Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news, and messages by Steve Martin.
Friends who also serve with Christian Friends of Israel in Jerusalem - Craig and Jody Crider in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Steve Martin, Love For His People
Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation designating a “National Sabbath” as part of Jewish American Heritage Month on Tuesday, framing the move as both a celebration of Jewish contributions to American life and a reaffirmation of religious freedom in the United States.
The declaration comes amid ongoing scrutiny of antisemitic rhetoric within segments of American political discourse and serves as a symbolic gesture highlighting Jewish tradition at the national level.
Trump’s proclamation states that from Friday evening, May 15, until Saturday evening, May 16, Americans are invited to observe the Sabbath in recognition of Jewish customs. This would “recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty… From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation."
The initiative is also tied to broader commemorations marking 250 years since the United States Declaration of Independence. In that context, Trump cited a letter from George Washington to the leadership of the Touro Synagogue—the oldest active synagogue in the United States – which played a role in shaping early American principles of religious liberty later enshrined in the First Amendment.
The proclamation also highlighted the legacy of Haym Salomon, a Jewish financier who supported the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. Trump said Salomon “gave everything to the success of the American Revolution. Like so many Jewish Americans who follow in his footsteps, Salomon’s legacy stands as a testament to the unshakable belief in the American promise.”
Expanding on the theme, Trump added: “This month, we celebrate the contributions that Jewish Americans have made to our way of life, we honor their role in shaping the story of our Nation, and we remember that religious devotion, learning, and service to others are enduring pillars of a thriving culture. Through every trial and triumph, the contributions of Jewish Americans have shaped our past, have strengthened our communities, and will continue to inspire American greatness for generations to come.”
The proclamation was welcomed by several Orthodox Jewish organizations, including Agudath Israel of America, which said the initiative underscores longstanding American values.
In a statement, the group said the move reflects not only recognition of Jewish contributions but also broader national ideals. It said that “the basic obligation of hakaras hatov (gratitude), recognizing and appreciating the incredible good of our host nation, is a fundamental principle worthy of national public acknowledgment. We thank President Trump for recognizing the important role of the Jewish people and Shabbos in the history of the United States.”
The United States is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, estimated at between 6.3 and 7.5 million people, or roughly 2% of the population. Major population centers include New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, with additional communities in Houston, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and Boston. While most American Jews identify with the Reform movement, a growing number describe themselves as non-denominational or traditional.
Despite representing a relatively small share of the population, Jewish Americans have played an outsized role in fields ranging from the arts and finance to science and academia, a theme echoed throughout the president’s proclamation.
A greeting from Rabbi Kokeb Gedamu, Ethiopian Messianic Jew from Jerusalem.
Video recorded by Steve Martin to my wonderful wife, Laurie in Charlotte, NC
Choices We Make
When the Lord woke me up early this morning (no, it wasn’t the late night snack), He had me answer the WhatsApp on my phone from Jerusalem.
In the written conversation, the response came back to me when sharing about the choices we make, and where those decisions take us in the Lord.
Their response back, when I told of the purpose for this trip to Colorado…
“I hear that!!! I love both places but for us we can choose which. That is a different issue! My heart is split because of family…period.” She knew the cost which she had chosen to pay, the one to hear and obey.
My come back, “The Lord blesses us for the choices we make. Difficult choices but great rewards.”
After writing that I tried going back to sleep (1 am) but the Holy Spirit then spoke words from His Word to me as I lay there. So I got up to look up the full Scripture.
“Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”
And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18: 28-30, NASB
That was a tough response to hear regarding the deep, heart known statement Peter had just said to the Lord Yeshua (Jesus).
In some ways, I think Peter’s wife would have desired a different answer from Jesus, as her heart and life were tremendously affected by Peter’s decision to follow Him as he had already chosen to do so. (I can picture it now in The Chosen episode.)
Our choices will always affect those closet to us. So what will we do?
You have already made choices. In the late 1980s a pastor in Michigan spoke boldly in his message, “A choice you make today may not seem as not a big deal,, but that decision you make determines where you will be in 20-30 years from now, however small or large.”
