Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem. Short videos on the ground, happening now.

Christian Friends of Israel - Jerusalem. 

Short videos on the ground, happening now.

#ChristianFriendsofIsrael #Jerusalem #Shortvideos, #ontheground #happeningnow #loveforhispeople

Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA

Jerusalem's holiest sites remain closed in run-up to Easter - Donna Birrell, Premier Christian News

Government of Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

March 23, 2026

Jerusalem’s holiest sites could remain closed for Holy Week and Easter due to security concerns over the Iran war.

The 4th-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christ is believed to have been buried and risen from the dead, is closed indefinitely after shrapnel fell onto its roof. It is unclear whether it will reopen for Holy Week and Easter.

Other sacred places for Christians, Jews, and Muslims—including the Western Wall, Temple Mount, and the Garden Tomb, which some Christians also believe to be the site of the resurrection—are also closed.

Christian journalist Paul Calvert, who lives in Bethlehem, told Premier Christian News: “The Garden Tomb really relies on tourism, and it's looking like they won't have any Easter celebrations. Even during the Gaza war they have had Easter celebrations there, but it's looking like they're not going to be having any there this year. So it’s a very, very sad and difficult time for the Christian community.”

The closure of these holy sites ahead of Holy Week and Easter is significant, and many Christians fear they will be unable to attend traditional services.

Paul Calvert said a Holy Saturday service marking Orthodox Easter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is always a highlight of the year:

“We have the traditional Easter that the West usually celebrates, then a week later we have the Orthodox Easter, and that is where you have the Holy Fire celebration. Thousands and thousands of Christians go in there with their candles, get their candles lit and they come out with the holy fire. They celebrate and rejoice and then that light is passed throughout the Orthodox world. It then comes to Bethlehem, to the Church of the Nativity. It’s a very moving experience.”

READ MORE: Jerusalem's holiest sites

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Love For His People Ministry was founded in 2010 by Steve & Laurie Martin. Charlotte, NC USA

Back again soon in the Land

​

The week of March 9, 2026 - flying back to Israel to make more videos! Stay tuned.

#Jerusalem #Israel #travel #busride #Ridewithme #SteveMartin #LoveForHisPeople

"God Will Make A Way" - message by Steve Martin, Love For His People

God Will Make A Way

 “He who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters, Who brings out the chariot and the horse… “Do not call to mind the former things or consider things of the past. Behold, I am going to do something new; now it will spring up; will you not be aware of it?” Isaiah 43: 16-19 (part), NASB

We all have had times when we stood up against the “Red Sea” and wondered how in high heaven we would make it across. Would we ever see a way out, a financial burden removed, a relationship restored? I have. You have. God will do it because God can and does do it.

The Lord did it for Moses. He will do it for us.

I clearly remember the time, actually just a few months ago in September 2025, when the Lord had cleared the way for Laurie and me to spend three months with a great organization in Jerusalem, Christian Friends of Israel. The bank account was literally almost empty.

I had bought our plane tickets two months before, to make sure we didn’t back out, but now there were other expenses that had to be covered before takeoff. I wrote a full chapter of this in my book, Back To Jerusalem, and published it in January 2026, upon our return.

God made a way when there seemed to be no way. Ministries contributed. Families contributed. An accounting job provided funds, along with the sale of our second car.

In the March 3 devotional by Charles H. Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook, it is written, “the star of hope is still in the sky when the night is blackest. The Lord will not forget us and hand us over to the enemy.” (2009 Christian Arts Gifts, Inc., IL, USA)

Calling on the Name of the Lord has taught me over the years that we depend on Him for all things. He has wisdom. He has provisions. He has the way to make the way when there seems to be no way.

Ongoing miracles of Israel’s protection prove His faithfulness in the daily news. Those who know Him will also know of His love and grace revealed in their life.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13, NASB

 This promise is not just for our initial salvation. It is ongoing.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin, Love For His People in Charlotte, North Carolina

Message #9, 2026, “God Will Make A Way”, March 3, 2026, 3:15 pm

#GodWillMakeAWay #DonMoen #messagebySteveMartin #LoveForHisPeople #Jesus #Yeshua #Jerusalem #CharlesHSpurgeon #faith #Lord 

"Abraham Lincoln and the Holy Land" - message by Steve Martin

 

Abraham Lincoln and the Holy Land

 

“For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.”  Psalm 143:3, NASB

Well, that’s not a Bible verse anyone will put on their refrigerator!

