Tuesday, August 25, 2026

“Reunion” by Steve Martin

REUNION

 

Reunions among families, sports teams, high school and college graduates, band of brothers…these are special times for those involved. The great memories shared, times “relived” of days gone by, even if a bit embellished from the last time you heard that same story retold, all are times we look forward to.

My Martin family reunion set for Labor Day weekend 2026 will be special. Why? Because I am in charge. I have been planning for months to make it so.

I designed a logo for the event, and had it placed on coffee mugs, light blue polo and t-shirts, and have wonderful prizes for games in mind.

Reunions can really be awesome.

The one I am particularly looking forward to though is when the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, returns for those who call upon His Name, and have received His salvation, redemption, which has been offered to all.

This reunion will be the greatest of all. His return, the Lion of Judah, will cause the peoples of the nations to proclaim His Lordship and bow down in worship.

 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True…” — Revelation 19:11 (KJV)

And it continues in Revelation 19:16-16, “And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 

And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (NASB)

As we grow weary of the wrongs being committed before our eyes; the evil put on people, especially the Jews; the injustice proclaimed as “peace and love” by the louder voices…we who know the Lord and Savior are “keeping our eyes on Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2

This reunion will be historic, beyond comprehensive.

The Bible is true. Reunion time cometh!

Ahava and Shalom,

Steve Martin


WAR UPDATE 117 Fighting for our Future - Shmuel Veffer Galilee Green

We're Your Family in Israel 

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Gadi Eisenkot - Moti Leitner - Bibi Netanyahu

WAR UPDATE 117

Fighting for our Future

Israel elections are only two months away on October 27 and the campaign chaos is in full swing.

PM Netanyahu is seeking to maintain control of the government. His main opponent at this point is Gadi Eisenkot. You may recall Eisenkot who was a former Chief of Staff of the IDF and was a member of Benny Gantz's opposition party.

After October 7, Netanyahu invited Gantz and Eisenkot to join his war cabinet. It didn't last long as they were at odds with Netanyahu and had aligned themselves with the Biden Administration seeking to topple Netanyahu from power. (I wrote about the intrigue in my book Faith Under Fire) 

Today, Gantz has left the political scene and Eisenkot formed a new party, Yashar, positioned to the Center-Left, however "right-wing" when it comes to security. 

Bibi's Likud Party and Gadi's Yashar Party are polling neck to neck at this point. 

A NEW PARTY

One of the more interesting developments this cycle is a new Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) party that calls itself “The Haredi Public.” Its leader Moti Leitner launched the campaign with a blunt message: the long-standing Haredi political leadership has grown detached from the people it claims to represent, and this time the Haredi public itself must take responsibility.

That single word — responsibility — is the real issue before us.

For years the question of shared national burden has been an election issue. The war that began on October 7 forced it to become a major national issue. While tens of thousands of families sent their sons and husbands into Gaza, Lebanon, and the other fronts, large sectors of the ultra-Orthodox community remained largely exempt. Those involved in full-time Torah study receive deferrals from service until they leave the study hall to work. In times of peace, the issue annoys Israelis. When we are in the middle of a three-year war, people get angry.

The new Haredi party does not solve the problem. It does, however, acknowledge it. It says that young men who are not learning full-time in yeshiva should serve in the army or in national service. It speaks about employment and economic self-sufficiency. Whether it draws votes mainly from the two veteran Haredi parties, or from ultra-Orthodox Israelis who previously stayed home or voted for Likud, is secondary. The deeper significance is that voices inside the Haredi world are beginning to say out loud what many have long felt: we cannot continue as we are.

This is not only a Haredi question. It is a national one.

A NATIONAL QUESTION

Our Torah is clear. When the nation goes to war, the burden is not meant to rest on a few. In the desert the tribes marched and fought together. In the days of the Judges and the Kings the call to arms went out to the people.

The exemption for those fully devoted to Torah has always existed in tension with the mitzvah of defending the Land and the people. When that exemption becomes the rule rather than the exception for an entire community, the moral and practical foundations of the state begin to crack.

Eisenkot has made equality of service one of the central pillars of his campaign. He speaks of expanding the ranks of the army so that no family is called up endlessly, and of requiring service, either military, national, or civil, from the overwhelming majority of young men.

