Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Catholic Chapel in Migdal, Israel -Walk With Me and see, Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry. Named after Mary Magdela April 25, 2023 in Magdala, Israel near Tiberias, Israel Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin, Founder, Love For His People Ministry in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Heart of Compassion
"Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36-37, NASU
Many of us still remember our years in high school. For some, it was a good time, experiencing those growing and transforming years when we thought we knew everything there was to know and were ready to conquer the world. (Maybe this year I will be able to go to my 50th graduation anniversary.)
For others, we may have wanted to just get those days over so we could get out of there. There may have been too many times that the other students did as is so commonly done in every generation – teasing, belittling, rejection, and more.
There were two boys in my senior class who always seemed to get the brunt of the jokes, the ones others picked on. Neither Gene nor Bernie had the handsome looks, wore the latest in clothes in fashion, or received good grades in any of the classes that I knew of. In fact, there were some who were just plain mean to them.
Gene’s face was covered with pimples, as acne was an obvious problem. Most days he needed a good shampoo too, as his jet-black hair was slick, and not with the stuff intended to be used. As he walked the halls to each class, he would slump down, not looking up except to confirm his whereabouts. When he did talk his words were quiet and his speech slurred. It was believed that Gene’s dad was a lawyer, but that status didn’t do Gene any good.
Bernie was sadly called the “Hunchback of Notre Dame”. He had a large body with a deformed hump on his back. Generally, his clothes were from a second-hand store, obviously costly little to purchase. He was ridiculed and scorned for something he could not change on his own.
It didn’t matter that he was enrolled in this Catholic high school, Columbus High in Waterloo, Iowa. Every kid in that school needed to be saved and know salvation through Jesus. Just because you could call yourself a Catholic didn’t make you a Christian. There were not many students attending there that I knew were born again, sad to say.
It was the Lord who gave me a heart of compassion for Gene and Bernie.
As much as I could be their friend, I was. I stood with them. I communicated with them. I walked the halls with them. Because of the Lord’s heart that He had for each, He had allowed me to befriend them as no one else would.
The Chosen TV series does a great portrayal of the Savior’s heart for His creation. As Yeshua walked this earth as God in the flesh, He showed the love of His Father and taught the disciples to do the same. Often as more than words can say, His actions spoke forth what He continues to long for each of us to communicate to those He places around us.
As St. Francis is known for saying, “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is
hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt,
faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be
loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that
we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”
In reading again the verse I started out with above, understand the one verse that follows it, with Yeshua speaking of the harvest. Many people and nations experience suffering and the need for the Lord’s love. It is His Body that is able and must share it.
“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, " The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Matthew 9:36-38, NASU
Each of us knew, or know, a Gene or a Bernie. Or maybe you were that one in high school who got the brunt of the jokes and the ridicule. Know that Jesus was there and felt your hurt and pain, and above all, it is His compassion that can and will heal you, and those others who know the same.
May His heart of compassion be growing in your heart, as you too express love to those who know so little of it and need what you have to share. Let us each have a heart of compassion.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
Founder, Love For His People
Confidence
“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, that they would seek God, if perhaps they
might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for
in Him we live and move and exist…” Acts 17:26-28, NASU
Our times are in His hands. Or as it is written,
“Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.” Psalm 66:9,
New Living Translation
When you believe that Word, that indeed our times
are in His hands, and He does keep us from fumbling and stumbling around, you
will do awesome deeds for the Lord and His people. You will have built confidence
in His Name, and in His actions in your life. You trust that what He says He is
going to do, He will do it. Enough said.
When Laurie and I were part of a small group in
LaSalle/Peru, Illinois back in the day (1976-1980 to be exact) called Victory
Church, and then the name was changed for identifiable purposes to Victory
Community, we had to trust the Lord when we were placed in one of the common
purse community homes, with four other couples. And we were newlyweds! O Lord!
When He called us to leave the town of her birth,
childhood, and teen years included, with her parents and two sister families being
left behind, we ventured out, with our two young sons Josh and Ben. We
relocated to East Lansing, Michigan in 1980, along with several other church
families, to become part of Shiloh Fellowship (later changed to New Covenant
Christian Church in the early 1980s). We were wanting to be a part of the
Shepherding Movement happening in that decade.
