Saturday, February 21, 2026

"Changing and Shifting Season" - prophetic word to Steve Martin from Jeremy Lopez, Identity Network

 


“Changing & Shifting Season”

Prophetic word to Steve Feb. 17, 2026 from Jeremy Lopez, Identity Network

My son in this time of your life there are going to be a lot of changes. A lot of changes, not from every single day of life living but big changes when it deals with the direction you are headed. Things in your life, people in your life.

You are going to start seeing in this season where truly new spiritual giftings are going to begin to come out. New spiritual giftings, callings, talents coming out of you. In fact, you are going to feel in the next year, year and a half, almost as if you are a brand new person. You are going to start feeling and sensing something new, something vibrant, something has just electrocuted you, as if you stick your finger in a light socket and all of a sudden, “Wow, I got this jolt of energy. I got this big burst of energy coming to me.

You will start getting a lot more feeling of that energy coming to you, like a new way of looking at life and outlook on how you see things. You are going to recognize this season where the way you view life is going to be wholly different for you. In fact, people are going to ask you and they are going to wonder, “Did you do something different to yourself” Different in how you dress, for you seem happier. People are going to start recognizing you are happier. They are going to start recognizing that great things inside of you are coming to the surface.

Things that are in you are going to come out of you. This is a time where you will begin to see where the river will begin to turn. Your river of life will begin to turn into a different place. The direction you think you are headed now is actual not the direction you are going into.

I am going to surprise you. I am going to find you at a place where you will look and you will say, “Man I never thought I would be doing this in my life, just two years ago.” You will discover renewed things are going to happen to you because I am changing your direction.

Whatever you do don’t allow yourself to get your eyes on people. Don’t allow yourself to get your eyes on other people who might try to tell you what to do or try to control you, to tell you where to go and what to do.

Not everybody has the wisdom of the Kingdom in them. Not everybody knows the direction of your life. Not everybody knows exactly where I am taking you. Even though others will look at you and say, “You know what? You have been doing this for a long time and you have been doing that for a long time.”

And God said, “But guess what? The way that they have seen you, the way that you have operated in your life is not going to be the way you are going to operate in this next season of your life. It is going to be new operations, new things coming out of you. So therefore don’t let people pigeon hole you and tell you what you should be doing, where you should be going, because they don’t know.

People around you only see what you have been happy with in the past. People will only look at you and recognize exactly what you did in the past that you were good at doing. People will only look at you and recognize what everybody else thinks you should be doing.

These are not right. None of these are right. What is right is when you do and continue to do what I want you to do no matter if other people agree or disagree. There are those in your past who would love nothing more than to lord over you. And basically get over you, almost like control you, tell you what to do. It is not rebellion to love them, but walk away.

It’s a season in which I am causing you to detach from several people, several mindsets. And it doesn’t mean that these people don’t love you, it just means that they love to control. They love their controlling more than they do you. Wow.

Therefore, son, make sure that you are paying attention to what the Holy Spirit is telling you. I am leading you into all righteousness. I am leading you into more joy. I am leading you into a place where you will discover what truly you are free to be you, and free to do what you want to do and free to do what I want you to do.

This is a new season coming upon you. So make sure this season you set goals. Make sure you set goals, goals, goals on what it is you sense that I am telling you. Because what I am telling you now is going to be different than what you have been doing.

So listen closely to what the voice of the Lord is talking to you about. Once My Spirit in this next MONTH starts talking to you and downloading into you new vision, you are going to be like, “Really? Wow. Me doing this? You are telling me that I need to be doing that?”

You will hear things differently, but that’s the beauty of the Kingdom of God. My Spirit is going to tell you the direction where that river is going. He is going to tell you some different things. Those are going to be your new purposes. Those are going to be your new goals.

Set them this hour. Get before me and allow My Spirit to tell you and download into you how to be able to be successful at the things I have called you to do in this life.

Just remember this season is going to shift more than any other season has in the past five years of your life."

#Changing #ShiftingSeason #propheticword #SteveMartin #JeremyLopez #IdentityNetwork

Do you really understand what Christians call the “Law” verses “Grace”? Here’s a good explanation.