Netanyahu’s government has moved more slowly. Bound by the political reality of its ultra-Orthodox partners, it has managed the draft crisis carefully, seeking gradual change while protecting the coalition.

Both men understand the threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. The difference lies in how heavily they weigh the internal cost of continuing the present arrangement.

WE ARE ONE PEOPLE

I do not write these words to attack any community. The Haredi world has produced giants of Torah and acts of extraordinary kindness. Many individual ultra-Orthodox Jews already serve with quiet dedication. The problem is structural.

A Jewish state that asks some mothers to bury their sons while others are told their sons’ primary contribution is to remain in the study hall cannot easily and indefinitely sustain the trust required for national survival.

The appearance of this new Haredi list is a small but telling sign. It suggests that the pressure of war, economics, and public resentment is beginning to produce internal reckoning.

If the party crosses the electoral threshold, the total number of Haredi seats in the next Knesset may actually grow rather than shrink. That growth will matter only if it brings greater willingness to share the burden rather than simply more leverage to protect the old exemptions.

STILL AT WAR

We are still at war. The multi-front struggle is not finished.  Threats from Hezbollah, Hamas and from Iran have not disappeared. In such a time, leadership is measured by whether it strengthens the people or further divides them.

The next government, whether led by Netanyahu, by Eisenkot, or by some other combination, will have to decide whether it will continue treating the draft crisis as a political problem to be managed or confront it as a moral and strategic necessity.

The Torah does not allow us the luxury of permanent, large-scale exemptions when the nation is under attack. “Remember what Amalek did to you” is not only about external enemies. It is also a reminder that weakness and internal division invite the next blow.

May the Almighty grant us leaders who understand that the strength of Israel rests on the willingness of all its sons to stand together. And may He open the hearts of every community to the truth that shared responsibility is not a threat to Torah, but one of the conditions for its continued flourishing in this Land.

The election will decide names and numbers. The deeper choice is whether we will finally treat the burden of defending the Jewish people as a shared responsibility.

May we choose wisely.

IF THIS UPDATE WAS FORWARDED TO YOU. CLICK HERE to ensure you get my next update.



 
 


R. Shmuel Veffer and Sarah Eliana
Galilee Green

Galilee Green Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Bread Dip

One of my favourite starters especially on Shabbat is a classic olive oil and balsamic vinegar bread dip served with hearty bread or challah. Picture this. You meet friends you have not seen in a while. You sit down at a sweet restaurant. The first thing that arrives is a...


Election season is a time for walk-abouts, and you never know where or when your favorite politician may show up.

The other times you may run into them is during summer vacation. We are a small country with limited options for vacations.

Exactly eight years ago, in the summer, Bibi and Sara showed up unexpectedly and the whole story was an amazing Galilee Green miracle.

 

 


Subscriber Photo of the Week

 
"Enjoy!"
 
This week's photo is from Tonya Gabbert of Brighton, Missouri.

Tonya was one of our earlier subscribers in August of 2015.

She posted this photo shortly after she received her first order of GGOO.

You can tell because of the original label on the tin and the decanter with the color logo on it.

Said Tonya at the time:

Hope everyone had a restful Shabbat! We enjoyed challah with olive oil and herbs from Israel! 

Dipping challah into GGOO and zaatar is one of our favorite Shabbat pastimes!

Blessings for a healthy and sweet new year to you and your family, Tonya!

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P.S. You can forward this newsletter to a friend to introduce them to us. 
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Galilee Green · Galilee Green - Veffer - Ahad Ha'am 46 · Unit 59 · Tiberias 1422276· Israel

Monday, August 24, 2026

“In Your Going Out and Your Coming” Dr. Elizabeth Enns


In Your Going Out and Coming In

- Dr. Elizabeth Enns -

 

Watch Message

 

"Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 6:3-9

 

We need a constant reminder of who God is, who he is to us, what he has said, and what that means in our life. We need that constant reminder of Him and the truth. His word is absolute truth and it is powerful. It is lifegiving.

 

When we wash our minds with the word of God, and when we feed our souls with the word of God and strengthen our innermost being with the powerful word of God, we will be better equipped to walk rightly, discern the enemy's schemes, and live in unity as the people of God.

