My wife Laurie (Laura Jean Unzicker Martin) - a poem "My Good Wife"

Laurie

My Good Wife

A pretty lass, of her father's German decent,

That of Otto for sure - 'twas heaven sent.

Lorraine her Mom, now of 54 and more,

Thank you Lord, for sharing her. 

Got married (to me!) at 18. I prayed!

Had firstborn Josh on her 19th b-day.

Then came Ben, and Hannah and Christen, it's true,

Notice the eyes? Green, not blue.

She's made each house a nice, pleasant aroma;

Be in Illinois, Michigan, Florida or Carolina.

Has worked hard an annual 12 at Calvary Daycare,

Now has five, plus one, of own grands we share.

No special day, as I share now with you,

Just wanted it be known her heart is true.

Loves the Lord - and full of life,

Blessings on her, my lovely and good wife!

Steve Martin

July 15, 2013

Jerusalem at night

Comfort, Comfort My people,’ says your God.

ISAIAH (40:1)

נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ עַמִּי יֹאמַר אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם

ישעיהו מ:א

na-kha-MOO na-kha-MOO AH-mee yoe-MAHR eh-loe-hay-KHEM

Netanyahu to Iran: We will attack if necessary

Monday, July 15, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in an interview with American media on Sunday that Israel will attack Iran's nuclear facilities in the very near future if such action is deemed necessary.

In an appearance on CBS News, Netanyahu lamented that in the US and the rest of the West there was not enough of a sense of urgency regarding Iran.

"Our clocks are ticking at a different pace. We're closer than the United States. We're more vulnerable. And therefore, we'll have to address this question of how to stop Iran, perhaps before the United States does," said the Israel leader.

And just in case Tehran thinks Israel won't go it alone, "they’re sorely mistaken. I won’t wait until it’s too late," Netanyahu vowed.

Netanyahu once again urged the West not to be fooled by the recent election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran's new president, noting that despite possessing more tact, he has the same end goal as the nation's fundamentalist clerical rulers.

"He's criticizing his predecessor (President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) for being a wolf in wolf's clothing. His strategy is be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Smile and build a bomb," Netanyahu explained.

Angel Oak of Johns Island, SC

Angel Oak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Angel Oak in March 2010; The man standing under the tree is 5 feet 11 inches (180 centimeters) tall.

The Angel Oak Tree is a Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft.

The tree stands on land that was part of Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant.

The oak derives its name from the estate of Justis and Martha Angel, although local folklore told stories of ghosts of former slaves would appear as angels around the tree.

History

Angel Oak in July 2008.

The Angel Oak was damaged severely during Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but has since recovered. The City of Charleston has owned the tree and surrounding park since 1991.

Development is beginning to encroach on the site of the Angel Oak. In 2012, plans to build a 500-unit apartment complex that would be as close as 160 yards (150 m) to the Angel Oak were challenged in court by the Coastal Conservation League; their concerns included the construction's effect on available groundwater and nutrients.

The Angel Oak is located on John's Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The Angel Oak tree is featured prominently in the book, The Locket, by Emily Nelson.


(The following 12 photos were taken by Steve Martin - June 13, 2013)

Mary Smith and Laurie Martin

- June 13, 2013 on road to Angel Oak

Paul Wilbur - Dance With Me (lyrics) (Best True Spirit Worship Song 33)

Your Great Name Album 2013 - Paul Wilbur (playlist)

Paul Wilbur - Messianic worship leader

Paul Wilbur Ministries website

PAUL WILBUR Founder

Paul Wilbur is an Integrity Music recording artist and the founder of Wilbur Ministries.

Paul and his team travel throughout the United States and the world sharing the love of God through Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
In 1990 Paul recorded his first release with Integrity entitled “Up To Zion.” Since then he has recorded five more solo albums including three performed live in Jerusalem: “Shalom Jerusalem,” “Jerusalem Arise,” and “Lion Of Judah.” “Holy Fire” (1997) and “The Watchman” (2006) were recorded in Houston and San Antonio respectively. Two more special release collections entitled “Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem” and “Praise Adonai” were released in 2007 and 2008 to honor the 60th birthday of Israel and the 40th anniversary of the re-unification of Jerusalem.

Paul has also recorded seven projects in Spanish and two in Portuguese. These award-winning discs enable the team to minister to more than one third of the world’s population in their own language!

Wilbur Ministries is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, where Paul makes his home with his wife Luanne. Their two sons Nathan, his wife Malki and Joel, and his wife Sharon Chernoff Wilbur also live in the area and play important roles in the life of the ministry.

