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Thursday, April 28, 2011

israel today | Israeli official blames Obama for Syria massacres - israel today

Israeli official blames Obama for Syria massacres


Israeli official blames Obama for Syria massacres  
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor on Wednesday said US President Barack Obama bears much responsibility for the current massacre of pro-democracy activists and other civilians in Syria.
Speaking on a popular Israel Channel 10 news talk show, Meridor accused Obama of giving Syrian dictator Bashar Assad "carte blanche to slaughter his people."
Meridor was referring to Obama's comparatively mild response to the pro-democracy revolution in Syria after he publicly backed the toppling of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and ordered NATO air strikes against the regime of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.
Obama's failure to demand Assad also step down, and the lack of any substantive response to the Syrian regime's heavy-handed tactics against the demonstrators has only encouraged Assad to do whatever it takes to remain in power.
Earlier in the week, the Obama Administration did announce that it no longer viewed Assad, whom it had previously painted as an Arab "moderate," as a viable peace partner for Israel. Most Israelis already knew that.
Meanwhile, Europe has been feebly trying to fill the void left by Obama. The European Union on Wednesday declared that "all options" are on the table for punitive measures against the Syrian regime, but refrained from making any specific threats.
The same day, a European effort to have the UN Security Council officially censure Damascus was blocked by Russia, China and Lebanon.

israel today Israeli official blames Obama for Syria massacres - israel today

Palestinians burn Joseph's Tomb, Jews denied access - ISRAEL TODAY

                                                

Palestinians burn Joseph's Tomb, Jews denied access

Palestinians burn Joseph's Tomb, Jews denied access    
Just days after Palestinian police officers murdered a Jewish worshipper at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, an Arab mob once again set fire to the burial place of the biblical patriarch on Tuesday.

It is still unclear whether Tuesday's riot was in celebration of the killing of 25-year-old Ben Yosef Livnat as he prayed at the shrine on Sunday, or in protest over ongoing Jewish visits to the holy site.

It is not the first time the Palestinians have burned and otherwise desecrated Joseph's Tomb, which in addition to housing the burial place of the biblical figure, is also the site of a small yeshiva.

The so-called "Oslo Accords" signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1995 stipulated that Joseph's Tomb would remain an Israeli-controlled enclave open to Jewish worshippers and religious students.
But at the start of the Al Aqsa Intifada in 2000, a Palestinian mob backed by Palestinian Authority police officers assaulted Joseph's Tomb, killing an Israeli soldier in the process. Israel subsequently surrendered control of the site on the condition that the Palestinian Authority would protect and maintain it.

Instead, the Palestinians immediately destroyed the domed tomb and set fire to the yeshiva. Numerous times over the past few years, visiting Jews have reported signs of fires, swastikas and other graffiti and desecration of both the tomb and Jewish prayer books.

The repeated assaults on Joseph's Tomb have not deterred some Jews from visiting the site on a regular basis. But their ability to do so may become increasingly difficult.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army arrested a group of 30 Orthodox Jews determined to pray at Joseph's Tomb. Army officials said they can not guarantee the safety of Jews who enter the site.

israel today | David Wilkerson, lover of Israel, dies in car accident - israel today

israel today David Wilkerson, lover of Israel, dies in car accident - israel today

                                 
Israel lost a dear Christian friend and supporter on Wednesday when David Wilkerson, pastor of Times Square Church in New York City, was killed in a tragic car accident near Dallas, Texas.

Wilkerson is perhaps best known abroad for his 1963 book "The Cross and the Switchblade," which chronicled his earlier years ministering to drug addicts and gang members in New York. The book was eventually made into a hit movie starring Pat Boone, another staunch Christian supporter of Israel.
In 2003, Israel Today editor Aviel Schneider had the privilege of interviewing Wilkerson during a visit to the UK. That interview is reproduced below.

israel today: As an American Christian, how did you feel about the war in Iraq?

Wilkerson: I preached about Saddam Hussein’s fall and warned our President that everything revolves around Israel. Oil is not the main concern. Saddam planned to destroy Israel, with the help of other Arab nations. Saddam Hussein is a stubborn person, and I’m thankful that God gave our President this strong conviction to save Israel from him.

israel today: Do you really believe that President Bush will choose to be biblically driven instead of politically correct concerning Israel?

Wilkerson: That’s why I call on American Christians to pray for our President daily and also to pray against the anti-Semitism that still exists in the Church. God warned me when I first established Times Square Church that we must always remain faithful to Israel. And I always have.

israel today: You are here in Europe, where many Christians have no understanding of the US-led war in Iraq.

Wilkerson: Many Christians in Europe simply don’t understand God’s Word. Saddam’s rockets were only aimed at Israel, not at neighboring Arab states. Beyond that, rising anti-Semitism in the churches can be felt here, particularly in Great Britain.

israel today: Would you describe Islam as a peaceful religion, as your President did?

Wilkerson: I read the Koran and I am sure that this book is false teaching. Islam is a religion of destruction. I find it so strange that Gospel preachers don’t understand that God didn’t break His covenant with Israel. God gave the Land to Israel, and every nation that wants to destroy Israel will be punished.

israel today: You have great courage to take such a strong pro-Israel stand.

