Shabbat Shalom to all our Jewish friends.

From our Jerrusalem apartment to your home from the Lord.

Shabbat Shalom,

Steve and Laurie Martin, Love For His People Ministry and Christian Friends of Israel volunteers

He will return from the east as promised. Bo Yeshua! Come Jesus!

https://youtu.be/ADcWBFFMnI4?si=fPyqkY0ANbV20-DS

He can shout louder…

When the morning tower speakers get loud here in Jerrusalem I turn my speaker volume up louder.

https://youtu.be/ecFRKeYYSJk?si=GWG3TOVcrKz8nDY_

the first photographs ever taken in The Holy Land. Images dated from circa 1867 through circa 1879. Jared Boosters

https://youtu.be/0iBds2zFK30?si=ZO1k8w-o-DciGh5d

Howdy ya’ll. Today we have the first photographs ever taken in The Holy Land. Images dated from circa 1867 through circa 1879. Decades before the establishment of Israel, we have photographer Felix Bonfils traveling through Jerusalem, taking the first photographs of numerous aspects of this magnificent and mysterious landscape.

An abundant and important collection of images, the detail here is outstanding, the architecture formidable and ancient, with many of the foundations in tact, yet seemingly everything here has been buried through centuries of weather events and rewriting of history.

It’s honestly dumbfounding to see Jerusalem before the development which occurred during the mid-20th century. In these first photographs we have ancient monuments abound, and for lack of a better term, they all appear original, not renovated or rebuilt, and the cornucopia of people, animals, running water, and other anomalous details for the age of the images only adds to our questioning of the narrative.

How did photographs this detailed exist back then? Why have they not been shared, dissected, and raised to the forefront by academia? What are these images hiding? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments down below. Thank you for 95,000 subscribers. Enjoy!

Jarid Boosters, YouTube

“Destination” by Steve Martin

“Destination” by Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry

Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths".

When I posted to our “Love For His People – Israel” Signal group on Oct. 28, 2025, I mentioned walking to find bottled water for the upcoming CFI-Jerusalem annual international directors gathering.

Using my trusty Google Maps apps, I ended up walking a bit more than I needed to. A response came back from Yosefa on the Signal group.

“You gonna lose weight. My favorite thing to do in Israel is walk, walk & walk! It is not the same here.”

I thought about that for a moment and then realized why. So, I then responded, “It sure is not the same. Here you always have a destination.”

It is true. Here in Jerusalem most people on the busy sidewalks are walking, going to a destination. Either to get on a bus for school, work, or visiting a friend. Many are headed to catch the light rail train on Jaffa Street.

I have walked plenty of miles, in a circle, on a flat gym surface. It is not the same.

Walking with a purpose, to get from point A to point B. I know there is a spiritual lesson there. Holy Spirit please show us.

Coming to spend three months in Jerusalem, serving as volunteers for Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem, has been more than I expected. For one thing, both Laurie and I are worn out after getting off the 45-minute bus ride one way, every day, after an 8-hour experience in the office, on field trips, or blessing the people here during our outreach outings.

But I would not trade it for anything else. As I told Laurie a few months before coming, “I do not want to spend the rest of my life sitting on our front porch swing reading an enjoyable book. (Even if it is really good.”)

The Lord has more for each one of us that in many cases we are not experiencing.

Walking to the end of this timetable of life, whether it is for a few more years or much longer, I want to give it all I have.

 At 71, I know our Lord promises rewards, and I want to get my basket full, along with a genuinely nice home on a mountain edge in heaven. Maybe even get a clear view of His throne. Would not that be nice?

Your destination starts when you daily decide to let Him guide your life. I hope you are.

 

 

King of Kings Congregation in Jerusalem - worship time

Walk With Me (as Joshua Aaron did) to the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem

Walk With Me, as Joshua Aaron did recently, on these Jerusalem stones to the Old City.

Steve Martin, Love For His People

“THE OLIVE AND THE WILD OLIVE OF SUCCOT” By: Cathy Hargett

“THE OLIVE AND THE WILD OLIVE OF SUCCOT”

By: Cathy Hargett

October 26, 2025

 

The Feast of Succot was the first Feast celebrated after the return from Babylon (Ezra 3:4). This, in itself, is very exciting, as Succot is the Feast of His Coming. How awesome that this would be the Feast they celebrated. In Judaism and in Messianic Faith, it is well known that the Feast of Tabernacles or Succot, is a Messianic Feast. Israel will know their Messiah Yeshua.

