From Jerusalem With Love

 

Hi Friends!
I wanted to share a letter from our sis in Jerusalem. I haven’t done this in awhile and felt compelled to again.  May you read and pray as God leads you.  Love, Deb

 

*********

 

 

“You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it.” PSALM 65:9
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” REVELATION 22:1-2

Greetings with grace and mercy in The Blessed Name of our Lord, Yeshua h’meshiach. May He be blessed and glorified and may you (and I) be encouraged toward Him for His glory. May you (and I) be TRULY planted beside His River, drinking of the fullness of it and producing HIS fruit for His glory!

Well…the longer I put off writing this letter because there is just too much to write about…the more there IS to write about: It only multiplies daily!

I have not written to you since our torrential rains claimed 7 lives; nor since the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis; not since our electioneering started again intensely for the THIRD time in a year…nor since the 49 (according to Miki Levi – the police spokesman) Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers and assorted dignitaries and heads of state solidified their participation in events marking the 75th year since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp; named The World Holocaust Forum. That began today and perhaps I will begin there and work backwards.

‘There will be major traffic disruptions this week, especially on Wednesday and Thursday.’ all of the media informed us to a collective groan. ‘You are advised to leave vehicles at home (not in tow away zones) and take public transportation if you have to leave your houses.’ …’Public transportation will experience delays and disruptions…’ (they neglected to add ‘and insane overcrowding’) I watched as sharp shooters staked out roof tops and popped up from under man hole covers. Security vehicles inspected every corner of the city…and under every rock. At the bus stops the flashing sign read (in Hebrew, Arabic and English) ‘The bus lines will experience significant delays and interruptions on the 22 and 23rd. For specific information call *8787’. My boss insisted that I could make it to work, so I called *8787. After about 20 minutes of music (EVERYONE was calling *8787!) an annoyed worker told me that they HAVE no information concerning Jerusalem buses and that I should just stay home. When I gave my boss what information I had gotten he just rolled his eyes and said that he’d pay for a taxi. NOT SO EASY! You see…I LIVE on Hertzl Blvd…very near to Yad V’Shem (the Holocaust Memorial). I work across town. My memories of the visits of US Presidents Obama and then Trump are still quite vivid; walking to work isn’t as bad as walking home when I am tired…about 1.5-2 hours each way…and I am older and less agile.
But why are they gathering?
Our President, Reuven Rivlin, hosted them as anti-semitism has been rising at a most alarming rate while the number of Holocaust survivors is dropping rapidly: ‘Never Again’ and ‘Never Forget’ seems nearly forgotten and our nation seeks a way to prevent what appears inevitable.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT! (or perhaps drop it!)
I am incredibly thankful and humbled by The Lord’s restraining Hand! I had tried my best to write and send this letter yesterday…but interruption after interruption put an end to ALL of my best efforts.

Last night before going to sleep I listened to some of the events and was deeply touched…and learned things that I hadn’t known. This morning as I prepared to write, my husband turned the proceedings on and said ‘Come and see! You need to see this!’ …I had ‘INTENDED’ to write…but I went and saw and could not stop watching and listening.

As I sat down to work on this letter yet AGAIN…there was an email from my Pastor concerning what I was watching and it was said so much better than I ever could that I will include it and only add one fact that I learned from the conference that sent chills down my spine and I hadn’t known: A historian and researcher at Yad Vashem exhibited meticulous notebooks filled with lists, photos, information and even fingerprints! Ofcourse I KNEW about the lists that they kept; the ‘inventories’…but I never thought of it in this light: He said how IRONIC it was that the stated intent of the Nazis was to wipe ALL MEMORY of the Jews from the earth…to eradicate their names…their ways… their lives. Instead…preserved IN JEWISH JERUSALEM…are their names, information, even photographs and fingerprints recorded as witness by the Nazis themselves…Oh my! I was overwhelmed by the impact of what I was seeing. God sovereign will: ‘They will NOT be forgotten! You will be defeated!’ It is as if I am in a dream to realize that, yes, we are a PART of this huge spiritual battle…and I share with you from Jerusalem…restored to the Jews after 2,000 years!