We had to have confidence in Him.
Then when He set another divine appointment time
for seven years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which we honestly called, “Our
time in hell” due to not only the heat but the spiritual battles we fought, our
trust level in Him had to be raised higher. Again, we needed to know He still
loved us, had called us there and hoped He would soon deliver us back to the
rest of the USA. On staff at both Derek Prince Ministries and Mahesh Chavda
Ministries for those seven years was a challenge, but with His grace, we were
overcomers in that appointed time also.
In 1994 both ministries, not necessarily in
conjunction with each other, moved families, staff, and offices to the
beautiful land of North Carolina. Charlotte to be exact. Cutting 13 hours from
the length of time it now took to travel back home to Iowa and Illinois once or
twice a year was truly a blessing. The Lord does have mercy, especially when
the four kids, now having added Hannah and Christen to the tribe, had to sit on
suitcases in the back seat of the four-door Ford while enduring those Chevy
Chase “National Lampoon Vacation” adventures on the interstates. In our
case, it was Martin’s Traveling Show.
I think you are getting the point. As we daily put
our lives in His hands, we learn to trust Him increasingly, believe more firmly
that He has our utmost at heart, knows what He is doing, and will complete that
which He started in us.
We often quote the verse about Him knowing His
plans for us, and sometimes it can just get too “familiar” and we dismiss it.
But think about it a bit longer.
The One Who dispersed the Jews out of Israel in
the 70s A.D. is bringing them back home in our day, just as He promised. Given
that mighty, daily, awesome miracle taking place right before our eyes, we can
have complete confidence that again, what He says He will do, He will do.
“For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’
says Adonai, ‘plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have
hope and a future. When you call to me and pray to me, I will listen to you.
When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;
and I will let you find me,’ says Adonai. ‘Then I will reverse your exile. I
will gather you from all the nations and places where I have driven you,’ says
Adonai, ‘and bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’ Jeremiah 29:11-14,
Complete Jewish Bible
We serve an awesome God. (Sing it, Rich Mullins! Our God is an Awesome God)
If we continually walk in faith, we can have the
assurance that our God, our Father, knows best. I want to encourage you to not
let up, not to give in, press on in faith, hope, and love, and know that the
confidence He gives you will carry you through.
You will do mighty deeds. You will accomplish
mighty acts. You will be as the Lord God of Israel created you to be and do!
Ahava and
shalom,
At the Appointed Time
“Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14, NASB
Always wanting to read a good book, I looked over
the hundreds in my home library bookcases for one I hadn’t as yet read. But
then my eye was drawn to the hardback “Appointment in Jerusalem” by
Derek and Lydia Prince (Whitaker House 2005).
Having had the honor of serving with Derek Prince
Ministries in the late 1980s and again 2000-2005, for a total of eight years, I
had all of Derek’s books, and indeed had read each up through that time. Whenever
one of his new books was published, and there were many, each staff member was
given a free copy. Some autographed.
I consider Derek one of the greatest Bible
teachers I have ever known. With sound, biblical, foundational teaching, some
topics which few wrote on, then and now, Derek’s simple but clear understanding
was shared in word and script with thousands over his years. I highly recommend
his teachings for any who seek sound truth. And being he only used his Bible
and Strong’s Concordance in his study, there is no mix of worldly speculation
and hearsay.
Even though I had read the 1975 first edition of “Appointment
in Jerusalem” a few decades ago (you can buy the book here from Derek Prince Ministries), I wanted to read it again.
Given our ministry of Love For His People’s commitment to Israel and the
Jews, and the ongoing passion we have as Christians in support of them, it
seemed good to do so once again.
As wonderfully described in the publication, Derek’s
first wife Lydia struggled at first, but finally made the commitment to go to
Jerusalem, leaving her family, job, and home in Denmark to do so. Being led in
much the same as she found out later as doing what the Lord had called Abraham
to do – go and do without knowing where, how, or what all would come of it –
she obeyed with little in her pocket and many uncertainties the first year.
