“Commitment - To Do or Not To Do” - message by Steve Martin

​Commitment - Do What Is Right

 

Walking the laps at the local gym sometimes (not always) reminds me of those high school days when practicing on the baseball or football teams. That was a long time ago, so I don’t think of that many times.

 

But as you will read more below in this message, Commitment - Do What is Right”, I trust your memory banks might be woken up for times of remembrance for you.

 

Before I pulled out of the drive to come to the gym, the Holy Spirit had me stop and go get one of my books. The young black man at the gym reception desk, Benjie, (“Benjamin” he said when I asked how he wanted it autographed when I saw him) might just read it. All Men Rise Up!

 

Be blessed, encouraged, and know more the love of our Lord today.

 

COMMITMENT- DO WHAT IS RIGHT

“Don’t stop. When you get to third base keep running!”

I am sure my Columbus High School baseball coach in Waterloo, Iowa, Brian “Duke” Dutkowski, yelled this a few times, wildly waving his arm in a circular motion as each of us ran the bases in practice.

And when it came to “game time” we already knew what to do. Keep running.

(It paid off. In 1971-1972 in my junior year, we went to the state finals. Though we lost the semi-final game 1-0 to the eventual champion.)

Being trained in the way we should go does not start the moment the game has already begun. Then it is too late. It must start long before, during the training season. When you have time to get it right.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

And then you are prepared to play properly when the umpire yells, “Play ball!”

Commitment must start at the beginning. It is extremely hard to change course in the middle of the crucial game, strategic battle, or when an unforeseen circumstance occurs at home, when the pressure is applied. Especially when you are unprepared, or non-committal.

The biblical writer of Hebrews tells us correctly.

“So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as God’s still calling it Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we’re in this with Christ for the long haul.” Hebrews 3:12-14, The Message

“Keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with.” Heed that word. Keep it close to your heart and in your spirit.

If we learn to do right at the start, when the time comes to apply the right choice, it will be done.

Commitment. Do what is right.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Jesus (Yeshua) is returning soon.

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Jesus is returning soon. Yes Lord!

Buy here: https://a.co/d/0dVJDXSb

Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA

Shabbat Shalom to all our Jewish friends

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Shabbat Shalom to all our Jewish friends.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin in Charlotte, North Carolina

Runnin’ With Angels - sung by Sons of Sunday

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Runnin’ With Angels - Sons of Sunday

Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA

Animated shorts of Jesus and angels. Steve Martin

Animated playlist shorts for your encouragement.

Steve Martin

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- 🇮🇱 NEW RECIPE & W4R UPDATE 116 - Shmuel Veffer in the Galilee

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We're Your Family in Israel  Link to View or Share this Email Online   WAR UPDATE 116 Things are getting chaotic, quickly We are living through one of those weeks when every front is heating up at the same time and no one can tell you with any certainty what will happen tomorrow. Gaza is still a war of attrition. We hold large parts of the territory, Hamas is battered but not finished, and the latest ceasefire understandings keep getting tested by rockets, raids, and targeted strikes.  In the north, our soldiers remain in a security zone inside Lebanon. Hezbollah is weaker than it was, yet the exchanges continue and the framework deals feel as fragile as paper. IDF soldiers continue to be killed and wounded. Iran sits on high alert after two major campaigns; the ceasefire signed in June has expired and both sides are watching the other in a game of chicken that could restart everything. The Houthis in Yemen keep firing. Syria is another open file with the Turks trying to establish bases there. Judea and Samaria simmers. Shipping lanes are threatened in the Straits of Hormuz. The information war never sleeps. It is confusing and exhausting. It feels like the pieces on the board can be rearranged overnight and we will wake up to a completely different war. After nearly three years, the question hanging over every Israeli household is the same: How long can this go on, and which front explodes next? King David's Reminder In the middle of all this uncertainty we are already in the Hebrew month of Elul. Twice a day in our prayers we recite the same chapter of Psalms that our people have been saying at this season for generations: Psalm 27, “Of David. God is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? God is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?” King David wrote these words while enemies surrounded him. He does not pretend the danger is imaginary. He looks it in the face: “If a camp encamps against me, my heart will not fear. If a war rises against me—in this I trust.” Kind David makes one request:  "to dwell in the House of Hashem all the days of my life, to gaze upon His pleasantness." And then the promise that keeps us going: “For He will hide me in His sukkah on the day of evil; He will conceal me in the shelter of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.” That is the clarity Elul gives us. I suggest you read the entire Psalm 27. We do not have to understand every move on every front. We do not have to know whether next week brings another barrage from the north, another round with Iran, or another tense pause. We recite the same words in the morning and at night while the headlines keep changing. The Psalm does not deny the chaos. It simply refuses to let the chaos have the last word. We are approaching Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is already sounding every weekday. The King is in the field. Our job is teshuva-return, prayer, and charity. And to keep reciting, twice a day, that God is our light and our salvation. May He protect us in His sukkah. May He lift our heads above the enemies who still surround us. And may we merit to see His salvation in this year that is about to begin. With prayers for peace and a sweet year. IF THIS UPDATE WAS FORWARDED TO YOU. CLICK HERE to ensure you get my next update.     R. Shmuel Veffer and Sarah Eliana Galilee Green Lemon Honey Ginger Morning Elixer We love it when our GG Family share new and creative ways to use our Olive Oil and Raw Natural Honey. Long time Galilee Green subscriber Dolly Tabor of Seneca, South Carolina, drinks a simple metabolic formula every morning. It uses lemon, honey, ginger, cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. Dolly drinks it 30 minutes before coffee or food. The taste is delicious. You get cinnamon, honey, and lemon first. The ginger and tiny bit of cayenne add a gentle spark that tells your body to wake up. Use our raw Galilee Green honey from Israel. It never gets heated, so you keep the enzymes and full flavor. Citrus blossom or wildflower honey both shine in this drink. Remember to share your recipes with us so we can include them on our website and newsletter! FULL RECIPE!   What is the hidden message that the clouds of Elul whisper to us at the end of the summer? Summer in Israel is almost over. I know, because it has been cloudy this past week and it rained last Shabbat! All summer long the skies have been clear, sunny and hot. And for the last few weeks, it seems the entire country has been splashing in the Kinneret, bathing at a beach on the Mediterranean or rafting down the Jordan River. But as we move into the month of Elul you can literally feel a change in the air. As we approach the New Year, Rosh HaShanah, what should we be focusing on?    READ MORE   Subscriber Photo of the Week   "Yum!"   This week's photo is from Marie Scott of Chino Valley, Arizona. Marie first discovered us in 2017 and has been a subscriber since 2021! We have featured her creations in previous updates including a delicious tuna salad recipe. This photo that she posted on August 10 caught my attention. Not becuase she tagged me, but because she had roasted her home-grown beets in GGOO!  We have beets almost every Shabbat, but we boil them, like my mother used to prepare.  Harvested my beets before I left for Colorado. Took a couple of extra days off before heading back to the office, so time to roast the beets with Galilee Green Olive Oil!  Well, we took your advice this past Shabbat, Marie and roasted the beets... they were amazing! Thanks for the idea! Keep them coming. ------------------------------------------------------- Because of the strengthening of the Israeli Shekel against the US Dollar (20 percent since January!) we are trying to make up for our effective loss in revenue by increasing the number of people using our products. Please encourage at least one other friend or relative who loves Israel to give us a try! P.S. You can forward this newsletter to a friend to introduce them to us.  GALILEE GREEN OLIVE OIL One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is the ability to support themselves. Support out small business in Israel and bring the blessings of Israel into your own home! Here's your direct link to order a Two Pack today! RAW NATURAL HONEY Bring the sweetness of the Land of Israel into your own home! HERE'S YOUR DIRECT LINK FOR A TWO PACK Have you read the first five chapters of my upcoming Jerusalem-based Thriller? CONTINUE READING HERE