Yesterday, while I was still only thinking narrowly…I confess…about the traffic jams and being ‘sequestered’ – my own selfish interests, I was waiting in an office across from a woman older than I, perhaps 85. She was speaking English, it seemed as if perhaps she was doing a phone interview with someone in America. I was able to make out both sides of the conversation. She was quite serious and it was her intensity that touched me. She said ‘I never thought that I would live to see this day. I never dreamed that such a thing would happen, but it is and ha’Shem (God) has brought it about! Do you understand what we are witnessing?’ I understood that she was speaking about this gathering and I was ashamed for my narrow thoughts. I looked at her and realized that she was indeed a Holocaust survivor and began to think about what it must feel like to her; could it be even like Joseph seeing his brothers coming, bowing down to ask for food?

So, these two days have passed with, in my opinion, minimal inconvenience considering the amount of astounding security; I can’t imagine HOW they pulled it off, protecting all of these dignitaries and escorting them around the city as well as in and out of the country.

And rather than comment further I will attach my Pastor’s letter…it is more important to digest Truth than added words. May The Lord TRULY keep you in His perfect will, tender of heart and before Him for His glory… and me too please Lord! Lovingly, your sister.

A warning to the nations; a wake-up call to the Jewish people, and to the Body of Christ

(If you want to read this on the web, click here)

Fifth World Holocaust Forum – The largest diplomatic event in Israel’s history!
The Forum this year will commemorate the 75th liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp.
It theme is: “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism,”

The peculiar thing about this year’s Forum:
It was hoped that 10 or 15 world leaders would agree to attend. Instead, it has become the largest diplomatic event in Israel’s history.

Delegations from 49 countries, including 41 heads of states, are in Israel at this moment. The US vice president, Mr. Pence, Russia’s president, Mr. Putin, Prince Charles of Britain, French president Mr. Macron, and many other kings and heads of states.

Why is this significant – A warning to the nations
First: We are in a time of growing denial of the Holocaust, and an alarming increase of anti-Semitism in the world. Significantly, the leaders of the nations are acknowledging it.

Second: We are living in the time of Israel’s restoration, and this could be God, calling the nations to warn them before they descend into deeper darkness and further rebellion against God, His people, and His unfolding plan. It will be very destructive, Psalm 2:10-12

Here is why I think this is the case
Last night, on Wednesday, Prominent Holocaust scholar, Professor Yehuda Bauer, delivered the keynote address at a festive dinner held for about 45 heads of states that were present. (Putin and Pence came only this morning on Thursday.)

He claimed (rightly I believe) that the deadliest military conflict in history, claiming anywhere between 70 to 85 million lives, including 6 million Jews, was caused by hatred for the Jews!

He was given eleven minutes to do this, eleven Minutes! They spent far more time eating than listening to what I believe is, a warning from God.

The most chilling part is Prof. Bauer’s quote of Hitler: “Today I will once more be a prophet: If the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war” – as we all know, World War I was caused by the Jews, right? – “then the result will not be the bolshevization of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe” Die Vernichtung der jüdischen Rasse in Europa. So, the Jewish capitalists rule the West, and what they want is the victory of Bolshevism. The result will be the annihilation of the Jews.“

And here is the warning: “Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish illness, but a non-Jewish one; it is a cancer that kills and destroys your nations and your countries.” And, this, “…..fight anti-Semitism. Not because of the Jews, but to protect your societies from a deadly cancer.”

The caption for the text in the Times of Israel was: Holocaust scholar’s speech to world leaders: Anti-Semitism destroys your nations

Read more about it here

Will it be heeded? Will the nations respond? Have they read Psalm 2? Will your country respond!

Personally, I believe that although diplomatic activity regarding these things is important, these efforts will never win the battle against Israel-hatred, and antisemitism. It is a spiritual battle that is leading to the final confrontation between the nations and God. We as believers have an important role to play, we are called to stand before the Lord and call upon His name.

“Israel is God’s Spectacle to all the world, by which HIS MERCY SHALL BE MADE KNOWN – a Visible Demonstration in The Last Days – to “the nations of them that are saved,” Rev. 21:24. Israel – The Mystery Nation – carries through into The Revelation Prophecy. THERE appears those who are SEALED IN THEIR FOREHEADS, and “who follow the Lamb, whithersoever He goeth.” Redeemed? Yes. Washed in The Blood of The Lamb? Yes. Saved by Grace through Faith? Yes. BUT the ONLY NATION mentioned BY NAME among the Ransomed Throngs in The Revelation Vision. For these very reasons, we declare that the anti-semitic spirit – HATE THE JEWS – is one of the most deadly spirits in the world.” (Rex Andrews, The Mystery of Israel”)

We must pray!

