WATCH HERE, PART 1: David & Goliath, Part 1
WATCH HERE, PART 2: David & Goliath, Part 2
#DavidandGoliath #PaulBernard #poem #Bible
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.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
We Need Others - message by Steve Martin
We Need Others
Men (and women) need friendships. For far too long we have been made to think that we can do all on our own. To be the one who can fix anything with no help from others.
I used to think that.
My wife and I needed more space for our growing family with four kids. We decided to add more footage to our East Lansing, Michigan home around 1983. My brother-in-law Bob Smith, a contractor, had a construction crew who did the work.
Before Laurie’s parents were coming from Illinois for a visit, I was saving pallets from my work and then nailing them down as a new floor in the attic, to make more storage space.
My foot missed the flooring joist. It went through the ceiling in the new addition family room below.
I could not fix that. And the Lord clearly spoke to me, “You cannot do all things by yourself. You need others.”
“And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12.21, NASB
I got the help I needed to repair that new ceiling. I am thankful for those who have skills that we do not process.
We need others. We cannot walk alone.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
#weneedothers #fellowship #friendship #SteveMarti #Jesus
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
All Men Rise Up - new book by Steve Martin
Buy now on Amazon paperback $7.95: All Men Rise Up! by Steve Martin
When men understand who they are, they accomplish things that they were created to be and do.
This book seeks to encourage those men who know our current culture needs to return to godly principles, biblical foundations, and healthy families.
We need to walk in the steps the Lord, Father of All, gave us to heed, as we hear and obey.
While this book is not a full Bible study on the role of men, taught by a man who has lived for over seven decades, it is an encouragement to seek the Lord, know His ways as we daily walk with Him, and succeed in the calling He has for each of us.
I share some of what I have learned, as the Bible instructs us to do.
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2, NASB.
Put into practice then what you can, and allow the Holy Spirit to continue to instruct and encourage you along the way.
This book seeks to encourage those men who know our current culture needs to return to godly principles, biblical foundations, and healthy families.
We need to walk in the steps the Lord, Father of All, gave us to heed, as we hear and obey.
While this book is not a full Bible study on the role of men, taught by a man who has lived for over seven decades, it is an encouragement to seek the Lord, know His ways as we daily walk with Him, and succeed in the calling He has for each of us.
I share some of what I have learned, as the Bible instructs us to do.
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2, NASB.
Put into practice then what you can, and allow the Holy Spirit to continue to instruct and encourage you along the way.
Buy now on Amazon paperback $7.95: All Men Rise Up! by Steve Martin
#AllMenRiseUp #nowisthetime #newbook #SteveMartin #Bible #fatherhood #HolySpirit
Monday, April 13, 2026
“Determination” - message by Steve Martin
Determination
Our walk with the Lord will bring us to events and situations where we are going to have to either stand strong, or we will turn and run. In my life, I have made that decision already. My life is His. I will stand, so help me God.
Yeshua (Jesus) had made that decision too. He was determined to do the Father’s will, and He did it.
We must choose to be as He was, and have the determination to do what is right before that time will certainly come.
“The Master, God, has given me a well-taught tongue, so I know how to encourage tired people. He wakes me up in the morning. Wakes me up, opens my ears to listen as one ready to take orders.
The Master, God, opened my ears, and I didn’t go back to sleep, didn’t pull the covers back over my head. I followed orders, stood there and took it while they beat me, held steady while they pulled out my beard.
Didn’t dodge their insults, faced them as they spit in my face. And the Master, God, stays right there and helps me, so I’m not disgraced.
Therefore I set my face like flint, confident that I’ll never regret this. My champion is right here. Let’s take our stand together! Who dares bring suit against me? Let him try! Look! the Master, God, is right here.
Who would dare call me guilty? Look! My accusers are a clothes bin of threadbare socks and shirts, fodder for moths!” Isaiah 50:7-9, The Message
When I was the office manager of a Canon copier dealer in Lansing, Michigan, between 1980-1987, I was asked to do an invoice for the company, billing a location that I had heard did abortions. I refused to do so. I wanted no part in it.
I would have been around 26, and we had three young kids at the time. I couldn’t afford to lose my job, but my Lord told me I was not to do that invoice. I told the owner as such.
He then made his wife, the co-owner, do the invoice. (In later years they asked me to become Vice President of the company, but even then the Lord had called me on to other work for Him, and that meant a move to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to work for Derek Prince Ministries.)
Are we going to stand as Christians, when faced with decisions that will go against the actions and beliefs of those around us?
Now is the time to make that determination. Not when the time to stand faces us head on. We will need to have made that decision already.
Christians, and Jews, are among the most persecuted in the world. Times have not changed since Jesus’ time. We know the Bible says the same days are coming for us.
