Fear Not Little Flock - Steve Martin

 

Fear Not Little Flock

 

“Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32, NASB

 

Back in the day, oh about 17 years ago to be exact, I was the USA Director of Vision For Israel, the Israeli believers' ministry founded by Barry and Batya Segal near Jerusalem. We had moved the American office from Savannah, Georgia to Charlotte, North Carolina. After hiring the four others who joined me on staff, we commenced building the office and warehouse setup for VFI and the Joseph Storehouse, as the humanitarian effort was also known around the world.

There were times when I liked to remind the staff, particularly during the trying times, that the Lord was in charge, He was on the throne, and all would be well. I liked to quote this verse in King James, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

As we all know this temporary world is not getting any better, if viewed with the natural eyes. It is just getting hard to live as we all are feeling in – spiritually, economically, socially.

In the spiritual realm, we experience the ongoing battle of standing on the Word of God, which is constantly under attack, if not even thrown out altogether in many regions. Dismissed as irrelevant, outdated, or for the “older generation” only, it is maligned along with our Lord Who is the very One Who Created the very ones who deny Him. Teaching our children, the basics of life, forever written in His Word, is a daily fight to accomplish, as all that is around them is pulling them in the other direction.

Economically the increasing cost of goods with inflation, shortages, lack of service, and distribution problems with the lack of full labor is putting pressure on all of us to be wise in our spending and provision for daily needs. It can be a fearful time.

And then the social atmosphere that abounds with fear, pitting this one against that one, this group against that group, this way against that way. If you say one “wrong” thing to another, relationships become stressed and then break.

No wonder the suicide rate among the generations has rapidly risen, with people succumbing to uncertainties and hopelessness.

Yes, I would remind the staff, and myself, that our Lord has what we need to combat the fear, by continually agreeing with Him, that we need not fear, for He is with us, guiding us, and providing for us.

Recently we had to have our Bradford pear trees cut down, being over 30 years old and just waiting for the next windstorm to bring the frail limbs crashing down on our house or cars below. What I miss most about the two not being in our front yard anymore, as I still enjoy the porch swing and rocking chairs, are the lack of birds that would rest in their branches, and the frolicking squirrels that would change each other around 20 feet above the ground. They never lacked the care of our Father, and they enjoyed His provision for life. He had promised to take care for them, and He fulfilled that.

So too must we continue in trust and faith for His provision, guidance, and protection.

²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, ^[q]do not be worried about your ^[r]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? ²⁷ And which of you by worrying can add a single ^[s]day to his ^[t]life’s span? ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But ^[u]seek first ^[v]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be ^[w]provided to you.

³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will ^[x]worry about itself. ^[y]Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6: 25-34, NASB

Next time you are pressured or in stress about today, and tomorrow, repeat the word, “Fear not little flock.” His assurance will bring peace to your spirit and soul.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin, Love For His People founder

The Little People - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

The Little People

Steve Martin

“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." (1 Corinthians 12:20-22, NKJV)

A few years ago, probably in the fall of 2006, while I was the USA Director for Vision For Israel (Barry & Batya Segal’s ministry from Jerusalem, Israel), we held our first conference in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. It was a joyous occasion, particularly for me, having been a three Lifetime Membership Partner of Heritage before its downfall and seeing this place restored, plus having the VFI ministry be the first one to use the former Heritage USA/PTL Grand Hotel Ballroom since the days of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in 1987.

Rick Joyner’s team at Morningstar, the new owners from just two years earlier, had just completed renovation of the Grand Ballroom, as they had worked their way to the end of the massive hotel complex. In fact, the night before the conference start (with Barry & Batya, Rick Joyner, Dr. Michael Brown and Scott Volk as the speakers) the installation crew had just laid down the new replacement hallway carpet. Then the next crew of two, Timmy Bryant and me, had to wait for the carpet glue to dry before we could start walking on it. It got to be late into the night before we could begin unloading the ministry’s old U-Haul truck, carrying the conference operation supplies. The conference was starting in the morning at 9:00 am if I remember correctly. Yeah!!! (We had fun doing it. Of course we did!)

Michael the Archangel

After the Israel-focused conference had finished its three-day meeting schedule, about a week or so later, Timmy and I wanted to present a gift to the Morningstar Conference Director, Trevor Thiessen (great guy!), who had helped us a lot in the organization. I had prior purchased some ceramics of Michael the Archangel (Guardian of Israel!), keeping them for such occasions, and now enjoyed presenting one to him.

