Derek & Ruth Prince - graveyard in Jerusalem

Derek & Ruth Prince graveyard in Jerusalem 

(German Colony district)

Derek & Ruth Prince, residents of Jerusalem for over 20 years, are buried in this German Colony district of Jerusalem.

Lydia Prince is also buried here. She was Derek's first wife, who died about five years before Derek married Ruth. Lydia and Derek had adopted nine Jewish/Arabic/African kids. Lydia had adopted and raised raised eight of them as a single woman. Her incredible book, "Appointment In Jerusalem", tells the story.

I am most appreciative of having had the opportunity to work on staff at their ministry - first from 1987-1990 in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., and then again at the Charlotte, NC location, from 2001-2005. The ministry had already relocated to Charlotte, in 1994.

Derek Prince Ministries staff in Charlotte, NC 2004

The 2006 Vision for Israel staff, where I served as USA Director, is also in the photo above. These two framed photos, of both ministries, are on the top shelf of my current office in uptown Charlotte, NC.

As the Director of Operations and Finance at Derek Prince Ministries, I served with David Selby (Intl. Executive Director), Jack Alongi (Director of Donor Relations), Peter Wyns (USA Outreach Director) and Derek Wesley Selby, (Director of Communications.) Another 22 staff members assisted us in these departments.

For more information on Derek Prince Ministries, please click on the name below.

Derek Prince Ministries

My son Ben Martin (who also worked at DPM for many years) and I are now part of Love For His People, Inc., founded by my wife Laurie and myself in 2010.

Also in 2010, Ben and I initiated this new ministry's annual Ahava Adventures service trip to Israel, when I was able to take the above photo of Derek's burial location through the front gate. (It is a gated cemetery, and wasn't open on that Saturday morning. Shabbat in Jerusalem is highly respected.)


As a side note, I had been inside the gated cemetery where Derek is buried on two previous occasions. Once with Mahesh Chavda Ministries, when I was the Administrator for 14 years, from 1987-2000, and again on tour with Christian Friends of Israel (CFI), as a board member, on several "Meet and Greet" trips.

Come join us on our next Ahava Adventure! 

(Use the search box for "Ahava Adventure" 

on this blog site for current information.)

In addition to this Blog website, Love For His People has another site, with info on our complete work in support of Israel and our friends who live there.

Love For His People

Shalom,

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People

Vision. Needed.

"If people can't see 

(have no vision)

what God is doing, 

they stumble 

all over themselves; 

But when they attend 

to what He reveals, 

they are most blessed." 

Prov 29:18

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language 

© 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Photos by Steve Martin (Love For His People, Inc.) at the Charlotte Center City Partners "Vision Awards"event, April 18, 2013 in Charlotte, NC.

Jews Celebrate Lag B'Omer This Week.

Jews Celebrate Lag B'Omer This Week 

How was it commemorated 90 years ago?

Today Jews around the world are celebrating Lag B'Omer, 

the end of a month-long mourning period when traditional Jews 

refrain from weddings or joyous gatherings.  The mourning remembers 

the thousands of students of Rabbi Akiva, a reknowned spiritual 

leader at the time of the Talmud.  They died in a great plague 

that ended on Lag B'Omer. 

Dancing at the Meron tomb (Central Zionist Archives, 
Harvard Library,  1925) 



Meron and tomb of Shimon BarYochai

 (circa 1930) 

I

The tomb on the hill (enlarged)

In Israel, Lag B'Omer is celebrated with bonfires, 

hikes along nature trails, and gatherings at the 

tombs of of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in the Galilee 

town of Meron and of Shimon the Just (Hatzaddik) 

in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. 

Bar Yochai, a student of Rabbi Akiva's, was known 

for his opposition to the Roman rule in the Land of Israel.  

He and his son were forced to flee to the Galilee where

they hid in a cave for 12 years.  Lag B'Omer is the 

day of his death, but it is actually celebrated in recognition 

of the Torah teachings he gave over to his students.

Hundreds of thousands of celebrants are expected to 

visit Shimon Bar Yochai's tomb in Meron by Wednesday night.

Shimon Hatzaddik was a High Priest of the second Temple 

in Jerusalem for 40 years.  

Jewish women praying at the Shimon

Hatzaddik tomb (Central Zionist

Archives, Harvard Library, c. 1930)




According to Jewish tradition, Shimon clothed 

himself in his High Priest's vestments to receive 

Alexander the Great as he marched toward Jerusalem.  

Alexander stepped from his chariot and bowed to Shimon, 

who, he said, had appeared to him in a dream 

predicting his victories. 