And so He continues to direct our steps, if we continue to make the hard choices after His heart is known. But the reward is great!
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
42 lost pages of early New Testament manuscript recovered through technology and careful research - All Israel News
A team of academics at the University of Glasgow has successfully recovered 42 lost pages from one of the most important early New Testament manuscripts, called Codex H, the university announced in late April.
The manuscript, a 6th-century copy of the Letters of Paul, is considered important, not only because it contained one of the oldest collections of the Pauline epistles, but also it was the earliest manuscript to contain the “Euthalian Apparatus,” a collection of reader aids for understanding the book of Acts and the Pauline letters.
Designed as an aid to understanding the Pauline corpus of texts, as well as the book of Acts, the “Euthalian Apparatus” contains editorial material, including some of the earliest chapter divisions, a chronology of Paul’s journeys and letter writing, a list of locations where each epistle was believed to have been written, as well as a list of quotations and citations from the Old Testament which appear in the Pauline writings.
Traditionally, the “Euthalian Apparatus” is attributed to Euthalius, a bishop of either Sulci in Sardinia, Sulca in Egypt, or Sulce, near Syene, also in Egypt. The apparatus dates to the 4th or 5th century, appearing in Armenian and Syriac texts in the late 5th century.
According to Daniel B. Wallace, founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts, and Senior Research Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, the apparatus contained in these pages “is the oldest one we have.”
The 42 rediscovered pages of Codex H were considered lost to history when they were removed from that codex in the 13th century. Due to the effects of aging, the pages were scraped clean, re-inked, and then reused as binding material and flyleaves for other manuscripts at the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece. Due to the high cost of creating parchment, this reuse was common practice in the Middle Ages.
Today, the surviving fragments of the codex are contained in these manuscripts, scattered across libraries in Italy, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, and France.
“The breakthrough came from an important starting point,” Professor Garrick Allen related. “We knew that at one point, the manuscript was re-inked.”
“The chemicals in the new ink caused ‘offset’ damage to facing pages, essentially creating a mirror image of the text on the opposite leaf – sometimes leaving traces several pages deep, barely visible to the naked eye but very clear with latest imaging techniques,” Professor Allen explained.
“In partnership with the Early Manuscripts Electronic Library (EMEL), researchers used multispectral imaging to process images of the extant pages, in order to recover ‘ghost’ text that no longer physically exists, effectively retrieving multiple pages of information from every single physical page,” he continued. “To ensure historical accuracy, the team also collaborated with experts in Paris to perform radiocarbon dating, confirming the parchment’s 6th-century origin.”
Multispectral imaging uses light outside the visible spectrum, such as ultraviolet and infrared, to reveal details invisible to the naked eye.
Speaking to CBN News’ Raj Nair, Dr. Wallace clarified, “We don't actually have 42 new pages. What we have is the residue of ink left over from those 42 pages that was pressed against the following page.”
Dr. Wallace also clarified that the discovery does not involve any new material to the New Testament. Saying that the recovered pages contain about 130 verses of Paul’s letters, he explained, “it's something like 130 more verses are found in Paul's letters than what we had known before previously for this manuscript. But it's not 130 verses more that we didn't know about at all. It's just for this particular manuscript.”
While the recovered text contains no “new” material from Paul’s letters, the discovery provides a unique insight into how the New Testament was transmitted and understood through the centuries. For example, the chapter and section divisions in Paul’s letters and the Book of Acts contained in these pages are different to the modern groupings and divisions. In some older codices, the order of books in the New Testament differs from that found in modern Bibles.
Dr. Wallace clarified, however, that the verse order in all Pauline letters is the same as in modern Bibles.
“Given that Codex H is such an important witness to our understanding of Christian scripture, to have discovered any new evidence – let alone this quantity - of what it originally looked like is nothing short of monumental,” Professor Allen added.
Key findings from the recovered pages include: ancient chapter and division lists, which differ from those used today; insights into scribal practices; further evidence of how sacred texts were reused and repurposed once they began to show signs of wear.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israe