This autobiography is a great encouragement for
those willing to hear and obey the Lord’s call.
As I read through the chapters, I again recalled
how the Lord had led our family, from Illinois, to Michigan, to Florida, and
then finally to North Carolina. It has been a journey we had not planned or
anticipated but can truly proclaim it has been led by the Spirit of God. Seeing
the Lord provide in unexpected ways, joining us with many others along the way,
we too have seen the hand of God.
There was one specific example of trusting the
Lord in Lydia’s story regarding her first adopted daughter Tikvah. Particularly
when she saw the life of Abraham revealed and played out in her own life as she
too was called to “give up” in order to then receive back bountifully. At the
appointed time, God’s appointed time, it happened. Her faith and trust grew
greatly as a result.
Each of us will experience times along the road
we walk where we will be challenged in our faith to trust the Lord. For all, it
is that first step of accepting forgiveness from Him for our sin, and then
committing to Him our life to lead as He knows is best.
And as each year goes by, even after decades of
walking with the Lord, He will present a challenge before us to choose in faith
to decide His will or go with our own decision. And even as Abraham, Lydia, and
so many more who have gone before us, we too must decide to seek Him for the
right choice of the many we will have presented before us.
At the appointed time, as we stay true in our
faith, we will see the hand of the Lord bring the provision, the protection,
the direction He has for our life, our families, and our nations. He will never
be late. Sometimes we will be right at the cliff, but when we jump, He provides
the wings.
Ahava and
shalom,
God of the Breakthrough
“…David defeated them
there. Then David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a
breakthrough of water.” 1 Chronicles 14:11, NKJV
During a recent church
gathering, as the worship time proceeded with praise and declarations, I
envisioned the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ, sitting on His heavenly throne,
extremely aware of what was going on in all the earth. He wasn’t passive. He wasn’t
asleep. He wasn’t sitting idly by uninvolved in the matters of men and women on
the earth. He was passionately watching and waiting.
Then He arose from His
seat, and as He did I saw what looked like bombs exploding in different nations
of the world. He Himself was the One directing them. He was sending
breakthroughs.
And then He roared, as
the Lion of the Tribe of Judah would do, further establishing the breakthroughs
in the countries.
Breakthrough from
lockdowns. Breakthroughs from lockups. Breakthroughs in sickness, drought,
weariness, depression, suicidal thoughts, abandonment.
Breakthroughs from
obstructive governments, controlling politicians, authoritarian rules and
regulations.
He is the God of the
breakthrough.
In the late ‘90s Rob
Critchley of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship came to lead worship at
our three-day conference here in Charlotte, North Carolina. He delivered a very
powerful song I believe he had written, entitled I Will Call Upon the Name of
the Lord (God of the Breakthrough). Proclaiming the truth of calling on the Lord
for deliverance, release, and breakthrough, we knew of His promises to come
through as we did so.
What an encouragement
it is to know that our God, the Creator of the Universe, is acting on our
behalf to bring the breakthroughs we so desperately need in these times of
trouble, unbelief, rampant destruction, and the onslaught of the enemy against
our minds, emotions, and very being.
What a comfort it is
to know that we can call upon the Name of the Lord, the One who fights on our
behalf, the One who delivers us and brings the breakthrough we long for in
these last days.
“O Lord, truly I am
Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed
my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon
the name of the Lord.” Psalm 116:16-17, NKJV
Call upon the Name of
the Lord, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, and He will draw near to you. Call
upon the Name of the Lord, seek His face, trust in His love, faithfulness, and
courage, to see Him overcome that which keeps you from walking in freedom and
fruitfulness.
Our God is bringing
the breakthroughs as we actively call upon His Name. He is releasing the
captives, those held in bondage, from that which keeps them from knowing His
deliverance and victory. He is the mighty Warrior.
“The Lord is a
warrior; the Lord is His name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into
the sea; and the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. “The
deeps cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand,
O Lord, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. And
in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against
You;” Exodus 15:3-7, NASU
“The Lord will go
forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter
a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.”
