Turbulence - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Turbulence

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a rainstorm against a wall.” (Isaiah 25:4, NASU)

Having now experienced the tail-end of two hurricanes hitting the Carolinas in the past few weeks, one realizes that turbulence, either in the natural or spiritual, can be most troubling to the soul. And for many, it touches the spirit and body in extreme measures. If the fierce wind doesn’t blow down the decades-old tree onto your house, there is a good chance that the high tide or rising, overflowing river will take down foundations built long ago.

When it comes to the forces of weather, mankind continues to remain at the Lord’s mercy.

On the same day that Hurricane Michael was striking the Florida panhandle with tremendous, destructive force, the USA stock market was being hit with a substantial downturn. Grant it, record marks had been reached over 15 times this year, but those counting on life-long investments and golden year eggs still face uncertainty in things they really can’t control.

Often there seem to be just too many things that are out of our hands. Think as we might in our own understanding, most often our simple lack of discernment and misdirection gets us nowhere or gets us going down the wrong road. (And it isn’t always the GPS’s fault.) And as for me, I am fine with that. Because even in the midst of my finite wisdom, my lack in controlling things, my minute understanding in making it all good – it always points me back to the fact that I am not a god. But I do know the One that is. So to Him, the Lord of all, I continually turn for godly guidance, godly wisdom, and blessed certainty in taking the right path.

 

While even in the midst of hurricanes, stock market failings, relationship troubles - all of which come with the need to hang on and get through it – trust in the Lord is a must in these end times. Nothing else can or will sustain us in the turbulent days ahead.

As I head for another journey to the Middle East, which has seen its years of turbulence, war, and strife among the nations, I look forward to being in the midst of the land of Israel, which has the assurance from Scripture of the hand of the Lord God Almighty upon them, covering over His people.

"The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,

Their tongues fail for thirst.

I, the Lord, will hear them;

I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I will open rivers in desolate heights,

And fountains in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water,

And the dry land springs of water.

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,

The myrtle and the oil tree;

I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine

And the box tree together,

That they may see and know,

And consider and understand together,

That the hand of the Lord has done this,

And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

(Isaiah 41:17-20, NKJV)

This is a promise to the Jewish people, and also to those of us who call upon the Name of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Over the past 8 years the Lord has given me 354 messages to share. First in short message form and then compiled in books. Please be sure to sign up for our Now Think On This messages in newsletter format. Use the "Sign Up" button on our website, or go here: Sign Me Up!

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Now Think On This #355 - in the year of our Lord 10.11.18 – “Turbulence”, Thursday, 12:15 pm

Yeshua caught up with an Israeli girl in Berlin! - ONE FOR ISRAEL

Dr. Erez Soref, President of ONE FOR ISRAEL  Shalom!   "But don't forget this one thing, loved ones, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you - not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9) God is bringing in a great harvest in the Middle East, and every day Jews and Arabs are being saved. Stories like Barri's below show that you can be Jewish and follow Jesus! The Messiah is coming back, but He wants as many to turn to Him as possible, all over the world.   A team of Arabs and Jews from our Bible college, Israel College of the Bible, has just returned from a mission trip to Berlin.  Many Israelis and Muslims who now live in Berlin are very open to the gospel. Our team shared a Shabbat meal with some 30 non-believers and was able to share the gospel with them all. Carlos shared his testimony and opened the discussion about Yeshua and salvation. One girl from Lod in Israel received the Lord - she had heard the gospel back in Israel, but made the step to follow Yeshua right there with the team.  Together with local believers, our team has been able to share with many Muslims from Syria, Iran, and other places in the Middle East. They have also had the privilege to work with and encourage some new believers from Muslim backgrounds. Please pray there would be much fruit from their labors - fruit that will last! Four Things Hidden in the Book of Esther This week we will celebrate the feast of Purim! Purim commemorates the narrow escape of the Jewish people from the threat of annihilation and the courage of Queen Esther who bravely stood up for her people. The word "purim" means "lots," due to the method that wicked Haman used to decide the date that they would wipe out the Jewish people in the provinces of Persia. The story is well known, but there are several things hiding beneath the surface in this unusual book of the Bible. Continue reading...    Why Does Fasting Work?   People who take prayer seriously will know how powerful fasting is. But what is it about missing meals that makes prayer so potent? And does fasting from social media or chocolate have the same effect?Continue reading... FOLLOW US:

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Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta) - World War I in the Middle East

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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World War I in the Middle East Included Major Campaigns in "Mesopotamia" -- Researching the Battles of Kut Reveals Jewish Community Posted: 09 Feb 2018  During World War I, the British Army and their Indian allies suffered a devastating defeat in Kut, south of Baghdad.  The Ottoman army laid siege to the British force from December 7, 1915 to April 29, 1916. Thousands of soldiers died in combat and from disease. and after the British surrender, more soldiers died in captivity as they were marched to Aleppo in Syria.  The British recaptured Kut in February 1917.  "Jewish and Mohammedan refugees of Baghdad are furnished with employment (sewing) at the Base ordnance Depot by the Military Authorities." (IWM, Q24539,1917) That is the historical background to a series of photos of Jews in Amarah found in the British Imperial War Museum. "Amara" in the IWM photographs is "Kut al Amara" or just "Kut" of World War I battle reports. "Jewish refugees on the foreshore at Amarah, 1917." (IWM, Q56907)  "Jewish and Christian refugees disembarking from steamers and returning to their homes at Basra, 1917."  (IWM Q2230)  "Jewish women on New Street, Baghdad" (IWM, Q24465) "Jewish woman and child of poor class" (IWM, Q24472) Veiled girl on left is a betrothed Jewess, then mother, younger daughter and child (IWM, Q24476) Click here to see previous postings on the Jews of Baghdad, Iraq.