This year, as I studied the Feast, I was so blessed as the Ruach taught me some things about the “how-to” of building the succa and the connection of Jew and Gentile even in this ancient account. The succa was to be built with branches from both the olive and the wild olive trees. Throughout the Bible, we see that the Olive Tree is Israel. The Wild Olive represents the believers in the nations. We see Israel and the nations right here in Nehemiah 8:15:

“Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters…”

(Nehemiah 8:15)

In other places, the mention of gathering the four species to make a lulav does not talk about using them to build the succa. In those passages, it tells us to use the lulav as we dance and rejoice. But in Nehemiah, it is clear that the branches were also used to make the succa itself, the temporary dwelling. No doubt, this was also to be done with joy. The succot, or booths, were meant to commemorate the days Israel wandered in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt while living in tents.

The emphasis that the tent or the succa is temporary is part of the big lesson of Succot. Even in the temporariness of life on planet earth, God provides and takes care of His people. As human beings who carry His Spirit, we are also a type of succot. We understand the temporariness of our earthly bodies, a succa, now on planet earth, carrying His Presence, but destined for glory and a new forever spiritual body.

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

(I Corinthians 3:16)

There is coming a day when God will dwell among us forever as one people, the Olive and the Wild Olive, as One New Man, Jew and Gentile.  All the nations of the earth will know that the God of Israel is the one true God. Both trees are destined to become one tree:

“After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!”

(Romans 11:24)

Jew and Gentile, Olive and Wild Olive, who have come to Messiah, are both being grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel, into Yeshua. They are grafted in together to the Root of Jesse, Israel’s tree.

These are the two branches mentioned in Nehemiah 8:15. Both of these olive branches, one wild and the other cultivated, are used to build the succa, the dwelling. God’s plan has always been that through Israel, through the Messiah of Israel, all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

The most compelling revelation of this story is that Jew and Gentile will become One New Man, which is His great desire (Ephesians 2:14-15). They themselves, together, will build and become the Dwelling Place for God. They will become the permanent, not temporary, succa, for the God of Israel. We must, together, lift our eyes to see Him, and to serve Him.

Messiah is not coming until Israel says the words He longs to hear (Matthew 23:39), and this is not going to happen until we are One/Echad, both of us having come into our fullness. But it will happen (Romans 11:26). The fullness of the Gentiles will come in – this means that the Gentiles, the nations, must recognize the identity of Israel and know that Israel’s God is the one true God. And the fullness of Israel will also come in (Romans 11:12) as they know and worship their Messiah Yeshua.

All those millennium ago, the Lord made sure we could trace His plan for us and for Him back to the beginning. He wants us to know this. He has been revealing Himself through Torah and His appointed Feasts up until this very moment. Each time the exiles returned to Him, Israel celebrated the Feasts. And today, as One New Man rises, even the Gentiles are celebrating the Feasts with believing Israel, as Yeshua the Messiah is glorified. These are the Gentiles who have come out of exile where they were taught that “the church has replaced Israel”.

At the Day of the Lord, every nation will go up to celebrate Succot (Zechariah 14). How blessed are we to understand the relevance of the Feast even in our day?

The Jews, and the Gentiles who have joined themselves with Israel, are being given the revelation that we, together, will become His house, His permanent house, not His temporary dwelling.

“Shout and be glad, Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you, declares the Lord. Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become My people. I will live among you…”

(Zechariah 2:10)

The Olive and the Wild Olive will be one. They will build His house, living stones, a spiritual house for His presence:

“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.”

(I Peter 2:5)

The truth of Succot will be fulfilled – it is the Feast of our Joy, of His Joy – all sorrow and sadness will flee away (Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11; Revelation 21:4-5):

“I have told you this that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

(John 15:11)

“..This Day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

(Nehemiah 8:10)

We will see the unity and the undivided house of God together – and He will dwell among us forever.

