V’ahavta וְאָהַבְתָּ 'And you shall love’ - "An Appointment with God" - Hadassah from Jerusalem

V’ahavta  

וְאָהַבְתָּ    ‘And you shall love’ 

An Appointment with God

Hadassah from Jerusalem

The High Holy Days are upon us. Here in the Land there was much activity as we prepared for the first of these - Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah. Of course there is always the menu planning and eternal grocery shopping. Lots of lovely celebration foods packed with memories and.... calories! New clothing for the New Year. Clean houses for a fresh start.

But in the midst of all the hustle and bustle what may be difficult to maintain is the main reasons for this season - not only of celebration but more appropriately the 3 ‘Rs’ - Reflection, Repentance, and Restoration. 

This past month, the shofar has been sounded every weekday morning in the shul. For those who have ears to hear, it is sounding to wake us up. The day is approaching when we will be called to make an assessment of our deeds this past year. How did we spend our time? On what did we spend our money? What words did we speak? Those that build or those that tear down? Do we hold hurts, bitterness, and unforgiveness? Even though the general thought or feeling is one of celebration, this is actually a somber time of year as we approach the throne of the King to be called into account.

We do not need to be afraid or enter this time with trepidation. If God has instituted these Holy days, He has done so because He is making Himself accessible. In essence, He has a calendar and your name is written on these coming days. You have, as it were, an appointment with God.

As we participate with Him in His moedim (appointed days) He has made the way for true repentance, cleansing and rebuilding of relationships - first with Him, and then with those around us. We trust Him in this that He will be faithful to meet us on Yom Teruah. He will show us those we have offended and give us the courage to make things right - to say 'I'm sorry'. He will remind us of vows not kept and give us the wisdom to keep the vows and to be careful about making future vows. He will prepare us for a life of fruitfulness and beauty with Him as our Guide.

As we are looking ahead, we are in hopes for an even more significant coming year filled with mitzvot (acts of loving-kindness) and a greater reality of the presence of the Living God and the Day in which we are living. We look forward, with joy, to the season ahead and are grateful to our God for providing a beautiful way to be in relationship with Him and each other.

Our wish for you, dear readers: May you be written for a wonderful year full of Life!

Nissim & Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

Hadassah and Nissim, her accountant husband, live in a settlement just outside Jerusalem with their dog Molly. After making Aliyah (immigrating) from the U.S. with their five children in 1989, they are now semi-retired and open their home to guests and those wishing to make Aliyah. When not busy with their 16 'GrandWonders', they enjoy a quiet life of study, prayer and learning to serve the LORD. 

Hadassah #10 09.20.17

From the Editor (Steve Martin, Love For His People Founder):

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The Law of the Messiah - V'ahavta (...and you shall love...") - Hadassah from Jerusalem

Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

V’ahavta  

וְאָהַבְתָּ    ‘…And you shall love…’ 

The Law of the Messiah

Hadassah from Jerusalem, Israel

To know and to do God’s will. This seems to be the question on most true Believer’s hearts: LORD what is your will? God has made His will clear in the Word that He has given us- His commandments, His Laws. But especially through His Son Y’shua’s words and example did He reveal Himself and His heart towards us and His will.

With so many decrees and laws to know and follow we can get bogged down- overwhelmed. Even in His day, an observant Jewish man asked Y’shua which Law is the greatest. Recorded in three of the Gospels (Mt 22:37, Mk 12:30, Lk 10:27), Y’shua quotes to him from the well-known daily prayer the Sh’ma (Deut. 6:5): “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

In Mark, Y’shua continues: "The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The second commandment is actually the ‘how to’ live out the first commandment. How do we love God so completely- by loving the Family of Faith.

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (I John 4:20)

And the LORD tells us that the world will know we are His- by our love for one another!

“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” 

(John 13:34,35)

In Galatians 6:2 we read a practical application: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

 In this verse we see the specific fulfilling of the Law of Christ is done by bearing each other’s burdens. How do we show this love for one another in the Body of Messiah? Taking care of the widows and orphans, praying for those who are hurt and sick, sharing physical provision…. The list is endless.

When a Body member is going thru a major illness or crisis- one that seems to have no solution or end in sight- can we come to them in their suffering and walk with them? Can we listen without judgement and unasked-for advice? Will we ‘carry’ them on our shoulders in prayer? Are we able to lay down our lives for them in acts of loving kindness and service?

