The LORD has said that He would hear the cry of His people. King David said that in his distress he cried out to God and He heard and answered.
My wife and I had two wonderful visitor's earlier today, after we returned from church. It was from a Godly Uncle and Aunt who had a burden for the child left on our doorstep this past week. They gave a monetary gift to help prepare the child for school, which starts in three days here in WV.
God hears the prayers of His people; and there are still people who listen to and obey His leading.
The Aunt who was keeping this child put a block on the medications the child needs; my Mother-in-Law works at a local K-Mart and was able to get some sugar meter reading strips (sorry, I do not know the proper name for the item), at a 10% discount. We found out the prescription was blocked when we ordered them before the child ran out and the Pharmacy in NC said all medications were put on a "block..."
We are working here with Child Protective Services in Berkeley County, my wife and the child are going to the health department tomorrow for the required screening for school, they meet with the School Nurse on Tuesday and the fun begins on Wednesday for schooling, a new year, a new start and a new life for one small eternal soul God has seen fit to put in our care at this time.
Please keep us in your prayers; for wisdom, for forgiveness for the Aunt, and for the children (two others) still trapped in the home in NC. God can do anything! And He has, is now, and forever will hear the cry of those who love Him.
Like the special visitors to our home today, we must continue to "Trust and Obey, for there is no other way - to be happy in Jesus, we must trust and obey..."
Have a great week thinking and meditating on Him!
And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all of your heart! (Jeremiah 29:13) The LORD is good to those that wait for Him; to the soul that seeks Him. (Lamentations 3:25)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
His Way or No Way!
In a passage of scripture concerning the future of Jerusalem there is a picture given of a way of God I have not seen before. In Zephaniah 3:11 it says the people will speak a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.
The day will come when they will not be ashamed of all their doings and transgressions becuse He will take away from the midst of the city all who are full of pride and rejoicing. The haughty will have no place in His holy mountain.
God will leave in the midst of the city a people that are afflicted and poor, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.
What a contrast to what I have been taught, and from what I want to hear; that God's desire is to shower me with blessings and wealth! I turn on the television when my eyes begin to hurt from either reading or working in the yard and I see some preacher like Joel Olsteen, whose teeth must be whitened again before each broadcast is aired saying that all I have to do is speak it, read it, and believe it.
Whose side do I want to be on? Am I a capitalist Christian from a Western democracy that thrives and strives for wealth above all else? Or do I desire to be in the class of the afflicted and poor people that trust in the name of the LORD? I cannot have it both ways.
Which is it?
My decision reveals my heart. I cannot run from the issue.
If I make the right decision, not only verbally but in my daily lifestyle and decisions, then, and only then, the rest of Chapter 3 in Zephaniah kick into gear:
" In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem,
Fear thou not and to Zion,
Let not thine hands be slack."
" The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
(He is the mighty one, not me!)
He will save,
He will rejoice over thee with joy/
He will rest in His love,
He will joy over thee with singing."
All true Believers want to "tap into" that river that flows from the throne of God; not sometimes, but all of the time. As water always does, it runs and follows the lowest places on this planet. The lower the landscape, the faster the stream flows. This is a fact of nature; is the spiritual fact any different?
The Bible says to humble yourselves under, yes under the mighty hand of God. Then, He will exalt you in due time. Christ the Messiah is our example. He poured Himself out even unto death and this was acceptable unto the Father. He did not do His own will, which infers that He must have wanted to do things differently if He could, but He did not.
Are we different?
Recently, I have been put in a position to be on the receiving end of charity. This runs against my grain; we are givers, not receivers. We have supported missionary works from Israel, China, Egypt, New York City, Martinsburg, WV and Vietnam. Last evening I visited my elder Pastor friend, Rev. Cooper who is getting ready to have his 88 birthday, and after praying for our situation regarding a 13 year old child "dumped" on our doorstep, he slipped me two twenty dollar bills. I tried to give the money back but he turned his head and started humming something or other! I was embarassed when he would not take the funds back.
The Spirit of the LORD spoke softly to me and reminded me that He knows our emergency needs and He was providing for them; not for an entire week or month so we can relax, but for that one trip to Walmart to purchase banana's, apples, milk and vinallea wavers the children and my wife love to snack on.
He spoke to my spirit softly and calmly and asked me to try to imagine how the great, mighty prophet Elijah felt when he was instructed to go to a widow's house in the midst of a great famine and ask for a meal of oil, cake and wine. How did Elijah feel?
How did Naman feel when he was told to dip himself in the dirty Jordan River to be healed of leporsy?
How did Christ feel when He was spat upon and beaten almost senseless by those He came to save?
We need to prepare for days of great need and do not be embarassed if God removes the protections we feel we have made for ourselves and our families. He will "pull our skirts high" and expose our nakedness for all to see; the nakedness and shame will be that we were never really dependant only on Him in the first place.
I am ashamed that it has taken me 55 years to learn this basic way of God.
There is great hope though! As we learn and live humility, He who promised is faithful and true and He will rejoice over us, His children, with singing and joy!
Learn the lessons quickly! I want God the Creator of all things to be happy over me!!!
The day will come when they will not be ashamed of all their doings and transgressions becuse He will take away from the midst of the city all who are full of pride and rejoicing. The haughty will have no place in His holy mountain.
God will leave in the midst of the city a people that are afflicted and poor, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.
What a contrast to what I have been taught, and from what I want to hear; that God's desire is to shower me with blessings and wealth! I turn on the television when my eyes begin to hurt from either reading or working in the yard and I see some preacher like Joel Olsteen, whose teeth must be whitened again before each broadcast is aired saying that all I have to do is speak it, read it, and believe it.
Whose side do I want to be on? Am I a capitalist Christian from a Western democracy that thrives and strives for wealth above all else? Or do I desire to be in the class of the afflicted and poor people that trust in the name of the LORD? I cannot have it both ways.
