Showing posts with label Charles Simpson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Simpson. Show all posts

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Why Israel? - Ahava Love Letter/Now Think On This (Steve Martin)


Why Israel?


“Because I love Jerusalem, I will continue to speak for her; for Jerusalem's sake I will not stop speaking until her goodness shines like a bright light, until her salvation burns bright like a flame.” (Isaiah 62:1 New Century Version)


In 1979 Laurie and I, still newlyweds after two years, were part of a church group in LaSalle/Peru, Illinois. The former Baptist pastors, Stan and Dixie Buren, had gathered a small group of charismatics around them. Many of the members were seeking to be more involved with a national Christian movement called discipleship. To better achieve that purpose, we were invited to a conference held by Shiloh Fellowship in East Lansing, MI. The gathering was at Mackinac Island, in the very north of the great state of Michigan. Laurie and I made the long trip, with our two boys, Josh and Ben in arms, along with a few other carloads.

As a young couple (24 and 20 years old) we were fervently seeking the Lord. We wanted, in our heart of hearts, to be right in the middle of what He was doing. We were going to do what it took to follow Him, trust Him, and see His will come, on earth as it is in heaven. We were strongly committed.

The name of one of the speakers, Derek Prince, was familiar to us. He was an author too. The magazine, New Wine, published in Fort Lauderdale, had regular articles featuring five Bible teachers on a monthly basis. They were Derek, Don Basham, Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson and Ern Baxter. Personally, I devoured the messages each month, appreciating everything that was written. Derek was one of my favorites of the five. 

(To this day I have kept all the editions of the magazine’s publications from 1974-1986. Dick Leggatt, an editor of the magazine over its life span, is now President of DPM-USA, Derek Prince Ministries. Thank you Dick. And eight years after that Mackinac Island conference, in 1987, I began my eight years of working for Derek Prince Ministries, with David Selby, International Director, as my boss. Thank you David!)


Derek Prince

Derek spoke on the last night of the conference, Saturday, and shared a message based on a little pamphlet he had written. It was called “Our Debt To Israel.” The words, spoken straight forward, hit my heart. I knew there was something very special about what he was saying, and that I needed to understand it. For this I am eternally grateful, as he made the Bible’s words on the subject clear, as to why Israel.

Pointing out that the Bible itself was written and accurately kept over these several centuries, by God’s chosen people, the Jews, was the starting point. All of the writers - Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah and more – were all Jews. Because of this reason alone we have a huge debt to the Jewish people.

But the most important reason of all, in regards to our debt to Israel and the Jewish people, is the historical fact that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, was, is, and ever shall be a Jew. He came down from heaven, God becoming man, to the nation of Israel two centuries ago, to bring salvation to the world, both for Jew and Gentile alike.

In our daily reading of the Torah, the Scriptures, the Bible, as believers, we can know and understand the Lord’s heart for the Jewish people, through which He came, and His everlasting love for them now. We can see the fulfillment of His promises of restoration to them, how He has brought them back to their rightful Promised and Holy Land. It is now our part of our debt payment to them, to stand with them to the end of time.

Having been to Israel 11 times as of this writing in February, 2014, my heart for Israel and the Jewish people continues to grow in love and appreciation, with a firm, long standing commitment. Our ministry, Love For His People, founded by Laurie and I in April of 2010, monthly send financial and prayer support to Jewish families in the Land. We are always looking to do more, as God the Father directs.

Why Israel? Because without the Jews, which remain as God’s eternal choice to reveal Himself to the nations, we would not have had a Bible. Nor would we have a living Messiah/Savior.

The Word says that in the last days all the nations will again rise up against these whom have continually been blamed for everything that has gone wrong. Really? Well, it is about time that someone like us, as believers, prove them all liars, and that His eternal Word is true. We are to stand for Israel because the Lord God of Israel, Who sees them as the "apple of His eye", has promised to protect and keep them in His care. He has proven this over and over again.

Why Israel? Because God said so. And that is certainly enough for me and my house. May your heart and commitment be to do the same.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin
Love For His People
Founder


Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these letters minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless known families in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Go here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH  OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134
Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share this Ahava Love Letter/Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  
martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin and  Love For His People  
  
Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

           Ahava Love Letters
           
  Full website: Love For His People


Ahava Love Letter/Now Think On This #107 - Why Israel?”   Steve Martin 
Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (02.09.14 Sunday at 7:00 am in Charlotte, NC).