Wilkerson: I’m often criticized in the Christian world for this. But I feel God’s rich blessing for it, which is much more valuable to me.

israel today: After the war in Iraq, Israel is once again at the top of the world’s agenda. Do you think the ‘roadmap’ has a chance to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians?

Wilkerson: No! How can Bush, who knows the Bible, have no fear of God and pressure Israel into territorial compromise for the sake of the roadmap? God will punish him for it. The dollar will fall, Bush will sink into depression and he could very well lose the next election. I pray daily that the President’s believing advisors will influence him more than his political advisors.

israel today: In other words, you’re saying there’s no human solution to the conflict between Israel and the Arabs?

Wilkerson: God has promised to protect His people. He’s made a covenant and given them the Promised Land. He set the nation’s borders and He will safeguard them. I don’t see a realistic hope for peace because I can’t imagine that Israel will relinquish the Jewish settlements, as the Arabs are demanding. The Arabs also say there won’t be peace unless East Jerusalem becomes the capital of a Palestinian state. But that’s strictly against God’s will. My friend, if the world forces Jerusalem to be divided, it will come to chaos.

israel today: We in Israel can thank God that He is our secret weapon.

Wilkerson: Please publish my warning to the nations that take a stand against God’s people and His city Jerusalem. God said this and He will fulfill it. Shalom and God’s blessings.

David Wilkerson - On To Glory April 27, 2011

AN ANCHOR IN THE STORM - one of his final posts.

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19).

The anchor referred to in this passage of Scripture is hope. Not the hope of this wicked world, but the hope founded on God’s oath to keep, bless, govern those who trust him.
This hope alone is our anchor in the storm falling on the earth at this present time. The writer of Hebrews admonished, “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (6:12).

God made an oath to the “heirs of promise” who are all those who are in Christ. He made an oath in order to end all strive—all doubts—so that “…we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (6:18).

Here is our hope: GOD HAS SWORN TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE.

He kept his word to Abraham—he will keep his word to you as you trust him. We need strong consolation in these times.

After all is said and done—and all the sermons have been preached on hope—it comes down to this: Are we willing to commit all into his hands—rest in his Word—and stand without wavering in the love of God, fully convinced his promises to you will be fulfilled?

You can take that kind of faith beyond the veil into the holiest! (Note: And David now has...)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Praying Zoe - for Israel

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Josh. 24:15

A Prophetic Call to Prayer Given by Lance Lambert - The 2 Spies

A Prophetic Call to Prayer Given by Lance Lambert

Sunday April 17, 2011
Taken from the website of Lance Lambert
 
Lance Lambert
It is well with you that you intercede for Israel that she be saved, for it is My purpose to save her. I will complete the circle of Redemption that began with Abraham and my promise that a great nation would come forth from him, and that in him would all the families of the earth be blessed. And so it has happened! For Israel became the vehicle through which My Word has come to all the nations; And also My Salvation; and the knowledge of My Purpose. From this nation, above all, came the Messiah. Soon the fullness of the Gentiles will have been saved, and I will turn again to Israel, to My Jewish People. They shall be reingrafted into their own olive tree, and My promise to Abraham will be gloriously fulfilled. Then their hardness of heart will melt, their blindness be turned into sight, and their suffering to radiant Glory. This is My determined purpose, and I shall not be turned from it. It will shortly begin to be fulfilled. I will turn all their weakness into unbelievable power, and I will use this nation as the last witness to the world as to who I am.
 
Take very seriously what is taking place in the Arab world. It is no good for Israel! It is not a move toward freedom and true democracy, but an enormous gain for militant Islam. They will seek to annihilate and liquidate Israel, but they will not only fail; their strength and power will be broken, and a huge harvest of souls will be saved from amongst them.

Hear Me, I call you to intercession! It will not be easy. All the powers of My enemy are centred and focused on stopping this people from coming into My Redemption and Salvation. But he will fail! I look therefore for those who will stand in the gap, who will build up the wall; those who will stand in the place of intercession.

Shortly also I will begin more serious judgment on the Western nations. I will bring them to nothing; I will turn them upside down; I will grind them to powder. They will not know what has hit them. It will seem as if there is nothing left of what once I worked in those nations; Especially that Superpower. I will bring it to weakness; she will no longer be super, but a pity of the nations.

Hear this Word of Mine; I call you to intercede for those who belong to Me in those nations; that they will be saved from it! Hear this cry. My heart yearns for those who belong to Me, that they might be clear in their understanding, clear in the way that they are to walk in the midst of all this. Do hear Me! For I speak to you who love Me, and who have this morning remembered Me; I do not desire judgment, but judgment of the most serious and devastating kind will fall upon those nations. Hear this Word from Me, and obey My call to intercession! 

Monday, April 25, 2011

VIETNAM -- BACKSEAT - Morris Rudduck Update

I boarded the flight home upon completing this most recent leg in my mission to Vietnam, I had a strong image of my main mode of transportation within the communities I served: the backseat of a motorbike.

