but which is not recorded
in the Torah. This water was drawn on the evening beforehand, amidst great
fanfare and singing. In fact, theTalmudstates that "one who has not
witnessed the Festival of the Water Drawing has not seen joy in his
lifetime!" (Talmud, Sukkah 53).
Debris from the waters
For 7 days, the followers of Jesus and others listening for
different reasons had seen the huge water celebration: the going back and
forth to draw the water to pour upon the altar and the prayers for rain on the
coming planting season.
Then He shouts on the last day, “COME TO ME AND
DRINK.” He was saying, “I am the fulfillment. You need me for your planting season. And when you drink, My living water will bring life and you
will have strength enough to do the work of my Father” (quotation mine). Oh Church, come to Him
and drink. I leave you with the scripture that the Jews use
during the water libation: Isa 12:3,
“With
joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
Remember the song "The River of God sets my feet to dancing. The River of God fills my heart with cheer..." Reference:
Bethany is a village on the Mount of Olives, small in size with huge significance. Yeshua spent a lot of time with His disciples and friends in Bethany. Today, it is occupied by mostly Arabs, but in Yeshua’s time, it was home to Martha, Mary, Lazarus and Simon the Leper. Lazarus was raised from the dead there. Yeshua’s body was anointed for burial there. He and His disciples ate the final Passover Supper there. His last moments on earth before ascending to heaven were spent there in Bethany (Luke 24:50).
The pictures of Lazarus’ tomb (attached to this blog) are of our recent visit to Bethany. I would love to know the house in which the Passover Supper was eaten. But then, we possibly would worship the place. In a recent teaching, I learned I had missed a significance of communion I want to share with you.
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:22-26, NIV).
Robbie entering the tomb of Lazarus
First level of steps
The second level of steps
The tomb of Lazarus
“This is the cup” was a phrase of which a Jewish man was very familiar. We need to accept how “Jewish” Jesus really was and that He taught from known culture that His followers could understand.
From the Talmud, we learn that when a Jewish man asked a girl to marry him, he handed his cup to her that symbolized his blood, his life he was offering her—the offer of a new covenant between him and his beloved. If she took his cup and drank from it, she accepted his promise that he would go prepare a place for his bride. She cherished the cup and kept it visible as a reminder, often holding it as she looked out of her window longing for her groom. At the marriage ceremony, they would partake of the cup together sealing that they would never be apart. In Jewish weddings to this day, the cup is broken after the couple drinks of the wine. To the Jewish couple,this is done to remember the destroyed temples. This speaks, to me, that Christ was wounded that we may have covenant with Him forever!!
The disciples knew he was asking them to marry Him and become His bride. That’s why Paul warned that we should not take communion lightly, unworthily. His bride should keep His cup in remembrance more than ever—daily. He will “drink it anew” with us soon and we will never be apart again!!
This Shabbat would be a great time to take communion with those closest to you.
This has been a cold winter. The locals say it has been the coldest in 20 years with the most rainfall. This was taken when the snow began at about 7 a.m. Now, at 10 a.m., the snow is picking up and beginning to stick..still no buses. I'm not complaining. We have all we need to stay in and enjoy a quiet white Shabbat.
Robbie and I volunteer for an organization in Jerusalem called Christian Friends of Israel. They have been a voice in the community for 26 years. It is one of compassion, integrity and stability that has gained them respect even among the highly religious Jews.
I am filling in as "cook" until the middle of March. It is hard work, but enjoyable. CFI is truly an awesome place to volunteer. Every one is supportive and encouraging. Here's a short video of a few of our volunteer staff and a link for you to know more about them. If the Lord directs you to invest in the Kingdom of God in Israel, I recommend CFI. I know the heart of the staff is to minister to the precious people in Israel.
The "Replacement Doctrine" is raging in Israel particularly among Christian Arabs. There is an upcoming conference called "Christ at the Checkpoint" in March. You can check it out at: http://www.bethbc.org/christ_at_the_checkpoint_march_2012. Be careful! It sounds great in that there is a call for unity. If you will listen to the leaders, they say things like "Israel (the Jews) is Babylon" and due to be destroyed by God. It is deception that many are following.
This is a longer blog than usual for me. I wanted to share what it is like here on Shabbat. Also, the video is of our trip home on the bus on Friday afternoon. It is not as crowded as so many are off all day on Fridays.
Shabbat is observed in Israel by the religious and the secular-- both
Jews and Christians—in a greater way than the churches in America. Between 20
to 40 percent of Americans attend church or synagogue each week (http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/fastfacts/fast_facts.html).
In Israel, even the government observes Shabbat. The buses stop running at
about 5 p.m. on Friday evening and do not resume until Saturday evening. Work
stops. 84 percent of Israeli Jews observe Shabbat to some degree. The Sabbath
is special here. To the Jew in Israel, it is the most important ritual
observance in Judaism and is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten
Commandments. The fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” Exodus 20:8.It is also the most important special day, even more important
than Yom Kippur (Judaism 101: http://www.jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm
). The word "Shabbat" comes
from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest.
