Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Ahava Adventures Trip For The Next Generation - Help Sponsor A Young Person!

Ahava Adventures for The Next Generation
- Help Sponsor Them To Go!

Danny Boy's gift shop in Jerusalem
- Ben Martin on Ben Yehuda Street

Jerusalem

Our annual Ahava Adventures trip to Israel


When I was 23 years old, a measurable time ago, a Bible teacher named Derek Prince began to impact my life with his teachings on Israel, and specifically our debt to the Jewish people. I have never been the same since. And subsequently have been to Israel ten times.

Having served with three ministries, from 1987-2010, that have truly blessed the people of Israel  (Mahesh & Bonnie Chavda Ministries, Derek Prince Ministries and Vision For Israel & The Joseph Storehouse - Barry & Batya Segal), I grew in my love for the Lord Jesus' plans and purposes for that nation and His Chosen Ones.

Camel rides

Now, a major goal of our ministry, Love For His People, is to connect the next generation - yours and my sons and daughters, and grandchildren, to Israel and the Jews. Introducing yours and my family of friends to their family of friends. It becomes an eternal connection.

Will you help us do that?

Every year we will take a number of our young loved ones to Israel, but we need your sponsorship to make it happen.

If you have ever been there, the land where Jesus walked and now His people live, you know the impact it will have on these that are able to go. (I like how the Israel Ministry of tourism puts it, "You (they) will NEVER be the same.")

If you haven't been able to go yet for yourself, or simply can't go for whatever reason, can you help another one go, with a supporting sponsorship contribution? Even $5 will let them eat a falafel on the streets of Jerusalem.

A pleasant place to be!

Our trip this year is set for November 2-11. More on that time can be found on our website Love For His People , where you can also give an online contribution through our PayPal link.

If you prefer to send a check, please do so:

Love For His People, Inc.
12120 Woodside Falls Rd.
Pineville, NC 28134

All gifts to sponsor another of the next generation are tax deductible, and you will be given a tax receipt. We are a 501(c)3 ministry.

Blessings on ye head. We will give much appreciation to you for your gift! And know that you will impact another's life for eternity. I firmly believe that.

Ahava (love in Hebrew),

Steve Martin
Founder


Photos below were taken by me while in Jerusalem and other sections of Israel.

Ben & Dov

Bedouin tent

Young men of Jerusalem

Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum) - Children's Exhibit entrance
Arm in arm.

Dad and son Ben, after a hearty lunch in Jerusalem.
Dead Sea experience!

Masada - We pray along with the Jewish people, "Never again."
Dead Sea mud. Get covered!

Young Jewish boys walking home from school.

Ben Martin and young man near the Old City of Jerusalem.

Wedding photo on Tel Aviv beach
 - Mediterranean Sea

A new friend at his coffee shop 
- near King George Street in Jerusalem.

Walk the streets where Jesus did. 
And now His descendants.



Ahava Adventures for The Next Generation
- Help Sponsor Them To Go!

Israel and the Jewish People

Derek says, 'Growing up in England, I would never have been anti-semitic, but I didn't know or care much about the Jewish people. I had two Jewish friends at Cambridge, but they were totally assimilated.'

When the British army posted him to Jerusalem just at the end of World War II, Derek watched in awe and amazement as the Jewish people returned from many different countries after nearly two thousand years of exile. As he read Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, he realized he was seeing biblical prophecy fulfilled before his eyes.

As a guest student at Hebrew University (the only Gentile at that time), and in daily life with Lydia's six Jewish daughters, he came to see the patience and faithfulness of God ? and the tenacity of the Jewish people in enduring every kind of pressure and indignity. He says,
We owe the Jewish people an enormous debt. Without them, the church would have no patriarchs, no prophets, no apostles, no Bible and no Saviour. My most precious possession in life is my Bible, and I owe it to the Jewish people.

Through his booklet, Our Debt to Israel, and his spoken messages, Derek Prince has awakened Christians throughout the world to their responsibility to Israel and the Jewish people. His book, The Last Word on the Middle East, examines in detail prophecies currently being fulfilled and expounds God?s plan for the Middle East as the age draws to its close.

In another book, The Destiny of Israel and the Church, he lists seventy-nine occurrences of the word Israel or Israelite in the New Testament, concluding that Israel is never used as a synonym for the church. He explains how the church needs to recognize the special destiny of Israel, and to align itself with God's purposes.

In nation after nation, Derek has unfolded the current worldwide fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:10:
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.'

Then in Jesus' words he has concluded: ?Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing? (Luke 4:21).