Which is it?
My decision reveals my heart. I cannot run from the issue.
If I make the right decision, not only verbally but in my daily lifestyle and decisions, then, and only then, the rest of Chapter 3 in Zephaniah kick into gear:
" In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem,
Fear thou not and to Zion,
Let not thine hands be slack."
" The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
(He is the mighty one, not me!)
He will save,
He will rejoice over thee with joy/
He will rest in His love,
He will joy over thee with singing."
All true Believers want to "tap into" that river that flows from the throne of God; not sometimes, but all of the time. As water always does, it runs and follows the lowest places on this planet. The lower the landscape, the faster the stream flows. This is a fact of nature; is the spiritual fact any different?
The Bible says to humble yourselves under, yes under the mighty hand of God. Then, He will exalt you in due time. Christ the Messiah is our example. He poured Himself out even unto death and this was acceptable unto the Father. He did not do His own will, which infers that He must have wanted to do things differently if He could, but He did not.
Are we different?
Recently, I have been put in a position to be on the receiving end of charity. This runs against my grain; we are givers, not receivers. We have supported missionary works from Israel, China, Egypt, New York City, Martinsburg, WV and Vietnam. Last evening I visited my elder Pastor friend, Rev. Cooper who is getting ready to have his 88 birthday, and after praying for our situation regarding a 13 year old child "dumped" on our doorstep, he slipped me two twenty dollar bills. I tried to give the money back but he turned his head and started humming something or other! I was embarassed when he would not take the funds back.
The Spirit of the LORD spoke softly to me and reminded me that He knows our emergency needs and He was providing for them; not for an entire week or month so we can relax, but for that one trip to Walmart to purchase banana's, apples, milk and vinallea wavers the children and my wife love to snack on.
He spoke to my spirit softly and calmly and asked me to try to imagine how the great, mighty prophet Elijah felt when he was instructed to go to a widow's house in the midst of a great famine and ask for a meal of oil, cake and wine. How did Elijah feel?
How did Naman feel when he was told to dip himself in the dirty Jordan River to be healed of leporsy?
How did Christ feel when He was spat upon and beaten almost senseless by those He came to save?
We need to prepare for days of great need and do not be embarassed if God removes the protections we feel we have made for ourselves and our families. He will "pull our skirts high" and expose our nakedness for all to see; the nakedness and shame will be that we were never really dependant only on Him in the first place.
I am ashamed that it has taken me 55 years to learn this basic way of God.
There is great hope though! As we learn and live humility, He who promised is faithful and true and He will rejoice over us, His children, with singing and joy!
Learn the lessons quickly! I want God the Creator of all things to be happy over me!!!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Poor and Needy
I apologize for not posting lately; my wife and I have had a very busy summer with children who are in very bad home situations staying with us. I have not really had anything to say or put in writing, so I said nothing (out loud, at least!) and I have not written.
There are seasons of learning of God, learning what lies in the depths of our hearts, and seemingly being "hung out to dry". This summer has been one such season; with spurts of hope in between each crisis.
We now have (temporarily, probably permanantly) a new addition to our family; a 13 year old girl who has been abandoned by both mother and father, and most recently her Aunt. This child came with an 8 year old girl who is a former neighbor of ours when we lived in North Carolina. Both exibit scars of a homelife that is surrounded by trouble, instability and uncertainty.
The mother of the 8 year old, who is also the Aunt of the 13 year old reportedly stays out into the lateness of the night, brings strangers into the home, as the two girls have no place to sleep but on the floor in the same room as a 15 year old boy. The 13 year old has written things that have happened in the home that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck; guns brought into the home, drug parties, and lice infestation and animal feces scattered throughout the house.
When the Spring and Summer break of 2009 started, I tried to prepare myself mentally for a house full of kids; up to 7 at a time! We have a small swimming pool, televisions and games in each room and always healthy food and snacks on our table. I have prayed since our home was built that it would be a place of peace and refuge for those who entered our doors. I had no idea that God would answer that prayer! I was thinking that our home would be a place of refuge for my wife and myself after going out into the world to earn a living; I had no idea that God had other things in mind.
I have a child of my own; a 31 year old son who has done quite well for himself; he has his engineering degree from Villinova, a good job close to his home, and he represents in my mind the atributes that made this nation the success it has been in the past. God has blessed both him and my wife and I.
I have been thinking recently of some passages of Scripture regarding the poor and needy; a special people in the eyes of God. Psalm 72:13 says, " He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy..." Isaiah 14:30 gives a picture of the poor that shall feed and lie down in safety...
Proverbs 31:20 speaks of women of God who stretch out their hand to the poor; she reaches out her hand to the needy...
As this situation began to develope I immediately thought of the cost, trouble, time and energy of having a 13 year old girl introduced into our home; a child with severe childhood diabetes. Her sugar count goes from the low 60's to 4 and 5oo with the bat of an eye. During Spring Break she was rushed to an emergency room near Washington, D.C., with my wife riding in the ambulance with her as we both wondered if she was going to survive her sugar count that was over 600 at the time. She was on the verge of a coma, we could not awaken her.
The "Randy" in me shouted WHO NEEDS THIS! I have already done my time at parenting - this is not my child - who is going to come and get this child and take care of her? I looked in the mirror and realized I was looking at the person I was looking for! This little girl's mother is on the run from the authorities down south; her father has fathered 9 other children that are scattered across the nation and he is also being sought for back child support. He has no fixed address. The Aunt with whom the child was staying came up this past Monday to pick up her the other little girl who spent the summer with us. She and a lady she brought with her wanted to come into our home and "get physical" with the 13 year old. I stood guard in our driveway and told them both that our home is a place of peace; not violence and shouting. We stood in the driveway for over an hour as they tried to convince me to let them in. They did carry the little girls suitcases out of the home and ignored the 13 year old, my wife and the other neices that were in our home. As they were shouting, I was praying.
