Friday, October 7, 2011

Yom Kippur: Israel stops and Reflects

Yom Kippur: Israel Stops and Reflects

Yom Kippur – the solemn Day of Atonement-begins Friday night. The Yom Kippur War broke out in 1973 during prayers.
By Arutz Sheva Staff
First Publish: 10/7/2011, 1:08 PM

Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
www.TempleInstitute.org
The highest of the High Holidays – Yom Kippur – is to begin on Friday night, and Jews around the world are completing their last preparations for the solemn day that ends the Ten Days of Penitence.

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a Divinely-designated day that the Torah explains “will atone for you [plural] to purify you from all your sins before G-d.” Such atonement, however, must generally be accompanied by teshuvah, a process that must include introspection, admission of sins, remorse, and a commitment not to repeat them.

One must also appease and ask forgiveness from those he has harmed or insulted over the year.
Many people visit the graves of their parents on the days before Yom Kippur, in preparation for the Yizkor service memorializing lost parents which is said during the fast.

The prayers for Yom Kippur, which begin with the Kol Nidre prayer said at night, then take up most of the day, are replete with the various concepts of teshuvah, as well as acknowledgement of G-d’s goodness in affording mortals this opportunity to exonerate and improve themselves. One of the dramatic prayers is a review of the High Priest's preparations and one time yearly entering the Holy of Holies in the Temple, during which the each member of the congregation prostrates himself before G-d. There is also a piyyut, liturgical poem, recalling the ten martyrs killed by the Romans, one of whom was Rabbi Akiva.

The fast begins just before sundown on Friday night, and ends some 25 hours later, after the special Ne’ilah (locking, signifying that the gates of heaven are to be locked at the end of the fast) prayer, said standing. At the prayer's end, the Shma Yisrael - Hear O Israel the Lord our G-d, the Lord is One - is recited aloud by the entire congregation, followed by another two verses, including sevenfold loud repetition of the words "G-d is the Lord". 
The end of the fast is signalled by a dramatic, lone shofar-blast and the immediate singing of "Next year in rebuilt Jerusalem".  In many Israeli synagogues, this is a signal for joyous dancing as the fast's end signals a lightening of spirits.

In addition to eating and drinking, also forbidden on this day are wearing leather shoes, washing up, make-up and perfumes, and marital relations.

The prohibitions notwithstanding, the day is considered a festive day, in that we celebrate G-d’s beneficence in going against natural law and allowing us to revoke and nullify our misdeeds. It is also a “day of friendship and love," according to the prayer liturgy.

The day before Yom Kippur, the 9th of the Jewish month of Tishrei, is also considered a special day, and we are required to eat and drink even more than we normally do. "Whoever eats and drinks on the 9th,” the Talmud states enigmatically, “is as [meritorious as] if he had fasted on both the 9th and the 10th." The custom of kaparot is done on the 9th.

The State of Israel is essentially closed down on Yom Kippur, with no public transportation or electronic broadcasts, and practically no open stores or services. Bicycling on main roads and city streets has become a popular pastime on the holy day, to the dismay of many, as there is no traffic to be seen, but the Tel Aviv municipality has decided to close the rental facilities over the fast.

Even more prevalent on this day are prayer services. Organizations make arrangements for secular-friendly prayer services around the country, which have become extremely popular and well-attended in recent years.
Israelis who are old enough to remember Yom Kippur 1973, recall how people were shocked to see cars driving down the streets in the early afternoon. They were rounding up soldiers  as the Yom Kippur War had broken out during the day - almost all of the soldiers, religious and secular, were at their local synagogues and army cars went from synagogue to synagogue with lists, while sirens wailed shortly afterwards in Jerusalem and worshipers raced to shelters, Memorial services for the war's fallen soldiers will be held on Sunday.

For more information on Yom Kippur, click here

May we and all Israel be inscribed for a happy, healthy and blessed new year.