Challenging his listeners to a positive response, he cites the three parables in Matthew 25 and says:
In each parable there were those whom God judged and rejected. Why? All had this in common: apathy and passivity. It was not what they did, but what they did not do. We are either with or against, either gathering or scattering, either building up or tearing down. There is no middle ground. God requires us as Christians to comfort and pray for Israel.


Derek demonstrates his own confidence in the prophetic Scriptures by living in Israel and standing with the Jewish people through the pressures and trials of daily life. He views intercession as his primary assignment, praying for God to fulfill His Word and to bring salvation to the Middle East, to Jews, Muslims, and nominal Christians. 


Monday, June 3, 2013

Messianic Student Fellowship in Israel

The Messianic Student Fellowship in Israel

Israel Today

Monday, June 03, 2013 |  David Lazarus  
Higher education has always played a pivotal role in the economic and social development of Israel. Decades before the state came into being, major institutions like the Technion in Haifa and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem were established to train up a new generation of Jewish professionals.
When Israel attained independence in 1948, these were the only two universities, educating a total of 1,600 students. Today there are more than 300,000 students enrolled at the country's 67 institutions of higher learning—and one Messianic Student Fellowship.
Until recently there were only a handful of Messianic Jews on campuses around Israel. Few in number and largely ostracized by their own people, the early Jewish followers of Jesus in Israel were perhaps just too busy trying to survive to think about going to college.Whatever the reasons, Lisa Loden, Chairperson of the Messianic Student Fellowship in Israel, says Messianic Jews in Israel did not give a high priority to higher education.
The full article appears in the current issue of Israel Today Magazine.

His Commitment Has Become Mine.

Commitment to His purposes for Israel and the Jewish people.


Jerusalem Western Wall (The Kotel) painting/poster

This poster measures 36" x 24" and hangs above my home office desk for Love For His People, Inc

I bought it around 1995 at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (John & Carol Arnott), when on a ministry trip with Mahesh Chavda (All Nations Church/Mahesh Chavda Ministries.)

The other photos that I have placed around the border are as follows:

1. Peter & Joy Wyns - top left hand corner, pastors of Antioch International Church in Fort Mill, SC where Laurie and I are members, and Beit Tikvah pastors

2. Merkebu Yeman and I (bottom right hand corner) near Jerusalem. Merku administrated the Medical Department at the Joseph Storehouse (Vision for Israel) near Jerusalem, founded by Barry & Batya Segal.

3. The photo of the Jewish family in the bottom middle was taken by me in 2009 when I was participating in the Jerusalem March (October Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot), with our Vision for Israel tour group. I love the little girl's expression - if you can see it. So sweet.)

4. The one picture to the right of the Jewish family photo was taken by me at the Western Wall, with an IDF soldier going to pray at the Kotel (Wall).One of my favorite places in the Jewish capital city of Jerusalem.

5. The postcard of the Jerusalem Old City Golden (Eastern) Gate, where Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) will return through in triumph (His 2nd coming), was bought by me on one of my 10 trips to Israel. I probably mailed it from Israel to my Charlotte home, so I would have the stamped postmark!

6. The photo of the wall mural on the left side (middle) was painted on the All Nations Church location, which we called "The Barn" in Charlotte, NC by Jerome Lucas, in 1995. 

It reads "By Thy favor, O Lord, build the walls of Jerusalem." 

The land on which The Barn was built on was sold in 1995, and the structure was torn down after only one year. I am glad I have this photo left (among others.) We held many all night prayer and praise "Watch of The Lord" Friday night meetings there (from 10 pm to 6 pm)!

7. The bottom left hand corner postcard is of the Israel national flag and the shofar.




I bought this watch online in 2004. I didn't want to wear it all the "time" (pun intended), but have decided to now. (When it "runs out of time", I will get a new one!)




This great piece of artwork, stitched embroidery on cloth, was given to me by a true friend in 1997, when I was the Administrator at All Nations Church in Charlotte, NC. It also hangs above my home office desk of Love For His People, Inc. (This desk IS the office desk of the ministry. I work at home for the ministry, in addition to my full time accounting job in uptown Charlotte.)


And finally, I want to share with you the story of my Star of David ring.


In 2004, while on a tour with Christian Friends of Israel (US), as a board member for the past 14 years at that time, I again visited the shop of my good friend Avraham Saidan, whom I had met a few years earlier. His son David ran the Judaica gift shop on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem. 

As I was looking at gifts to buy for family and friends, I noticed all the neat rings on one wall's shelf. I thought that would be a nice addition to my home collection of Israeli Jewish memorabilia. So I found this one, which fit on my finger.

When I got home, a few weeks later, I was looking at it, where I had placed it on my bedroom dresser. The Lord said to put it on. 

I said, "What?" 

He said, "Put it on." 