The arrogance of these two women amazed and astounded me. I could not believe my eyes or ears. My natural man was thinking that we have fed their two children all summer and not even a .99 cent bag of potato chips was offered by them! Not one dollar or nickle. I looked at my wife on one or two occasions and said, "here's another fine mess you got me into, Ollie...! (from the old Loral and Hardy show)
A question: If not us, Who?
If not now, When?
Where does a 13 year old child whose mother and father and Aunt have abandoned, whose Grandmother died while she was living with her, whose other Aunt and Uncle with whom she was living divorced and made her leave, and who was, until last week, crying that she did not want to go back to a home of violence, abuse and filth?
I have felt like Jeremiah over the summer; the mood swings from one verse to the next in this passage convinces me that what I have gone through both physically and more importantly spiritually is normal for a Believer. I know that God is in control; no matter how uncertain things presently are. The passage in Jeremiah I speak of in found in chapter 20: 11-15 -notice his "mood swings in just 5 verses -
" But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one;
therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail;
they shall be greatly ashamed; they shall not prosper;
their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. "
" But O LORD of Hosts,
that triest the righteous,
and seest the reins of the heart,
let me see Thy vengence on them;
for unto Thee have I opened my cause."
" Sing unto the LORD,
praise ye the LORD;
for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers."
NOTICE THE CHANGE
" Cursed be the day wherein I was born;
let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying,
A man child is born unto thee;
making him very glad....."
I have always had difficulty understanding some of these things in Scripture; I have asked God for understanding. I AM FINDING OUT. God is a revealer of what is hidden deep within my heart, and it is not pretty most of the time.
When, in the natural I should be preparing for retirement and a nest egg, I live from paycheck to paycheck as I deal with these additional expenses and continue to pay for mistakes I have made; not moral mistakes but financial decisions in past years. God is teaching me what is more important about this life; an eternal soul created by Him who is among the poor and needy with absoultely no place to go.
Even during her serious illness issues, her Aunt went back to North Carolina and immediately put a block on the perscriptions this little 13 year old needs to stay healthy. We have been burning the candle here at both ends making emergency telephone calls, trying to set up appointments with Child Protective Services here in WV, speaking with the School officials and getting her shots and such so she can start school here on Wednesday.
God has been reminding me of a verse that says that in the last of days men will cast their gold and silver into the streets because it will be worthless in His time of judgment. My retirement plans are taking a beating, my goal of being "self sufficient" in my older years is a dream that went up in smoke, and I am not ashamed to say that I have my next payday circled on the calendar on my desk!!!
God provides, God hears, God cares and God cares for the poor and needy.
In closing, as the children that have come into our home say on occasion -
" To H - E - Double - Hockey - Sticks' with retirement plans! There is more important work to be done here!
There are seasons of learning of God, learning what lies in the depths of our hearts, and seemingly being "hung out to dry". This summer has been one such season; with spurts of hope in between each crisis.
We now have (temporarily, probably permanantly) a new addition to our family; a 13 year old girl who has been abandoned by both mother and father, and most recently her Aunt. This child came with an 8 year old girl who is a former neighbor of ours when we lived in North Carolina. Both exibit scars of a homelife that is surrounded by trouble, instability and uncertainty.
The mother of the 8 year old, who is also the Aunt of the 13 year old reportedly stays out into the lateness of the night, brings strangers into the home, as the two girls have no place to sleep but on the floor in the same room as a 15 year old boy. The 13 year old has written things that have happened in the home that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck; guns brought into the home, drug parties, and lice infestation and animal feces scattered throughout the house.
When the Spring and Summer break of 2009 started, I tried to prepare myself mentally for a house full of kids; up to 7 at a time! We have a small swimming pool, televisions and games in each room and always healthy food and snacks on our table. I have prayed since our home was built that it would be a place of peace and refuge for those who entered our doors. I had no idea that God would answer that prayer! I was thinking that our home would be a place of refuge for my wife and myself after going out into the world to earn a living; I had no idea that God had other things in mind.
I have a child of my own; a 31 year old son who has done quite well for himself; he has his engineering degree from Villinova, a good job close to his home, and he represents in my mind the atributes that made this nation the success it has been in the past. God has blessed both him and my wife and I.
I have been thinking recently of some passages of Scripture regarding the poor and needy; a special people in the eyes of God. Psalm 72:13 says, " He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy..." Isaiah 14:30 gives a picture of the poor that shall feed and lie down in safety...
Proverbs 31:20 speaks of women of God who stretch out their hand to the poor; she reaches out her hand to the needy...
As this situation began to develope I immediately thought of the cost, trouble, time and energy of having a 13 year old girl introduced into our home; a child with severe childhood diabetes. Her sugar count goes from the low 60's to 4 and 5oo with the bat of an eye. During Spring Break she was rushed to an emergency room near Washington, D.C., with my wife riding in the ambulance with her as we both wondered if she was going to survive her sugar count that was over 600 at the time. She was on the verge of a coma, we could not awaken her.
The "Randy" in me shouted WHO NEEDS THIS! I have already done my time at parenting - this is not my child - who is going to come and get this child and take care of her? I looked in the mirror and realized I was looking at the person I was looking for! This little girl's mother is on the run from the authorities down south; her father has fathered 9 other children that are scattered across the nation and he is also being sought for back child support. He has no fixed address. The Aunt with whom the child was staying came up this past Monday to pick up her the other little girl who spent the summer with us. She and a lady she brought with her wanted to come into our home and "get physical" with the 13 year old. I stood guard in our driveway and told them both that our home is a place of peace; not violence and shouting. We stood in the driveway for over an hour as they tried to convince me to let them in. They did carry the little girls suitcases out of the home and ignored the 13 year old, my wife and the other neices that were in our home. As they were shouting, I was praying.