Parts of this article were written by Arutz Sheva's veteran former staff member Hillel Fendel.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Ahava Love Letter - "Israeli-Arab Conflict"

Ahava Love Letter
 “Crash Course on Israeli-Arab Conflict”
 “…I will make you fruitful and numerous. I will make
of you a group of peoples; and I will give this land to
your descendants to possess forever.’ Gen. 48:4 CJB
Dear family of friends,

A recent e-mail is circulating, and because of the accurate statements given, I wanted to share it with you.
In an interview with British television during the retaliation against Hamas' shelling of Israel, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu was asked: "How come so many more Palestinians have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?"
Netanyahu: "Are you sure that you want to start asking in that direction?"
Interviewer: (Falling into the trap) “Why not?”
Netanyahu: "Because in World War II more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined, but there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the war was caused by Germany 's aggression. And in response to
the German blitz on London , the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden , burning to death more German civilians than the number of people killed in Hiroshima.  Moreover, I could remind you that in 1944, when the R.A.F. tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen , some of the bombs missed their target and fell on a Danish children's hospital, killing 83 little children. Perhaps you have another question?"

In another interview Benjamin Netanyahu was asked about Israel 's occupation of Arab lands. His response was, "It's our land." The reporter was stunned - please read below "It's our land..."-- important information since fair and accurate reporting from the media is sorely lacking, and facts are often lost in the jumble.
"Crash Course on the Arab Israeli Conflict"--compiled by a Christian university professor:
1. Nationhood and Jerusalem: Israel became a nation in 1312 BCE, two thousand years before the rise of
Islam.

2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BCE, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.
4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years.
5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem , they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.

6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.
7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.
8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.
9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.
10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.
11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same.
12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.
13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.
14. The PLO's Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel . Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them.
15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.
16. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel.
17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.
18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians.
19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.
These are incredible times. We have to ask what our role should be. What will we tell our grandchildren about what we did when there was a turning point in Jewish destiny, an opportunity to make a difference?
We stand for Israel.
Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President


Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. You can send checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

Ahava Love Letter #33   Date: Sept. 20, in the year of our Lord 2011    

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Paul Wilbur - Praise Adonai

Paul Wilbur - Out of Zion

Paul Wilbur - How Great Is Our God

Paul Wilbur - Ein Gedi, Israel Miracle

Paul Wilbur - Days of Elijah

Paul Wilbur - Aaronic Blessing

Paul Wilbur - Zealous Over Zion

Adventures in Israel: SEPTEMBER

Jews at Jerusalem's Old City Zion Gate 1948


Adventures in Israel: SEPTEMBER: "The territory upon which the UN would establish a State of Palestine is that land where Abraham walked when God promised it to him and his ... 
http://adventures-in-israel.blogspot.com/

Menorah & Ark of the Covenant

Menorah

Ark of the Covenant

Paul Wilbur in Concert - Charlotte (Concord) NC



Paul Wibur in concert Sept. 17, 2011 in Concord (Charlotte), NC.
Photos by Steve Martin (more on FaceBook page)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Ahava Love Letter - "ABC's of Marriage"


Ahava Love Letter
 “ABC’s of Marriage”
 “Marriage should be honored by everyone.” (Heb. 13:4)
Dear family of friends,

