Sharing Love From Sweden - "In the Storm" by Eva Haglund

IN THE STORM

In this life on earth we have not been promised as Christians to live without being in difficulties sometimes. That is like a film but not reality. Many times fruit can come out of difficulties. 

When we are in difficulties we sometimes draw nearer to God and seek Him more then we would do otherwise. Sometimes in pain it forms us for a burden for things to do. Thoughts and visions, can also be born in pain. People who sing or write poems sometimes do so in the valley. 

God also can  use difficulties to form our character. We can learn things for help when we meet other people needing our counsel. If we have suffered in one way we can learn to see others who suffer in the same way and know how to meet them. In Isaiah 53:11 is written, "He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied.".

When Jesus suffered for us He saw fruit. When we have suffered we can see fruit that will be used in help for other people.  Sometimes we can feel abandoned but we are not abandoned in difficulties. Our names are written in His hands and He is so close. God is a refuge and we are under His wings. When we feel alone we can seek the Lord more and learn to know Him more as our Friend. God can give back in relations about friendship.

We can read in Job that Job went through a test of his faith in the difficulties in Job 1. The devil wanted Job to leave God when he faced many trials but he refused. Job's wife wanted him to curse God in the difficulty. She said in Job 2:9  "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" But Job did not listen to her. In the end after the test he got back. 

Joseph also suffered also very much. He was hated by his brothers, sold and in a prison, though innocent for years. But he never left God and God gave him back.

In Isaiah 61:7 we see,  "Instead of your shame you will have double honor." We can get double back.

When we feel weak we can think about that God is our strength. In Ps 66: 10 is written about God testing us, "For you, O God have tested us, you have refined us as silver is refined" and in verse 12 "We went through fire and through water but You brought us out to rich fulfillment." God can bring us out of everything.

In Isaiah 43:2 we see "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not owerflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you." God protects you from getting drowned and burned in fire but also when you walk through difficulties. At times we can feel like a fire that we will go through, as did the Israelites also went through the sea and came to the other side. But God was with them and they survived.

We need to stand on  God's  promises in the Bible in different situations.  It is written in Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you. Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has mercy on you." It can feel like this  for us in a difficulty, but then God is with us and His grace has not left us, but His covenant of peace shall not be moved, nor His mercy. He is with us and can help us. 

David also went through different trials and not always an easy way. When he was with the sheep he could feel alone but he drew near to God and it was a strength to worship Him. He learned to take care of the sheep not just when it was easy but to protect them from animals who were dangerous. God prepared him for other things ahead of him and difficulties, too.

When we follow Christ we can meet persecution. In Luke 5:22 is written "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of Man`s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." We get a reward in heaven if we are persecuted for His name`s sake.

Rev. 2:10 says "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Paul went through many difficulties. He was beaten and stoned. He knew what it was to go through sufferings. We can also have spiritual attacks and pressure.

 I think we are in a time where there can come more persecutions but also in a time when there will be more strong things from God. God as Person is most important and I think we will see more worship and more of His power. I think when we are in the storm we need to rejoice in the Lord. When it is tough we need to worship. Worship is a help when it is tough.

In Acts 16:25 we can read: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." We understand that they were singing to Jesus when they were in prison. It was a strength. We can also see in the text that after this was an earthquake and the foundations of the prison were shaken. Spiritual things happen when we worship, when we lift up Jesus and He is in the center.

I also have noticed that when you are in the storm that you feel better when you dance to Him. I love to dance to God and I think it is a help when it is tough. In Psalm 140:2 is written "Let Israel rejoice in their Maker. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise His name with the dance." Here we can learn to rejoice in God. The text say that dance can be a way to praise God. It is worshiping God with the body.

When we are in  storms in life it is important to read the Word, which is our daily Bread. We can stand on God's promises in His Word. His Word is steady, more than the mountains and strong like a fire. It is good to speak His Word loud  in the "stormy weather." In the difficulties we need to take time with God. It is good to learn to know His voice and it needs time with Him. When we read the Word much and learn to know God more as a person that it is easier to hear  His voice inside. God also speaks to us reading the Bible. There is also an audio Bible some listen to. We need the Word in difficulties. 

There is also much comfort in the Bible and we need these words of comfort. In Ps 23:4 we read,

"Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me." In 1 Cor:3 we also read that God is a God of comfort.  

It is important to know that Jesus loves us so much in our different situations. His name means salvation. He can help us in  difficulties. He who receives Jesus/Yeshua receives Him with a name who means salvation. It is salvation for eternity in His name. It means hope.

When we are in the valley it is good to read about Jesus' sufferings. It shows how much Jesus suffered for us because of His love. He also knows what it is to be badly treated. He was badly treated for us. He went through this suffering by free will for us. It is good when we suffer to know that Jesus was scourged for us because He loves us so much. He also was abandoned by people as we as human beings can experience. He suffered because of His love and felt the deepest pain of rejection at the cross for us. He loves us so much and this is important to know in the storm.  He was crucified in deep pain because of His love to us.