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - “Pence’s unenviable task” on his trip to the Middle East.

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

“Pence’s unenviable task” on his trip to the Middle East. (My new column in the Jerusalem Post.) by joelcrosenberg On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen, and his senior advisors landed in Cairo, Egypt. The V.P. held 2 1/2 hours of meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, following by a two hour dinner. Early reports in the media and from my sources in Cairo are very positive. I'll post more details soon. Late Saturday night, Air Force Two headed to Amman, Jordan, where the V.P. and his team will stay overnight. On Sunday morning, the V.P. will meet with King Abdullah II. I anticipate those talks to be more sensitive than the ones in Cairo. The Jerusalem Post has just published a new column of mine, examining the V.P.'s trip from a somewhat different angle than the column I wrote Friday for Fox News. In this one, I look at the Trump administration's four policy objectives in the Middle East and the progress they are making with each. I also examine the enormously challenging balancing act Vice President Pence has undertaken on this trip in which he will be welcomed so warmly by the Israelis but urgently needs to strengthen strained ties with Egypt and Jordan, as well as seek a way to repair relations with the Palestinians.   Please continue to pray that the trip goes well and each of these relationships improves. The following are excerpts from the Jerusalem Post op-ed. To read the column in full, please click here. PENCE'S UNENVIABLE TASK As US Vice President Mike Pence arrives in the Middle East, he has a tough needle to thread. Israeli support for the Trump administration is soaring. The Arab street is furious. Can he deliver a convincing message that the US truly wants to be a regional peace-maker? And having delivered more than most Israelis expected in the first year, is the vice president authorized to announce specific policies to strengthen America’s critically important alliances with Egypt and Jordan, even as the Palestinians refuse to see him? It’s worth zooming out for a moment to put Pence’s trip in context. The Trump-Pence administration came into office a year ago with four specific strategic objectives in the region. The first was to crush Islamic State (ISIS), dismantle the genocidal grip of the “caliphate” that controlled large swaths of Iraq and Syria, and prevent ISIS foreign fighters from being able to attack and kill Americans.... The administration’s second objective in the region was to dramatically reorient America’s policy toward Iran.... The administration’s third objective was to rebuild the US-Israeli alliance, badly damaged during the Obama years. In this it has far surpassed expectations. Polls show Israeli support for Trump has skyrocketed. In May, 56% said he is “pro-Israel.” Today, that number is 76%.... Which brings us to the administration’s fourth objective: rebuilding America’s alliances with the Arab world, also damaged during the Obama years. This initiative started off quite well, despite Trump’s incendiary “Muslim ban” pledge during the campaign.... A year later, however, this strategy is foundering. The president’s Jerusalem decision --how it was made, why it was made and when it was announced -- has infuriated the Palestinians, who have cut off relations with the White House. It has also seriously complicated US relations with Jordan (a country whose population is about 70% Palestinian), and much of the Sunni Arab world. Trump’s nuances -- that the boundaries of the Holy City still need to be negotiated, thus keeping the door open to a possible Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem; and saying the status quo of the holy sites must be protected -- either weren’t heard or weren’t believed. As one senior Arab official told me, “Very few people in our part of the world watched President Trump’s full speech. Fewer still read it. All they heard was the headline, ‘Trump gives Jerusalem to the Jews.’” Palestinian leaders should be using the moment to re-engage in peace talks, not continue to boycott them. Their people urgently need a final resolution to this painful conflict. Until that happens, the vice president should focus on bolstering relations with Egypt and Jordan, two faithful and vitally important allies.... The vice president has an unenviable task. One trip can’t fix everything. But taking a victory lap before the Knesset and coming empty-handed to Amman and Cairo would seriously set back US interests in the region. [Photo: Vice President Pence met on Saturday with Egyptian President el-Sisi. Early reports indicate the conversations were very positive.] Take the trip of a lifetime! Come join Lynn & me in Israel in July for The Joshua Fund’s next “Prayer & Vision Tour” and 2018 Epicenter Prayer Summit. We’d love to have you join us! DEAL: There’s a special sale right now on my political thriller, “The Third Target,” about the ISIS threat to Israel, Jordan & the Palestinians. The e-book is available for only $2.99. Order today. ——————— > To pre-order a copy of The Kremlin Conspiracy (which releases March 6th), please click here. > To order copies of the new mass market paperbacks of the J.B. Collins novels — my trilogy about ISIS plotting attacks on the U.S., Israel, Jordan and Egypt — please click here. Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much! Click here to read the 2017 Joshua Fund Donor Report — and watch the short videos, as well Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email.