But this is also a warning to Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora
In March of 1939, weeks before Britain published the ‘white papers’ (May 1939) effectively slamming shut the doors of Palestine to the Jews of Europe, the Jews of Poland, sent a desperate telegram to London, begging the British to keep the doors of Palestine open!

It went unheeded. You can read about it here.

[I thank God that my grandmother, a dentist in Poland, saw the dangers already in 1933 when Hitler came to power and pushed the family out of Europe. By 1935, her family was already in Palestine. Just four years later, the doors were slammed shut!]

Just as most of the Jews of Europe delayed dealing with leaving Europe for Palestine, so today, millions of Jews are refusing to read the signs of the times and are delaying their decision to come to Israel.

We must pray!

The Body of Christ must wake up!
Instead of being so taken up with their comfort, welfare, and seeking of blessing as their highest goal in life, Christians should awaken to the dangerous times they are living in. Dangerous to their nation, dangerous to the believers, and dangerous to Israel.

Christians must learn to seek the face of God, make the Bible their primary book, and learn to pray with understanding!

While some focus on praying for the political side of these things, I prefer to pray the scriptures. There is no indication that Daniel, for instance, ever used his political ‘connections’ to try to influence the king of Babylon to restore the Jews. He prayed from the Word (Jeremiah). Neither did Esther. Her act was not a political one but an intercessory one. They prayed according to the Word of God, and even risked their lives to do so! So should we, (pray I mean.)

Pray for the gathering of the Jews from the nations. There are many other scriptures and promises regarding God’s gathering of the Jews from the lands where they willingly remain in exile. Take some time, find them, pray them, I urge you. See for instance Ezekiel 39:21-29

Pray for your nation. God’s warnings are not idle threats. Remember the devastation of Germany in WWII. Take a look at the condition of the nations around Israel at this time. See how the cancer of the Jew-hatred and Israel-hatred has devastated their lands.

Psalm 2 is an example, See also Zechariah 12, especially Zech 12:10

Pray for the salvation of Israel Ezekiel 39:21-29, Zechariah 12:10-13:1

Pray for the Body of Christ in the nations. You can find many places in the scriptures that speak of the spiritual condition of Israel; there are great parallels to the condition of the Body today.

Read Malachi. Is the Church offering God worthy sacrifices? Is the Church wholeheartedly serving the Lord in the Word? Is the Church faithful to God’s view of marriage, money? Is the Church faithful to God and serving him wholeheartedly?

Will you pray for the purifying work of the Lord in your own life? In your fellowship’s life – Malachi 3:1-5.

Will you trust the Lord to work in this fiery way in your own life. Do not be afraid to yield to His nail-pierced hands as He works to sanctify you and prepare you for the things ahead.

Blessing from Jerusalem,

—
ani b’derek אני בדרך

And Breath Came Into Them

 

Thank You Lord
for breathing into
and bringing back
to life

my trust and hope
in Who You are
when my faith
is tried.

You establish hope anew.

“So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, ‘Son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off.” Therefore prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people. I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. I will put My Spirit in you and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land.” ‘ “. Ezekiel 37:10,11,12,14 NKJV

The Consolation

 

The Consolation of Israel
has come

salvation for
everyone

the Glory of
Your people

pure Light of
revelation.

A laid down life sees Jesus.

“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord now You are letting your servant depart in peace according to Your word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the Glory of Your people Israel. ‘” Luke 2:25,27,28,29,40,31,32 NKJV

Saving Truth

 

I came first
to Israel
but then
to Gentiles too

so that everyone
everywhere
could know
My saving truth.

A laid down life is showered with merciful kindness.

“Oh, praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” Psalm 117:1-2 NKJV

Enough

“Then Israel said, ‘It is enough, Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.'”  Genesis 45:28 NKJV

There is another Son who is alive.

Thank You, Lord, for always being enough for us.  And here’s a simple poem . . .

What I need
to remember
most
desperately

is I
have You
and You
have me.

God bless you as He is enough for you today!

Apple of His Eye

“For I,” says the LORD, “will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”  Zechariah 2:5 NKJV

Rockets, riots and rage continue to rain down on Israel.