Feb. 21, 2026 Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

The following was sent to me via “Messenger”  from my friend, Harlan Wall, in Toronto, Canada, which I found very good. He had seen this Facebook post by Anthony Does (address unknown) and gave his response.

Thus my reposting and my response on this website.

Read and receive understanding.

Ahava and Shalom,

Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry

Harlan Wall:

That was a pastors post.

So I responded with a long comment ....

With the greatest respect sir (for your efforts & the work you do) I am not sure that your words are entirely correct. I mean, I enjoy the poetic prose very much BUT these sort of epigrams fall short of any sort of scriptural integrity and lose their luster in a hurry. 

Sure - there is the veneer of truth but these sort of cute aphorisms lack nuance and don't line up with the structure of reality.  When does the Law ever say you cannot make a mistake or that the goal is for humans to be flawless? Ironically, there's actually no word such as Law in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is Torah, which means teachings or instructions or testimonies. 

The other (original) Hebrew word used for law is "mitzvah" - to reduce or limit either of these words to "law" is to miss the whole point and to render them impotent.  Oh yes, linguistic impotence is a real issue when it comes to biblical interpretation. 

A "mitzvah" is best translated and properly rendered and understood as an "opportunity." It means "cleave to" and comes from the Hebrew root 'tzav' ... that is to say, a mitzvah (translated as law in English Bibles) is an opportunity to cleave to God (not to attain salvation). 

The mitzvot are opportunities and invitations to draw close to God. The Torah says over and over again, that the mitzvot (laws) lead to life and are sweet like honey.  Read Psalm 119. Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus affirm this emphatically and clearly. Mat. 5:18? What does God say to the children of Israel in the desert? He says "I test/ed you with these mitzvot (commandments) to see what is in your heart." 

The purpose was never for humans to be flawless or to never make a mistake.  The purpose was the heart; that is to say, the desire of the divine was for "relationship." So, then, to juxtapose the Law with the Gospel and claim that, in some real sense, the "Law demanded our flawless devotion but the Gospel does not" is, at least to some extent, a poetic sleight-of-hand, or what Sammy Davis Jr. might call "the ol' soft shoe." πŸ‘ž

In truth, the Gospel---at least the one presented and packaged by the mainstream Western Church, demands the same flawless devotion.  In fact, in some twist of theological irony, the Gospel seems to demand even more devotion! I don't mean to get up in your face pastor, or to pick your pocket or to undermine your pithy writing but I must be fully self expressed 'cause these sort of oppositional binary black-and-white posts---while creative and catchy---are slogans that dilute the truth and mislead people. 

The Gospel absolutely demands flawless devotion; it demands that everybody believe in Jesus and claim Jesus as Lord and surrender their lives in totality. The Gospel might not demand that one follow the "laws" but by golly y'all better be good boys and girls and claim Jesus as your Savior and believe that Jesus was crucified by Pontius Pilot and was crucified and rose from the dead after 3 days. 

The Gospel might not demand you "do the right things" but it sure demands you "believe the right things." In fact, the devotion that is demanded by the Gospel is so flawless and unyielding that you need to present your entire body & being as a living sacrifice and your devotion better be 100% flawless or Jesus could easily say "away from me now, for I never knew you!" 

* Parenthetically, it's interesting how almost every sermon on that passage leaves out the last part of the verse "get away from me, I never knew you, you do/ers of LAWLESSNESS."  What's the opposite of lawlessness??? 

So, to juxtapose Law vs Grace (gospel) and imply that the Gospel is all about God's devotion and not ours, is simply false. I hope and pray the day comes when people begin to see that the Gospel simply grows out of the Torah and was always in the Torah; that is to say Law & Grace are NOT opposites; nor are they antagonistic to each other. 

They go together like back and front; inside and outside; the crest of a wave and the trough. Are not the crest and trough part of the same wave and inseparable? 

The Bible is all about a 'process' and a 'relationship' and not a transaction. Law vs Grace huh? Ah, that's just some people talkin' 😏 You can't have one without the other. They work together and belong together. One doesn't need to look far to see the disaster that ensues when Law & Grace (gospel) are pitted against each other and people are asked to choose between the two. 