When he pulled it out from the cardboard box and held it up, he proclaimed without hesitation, “I want to thank the little people!” (Truly this was an Oscar moment, which, by the way, I decided not to watch this year for the first time, knowing the political rant it has become.)

His proclamation has stood with me all these 13 or more years since, as I am very aware of “all the little people” who make it happen. The ones working very loyally, diligently, courageously behind the scenes in our companies, churches, synagogues, and all of life in general – the so-called “little people”, the worker bees, the ones whom the visionaries, the leaders of the big and small organizations that abound all over the nations, wouldn’t get it done if not for those who are committed to doing the best job they can, while getting little notice, little fanfare here on earth, yet all the while storing up treasures in heaven, which I believe they are doing.

In The Message version of 1 Cor 12:12-31, Paul tells it like it is, in a rather descriptive and eloquent manner. He includes everyone when acknowledging what is going on, all that we see out front, and all that is happening behind the scenes, far too much of which we rarely see, or honor.

So even though this following quote from Scripture is long, it must be given in full. For we all make up the full Body -  not just the ones who most often get the majority of the praise and honor, but even those we rarely give attention to but are just as important.

“You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts — limbs, organs, cells — but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. 

We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain — his Spirit — where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves — labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free — are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body?

If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster.

Yeshua (Jesus) - we are His Body. The Body of Christ (Messiah)

What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way — the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach.

When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

You are Christ's body — that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his "body": apostles, prophets, teachers miracle workers, healers, helpers, organizers, those who pray in tongues.

But it's obvious by now, isn't it, that Christ's church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It's not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called "important" parts.”

Cheers! Have a cup on me!!!

I want to give honor, thanks, acknowledgment, and a big hand clap to the many, many, many servants of the Most High God, for that is who you are, you who day in, day out, week after week, month after month, year after year give of yourselves to serve others. Most often it goes unnoticed, without many thanks, and usually means doing some of the not-so-glorious jobs that the headliners hopefully once did, but now have risen to the top.

Again, as Paul so beautifully wrote through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we each have been gifted to do our part. May we each do it to the best of the ability we have, in our Lord’s strength and provision which He has given, and continues to give us, and to see the unified, completed results that He will bring as a result of our team work together.

So cheers to the hospitality teams, the ushers, the administrators, the “gophers” of course! Cheers!

Cheers to the planners, the cleaners, the production teams behind the cameras and the sound booth. Cheers!

Cheers to the prayer warriors, the childcare workers, the custodians. Cheers!

And finally, cheers once again to all the little people!!!

Your reward in heaven is great.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Now Think On This #392 - in the year of our Lord 02.26.19 – “The Little People” – Tuesday, 4:50 am

New Jerusalem Museum Looks At The Origins of Christianity - Vision for Israel, Barry & Batya Segal