Your Great Name (OFFICIAL VIDEO) from Paul Wilbur

Paul Wilbur

Published on Feb 14, 2013

Find Paul Wilbur's "Your Great Name" album now on iTuneshttp://bit.ly/15o6QkB
Words and Music by Krissy Nordhoff & Michael Neale

Lyrics:

Verse 1

Lost are saved find their way
At the sound of Your great Name
All condemned feel no shame
At the sound of Your great Name
Ev'ry fear has no place
At the sound of Your great Name
The enemy he has to leave
At the sound of Your great Name

Chorus 1

Jesus (Yeshua) worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us
The Son of God and man
You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise
Your great Name

Verse 2

All the weak find their strength
At the sound of Your great Name
Hungry souls receive grace
At the sound of Your great Name
The fatherless find their rest
At the sound of Your great Name
The sick are healed the dead are raised
At the sound of Your great Name
Misc 1

(BRIDGE 1)
Redeemer my Healer Lord Almighty
Defender my Savior You are my King
(REPEAT)
Misc 2

(BRIDGE 2)
Sing the Name of Jesus
We worship the Name of Jesus
We bow before Jesus
There is no other Name but Jesus

CCLI Song # 5393329 Krissy Nordhoff | Michael Neale © 2008 Integrity's Praise! Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) TwoNords Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

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The Church Against Israel?

Mainline American Christians against Israel

         
Posted on July 11, 2013 by Jerusalem Connection
Posted in anti-Semitism, Replacement theologyTagged anti-Semitism, replacement theology


By Dr. MANFRED GERSTENFELD, ARUTZ7—

Manfred Gerstenfeld interviews Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein of the Wiesenthal Center: “They claim to support the underdog against ‘powerful and evil Israel.’”

The leadership of most American ‘mainline’ Protestant churches is top-heavy with anti-Israel agitation, especially among those on mission committees. By now, a substantial number of their members have been influenced by anti-Israel rhetoric. Furthermore, younger members, due to anti-Israel attitudes on campus, are increasingly hostile to Israel. If the Palestinians make further progress here, it will be a great blow to the self-understanding of America as ‘firmly in Israel’s camp.’

“These very liberal churches include Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and the United Church of Christ. They presently number about 16 million. Their membership and influence in the United States continue to decline. These churches’ rhetoric is usually outdone by an even harsher one of a small group of so-called ‘peace churches,’ including the Mennonites and Quakers.”

Rabbi Yitchok Adlerstein is the Director of Interfaith Affairs at the Simon Wiesenthal Center. He is the Adjunct Chair, Jewish Law and Ethics at Loyola Law School. He is the Founding Editor of the Jewish Orthodox blog Cross-Currents.

“Mainline churches claim many members from Congress. They represent America’s heartland and have adopted a range of resolutions hostile to Israel. They include calls for boycotts plus divestment and sanctions (BDS). Some are aimed at Israel, others focus on the ‘settlements.’ Several churches supported the hateful Kairos Palestine Document published in 2009 by some Palestinian Christians. There is also tourism to Israel under Palestinian auspices.

“BDS started with the passage of a resolution in 2004 at the Presbyterian Church (USA) calling for selective divestment of shares of American companies doing business in Israel. Long before that, the World Council of Churches (WCC) founded in 1948, aligned itself with ‘third world’ countries and thinking. This is an international umbrella group of mainline churches which claims denominational membership of 590 million people. It has frequently condemned Israel, yet never protested attempts by Israel’s neighbors and by terrorists to erase it from the map.

“The churches’ salaried officials often harm Israel, without a specific mandate from a convention floor. For example, in fall 2012 just before the U.S. presidential elections, a consortium of church officials sent a letter to members of Congress questioning how U.S. military aid was being used by Israel, and calling for cutbacks in that aid.

“Several of these churches also publish extremely anti-Israel educational materials. These are often the only ones members will view. The Methodists produced a study guide a few years ago authored by an apostate Jewish pastor. He admitted to hating Judaism. It featured illustrations of Israeli soldiers reminiscent of Nazi guards at a concentration camp.

“The motives of these churches differ. Some aim to delegitimize the State of Israel as ‘a colonialist enterprise conceived in sin.’ Others desire to give Christian witness to the lack of peace in the Holy Land. These churches have discarded much of their grandparents’ beliefs and practices, retaining sympathy only for the powerless. In defending the Palestinians, they claim to support the underdog against ‘powerful and evil Israel.’