The arrogance of these two women amazed and astounded me. I could not believe my eyes or ears. My natural man was thinking that we have fed their two children all summer and not even a .99 cent bag of potato chips was offered by them! Not one dollar or nickle. I looked at my wife on one or two occasions and said, "here's another fine mess you got me into, Ollie...! (from the old Loral and Hardy show)
A question: If not us, Who?
If not now, When?
Where does a 13 year old child whose mother and father and Aunt have abandoned, whose Grandmother died while she was living with her, whose other Aunt and Uncle with whom she was living divorced and made her leave, and who was, until last week, crying that she did not want to go back to a home of violence, abuse and filth?
I have felt like Jeremiah over the summer; the mood swings from one verse to the next in this passage convinces me that what I have gone through both physically and more importantly spiritually is normal for a Believer. I know that God is in control; no matter how uncertain things presently are. The passage in Jeremiah I speak of in found in chapter 20: 11-15 -notice his "mood swings in just 5 verses -
" But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one;
therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail;
they shall be greatly ashamed; they shall not prosper;
their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. "
" But O LORD of Hosts,
that triest the righteous,
and seest the reins of the heart,
let me see Thy vengence on them;
for unto Thee have I opened my cause."
" Sing unto the LORD,
praise ye the LORD;
for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers."
NOTICE THE CHANGE
" Cursed be the day wherein I was born;
let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying,
A man child is born unto thee;
making him very glad....."
I have always had difficulty understanding some of these things in Scripture; I have asked God for understanding. I AM FINDING OUT. God is a revealer of what is hidden deep within my heart, and it is not pretty most of the time.
When, in the natural I should be preparing for retirement and a nest egg, I live from paycheck to paycheck as I deal with these additional expenses and continue to pay for mistakes I have made; not moral mistakes but financial decisions in past years. God is teaching me what is more important about this life; an eternal soul created by Him who is among the poor and needy with absoultely no place to go.
Even during her serious illness issues, her Aunt went back to North Carolina and immediately put a block on the perscriptions this little 13 year old needs to stay healthy. We have been burning the candle here at both ends making emergency telephone calls, trying to set up appointments with Child Protective Services here in WV, speaking with the School officials and getting her shots and such so she can start school here on Wednesday.
God has been reminding me of a verse that says that in the last of days men will cast their gold and silver into the streets because it will be worthless in His time of judgment. My retirement plans are taking a beating, my goal of being "self sufficient" in my older years is a dream that went up in smoke, and I am not ashamed to say that I have my next payday circled on the calendar on my desk!!!
God provides, God hears, God cares and God cares for the poor and needy.
In closing, as the children that have come into our home say on occasion -
" To H - E - Double - Hockey - Sticks' with retirement plans! There is more important work to be done here!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
SHABBATH THOUGHTS-Reuven Doron
FOUR PILLARS OF GIVING - REUVEN DORON
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38.
One of our primary calls and privileges in our newfound life in Christ is GIVING. In fact, so vital and central GIVING is to our new nature, that Jesus Himself, in the Sermon on the Mount, placed GIVING as one of the principle pillars of His Kingdom right alongside love, forgiveness, prayer and fasting. GIVING has always characterized the great patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith, from Abraham and Sarah to Moses, to Hannah, to David and all those who reflected the perfect God through their imperfect personalities in their generation. Now the legacy comes down to you and to us, to reflect the nature of our GIVING GOD to our crooked and perverse generation. How can this be done?
Of the many great offerings recorded in the Bible, four are of superior impact as they demonstrate the four pillars that empower and liberate the human spirit to rise and soar in high places with God - the Giver of all gifts. These four principles are ► generosity ► power ► abandonment ► and sacrifice.
GENEROSITY
Exodus 35 describes the great offering that the children of Israel collected in the wilderness to build the Tabernacle of God, His “mobile sanctuary,” on their way to the Promised Land. Responding the Moses’ call, the Scripture says that “... everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, [and] they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments...” Ex 35:21.
So great was this offering and so filled with extravagant faith and generosity, that the builders of the Tabernacle eventually were forced to ask the people to stop giving and “...spoke to Moses, saying, ‘The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded....’ So Moses gave a commandment... saying, ‘Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.’ And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done - indeed too much.” Ex 36:5-7.
Too much! The people gave so much that it became TOO MUCH, and the offering had to be brought to an end by the leadership’s intervention. Have we ever given more than enough? Have we ever offered too much to God that we had to be told to stop giving? The Tabernacle that was built from this abundant offering served Israel for hundreds of years to come, housing the very presence of the Lord who carried them on eagles’ wings and set them secure in their Land. Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from ancient Israel.
POWER
The first offering recorded in the New Testament demonstrates this second great pillar. As the young Jerusalem Church was rapidly growing by the Apostles’ teachings and the power of the Holy Spirit, filled with zeal and faith, the scripture tells us that “... great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid [them] at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” Acts 4:33-35.
It is of significance to realize that this offering was laid at the apostles’ feet in a very dramatic and demonstrative way. The money was not neatly collected in a basket or carried away in a collection box. Rather, the funds were placed UNDER the feet of the apostles, signifying that the god of mammon and greed of this fallen world was placed under their feet and made subject to the authority of Jesus Christ in His Church.
God’s people are called to live and walk in such a way that we submit our material concerns and aspirations to the Lord’s ownership and authority. We do so in such a tangible and demonstrative way that the message is loud and clear – “I am not in bondage to the God of Mammon and my resources are free to serve the King’s purposes and the Kingdom’s goals.”