That's like being asked to choose between your own parents!  It was always about God's devotion and God's goodness in both the Torah (Law) and the Gospel---and it's all part of one unified whole and one Living Organism ⭐

I do believe in the Gospel but not the one hijacked and repackaged and disseminated by the Western Church.

I apologize copiously for this long novel but maybe somebody might appreciate itπŸ™ And I know you have an unwavering belief in free speech and an insatiable love for open discussion. 

Thanks for listening πŸ˜‡

* you don't have to agree with me Steve - I just want to give you some context to my approach as a teacher of Jews and Gentiles

Harlen Wall, Toronto, Canada

My response:

Very good Harlen. Christians have been taught that the “Law” is binding, restrictive, “out to get you” like a policeman waiting with his radar gun to catch you speeding as you come over the hill (or through a tunnel as happened to me in PA.) There is no understanding of how the “Law” (Torah)  is good for us, but taught as “bad” and “grace” is what we really need to live.

Christians therefore flinch when the “Law” is spoken as if a very bad word. Therefore Torah is never taught as “life giving” but “life taking.”

Again, well explained! I like it.

P.S. Harlan is a Messianic Jew. I am a Christian who loves Torah, Israel, and my Jewish friends, in case you didn’t know by now!

Friday, February 20, 2026

Do video thumbnails really make a difference? I am doing an unscientific poll.

New thumbnails. Do you like them? 

Or is the one at the bottom, using a clip from the video, just as good?

Or…is it just the video description, theme and content?

Please let me know. Thanks!

Steve Martin, Love for His People

LoveForHisPeople@gmail.com


Elvis American Restaurant near Jerusalem, Israel. January 2026


A balloon challenge game played at my 71st birthday Nov. 23, 2025 in Jerusalem.


A video taken when I went to the Western Wall (Kotel) last fall, 2025, in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel.


Laurie and I, along with Olga of Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem, saw four red heifers in Ancient Shiloh, Samaria, Israel. The rancher, Larry Borntrager, is caring for them. Dec. 26, 2025


Ever want to know what my home ministry office looks like? Here you go!


My normal thumbnail look, a clip from the actual video, shot in northern Israel above the Sea of Galilee, inside the Church of the Beatitudes. December, 2025



Daniel in the Lion's Den Prt 5 - Paul Bernard5 from Bethlehem, Israel

 


Watch here: Daniel in the Lion's Den Part 5 - A Poem. Paul Calvert

Paul Bernard Calvert in Betlehem with friends 2026

#Daniel #LionDen #PaulCalvert #PaulBernard #Bethlehem


"Pressing In" by Steve Martin

 


Pressing In

Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well;” Philippians 3:13-15, NASB

 

In 2020, I published my 30th book, entitled Press On!, and wrote the following introduction,

I have written several messages that made their way into my books on the subjects of pressing on, being faithful, being strong in the Lord, and fighting the good fight.

These are the days when it will take more than giving verbal acknowledgment and just words from our mouths in our service to the King Jesus.

It will take blood, sweat, tears, heartache, and determination to press on even if others have stopped and built a home along the road, believing they are finished.

Those of us who have been called, anointed, and commissioned for the King’s service have one thing going for us – we are not alone.

The Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, has been promised by the Son Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, to always be with us. He is our Comforter, our Director, the One Who will lead us on. He is with us along this entire journey of faith.

This book is meant to encourage you to continue seeking the Living God, the One Who left Jerusalem, Israel, and is soon to return to Jerusalem, Israel.

Be encouraged in your walk. Keep seeking the Lord above.

Let Him direct your steps always, as you hear and obey. We both will be happy we did.

 

So, press on, for eternity!

 

It is even more true today. As I receive prayer concerns from others, from family, friends, and friends-to-be, the need to maintain courage, faith, and pressing on into the plans and purposes of our Lord is ever increasing, as the day draws near. For His soon return.

 

Pressing on should be our norm by now. Facing each day is not meant to go it alone. Our Lord has given us His Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, to go with us, lead us, and embolden us for His eternal glory.