Thank You, Lord, for keeping Israel and Jerusalem as the apple of  Your eye.  And here’s a simple poem. . .

 

I will be a wall of fire

all around her

and the glory

in her midst.

 

Sing and rejoice

O daughter of Zion

for in you I’ll dwell

and be blessed.

 

God bless you as you support Israel.

 

Inside Israel – Memorial Day

Hi and welcome to another look inside Israel as our sis from Jerusalem shares today about what she is witnessing there as a believer in Yeshua.  Thank you so much for praying for Israel and our Sis!  Now, here she is . . .

Greetings, brothers and sisters, from the city where God chose to put His Name…just as He chose to put His Name in your hearts.  May you be blessed and may He be blessed and glorified.

Once again we are in the ‘cycle’ of ‘spring’ with it’s unique ‘appointed times’.  As I thought about it this year, it hit me for the first time how much these appointed times remind me of the cycle of life…and the events of spring remind me of birth.  Of course we see birth as the earth itself buds it’s first swellings and births into bloom, but the hagim (holidays) themselves remind me of ‘labor’ in that they gain in intensity and ride waves of changing emotions before the produce and exhausted but fulfilled ‘end-of-cycle’.  Those of you who have read these letters over the years may remember Pesach signals the beginning of a series of events.  We hold on to the wonder of the miracles of the deliverance of this people that we celebrated at Pesach as we walk to stand beside the gaping grave of the Holocaust.  One week later the sirens will again signal the shared mantle of grief as we observe our Memorial Day (Yom h’zik’a’ron)(this year 15 April) for the fallen soldiers and terror victims.  Then the – dare I call it – mystical transformation from grieving to rejoicing will occur again as the page dramatically turns from the price paid to the promise gained and we enter our Independence Day(Yom h’atzmaoot)(this year 16 April) …this year will be the 65^th birthday of the resurrected state of Israel.  Following Independence Day there is a nearly two week break before Lag b’omer(this year 29 April) is celebrated with bon fires and ten days later we dance in the streets and rejoice at the fulfillment of yet another promise: the 1967 restoration of Jerusalem to Israel  on Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushaylem)(this year 9 May).  AND…exactly two weeks after that is Shavuot (Pentecost)(this year on 16 May) marking the end of the spring cycle.  Beginning with Pesach and ending with Shavuot is the ‘counting of the omer (not to be described today).  Now… these are a LOT of holidays to bare witness to, and any of you who have been through labor and birth of a baby can likely identify with the intensity of these ‘compressed’ events. OF COURSE (you remember…just to complicate things) that our holidays begin at sundown the night before (our ‘day’ is measured from sundown to sundown) and the dates are according to the Hebrew calendar, so they change yearly in respect to the Western calendar.  J  Are you following me? 

So we are currently preparing for Yom h’zikaron (Memorial Day). 

Yesterday the first flag was placed across the grave of the most recently fallen soldier and now the placing of the rest of the too many flags continue.  Films about our history are increasing daily on the radio and television as are stories in the news.  They are fascinating and often poignant, touching and even miraculous.  I encourage any of you who might wish to read along to check some of the web sites noted at the end of my letter and before my Pastor’s prayer update, which came to us today and so I am including.  At this time of year, our young soldiers, who constantly go through an enviable education process that often grows them up, are taken in large groups to visit different memorials and learn of those who fought before them, just as they visited Yad V’Shem (the Holocaust Memorial museum) last week.  I watch these young faces on the bus and train as they absorb the weight of the legacy that has gone before them and is being turned over to them…learning of other young people who have paid the ultimate price for this tiny nation…and yet at the same time they are also beginning to understand that this nation stands by God’s protection alone.  With the intensity of our surroundings and history comes an innate challenge…perhaps a challenge presented by God Himself: HOW has this happened?  WHY has this happened?  WHAT will happen?  WHO… May that question ‘WHO’ be the one that is answered THIS year in the hearts of many!  Oh Lord, BE GLORIFIED!  BE RECOGNIZED!  BE WORSHIPPED!   

