"Bills, bills, bills" - a poem by PaulBernard5

 

Click here to hear Paul and his poem: "Bills, bills, bills" - a poem by Paul Bernard

Shared by Love For His People in Charlotte, NC, USA

#poem #bills #PaulBernard #PaulCalvert #LoveForHisPeople

"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

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 

LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE - new logo March 1, 2026

 

LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE 

- new logo March 1, 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

Message #7, 2026, “Sour Wine or Change” Feb. 24, 2026

#SourWine #Change #message #SteveMartin #LoveForHisPeople #Jesus #Yeshua #Bible #winemaking #travel #Golan #HolySpirit

Jerusalem at night, early morning, from the Mount of Olives looking west. Steve Martin, Walk With Me

Jerusalem at night, early morning, from the Mount of Olives looking west. Walk with me, Steve Martin

Early morning, as the roosters begin to crow here in Jerusalem, Israel, on the top of the Mount of Olives. Overlooking the Old City and the Temple Mount.

#mountofolives #templemount #jerusalemisrael #israel

"A Broken Relationship, or Something Else?" Mesage by Steve Martin, Love For His People

 

(Photo by Linel le Roux in Judean desert south of Jerusalem, Israel 02.06.2026)

A Broken Relationship, or Something Else?

 

“Solomon said, “You were extravagantly generous in love with David my father, and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his heart right.” 1 Kings 3:6, The Message

 

We have all experienced the pain and hurt when a relationship, one we may have long held, no longer continues. Whether it's a misunderstanding, a lie, an incident one or the other doesn't want to “work it out,” or even just weariness from struggles that never seem to end, the friendship is over.

Companies fire employees. Marriages break apart. Parents and their children walk away from each other in bitterness and resentment. People leave churches, synagogues, and communities because of a “wrong word” or an “unforgiving action.” It happens so many times.

I think of those in the Bible who experienced this, as all of us have, where two who have walked together, worked together, did many things together, no longer do so. They no longer want to mend the broken relationship. Over. Done with.

It happened with David. It happened with Jesus. Paul and Barnabas, two apostles set apart from the local church in Antioch to go out together in ministry, parted ways after a big disagreement.

^“Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.” Acts 15:39, NASB

Are these always the work of the devil? Is it human nature that we have ongoing problems and can’t seem to get along with people? Is it due to pride, jealousy, wanting our own way, the way we want it? “My way or the highway!”

Sometimes. Sometimes not.

I have had two primary relationships where I considered “my best friend” turned their back on me. And it hurt. Forgiveness on my part, to protect my spirit and soul, was the only way to go to keep me from ongoing resentment, bitterness, anger, and not “burning the bridge”. It has also happened in ministry, which should be of no surprise to anyone by now – that ministries are not perfect, nor the greener grass necessarily.

Before Laurie and I got married in 1977, we told each other that we would never use the “D” word in our marriage. The commitment we made to each other, not having “divorce” as an option, has kept us together by our Lord’s grace, binding us to that commitment. We had to work things out.

A good friend of mine (and still is) recently spoke of how the Lord was taking him and me on separate paths. Is this a broken relationship? No. We both sensed that our time working together, in so many ways, was preparation for what now lay ahead for both of us. We will continue to support one another in His plans and purposes, but the time for each of us to “expand our tents” will lead us to do so on different pathways.

My prayer is for you to go the extra mile when necessary. Persevere in your relationships to keep them strong and lifelong. Families, churches, and synagogues need the Lord's unity to fulfill His Kingdom purposes. You are meant to be a vital part of that.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Message #4, 2026, “A Broken Relationship or Something Else?” Feb. 9, 2026, 2:30 pm

#BrokenRelationship #SomethingElse #SteveMartin #LoveForHisPeople #Jesus #Yeshua, #relationships #Paul #Barnabas #friends #linelleroux

"Clean Heart" - message by Steve Martin, Love For His People

 