 

Today is another day to show His Hand strong on our behalf. Have courage and keep pressing in.


Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Message #6, 2026, “Pressing In” Feb. 20, 2026, 7:00 am

For a complete catalog of my 40 books click on.


#pressing in #SteveMartin #presson #courage #Jesu #HolySpirit #RuachHaKodesh #Jerusalem #faith

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Rabbi Rami Goldberg, Israel365 staff (Founder Rabbi Tuly Weisz) was in our home teaching on "Joshua: Faithful Follower or Flawed Successor?"


Rabbi Rami Goldberg, Israel365 staff (Founder: Rabbi Tuly Weisz) from Israel

Feb. 18, 2026 Charlotte, NC

Rabbi Rami Goldberg, on staff at Israel365 (Founder: Rabbi Tuly Weisz), came to our home last night here in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, and spoke on: "Joshua: Faithful Follower or Flawed Successor?"

He compared the leadership styles of Moses and Joshua, citing extensive passages from the Bible. In short, Moses led, having received many complaints under his leadership. (Rami interjected, "Quite typical.") Joshua had no recorded complaints.

Under Moshe's leadership, major national sins were committed. With Joshua, the Torah recorded but one - the sin of Achan at Jericho.

One could conclude that though Joshua was doubtful leadership material at the beginning, the Lord empowered him with courage, and spoke as recorded in Joshua 1,

After the death of Moshe the servant of AdonaiAdonai said to Y’hoshua the son of Nun, Moshe’s assistant, “Moshe my servant is dead. So now, get up and cross over this Yarden, you and all the people, to the land I am giving to them, the people of Isra’el. I am giving you every place you will step on with the sole of your foot, as I said to Moshe. All the land from the desert and the L’vanon to the great river, the Euphrates River — all the land of the Hitti — and on to the Great Sea in the west will be your territory. No one will be able to withstand you as long as you live. Just as I was with Moshe, so I will be with you. I will neither fail you nor abandon you.

“Be strong, be bold; for you will cause this people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers I would give them. Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moshe my servant ordered you to follow; do not turn from it either to the right or to the left; then you will succeed wherever you go. Yes, keep this book of the Torah on your lips, and meditate on it day and night, so that you will take care to act according to everything written in it. Then your undertakings will prosper, and you will succeed. Haven’t I ordered you, ‘Be strong, be bold’? So don’t be afraid or downhearted, because Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.”

Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry


Rabbi Goldberg sang six songs of Purim as we approach the coming day.


#RabbiRamiGoldberg #Israel365 #RabbiTulyWeisz #hometeaching #Joshua #FaithfulFollower #FlawedSuccessor

The security guard likes my new book.

The security guard, Dee, was given a copy of my new book. He was so grateful to receive it. Being a friend over the years opens doors to share what the Lord is doing in Israel.

Steve Martin

Feb. 18, 2016

The Lost Tribes are coming home, but first, they must leave Egypt behind. ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ, ISRAEL NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2026


“I have been blessed to get to know hundreds of Christians who read my articles because they feel spiritually drawn to Israel. This may seem counterintuitive. Yes, Jesus was Jewish, an undeniable fact that many Christians have difficulty coming to terms with. Replacement theology, one of the pillars of Catholicism and Protestantism, tries to erase the nation of Israel from the Bible and replace elements of Judaism. 

The Hebrew Bible is translated into Greek and then again into countless other languages. Inconvenient verses are edited, and the accurate translations supplanted. The Temple of Solomon is rebuilt in Rome. And the covenant with Abraham and his descendants, manifested in the land promised to them, is spread to the four corners of the earth.”

“… But another response is emerging from the Christian world. Many Christians are growing in their love for Israel and the Jewish people. While this has political implications, it is not just a political movement. These Christians ascribe religious motivations and a Biblical basis for their love of Israel.”