New Jerusalem Museum Looks At The Origins of Christianity October 22, 2018 “The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.” Ps. 147:2   NEW JERUSALEM MUSEUM LOOKS AT THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY: The Terra Sancta Museum’s newly-reopened archaeological wing displays objects depicting how Yeshua might have lived 2,000 years ago. Located on the Via Dolorosa the museum features coins, mosaics, and unique inscriptions from biblical times. Most of the items on display were collected by the Franciscan friars over the centuries. Although the archaeological wing is already open to the public, construction is ongoing. “We succeeded in opening just part of the new museum,” said Father Eugenio Alliata, director of the museum. “We hope it will be completed in maybe two years. We want people to understand that the life of Yeshua is very closely connected to this land.” “Part of the museum dates back to 1902 and then we have a part that is much older and that probably dates back to the time of Yeshua,” said Sara Cibin, the project director of the museum. Though it mainly focuses on the origins of Christianity, the museum is also geared toward non-Christian visitors who wish to learn more about daily life in the Holy Land thousands of years ago. “The time of the life of Yeshua is interesting not only for Christians, but also for Jews as part of what they call the Second Temple period,” Father Alliata explained. “We think that the figure of Yeshua will be an attraction for everybody.” (Medialine) HELPING ISRAEL’S POOR: Please continue to enable us to assist terror victims, children at risk, the elderly, entire households suffering from poverty and others in need in Israel. Your generous donations are vital and appreciated at www.visionforisrael.com. For residents in the UK and outside N. America visit our website at www.josephstorehouse.co.uk. FREED PASTOR BRUNSON TALKS ABOUT HIS DEVASTATING DETENTION IN TURKEY: Evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from Turkish imprisonment on Friday 12 Oct. 2018, spoke to Sean Hannity last week about his detention and his meeting with President Trump. Brunson, who was at the center of a Turkish-USA diplomatic dispute that even had sparked outcry from American evangelical groups, was released to house arrest after almost two years in jail. The pastor, who was detained on terror-related charges, was convicted days ago yet released from custody for time served. Hannity asked Brunson about his detention, held in a cell designed for eight, and there were 21 people. “It was a very difficult time. I was surprised because I had never considered prison as a possibility and the costs for that,” the pastor replied. “I was isolated by culture and by language but especially by religion. “It was very difficult to be the only Christian among them.” Brunson told Hannity: “What was surprising is that they told me I was being held for terrorism and for trying to overthrow the government. The truth is we had been preaching Jesus Christ [Yeshua] — that’s why we were in Turkey — to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Turks. We did that openly and never had a problem. It was very shocking to be accused of terrorism.” The pastor said that although he lost a lot of hope in jail, “I began to see there was value in my suffering especially as time went on.” Through visits from his wife, Norine, he said he received the encouragement he needed to endure, and he was sure God had a plan to end his suffering for him. Brunson returned to the USA aboard a military jet shortly before meeting the president. Trump welcomed Brunson to the White House on Sat. 13 Oct. 2018 to celebrate the pastor's release. When Brunson asked Trump if he could pray for him, the president replied, “Well, I need it probably more than anyone else in this room, so that would be very nice, thank you.” (Fox) CABINET INSTRUCTS IDF TO STEP UP RESPONSE TO GAZA VIOLENCE: The security cabinet has instructed the military to step up its response to violent riots at the Gaza border and to the rocket fire that damaged a home in Beersheba. After a 5.5-hour discussion that ended around 2 a.m. Thur. 18 Oct. 2018, the cabinet says the “rules of the game” must change and the severity of the IDF’s strikes should gradually increase. The new policy came into effect on Friday 19 Oct. 2018, as Hamas-led mass riots continued on the Gaza border. During the overnight meeting, the military brass presented two operational plans to tackle the violent border clashes and to handle the incendiary balloons launched from the Strip into Israel, with the first being air strikes against terror targets in the Strip, while the second is containment of the violence while gradually Intensifying the army's response to breaching attempts and launching of incendiary balloons. (Times of Israel/Ynet) EGYPT ORDERS HAMAS TO DEFUSE BORDER RIOTS: A new report says that Egypt had ordered Hamas to defuse the weekly riots on the Gaza border in order to avoid an escalation with Israel. According to media sources, Egypt told Hamas to keep rioters at least 500 meters from the border fence and to prevent them from tangling with Israeli soldiers. Egypt also told the terror group that the UN humanitarian projects must be given a chance to succeed. The “March of the Return” border riots have been ongoing every Friday since 30 March 2018, but in recent weeks have become more frequent. The violent demonstrations often deteriorate into full-scale riots, with demonstrators throwing grenades at IDF soldiers and burning tires. Tensions between Israel and Hamas have escalated recently after rockets were fired into Israeli territory last week. One of them, launched towards the sea, fell off the coast of Gush Dan. Another rocket hit a residential building in Beer Sheva. The family members were saved a few moments after the mother rushed her children with her into a bomb shelter. Israel's security cabinet stressed on Thur. 18 Oct. 2018 that it would decide whether to embark on a military operation in Gaza after viewing the Friday