He showed us how to show love for each other. John 15:12-13 "This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one`s life for his friends." It is written in the Bible to carry each other's burdens. We need each other also in the stormy weather. Jesus is a Friend who is close in things. We read in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from His love.

To believe in Jesus/Yeshua  means hope in eternity for people. He is our hope.

Eva Haglund

World War I in the Middle East - I'd Walk 100 Miles with My Camel

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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World War I in the Middle East - I'd Walk 100 Miles with My Camel Posted: 29 Sep 2014 Volunteer Arab Camel Corps led by Turkish officers leaving Jerusalem (circa (1915) The scope of the World War I battles in Palestine are simply not understood by most students of the Middle East today.  The Turkish, German, Austrian, British, ANZAC and Indian forces numbered in the hundreds of thousands.  Mounted troops from the Australian, British, New Zealand and Indian battalions of the Imperial Camel Corps To provide some perspective, we present pictures of one of the most utilized tools of that war -- the camel.  Tens of thousands were used in the war in Palestine. Australian camel corps hat pin The difficult terrain of the Sinai, the Jordan Valley, and the Samarian/Judean hills required extensive use of the sturdy and powerful four-legged "supply truck." Consider this report by a New Zealand officer in his book With the Cameliers in Palestine: In the advance up the coastal plain in Palestine, in November, 1917, General Allenby used thirty thousand (30,000) camels for carrying food, water and ammunition to the troops of one portion of the eastern force of his army.  A Turkish account of the war, and specifically the 1914-1915 campaign against the British on the Suez Canal, describes the forces and the logistical nightmare of crossing the Sinai desert: Turkish Camel Corps in Be'er Sheva, 1915 The gathering point for the VIII Corps was Beersheba, which was inland, well away from the reach of British naval artillery. From there, 25,000 men would march 300 kilometres across the desert and reach Ismailia. However, this was nothing but a mission impossible. Moreover, every man was allowed one kilogram of food and drink water per day and this meant that they needed 15,000 camels. But what they had was just 2,000 animals. [Commander] Cemil Paşa mentioned this problem in his memoirs as follows: “I think there are many people who are wandering why we couldn't find the required 15,000 camels in a place like Syria and Hejaz.  We had to find 14,000 camels within one month.” Five kilograms of barley and 18 kilograms of water were allowed per horse and three kilograms of barley and five kilograms of water was allowed per camel. British Imperial Camel Corps outside of Be'er Sheva on November 1,  1917, during the critical battle to capture the Turkish outpost and wells  The Turkish account continues, describing the Turkish army's strength after difficult battles in Gaza and prior to the British General Allenby's move north into Palestine: As of May 1917, the Ottoman Fourth Army was consisting of 174,908 men, 36,225 animals, 5,351 camels, 145,840 rifles, 187 machine guns and 282 artillery pieces. Click on pictures to enlarge. Click on captions to view the original pictures. World War I combat ambulances. Camels carrying wounded Turkish soldiers -- two per camel  on a litter called a "kankalah" or "cacolet." (1917, Ottoman Imperial Archives) See also here Wounded Australian cavalrymen on their way to medical attention (Australian War Memorial) The following description is from  "With the Cameliers in Palestine:" The field ambulance, instead of using wheeled vehicles, transported the sick and wounded in "caco-lets," on the backs of camels. These consisted of two canvas stretchers balanced horizontally, one on each side of a specially constructed saddle. In these the wounded men could either sit or lie at full length, and were shaded from the sun by a small canvas hood. The jolting  Indian army's camel ambulances motion of the camel frequently was most trying to the badly wounded men, but it was sometimes a case of this kind of carriage, or death, and these camel cacolets, going as they did where wheeled transport was impossible, undoubtedly were the means of saving the lives of many wounded men who otherwise would have had a poor chance of being carried back to safety.  Only male camels were used in the  German soldiers loading wounded onto an "ambulance," 1918 Camel Brigade. It would have been an unworkable system to have mixed the sexes, as in the East no mutilation of male animals, either horses, donkeys or camels for sterilisation purposes, is ever practised by the Mohammedans.  British Imperial Camel Corps "ambulances" in action, 1916 Horses generally have a strong dislike for camels, but this dislike can be overcome by daily contact. Some of the officers of higher rank of each battalion used horses during part of the campaign, and these soon grew quite accustomed to the company of their more ungainly associates. Turkish army camel convoy, 1917. The caption in the Harvard University places the picture near the modern  northern Israeli town of Afula in the Jezreel Valley. The body of water, however, suggests it was taken near the  Hula Valley swamps which was sparsely populated by a Bedouin tribe living in reed huts, likely pictured here. Turkish officers at David's Citadel in Jerusalem Turkish camel corps in Jerusalem Original caption: The Camel Transport of the Australian Light Horse at the railhead dump, on the Philistine Plain (near Ashkelon). The camels are seen on their way to the forward area, loaded with Australian frozen mutton for the troops. In the background can be seen the tent camp.