Yet, this image unveils more. My role with the Vietnamese people is a backseat role. In the simplicity of this very basic mode of transportation, I serve as a catalyst, an equipper and mobilizer. What I've come to do is not about me, but those I serve.

Vietnam is an anomaly. Comparatively small and economically behind many others, its people is its most remarkable asset. Innovative and industrious, they are making a mark and creating ripples with their contributions to the global economy.

Within their ranks is a remnant of Christians, who in many regions have paid an extremely high cost for their faith. From Vietnam's economically bleak times of the 80s and early 90s, has come an attitude that has viewed and treated Christians as second-class citizens.

The Timing
 However, that is changing, but not without some hurdles. Our God's economy program has come at a pivotal time and is becoming an important part of the change underway, as scores of those attending our workshops have begun establishing their own business enterprises with the goal of serving as a people of influence, who are contributors in building their communities.

The Fruit
Many have traveled distances to attend these workshops. In one we conducted on this trip, some had traveled 200 miles to attend. Since I recognized some faces I'd seen before, I asked who had started a business as a result of one of our workshops. More than 20 raised their hands. Then I asked who was intending to start a business after that workshop. The number responding was roughly another 15. So after starting their businesses, some are coming back to get a refresher on doing business God's way. Many more are coming for the first time to be equipped with the mantle of an economic community-builder. In my backseat role, this is the fruit from just one locale.

We've now ministered in 16 cities or villages across this nation. During this trip, we conducted three workshops in three cities; one being a new area for us.

Most of the entrepreneurial endeavors that we've helped and encouraged, begin their ventures small, serving the simple function to feed a family or to support a pastor in his/her work. When designed to support a ministry, we've given keen focus to non-distracting businesses that are able to quickly cash-flow and begin growing with a minimum time-expenditure. Many have testimonies of fast growth and a shift in the community perceptions toward them, as they start assuming leadership roles as a culture within a culture and a people of purpose and influence.

Something New


Another developing dimension of the "new" is the crystallizing of a plan I've been praying about for an American-Jewish Business Center. While the God's economy program targets the church on a proactive entrepreneurial level, the Business Center would be positioned to attract aspiring business leaders whose values seek an honorable approach to business with a Vietnamese identity. By drawing from a Judeo-Christian model of operating as a culture within a culture; values and priorities would be focused on relationships and the good of the community.

With an array of offerings ranging from seminars, consulting and webinars to high-level briefings, each would reflect the wisdom from experts from business, government, law, economics, psychotherapy, security, banking, entrepreneurship, forecasting, energy, manufacturing and more with updates and a focus on key issues that point to defining the enduring model that has consistently brought increase and blessing to nations and societies. In short, this venture would be an outreach to aspiring business leaders who are spiritually seeking "something more."

Still more in the "something new" category during this mission was the opportunity to minister to some spiritually hungry Charismatic Catholics. What I've learned is that there has been an outpouring of the Spirit within the Catholic community in the Saigon area. This is very similar to the Charismatic revival that took place in the US during the late sixties and into the seventies that got its start at a prayer meeting at a Catholic university.

The Catholics in Vietnam experiencing this renewal are turning to the Protestant Charismatics for insights into this new dimension in their walk with the Lord. Again, in my backseat role, it was a great joy to me on two occasions to minister to these brethren.

There's clearly a turning underway for the Body in Vietnam, as the Lord brings fulfillment to the word I first brought them three years ago that God had made them to be the head and not the tail.

However, what touched me most deeply on this trip was a word that my host-pastor shared with me. He told me while he had recently been praying for me that the Lord showed him something about me. Then very matter-of-factly he said that the Lord had told him that I was a father to many nations, but especially to Vietnam. He went on to say that each time I come to Vietnam that something happens as I bring with me the rain of the Holy Spirit and God's covenant of peace that is planted and spread among the people.

By serving as a catalyst in a backseat role, the Lord is exceeding my expectations and bringing forth much fruit. Thank you again for your prayers and your support.

With every blessing,

Morris Ruddick
Global Initiatives Foundation
http://www.strategic-initiatives.org/

This trip has unveiled a number of dimensions of something new.

In each of the last two missions to this nation, we've learned of congregations acquiring debt-free, through a combination of wise stewardship and some downright miraculous circumstances, their own church facilities. Each one has been new and spacious, able to safely house the activities of the host congregation with far more space than a small crowded home. This trip was no different. Within two days of my arrival, I was bringing the message to still another congregation worshipping in their own newly-built facility.

But there is more. Stepping outside the system and entering God's economy with private business ownership lifts the lid on potential opportunity. Vietnamese Christians who have paid a high cost for their faith are serious about making God their Senior Partner and actively seeking Him in the planning of their business enterprises. God is blessing some in this category beyond their wildest expectations, as they in turn serve as good stewards with the mantle of Abraham, to be blessed to be a blessing.

Expanding the Scope

Ahava Love Letter - "24"

Ahava Love Letter
“24”
“Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7


Dear family of friends,

Twenty four elders. Twenty four hours in a day. Twelve apostles. Three wise men (Richard, Herb and Bob – friends of mine.) This 24th edition of Ahava Love Letters.

