"Family" - Steve Martin, Love For His People

 

Family

 

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You." Psalm 22:27, NAS

Sitting on the back porch of my brother Tom Martin’s house in Cedar Falls, Iowa, as the sun rises in the east, brings back memories of our days growing up in Cedar Falls, Iowa, just north up the road on Hwy. 218 an hour or so. 

Tom and I, along with our little brother Rob, had five sisters between us. Sue, Mary, Colleen, Janet, and Lynn completed the sibling count of eight. Dad and Mom raised a good Catholic family during the 1950s and 1960s.

Family and the memories they bring can be a solid foundation for each of us. Though some are happy to get on with life, leaving their childhood years behind with all the trauma and conflict that went with it, the Lord desires His children to be raised in a good family, with a loving Dad and Mom in the home, and children that honor, respect, and cherish their parents, brothers and sisters.

"Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.” Ephesians 6:2-3, The Message

I could speak on the problems destroying family life today, as there are many, but I choose to consider the blessings that do come when men and women have families, seeking to follow the Lord and His ways.

There are good families in our society these days. There are those who have committed themselves to know the Lord Jesus (Yeshua) and walk in His ways, as He intended.

The man and woman who come together, in godly marriage as set by the Creator, will in turn give themselves, in sacrifice, to have children, with the full intent of raising them to know and fear the Lord.

They will seek to forgo worldly pleasures, to lay down their needs and wants for the sake of the ones the Lord has given into their care.

These men and women believe that children are a blessing from God. They “go without”, as my parents did, to give more to the boys and girls they have in their care, so they too learn the purpose of family and the love it expresses from the Father’s heart.

A society with strong families has the strength to resist ungodly principles, withstand attacks from unruly individuals, and the fortitude to stand firm when forces rise against them from all sides.

I am always encouraged when I see young Israeli families walking the streets of Jerusalem, carriages being pushed by fathers, mothers walking alongside in their place of dignity, honor, and love for all.

This is the intent of our heavenly Father, who looks down with pleasure and enjoyment Himself on those who choose to walk in His plans and purposes.

For those of us in our later years, we can encourage the younger generations to give themselves to having families, as the Lord purposed. To live for others whom He would place in their care. To reveal His heart to the nations, through the prime example of godly families.

I also want to thank you, who are now grandparents, for the tremendous sacrifices you made years ago, giving of yourselves for your children, and who now enjoy the fruit of your labor as your grandchildren rise up among you.

“Well done, good and faithful servants!”

Ahava and Shalom,

Steve Martin

P.S. Laurie and I are volunteering in Jerusalem, Israel, with Christian Friends of Israel for three months, Oct. 15, 2025 – Jan. 12, 2026. Read all about it! Steve & Laurie - Time Coming for Jerusalem Volunteers.

We welcome your prayers and support as we together bless Israel and His people in their Land.

In addition, we are indeed grateful for your support, as it costs this ministry to send these messages each week. For example, Love For His People’s Constant Contact subscription is $45/month alone. We also have no paid staff to prepare them, but it does cost. To continue sending these weekly messages, I need your help. Thank you.

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Love For His People Ministry 12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, North Carolina, USA

Message #9 in my new series (2025): "Family" July 27, 2025

#Family #SteveMartin #LoveForHisPeople #Jesus #God #love #parents #grandparents #father #mother #servants

"A nation this small..." by Alister Heath, British journalist for the Daily Telegraph

 

Brilliant!

There’s something about Israel that makes people uncomfortable, and it’s not what they say it is.

They’ll point to politics, settlements, borders, and wars. But scratch beneath the outrage, and you’ll find something deeper. A discomfort not with what Israel does, but with what Israel is.

A nation this small should not be this strong. Period.

Israel has no oil. No special natural resources. A population barely the size of a mid-sized American city. They are surrounded by enemies. Hated in the United Nations. Targeted by terror. Condemned by celebrities. Boycotted, slandered, and attacked.