border riots. (Arutz-7) Hamas continues to feed its men, women and children on hatred and jihad. An entire population is starving on such a diet. Pray that the ruling Hamas terrorist group in Gaza will be overthrown and that others with a positive eye towards rebuilding the Gaza Strip and co-operating with Israel will be put in place. PALESTINIANS WIN VOTE TO CHAIR GROUP OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AT UN: The UN General Assembly, in a 146-3 vote with 15 abstentions, approved a resolution giving the Palestinians "the rights and capacity required" to head the 135-nation group of developing countries that includes China. USA deputy ambassador Jonathan Cohen urged the assembly last week to vote "no" on the resolution, saying: "We cannot support efforts by the Palestinians to enhance their status outside of direct negotiations." He said the USA doesn't recognize "a Palestinian state" and "if this misguided resolution is adopted," when the Palestinians speak as chair of the group, the USA will remind UN members that "no such state has been admitted as a UN member state." Israel and Australia also voted against the resolution. Most Western European countries supported the measure while many Eastern European countries abstained. (AP) Again we remind our readers that the UN does not have the authority to establish states. Additionally, Palestinians are not in a position to promote themselves or to act as members of a legitimate and recognized state. Internationally accepted criteria for statehood include unified territory, capability of responsible governance and readiness to abide by international obligations. With Judea & Samaria dominated by Fatah that continues to promote and glorify terrorism and with Gaza controlled by Hamas/Iran, lobbing rockets and incendiary devices into Israel's towns, and building terrorist tunnels to carry out kidnappings and attacks against Israel’s border communities, the Palestinians have a long way to go until they fulfill these requirements. USA ENVOY NIKKI HALEY: PALESTINE IS NOT ANY STATE AT ALL: “The Palestinians are not a UN Member State or any state at all. The United States will continually point that out in our remarks at UN events led by the Palestinians,” USA Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said. She spoke after the UNGA placed the PA at the head of a group of 134 nations, known as the Group of 77. To do so, it had to temporarily confer additional rights on the Palestinians, who have a non-member state status at the United Nations. “Today’s UN mistake undermines the prospects for peace by encouraging the illusion held by some Palestinian leaders that they can advance their goals without direct peace negotiations”. Her office added, “The United States does not recognize a Palestinian state, notes that no such state has been admitted as a UN Member State, and does not believe that the Palestinians are eligible to be admitted as a UN Member State.” USA deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told the UNGA that it planned to remind the UN that the Palestinians had not achieved statehood. His words were consistent with the United States position that recognition of Palestinian statehood should only occur after an agreement is reached ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (J.Post) LOUIS FARRAKHAN: JEWS ARE TERMITES: Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan posted a video segment to his Twitter account last week in which he tells his followers that he is not an anti-Semite but, rather, “anti-termite.” Twitter said in response that it would not be suspending Farrakhan’s account in the meantime, noting that its policy barring "dehumanizing" language, which was announced in late Sept. 2018, has not yet gone into effect. Therefore, the company established, “Louis Farrakhan's tweet comparing Jews to termites is not in violation of the company's policies.” Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton, responded to Farrakhan’s words by tweeting, “Comparing Jews to termites is anti-Semitic, wrong and dangerous. The responsive laughter makes my skin crawl. For everyone who condemned President Trump’s rhetoric when he spoke about immigrants ‘infesting our country,’ this rhetoric should be equally unacceptable to you,” she added. (Arutz-7) “My God on whom I can rely. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.” Ps. 59:10 REPORT: BY 2040 ISRAELIS' LIFESPAN WILL SOAR, PALESTINIANS' TO DROP MOST: Painting a stark contrast in health conditions, a just-published study projects that Israel will skyrocket to seventh in the world for life expectancy in coming decades, whereas Palestinians' life expectancy will make the world's sharpest drop. The study, conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Education (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle, concludes that Israelis will live to 84.4 years by the year 2040. Palestinians are expected to live to 72.2 years. However, the study does show that life expectancy overall is on the rise. From 2016 to 2040, Israel gained 2.3 years and Palestinians gained 0.3 years in lifespan. From 2016 to 2040, Israel is predicted to move from 13th to 7th place in the world, while Palestinians will move from 114th to 152nd. The study predicts in 2040 that among the top 10 longest living nations are: Spain, with an expected 85.8 years; Japan with an expected 85.7 years; Singapore with an expected 85.4 years; Switzerland with an expected 85.2 years; Portugal with an expected 84.5 years; Italy with an expected 84.5 years; Israel with an expected 84.4 years and France with an expected 84.3 years. (J.Post) “With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.” Ps. 91:16 The suggestions, opinions and scripture references made by JNN writers and editors are based on the best information received. Click here for a Printer-friendly version Share this newsletter with friends and family! SHARE TWEET SHARE FORWARD The JNN Newsletter cannot be sent without your support! 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