Marriage was ordained by the Lord. It is not a man-made institution, whereby we are the ones who decide what marriage is or isn’t. The Lord has already decided that, and we are the wise ones if we follow His plan.
Those whom He has blessed to join in the union of marriage will find His purposes in it, if the foundation is properly laid. Thus I share on the “ABC’s” of marriage.
Jesus is the “Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 1:8). He is the “Author and Finisher” (Heb. 12:2) of our faith. He is the “A”. To have a successful marriage, we have to start at the main foundational point. We must start with “A”, Who is the Lord.
The next step in having a successful marriage is to be yoked equally together (2 Cor. 6:14) As a declaration of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, each in the marriage must have declared publicly that they know Him, that they have repented of their sins, accepted His forgiveness, and have demonstrated that belief publicly in water baptism, the “B” portion of the foundation.
Placing this “brick” in the building will help sustain a long-lasting relationship founded on the Rock. When the floods come, when the temptations arise, when the winds blow hard, this foundational brick will help sustain them through the trials that will come.
Once the first two segments are in place by each partner, the next important cementing ingredient is covenant, the big “C”. Covenant is the everlasting commitment each will make to each other, knowing that they are making this life-long union before and with the Lord. When this three strand cord is in place, the trust in His word, as written in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” will hold strong.
Covenant is the solid commitment each makes to each other, to no longer live for one self, but to make the sacrifice necessary to live for the other. The marriage covenant, having been made, says to each other that “until death do us part” we will remain in the marriage for His purposes and will.
When the initial “ABC’s” for the foundation have thus been laid, the “D” word is not given any place to be considered at any point. Divorce is not a “plan B” option. It will not be a choice to be considered. The couple fully understands that whatever it takes, must be taken to assure the lasting union. They will work out whatever obstacles come their way, and forces that would storm against them. With His grace continually working in their relationship, the marriage union will endure.
Keeping these three foundational stones in place will maintain the covenant vows we made to our spouse, whether for the first time or the last time.
By knowing the Alpha and the Omega is Lord in each life, and that He is the One who will sustain us “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part”, gives us the hope, love and faith for all times.
Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President


Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. You can send checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

Ahava Love Letter #31   Date: Aug. 30, in the year of our Lord 2011    

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Monday, September 5, 2011

Adventures in Israel: Mount Moriah

Click here for full story: Adventures in Israel: Mount Moriah:
Going up to Zion....Mount Moriah.....The Temple Mount In July we decided to visit the Temple Mount.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ahava Love Letter - "Going to the chapel..."


Ahava Love Letter

“Going To The Chapel”
 “…he gave his daughter in marriage…” (1 Chron. 2:35 CJB)

Dear family of friends,

On 9/10/11 my youngest daughter Christen is going to get married. After 24 years of teaching her all we know, her mother Laurie and I are “giving her hand” to a great prince named Andrew Blade.

And guess what? With two ordination papers in hand (actually on my office wall), I will be the minister marrying them. Laurie, our other three kids, and Andrew’s parents Michael and MaryAnn, along with their daughter Anna, have been in the preparation mode since the announcement last fall. It looks like we are ready.

I even have my message all prepared (which I will share in the next Ahava Love Letter  after the wedding.)

Thinking back on these years the good Lord has already given to us with Christen, I sometimes wonder if I could have done better to prepare her for this exciting day, and her new life. I certainly know there must be things that were missed or left undone. With that in mind though, I just have to leave it up to the Lord to take care of it, and trust also in her husband’s lifelong preparation to help fill in parts. Confident of these two realities, I can smile.

The foundation of my wedding message, or sermonette, as short messages were called in church growing up, speaks about the Lord Jesus being the Solid Rock in a marriage couple’s bedrock. As I see the world and current marriage statistics, I am confident that without the Lord’s grace and interaction, as the third cord strand between the two, no marriage can withstand the onslaught of evil forces that continually batter against them.

Our own marriage of 34 years could not have held this long if it not had been the Lord Who was on our side, uplifting, leading, providing, and sustaining through the trials and tribulations that came. “Only by His grace, yet go I” as the saying goes. Keeping that strong relationship with Him is what has kept my relationship strong with my wife, and she with me. He has been the One through these years. For this we give thanks.

As I walk my daughter down the aisle (or staircase, as the steps will actually be), my heart will be confident. He has brought these two young people together for His eternal purposes. My joy will be that in their coming days, as they together seek His face, trust in His provision, and serve in their callings, that they will have opportunity to raise young ones now as unto Him.

“Going to the chapel and she’s going to get married.” Thank you Lord!

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President


Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. You can send checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

Ahava Love Letter #31   Date: Aug. 30, in the year of our Lord 2011    

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Israel - full map of the nation

FULL MAP OF ISRAEL

Pat Robertson: The Prophetic Significance of Israel

Signs of the Times: Israel Under Siege - Pat Robertson on 700 Club

Pat Robertson on 700 Club:  Signs of the Times: Israel Under Siege

Beit Yeshua's 10th Anniversary - Lincolnton, NC

Beit Yeshua of Lincolnton, NC - 10th Anniversary Celebration

Shofars open the assembly

Curtis Loftin, Co-Founder, opens the gathering.