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, Israel365

Feb. 18, 2026

For the full article look here:

https://israel365news.com/416207/the-lost-tribes-are-coming-home-but-first-they-must-leave-egypt-behind/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=The%20Lost%20Tribes%20Are%20Coming%20Home%2C%20but%20First%2C%20They%20Must%20Leave%20Egypt%20Behind%20and%20Today%20s%20Top%20Stories&utm_campaign=I3N%20-%20AM%20-%20February%2018%2C%202026&vgo_ee=8lFnEGrSAIZwgiBZCbhAX4VOJ5w0xLsEowZ6Sfe2dUXm85NfndRhYHmx0qZVdsyr%3AywGTIszsoZUqkVPe%2FpbjCSUIZ6NkU1WJ

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz is the Senior Reporter for Israel365 News. com (formerly Breaking Israel News). He made Aliyah to Israel in 1991 and served as a combat medic in the IDF. Berkowitz studied Jewish law and received rabbinical ordination in Israel and lives in the Golan Heights with his wife and their four children. . – The Master of Return and the Eleventh Light is his third published book and is available from Root Source Publishing. https://root-source.com/product/the-master-of-return/


“Be Who You Are To Be” - Steve Martin, Love For His People

Be Who You Are to Be

 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8, NKJV

 

Way back when, about 53 years ago, as a senior in high school, Imade a life decisionI am very grateful that the Lord gave me courage and grace to carry it out.

I decided I wasn’t going to be a “man-pleaser”. I was not going to go the way of the crowd. I would seek the Lord and do what He wanted me to do and be.

Fads come and go. Public opinion changes as much as the winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean. Attitudes change when the masses think one way and others choose to stand up against them.

It is not an easy road to hear and do what the Lord calls you to do. People misunderstand. You don’t do it the way they did it. If you go that way, you will surely end up at a dead end.

I have sometimes. The road sign pointed right, but I chose left. But in the end, with the Lord's hand upon me, I believe I have come thus far and am grateful for where I am.

Can you say the same? After all these years, can you look back and say, “Your Hand was upon me. I am here because of Your design and direction. I have had my ups and downs, but by Your Holy Spirit, I am confident I am where I am, who I am, and what I have become. Thank You, Lord, for directing my steps. I want to thank You, Lord.”

We don’t get where we are meant to be by trying to be someone the Lord has not created us to be. We won’t end up where He wants us to go if we do our own thing and forget about Him each day. Sunday meetings just don’t cut it anymore.

Living the life the Lord has desired for you doesn’t come from you doing your own thing and then expecting Him to bless and perfect you. It has never worked like that, and it never will.

Am I bragging? No. Am I being self-righteous on a big white horse? No.

I am being honest and as straightforward as I can. You won’t end up being fulfilled, satisfied, pleased with where you have gotten if you haven’t, and still won’t, let the Lord guide you.

He wants to. But it is a daily decision we need to make if He is going to be allowed to do so.

Will there be a bit of fear in doing so? Yes, but we will see His faithfulness.

Courage needed along the way? You know it, if you don’t want the world to run you over.

Opposition, both in the natural and spiritual? Yes, ma’am.”“Yes, sir. That is to be expected.

Have some courage. Let the Lord speak to you. Let Him show you the way. And then walk it out.

In the end, as each of us approaches that finish line more eachday, we can look forward to hearing His voice at the end speak to us and say, “You have been My good and faithful servant. Come on into your full reward.”

 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’ Matt. 25:21, NASB

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Message #52026, “Be Who You Are to Be to the End Feb. 17, 2026

Israel’s first Olympic bobsled team! Interview by Paul Calvert with team leader Adam “AJ” Edelman

Paul Calvert interviews the team leader of Israel’s first Olympic bobsled team, Adam “AJ” Edelman.

Monday, February 16, 2026

Is Christian Zionism a Blessing or a Threat - Adam Berkowitz


Complete catalog of Steve Martin's 40 books - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Tertulia, BookShop

 


Complete catalog of Steve Martin's 40 books

- Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Tertulia, BookShop

For the complete catalog of Steve Martin's 40 books, now available in hardcover, paperback, audio and ebooks on Amazon and several other sites, please click below:


BOOK CATALOG - STEVE MARTIN, LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE




For the complete catalog of Steve Martin's 40 books, now available in hardcover, paperback, audio and ebooks on Amazon and several other sites, please click below:

BOOK CATALOG - STEVE MARTIN, LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE

#books #catalog #SteveMartin #amazon  #Barnes&Noble #Tertulia

Jerusalem at night, early morning, from the Mount of Olives looking west. Steve Martin, Walk With Me


om the Mount of Olives looking west. Walk with me, Steve Martin


Early morning, as the roosters begin to crow here in Jerusalem, Israel, on the top of the Mount of Olives. Overlooking the Old City and the Temple Mount.