The Lord likes numbers. He even has a book in the Torah called Numbers! All throughout the Bible He is careful to have recorded the six days of creation. He had Moses list the long life span of Enoch (365 years), while Lamech saw 777 years on earth. Noah lived to be a whopping 950, only to be topped by Methuelah’s mere 969 birthdays. (And you think 77 is an “old” age. Imagine the candles on that huge pomegranate icing flavored cake!)

And I’ll throw in another number right here - the Love For His People Cross.tv website has reached 40,000 views in just over a year. Check it out!  http://www.cross.tv/love_for_his_people_ministries

So what does all this mean? The Lord says, “the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Matt. 10:30,31 NLT)

Our value is so important to the Lord that He even knows the number of hairs on our individual heads. (Even if it is easier counting on some than on others.) He even cares enough to let us know that each of our  days are numbered” (Psalm 39:4). Only when they are completed will we go on to be with Him.

There is comfort in knowing this. There can be comfort for Ephraim and the eight orphans in Liberia, who are still living on the street, and for John in India, who is trying to build a home for orphans there. The Lord, God of Israel, certainly knows how He will protect our friends in the Jewish nation, from the warring countries surrounding them. He knows each of us by name, and where we live.

As it is written, “...and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.“ Acts 17:26 (NASB)

In college (my one and only year), when I memorized that verse above, it certainly comforted me. Knowing that the days ahead were in His hands gave me confidence to step out and trust Him. I did, and He has.

Whenever you check the current number in your checkbook (or your on-line bank account), or the days before your next doctor’s appointment, or the cans of vegetables left in the food cabinet, be reminded of His care and love. Believe that His provision, protection and guidance are daily available for each of us.

Twenty four is a good number. So is the Creator Who gave us another means of showing His love.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President


Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider donating now on-line by clicking here http://www.loveforhispeople.com/ for our website’s “Giving Opportunities” tab, or by sending checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 470035   Charlotte, NC 28247-0035      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions sent by mail or given on-line will receive an e-receipt for each donation, for you to print out. (Saves the ministry on postage!)  


Ahava Love Letter #24   Date: April 24, in the year of our Lord 2011 

©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 470035   Charlotte, NC 28247-0035

Monday, April 18, 2011

Ahava Love Letter - "Seed That Lives"

Ahava Love Letter
Seed That Lives
“Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless a grain of wheat that falls to the ground dies, it stays just a grain; but if it dies, it produces a big harvest.”  (John 12:24 Complete Jewish Bible)

Dear family of friends,

And the next verse says, “He who loves his life loses it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it safe right on into eternal life!” (John 12:25 CJB)

This doesn’t seem like the way it should be, right? How can you die in order to live? How can you “let go” of what you have, in order to get something even better? Sometimes so much bigger. Even that is hard to imagine or believe. And yet that is what the Lord is calling us to do.

I think it is quite apparent now, all around us, that mankind has missed it. More so than what we used to think, both naturally and spiritually would happen. We thought we basically had it made, particularly as Christians in America. But our economies are hurting. Many families are often separated. Quite a few churches have become a place where people go to be entertained for an hour a week, only to live as the rest of the world for the other 167 hours in between services. It can be quite discouraging at times.

Letting our learned ways die off isn’t easy, and I for one fight against it in ways I sometimes am not even aware of. I know the Lord has said “This is the way,” and then I balk, question, resist, or even oppose the direction I am to go. Sometimes I just don’t see “it”, and still think I have the better way of getting something accomplished. Whatever that “it” is in my life, or yours.

It is not fun to be in a dark, “can’t see the next step” place in life. Buried in the dirt left to die. Like most people, I too want to know the 10 year plan. Or the five year plan. How about just the next week plan? But I am convinced that one day at a time is how He wants to show it to me. Do I have faith for one day, and my daily bread? And so He allows me to die to my own ways, so that I finally choose His. Trust and obey isn’t the easy road to travel. It is becoming the only way.

At my age, I am finally convinced that I don’t have all the answers I thought I did. What I do have is what has died within me, and now has grown. I can offer to others only what 40 years of walking with the Lord has shown me, deep in my spirit. That when I do “die”, then what grows and flourishes is a faith that the rest of the world can’t take away. It is a life that rests on and in Him, not in myself and my abilities.

We are going to need a faith that is built on nothing more, and nothing less, than His commitment to us to accomplish His purposes. I am learning to give up trying to do it my way. I am dying to the way I have known it, so that I can live. Not an easy choice to make. But certainly the only one.

Resurrection life, and the faith to walk it out, will soon mean more to us than good words in the Book. We will know exactly what He has been telling us. It will be a “must way”, rather than just a “suggested way” of life.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President


Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider donating now on-line by clicking here http://www.loveforhispeople.com/ for our website’s “Giving Opportunities” tab, or by sending checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 470035   Charlotte, NC 28247-0035      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions sent by mail or given on-line will receive an e-receipt for each donation, for you to print out. (Saves the ministry on postage!)  