Tristan and Galya Hall family, Steve & Laurie Martin

Israel January 2026

"Clean Heart" - message by Steve Martin, Love For His People

Israel Photo of the Week: The camel likes me. (Steve Martin in the photo at Sea Level near the Dead Sea, Israel. November 2025) Top photo: The Tristan and Galya Hall family, Steve and Laurie Martin (Elvis American Restaurant near Jerusalem, Israel, January 10, 2026) Feb 3, 2026 Charlotte, North Carolina Greetings from cold-bound and snow-bound Carolina. With a record-setting 11"of snowfall or more during the weekend, followed by temperatures that bring out the long underwear, it tends to shut things down in this area. We are not like those up North. Or out West. Or the New England area. We are southerners. When I sought the Lord for a word, He actually gave me two. Literally. Feel free to seek them out, and you will be rewarded. Below please. Ahava and shalom, Steve Martin Love For His People in Charlotte, North Carolina P.S. My new book (click here: BACK TO JERUSALEM) is free this week for ebook download. Until midnight Feb. 5, 2026. And... you don't need a  Kindle to get it. Any computer works. Clean Heart   “Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10, NASB     While trying to listen to the Word of the Holy Spirit as to what to write, I heard a few words. Not being sure as to which one to focus on, I thought, “Well, let’s make this a 'mishmash' message, or 'mixed bag' as another way to put it. And so, I shall. The first word I want to consider is contentious. Have you ever spoken something, only to have another respond and say the opposite, or negatively, as if that were their mission in life: to be contentious? If you observe and listen to some, they seem to carry in their spirit this counteraction to anything positive, to make sure one sees the “other side”. But is that always necessary? Do we always have to point out what the “what ifs” will be, and just go with a faith response, such as, “I hope that comes true”, or “Lord, Your will be done. Show me the good in this.” Have we become so ingrained in negativity that we can’t see the Lord’s hand in everything? At one time, we used to hear the saying, “So heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good.” I want to offer – maybe that is not so bad after all? To imagine the way the Lord would see things from His vantage point, certainly having a higher vision which is so much more vast than ours. And then try to imitate Him. Think about it, and yes, try it sometime. When someone offers a point of view, try to respond positively or encouragingly, and avoid negativity. Maybe your needed attitude adjustment will get adjusted. I pray it be so. And then that word which rises up in me sometimes. Jealousy. As I read the Scriptures about the prodigal son in Luke 15 again, I still have to agree with the older son and ask, “Why not me?” (Just being honest here.) We read of the elder son’s response, “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.” Luke 15:29-30, NASB Of course, the father was right when he wanted to rejoice and give a party for the prodigal, repentant younger one, but I tend to agree with the elder. Or is it jealousy on my part? Would you have reacted the same way? Be honest. I am still praying about my attitude regarding this story. So, these are two words the Lord is working in my heart. I want to be more like Him and have a clean heart. “Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; according to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings. Wash me thoroughly from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my wrongdoings, and my sin is constantly before me.” Psalm 51:1-3, NASB   Ahava and shalom, Steve Martin Message #3, 2026, “Clean Heart” Feb. 2, 2026 My latest book, #1 on an Amazon bestseller list for a period of time, was published on Jan. 22, 2026. Back To Jerusalem Steve Martin (224 pages, 153 photos/images). Available now on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. In the fall of 2025, my good wife Laurie (48 years and counting) and I had the most incredible time in Jerusalem and many parts of Israel. We had come to be with Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem, as needed. As I sit on the back veranda of the apartment they provided for us, I watch the sun rise over the southeast as another of His glorious days begins. My heart is full of the love of Yeshua (Jesus) for this, His chosen city, His chosen Land, and His chosen people, the Jews. We came to bring comfort to His people coming out from a heartbreaking war on the eight fronts the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were fighting, after the horrendous, murderous, home destruction day of October 7, 2023. The Israelis had been fighting for their lives, their families, their land promised to them by the Living God of Israel. We hoped to bring His love to them as Christians, standing on His Word. God the Father did not fail them. In so many miraculous ways, He protected them, united them, and caused them to cry out to Him for His salvation. Over 1200 Jewish civilians were lost that day. Over 1000 young men, women, and reserves have since been lost, destroyed by the enemy who seems never to go away. “We just want peace,” is the cry of our friends’ hearts here in Jerusalem and the surrounding hills. But, when the Messiah Yeshua returns to this very city, Jerusalem, they will know Him as their Peace King, their Shalom Most High. As that time of His return quickly approaches, we joined with several hundred Christians, coming from the nations, to comfort, stand in support, and let the love of the Father work through us for them. In this, my 40th book, written during my 30th trip to Israel since the late 1990s, I share some of my stories. Some of the 28 chapters are in the “present tense” because I wrote them as they occurred. You will also see over 150 photos of Israel. Many Jews are returning to their Land now, as prophesied centuries ago by Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Yeshua Himself. Christians are going to Israel to comfort and support them in their return. And then Jesus (Yeshua) will return as the King of kings and Lord of lords. I desire that the Lord Himself will touch your heart, and you, too, will join Him in this glorious work, to see His salvation come to the Jews and Arabs of Israel. Ahava and shalom, Steve Martin, Love For His People Jerusalem, Israel, Jan. 7, 2026 Buy now on Amazon. Hardcover $15.95, Paperback $12.95, Kindle $2.99, Audio Book $ 3.99. We are indeed grateful for your support, which we will continue to use for Steve's next trip back to Jerusalem. Contributions are welcome online by clicking here: DONATE HERE ON OUR WEBSITE. Visit our Website Share This Email   Share This Email   Share This Email Love For His People Ministry | P. O. Box 1113 | Pineville, NC 28134 US

#cleanheart #SteveMartin #jealousy #contentious #contentions #prodigalson #Jesus #Yeshua #bibleteaching