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Rabbi Tuly Weisz warns CRUCIAL BATTLE is happening in the Christian world.


After October 7, a quiet but decisive front has opened and it could shape Israel’s future for generations. In this episode, you’ll discover why the Jewish–Christian alliance is no longer optional but strategic, as the concept of “Universal Zionism” reframes Israel’s next phase around shared biblical values, political cooperation, and cultural alignment.

 Learn how Zionism has evolved from political survival to spiritual purpose, why conservative Christian support may be Israel’s most under-invested strategic asset and how language, policy and grassroots engagement are already reshaping the battlefield of ideas. 

If you want to understand where Israel’s global support will come from next, and what must change now to secure it, this conversation connects the past, the crisis of October 7 and the emerging blueprint for Israel’s long-term strength.


CHAPTERS

00:00 The New Front After October 7

01:05 Why the Jewish–Christian Relationship Matters Now

02:15 Beyond Donations: A Values-Based Alliance

03:30 The Birth of “Universal Zionism”

04:45 The Three Phases of Zionism Explained

06:10 Political vs. Religious Zionism—What Changed?

07:30 Why Jews Underinvested in Conservative Christians

08:50 Language Wars: Judea & Samaria vs. “West Bank”

10:05 Policy Influence in Washington and Christian Media

11:20 Restoring America’s Foundational Values Together

12:40 Israel’s Post-October 7 Vision: Light Unto the Nations

14:00 The Long Arc: Redemption, Optimism, and Israel’s Future


Watch the latest from Judeacation:    • NEW! Israel Planning E...  

Register for the JNS International Policy Summit here: https://jns-summit.org


Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Very interesting. High school kids and teacher.

A 17-year-old tried to humiliate me yesterday. He did it in front of a full classroom of his peers.


We were in the middle of a seminar on The Grapes of Wrath, discussing the dignity of the working class and the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The energy in the room was great until a student in the front row—let’s call him Tyler—interrupted me.


"Ms. Holloway... that’s an interesting blazer," he said, his voice dripping with a performative curiosity. "What brand is that? Is it a high-end label?"


The room went dead silent. Thirty pairs of eyes moved from his designer sneakers to my vintage tweed jacket. I could see the smug look on his face; he knew exactly what he was doing.


I didn't blink. I just smiled. "Thank you for noticing, Tyler. Actually, I picked it up at the Salvation Army on Saturday. It cost me four dollars."


The silence shattered. A few students snickered. One girl in the second row made a face and whispered, "Used clothes? That’s kind of gross."


Tyler leaned back, looking satisfied. "Yeah, I don’t think I could ever do the 'hand-me-down' thing. I prefer my clothes new."


I realized then that the lesson on Steinbeck was over, and a much more important lesson had begun. I set my notes aside and leaned against my desk.


"You know," I said, looking directly at him, "it doesn’t matter if a coat comes from a luxury department store or a dusty rack at a charity shop. Once it’s in the laundry, it meets the same soap and the same water. It serves the same purpose."


I let that sink in before continuing. "The 'status' you’re all chasing? Most of those expensive labels are stitched onto fabric made in the same factories as the generic brands. You aren't paying for better quality; you’re paying for the right to feel superior to people you think are beneath you."


I told them about the treasures I’ve found while thrifting—pure silk scarves, leather boots that outlast anything in the mall, and books with histories of their own.


As I spoke, I scanned the room. I saw the kids in their $150 hoodies looking a bit uncomfortable.


But I also saw Elena in the back, who I know carefully mends the same three sweaters she wears all winter. I saw Marcus, who never buys lunch and wears shoes that are clearly a size too small because his family is struggling to keep the lights on.