And still, they thrive like there’s no tomorrow.

In military. In medicine. In security. In technology. In agriculture. In intelligence. In morality. In sheer, unbreakable will.

They turn desert into farmland.

They make water from air.

They intercept rockets in mid-air.

They rescue hostages under the nose of the world’s worst regimes.

They survive wars that were supposed to wipe them out, and win.

The world watches this and can’t make sense of it.

So they do what people do when they witness strength they can’t understand.

They assume it must be cheating.

It must be American aid.

It must be foreign lobbying.

It must be oppression.

It must be theft.

It must be some dark trick that gave the Jews this kind of power.

It must be blackmail.

Because heaven forbid it’s something else.

Heaven forbid it’s real.

Heaven forbid it’s earned.

Or worse, destined.

The Jewish people were supposed to disappear a long, long time ago. That’s how the story of exiled, enslaved, hated minorities is supposed to end. But the Jews didn’t disappear. They actually came home, rebuilt their land, revived their language, and brought their dead back to life — in memory, in identity, and in strength.

That’s not normal.

It’s not political.

It’s biblical.

There’s no cheat code that explains how a group of people return to their homeland after 2,000 years.

There is no rational path from gas chambers to global influence.

And there is no historical precedent for surviving the Babylonians, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Holocaust, and still showing up to work on Monday in Tel Aviv.

Israel doesn’t make sense.

Unless you believe in something beyond the math.

This is what drives the world crazy. Because if Israel is real, if this improbable, ancient, hated nation is somehow still chosen, protected, and thriving, then maybe God isn’t a myth after all.

Maybe He’s still in the story.

Maybe history isn’t random.

Maybe evil doesn’t get the last word.

Maybe the Jews are not just a people… but a testimony.

That’s what they can’t stand.

Because once you admit that Israel’s survival isn’t just impressive, but divine, everything changes. Your moral compass has to reset. Your assumptions about history, power, and justice collapse. You realize you’re not watching the end of an empire. You’re witnessing the beginning of something eternal.

So they deny it.

They smear it.

And rage against it.

Because it’s easier to call a miracle “cheating” than to face the possibility that God keeps His promises.

And He’s keeping them still.

By Alister Heath, British journalist for the Daily Telegraph

#dailytelegraph #alisterheath #god #israel #politics #nationthissmall #britishjournalist

“ECHAD WITH GOD” By: Cathy Hargett, Highway To Zion

“ECHAD WITH GOD”

By:  Cathy Hargett

After an intense time of preparation for a recent seminar entitled “The Land of Israel and You”, I realized my own spiritual understanding of this subject had been greatly expanded. Trying to describe it reminds me of a balloon that had some air in it, even a goodly amount of air, but all of a sudden the balloon is being inflated way beyond what it looks like its capacity can hold!  That’s really how I felt, as if I would just explode with trying to process what He was pouring into my heart.

The significance of the Land of Israel and God’s covenant with Israel, and as a Gentile being grafted in by the blood covenant of Yeshua, has been a revelation I have carried in my spirit for many years. But the purified essence of this relationship with the God of Israel, with the Land of Israel, boils down to this one thing – “Echad With God”. What is “echad”?  It’s all about Oneness with God. Through His revelation of Israel, we go ever so much deeper in Him.

Think of the words of the Sh’ma – “Sh’ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad.” In English, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” The word, “echad”, is a Hebrew word for “one”. There is another Hebrew word for “one” and it is called “yachid”. There is a reason that the Lord used “echad” in the Sh’ma and not “yachid”. The difference in the two words is that “yachid” refers to a singular, unique, solitary oneness, and “echad”, while also referring to singular oneness, carries with it the understanding of the idea of unity, as in the phrase "one flesh" referring to a married couple. 

With this “echad-description” of God, we also see His tri-unity – He is One God with the expression of the distinctiveness of Abba, Yeshua, and the Ruach ha Kodesh joined together as One. He is One in the fullness of His divinity. He is past finding out. In Him is the revelation of all things. The revelation of Israel’s place in His plan expands this understanding to the point that we are now able to see that in many ways He is Israel. Loving Israel is loving God.