I responded, "That would be like marrying Israel. I am already married, and really don't need a second wife." In the good sense of the word. I knew about Abraham and others in the Bible.)

He responded, "From now on you ARE married to Israel and the Jewish people."

And I said, "Yes Lord."

And so I have worn my Star of David ring ever since. I am committed to Yeshua's purposes for Israel and His people. His commitment is also mine. 

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.

Note: In April of 2010 we started Love For His People, Inc. You can read more about that on this Blog, which was started in October, 2010.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Paul Wilbur - Shalom Jerusalem (full CD) - Messianic (Hosanna! Music)



Paul Wilbur - Messianic praise and worship music (Full CD)

Paul Wilbur - Holy Fire (full CD) - Hosanna! Music


Paul Wilbur - Messianic Praise & Worship Music

01 Holy Fire
02 Jesus Christ Is Lord
03 The Walls Will Come Down
04 The Heavens Must Roll Back
05 The Walls Will Come Down (reprise)
06 Say To The Mountain
07 Now Is The Time
08 Arise O Lord
09 He Shall Reign
10 Let Your Fire Fall
11 Draw Me Lord
12 He Binds The Broken Hearted
13 In Your Presence
14 He Binds The Broken Hearted (reprise)
15 The Fire Of Your Love
16 Burn In Me

Apostate Jewish man tries to sell his 'place in Heaven'

Apostate Jewish man tries to sell his 'place in Heaven'

Friday, May 31, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  
Ari Mendel, a young Jewish man from the US who decided to turn his back on Judaism, tried to make a little money in the process by selling his "place in Heaven."
Mendel turned to the online marketplace eBay to offer his place in Heaven, including all the benefits Mendel believed himself to have acquired due to good deeds.
Mendel wrote in the details of the eBay sale that over the course of many years at yeshiva (Jewish seminary), he had done many "good deeds" before falling away from the "right path."
Mendel claimed he was conducting the sale to help others who might not have lived such a good life. Despite his claimed falling away from faith, Mendel asserted that "surely my place in Heaven is worth something."
In a statement that appeared to cross several socially-acceptable lines, Mendel invoked an anti-Semitic stereotype by demanding potential buyers not be "stingy Jews," and bid a reasonable price for what he insisted was so costly a reward.
By the time eBay put an end to the madness, bids for Mendel's "place in Heaven" had reached in excess of $100,000 USD. eBay officials halted the sale, stating that "the afterlife is not a tangible thing, and therefore cannot be sold."

Saturday, June 1, 2013

John Denver: Timeless Songs (Includes My Sweet Lady and Poems, Prayers & Promises)



I just had to include this on my Blog, so I could listen to it without
leaving the site!

I don't fully agree with all of John Denver's lyrics and philosophy, but back in the '70s it was good music for one in high school and my brief college time.

I hope you ultimately met Jesus too as your Lord and Savior, John. If so, we can sing a few together when I get there.

Steve Martin
A singer, and one who loves the Lord's creation,
especially the mountains and forests in the fall.


A full set of John Denver's songs from the 1970s.

Includes my favorites:

Rocky Mountain High,
Poems, Prayers & Promises
My Sweet Lady
Welcome To My Morning


Published on Nov 24, 2012
This is the first Part of John Denver's Timeless Songs. Enjoy.

(00:00:00) 01. Leaving, On A Jet Plane
(00:03:35) 02. Take Me Home, Country Roads
(00:06:45) 03. Rocky Mountain High
(00:11:26) 04. Poems, Prayers And Promises
(00:15:29) 05. Farewell Andromeda (Welcome To My Morning)
(00:19:32) 06. Goodbye Again
(00:23:09) 07. Sunshine on my Shoulders
(00:28:23) 08. Back Home Again
(00:33:07) 09. Annie's Song
(00:36:06) 10. Sweet Surrender
(00:41:32) 11. Looking For Space
(00:45:33) 12. I'm Sorry
(00:49:04) 13. Fly Away
(00:53:13) 14. How Can I Leave You Again
(00:56:22) 15. Shanghai Breezes
(00:59:31) 16. Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)
(01:03:23) 17. Love Again
(01:06:17) 18. My Sweet Lady (Lyrics)

Lady, are you crying, do the tears belong to me
Did You think our time together was all gone
Lady, you've been dreaming, I'm as close as I can be
I swear to You our time has just begun.

Close your eyes, rest your weary mind
I promise, I will stay right here beside You
Today our Lives were joined, became entwined
I wish you could know how much I love You.

Lady, are You happy, do You feel the way I do
Are there meanings that you've never seen before
Lady, my Sweet Lady, I just can't believe it's true
And it's like I've never ever loved before.

