Animals and Birds of Israel - photos by Steve Martin 05.06.19)

Animals and Birds of Israel

Love For His People ministry

Photos by Steve Martin 05.06.19

Israel! - Here we come again! More Ahava Adventures!

Israel! - Here we come again! More Ahava Adventures!

May & October 2019

We like Israeli camels! - Steve & Laurie Martin

Feb. 16, 2019

Love For His People's Ahava Adventures!, our bi-annual ministry trips to Israel, will again be happening this May and October 2019.

Those joining Laurie and I will be visiting the Aliyah Return Center in Tiberias in the Galilee, the new location where Yeshua (Jesus) was baptized near Jericho, Masada, the Dead Sea, and of course the Israeli capital city of Jerusalem.

The baptismal site near Jericho, where Yeshua was most likely immersed. (Photo by Steve Martin, 2013)

Our main purpose in travel is to always encourage and spend time with friends, families, and ministries that Love For His People supports monthly with financial and spiritual support.

Up front, you need to know that we don't do the "typical" 30-40 people bus tour, though I have recommendations if you ever want to. Our friends here in Charlotte, NC, and the Fort Mill, SC area do annual tourist bus tours, which I highly recommended for the 1st time tourist.

Our Ahava Adventures (ahava is love in Hebrew) take you for 8-9 days on the very same ground that Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and above all, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, walked. We will get you connected to His Land, but even more importantly with His people. Each and every believer needs to have, at least once in their lifetime, a connection to the People of Israel, personally.

The Lord is bringing back (making aliyah) the Jews of the nations to their Promised Land. Come spend time with the ones who have already done so.

If ever you want to join us, let us know!

For further information:

Ahava Adventures
Love For His People ministry
P.O. Box 414
Pineville, NC 28134

loveforhispeople@gmail.com

Come along!

Steve & Laurie Martin
Founders

P.S. These two this year will be Steve's 20th and 21st times of travel to Israel. I know some places you have never gone before. Or might not ever will, unless...

(Below photos by Steve Martin - October 2018)

Hostel staff on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem

The Golden Gate (Eastern Gate)

.

Gathering together in Jerusalem

Ben Yehuda Street entertainer

Jerusalem

Jerusalem & Friends - Louie, the Arab. Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Jerusalem & Friends

-          Louie, the Arab

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

"The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.” (1 Chronicles 1:28, NASU)

A short walk inside Jerusalem’s Old City Jaffa Gate takes you down the narrow street, lined on each side with Judaica, olive wood, clothing and spice shops. That’s where I first met Louie, or rather Louie met me. He was on the lookout for tourists whom he could draw into his brother’s gift shop. As was my custom, I was open to shopping.

This past year in 2017 Louie said he first got acquainted with me in 1994 and gave the exact date. Knowing he has a sharp mind, I figured he was right, but I sure didn’t remember. I do recall he offered me orange juice or Arab coffee, my choice, which was a customary way of getting one into their shops. Of course, always liking to receive that which is free, I obliged and followed him down the cobbled, slick stone walk a quick distance. His brother had an elaborate shop, filled with Jewish and Arab items of all sorts. Some were actually made in Israel. Most were Chinese imports.

Now after these many years, Louie has his own shop. He explained that the tourism numbers are very good, but those coming now are less apt to buy, making it tough for him to earn enough to pay the high rent. With his small shop along this busy section of the Old City’s Quarters, one of four (Christians, Jews, Muslims and Armenians, each having a quarter within the outside walls) many walk by but few buy. He continued explaining that when the Americans came in huge numbers, sales were good. Now more and more are coming from China, Southeast Asia, and South America, but they tend to purchase less goods. Hence Louie said he has to spend longer hours to attempt making the sales in order to meet his expenses.

Wanting to support him too, as I have regularly done with the Jewish shop owners on Ben Yehuda Street, less than an hour’s walk west out of Jaffa Gate, he picked out items on my list I had in my mind. Olive wood camels, menorahs and possibly a piece of jewelry for my good wife Laurie. He pulled several nice pieces from behind the glass doors covering the display cases. One beautiful menorah (7 branch candle piece) was one of the few left he had on hand, actually made in Israel. With the cheaper imports from China, competition is high, forcing even the locals to get out of the manufacturing business. I bought the silver-plated menorah because it had the “Made in Israel” label adhered to the base. Support blue and white!

Adding to my menorah purchase was a three-piece camel set, of course, made out of olive wood, hand carved in Israel. There is something about camels that amaze me. Beasts of burden to carry goods for the people.  

Then he pulled out of a special wooden drawer several pieces of fine shaped silver and Eilat Stone necklaces (green and blue color stone from south Israel). Among them was my final choice, having already almost exceeded my budget - a very beautiful necklace for Laurie. Though she isn’t much on jewelry, occasionally she does appreciate this type of gift, and so the Tree of Life piece was chosen.

It is always a joy for me to spend time with Louie, hearing of his daily life as an Arab in Jerusalem. Life can be hard at times he shares, but he appreciates what he has. Here he can have his own business and livelihood, knowing freedom is not found everywhere in the Middle East.

Next time you are in the Jaffa Gate area, look around for my friend Louie. He will be looking out for you, and is anxious to share his goods with you. At a good price!

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

Please be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Use the "Sign Up" button on our website, or go here: Sign Me Up!

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

  

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now. Click here: DONATE (or use the DONATE buttons on the blog.)