With every growing revelation about the relevance of the Land of Israel in the life of a follower of Yeshua, there is a growing intimacy with the God of Israel, truly becoming “Echad with God”, married to God. The distilled essence is that God’s desire when He created humankind has always been that we would be One with Him, allowing Him to consume us, spirit, soul, and body. We are His workmanship, created to be like Him. We must be like Him or we cannot be One with Him. We must be made acceptable by the blood of Yeshua, fulfilling Torah.

We also see other “types” of oneness with God and each other revealed in the Land. These types include Yeshua’s physical body, your body, the eternal kingdom, the wife of God, the Bride of the Lamb, His dwelling place, the good fight of faith, Eden restored, God’s portion, the Ephod of the great High Priest, and many other amazing things. Each of these “types” are so very beautiful, intricate, and require deep study and meditation to even get a glimpse of the vastness. In fact, the revelation of Israel, the Land of Israel, reveals the whole story of the Kingdom and its coming restoration. It reveals so much of what it will be like to be in total unity with Him.

There is much more to ponder on this subject of “Echad With God”. I am asking Him to continue to take me deeper into His heart. I so desire to know Him better. Yeshua said that to know Elohim is eternal life. The Kingdom is in your heart and soon will be tangible in the restoration of all things on planet Earth. He will reign out of Zion. We will see Him face to face, and being married to God will become our everlasting reality, “Echad With God”.

Cathy Hargett

          06.29.25 

Highway to Zion Ministries
http://www.highwaytozion.org

#echad #Cathyhargett #jesus #yeshua #landofisrael #revelation #holyspsirit #highpriest #faith #bible

 

Prayer or reading the Bible? Which is better?

Elohim (Acoustic) - Noah Paul Harrison, also full music with lyrics

Watch "Elohim (Acoustic)" performed by Noah Harrison in New York City. Listen to the new release: https://noahpaulharrison.lnk.to/Elohi... Connect with Noah: Instagram|   / noahpaulharrison   Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/4s3a4usf YouTube |    / @noahpaulharrison   TikTok |   / noahpaulharrison   Connect with Bethel Music: Instagram |   / bethelmusic   Facebook |   / bethelmusic   TikTok |   / bethelmusic  

496,655 views Premiered Feb 21, 2025

Listen to Elohim (Live) led by Noah Paul Harrison at Worship School 2024 in Redding, CA “Elohim (Live)” is a powerful anthem magnifying the infinite character of God. Psalms 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.” This song reminds listeners that there is nothing our God can’t do—going before us with goodness and kindness. Listen now: https://noahpaulharrison.lnk.to/Elohi... Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/2Xbwsab Chords and Resources: bethelmusic.com/resources Connect with Bethel Music: Instagram |   / bethelmusic   Facebook |   / bethelmusic   TikTok |   / bethelmusic   X | https://X.com/bethelmusic Website | https://bethelmusic.com Connect with Noah: Instagram|   / noahpaulharrison   Spotify | https://tinyurl.com/4s3a4usf YouTube |    / @noahpaulharrison   TikTok |   / noahpaulharrison   Lyrics: Verse 1 Time and time again, we’ve asked if You are able Time and time again, You’ve proved You’re the God of our salvation, worthy of our praises Time and time again, we worship You Pre-Chorus Oh anyone with eyes can see a mountain But anyone with faith will see it move Chorus Elohim, the God who goes before me Prince of Peace, my heart has found a home You’re the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost There’s no end to who You are And there’s no limit to Your throne Verse 2 Merciful and true, God of every virtue The solid rock we’re standing on You’re holy and You’re kind, the epitome of light We magnify the worthy One Tag We magnify the worthy One Interlude Whoa, whoa Whoa, whoa Bridge No one is higher, God our provider Prince of Peace He is good beyond measure, worthy forever Elohim Elohim (Live) Written by Gable Price, Noah Paul Harrison, and Brian Johnson#noahpaulharrison #ELOHIM #christianworship #godourprovider #princeofpeace #fathersonholyghost #salvation
 

If You Seek Me - message by Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry

 

If You Seek Me

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 NASB

 

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, as I sat on our light-brown, cozy couch, feet propped up on the square, brown fake-leather footrest in the middle of our living room, watching the 5^th season of The Chosen, episode 3...