And yet we go through those seasons when we feel exactly that – crushed, forsaken, “Where are You, Lord” times in our lives. So, then what?

Abraham Lincoln, our beloved 16^th American president, was known to have had “melancholy”—or simply depression. We can certainly understand why, amid the Civil War, his young son’s death, and his wife Martha’s health issues.

I have several books on my bookcase and have read most of them. They are not just for show.

Though he was not known as a churchgoer, he did call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus for guidance, courage, and fortitude to stand for righteousness in many political and life situations. Battered, hated, and later assassinated, he did seek the Lord in his times of depression and melancholy.

On his deathbed, it has been written that Lincoln spoke these words to his wife, Martha, as she drew near with her ear.

“A strong case can be made, based on the “Personal Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln” (kept at the Illinois State Historical Library), a manuscript Noyes W. Miner, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Springfield, Illinois, who wrote of his conversations with Mary Todd Lincoln in 1882, and several other references, that these were Abraham Lincoln’s last words:

“We will visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footsteps of the Savior. There is no city on earth I so much desire to see as Jerusalem.”

 

These are the words that follow in the manuscript: "and with that word half spoken on his tongue, the bullet from the pistol of the assassin’s entered his brain, and the soul of the great and good President was carried by the Angels to the New Jerusalem & above.” (see here: Abraham Lincoln's Last Words)

There are at least ten fascinating facts about Lincoln and the Jews. Look here for more: Lincoln and the Jews. But that is for another day, another message.

We can all admire President Abraham Lincoln for the life he led and the courage he displayed, even as he fought spiritual and natural battles most of his life. And while I am on the subject, we can also give thanks to the Lord for the great President Donald J. Trump, who is to our country, and his ongoing support for Israel and our Jewish friends in their Land.

Lord, give us courage to also stand against the enemies that seek to destroy them, our friends, the Jews in Israel.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin, Love For His People in Charlotte, North Carolina

Message #8, 2026, “Abraham Lincoln and the Holy Land”, Feb. 26, 2026, 11:30 am

Steve Martin's bookcase - Abraham Lincoln set

#AbrahamLincoln #HolyLand #message #SteveMartin #melancholy #depression #courage #Jerusalem #Israel, #Jesus

DAVID’s SHIELD Supporting Brave IDF Soldiers, Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem

Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem's DAVID’s SHIELD Supporting Brave IDF Soldiers 

Article by Steve Martin, CFI volunteer

 shield@cfijerusalem.org

 

THE WINTER SEASON at any army base can be a bit more brutal than elsewhere in a country. 

Making do with government supplies and equipment just does not make one feel “warm and cozy” at times, while in the realm of protecting one’s country. Especially when the setting is out in the fields of the low country, with winds coming off the sea nearby. Though one does not expect soldiers to have it all “as at home,” we do want them to be alert, prepared, and ready for their active duty when called upon. We want (need) them to have the resources that one would expect them to have. But they always do not. 

So, it was with the IDF soldiers, whom the volunteers with Christian Friends of Israel came to connect with, befriend, and share the love of Yeshua through practical means. We want them to know, being mostly Jewish, that the Father has sent many Christians to “bear them up” and bring some of His provision from the people around the world.

Steve and Laurie Martin (USA) and Elisabeth Oelwein (Germany) did just that in the middle of December, when the sun had set and the cold wind blew. They came to bring His love and warmth. After the two-hour trip to collect the military clothing to Askelon, meeting with our supplier, we drove further south to meet with Avi, commander at a base just near Nahal Oz, the one raided, partially destroyed, and saw the murder of 18 women soldiers monitoring the security system, by Hamas killers. 

With his duties requiring him to be on mission that afternoon, after a three hour wait, we drove to another base 45 minutes away to meet with Noar, a 43-year-old volunteer commanding a force of young soldiers. Noar was excited when he received the warm blankets and supplies, calling them candy for the men. Returning to the base, the two young soldiers who greeted us there, David and his “brother-in-arms,” who had lost a brother on Oct. 7, 2023, were filled with gratitude and acceptance when we unloaded the van full of winter clothing and toiletries. 

These two were younger than some of our grandsons. A father’s heart for them indeed welled up inside me. Just as His heart does daily. Christians, helping Jews, in their Promised Land given to them by the Living God of Israel. David’s Shield is helping to fulfill the mandate given to Christians from the Lord, to lift their arms as they return to, and fight to keep, their Land.