To bear one another’s burdens IS to FULFILL the Law of our Messiah. It is the maximum of His example when He came and ultimately carried our burden of sin and suffering.

It is not easy to consistently walk with someone who is suffering. To keep them encouraged. To hold them in your heart before the Throne. To not get weary in well-doing. We must remember- that we are yoked with the Messiah in this walk and He says that His burden is easy (Mt 11:30). 

Continually go to Him and ask for the Grace to endure WITH your Brother. To weep with your Sister. Being very realistic about your personal limitations- do not let those be and excuse to not be ‘present’. We each have a part we can play and with the Grace of Y’shua we can answer His passionate garden question:  ‘Will you not tarry with me one hour?’

We can choose to love one another and ‘tarry’ with one another and so fulfill the Law of our Messiah. 

Nissim & Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

 Hadassah and Nissim, her accountant husband, live in a settlement just outside Jerusalem with their dog Molly. After making Aliyah (immigrating) from the U.S. with their five children in 1989, they are now semi-retired and open their home to guests and those wishing to make Aliyah. When not busy with their 16 'GrandWonders', they enjoy a quiet life of study, prayer and learning to serve the LORD.

#6  08.24.31

V'ahavta (...and you shall love...") Hadassah from Jerusalem - “Lessons Learned from the Front Lines in Israel”

V’ahavta  

וְאָהַבְתָּ    ‘…And you shall love…’ 

V'ahavta (...and you shall love...")

Hadassah from Jerusalem

July 17, 2017

“Lessons Learned from the Front Lines in Israel”

“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Proverbs 24:10

Looking at the world headlines (or on Facebook) we read of so much suffering and disaster and wars. It seems that there is no shortage of sad and depressing news. The timetable to the ‘End’ seems to be pressing in on us at breakneck speed. How, as Believers in Y’shua, do we keep our heads up and maintain some semblance of sanity never mind joy? What are some keys to allowing these situations to strengthen us and not faint?

Having lived in Israel a combined 19 years - through several wars, terror attacks, sirens- surrounded by enemies both inside and outside the borders - the Lord has been strengthening me so as not to ‘faint’. It has been - and still is- a long difficult process. It is made more difficult by my independent attitude in thinking I can ‘handle’ what is going on around me. Rather than run to Him immediately, I would listen to all the news… and opinions about that news… bemoan the state of things, get angry or fearful or ‘super spiritual’ (Oh it’s OK- the Lord is coming soon) wax eloquent in solutions… everything BUT sit still and listen and receive instruction.

Other countries are also going thru their tribulations and trials as we come to the close of this era before the return of our Messiah and King.  Please let me (humbly) share the lessons I have – and am - learning from our front lines here in Israel. May these words encourage you and strengthen you for your own battles. Please share the things you have learned from your ‘front lines’ of battle. Let us embolden one another.

 

Battling the spiritual warfare

 * Wait on the Lord. The first and most important lesson - the place from which all else springs. Sit in His presence. Renew. Refresh. Let the time be all about Him… not everything going on. He will restore perspective. He will lift your eyes and spirit upwards. He will carry you on eagles wings and renew your strength.

* Carry ONLY what He gives you. DO NOT PRAY THE NEWS! Give a short season to read what’s happening - get educated - and then TURN IT OFF! Read the Word MORE than you read the news! Ask the Lord for Scriptures to pray. There are hundreds and He will show you which ones and how to pray them. The Word is the powerful weapon of our warfare.

* There is only ONE Messiah and it’s not me. I do not need to carry ALL the burdens that I see around me - all the things that are breaking my heart. I need to sit quietly in His presence and wait. Let Him give me HIS burden at the moment that is MINE to carry. It will hurt. It will be difficult BUT He said HIS BURDEN IS LIGHT… which means He will carry it WITH me… with a resolution in the Spirit.

* Allow your heart to be burdened with those things that burden the Lord’s heart. Don’t run from pain.

* Know and guard against the dangers of being a Burden Bearer:
-Losing your joy and sense of humor
-Becoming rigid and inflexible
-Judgmental (‘They’ just don’t get it!)
-Oppressed
-Physically tired and worn down
-Self-centered, self-pity (no one really understands the burden I’m carrying)

* As a watchman - know your ‘Wall’. What is your ‘post’? Ask the Lord for your specific area of prayer and intercession. Your duty station cannot be manned by anyone else…. Nor can you man anyone else’s.