“..I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

(Revelation 21:3)

 Cathy Hargett

Highway to Zion Ministries

http://www.highwaytozion.org

Jerusalem, Israel olive tree grove (Photo by Steve Martin 2022)

"Awesome God (Adir Eloheinu)" from Emanuel Roro. Translation by Randy Sigulim & Emanuel Roro

God has done great things among us here in Israel 🇮🇱✨

Bringing all the living hostages back home. He’s still moving, healing, and awakening hearts. Let’s rejoice in Him - our Awesome God - who reigns over all the earth! 🙌🏾

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” — Psalm 126:3

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🤍 Instagram -  / emanuel.roro  

Steve Martin’s YouTube playlist “Walk With Me - Jerusalem 2025” (19 and counting)

Here is the link for the YouTube playlist where I am putting all videos for this trip. “Walk With Me - Jerusalem 2025”

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlRsYroaU_0DX24r11l4WelFVSBCdrgSQ&si=rr2oIMg-rPgn8Fjm

The playlist so far (Oct. 25, 2025) has 19 short videos. It starts out with the 2 times I led worship for the first time in Jerusalem at an Aliyah conference in 2022. Hadassah Lerner actually recorded both. Thank you, Hadassah in heaven!

Steve Martin’s desk at CFI Jerusalem

I am using this desk for my three month service Oct. 17, 2025 - Jan. 12, 2026 at Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem. I am serving in the Media Department.

My good wife Laurie is also serving in Operations, preparing weekly meals for the staff of 25+.

Thank You, Lord!

Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry

Ethiopian Messianic worship in Jerusalem with Rabbi Kokeb Gedamu

Amud HaEsh congregation on Jaffa Street in Clal Building. Rabbi Kokeb and Menalu Gedamu.

Menalu Gedamu (Rabbi Kokeb’s wife) leads worship

Rabbi Kokeb (center)

Rabbi Kokeb and Menalu Gedamu in Jerusalem

(Video and photos by Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry in Jerusalem, Israel)

I Like Uriel. Steve Martin, Love For His People

Moving into our Jerusalem apartment, provided by Christian Friends of Israel during our three-month volunteer service here, there were just a few things I wanted to supply, after the first two days of getting settled in.

I needed a few extension cords. They made the list.

Getting off each Friday at 1:30 pm from the office works for me. I wasted no time trying to beat the Shabbat (Saturday) rush to the corner pharmacy and then squeeze into the light rail train on Jaffa Street with everyone else on their way to the shuk (open market) or other critical last-minute stops.

I had Laurie stay home today because her ankle, broken 7 weeks ago while on our Charlotte, NC area neighborhood home pond path when she fell, was still swelling up. Her mission service the day before at CFI, helping to prepare the 25 staff/volunteer crew lunch with Elisabeth from Germany, meant she was on her feet in the kitchen most of the 7.5 hours of work.

The shuk was crazy! I had heard it many times before “not go to the shuk” on Erev Shabbat (afternoon/evening before) but “seeing is believing” certainly was applicable in this case. 

But I enjoyed it! Seeing everyone, young and old, filling their grocery bags or carts with fresh challah bread, colorful fruit beyond measure, beautiful flowers for the good wife, and certainly some candy (chocolate!) for the kids…I loved it in fact.

What I didn’t find though were the extension cords.

”Across the street,” an older man said to me, who was also standing at the counter, when I asked the shop attendant, still pondering to himself when I had asked in English, “Where can I find…”

So across Jaffa and the train tracks I went. There was the hardware store in the place so accurately told. Unlike Home Depot, but if they had extension cords, it would fit the bill. (Midwest USA saying?)

”What size do you want?” asked Uriel, after also asking him his name. Uriel Zada, owner in fact, was about 45 I guessed.

“This long” I replied, in my best English, stretching out my hands.

I ended up getting a 20 meter (feet?) and a 10 meter, just in case the good wife needed one too.

And…when he saw the white plastic cutting board in one bag I had, which Laurie had on her list, Uriel, with a big smile, explained the hazards of it and swapped it out for his metal one. Plus a bit more in price. 

And of course I bought another size, just in case the wife later would tell me, “I actually wanted that size.” (I am a smart, wise man. Having been married 48 years thus far tends to do that. If you are wise.)

I like Uriel. I like his smile. I like the Jewish people. I like Jerusalem.

I love the Living God of Israel who has brought them back to their Land, as the Bible prophets spoke centuries ago, for this time. As a Christian who believes the full Bible, we are here supporting and blessing them.