The point is freedom and liberty from economical oppression of any kind, a battle we all must fight and win while in this world. And giving, born of faith, is one of our weapons! Have you learned the secret of investing, while yet in this world, in such a way so as to harvest everlasting and imperishable returns? Your giving reveals your faith or fear disposition, and we shall all reap according the seeds we have sown. This is the simple law of the harvest.
ABANDONMENT
The gospel of Mark tells us that while the Lord was at Bethany, “... a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil... she broke the flask and poured [it] on His head. But there were some who were indignant... and said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarius and given to the poor...’ But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always... She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.” Mark 14:3-9.
300 denarius was a lot of money! A denari in bible times was worth one day’s wages. 300 denarius, therefore, translated to the wages of 300 days of work, or nearly one year’s income! Taken in today’s terms of average annual income in the USA, that woman “wasted” the equivalent of $50,000 on Jesus in one lavish offering! No wonder the “reasonable folks” witnessing this “unreasonable” outpouring went mad! Yet, it was them that the Lord rebuked, while the woman was praised to this very day.
When the moment calls and a unique need presents itself, such as the one that the woman sensed in her spirit on that spring day at Bethany, will we be able to act with such abandonment and liberality of heart? The secret for such liberty and boldness to pour out of our resources with this kind of amazing grace is our perspective on Jesus. If He is front, center and close up in our lives, we will find the grace when He calls.
SACRIFICE
Observing the donors who were bringing their offerings to the Temple treasury in Jerusalem, Jesus “...looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” Luke 21:1-4.
There are times when the Lord would ask us to give Him our all. This kind of giving requires the greatest faith of all because we really don’t know what tomorrow will be like having emptied our pockets today. Still, it’s a matter of trust, and the Lord who supplied for us yesterday is the same today, tomorrow and forever. He is worthy of our all.
All God’s commandments are for the simple purpose of showing us His divine nature and eternal attributes. Likewise, the commandment to give shows us the GOD WHO GIVES, and tells us that if we want to be like Him, we too will GIVE, generously, with authority, abundantly and sacrificially. Thank you for giving to the Lord.
INVESTING IN ISRAEL
As a practical expression of your faith, while standing with the Lord as you watch and pray over Israel, will you consider supporting Messianic Believers in Israel through our ISRAEL FUND? The hour is late, the harvest is plentiful, and your supports helps those persecuted for the Faith, people of excellence, and those with hearts to do great things with God as He establishes His testimony in Israel during these turbulent times. You can send your tax-deductible contribution to the address below. Online electronic giving is also available, please email us for instructions.
ONE NEW MAN CALL is supported by friends of the Ephesians 2:14-15 vision, calling Jew and Gentile to dwell as one in Messiah in God’s Olive Tree. To learn more, to support this work, or to provide direct support to Messianic Believers in Israel, contact us at the address below. Thank you.
YOUR INVITATION TO ISRAEL
Join us as intercessors and worshipers travel to the land of Israel November 8-18, 2009 (not final dates). We will explore Jerusalem’s ancient past and eternal future, visit the beautiful Galilee, Nazareth and the Golan Heights, travel south through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the Dead Sea and Masada, and visit Tel-Aviv. As we travel throughout the land, we will worship with local congregations, meet Messianic leaders and hear from Israeli scholars in the fields of ► Hebrew treasures of the Bible ► Messianic Judaism ► the Islamic conflict ► End times prophecy ► and Biblical life & culture. Contact us at onenewmanmail@aol.com or 507-438-9096 to learn more.
In His grace,
REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON
(C) 2009 One New Man Call
One New Man Call
P O Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
507-438-9096
OneNewManMail@aol.com
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38.
One of our primary calls and privileges in our newfound life in Christ is GIVING. In fact, so vital and central GIVING is to our new nature, that Jesus Himself, in the Sermon on the Mount, placed GIVING as one of the principle pillars of His Kingdom right alongside love, forgiveness, prayer and fasting. GIVING has always characterized the great patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith, from Abraham and Sarah to Moses, to Hannah, to David and all those who reflected the perfect God through their imperfect personalities in their generation. Now the legacy comes down to you and to us, to reflect the nature of our GIVING GOD to our crooked and perverse generation. How can this be done?
Of the many great offerings recorded in the Bible, four are of superior impact as they demonstrate the four pillars that empower and liberate the human spirit to rise and soar in high places with God - the Giver of all gifts. These four principles are ► generosity ► power ► abandonment ► and sacrifice.
GENEROSITY
Exodus 35 describes the great offering that the children of Israel collected in the wilderness to build the Tabernacle of God, His “mobile sanctuary,” on their way to the Promised Land. Responding the Moses’ call, the Scripture says that “... everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, [and] they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments...” Ex 35:21.
So great was this offering and so filled with extravagant faith and generosity, that the builders of the Tabernacle eventually were forced to ask the people to stop giving and “...spoke to Moses, saying, ‘The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded....’ So Moses gave a commandment... saying, ‘Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.’ And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done - indeed too much.” Ex 36:5-7.
Too much! The people gave so much that it became TOO MUCH, and the offering had to be brought to an end by the leadership’s intervention. Have we ever given more than enough? Have we ever offered too much to God that we had to be told to stop giving? The Tabernacle that was built from this abundant offering served Israel for hundreds of years to come, housing the very presence of the Lord who carried them on eagles’ wings and set them secure in their Land. Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from ancient Israel.
POWER
The first offering recorded in the New Testament demonstrates this second great pillar. As the young Jerusalem Church was rapidly growing by the Apostles’ teachings and the power of the Holy Spirit, filled with zeal and faith, the scripture tells us that “... great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid [them] at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.” Acts 4:33-35.
It is of significance to realize that this offering was laid at the apostles’ feet in a very dramatic and demonstrative way. The money was not neatly collected in a basket or carried away in a collection box. Rather, the funds were placed UNDER the feet of the apostles, signifying that the god of mammon and greed of this fallen world was placed under their feet and made subject to the authority of Jesus Christ in His Church.