The Economic Miracle of Israel's Natural Gas Fields

Monday, September 29, 2014 |  Tsvi Sadan  ISRAEL TODAY

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• The Battle over Israel’s Newfound Riches - Part I
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Thirty years ago I visited an oil rig at Atlit, a town on the Mediterranean shore just south of Haifa. It had been erected by an American Christian company whose CEO, citing a peculiar interpretation of a biblical promise to the Tribe of Asher (Deut. 33:24), was certain he’d find huge quantities of oil beneath the western border of that tribes ancient territory.

The company ended up losing millions of dollars. But just 15 years later, Israel discovered vast natural gas fields a mere 50 miles west of Atlit in the depths of the Mediterranean, suggesting that these Christian dreamers weren’t terribly off the mark by believing God would bless Israel with significant amounts of fossil fuels.

[Editor’s Note: The Christian company referenced above is Zion Oil & Gas, which continues to search for oil in Israel, and was featured in the October issue of Israel Today Magazine, which is available for free to our newsletter subscribers. SIGN UP TODAY to read it >>]

Thirty-five trillion cubic feet of gas worth some USD $500 billion has been found in Israel’s “economic waters,” with the Leviathan field being by far the largest. To give some kind of reference point, Israel’s national expenditures for 2013 totaled USD $114 billion.

More importantly than covering the national budget is the fact that, for the first time in history, Israel has the opportunity to become energy-independent, as well as a major exporter of natural gas.

Theoretically, these natural gas reserves have the potential to transform Israel’s economy. Indeed, experts say that this gas alone can shave 25 percent off Israel’s annual national budget for the next 25 years.

A find of such epic proportions should elicit great excitement. Instead, it is buried beneath political apprehension and narrow financial interests.

Ever since the Leviathan discovery, Turkey and Lebanon have challenged Israel’s right to the reserves. Threats emanating from both countries have forced Israel to spend upwards of USD $1.3 billion to secure its claims. This diplomatic tension could be one reason the Israeli government has curbed its enthusiasm over the find.

Additionally, the narrow financial interests of private companies have stymied lively public discussions over this newfound national treasure in favor of hushed corporate dealings.

Reluctant as Jerusalem may be to publicly discuss the off-shore gas fields, and even as the companies involved shovel off as much of the profits as possible, the fact is that Israel is already benefiting from this recent discovery.

Since 2010, Israel’s major electric plants, which until recently operated almost exclusively on dirty imported coal, have been transitioning to natural gas. By 2040, it is estimated that 70 percent of Israel’s electricity will be gas-generated.

In addition to this clear economic and environmental advantage, Israeli gas will enable the Jewish state to switch from being energy-dependent to being an energy provider. Israel has already signed a USD $15 billion gas contract with neighboring Jordan, and other countries in the region and further abroad will certainly become customers in the near future.

Though the handling of this important national resource remains a matter of concern for many Israelis who feel that simple taxation on profits is inadequate, there is still hope that most of the gas and its revenues will be used for the direct benefit of Israel’s citizens, many of whom are struggling financially.

If handled properly, this gas can turn out to be a blessing from heaven.

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Western Wall plaza dig reveals structures dating back to Herod

‘Significant, beautiful’ remains, including lavish public buildings, found by archaeologists 20 meters from — but not under — Temple Mount

BY TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF September 28, 2014

The interior of a Mamluk caravansary beneath the Western Wall plaza (screen capture: Channel 10)

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Israeli archaeologists recently dug up an ancient subterranean structure, parts of which date back to Roman times, just meters from the Temple Mount, Channel 10 reported Sunday.

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“It’s one of the [most] impressive, beautiful and grand places found recently in Jerusalem,” Israel Antiquities Authority Jerusalem Region Archaeologist Yuval Baruch told the station.

“It is one of the most significant remains” found in Jerusalem in the last generation,” he said.

The ongoing excavations, which are taking place beneath the Western Wall plaza in the former Mughrabi Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, feature a Mamluk-era caravansary dating to the Middle Ages and remains of lavish public buildings from the Herodian period, over 2,000 years ago, some 20 meters (65 feet) from the Temple Mount.

Detail of Herodian-era masonry from a structure beneath the Western Wall plaza (screen capture: Channel 10)

Baruch explained that when digging began, the earthen fill reached the ceiling of the now-restored caravansary, and that archaeologists had no idea how large the structure was.

“We understood that there was something else here, in terms of size, in terms of grandeur,” he said.

The IAA has conducted the “most extensive preservation work ever done in Jerusalem” to restore the Mamluk building ahead of its intended opening to the public.

The report gave no indication of when the Antiquities Authority aimed to open the site.

It emphasized that the excavations did not extend beneath the Temple Mount, for both religious and political reasons.

The interior of a Mamluk caravansary beneath the Western Wall plaza (screen capture: Channel 10)

Read more: Western Wall plaza dig reveals structures dating back to Herod | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/western-wall-plaza-dig-reveals-most-impressive-building/#ixzz3EidUs32c
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