They were the ones leaning in. They were the ones who finally felt like they could breathe.


Before the bell rang, I addressed the room one last time.


"Listen to me," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "Never let me hear you mock someone for having less than you. There is zero shame in being broke. There is zero shame in wearing thrifted clothes or walking because you can't afford the bus."


I made eye contact with every single one of them.


"The only real shame in this world is believing you are a better human being simply because your parents can afford a certain logo."


I know what it’s like to be on that side of the line. I’ve lived through the months of checking my bank balance before buying a gallon of milk. I’ve known the anxiety of a "Check Engine" light when there was no money to fix it.


Those years didn't ruin me; they built me. They taught me what actually matters. They gave me a sense of gratitude that a spoiled life never could.


Your worth isn't found in a price tag. It’s found in your integrity. It’s found in how you treat people who can do absolutely nothing for you.


To the parents and mentors out there: please, teach your kids about empathy. Teach them that wealth is fleeting and character is permanent.


Life is unpredictable. Things change in an instant. And one day, that secondhand jacket might be the very thing that keeps them warm—and keeps them humble.

Facebook post: “Very Interesting”

Rabbi Rami Goldberg from Israel here in Charlotte, NC for home meeting


(L-R) Rabbi Rami Goldberg, Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Steve and Laurie Martin. Beth Shemesh, Israel December 2025)

Please join us for this engaging and insightful Bible Study. 


RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LT8GgxO7rgnLmjZyqL-Q8O-dj_ToPsWu756tSCpKiLc/preview

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

"A Broken Relationship, or Something Else?" Mesage by Steve Martin, Love For His People

 

(Photo by Linel le Roux in Judean desert south of Jerusalem, Israel 02.06.2026)

A Broken Relationship, or Something Else?

 

“Solomon said, “You were extravagantly generous in love with David my father, and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his heart right.” 1 Kings 3:6, The Message

 

We have all experienced the pain and hurt when a relationship, one we may have long held, no longer continues. Whether it's a misunderstanding, a lie, an incident one or the other doesn't want to “work it out,” or even just weariness from struggles that never seem to end, the friendship is over.

Companies fire employees. Marriages break apart. Parents and their children walk away from each other in bitterness and resentment. People leave churches, synagogues, and communities because of a “wrong word” or an “unforgiving action.” It happens so many times.

I think of those in the Bible who experienced this, as all of us have, where two who have walked together, worked together, did many things together, no longer do so. They no longer want to mend the broken relationship. Over. Done with.

It happened with David. It happened with Jesus. Paul and Barnabas, two apostles set apart from the local church in Antioch to go out together in ministry, parted ways after a big disagreement.

Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.” Acts 15:39, NASB

Are these always the work of the devil? Is it human nature that we have ongoing problems and can’t seem to get along with people? Is it due to pride, jealousy, wanting our own way, the way we want it? “My way or the highway!”

Sometimes. Sometimes not.

I have had two primary relationships where I considered “my best friend” turned their back on me. And it hurt. Forgiveness on my part, to protect my spirit and soul, was the only way to go to keep me from ongoing resentment, bitterness, anger, and not “burning the bridge”. It has also happened in ministry, which should be of no surprise to anyone by now – that ministries are not perfect, nor the greener grass necessarily.

Before Laurie and I got married in 1977, we told each other that we would never use the “D” word in our marriage. The commitment we made to each other, not having “divorce” as an option, has kept us together by our Lord’s grace, binding us to that commitment. We had to work things out.

A good friend of mine (and still is) recently spoke of how the Lord was taking him and me on separate paths. Is this a broken relationship? No. We both sensed that our time working together, in so many ways, was preparation for what now lay ahead for both of us. We will continue to support one another in His plans and purposes, but the time for each of us to “expand our tents” will lead us to do so on different pathways.

My prayer is for you to go the extra mile when necessary. Persevere in your relationships to keep them strong and lifelong. Families, churches, and synagogues need the Lord's unity to fulfill His Kingdom purposes. You are meant to be a vital part of that.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Message #4, 2026, “A Broken Relationship or Something Else?” Feb. 9, 2026, 2:30 pm

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