Decide now what you are going to do when called upon to choose.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
Message #21, April 14, 2026
#determination #SteveMartin #Jesus #courage #faith #Master #DerekPrince #Christians #Jews #Bible #persecution
Monday, April 6, 2026
"His Appointments" - message by Steve Martin
(Photo by Steve Martin)
His Appointments
We all have
our disappointments. And yet when I look back, I can see our Lord’s hand in
them - protecting us, guarding us, keeping us from going down a path that we
thought was for sure the way to go.
Even when we
say to ourselves and others, “I am positive this is the Lord’s will. How can it
not be?”
And then it
didn’t go as expected.
I recall the
true Bible story of Joseph hearing that his fiancée, Mary, was pregnant before
they knew each other intimately. And the child was not his. How greatly
disappointed he must have felt? “Why, Lord? YOU GAVE HER TO ME!”
How did that
turn out for Joseph? And Mary?
We can’t, we
don’t, always see the Lord’s hand in our lives. We don’t have the capacity to
carry it, to do it at the time, as He knows and does.
We have to
trust in the Lord’s hands. He said He loves us. Is He a liar?
Thank You,
Lord, for the times I didn’t marry that one; I didn’t get on that plane; my
event was canceled…and then tragedy occurred exactly where "I just knew I
was supposed to have been" before Your hand stopped me.
We must also
realize that this life isn’t just about me. So many more are involved. I like
the Jewish culture. It isn’t “me”, it is “us.” We need more of that.
His
appointments carry us beyond the disappointments. When they come, keep looking
for His open door. It is coming. I can promise you that, because He is ALWAYS
Faithful.
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who wait for His faithfulness…” Psalm 33:18, NASB
Now, back to
my blueberry bagel. It seems to have more purple in it this time. Yeah Lord!
Ahava and
Shalom,
Steve Martin
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Message #20
in the year of our Lord, April 6, 2026.
It would be nice if you could run down to the local grocery store and buy a package of hope. After all, don’t we find we need it every day? A few good helpings daily sure would be nice. It is not quite that simple to get, but hope is certainly possible to obtain and keep.
The way I have found hope is by believing the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, as put forth truthfully in the Bible. Through the centuries, the words written in the Word have proven accurate and life-changing for those who have chosen to believe. I include myself among them. The daily news will get you discouraged. The bank statement and monthly bills, which arrive by mail or on your smartphone, will drain you of your pursuit of happiness.
One minute you are “up”. The next minute you hit a wall. What is it that keeps us pressing on to accomplish the good in life? Family and friends can be a good source of support, but even then, those relationships can falter. We need more. We need hope in our lives.
My desire and prayer is that as you read these messages, you will obtain hope. Not a hope that will get you just through this day, but an eternal hope where you can stand strong, press on, and know deep in your heart that when it is all said and done, what He, Jesus, has said and done will be the very truth that keeps you until the end.
Find hope. Keep it within, and know that the faith, hope and love of the Almighty God will always be there for you. He is our only hope.
Purchase here: Amazon - Paperback $8.95
#Hisappointments #Jesus #Yeshua #SteveMartin #Bible #disappointments #faithfulness
Friday, March 6, 2026
"Guidance. Get Some" - Steve Martin message
“Guidance. Get Some.” - Steve Martin, Love For His People
“With
your ears you will hear a word from behind you: 'This is the way; stay on it,
whether you go to the right or the left.” Isaiah 30:21, Complete Jewish Bible
Need
some guidance lately? Expecting or looking for a change and wanting some godly input?
Let
me share a word (or two) of what I was taught years ago, which I still use to help me on the Lord’s path and to keep from going off the deep end. Or
even falling into the ditch on either side.
Back in 1971, a favorite Bible teacher of
mine, Bob Mumford, wrote the book, “Take Another Look at Guidance:
A Study of Divine Guidance” (01.01.1971 Logos International. You can
get a copy online for only $32.07 if you want it. Signed by Bob. My unsigned
copy was given away a long time ago.) It was not until a decade later that I probably read it for the first time, as my copy had gotten pretty worn out over the
years, but he taught a very simple message on how we can discern the Lord’s
will as we walk with Him.
Let me share it as I remember and still
apply today as I seek his wisdom in the way to go.
Mumford gave an example of an ocean ship
coming into the harbor, looking for three specific lights to line up, guiding the captain through the fog or at midnight. Once they were all in a direct
row, he knew it was safe to steer the ship’s rudder between any cliffs on
either side or around obstacles that could sink the ship, crew, passengers, and
cargo if struck.
The
first light we need to look for is the written Word of God, the Torah, the
Bible. As we spend time reading and learning the lessons given to us by the
Holy Spirit, as recorded by inspired writers in centuries past and still very
relevant today, we can receive guidance. The logos, the written Word of God,
has been the main focal point of all successful men and women as they sought
the Lord and His plan. It spoke to them as they allowed Him the time to speak.