God’s people are called to live and walk in such a way that we submit our material concerns and aspirations to the Lord’s ownership and authority. We do so in such a tangible and demonstrative way that the message is loud and clear – “I am not in bondage to the God of Mammon and my resources are free to serve the King’s purposes and the Kingdom’s goals.”
The point is freedom and liberty from economical oppression of any kind, a battle we all must fight and win while in this world. And giving, born of faith, is one of our weapons! Have you learned the secret of investing, while yet in this world, in such a way so as to harvest everlasting and imperishable returns? Your giving reveals your faith or fear disposition, and we shall all reap according the seeds we have sown. This is the simple law of the harvest.
ABANDONMENT
The gospel of Mark tells us that while the Lord was at Bethany, “... a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil... she broke the flask and poured [it] on His head. But there were some who were indignant... and said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarius and given to the poor...’ But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always... She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.” Mark 14:3-9.
300 denarius was a lot of money! A denari in bible times was worth one day’s wages. 300 denarius, therefore, translated to the wages of 300 days of work, or nearly one year’s income! Taken in today’s terms of average annual income in the USA, that woman “wasted” the equivalent of $50,000 on Jesus in one lavish offering! No wonder the “reasonable folks” witnessing this “unreasonable” outpouring went mad! Yet, it was them that the Lord rebuked, while the woman was praised to this very day.
When the moment calls and a unique need presents itself, such as the one that the woman sensed in her spirit on that spring day at Bethany, will we be able to act with such abandonment and liberality of heart? The secret for such liberty and boldness to pour out of our resources with this kind of amazing grace is our perspective on Jesus. If He is front, center and close up in our lives, we will find the grace when He calls.
SACRIFICE
Observing the donors who were bringing their offerings to the Temple treasury in Jerusalem, Jesus “...looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” Luke 21:1-4.
There are times when the Lord would ask us to give Him our all. This kind of giving requires the greatest faith of all because we really don’t know what tomorrow will be like having emptied our pockets today. Still, it’s a matter of trust, and the Lord who supplied for us yesterday is the same today, tomorrow and forever. He is worthy of our all.
All God’s commandments are for the simple purpose of showing us His divine nature and eternal attributes. Likewise, the commandment to give shows us the GOD WHO GIVES, and tells us that if we want to be like Him, we too will GIVE, generously, with authority, abundantly and sacrificially. Thank you for giving to the Lord.
INVESTING IN ISRAEL
As a practical expression of your faith, while standing with the Lord as you watch and pray over Israel, will you consider supporting Messianic Believers in Israel through our ISRAEL FUND? The hour is late, the harvest is plentiful, and your supports helps those persecuted for the Faith, people of excellence, and those with hearts to do great things with God as He establishes His testimony in Israel during these turbulent times. You can send your tax-deductible contribution to the address below. Online electronic giving is also available, please email us for instructions.
ONE NEW MAN CALL is supported by friends of the Ephesians 2:14-15 vision, calling Jew and Gentile to dwell as one in Messiah in God’s Olive Tree. To learn more, to support this work, or to provide direct support to Messianic Believers in Israel, contact us at the address below. Thank you.
YOUR INVITATION TO ISRAEL
Join us as intercessors and worshipers travel to the land of Israel November 8-18, 2009 (not final dates). We will explore Jerusalem’s ancient past and eternal future, visit the beautiful Galilee, Nazareth and the Golan Heights, travel south through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the Dead Sea and Masada, and visit Tel-Aviv. As we travel throughout the land, we will worship with local congregations, meet Messianic leaders and hear from Israeli scholars in the fields of ► Hebrew treasures of the Bible ► Messianic Judaism ► the Islamic conflict ► End times prophecy ► and Biblical life & culture. Contact us at onenewmanmail@aol.com or 507-438-9096 to learn more.
In His grace,
REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON
(C) 2009 One New Man Call
One New Man Call
P O Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
507-438-9096
OneNewManMail@aol.com
Saturday, August 8, 2009
VALLEY OF WEEPING - Reuven Doron Article
Reuven Doron-One New Man Call Article
VALLEY OF WEEPING
PASSING THROUGH THE VALLEY
“’Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. And it shall be, in that day,’ says the LORD, ‘That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master…’” Hosea 2:14-16.
The Valley of Achor, the location where Achan (and his family) was judged by stoning (Joshua 7) for his sin that incriminated the entire nation of Israel, is more than a geographical place. According to the prophetic word, it is also a spiritual place of trouble, despair and desolation. A state of being into which we are brought for the purpose of dying, and from which only the Lord can and does deliver us as He raises us into newness of life in Him! For Israel, passing through this valley is an annual event.
The nation of Israel and the Jewish people as a whole have just passed through the period of the summer fasts of the fourth and the fifth months of the biblical year. This period is referred to as “the time of dire straits” because during the long and often times painful history of Israel, time and again, devastating tragedies, disasters and dangers occurred during this tumultuous season. It seems that this is one of those “portals in time” which is repeatedly targeted by the forces of evil. Knowing God’s prophetic word regarding the Messiah’s return and coming Kingdom, they are relentless and desperate to cut off and destroy God’s testimony and purpose through His ancient people Israel.
This season occurs during the hot summer months between the spring and the fall feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, signifying the long and difficult stretch of time between the first and the second comings of the Lord Jesus. Prophesying about this prolonged and painful season, the Lord Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Mt 23:37-39)
The culmination of this season is called in Hebrew “Tish-ah Be-av” – the 9th day of the month of “Av” (the fifth Hebrew month) which occurred last week. On this very date, both the first and second Temples were destroyed by pagan empires, massive waves of persecution erupted in various nations, and many tragedies occurred over the ensuing centuries of exile and persecution. Consequently, the fast of Tish-ah Be-av is as serious and intense as the fast of the Day of Atonement due to its historic horrific implications.