Ahava Love Letter #23   Date: April 19, in the year of our Lord 2011    


Disciplined Minds - Morris Ruddick

DISCIPLINED MINDS
(c) Morris E. Ruddick

Note: I am penning this post, in part on a bus ride between cities, in my ongoing work with the persecuted church in Vietnam. The correlation of these peoples' disciplined approach to life and the level in which they quickly discern and put into practice the great truths of the Kingdom is a reflection of the fire they've endured and their sold-out commitment to the Lord.

Morris
~~~~~~~~


"Whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, to him, even more will be taken away." Matthew 13:12

In this sequence in Matthew, Jesus is teaching about the Kingdom of God.

It followed an extremely hard, but related word: "In that day, many will come to me and say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your same, cast out demons and done many wonders in your name? And I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."  Matthew 7:22

The Kingdom of God is not an "add-on" to apply to life. It's the foundation. It's life itself. For its citizens, the Kingdom is their identity. That's why Jesus said we would be in the world, but not belong to the world.

Kingdom Identity and CitizenshipThe identity issue is not in question with those I've worked with in the persecuted church. One of their most distinguishing characteristics is the attribute of a disciplined mind. When they hear the truth; it is not something to tickle their ears. It's life-giving and embraced with fervency in its application.

Jesus made it plain that He was sent to the Jews first. The Jews in Jesus' day were under the rule of Rome. Yet, that was nothing new in Jewish history. Historically, the remnant of Jewish people has had a track record of serving as the business class in societies without a middle class; but also as advisors and financiers to nobility and royalty. They have been a people of influence.

Their host civilizations and societies have come and gone; but the Jewish people have endured. They have been a people who have understood their identity in God. They have been a culture within a culture with the mandate of Abraham to be blessed to be a blessing.

Yet, as the opening passage continues in Matthew 13, Jesus points to Isaiah 6 referring to the Jewish people who had become seduced by the world around them; whose hearts and minds had lost touch with their true citizenship and identity. At risk has not been just those failing to pay attention, but the most talented and elite.

Undisciplined MindsKing Saul had everything going for him. He held the position of king. He had the anointing and he was most certainly called by God. He had to be extremely bright to handle the position. But in his thinking, he got it wrong-side up. He gave heed to a mix of fear, anger and jealousy and then to listening to taunting voices. The position and power he was given to serve God's people became an obsession he feared losing, which seduced him into greater levels of the attention he gave to the wrong voices, which eventually caused him to lose it all.

A similarly sad digression happened with Saul's daughter Michal. She loved David. and cleverly outwitted one of her father's attempts to kill David. She also was an instrumental part of the covenant that brought Judah and Israel together. Yet, not long after this event, before she could fully enter her role serving as wife of King David, she was enticed by seducing voices that like her father before her, distracted her from what could have been the fullness of her identity and purpose in life.

With a seedbed of misaligned priorities of identity, both Saul and his daughter Michal had undisciplined minds that were provoked by seducing voices and the pride of life.
"Yet these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have kept their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precepts of men." Isaiah 29:14

The Battle in the MindThe battle is in the mind. It is in the subtleties that seduction gains entrance. It's when in the proximity of moving from the called to the chosen that the transfer from the old identity to the new will be most critical. It will be at that point that the old will rear up with a force and enticement that must be seen for what it is and resisted. It is at that point that the seducing voices will be most taunting and even tormenting. It is at that point when the choices marked by discipline will determine the next step. It is the step into the fullness of ones' destiny.

A disciplined mind, that embraces its true priorities and identity, involves the poise of our souls and right choices; and a lifetime of insuring that the life we are leading is no longer ours, but truly belongs to the One who makes us whole as we bear the brandmarks of our Kingdom citizenship.

Saul and Michal had the opportunity to choose and embrace a regal destiny. They were called to royalty, but instead were ruled by their fears and passions which distorted their priorities. The roots of their demise is touched on in Proverbs 30. "Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:  a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food; an unloved woman when she gets a husband and a maid when she succeeds her mistress."

The king with a heart of a slave misuses authority. The leader with a heart of a fool is ruled by desires. The one given authority without love will never trust and those with oppressed hearts who are given control will pervert authority. These elements congeal into what scripture refers to as "the bondage of corruption" or what so commonly operates in the world as the abuse of power.

Yet, the abuse of power is not simply found among the ungodly. It was Jesus' major issue with the Pharisees. They touted their hypocritical priorities of prestige, privilege and power. However, it wasn't just the prestige, privilege or power that was at issue, but that these things had blinded them.

Jesus' central theme in His earthly ministry was how to operate according to the way of the Kingdom. We live by dying. We advance by yielding. Generosity brings increase. Honor comes from humility. We love our enemies. We lead by serving. We do good to those who spitefully misuse us. We are called to be a culture of influence to those around us; a culture within a culture making change that gives tangible evidence of the Kingdom.
"Those who are turning the world upside down are now among us!" Acts 17

Disciplined MindsEmbracing and maintaining a heart that avoids the type of positional deceptions and issues that pervert must first choose the path, and then pay the cost at the point where the battle is waged: in the mind. Its distinctiveness gives witness to our identity in God in a manner recognized by the world around us.