“Every
part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another — showing us
truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live
God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God
has for us.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17, THE MESSAGE.
“I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with
My eye.” Psalm 32:8, NKJV
There
have been times I would be reading God’s Word, the Bible, and a sentence would
jump out at me, as if I had never seen it before. Pay attention to those times.
It is the Lord speaking to you.
The
second guiding light was “rhema” – Holy Spirit words given through any of
several supernatural gifts or occurrences available to us. These may come in the form of someone speaking a prophetic word to us; the Lord gives a night dream, or we may even have a vision; we hear the “still, small voice” of the Lord in our minds,
and we may wonder where that came from. Seeking counsel from mature believers
is also very important.
It
may be simple. It may be profound. But either way, as He grants us direction, we
need to receive it with thanksgiving.
The
Apostle Paul instructed his disciple, Timothy, to heed what he had previously received through personal prophecy.
“This
command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies
previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping
faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck regarding their faith.” 1 Timothy 1:18-20, NASU
The
Body of Christ is made up of many members, each having been given a gift to be
shared with others, for the good of all. We so need them these days.
“And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all
these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” 1
Corinthians 12:5-11, NASU
The
third light we should look for in our guidance journey is through
circumstances. How many times have you gone through a day, something happens,
and you think, “Was that the Lord?” Or as you have been praying and expecting,
an answer comes through the mail, or a text, or a book you have been reading, and you realize that it is the Lord doing His thing. Or when you are introduced
to another, in what we call “divine appointments”?
The
Lord is not slack in using many ways He can speak and lead us. He has multiple creative methods.
On
several of Paul’s journeys, the leading of the Lord came to him through
experiencing a shipwreck (yes, even these!)’ he was thrown out of a city, and
his way forward was adjusted; and when other believers encouraged him to go one
way, which he did until a turn in the road came, and further direction was
given. He started the walk, and as he moved, in faith and with His eyes fixed
on the Lord Jesus, the Lord brought people into his path to help lead him. We
each have known that in our lives.
Thus,
when all three lights line up, one can be certain that it is the Lord giving us
knowledge and understanding of His directional provision.
Each
time my wife and children had major, physical moves in our lives, often from
state to state, of course, we sought the Lord for His guiding light. He was
always faithful to give it, coming at His perfect time and in His perfect season in our lives.
Often it was not easy, but it was right.
Whether
it is a major or seemingly minor decision we need to make, we can be led by the
Lord as we learn His ways.
Seek
the Lord. Draw near to Him. He will show you the way.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
(Originally published in 2021.)
#guidance #getguidance #BobMumford #Jesus #HolySpirit #Bible #LoveForHisPeople
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
"Sour Wine or Change" - message by Steve Martin, Love For His People
Sour
Wine or Change?
“Nor do people put new wine
into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the
wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine
into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17, NASB
My good wife Laurie and I love visiting vineyards in Israel, primarily in the northern Golan, where they are plentiful. We led a group of nine from our home group on a visit in May 2023, and it was one of the best times we had together.
Vineyard in the Golan, Israel, May 2023
They liked the wine. I liked the Land where it grows most of
all.
When we went to a major winery and took the tour, I was
fascinated by the huge, very huge barrels where the grapes continued their
journey, beginning with the harvest, through pressing and crushing, then
fermentation, aging in oak barrels, and bottling.
Most interesting of all was the way they would pour the
liquid from one vat into another, leaving sediment behind that would spoil the
drink if this step were omitted. (I am not a winemaker, so if I get this
process wrong, please appreciate my attempt!)
You know where I am going. This is what we can visually see
in nature, which teaches us a bit about the spiritual. Our Lord gives us these
things to show us more of His Ways.
Paul primarily speaks of the resurrection of the Messiah
Yeshua (Jesus Christ) in the following Scripture, but we can see it elsewhere
as well. “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the
spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 15:46. NASB
So, as the juice moves through this processing, so it is in
our lives as the Lord directs our steps, leading us, changing us, leaving the
old behind so we can walk in the new.
“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the
wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they
put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17, NKJV
It is a necessary process. If we are to go on with the Lord
as His Holy Spirit leads, we best be available and open to the changes He presents
before us.
Nobody likes sour wine. Me especially.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
#SourWine #Change #message #SteveMartin #LoveForHisPeople #Jesus #Yeshua #Bible #winemaking #travel #Golan #HolySpirit
Saturday, February 21, 2026
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." 👞
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 it🙏 And I know you have an unwavering belief in free speech and an insatiable love for open discussion.
Thanks for listening 😇
* 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!
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Sharon Sanders, co-founder of Christian Friends of Israel in Jerusalem, is starting a new ZOOM - The Hall of Higher Learning - register now for free.
Sharon Sanders, co-founder of Christian Friends of Israel in Jerusalem
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