Jews gathered at Shimon Hatzaddik's tomb in Sheikh Jarrah,
Jerusalem (Central Zionist Archives, Harvard Library,
c. 1930)

Children's Lag B'Omer procession
near Shimon Hatzaddik's tomb (1918)



Shimon Hatzaddik's tomb today

Many traditional Jews who cannot travel to Meron 

in the Galilee celebrate Lag B'Omer at Shimon Hatzaddik's 

tomb located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. 

 

Jewish homes around the tomb had to be evacuated 

in the 1948 fighting.  In recent years Jewish families

 have returned to the neighborhood. 

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2012/05/jews-celebrate-lag-bomer-this-week-how.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IsraelsHistory-APictureADaybeta+%28Israel%27s+History+-+a+Picture+a+Day+%28Beta%29%29

Ahava Adventures - in Israel

Next travel: Nov. 2 - 11, 2013 

Jerusalem

loveforhispeople@gmail.com

Paul Wilbur "Dance with Me"

YouTube: Paul Wilbur "Dance With Me"

taken from the DVD "A Night of Extravagant Worship" 

available athttp://www.WilburMinistries.com

Directed by Carey Goin

                           Matthew Ward

The Fountainheads from Israel, in Charlotte, NC April 2013

YouTube:

The Fountainheads from Israel - in Charlotte, NC April 2013

Video #4 in a series of 15.

The Israeli YouTube sensation The Fountainheads, 

from Israel,  headed up the festive event at the 

Israel 65th Charlotte. The Jewish Federation of 

Greater Charlotte hosted the celebration of 

Israel's Independence Day.

It was held at Symphony Park at Southpark in Charlotte 

on Monday, April 22, 2013.

(Video recorded by Steve Martin, Love For His People, Inc. Also took photos!)

The "Cigarbox Collection" Part 3 -- the Arabs of Palestine, and a Clarification

Among the photographs we received in the "Cigarbox Collection" 

are several pictures of Arab life in Palestine approximately 100 years ago.

 
Days before our formal "opening" of the collection, 

we continue to provide previews. 

An Arab street in Haifa, ironically called "al Yahud" (the
Jews) street, according to a note on the picture's back (c 1920)

 

The village of Kalkilya. Enlarging the photo shows a woman
with a jug on her head, suggesting the structure is a well

A Bedouin family near the Hula Lake. Homes were made from reeds. The
lake was partially drained in the late 1800s. Later Jewish efforts drained the
malarial swamps. (circa 1920)

Today's pictures come from the Arab 

communities in Kalkilya, Haifa and the Hula Valley.

Mishmar Ha'emek from the 1920s
(Keren Hayesod)












Clarification

We previously posted this picture from the Cigarbox Collection.  

Some of the pictures, such as this one, bear a stamp on the 

back saying "Photo Keren Hayesod."  The Central Zionist Archives 

contains some 50,000 pictures from the organization which was 

established in 1920.

We discovered this picture in the Harvard Library files, but it was 

dated "1948-1946."  We suggest that the photograph, part of other 

pictures in the Cigarbox Collection, was taken in 1926, soon after 

Mishmar Ha'emek's establishment.

http://www.israeldailypicture.com/2013/04/the-cigarbox-collection-part-3-arabs-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IsraelsHistory-APictureADaybeta+%28Israel%27s+History+-+a+Picture+a+Day+%28Beta%29%29

Shabat Shalom O Israel!

Shabat Shalom, 

especially to our 

Israeli Jewish friends! 

May the good Lord, 

God of Israel, 

continue to be

your Peace,

your Provision 

and 

your Protection!

Steve & Laurie Martin

Love For His People, Inc.

Top photo by Steve Martin.

Ahava Love Letter (#50) - “Come & Behold Him”

“Come & Behold Him”      "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near;  a star shall come forth from Jacob,  a scepter shall  rise from Israel,  and shall crush through the   forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth.” (Num. 24:17 NASB)

Dear family of friends,

It must have been around 2 a.m. that Friday night, way back in 1998, at least fifteen years ago. 

Our worship team, gathered again for The Watch of The Lord in Charlotte, NC, at All Nations Church (then meeting at Westinghouse Blvd. and Granite Street), had just finished playing a full four hours of non-stop worship songs.

Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda, along with several dedicated, rotating worship and prayer teams, loved meeting with the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) and Ruach HaKodesh, His Holy Spirit. He came each time.

We had been “doing” The Watch since 1994, meeting every Friday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with full praise and worship times (I mean hours!), praying for all needs, our nation and Israel, laying hands on the gathered sick, sharing communion, and maybe getting a wink or two on the two inch pads of green, yet cold steel, church chairs.

We loved it. We had become addicted to His Presence.

But there was something special about this moment, 2 a.m. that morning. I could “hear” the silence in the room after we had stopped singing. And then waited.