"The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man and everyone saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made all that he did to prosper." Gen 39: 2-3

Two leaders I've worked with in this land of persecution give dramatic evidence to their true citizenship. One is a businessman and the other a pastor. One saw his mother, three brothers, his grandparents and an uncle all killed together in a Vietcong raid during the Vietnam conflict. At the point of suicide, he heard a message of hope on Christian shortwave radio and became a believer. He went on to begin starting and leading gatherings of believers during the post 1975 regime and was subsequently imprisoned for almost three years for his faith.

The brutal conditions of this prison camp involved working long, hard hours in the fields on only a daily bowl of watered-down gruel. His release came near the point of death through the intervention of an international humane society that had learned of his plight. Upon his release, he had the option to immigrate to the US. God spoke to him that Vietnam was his mission field.

The other man was an officer with the South Vietnamese during the Vietnam conflict. He was not one of the fortunate to be evacuated and was captured in 1975. He spent several years in a Communist re-education camp. These camps were cruel and inhumane. Their goal was to break their former enemies. I've personally known two strong men whose spirits were broken in this way; their minds never the same. However, this man sovereignly found the Lord in this horribly severe situation.

Both this pastor and this businessman are whole. They have memories, but without impeding issues. The joy of the Lord surrounds them. They have a zeal for serving the Lord. They live in "the now." While their wholeness bears witness to their faith in the Lord Jesus; it also punctuates their true identity as citizens of the Kingdom. They are operating as a culture within a culture.

We can speak about values and Christian self-improvement all we want; but if we don't get the identity and citizenship thing down, we are in danger of an alignment with this world that distorts and hinders our true destiny.
"Whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, to him, even more will be taken away." Matthew 13:12

Ongoing Identity StepsFor the transfer into our true identity and citizenship to become complete a disciplined mind is required. It's not about self; but rather serving and bringing change as we are blessed to be a blessing. A disciplined mind will prioritize, leave the past behind, kept its spirit in focus, maintain growth and be a catalyst with the release of its own unique Kingdom purpose.

1. Pay the Cost of Prioritizing. Wrong priorities became tripping points to both Saul and Michal. The history of the Jews gives us a glimmer to the cycles faced by a culture within a culture. Kingdom citizenship is not a seal on a passport; it's the path and focus of everyday life. It matures with decisions requiring a cost.

2. Leave the Past. Soul-ties and memory hooks from the past, both good and bad, evoke both constraints and expectations drawn from the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the love of the world; and must be resisted. They are enticements and triggers that impede the fullness that a Kingdom identity will bring.

3. Keep Your Spirit in Focus. Speaking truth in your own heart (Ps 15) is pivotal to a vibrant and impactful Christian life. The mature should always have a realistic grasp of the direction of their thinking and priorities; as a discipline to the type of prayer that further determines and unfolds the focus of their thinking and priorities.

4. Maintain Spiritual Growth. Make a practice of proactive repentance that extends into thoughts that digress into "old patterns." Forgive quickly. Proactively practice humility. Staying immersed daily in God's word and prayer is not just a means of developing spiritual maturity. It is the pathway to maintaining it.

5. Be a Catalyst with Activated Purpose. The subtleties at this level warrant ongoing prayerful scrutiny. It's not about ambition. It's not about what we can do for God, but rather what we allow Him to do through us. That means entering His flow by serving as faithful stewards with the gifts He has endowed. This evolves and is often reshaped over time as we develop from faith to faith. It is at the core of the identity matter. When tapped, reach high and serve by enabling opportunity in others as you bring increase to the Kingdom and enter the fullness of His joy.

Our model is not the way of the world or success as the world defines it. Jesus made it clear that we were not called to be like everyone else. The issue is in our identity and the execution of our Kingdom citizenship, as a culture within a culture.
"Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that steward whom his master will find so doing when he comes" Luke 12:42-43

The pressures the persecuted church live under allow little choice on the matter of identity. The realities do little to promote a love of the world. Becoming a believer where freedom is dim leaves little question on true citizenship; of being a culture within a culture. Survival as a believer within a land of persecution takes a committed, disciplined mind.

Yet, a friend and leader from this sector of the Body, who has paid a high cost for his faith, once shared with me: "Materialism is more dangerous than communism."

The face of communism is clear, but materialism seduces. The need for a disciplined mind carries, at the least, equal significance in the part of the world that shouts its benefits of the pride of life, the lust of the flesh and the love of the world.

A disciplined mind is foundational to maintaining the identity and citizenship of a culture of influence within a culture of seduction.
"When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more. When they had received the same, they complained saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and we have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered, 'Friend, did you not agree on this amount? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give this last man the same as you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what I own? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."  Matthew 20: 10-16