“Behold, He who watches over Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.” (Psalm 121:4, NASB)

”This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations and set up My flag to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.” (Isaiah 49:2 NASB)

Ahava and Shalom, Steve Martin, Love For His People Ministry - Jerusalem, Israel



Ariel Zada, Jerusalem hardware shop owner

The shuk (outdoor market) on Friday afternoon. The Hebrew name is Mahane Yehuda.

Golden City. Music Trio.

On Jaffa Street near the shuk (open market) in Jerusalem, Israel, hours before Shabbat begins.

Jerusalem is “The Golden City.” The view from our 2nd floor apartment in SE Jerusalem, looking east, as the sun sets in the west right before Shabbat begins.

(Photos by Steve Martin, Love For His People Oct. 24, 2025)

I like Uriel Zada.

Uriel Zada (in the middle, whom I just met today) owns the hardware shop across from the shuk on Jaffa. ZADA Hardware. I needed some extension cords. (I better learn what a meter is. I have 2x the length I needed. Ha!)

He also saw my plastic cutting board in a bag I had gotten from the shuk (open marketplace). After explaining (in good English) that the plastic gets into the food, he accepted my trade and sold me a solid metal one. Nice guy. (So I bought two. Different sizes)

I like these Jews. Good businessmen!

Hamas doesn’t know locations of 3-5 out of 13 hostage bodies, Israel estimates while preparing to receive 2 more bodies

All Israel News Staff | Published: October 24, 2025  

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13 remaining hostages whose bodies are being held by Hamas in Gaza (Photo: Courtesy of the families, IDF)

Israel believes that the Hamas terrorist organization does not know the locations of three to five of the hostages' bodies that remain in the Gaza Strip, as the country prepares to receive the remains of two more hostages this weekend.

Hamas was holding 28 bodies at the start of the ceasefire, less than two weeks ago. Despite the terms demanding the return of all of them, Hamas has slow-walked the release of the bodies and, so far, has only handed over 15 of them. Two more are expected to be released over the weekend.

Israel has argued that Hamas is deliberately withholding some of the bodies it holds. Although the agreement requires the return of all the bodies, reports suggest that Israel agreed to give Hamas additional time to locate and recover remains that may be buried under rubble.

The terror group claims it has already transported all of the bodies in its possession and that it will need heavy equipment to retrieve the rest.

According to Israeli media reports on Thursday, defense officials shared intelligence with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during his visit, indicating that Hamas can return at least 10 of the 13 hostages' bodies still held in Gaza.

Ynet News quoted an Israeli official saying that Hamas doesn’t know the location of five of the bodies.

The terror group is “playing games, and playing for time, in order to extend the ceasefire without reaching the second stage [of the deal], which requires it to disarm,” the official charged.

He stressed, “Israel is pounding the table on the issue of the deceased, and the Americans understand us. Among the deceased are also two American citizens,” he added, referring to IDF Cpt. Omer Neutra and Staff Sgt. Itay Chen.

During the meeting with Vance, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, reportedly, emphasized the importance to Israel of the return of all bodies of the killed hostages.

“Their return must be a prerequisite before moving to the next phase,” Zamir told Vance. He also highlighted the fate of IDF officer Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held in Gaza since 2014.

On Thursday, Hadar's sister, Ayelet, urged to the Israeli public to “go to the streets, attend the rallies, don’t remove this from the agenda.”

She warned that if Israel did not act now, “there will be another 12 Hadar Goldins.”

Ayelet Goldin, Hadar Goldin's sister speaks at a protest at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, calling for the release of Israelis held by Hamas, Oct 18, 2025. (Photo: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90) 

Rubi, father of Itay Chen, told Ynet News on Thursday, “There is a mix of feelings that is hard to explain. I expect to receive the worst phone call of my life, and in the end it doesn’t come and I’m disappointed.”

“We don’t buy what Hamas says,” he continued, “We don’t forget that they murdered and abducted them; they know where they put them. There is difficulty bringing them out. The relevant tools must be brought in and the deceased taken out.”

Ronen Neutra, father of Omer Neutra, said that his reality was “continuous terror.”

“Complete uncertainty, conflicting reports, fragments of information, most of which turn out to be false. It’s simply ongoing terror that the families are in and have to function in.”

Read more: HOSTAGE FAMILIES | JD VANCE | ISRAELI HOSTAGES | MURDERED HOSTAGES | GAZA CEASEFIRE

The shuk right before Shabbat. Crazy!