Close your eyes and rest your weary mind
I promise, I will stay right here beside You
Today our Lives were joined, became entwined
I wish that You could know how much I love You.

Lady, are you crying, do the tears belong to me
Did You think our time together was all gone
Lady, my Sweet Lady, I'm as close as I can be
I swear to You our time has just begun.


Hannah Martin's Wedding - Oct. 12, 2013 (Krystal Keith - Daddy Dance With Me)




Maybe Hannah and  I will dance to this song. That would be very special.

I will probably cry some big tears. :)

Love you Hannah!

Dad


(Photos below - our daughter Hannah Martin , Jonathan & Payton Avalos. Soon to be a great family!)











Late Bloomers


"If you are in the shadows, your time will come. Continue growing during that time set aside for you. For when your time does come, you will bloom big!" Steve Martin



These pink azaleas are in our back yard, next to the porch steps. They get little direct sunshine, and thus bloom very late in the season for azaleas. 

This photo I took on May 31, 2013, in Charlotte, NC. 

Steve Martin


Friday, May 31, 2013

Ahava Love Letter (#56) - "Your Name"

                              

                           “Your Name”


“Therefore Adonai Himself will give you people a sign: the young

woman will become pregnant, bear a son and name Him

‘Immanu El [God is with us].”
(Isa 7:14 Complete Jewish Bible)



“She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua,

[which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because He will save His people

from their sins.”
(Matt 1:21 Complete Jewish Bible.)



Dear family of friends,

The visit to the maternity ward last night caught me by surprise. The young couple, family friends of ours for over 24 years, hadn’t named their one day old son yet! I couldn’t believe it. (But, I found out this morning that his name is...ABRAHAM! I got to hold Abraham!)

As I held “To Be Named Later” in my arms, I was asking the Lord to myself, “Is this “Isaac”? Could he be “Joel” (after his uncle), “Barney” (not the TV character); Jimmie #48…? Maybe "Little Eddie” or "Joe"?"

Hey, maybe another Steven! (OK, so there are only 70 other Steve Martins in NC alone. Probably just in the greater Charlotte area itself.)

"Whom is this baby boy you have blessed us with, Adonai? What is his given name?" I pondered later.

Do you know your name is probably your most precious possession that you have been given?

Think about it. You can have a special hairdo, and change it every week. You can put all kinds of ink on your body to make you stand out, but will be gone when your grave is all we see. You can even put on the latest fad, to “keep up with the Jones’, or Robertsons’ now a days, to have that edge I guess, and make your name popular. If that is what you consider important.

But your name. That is special, and I believe the Lord Himself gave it to you.

When our four kids (now full grown adults with kids of their own) were about to be birthed, both Laurie and I were involved in choosing their special names. In our attempt to get it right, we used the “Name Your Baby” book, checked relatives names, and even noted what was “popular” at the time. But in the end, I believe we were led by the Lord in naming each of them, for He already knew them.

Josh would be a leader. Firstborn. To be like Joshua, helping Moses (Moshe).

Ben would be the “Son - of the right hand”, as it means in Hebrew, “Ben-jamin”. I know he is.

Hannah would be one who loved children. Both Hannahs in the Old and New Testaments. And she surely does!

Christen almost was named “Kristen”, but the Lord told us her name was to be spelled “Christen” – even as “Christ”, our Messiah and Lord.

If you think you were named by accident, or maybe don’t even like your name, trust that something as important as who you are, especially in the Lord’s eyes and heart, was not a mistake. 

The Lord knows you by name. When all is said and done, He calls you by your name, for He was certainly involved when you were in His heart, from the beginning of eternity.

Just let Him know, even now, how grateful you are that He knows you. That He knows your name. You are special to Him. He loves you so much.

Ahava (love in Hebrew) to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder/President

P.S. Our Lord has many names, as written in our Bible, the Scriptures, both in the Old Testament (Tanakh in Hebrew) and in the New Testament (B’rit Hadashah).

The one I like most is “Yeshua – “Adonai saves”. At the end of this letter I have included a few pieces of artwork, for you to print out along with this letter.


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. 

Special note: My HP laptop is over 5 years old. That's ancient in tech years (as opposed to dog years.) I have asked the Lord for a new one, to handle current software. 

If you have been encouraged by my Ahava Love Letters, please consider a gift to this ministry, to keep these cards and letters coming! A check made out to Love For His People, Inc. (tax receipt always given) or a new piece of equipment will work! 

Our mailing address is 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 

Blog: http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com         Full website: www.loveforhispeople.org

YouTube: Steve Martin (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 #56   “Your Name” Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (05/31/13 Friday, 5:00 am. Charlotte, NC)