_________________________________________

Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the call of God in the marketplace. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" and "Something More," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders called to impact their communities with God's blessings. They are available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.

Mr. Ruddick is also the founder of the Global Equippers Entrepreneurial Program, which imparts hope and equips economic community builders where God's light is dim in both the Western and non-Western world. To schedule a speaking engagement, sponsor a workshop, make a donation or to get more information on how you can help, contact Global Initiatives at 303.741.9000.

2011 Copyright Morris Ruddick - response@strategic-initiatives.org

Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor.  Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis.  For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check:  http://www.strategicintercession.org/


Morris Ruddick
Global Initiatives Foundation
http://www.strategic-initiatives.org/

Reap What You Sow

LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH                 

The American people can now more readily 'understand' why the Obamas were omitted from the guest list to the Royal wedding in April! We know how other countries feel about us.  Hopefully we can change all this.  Now we will see why some of the other 'friendly' nations really don't like us now. This is a very sobering article.            

From The London Daily Telegraph Editor on Foreign Relations         

 Quote: "Let me be clear: I'm not normally in favor of boycotts, and I love the American people.  I holiday in their country regularly, and hate the tedious snobby sneers against the United States.  But the American people chose to elect an idiot who seems hell bent on insulting their allies, and something must be done to stop Obama's reckless foreign policy, before he does the dirty on his allies on every issue."               

One of the most poorly kept secrets in Washington is President Obama's animosity toward Great Britain, presumably because of what he regards as its sins while ruling Kenya (1895-1963). One of Barack Hussein Obama's first acts as president was to return to Britain a bust of Winston Churchill that had graced the Oval Office since 9/11.  He followed this up by denying Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on his first state visit, the usual joint press conference with flags.               

The president was "too tired" to grant the leader of America's closest ally a proper welcome, his aides told British journalists. Mr. Obama followed this up with cheesy gifts for Mr. Brown and the Queen.  Columnist Ian Martin described his behavior as "rudeness personified."

There was more rudeness in store for Mr. Brown at the opening session of the United Nations in September.  "The prime minister was forced to dash through the kitchens of the UN in New York to secure five minutes of face time with President Obama after five requests for a sit down meeting were rejected by the White House," said London Telegraph columnist David Hughes.  Mr. Obama's "churlishness is unforgivable," Mr. Hughes said.

The administration went beyond snubs and slights when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed the demand of Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, a Hugo Chavez ally, for mediation of Argentina's specious claim to the Falkland Islands, a British dependency since 1833. The people who live in the Falklands, who speak English, want nothing to do with Argentina.  When, in 1982, an earlier Argentine dictatorship tried to seize the Falklands by force, the British -- with strong support from President Ronald Reagan -- expelled them.   
           
"It is truly shocking that Barack Obama has decided to disregard our shared history," wrote Telegraph columnist Toby Young. "Does Britain's friendship really mean so little to him?"   One could ask, does the friendship of anyone in the entire world mean anything to him?         

"I recently asked several senior administration officials, separately, to name a foreign leader with whom Barack Obama has forged a strong personal relationship during his first year in office," wrote Jackson Diehl, deputy editorial page editor of the Washington Post, on Monday. "A lot of hemming and hawing ensued." 

One official named French President Nicolas Sarkozy, but his contempt for Mr. Obama is an open secret.  Another named German Chancellor Angela Merkel. But, said Mr. Diehl, "Merkel too has been conspicuously cool toward Obama.

"Mr. Obama certainly doesn't care about the Poles and Czechs, whom he has betrayed on missile defense.  Honduras and Israel also can attest that he's been an unreliable ally and an unfaithful friend.  Ironically, our relations with both  Israel and the Palestinian Authority have never been worse.  Russia has offered nothing in exchange for Mr. Obama's abandonment of missile defense.  Russia and China won't support serious sanctions on Iran.  Syria's support for terrorism has not diminished despite efforts to normalize diplomatic relations.  The reclusive military dictatorship that runs Burma has responded to our efforts at "engagement" by deepening its ties to North Korea.  And the Chinese make little effort to disguise their contempt for him.

For the first time in a long time, the President of the United States is actually distrusted by its allies and not in the least feared by its adversaries.  Nor is Mr. Obama now respected by the majority of Americans.  Understandably focused on the dismal economy and Mr. Obama's relentless efforts to nationalize and socialize health care, Americans apparently have yet to notice his dismal performance and lack of respect in the world community. They soon will.                 

--London Daily Telegraph editor -- Alex Singleton

Israel's IDF Medical Clinic in Japan

Those darn Israelis are at it, again!!!

ISRAEL'S IDF MEDICAL CLINIC STARTS WORKING IN TSUNAMI DEVASTATED JAPAN-
              
●CNN: "Israel is first to set up Surgical Unit in Japan"

● The Israeli clinic includes orthopedics, surgical and intensive care units as well as a delivery room and pharmacy.

●The delegation includes 50 doctors.

● They brought with them:
1. 32 tons of equipment                                                                                                  
2. 18 tons of humanitarian aid---10,000 coats, 6,000 gloves and 150 portable toilets

And consider this...
With all their billions of "petro-dollars", where is the humanitarian relief from the Arab countries?

You are welcome to share this with everyone you know in the world.


Israeli medical center in Japan after tsunami



 

Monday, April 11, 2011

Ahava Love Letter - "Seeds Within"

Ahava Love Letter