FAST & MOURN – FOR WHAT?
Biblically, the fast of the 9th of Av is mentioned during the days of Zechariah who prophesied, encouraged and exhorted Israel while the nation who had returned from the Babylonian exile had been in the process of rebuilding and restoring the second Temple in Jerusalem. When the prophet was asked whether the builders still needed to observe this fast even during the reconstruction period (as many are today, they too were looking for a “loophole” in God’s commandments, see Zech. 7:3), Zechariah’s reply came loud and clear.
Paraphrased, he said to them, “what were you fasting for during those 70 years of exile? Do you think that now you don’t have to fast anymore just because the Temple is being restored? Hear this – this fast is not about a ruined Temple - it is about the ruined relationship with the God of the Temple! If you truly desire to find favor and grace with God, you would have known that it’s not about fasting, it’s about taking care of the things that are important to Him; and you would have repented from hatred, injustice and oppression...” (See 7:4-11).
Zechariah’s rebuke was aimed at reminding the people that the first Temple was destroyed for very real reasons, and the severe divine judgments came with vengeance because of the nation’s moral corruption. This is the primary reason, he said, that the people should be fasting at all, otherwise these calamities will again become inevitable and will be repeated in due time! Until and unless the cry arises from the land of Israel declaring “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” the possibility of further divine chastisements remains very real and present.
Your prayers make all the difference in order to lead a people who are still blinded into the embrace of their God and Savior. Israel was brought back into the Land in blindness, trauma and unbelief after having been slain, betrayed and rejected among the nations. Yet in the Land, God promised, He will draw them to Himself. Therefore, let the word be fulfilled in your spirit which says, “’Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1-2.
A JOYFUL END
However, the prophet Zechariah also declared in chapter eight that in the end all these fasts which served to remind the nation of the calamities and judgments would eventually become the occasion of joyous feasts. As it is written, “Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, and seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also.’ Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’” Zech 8:18-22.
This time is not yet upon us, but it is nearer by the day! Pray for Israel, pray for your soul, and pray for your nation as well. The recent 9th of Av passed this year without a major calamity, yet still the Jewish worshippers were lamenting for the destruction of the Temple and the other painful tragedies that befell the nation. We however, who worship in Spirit and in Truth, must pray (and fast) for God’s Spirit to heal and restore His ancient people as well as our own households and nations, so that our focus, identity and security will be found not in buildings, organizations or man-made institutions; but rather in the Lord alone and in the things that are dear to His heart!
We pray that as you pass through your Valley of Achor, that place of trouble, gloom and desolation (whatever the reason that brought you into it may be), that the word of the Lord, united with your faith, will rise upon you with power to transform even “… the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.” Hope in Resurrection Life is the natural birthright of every child of God in the Messiah, and this resurrection “dunamis” is ours even before the final resurrection of our bodies. It applies, through faith, to everything we commit into God’s hands and submit to His sovereign rule.
YOUR INVITATION - NOVEMBER IN ISRAEL
Join us as our team of intercessors and worshipers travels to the land of Israel November 8-18, 2009 (not final dates). Contact us at onenewmanmail@aol.com or 507-438-9096 to learn more. We will explore Jerusalem’s ancient past and eternal future, visit the beautiful Galilee, Nazareth and the Golan Heights, travel south through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the Dead Sea and Masada, and visit Tel-Aviv. As we travel throughout the land, we will worship with local congregations, meet Messianic leaders and hear from Israeli scholars in the fields of ► Hebrew treasures of the Bible ► Messianic Judaism ► the Islamic conflict ► End times prophecy ► and Biblical life & culture.
Why go through the expense and effort to travel to Israel this fall? Because, in that small land, and among this embattled yet chosen people, are found both the origin and the consummation of our faith in the Creator God. The ancient prophets spoke, the scriptures were written and the Messiah accomplished His eternal work in the Land of Israel. There, His Kingdom will be established upon earth where He will reign with righteousness and peace. Come with us to Israel, experience the Land and the people, and participate in the building up of the One New Man reality.
As a practical expression of your faith, while standing with the Lord as you watch and pray over Israel, please consider supporting Messianic Believers in Israel through our ISRAEL FUND. Your supports helps those persecuted for the Faith, people of excellence, and those with hearts to do great things with God as He establishes His testimony in Israel during these turbulent times.
ONE NEW MAN CALL is supported by friends of the Ephesians 2:14-15 vision, calling Jew and Gentile in Christ to dwell as one in God’s Olive Tree. To learn more, to support this work, or to provide direct support to Messianic Believers in Israel, contact us at the address below. Thank you.
In His grace,
REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON
(C) 2009 One New Man Call
One New Man Call
P O Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
507-438-9096
OneNewManMail@aol.com
Forward, Reprint & Use Agreement: You are welcome to forward, reprint and use these messages, provided that you cite original source and contact information.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, taken from the New King James Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
VALLEY OF WEEPING
PASSING THROUGH THE VALLEY
“’Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. And it shall be, in that day,’ says the LORD, ‘That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master…’” Hosea 2:14-16.
The Valley of Achor, the location where Achan (and his family) was judged by stoning (Joshua 7) for his sin that incriminated the entire nation of Israel, is more than a geographical place. According to the prophetic word, it is also a spiritual place of trouble, despair and desolation. A state of being into which we are brought for the purpose of dying, and from which only the Lord can and does deliver us as He raises us into newness of life in Him! For Israel, passing through this valley is an annual event.