Steve Martin (Love For His People) prays.

Paul & Susan Miles at Shabbat candle table.

Dance team

Curtis Loftin shares on the history of Beit Yeshua.

Laurie Martin reads Scripture as Indira Persad shares.

Steve & Laurie Martin, Indira Persad

Indira Persad prays for the leadership team.

Cathy Hargett (Highway To Zion founder) speaks.


Bill Shupp blows shofar.

For a complete photo journal, go to Beit Yeshua's website:

Friday, August 19, 2011

The 2 Spies: Kaddish

The 2 Spies: Kaddish: A troubling few days in the Land. Many dead. Many wounded. Too many in pain. Times like these cause us to take an assessment of our prioriti...

Monday, August 15, 2011

Ahava Love Letter - "No Rejection"

Ahava Love Letter
“No Rejection”
“For the sake of His great name, the Lord will not reject
His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you
His own.” (1 Samuel 12:22)
Dear family of friends,

Most of us know of rejection. We understand, and have felt the pain of, this hurtful emotion. When carried out beyond the soulish realm into the physical arena, it can be devastating. I would think that all of us have experienced it at the receiving end at one time or another, in soul and body.

In 1 Samuel 12:22, quoted above, the prophet Samuel delivered a message to the nation of Israel at the end of his life. He prophesied that the Lord would not reject them as His people. After what they had already gone through, in deliverance from Egypt and the ongoing battles against surrounding peoples, this had to be a great word to hear. To know that the living God would not reject you, for His great name’s sake, was one promise to hang onto.

I am trusting it also can be a promise for those of us who are grafted into the spiritual vine, as believers, whether Jew or Gentile.

As we stand on the Lord’s promise to cover our back, and our front, even in the midst of false accusation, we can face the enemy and defeat him, not only on our behalf but for others who need our strength and support.

A primary purpose of the ministry of Love For His People is to stand with those who daily face worldwide rejection and the onslaught of the enemy, primarily our Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel. We already know that the Lord stands with them - just the fact that Israel and the Jewish people are still around today is proof enough. But we are also called as believers to stand with them, those living in Israel, as they hold claim to the Promised Land given to them.

Love For His People is committed to stand with His chosen ones, and will hold to His eternal word that “for the sake of His great name, the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord was pleased to make you His own.”

I know many of you share this heartfelt commitment also. In my communications to friends in Israel, I know they appreciate it very much indeed. I also am aware that they continually need our prayers, encouragement, and financial help as never before.

We appreciate and thank you who have faithfully shared in this ministry of prayer and financial support for Jewish believers. Please consider sending a gift today to that end. When we hold up their hands, the Lord Yeshua promises to hold up ours.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President


Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. You can send checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)
©2011 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134      


Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Blogger: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com/         YouTube: loveforhispeopleinc

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

Ahava Love Letter #30   Date: Aug. 16, in the year of our Lord 2011    


Thursday, August 11, 2011

Picture a Day: "David, the King of Israel, Lives On"



Picture a Day: "David, the King of Israel, Lives On": "King David's Tomb (circa 1900). The original caption was 'Tabernacle.' A thousand year old Jewish tradition believes that King David is..."

Picture a Day: Straining to Glimpse the Western Wall and Temple M...



Picture a Day: Straining to Glimpse the Western Wall and Temple M...: "Longing from afar . The Western Wall and Temple Mount It is unclear when this picture was taken. The title on the Library of Congress ..."

Picture a Day: Children of the Yishuv -- Negba, 1946



Picture a Day: Children of the Yishuv -- Negba, 1946: "Children of Negba , 1946. Two years later they had to be evacuated. Note the watertower.
Cuter kids may be harder to find than these ..."

Picture a Day: Extinct Jewish Communities in the Middle East - Pa...

Picture a Day: Extinct Jewish Communities in the Middle East - Pa...: "1901, Jewish family in Damascus
The American Colony photographers took pictures of Jewish communities as they traveled throughout the ..."