Knesset passes two bills supporting annexations in Judea & Samaria in preliminary readings. All Israel News

Likud throws MK Edelstein off Defense Committee for supporting annexation

All Israel News Staff | Published: October 22, 2025  

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View of the Israeli city of Maale Adumin outside of Jerusalem, August 14, 2025. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Israeli Knesset on Wednesday passed two bills in preliminary readings aimed at advancing annexation measures in Judea and Samaria, despite opposition from the Likud party, which feared the move could offend the United States.

One bill, proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman, calls for Israel to annex Ma’ale Adumim, a large city to the east of Jerusalem in the Judean Desert.

Ahead of the vote, Liberman argued that taking limited steps would be the most effective way to advance annexation, noting, “Ma’ale Adumim constitutes the broadest consensus in Israeli society. In terms of applying sovereignty, it is better to go for the broadest national consensus – Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel, Gush Etzion and the Jordan Valley.”

The second bill, proposed by Noam party head Avi Maoz, seeks to annex all of Judea and Samaria.

The draft bills are set to be discussed by the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee before they can be presented for three additional readings.

The proposed bills have caused considerable controversy within the government coalition, which generally supports the extension of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

According to the Jewish News Syndicate, Netanyahu’s government has approved 41,709 housing units and 50 new Jewish communities in those areas since December 2022.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had attempted to thwart the bills out of concern that the timing could harm relations with the U.S.

Trump opposed annexations in recent statements. In addition, several Arab states warned that this would be a red line for peace treaties with Israel, and that the bills were proposed while U.S. Vice President JD Vance was visiting Jerusalem.

Before the vote, coalition chairman Ofir Katz wrote a letter to the Likud faction group stating that the issue of sovereignty “is no less important to us than it is to any other Member of Knesset. Sovereignty is not enacted through opposition legislation, and certainly not at a time when we are working with our American partners to achieve all the goals of the war, including the dismantling of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.”

Katz added, “I have received requests not to vote against [the bills]. Therefore, the faction’s position is to abstain from voting entirely on the sovereignty-related laws being brought up today. This position comes under the directive of the Prime Minister and is binding,” according to Channel 12 News.

In a highly ironic twist, the opposition parties Yisrael Beitenu, Yesh Atid and Blue and White all supported the bill alongside the far-right parties Religious Zionism and Jewish Power.

At the same time, Likud chose to abstain, whereas opposition came from the far-left Democrats, Arab parties, and certain ultra-Orthodox factions

The only Likud Knesset member to remain and vote in favor of the bill was Yuli Edelstein, who was removed as chair of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee three months ago.

“I just voted in the Knesset plenum in favor of applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Edelstein wrote on 𝕏 after the vote. “Especially at this time, Israeli sovereignty over all parts of our homeland is the need of the hour. As someone who has fought for the Land of Israel throughout my years in this building and out of a clear belief in the justice of our cause.”

As punishment, the Likud party removed Edelstein from his seat on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

In an official statement, the party later blasted the vote as “another stunt by the opposition, aimed at harming our relationship with the United States and undermining Israel’s major achievements in the campaign.”

“We strengthen the settlements every day – through actions, budgets, construction, and industry – not through empty talk. True sovereignty will not be achieved through a symbolic law for the record, but through proper work on the ground and by creating the diplomatic conditions necessary for international recognition of our sovereignty, as was done in the Golan Heights and in Jerusalem.”

The unusual vote drew harsh criticism of both blocs from both ends of the political spectrum.

The Yesha Council, the umbrella body for West Bank settlements, criticized the right-wing government’s opposition to the bills, saying it “expects Likud Knesset members to join this process and advance the sovereignty plan in accordance with the party’s spirit.”

Yesha Council chief Israel Ganz said that the opposition's push for sovereignty is "unacceptable." He urged the government to take responsibility for these laws and to advance full sovereignty as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the far-left "Peace Now" organization slammed opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz for supporting the bills, accusing them of launching “a political attack against the Trump administration and our other friends in the world, which also jeopardizes the fragile ceasefire.”

In July, 71 out of 120 Knesset members from the coalition and opposition passed a symbolic, non-binding resolution supporting the application for Israeli sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

Read more: ISRAELI POLITICS | JUDEA AND SAMARIA | ANNEXATION | WEST BANK | KNESSET | US ISRAELI RELATIONS | COALITION | YULI EDELSTEIN