Isaiah 42:13, NASU
Call upon the Name of
the Lord every day. He is the God of our breakthrough.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin, Love For
His People founder
Provision Comes
.png)
"In vain do you get up early and put off going to bed, working hard to earn a living; for he provides for his beloved, even when they sleep.” Psalm 127:2, Complete Jewish Bible
When I clearly heard the Lord back in mid-2009 to give my usual six-month notice that I was leaving my position at that time as the USA Director of an international ministry, I was sincerely seeking the Lord for what would be the provision going forward. He had finally given me the go-ahead to start our new ministry after years of wanting to do so, and my faith was founded on Him and the funds to make it happen.
Assuming that money would “just come” to cover
the ministry costs, and our own personal expenses, being I was obediently
following His leading, I was not overly concerned. After all, I was doing as He
said, and it was often heard, “Where the Lord guides, He provides.” I believed
it.
But after a few months, things got a bit uncertain.
And we didn’t have a savings account or dollars stuffed under the bed to cover
the mortgage, car payments (2), and regular monthly bills that still came. With
my income dropping from $70,000 per year to just over $11,000 (I still have all
my accurate tax returns for those years and following so as not to
“exaggerate”), my good wife was greatly encouraging me to do something.
Even if it meant for me getting a job at McDonalds if I had to.
Thankfully, her part-time job as a child
caretaker provided food and some other needed income for the home.
In my heart, I knew the Lord was going to
provide. I waited for His clear direction. In the meantime, He did lead me to
seek a part-time accounting job, which I did.
And then He spoke. “Use what I have already
given you.”
“What?” I asked.
He responded further. “Your home. The extra
bedroom.”
Being our four kids had moved out, we had two
extra bedrooms in our home, basically unused. That was 13 years ago, and we have
had a renter ever since, providing income for the ministry and more.
In addition to that, with the accounting
contract services jobs He has provided over those 13 years, it covered all
ministry expenses for frequent Israel trips, and gave us additional monthly
support for our Messianic Jewish friends living in the Land.
With that being said, we had decided to no
longer have a renter, to take a “break” from it. This August 2023 was to be the
end of it. And I thought, “There goes my Israel ministry trip funds” as I had
known. I even began to think that there would be no trips to Israel in 2024. And
so, I again put it in the hands of the Lord to see where His next means of
provision were to come from, for He hadn’t removed the calling and ministry
that He had first given 13 years ago.
And then on Aug. 7, 2023, I got a voice message
from someone responding to a “room rental ad” I had placed in January of this
year (2023) but had placed the ad on “pause” in February. How did that happen -
that it was seen?
When I mentioned the call to Laurie, she
responded rather positively, surprisingly to me, after I had already told the
person we no longer were renting the room.
And then Laurie had the person come over that
same night…and now we are going to be back having a renter here near the end of
the year, after giving it a few months break. And the rent income will be double
what we were getting from the last one! Ministry income!
The Lord does provide. He is always faithful to
enable us to fulfill what He has called us to do. Each one of us, if we but
keep our eyes fixed on Him.
As He promises to each of us in faith, “…and let
us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith…” Hebrews 12:1-2, NASU
What He has called you to do, continue doing it.
Even when it looks like it may be “done and over”, He will still make a way,
until it is really done and over, and we have reached our eternal reward in
heaven.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
Founder, Love For His People
Message #146 in this series – in the year of our Lord 08.08.23
– “Provision Comes” – Tuesday, 12:40
pm in Charlotte, North Carolina
Love For His People
Ministry. is a charitable, USA humanitarian ministry started in 2010 to share
the love of the Father in the nations, especially to and within Israel.
If these letters
minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and
maybe each month, to help us bless known families in Israel, whom we
consistently help through our humanitarian ministry.
Go here for safe donations
using major credit cards with PayPal.
Contribution checks
can be sent to:
Love For His People
Ministry 12120 Woodside Falls Rd.
Pineville, NC 28134
Todah rabah! (Hebrew
– Thank you very much.)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