For the ultra-religious, there is a long set of rules that
seem extreme; things like not driving your car, not turning on a light switch, unscrewing the light
bulb in the refrigerator so it would not come on, for to them, turning on electricity is kindling a fire. So, whatever light they may need is turned on
before Shabbat begins. There are many more rules. They take the instructions
given to Moses literally. The religious Jews looked at all the work detail the Israelites did
to prepare the Tabernacle and created the list of don’ts from it.
The typical Shabbat begins with leaving the place of work
about 2 or 3 p.m. on Friday. (Robbie and I leave CFI, (Christian Friends of
Israel, at 2 P.M with the other volunteers.) The house is cleaned and a festive
meal is prepared. Shabbat, like all Jewish days, begins at sunset, because in
the story of creation in Genesis Ch. 1, you will notice that it says, "And
there was evening, and there was morning." From this, we infer
that a day begins with evening, that is, sunset. Shabbat candles are lit and a
blessing is recited no later than eighteen minutes before sunset. This ritual,
performed by the woman of the house, officially marks the beginning of Shabbat.
Two candles are lit, representing the two commandments: zakhor (remember) and shamor
(observed). The family then attends a brief evening service after which they
enjoy a leisurely dinner together. Before dinner, the man of the house recites
Kiddush, a prayer over wine sanctifying Shabbat. The usual prayer for eating
bread is recited over two loaves of challah. After dinner, the birkat ha-mazon
(grace after meals) is recited. By the time all of this is completed, it may be
9PM or later. The family has an hour or two to talk or study Torah, and then go
to sleep.
The next morning Shabbat services begin around 9AM and
continue until about noon. Robbie and I have noticed that on Saturday mornings, many Jewish families fill the sidewalks singing and laughing as they go up to worship. After services, the family says kiddush again and
has another leisurely, festive meal. A stew is a favorite because it can be
slow cooked before Shabbat begins thereby avoiding doing work as stated in Ex.
35:3, “You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath
day." The family studies Torah for
a while, talks, takes an afternoon walk, plays some checkers, or engages in
other leisure activities. NO TELEVISION! Shabbat ends at nightfall, when three
stars are visible, approximately 40 minutes after sunset. At the conclusion of
Shabbat, the family performs a concluding ritual called Havdalah (separation,
division). Blessings are recited over wine, spices and candles. Then a blessing
is recited regarding the division between the sacred and the secular, between
Shabbat and the working days. Separating a day as “Holy unto the Lord” blesses
the rest of the work week.
Most Christian families in the land do not go to that extreme.
Some attend congregations on Saturday and some on Sunday. Most will have the Friday
evening meal with friends and partake of communion together; then, rest on
Saturday. While we do not hold to the ultra legalism because we know the Sabbath
was made for man (Mark 2:27), you will find that communion is very important
and is taken in the home with friends and family on Friday evening.
So you see, every Friday, most of Israel has communion—the bread
and the wine. The Jews would never call it that, but as a believer, we join in observance
during Shabbat and remember that Jesus set us free from sin’s bondage. To the
Jew, it is remembering the freedom from Egypt. A slave is forced to work. Freedom
gives us rights to rest. How precious it is to share freedom God gave us with His “chosen”
people.
“Keeping the Sabbath holy”
means a lot of different things and each religion has their own interpretation.
Many of us Christians are guilty of it being a “catch-up” day before Monday.
However, I believe it would be pleasing to our Heavenly Father, the giver of
The Word, to honor this special time with Him. When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, He wanted us
to understand it is right to do good on His Holy day. We are also to rest and
remember all He has done for us!! Have an awesome time of celebration this
Sunday.
*References: Judaism
101.com.
Scripture references: Ex. 20: 8, 11; Ex. 16:23-30; Ex 31: 14-17; Dt. 5: 12-15, and many more.
There are 134 scriptures regarding the Sabbath!
Mount Hermon has 3 snowy peaks that melt to feed the Jordan. It is the most northern boundary of the Promised Land and is called the Eyes of Israel because of its ability to serve as an early warning post. The winding roads to our destination brought us face to face with what David saw when he penned Psalm 133. Hermon captures massive precipitation that brings life and fertility to all of Israel.
Ps 133:1-134:1 (AMP)
1 BEHOLD, HOW good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body]. [Ex 30:25,30.]
3 It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].
In much the same way, unity among one another brings life and fruitfulness. Disunity cuts off the flowing river of the Holy Spirit that benefits not only yourself but all those around you.
Our purpose was to meet new friends among a Druze village. These are people who are descendants from Jethro, Moses' father-in-law. We had an awesome time of fellowship. You can see the photos. They keep to many traditions that are centuries old.