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc. 

P.O. Box 414   

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.  We appreciate your help.

Now Think On This #337 - in the year of our Lord 12.15.17 – “Jerusalem & Friends – Louie, the Arab”, Friday, 12:30 pm

Jerusalem & Friends - The Camels. Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Jerusalem & Friends

- The Camels

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel.” (Genesis 24:64, NKJV)

Rebekah was a natural. Being she was raised among camels, the normal means of desert travel, she certainly knew how to get on and get off properly. She probably never gave it a second thought. A camel girl well trained!

On any tour to Israel one thing you really enjoy looking out for are the roaming camels. These beasts of burden have been around since before Noah I would imagine, who would have had two on the ark. Abraham and his two sons certainly had many, being rich in favor. Jacob and his boys accumulated herds of them, roaming the deserts of the Promised Land under the watchful eye of the Living God of Israel.

Each time I have had the opportunity to ride the touring bus through the Land, my camera was always ready, hoping to catch the Bedouin’s camels walking in the nearby hills along Highway 1 headed down to the Dead Sea from Jerusalem. You can often see these created creatures among the black tents of these desert people or corralled within a makeshift fenced-in area nearby on the sloping, sparse landscape. To both young and old, seeing a camel out in their natural habitat is a real delight.

My first experience in riding one didn’t go so good. It was at a tourist restaurant stop on the way to Beersheva, with its robed owner awaiting any tourist, even the not-so-knowledgeable ones. Anyone ready to give him $5 for a few short laps, or at least two, around the food stop parking lot. My thought, “I can do this. Get the camera out and watch me ride!”

Already down on his really thick knees, head proudly held high, this camel gave me a look, and stayed somewhat still while I pulled up onto his single hump, covered with multi-colored blankets and some leather under them to serve as the saddle. I was given a few instructions on how to hang on, and then slowly walked around the parking lot. Not a big deal, until the dismount.

What I failed to hear, or even to be told, was most likely thought by both owner and camel one of two things. I was either a seasoned rider, or I was smart enough to figure it out - how to properly prepare for the upcoming, or down coming, dismount. Being I hadn’t paid any attention to others I had seen on other occasions, or because they typically had a platform to get on and off from, I had little idea how it would happen.

The camel did his normal thing. He stopped, bent his front knees forward, and dropped down to the blacktop. HARD.

As for me? My head jerked back at first, and then before I could say, “Help!” I flew over his brown head. Down I went, flying head first into the hard ground.

No, it wasn’t a “10” on the dismount. Maybe a “2”.

My glasses smashed first, giving no cushion for my head. This photo tells the result. At least I could still smile!

Would I do it again? Why certainly! But now a bit wiser, and paying attention to the fact that you must lean way back, hang on tight, and act like a rodeo master when on the back of a camel just naturally preparing to let you down.

When you make it to Israel, hoping for that opportunity and provision to come, go ride a camel! The ones along the road in the desert are just waiting for you to show them you have what it takes to ride ‘em!

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

  

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Use the "Sign Up" button on our website, or go here: Sign Me Up!

One of my favorite camel photos! Near Eilat, Israel at the Camel Ranch. (Oct. 2008)

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now. Click here: DONATE 

(or use the DONATE buttons on the blog.)

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc. 

P.O. Box 414   

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.  We appreciate your help.

Now Think On This #333 - in the year of our Lord 11.23.17 – “Jerusalem & Friends – Camels”, Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. My 63^rd birthday. 11:00 am 

The rebirth and rejuvenation of the Land and People of Israel - ISRAEL365

I will make your people,  the entire family of Israel numerous,  the cities will be inhabited and  the ruins will be rebuilt. EZEKIEL (36:10)   וְהִרְבֵּיתִי עֲלֵיכֶם אָדָם כָּל בֵּית  יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלֹּה וְנֹשְׁבוּ  הֶעָרִים וְהֶחֳרָבוֹת תִּבָּנֶינָה יחזקאל לו:י vi-hir-bay-TEE a-lay-KHEM a-DAM kol bayt yis-ra-AYL ku-LO vi-no-s'vu he-a-REEMvi-he-kha-ra-VOT ti-ba-NE-na

Today's Israel Inspiration

Today's verse speaks about one of the greatest miracles promised by the Bible: the rebirth and rejuvenation
of the Land and People of Israel. The truly miraculous development of the modern State of Israel was spelled out in great detail thousands of years ago by the prophets. Isn't it time you saw the Bible come to life with your very own eyes? In just two months, Rabbi Tuly Weisz will show you the "cities being inhabited and ruins being rebuilt" right here in the Holy Land.

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Thank You
Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Joanne Prives 

of Rochester, New York in memory of her late sister, Ida Glassman. 

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Lovely email. The compassion is overflowing, dear friends. 

G-d Bless you all in Israel.

I just want to say that I am a Christian from a small fellowship 

in Saltburn, North Yorkshire, England and we love the Jewish 

people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel everyday. 

I just love the Israel365.com site. Thank you. 

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Camel. Ride. Negev Desert in Israel.

Out for a little back country stroll. Giddy up.

Camel Ranch near Eilat, Israel

Walk softly. Don't want to disturb the animals.

Water in the hole.

Backup - in case the camels don't want to work that day.

I see you. You see me?

"Did you say something?" 

"This is my better side."

My ride.

Enjoy the book now. 

Order here: NOW THINK ON THIS - AMAZON