I hope to share with you as each event presents itself.  For those of you who wish to follow in our local news here are some sites…but please be blessed by my Pastor’s ‘offering’ copied below.  I send much love, your sis

http://www.jpost.com/    http://www.idf.il/english/    http://www.jerusalemonline.com/    http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-3083,00.html   http://www.israelnationalnews.com/    http://blogs.cbn.com/jerusalemdateline/

 

Inside Israel – Sirens For A Season

Hi and welcome to another look inside Israel today!  This is from an April 8th letter our sis in Jerusalem sent as she shares about the time leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day.  Thank you for praying for Israel and our sis there!  Now, here she is . ..

The air already carries a grey mantle of mourning.  The television stations are shut down showing only several powerful Holocaust movies over and over and interviews with survivors interspersed with history.  In an hour and a half the opening ceremony will begin at Yad v’Shem, our Holocaust memorial, and we will again share the grief as those who lived through the horrors open their hearts and their memories.  They can’t bare it alone, so the nation bares it with them…and there is healing in that.  Somehow it works.  Somehow it acknowledges that they walked that impossible path and they can go on through another year. 

Tomorrow at 10:00am the soulful siren will sound and bring the country to a silent, still 2 minutes of remembrance.  Places of entertainment and restaurants will be closed.  Do I get ‘used to’ this?  No.  It brings tears each year.  The news announced that there has been a 30% rise in violent anti-Semitic acts in the Western nations this year.  Right now, this will have to be VERY short as our nation is the subject of an active ‘cyber-attack’ and I don’t want to leave my computer open.  I will enclose an article that I found a real blessing.  Perhaps it will be safe to write more tomorrow.  God bless you all! Love, your sis

Palestinians visit Yad Vashem: ‘A tragedy beyond words’

Bassam Aramin, whose 10-year-old daughter was killed by IDF rubber bullet, visits Jerusalem’s Holocaust museum, says ‘I surely can identify with feeling like a refugee – humiliated, weak, lost – but the tragedy of the Holocaust is very different’
Noam (Dabul) Dvir

Ahmed al-Jaafari, a 43-year-old Deheishe refugee camp resident, stands opposite the list of Jews who were sent to the Sobibor death camp. At a certain point, he turns to the guide, Roee Hanani, and asks “why did they keep such an organized list if they planned on killing them all along?”

 

Hanani replied him in Arabic “the Nazis were very organized. They believed that they were solving a world problem and wanted to take pride in what they did.”  

As part of a unique “Combatants for Peace” trip to Yad Vashem, eight Palestinian Authority residents visited the museum to learn of the fates of European Jews during the Holocaust.

 

“This was a jolting experience for me,” said al-Jaafari. “I saw the reactions of people who were here and wanted to experience it for myself. I heard and read about and saw movies on the Holocaust, but nothing comes close to a visit in which I can see it with my own eyes. I don’t understand how the world conspired a crime like this.”  

Al-Jaafari continued by making a few comments with which Jews can identify, but likely to cause Palestinians to become irate. “When you look at the background of the Jewish nation, you can try to understand your anxiety and fears. A nation that went through something like this cannot live without scars. I don’t agree with the comparison between the Holocaust and the situation in the territories, and people who make this comparison make it out of pain and anger.”

 

“Combatants for Peace” was established by a group of Israelis and Palestinians who participated in what they call the “circle of violence” in the region,” and have now abandoned their weapons in favor of peace and coexistence.

 

However, not all the Palestinians who registered for the tour, made it to Yad Vashem. This is due to the difficulties they had attaining entrance visas into Israel.

 

No Arab Righteous Gentiles

Upon arrival to the station dedicated to the Righteous Gentiles, Hanani told the participants about a devout Muslim couple that hid the Jewish Habilio family in their home in Sarajevo. The couple also took the father in, who managed to escape a labor camp. The Habilio family immigrated to Israel in 1984 and turned to Yad Vashem; bringing recognition to the Hardega family as Righteous Gentiles.

 

The story did not end there. During the civil war which saw the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Sarajevo was under massive attack. Yad Vashem and the Joint Distribution Committee brought Zaynba Hardega to Israel with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. Zayba has since passed away, but the rest of the family still lives in Jerusalem.

 

Hanani explained to the group that there are still no Arab Righteous Gentiles, but the relevant committee is currently discussing a few cases in which North African citizens saved Jews during World War II.

 

“I began taking an interest in the Holocaust 20 years ago when I saw the movie ‘Schindler’s List,’ said Bassam Aramin, who organized the tour on the Palestinian side. “Since then, I have seen it four times.”