We are truly in the End of Days. We each have an assignment from Heaven to fulfill. Be encouraged as the birth pangs increase. Be busy about the Father’s work. Redeem the time. Pray. Praise. Share. Soon… it will be over!

“Do not pray for easy lives!
Pray to be stronger men.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers,
Pray for powers equal to your tasks.
Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle,
But YOU shall be a miracle.
~Phillip Brooks~

Nissim & Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

Hadassah and Nissim, her accountant husband, live in a settlement just outside Jerusalem with their dog Molly. After making Aliyah (immigrating) from the U.S. with their five children in 1989, they are now semi-retired and open their home to guests and those wishing to make Aliyah. When not busy with their 16 'GrandWonders', they enjoy a quiet life of study, prayer and learning to serve the LORD.

07.17.17 #4

V'ahavta (...and you shall love...") Hadassah from Jerusalem - “Just Say Yes”

V’ahavta  

וְאָהַבְתָּ    ‘…And you shall love…’ 

V'ahavta (...and you shall love...")

Hadassah from Jerusalem

“Just Say Yes”

“Now the LORD had said to Abram, ‘Get out of your country, from your family… to a land that I will show you…’ So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him.” Genesis 12:1,4

God said. Abram obeyed. He left everything- home, family, friends, country, all that was familiar. He was going… only God knew where. Abram trusted, completely. He said, ‘Yes’ by his obedience.

One night in 1979, God spoke to my husband and told him to take his family to Israel. To live. At the time, we had no idea why we would go to Israel. We weren’t missionaries. We knew nothing about Israel other than what was in the Bible and the news. We had no friends there. And we hadn’t a clue about Jewish immigration - Aliyah as it's called. We hadn’t even heard the word before!!

Clueless would adequately describe us at the time. 

The only thing we knew for certain - God said “Go”. We said, “Yes”.

With our hearts looking towards the Land, we spent the next 10 years learning and getting prepared. Finally, in 1989, we took our five children and followed the Lord to Israel. It wasn’t a Garden of Eden. There were probably more tough times than good ones. LOTS of ‘giants’ in the Land and, as we learned, in our hearts also. We were tested and tried and stretched. And…. we learned.

We learned who Y’shua really is and what a relationship with Him is like. We, on the battleground, became more experienced in spiritual warfare. We practiced loving when we weren’t loved. We experienced the Presence of God.

Through all of that there never was a time that we regretted our decision. We have now lived here for a combination of 18 years.

Haifa Bay - photo by Hadassah 

This week I was blessed to travel the Land for five days. From Caesarea, to Haifa Bay, to the Sea of Galilee, and Capernaum.  Down to the Dead Sea and then on to Mitzpa Ramon, a crater near Egypt. What a wonderfully blessed place this is.

While I was watching the sun come up from the crater and worshipping, I was overcome with gratitude. I cried out to God, “Why have we been allowed to live here?”

And just as at times before when we have asked this question, the answer was the same - because you said “Yes!”

Mitzpa Ramon, a crater near Egypt

Those who follow Y’shua have many times when He says to us, "Leave all that is familiar. Move into My will. Receive My promise, My task, My desire."

It is always so easy to start weighing out the pros & cons of obeying. But like Abram, God is wanting our unqualified yes!

In relation to Israel (which is what these messages are about), what is He asking of you?

Using the Word as your insight to His will and plan, where is your part?

What about sharing the Gospel with Jewish people who do not know their Messiah as yet? 

(Romans 1:16, 10:1)

To pray for the peace of Jerusalem? (Psalm 122:6)

To be a watchman on the wall? (Isaiah 62:6)

To comfort His people? (Isaiah 40:1)

If you are truly Jewish, to make Aliyah? (Isaiah 43:5,6; Jeremiah 29:11-14)

If you are Gentile - to help facilitate the Aliyah? (Isaiah 49:22)

Has He made His desire known?  He has a place for you in what He is doing these days in Israel.   

I would encourage you, like Abram, to say, ‘Yes’.

With our love from Israel,

Hadassah

Nissim & Hadassah

Jerusalem, Israel

June 2017

Hadassah and Nissim, her accountant husband, live in a settlement just outside Jerusalem with their dog Molly. After making Aliyah (immigrating) from the U.S. with their five children in 1989, they are now semi-retired and open their home to guests and those wishing to make Aliyah. When not busy with their 16 'GrandWonders', they enjoy a quiet life of study, prayer and learning to serve the LORD.

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06.21.17  #3