John O’Leary, back at the 24 channel sound board, put in a CD, as routine. (Sometimes people get nervous when they aren’t being stimulated by surrounding noise, or movement. So we start “doing” something. Afraid He will speak to us?)

The song that played was very familiar to me. Being a foundational subscriber to Integrity’s “Hosanna! Music”, since its monthly cassette inception in 1984 (and always wearing out every tape), was John Chisum’s “Come and Behold Him.”

Vicky Rose, a beautiful, full of grace and humility worship dancer, got up in the far southwest corner, in front of our “Western Wall”. It had been mounted on the room's wall, constructed of strong cardboard and painted with brown and gray rocks and crevices, modeled after The Kotel in Jerusalem. 

She started swirling around in her white, full length dress, arms uplifted in praise and admiration to our Lord, her face beaming with emotional gratitude.

I looked over. My heart leaped. Tears started coming to my eyes. His Presence was filling my entire being with tenderness, mercy, grace, goodness, love and compassion. I was overwhelmed with Him too.

After three minutes, the song finished. Vicky quietly sat down. 

I also took a seat, after walking off the platform, and continuing to experience a moment in the Lord’s arms that I will never forget. I was beholding Him. In some of His glory.

My friends, those days are coming back. We are going to come into His Manifested Presence and behold Him. All else around us will be as nothing, as we see Him for Who He is – Our Father, our Lover, our Redeemer and Comforter.

And we will also know Him as the Roaring Lion of Judah, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Mighty One of Israel, Who will conquer all fear, discouragement, despair, injustice, even while just holding us in His arms.

“Come and behold Him, come see His glory, come with an honest heart to see all He is.

We will discover all of His beauty. His light will burn away all the darkness we’ve known.

Come and behold Him. Come see His mercy. Come find His tenderness reaching to you.

Just as a mirror shows our reflection His Word and Spirit come now reflecting His love.”

Come Lord Yeshua. Maranatha! Come!

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

For the full song on YouTube: 

John Chisum singing Come And Behold Him

    John Chisum 

Full lyrics:

Come and behold Him

Come see His glory

Come with an honest heart

To see all He is.

We will discover

All of His beauty

His light will burn away

All the darkness we’ve known.

Chorus:

Come and behold Him,

Come and behold Him.

Come with an honest heart

See all He is.

Come and behold Him

Lay down before Him.

Come with an honest heart

See all He is.

(V2)

Come and behold Him.

Come see His mercy

Come find His tenderness

Reaching to you.

Just as a mirror

Shows our reflection

His Word and Spirit come

Now reflecting His love.

Chorus

(Hosanna! Music)

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.)

©2013 Steve  Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134      

E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin  and  Love For His People       

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter 

Websites: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com         www.loveforhispeople.org

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 #50   Date: In the year of our Lord 2031 (04/251/13 Thursday 5:00 a.m. Charlotte, NC)

The Fountainheads - in Charlotte, from Israel - Hebrew Song

YouTube:

The Fountainheads - Israeli band in Charlotte - Hebrew Song

The Israeli YouTube sensation The Fountainheads, from Israel, headed up the festive event at Israel 65th Charlotte. 

The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte hosted the celebration of Israel's Independence Day.

It was held at Symphony Park at Southpark in Charlotte on Monday, April 22, 2013.

Video and photo by Steve Martin

Love For His People

The Fountainheads - in Charlotte, from Israel - Medley - Forget You & Coming Home

YouTube: Fountainheads from Israel

The Israeli YouTube sensation The Fountainheads, from Israel, headed up the festive event at Israel 65th Charlotte. 

The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte hosted the celebration of Israel's Independence Day.

It was held at Symphony Park at Southpark in Charlotte on Monday, April 22, 2013.

Video and photos by Steve Martin

Love For His People

Hannah Elizabeth Martin is getting married!

Yes, our daughter 

Hannah Elizabeth Martin 

is getting married 

Oct. 12, 2013. 

Jonathan Avallos 

and his 5-yr old son Payton 

will be blessing our family!

Hannah, age 3 (1987) 

at her 

Grandpa & Grandma Unzicker's house 

in Peru, IL. 

(Grandpa Otto painted the flower box 

on their front porch.)

Hannah 

is pictured above 

(blondie with sweater)

April 20, 2013

in Charlotte, NC 

at the birth 

of her sister Christen's 

1st born son Jack Blade. 

She has her hand 

covering Payton's 

heart.

One photo was taken by Steve Martin. The other by Michael Blade. Can you guess who took which one? (This is your simple quiz for today.)  

Be blessed, with His ahava love,

Steve

Love For His People

JUST IN!

Hannah just sent me this photo 

of Jonathan and little Payton! 

(Probably 3-4 years ago.)