“Theology is playing an increasing role in mainline churches’ anti-Israel activity. It began with the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and its head, Dr. Naim Ateek. Many liberal churches have partnered with Sabeel. Ateek used crucifixion imagery in his Easter message of 2001: ‘It seems to many of us that Jesus is on the cross again with thousands of crucified Palestinians around him.’

” This reintroduces the ancient murderous Christian charge of deicide against the Jews. Ateek and others deny that the Bible speaks of any covenant of land with the Jews. This is a renewal of the replacement theology and supersessionism, and is extremely dangerous for Jews around the world, especially at a time of rising anti-Semitism.

“Palestinian influences in anti-Israel hate mongering is huge. They have sent teams of Palestinian Christians around the U.S for a decade, tugging at Christian heartstrings with emotional tales of woe. They are more effective than Palestinian Muslims, who don’t come as ‘brothers.’

“Still, there are surprises. In 2012, several denominations substituted positive investment resolutions in place of divestment. In some cases, votes that looked like they were heading in the anti-Israel direction were saved by impassioned speeches by pastors who spoke about the impact such a resolution would have on Jewish-Christian friendships and partnerships in their churches.

“I frequently converse with friends in churches, pondering the sundry causes of anti-Israel sentiment. When I attribute much to the misdirection of Christian love, I am often interrupted by someone saying: ‘Rabbi, I wish it were true. There is far more old-fashioned anti-Semitism in this church than any of us would like to admit.’”

“The actions of these mainline churches have poisoned the well of Christian-Jewish dialogue. Jews entered the dialogue, which has been fruitful at times, on the basis of assurances that Christian partners left contempt for Jews and Judaism behind, and had made serious attempts to understand what was important to Jews. The way in which these churches treat Israel shows that neither is true.”

Threatened with Destruction...

Threatened with Destruction, Israelis Reveal Faith

Friday, July 12, 2013 |  Jonathan David  Israel Today

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Israel Today’s Jonathan David talked to Israelis on the streets of Jerusalem, and recently discovered their faith in light of Iran’s threat to soon destroy them and Israel with nuclear weapons.

Tsuriel Bitcover: “It’s not really bothering me. For the religious people, it makes the religious people stronger.”

Erez Asher: “I believe God will help us. (Iran) won’t succeed to destroy us. Everyone who has tried to destroy the Jewish people, and Israel, became destroyed. God protects us.”

Elliot Ge: “These things only strengthen my faith. In these trying times when we have security problems and issues, I personally and many people I know turn to (the Lord) even more, because we know He’s the only one who can save us.”

Asher Trujeman: “God promised the Jews that they are chosen and He did not release us. He did not abandon us.”

David B’tesh: “My faith in Elohim and my faith in HaShem is not affected at all. I fully believe that He is behind us.”

Hajay Koiza: “I’m atheist, I’m not religious. I’m atheist because Iran wants to destroy Israel because they’re religious. If everybody will be atheist and there is no religion, then everybody will live in peace, one day.

Bill Ashendorf: “The Lord gives us choices and we have to make our own choices. Sometimes we make good and sometimes we make bad, but we have to be responsible for our choices.”

Ahava Love Letter (#61) - "Get Back On The Boat" - Steve Martin

“Get Back On The Boat” “Then, without warning, a furious storm arose on the lake, so that waves were sweeping over the boat. But Yeshua was sleeping. So they came and roused him, saying, “Sir! Help! We’re about to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid? So little trust you have!” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and there was a dead calm.” (Matt 8:24-26 CJB Complete Jewish Bible)

Dear family of friends,

There has been a lot of rain in our state of North Carolina this current summer season. The local weatherman reported that the 12” above normal level has been the most in the 75 years of their record keeping. Cutting my grass between the falling bullets just hasn’t been working. I can attest to that fact.

As I drove in the pouring rain to my former boss’ house during the latest downpour, to receive his wise counsel about book publishing, I was speaking to another on the cell phone. Flooding was occurring in her home. She conveyed that she felt she had been under spiritual attack lately, and the excess water was the latest incident indicating that.

My response, after listening for about 15 minutes, wasn’t just a quip to “come up with a quick solution,” as they say men do (so we can get on to being the answer to the next problem.)

I said, "Seems like you are in a lifeboat, connected by only a lifeline to the big boat. So get back on the boat.”