Seeds Within
" …His seed abides in him…” (1 John 3:9 NASB)

Dear family of friends,

Did you know that ancient seeds discovered in the past few years, which were found from centuries ago, still grow? Amazing isn't it? To know that what is seemingly “lifeless”, being over 2000 years old (some as far as back as 4000 years) later sprouted. (At the bottom of this letter are two further short articles describing these amazing occurrences.)

Do you ever wonder if the spiritual seeds planted in you, some maybe from as far back as 10, 20, even 30 years ago, will ever sprout too? That that seed, coming to you as a spiritual move of Ruach HaKodesh (The Holy Spirit), maybe when you were a young whipper snapper, will yet grow and bear fruit?

As a kid growing up, surrounded by acres and acres of corn fields, row after row near the towns in Iowa, I really never gave it much thought of the annual progress that farmers went through. But each fall, they would disc the fields of the leftover harvest, to turn over the crop remains back into the soil. Then after the winter snows came, followed by the warming of the sun, they would begin to plant the corn, beans or even sunflower seeds in the rich, “black as black can be” loam dirt.

When you hold a small kernel of corn seed in your hand, it looks and feels like just a hard, yellow shell, with a little knob at the end. And yet it contains within the very life to grow over eight feet tall, bearing many more ears, of hundreds of more seeds.

Sometimes when I ponder on this, one of the ways we can learn of the Lord God of Israel Whom we serve, He gives me thoughts of encouragement, that what He put within me will yet come to pass. In His time.

To think what a seed goes through when it is buried in that dark, black, out-of-sight tomb in the ground. It seemingly “dies”, as the dirt itself, then the spring rain, work on it. Then further penetration of the surrounding forces crack that hard seed, permitting the life form within to wrestle its green way up through the blackness to reach the yellow sun.

Those spiritual seeds within us, planted by the Lord Himself, buried as if dead, will come up. We have been given that hope. External and internal pressures, difficulties that may daily come our way, are forcing those spiritual seed shells to break. He is causing His people to be raised up, along with Him, to perform the work that those seeds, once mature, are meant to bring about.

This will bring further advancement for us. As we face the tribulations and the daily trials that certainly can wear us down at times, I believe that He is still using these actions to produce a harvest that the world has yet to behold. And the timing will be perfect, and so needed.

My prayer is that your seeds will continue to germinate. Allow the pressures all around to bring about the needed force to cause His gifts within to come forth, and touch the lives of those around us. We all need each others’ fruit, and the resulting harvest that He promised to reveal.

So be encouraged, and have a good “seed-pressured” day.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Our 2nd annual “Ahava Adventures” service trip to Israel is set, with flights, hotels, and ground transportation in place. On the date of  Oct. 29, 2011, only ten will depart from Charlotte (or join us in Philadelphia) to spend six days/nights in Jerusalem and two days/nights on the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias (only $2495 for the entire trip!) Our Israeli friends will meet us there, as we further connect with the believers in The Land.
This isn’t your “basic tour” time. We go where not many can, or would go, for we want to be more adventurous, more supportive, and experience even more what Israel’s people and land is about in this day and age. We do see spiritually and historically important locations, but our primary focus is to bless the ones living the day to day life there. Curious enough to find out further? Contact info is below.
Can’t go yourself? Please consider sponsoring a friend, family member, or person in your church, especially of  “the next generation” age group. Trust the Lord to highly impact their lives for life, to impart to them a heart for His people that will never leave them, and give them an adventure they will never forget.  (Heh, it is tax-deductable for you too. In part or full, it doesn’t matter.)
Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider donating now on-line by clicking here http://www.loveforhispeople.com/ for our website’s “Giving Opportunities” tab, or by sending checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box 470035   Charlotte, NC 28247-0035      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous  and  LovingHisPeople   and ahavaloveletter

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions sent by mail or given on-line will receive an e-receipt for each donation, for you to print out. (Saves the ministry on postage!)  

Ahava Love Letter #22   Date: April 12, in the year of our Lord 2011    


ANCIENT SEEDS COME FORTH

Judean Date Palm (From Wikipedia  the free encyclopedia)

The Judean date palm is a cultivar of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).
Prized for its beauty, shade, and medicinal properties, the cultivar was thought to have become extinct sometime around AD 150. However, in 2005, a preserved 2,000-year-old seed sprouted. It is the oldest known human-assisted germination of a seed. The palm, named Methuselah (not to be confused with Methuselah, a bristlecone pine tree), is about 1.5 m (5 ft) tall as of June 2008.

4,000-Year-Old Lentil Seed Successfully Germinates

Biblical Archaeology Review
December 23, 2009
"An ancient lentil seed dating back 4,000 years that was discovered during an archaeological excavation has successfully germinated. The Middle Bronze Age site in the western Turkish province of Kütahya provided researchers with a number of seeds from the excavation—several of which were still viable. Scientists are hoping the plant that grows from the ancient seed will produce its own seeds, which would then allow researchers to compare the ancient organic lentil seeds with their modern, genetically modified counterparts.
The seeds were discovered within a structure that archaeologists believe was an ancient silo constructed for grain storage. The discovery of such an ancient live seed is extraordinary and seems to be a result of fire damage to the container the seeds were stored in, which created an environment capable of preserving the seeds for millennia."

Almonds in Steve Martin's hands - Israel

His Seed was put in the ground and He rose from the dead.
(Photos by Steve Martin)