Jesus spoke a word to me. Actually, it was through Jonathan Roumie, who wonderfully portrays Yeshua in the powerful series The Chosen, Season 5, episode 3.

The Lord likes to do that. Speaks to us through human vessels, which at times we take for granted.

In this episode, Yeshua had just delivered a stunning, in-your-face word to the Pharisees and Sadducees at the gate of the Second Temple, leaving them fuming under their heavy robes. He then responded to one of his disciples who was chasing after Him as He left. The disciple was concerned that He had just made them really mad, and they were going to come after Him.

In my words, not a direct quote, He responded, half mockingly, “Maybe if they seek Me, they will find Me.”

Have you ever sought the Lord, for real, wanting an answer to a concern, a problem, a directive in your life, and sincerely wanting an answer?

Yes, you have. As I have too.

At the time of this writing, I am 70 years old, although I no longer say, “70 and 7 months,” as little kids do. Even though that is true, once again, the Lord Who leads and guides us by His Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew, has given me a choice. Again.

I had thought I had “retired” seven years ago and could now sit on my front porch in Charlotte, North Carolina, rocker and read another Joel Rosenberg thriller, or Abraham Lincoln biography.

I heard Him call my name. Again.

“If you seek Me, I will lead you on to greater things.” (*See more about this part, as included below.)

So, what was I going to do? Dismiss it as yet another time the still, small voice wasn’t needing to pay attention to? Should I respond with the common “No” that the Bible teacher, Bob Mumford, said decades ago is the most common reaction we give when the Lord presents a new adventure?

For our best good, we need to hear, obey, and follow no matter where He leads.

This is our daily choice, if we truly want to be followers of Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah. Our Lord. Our God. The One Who has always promised to do just that, to lead us in the way we are to go.

“Thus says Adonai, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Isra’el: 'I am Adonai, your God, who teaches you for your own good, who guides you on the path you should take.” Isaiah 48:17, CJB (Complete Jewish Bible)

Ahava and Shalom,

Steve Martin

P.S. *I did in fact receive this confirming word from a prophetically gifted woman, out of the blue, whom I trust, (Nancy Shupp) who wrote this in an email to me on June 14, 2025. It came in my InBox, days after I had seriously started seeking the Lord about a matter He set before me.

"As I was praying for you, I heard the following: Thank you for responding to the call to come walk with me. You didn’t despise that it is a ministry that would never bring fame or riches. You only wanted to please me. I treasure our walks together and being able to bless others through you. 

You haven’t sought glory or recognition, but Heaven knows your name. Our walk is changing, but don’t be afraid. The road ahead is even more glorious than the one behind us. I love you. I bless you, mighty man of God, and speak that everywhere your feet touch, the enemy flees, and light and love are released.”

Thank you, Nancy!

And if you have known me for a little while, you may have heard of or seen my video recordings, “Walk With Me,” that I have been creating for many years. It is something close to my heart that the Lord said in this prophetic word.

P.S.S. I will pray for you if you let me know what is on your heart. Seriously. I normally pray in tongues, for the Holy Spirit knows exactly what you need, when you need it, and how you need the answer, as you too seek Him. Please let me know.

Write to me here: Love For His People email.

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12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, North Carolina, USA

Message #4 in new series (2025): “If You Seek Me” June 23, 2025, 4:43 am in Charlotte, North Carolina

Video above: From my series, "Walk With Me" - in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina - Steve Martin