 

“Less than a month ago I was at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. When you arrive at a place like this, you forget who you are. This is a tragedy that cannot be described in words.”

 

Some five years ago, Aramin’s 10-year-old daughter was killed by an IDF rubber bullet. When he hears comparisons being made between the territories and the European Holocaust, he becomes indignant.

 

“This is a big mistake. These are very different things. As a person who lives under occupation, I surely can identify with feeling like a refugee – humiliated, weak, lost – but the tragedy of the Holocaust is very different,” said Aramin.

 

Nabil, another participant, said that he didn’t think twice about joining the tour. “As soon as I was called I said I was coming. I heard a lot about the Holocaust and wanted to see Yad Vashem with my own eyes. I am not afraid of reactions from the Palestinian side. I think that everyone needs to come here and see it with their own eyes.”

 

Inside Israel – Bits and Pieces, Part 2

Hi and welcome to another look inside Israel.  This is the second half of last week’s letter from our sis in Jerusalem.  Thank you so much for reading and praying. Now here’s our sis . . .

(And (since I am going to bed now) here is the second part of the letter…which was really first)

 May He be glorified and blessed, and may you be blessed and encouraged.  A dear local sister and I encouraged one another over the phone this afternoon, simply sharing what we were receiving from The Lord during our private times of devotion.  She told me that she has been focusing on the Passover and Resurrection and shared some wonderful insights, one of which touched me deeply.  She shared about the body, all gathered together around Jesus, at the ‘last supper’, the Passover seder, just before He laid down His life for us.  She had thought about how close the disciples were that Peter could see how John was leaning on The Lord’s chest, (at the seder, all ‘lean’ together) right against His Heart, and how he could ask ‘Who is it, Lord’.  Because He was right against The Lord’s heart he could hear immediately the answer.  What a precious picture this was to me of ‘the body’; you and I and all of those who dine with Him, leaning on one another, sharing and caring about what HE has to say.

 

So it is Friday evening now and I am preparing for the shabat and thinking about this week.  The days of the eating of the matzo between the first and last Pesach seder are called ‘col ha’moed’ and are ‘half holiday’.  ‘Col’ means ‘all’ and ha’moed means ‘the appointed feast’ or ‘meeting’.  They are days of rejoicing and joy here in the city of Jerusalem with many events.  Schools are on vacation and so are government services and many small shops owned by the religious are also closed.  People are actively ‘vacationing’ so most that remains open during these days are open ‘half-time’…except for restaurants that are ‘kosher for Passover’ (in other words, that are totally free from leaven).  For the past few years most of the museums in the country have been free during this time (free admission for the country being donated by the banks) and it is fun to watch Israelis literally explore every inch of the country that they love…their own!  Ofcourse…for those of us who ‘like our space’…this is a difficult season and EVERYTHING is crowded; museums, shops, nature reserves, roadways, restaurants, sidewalks, seaside, mountain trails, … not to mention the trains and buses!  NOBODY is in their homes.  Remember the word ‘belagan’?  It applies here!  Somewhere, mid holiday, there is the ‘blessing of the Cohanim’…the priestly blessing, which is given BY the descendents of the priestly tribe to the rest of the house of Israel, who gather at the Western Wall of the Temple in the Old City.  This Passover it was on Thursday as the area in front of the wall filled up – the Cohanim covered with their prayer shawls, stretched out their hands over the crowd and recited the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless thee and keep thee, The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.”  Since many people come into the city for this event, the streets and restaurants afterward are full to capacity!  Since my husband and I needed to work all week, we met downtown to try to accomplish something on Thursday afternoon.  What a mistake that was!  My husband got off of the jammed train and walked, arriving at the same time as the train. 

Also on Thursday, Catholics in particular celebrate ‘Holy Thursday’, so large crosses were mingled with the crowds.  These are more pronounced today…on ‘Good Friday’, as many walk the Via Delarosa with large wooden crosses commemorating the walk to the crucifixion.  At early morning prayer meeting today, Chuck pointed out something very interesting.  In his own words

 

“This week’s prophetic portion is Ezekiel 37:1-4 – the vision of the valley of dry bones. This section is always read on the Shabbat during the Passover/Unleavened Bread week. What is most interesting is that this Shabbat during this Passover season is the Shabbat when Yeshua was in the grave. So in synagogues throughout the world, Jews are reading about the resurrection of the nation of Israel and the Church is waiting for the first day of the week to celebrate the resurrection of Israel’s King Messiah, the world’s Savior Yeshua!