One video is of our class of English students. They were more advanced that I expected! Mostly they needed to hear actual Americans speaking the language. They can now say "Hey, howya doin" in proper southern English.
Saturday morning, Robbie and I headed to Tiberias and planned to conduct an English class in a Druze village. We were a week early, so spent time with Maureen and Denise, the stewards of the Tiberias prayer house for Apple of His Eye instead. I have video footage of that house for you.
Much has been said about Israel striking Iran's nuclear facilities lately. It has been talked since 2009 that I remember. Most of the world does not see the need for Israel to protect herself. It seems the hatred toward Israel is getting stronger but it is business as usual in Jerusalem. They are accustomed to war and threats. A scripture that spoke strongly to me today is from Isaiah 49:25-26:
"For I will contend with the one who contends with you And I will save your sons (children). I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine; And all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
We don't need to fear since God has the final word on things. Be assured--His Word is the right word. STAND WITH ISRAEL.
Traveling
the Judean Valley never bores me. It's not just the topography, but the knowing
every mile holds Biblical significance. With computer in hand as a reference,
Robbie and I discuss the various Bible stories. As we began our assent up
to Jerusalem, with mountains on both sides as though we were being swallowed, special
scriptures were coming to mind that have been fulfilled in my day. The path we traveled were mountains that had been carved down the middle as it says in Is. 49: 11-12, "I will turn all my mountain into
roads, and my highways will be raised up. See, they will come from afar--some
from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan." Is.
40:4-5, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall
be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places
plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken."
Before I close, I will ask something of
you: If you see Marcie, Adam, Whitney, Caleb, Owen, Jay or Zoe, give them a
really big hug for me...and remember to pray for them. God bless you.
Robbie and I volunteer at CFI. I cook and he organizes the mail room. We loved the team and all the wonderful work they do. It is
amazing to hear all the stories of how God sends people from all over the world
to Jerusalem. Just that 1 ministry has people from Australia, England, Tailand,
Belarus, Holland, France, Ethiopia, Africa, 5 states of the U.S. and several Israeli. On Friday, we will head to
the Tiberias house to do a repair. On Saturday, we'll meet with our new Druze
friends for an English lesson. We'll be teaching with southern style.
We are
praying for you all and send our love. Shalom, y'all.
Today is Thursday, the 2nd, cold but not raining. We have been drying cloths on an old fashioned clothes rack for 4 days...dryer does not work. Today, most of them are dry and need ironing. I packed a little of everything but an iron. The best deal is in the Old City. Since Robbie needs to exchange some money, we head to Shabon's Money Exchange which is in the Arab section of the Old City. You can see what it is like in the video I've posted. I have a small pocket "Vado" that Whitney gave me. The quality is pretty good but does not focus as quickly as I was walking--sorry.
After the iron purchase, break to eat some sweets, and being cornered by an overly anxious salesman who had a tight grip on my arm (ladies, I thought I was going to have to put my defense training into practice), we visited a Greek Orthodox church. Inside was Helen's Cistern. Helen was Constantine's mother who had a passion for restoring many Christian sights and built churches over them. She discovered a cistern and used the water to build the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The picture is of the priests of the "Cistern" church.
We would like for you to pray for our trip to Majda Shams close to the Syrian border. We will be teaching English in a Druze village for the next 4 Saturdays. It is a great opportunity to be a witness for Christ. While we cannot "preach", we can take the love of God.
Masada is about 60 miles from Jerusalem on the Dead Sea near En Gedi. A nice drive through part of the Judean desert until you come to the wall of the Judean Mountains to the right of you with the Dead Sea on the left. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in this area, the Qumran caves. We stopped part way to have a nail removed from our tire. We were thankful that a flat or blowout was avoided.
After a nice drive, we took the cable car to the top of Masada. I could not interest Tommie in the hike on foot!!
We finished the day with a nice meal in one of the plazas near the spa hotels and an over night stay in the Masada Youth Hostel. The next morning we were met by the rain and decided that if were were going to be cold and wet we'd prefer to do that in Jerusalem.
On a very windy and cold Tuesday, Tommie and I walked to the post office to pay bills. Yes, bills in Jerusalem, too. Funny thing though, you pay them all at the post office; enter, take a number, wait and pay. At least you save the cost of a stamp.
After business, we hiked up to the old city. Our first stop was lunch at Christ Church. Next, we visit the Tower of David Museum. The Tower of David was left standing during the time of the Roman destruction. The complex is a compilation of every era Israel experienced.
Tommie and I are excited to be in Israel. After 33 years of full-time pastoring, we felt a strong direction toward a life-long love of ours--the Israeli people. Our church, Cornerstone Assembly in Flowery Branch, GA., has shared this vision with us. Being "sent" to Israel as part of their ministry, we are finding such joy and are watching God bless on both end. It is our hope that blogging will keep us all connected.