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Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA

Even as many countries turn against Israel, the Jewish state continues to bless the nations. Paul Calvert, ALL ISRAEL NEWS

​Opinion Blog / Guest Columnist

Paul Calvert | August 20, 2026

ALL ISRAEL NEWS is committed to a fair and balanced coverage and analysis, and honored to publish a wide-range of opinions. That said, views expressed by guest columnists may not necessarily reflect the views of our staff.

OPINION

Even as many countries turn against Israel, the Jewish state continues to bless the nations

Read this article in:  

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Israel’s aid delegation assess earthquake damage in Venezuela as part of the rescue and reconstruction efforts (Photo: IDF)

Accusations fly around the world against Israel, but on the ground, Israel continues working to be a blessing to the nations.

Recently, we have seen earthquakes strike countries around the world. Venezuela, Colombia, Spain and Indonesia are among those recently affected.

When disaster strikes, Israel stands ready to respond to the difficult challenges that follow. ALL ISRAEL NEWS has recently reported on several examples of Israel reaching out to help nations in their time of need.

An Israeli delegation of 80 rescue and emergency experts landed in Cali, Colombia, to assist local authorities with recovery efforts following a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country's western region.

Israel also prepared to send aid delegations to Venezuela following devastating earthquakes there.

Despite Venezuela having severed diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009, Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was "evaluating the possibilities of providing assistance to the Venezuelan people." Despite the lack of diplomatic relations, an Israeli team was sent to Venezuela.

Israeli technology has also been helping international rescue efforts, with Israeli drone technology assisting Mexican rescue teams following the earthquakes in Venezuela.

At a nation's weakest moment, Israelis are there, sometimes putting their own lives at risk to help with rescue operations.

Amid the confusion, pain, worry and shock, you will find Israelis hard at work, trying to save lives and rescue people trapped beneath the rubble.

Israel is accustomed to responding to such disasters. Israeli teams have assisted following numerous earthquakes around the world, developing the ability to mobilize quickly and get rescue personnel on the ground when they are needed most.

These earthquakes also remind me of the truth of the Bible and what Yeshua (Jesus) said about earthquakes and the end times.

In Matthew 24:7-8, Yeshua says:

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

Luke speaks of "great earthquakes," while Mark also describes such events as the beginning of sorrows.

Yeshua is coming soon. The signs are there.

Israel itself must also be prepared for a major earthquake. We know that significant earthquakes have struck the region throughout its history, including the devastating earthquake of 1927. That means Israel must remain prepared for another major earthquake in the future.

With the rise in global antisemitism, I sometimes wonder: If such a devastating earthquake struck Israel, how many nations would come to Israel's aid in its hour of need?

According to Israel's Home Front Command, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Gulf of Eilat in 1995.

Earthquakes also feature prominently in biblical prophecy.

When Yeshua returns, Zechariah describes the Mount of Olives splitting in two. Biblical prophecy also speaks of life-giving waters flowing from Jerusalem toward the Dead Sea, bringing life to its waters.

And, of course, when Yeshua died on the cross for our sins and the sins of the world, an earthquake occurred. Three days later came the miracle of the resurrection, when Matthew's Gospel again records a great earthquake.

So, as we look around the world and heed the words of Jesus, we see what I believe are signs pointing toward the end of the age.

And amid the disasters, suffering and uncertainty, Israel continues to be there – reaching out, saving lives and being a blessing to the nations.