It wasn’t meant at all to be a pun, as the rain outside my speeding car might suggest, or as her house foundation continued to seep water through it. I believe I was moved by Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh (Hebrew). She really seemed to be hanging on, connected in her little raft on the mighty ocean, by a single lifeline. She needed to get into the boat, get on the ship, where the rest of the people were safely being cared for. I am speaking about the local body of believers.

Some of you may say, “I am connected,” as her response back to me was.

What? You no longer belong anywhere as a member, due to some incident? But now you do watch your favorite TV teacher/preacher on TV? Or you have a long distance phone conversation with an older saint in your former congregation, and you call that “being connected?” As one would say, “How is that working out for you?”

Explain that logic to me from the Scriptures, which basically commands that we are to be “joined and fitted together” in His Body. 

Sometimes being direct, in your face, sharing tough love as James Dobson wrote decades ago, needs to be just that – a realistic look at where you are at now, and where He actually wants you to be, in experiencing His purposeful life.

We all have excuses why we can or cannot do something. If your spiritual, and possibly natural life depended on it, will you use that excuse to just stay in your little raft? Does that hold water with Him?

If you are as one floating in a raft, hanging onto to the Father Ship by a lifeline, I highly suggest you really ask the Father where you are supposed to be connected, and start pulling on the line in that direction.

The TV man or woman, or the cell phone person, as good and needed as they may be, won’t quite make it in the days ahead for you, when the real spiritual floods come. That hand extended through the airwaves can’t be the one you will need - right at hand.

It is best to be connected, within a ship, with those the Lord intends for you to be connected with. He said so. It can happen. It should happen. When will you let it happen?

Ahava (love in Hebrew) 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. 

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Ahava Love Letter #61   “Get Back On The Boat”

 Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (07/12/13 Friday 5 am in Charlotte, NC)

All previous editions of Ahava Love Letter can be found on my Blog:    http://loveforhispeople.blogspot.com        

Here are the last few:

Need Money? (#60)

Rejected? (#59)

In Your Building – Guard Against Distractions (#58)

Connections (#57)

Your Name (#56)

Lost, But Not Forgotten Friends (#55)

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (#54)

We Speak To Nations (#53)

Egyptian army kills dozens of Hamas gunmen

Thursday, July 11, 2013 |  Israel Today Staff  

The Egyptian army's new offensive against terror organizations operating in the Sinai Peninsula is well under way, and one of the groups paying a heavy price is Hamas.

Many expected Hamas to suffer as a result of the recent ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood, which is the parent organization of Hamas.

Over the past several days, Egyptian military officials told Arab media that some 200 gunmen had been killed during battles in Sinai, including at least 32 members of Hamas. The Palestinian group uses the peninsula to smuggle arms and other goods into the Gaza Strip, from where it wages war on southern Israel.

However, the situation remains volatile, and the Egyptian army has asked Israel for a green light to increase its forces in the Sinai. Under the terms of the Camp David Accords, Egypt is permitted to maintain only a very small force in Sinai so as to not threaten Israel's southern border.

Israel is expected to respond positively to the request, as it considers today's Egyptian military leadership to be a partner in the fight against radical Islamists.

There were hints that the Egyptian army could even strike Gaza itself. One official told an Arab newspaper that the Egyptian army had been frustrated by Hamas fighters who use tunnels running under the border to quickly attack Egyptian forces and then retreat to the safety of Gaza.

The Lord your God goes before you...

Then I said to you, "Do not be broken  and do not fear them! The Lord your God,  Who goes before you, He shall make war  for you, like everything He did for your  in Egypt, before your eyes."     DEUTERONOMY (1:29, 30)  וָאֹמַר אֲלֵכֶם לֹא  תַעַרְצוּן וְלֹא תִירְאוּן  מֵהֶם יְ-הוָה אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶם  הַהֹלֵךְלִפְנֵיכֶם הוּא  יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם כְּכֹל  אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אִתְּכֶם בְּמִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֵיכֶם  דְּבָרִים כט:ל va-oh-MAR ah-LAY-khem loe ta-ar-TZOON ve-LOE  tee-re-OON may-HEM ah-doe-NIE eh-loe-HAY-khem  ha-hoe-LAYKH leef-NAY-khem hoo ye-la-KHAME  la-KHEM ke-KOLE ah-SHARE ah-SAH eet-KHEM  be-meetz-RA-yeem le-ay-NAY-khem

WE stand with Israel.

It is time we take a stand, 

A never changing line in the sand;

To stop the enemy from having his way.

Beginning now. Today.

Steve Martin