And my dear sisters and brothers…least I continue on and on and on…I will close this very fragmented letter…call it ‘bits and pieces’ – it may be ‘confusing’ but in a way that helps it catch the flavor of this VERY condensed season… moving on so quickly!  I am too tired to tie it all together and polish it, so please accept what ever scrap of this offering that might encourage you.  Believe me…it comes with LOVE!  May the risen Lord bless you! 

Lovingly, your sis

ani b’derek

Inside Israel – Bits and Pieces, Part 1

 

 

Hi and welcome to another look inside Israel!  Today in part one, our sis in Jerusalem shares what was going on  there right after Easter.  Thank you for reading and praying!  God bless you!  Now, here’s our sis . . .

Greetings dear sisters and brothers in Yeshua, HE HAS RISEN INDEED and I pray that He will use each of you (us) that has this precious Gift and understanding contained in earthen vessels to glorify Him in whatever way He leads, for fruit in His kingdom!

 

SO…This special day, the commemoration of the most pivotal and important event in all history, the resurrection from the dead of Yeshua, our Savior, has pre-empted the letter that I had already begun (ever so slowly) to write to you.  I will share it as a ‘second part’ although it was written first, but today is fresh in my mind and heart. 

 

Today is Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, and also the last day of Pesach is settling upon us as the sun begins to go down.  Can you imagine the amount of intense spiritual activity in this city!  Whew!  May The Lord ‘condense’ my words to an acceptable portion… perhaps you would like to read this letter in parts. 

 

This morning very early I found myself reading the last chapter of each Gospel, and I suddenly remembered hearing some Jewish theologian being interviewed on the news several nights ago, concerning ‘how the new Pope would be affecting Jewish Christian relations’.  Perhaps you remember that I have explained that Jews are generally as confused about Christian denominations as Christians are about Jewish ones.  I listened as this esteemed ‘expert’ explained in detail how ‘The church used to accuse the Jews of killing Jesus based on one erroneous verse in the writings of Paul, but that was changed through a church edict during [one or another] a convocation some time ago…and all is still ok.’ I ‘felt’ a ‘collective sigh’ among the Jews.  ‘Whew!  THAT blood libel is past!’ I didn’t pay much attention but it stuck in the back of my mind and came flooding in this morning.  A number of years ago I studied the scriptures in depth to know how to answer people on this question and I saw, beyond a doubt three things; 1) that we the Jews, our leaders, demanded His crucifixion, 2) the Roman soldier carried it out and 3) NO HUMAN HANDS TOOK HIS LIFE…but that He laid it down at the command of His Father, and as He came to do.  I also saw that it HAD to be through the Jewish priests that The Lamb of God was chosen and killed for the sins of the world …because this was how the sacrifice for sin was prescribed in the law by God!  As I studied these things, I was amazed at the intricacy of the plan and also amazed at the sheer amount of scripture speaking directly to this subject!  In other words, the scriptures leave no doubt that He laid down His life for us…chosen of Abba Father for this very purpose…and He again took up His life – with the lives of His followers wrapped in His!- as He said He would!

 

So…as I thought about this theologian speaking so authoritatively on our news, and how many people listen and believe what they hear, and how often these ‘untrue truths’ are spoken, I again had to worship Him that His Name is TRUTH and that He offers us unmixed TRUTH…if we will hear; “Let him who has ears hear…”  Dare I share that I am of the opinion that TRUTH is being sacrificed ever so quickly with the rapid advent of technological communication, delivering to our itching ears ‘comments’, ‘sermons’, articles (yes, this one too.  PLEASE NEVER take ‘my word’ as ‘authority’! I try to be faithful witness to what I see.  Period.) and films at the expense of the revealed Word of God read through in context with The Holy Spirit as our teacher, and under whatever spiritual authority God Himself has lead us to sit under, according to His order?  This means so much to me for two reasons: first, I live in an area that is the subject of wide spread lies told over and over again until they are believed;  and secondly  because before I was saved I did not believe that there WAS ‘Truth’.  I thought that everything was relative and subjective.  When I met The Lord and He showed me that very first night that there was absolute Truth, my life was overturned!   I want that Truth, even if it slays my most beloved ‘thought’ and ‘premise’.  But it must be HIS Truth…which is first of all MERCIFUL.  He is so patient and kind with us as He turns our hearts in His Hands as on a potter’s wheel.  How incredibly PRECIOUS is that balance between Merciful Patience and Truth!  ONLY by His Holy Spirit can we handle Truth mercifully! 