 

Sunday, August 23, 2026

“Back To Jerusalem” - now in the Pakistani language Urdu. Watch the interview of Steve Martin with Moses Julius


Moses Julius, Founder of Light TV in Pakistan, interviews Steve Martin with the publication of his book in Pakistan, “Back To Jerusalem” in Urdu.

📖 Back to Jerusalem — Book Introduction. English and Urdu (Pakistan)

In this video, we explore Back to Jerusalem, a Christian missions book that presents a vision of taking the Gospel beyond traditional mission fields and reaching peoples across Asia and toward Jerusalem.

We’ll look at the book’s main ideas, its historical and missionary context, and the message it presents about faith, missions, sacrifice, and reaching unreached communities.

🙏 Watch the video, share your thoughts, and let us know what you learned from Back to Jerusalem.



Back To Jerusalem. Soon.


Back to Jerusalem. Soon.

Yeshua (Jesus) and those who follow Him.

(Video by Ben Martin. Screen shots by Steve Martin.) Thank You, Lord, for Your creativity You share with us!

Buy here: https://a.co/d/0042d3P6


Saturday, August 22, 2026

What is on the American $1 bill?

What Is On the American Dollar?

Do your children know this? – Do their teachers? – Do you? 

Who Was Haym Solomon?

Read this fascinating history of the $1 bill all the way to the bottom to know about Haym Solomon. You may be in for quite a surprise!

On the rear of the One Dollar bill, you’ll see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.

If you look at the left-hand circle, you’ll see a Pyramid.

Notice the face is lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We hadn’t begun to explore the west or decide what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we weren’t even close to being finished. Inside the Capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything.

“IN GOD WE TRUST” is on this currency.

The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, “God has favored our undertaking.”

The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, “a new order has begun.”

At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI)

If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you’ll learn that it’s on every National Cemetery in the United States. It’s also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery, and is the centerpiece of most heroes' monuments.

Slightly modified, it’s the seal of the President of the United States, and it’s always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: 

First, he isn’t afraid of a storm; he’s strong, and he’s smart enough to soar above it. 

Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England.

Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own.

At the top of the shield there’s a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation.

In the Eagle's beak you read, “E PLURIBUS UNUM” meaning, “from many – one.”

Above the Eagle, we have the thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.

Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.

An (untrue) old-fashioned belief says that the number 13 is an unlucky number which is almost a worldwide belief. You’ll almost never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this: 

America, which relies on God (not a number) to direct and lead, boldly chose:

13 original colonies,

13 signers of the Declaration of Independence ,

13 stripes on our flag,

13 steps on the pyramid, 

13 letters in “Annuit Coeptis,” 

13 letters in “E Pluribus Unum,”

13 stars above the eagle,

13 bars on that shield,

13 leaves on the olive branch, 

13 fruits,

and if you look closely, 

13 arrows.

And finally, notice the arrangement of the 13 stars in the right-hand circle. You’ll see that they are arranged as a Star of David.

This was ordered by George Washington who, when he asked Haym Solomon, a wealthy Philadelphia Jew, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army. Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself, but he would like something for his people. The Star of David was the result. Few people know it was Solomon who saved the Army through his financial contributions ... then died a pauper. Haym Solomon gave $25 million to save the Continental Army, money that was sorely needed to help realize America's and our freedom and independence from England.

Therein lies America's Judeo-Christian beginning.

Most American children do NOT know any of this. They aren’t taught because their history teachers do NOT know this. (They were not taught!)

On America's Freedom: 

Too many veterans gave up too much to let the meaning fade. 

Many veterans came home to an America that did not care. 

Too many veterans never came home at all. 

They served, they died for you and for me.

I hope you will share this page with many so they can learn about the UNITED STATES DOLLAR BILL, and what it stands for.

America is at a critical juncture. Let's do whatever we can to save her while never, ever forgetting: It is God in whom we put our trust!@@

Kenton Coy, Facebook


Summertime In North Carolina

Summertime in North Carolina!


Friday, August 21, 2026

“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.



Jesus is returning soon. Yes Lord!


Buy here: https://a.co/d/0dVJDXSb

Shabbat Shalom to all our Jewish friends

Shabbat Shalom to all our Jewish friends.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin in Charlotte, North Carolina

Runnin’ With Angels - sung by Sons of Sunday

Runnin’ With Angels - Sons of Sunday