All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter/Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and our newest website: Ahava Love Letters







Monday, August 19, 2013

Ahava Love Letter - "Demons & Fire Trucks"

                 

         “Demons & Fire Trucks”
  
“As I watched, thrones were set in place; and the Ancient One 
took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, the hair on 
His head was like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, 
with wheels of burning fire.” Daniel 7:9 Complete Jewish Bible


Dear family of friends,

My wife Laurie began her 13th year on staff at the Calvary Development Center this August of 2013. In addition to being a grandma of her own six, she also is one to 10-12 new kiddos each year. All of those will become two year olds during that school year. (Imagine that, those who have raised one or more two year olds.) I highly commend my good wife for her dedication and faithfulness. She touches many lives.
Every August, at the start of each new school year, the daycare teachers have a moment during the Calvary Church Sunday morning service when they are introduced and acknowledged. Thus we attended this church gathering that morning, rather than our usual Antioch International Church. It was a bit different to say the least, for the following reason.
Calvary Church in Charlotte, NC

The meeting was to have started promptly at 9:45 am. After saving our seats in the proper section, with about ten minutes to spare, I went to the bookstore, as custom would have it, to check out the latest. I was glad to find birthday and thank you boxed cards, which I always need. The “Tabernacle & Ark of the Covenant” pamphlet would also come in handy as a resource Bible study tool, so that got put on the check-out counter too. If they had a Snickers candy bar sitting there next to the cash register, it would have been added to the purchase. Gotta have that mid-morning energy, as I figure.
Just before the nice elderly lady rang up the fourth item, the fire alarm went off. It was a different sound than what I would have known, but it brought the intended reaction. Everyone started moving. I calmly asked her to finish my transaction, so I wouldn’t have to come back later. She did, even as the security man said we needed to evacuate. I was thankful for his patience with me.
Three thousand people filed out the doors in orderly fashion, The fire trucks came. False alarm.
#24 to the rescue!

Back into the massive, beautiful and glorious sanctuary we went. Seven minutes later - the fire alarm went off again. As one later asked me in a text, “Was that part of the sermon message?” “I didn’t think so,” I responded.
Growing up as a believer in the 1970s and onward, I was privileged to sit under the Bible teaching of Derek Prince, Don Basham, Charles Simpson, Ern Baxter and Bob Mumford. I am to this day very thankful for them and their shared lives. We were taught well, and along with all their other foundational, bedrock lessons for our daily Christian walk, we were also introduced to the reality of demons and their menacing, hateful activity. We weren’t “looking for a demon behind every rock” as some critics would have thought, but we did learn to develop spiritual eyes and discernment, and be aware of that which the human eye cannot detect.
So when the fire alarm went off that second time, my mind kicked into a higher level of awareness, wondering what the Lord had going on here, and what was He trying to say to myself, and others who may have been asking. And no, I didn’t think it was a demon standing by the alarm switch pulling on it for a good time.
My actual thought was, “Lord, are you saying we need to get out of our comfortable pews and into the world that is on fire (both in the natural and the spiritual), and this is just another way how You are speaking? Trying to be loud and clear about it?”
I think so. The alarms are sounding all over in the nations. People are dying and going to hell without the saving knowledge of the only living Messiah, Jesus Christ (His Hebrew name being Yeshua HaMashiach.)
Will this just be another routine week for each of us? Or will we become more aware of the "fire trucks", the demon activity, and the spiritual warfare happening all around us, and take our part in fulfilling His purpose that He has called each of us to? Time is fast coming to a close as we know it.
 Ahava (love in Hebrew) to my family of friends,
Steve Martin
Founder/President

P.S. On the east end wall of the very large foyer at Calvary Church is this display. May we also be one impacting the world with our light that the Lord has given each of us to carry where we are at. And where we are going to.



Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.
Please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless Israel with our humanitarian ministry. 

Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 
Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)

Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.

E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People  
  
Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

  
Full website: www.loveforhispeople.org

YouTube: Steve Martin (loveforhispeopleinc)

Ahava Love Letter #69   “Demons & Fire Trucks”  ©2013 Steve Martin 
Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (08/19/13 Monday at 5:45 am in Charlotte, NC)

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog:

     
Here are the last few:

I Like Mike (#68)
Disappointed with Small Beginnings? (#67)
Rise Again (#66)
The Cities (#65)
How can You Mend A Broken Heart (#64)
Anxious (#63)
Hidden (#62)
Get Back in the Boat (#61)
Need Money? (#60)
Rejected? (#59)
In Your Building – Guard Against Distractions (#58)
Connections (#57)
Your Name (#56)
Lost, But Not Forgotten Friends (#55)

Yes!