 

So I followed my husband this morning to the 5:30 train as we made our way to the Garden Tomb, near the Damascus gate of the Old City, for the sunrise service that I have described to you in years past.  It is mostly attended by people who come and visit from the nations around the world and perhaps some of you watched it broadcast this morning.  Even after these years, it seems so strange to watch the some 1,500 worshipers make their way there and back again amidst the crowds going to work and about their daily tasks.  I suspect that it was the same way on the day when He arose…that life went on as usual through out much of the city…that silently He came into the world, born in a manger and noticed by shepherds and a few old people, Simeon and Ana… And silently He meets each of us, ‘alone’… one by one…called to Him.  But we are called NOT to be silent.  May each of us be sent from our knees to those whom we pray for, and may we bare fruit 100 fold for His kingdom! 

 

We have been so very blessed by the presence of old (and new) friends from Alaska this year, and we joined them for (a FANTASTIC!)  breakfast that they hosted.  We were doubly blessed that our dear friends and my prayer partners were with them also for breakfast, and soon the morning turned into a deep time of reflection and learning. Again the issue of TRUTH presented itself as my friend shared the fact that the popularly held ‘view’ in the church of an upcoming ‘Joshua generation of young people’ was based on error; just how old was Joshua?  Considering that he wandered in the wilderness for 40 years AFTER he had been one of the 12 spies, and THEN stepped into the shoes of Moses…he was at least 80 years old!  I had never thought of that and I was so thankful to have my eyes open!  May The Lord open our eyes to what is good and true!  Our friends who had been here on tour were asked ‘What had most struck them about their time in Israel.’  These were all first-time visitors.  Oh how good it was to hear their answers for me as it reminded me of things that I now take for granted.  One spoke of how surprised he was at the proximity of Jew and Arab…Jewish village and Arab village across the street from each other…joined by the same road; how very tiny the country is and how (as they went to the borders) we are so closely surrounded (within and with out ) by those seeking to destroy us.  Another mentioned that ‘This was the Bible!’ and that it just brought the Bible to life.  A third spoke of the intermingling of spirit and flesh in every day life…that spiritual things are ‘naturally’ a part of everything…that tour guides quote the Bible, as do signs on buildings etc.  Another spoke of the desert blossoming… how the land is so productive and green.  Another spoke of the peace…the lack of fear…the peace in the people.  These and more observations served to remind us of what has become every day life.

 

So, with that still in mind, as we drove home thorough a MONSTER traffic jam, my husband and I tried to look at the city through new eyes…as we saw it when we had first arrived…and it WAS FUNNY!  One of the things that we had forgotten (became used to) was the traffic signs.  They are NOT ‘normal’!  At any given corner, cross walk, or simply for no reason in particular, there are strange and confusing cacophony of signs giving you ‘directions’…each one meant to ‘clarify the other’.  Picture (if you can) a stop light with red, yellow and green, and a ‘caution’ light blinking.  Over the stop light there are THREE separate signs: a left hand arrow, a right hand arrow with a line through it, and two double arrows going straight…but in opposite directions.  UNDER the stop light is a U turn arrow with a line through it.  Next to the caution sign is a yield sign and in the midst of it all (just to make sure) there is a ‘STOP’ sign.  Oh…and a ‘do not enter’ sign as well.  We have become used to these signs but at the BEGINNING?  OY!!  Today we decided that they are that way because they are designed by people who use A LOT of words…then trying to translate into signs.  You really have to see it to believe it.  We looked with fresh eyes at people talking on 2 cell phones…at the same time; at Moslems in traditional dress, religious Jews in traditional dress and secular people having picnics side by side, their kids playing together.  We laughed again at drivers alone in cars waving their arms at WHOEVER they were talking to on their phones as they drove.  It was fun to be reminded of how much we have adapted to culturally.   

 

___with love, your sis________________________________________________