Steve Martin CFI Volunteer 12.17.25

 Lyailya Telgarina, Outreach Coordinator Project David’s Shield; shield@cfijerusalem.org

#DAVIDSHIELD #SupportingBraveIDFSoldiers #ChristianFriendsofIsrael #Jerusalem #SteveMartin #CFIJerusalem

Christian Friends of Israel - "For Zion's Sake" First Quarter 2026 Magazine - ministry and teaching from Jerusalem

 

For Zion’s Sake Q1-2026

Dear Christian Friends,   “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:14   BE VIGILANT, you watchmen and watch-women! A new year has begun, but the need for intercession is stronger than ever. Whilst there is still much rejoicing and relief over the release of the remaining twenty live hostages in October, for which we must continue to be thankful to the Lord, this is not a time to rest on laurels. The enemy military forces against Israel were humiliated in 2025, most notably of all Iran, but they were not entirely vanquished. There is much rage and seething against Israel in the political and military sphere in Iran, in Yemen, and of course within Hamas and Hezbollah and its various tentacles in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. They want retribution. They want revenge. They are more committed than ever to the total destruction of Israel, once and for all.   The nations of the world are swirling in a growing tumult, and many are making decisions about where they stand in relation to Israel. Too many nations are pitting themselves against Israel, and against the God of Israel. Eleven more nations recognised the state of Palestine in 2025 alone, bringing the total to 157 out of 193 (80%) member states of the so-called United Nations. Only the USA in its role as one of the five permanent UN Security Council members, is continuing to veto Palestine’s full recognition. But for how long? 'Tempora mutantur … that is to say, changes brought about by the passage of time.'   “The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Je- rusalem; The heavens and earth will shake .” Joel 3:16a

International reports and observation provide us with regional landscape that recently appears to be unfolding which goes beyond the borders of present day Israel. Old boundaries may be expanding into territories beyond what is marked on existing maps. New windows are being framed for the world to look through as we gaze onto new corridors and roadways being constructed that may one day be used for global pilgrimage for all nations to “come up” to Jerusalem in the days of Messiah. “Many peoples will go and say, Come, let’s go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the house of the God of Ya’akov! He will teach us about His ways … for out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of ADONAI from Yerushalayim.” (Isaiah 2:3, CJSB)

Excerpts taken from our FZS Q1 2026 Magazine. Read or download our entire 24-page, latest issue with accounts of our dynamic, hands-on 10 ministry projects in the Land of Israel here:

Download Magazine FZS Q1-2026

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"Pressing In" by Steve Martin

 

Pressing In

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well;” Philippians 3:13-15, NASB

 

In 2020, I published my 30th book, entitled Press On!, and wrote the following introduction,

I have written several messages that made their way into my books on the subjects of pressing on, being faithful, being strong in the Lord, and fighting the good fight.

These are the days when it will take more than giving verbal acknowledgment and just words from our mouths in our service to the King Jesus.

It will take blood, sweat, tears, heartache, and determination to press on even if others have stopped and built a home along the road, believing they are finished.

Those of us who have been called, anointed, and commissioned for the King’s service have one thing going for us – we are not alone.

The Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, has been promised by the Son Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, to always be with us. He is our Comforter, our Director, the One Who will lead us on. He is with us along this entire journey of faith.

This book is meant to encourage you to continue seeking the Living God, the One Who left Jerusalem, Israel, and is soon to return to Jerusalem, Israel.

Be encouraged in your walk. Keep seeking the Lord above.

Let Him direct your steps always, as you hear and obey. We both will be happy we did.

 

So, press on, for eternity!

 

It is even more true today. As I receive prayer concerns from others, from family, friends, and friends-to-be, the need to maintain courage, faith, and pressing on into the plans and purposes of our Lord is ever increasing, as the day draws near. For His soon return.

 

Pressing on should be our norm by now. Facing each day is not meant to go it alone. Our Lord has given us His Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh, to go with us, lead us, and embolden us for His eternal glory.

 

Today is another day to show His Hand strong on our behalf. Have courage and keep pressing in.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Message #6, 2026, “Pressing In” Feb. 20, 2026, 7:00 am

For a complete catalog of my 40 books click on.

#pressing in #SteveMartin #presson #courage #Jesu #HolySpirit #RuachHaKodesh #Jerusalem #faith