The nation of Israel and the Jewish people as a whole have just passed through the period of the summer fasts of the fourth and the fifth months of the biblical year. This period is referred to as “the time of dire straits” because during the long and often times painful history of Israel, time and again, devastating tragedies, disasters and dangers occurred during this tumultuous season. It seems that this is one of those “portals in time” which is repeatedly targeted by the forces of evil. Knowing God’s prophetic word regarding the Messiah’s return and coming Kingdom, they are relentless and desperate to cut off and destroy God’s testimony and purpose through His ancient people Israel.
This season occurs during the hot summer months between the spring and the fall feasts of Passover and Tabernacles, signifying the long and difficult stretch of time between the first and the second comings of the Lord Jesus. Prophesying about this prolonged and painful season, the Lord Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Mt 23:37-39)
The culmination of this season is called in Hebrew “Tish-ah Be-av” – the 9th day of the month of “Av” (the fifth Hebrew month) which occurred last week. On this very date, both the first and second Temples were destroyed by pagan empires, massive waves of persecution erupted in various nations, and many tragedies occurred over the ensuing centuries of exile and persecution. Consequently, the fast of Tish-ah Be-av is as serious and intense as the fast of the Day of Atonement due to its historic horrific implications.
FAST & MOURN – FOR WHAT?
Biblically, the fast of the 9th of Av is mentioned during the days of Zechariah who prophesied, encouraged and exhorted Israel while the nation who had returned from the Babylonian exile had been in the process of rebuilding and restoring the second Temple in Jerusalem. When the prophet was asked whether the builders still needed to observe this fast even during the reconstruction period (as many are today, they too were looking for a “loophole” in God’s commandments, see Zech. 7:3), Zechariah’s reply came loud and clear.
Paraphrased, he said to them, “what were you fasting for during those 70 years of exile? Do you think that now you don’t have to fast anymore just because the Temple is being restored? Hear this – this fast is not about a ruined Temple - it is about the ruined relationship with the God of the Temple! If you truly desire to find favor and grace with God, you would have known that it’s not about fasting, it’s about taking care of the things that are important to Him; and you would have repented from hatred, injustice and oppression...” (See 7:4-11).
Zechariah’s rebuke was aimed at reminding the people that the first Temple was destroyed for very real reasons, and the severe divine judgments came with vengeance because of the nation’s moral corruption. This is the primary reason, he said, that the people should be fasting at all, otherwise these calamities will again become inevitable and will be repeated in due time! Until and unless the cry arises from the land of Israel declaring “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” the possibility of further divine chastisements remains very real and present.
Your prayers make all the difference in order to lead a people who are still blinded into the embrace of their God and Savior. Israel was brought back into the Land in blindness, trauma and unbelief after having been slain, betrayed and rejected among the nations. Yet in the Land, God promised, He will draw them to Himself. Therefore, let the word be fulfilled in your spirit which says, “’Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1-2.
A JOYFUL END
However, the prophet Zechariah also declared in chapter eight that in the end all these fasts which served to remind the nation of the calamities and judgments would eventually become the occasion of joyous feasts. As it is written, “Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, and seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also.’ Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’” Zech 8:18-22.
This time is not yet upon us, but it is nearer by the day! Pray for Israel, pray for your soul, and pray for your nation as well. The recent 9th of Av passed this year without a major calamity, yet still the Jewish worshippers were lamenting for the destruction of the Temple and the other painful tragedies that befell the nation. We however, who worship in Spirit and in Truth, must pray (and fast) for God’s Spirit to heal and restore His ancient people as well as our own households and nations, so that our focus, identity and security will be found not in buildings, organizations or man-made institutions; but rather in the Lord alone and in the things that are dear to His heart!
We pray that as you pass through your Valley of Achor, that place of trouble, gloom and desolation (whatever the reason that brought you into it may be), that the word of the Lord, united with your faith, will rise upon you with power to transform even “… the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.” Hope in Resurrection Life is the natural birthright of every child of God in the Messiah, and this resurrection “dunamis” is ours even before the final resurrection of our bodies. It applies, through faith, to everything we commit into God’s hands and submit to His sovereign rule.
YOUR INVITATION - NOVEMBER IN ISRAEL
Join us as our team of intercessors and worshipers travels to the land of Israel November 8-18, 2009 (not final dates). Contact us at onenewmanmail@aol.com or 507-438-9096 to learn more. We will explore Jerusalem’s ancient past and eternal future, visit the beautiful Galilee, Nazareth and the Golan Heights, travel south through the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the Dead Sea and Masada, and visit Tel-Aviv. As we travel throughout the land, we will worship with local congregations, meet Messianic leaders and hear from Israeli scholars in the fields of ► Hebrew treasures of the Bible ► Messianic Judaism ► the Islamic conflict ► End times prophecy ► and Biblical life & culture.
Why go through the expense and effort to travel to Israel this fall? Because, in that small land, and among this embattled yet chosen people, are found both the origin and the consummation of our faith in the Creator God. The ancient prophets spoke, the scriptures were written and the Messiah accomplished His eternal work in the Land of Israel. There, His Kingdom will be established upon earth where He will reign with righteousness and peace. Come with us to Israel, experience the Land and the people, and participate in the building up of the One New Man reality.
As a practical expression of your faith, while standing with the Lord as you watch and pray over Israel, please consider supporting Messianic Believers in Israel through our ISRAEL FUND. Your supports helps those persecuted for the Faith, people of excellence, and those with hearts to do great things with God as He establishes His testimony in Israel during these turbulent times.
ONE NEW MAN CALL is supported by friends of the Ephesians 2:14-15 vision, calling Jew and Gentile in Christ to dwell as one in God’s Olive Tree. To learn more, to support this work, or to provide direct support to Messianic Believers in Israel, contact us at the address below. Thank you.
In His grace,
REUVEN AND MARY LOU DORON
(C) 2009 One New Man Call
One New Man Call
P O Box 164
Hayfield, MN 55940 USA
507-438-9096
OneNewManMail@aol.com
Forward, Reprint & Use Agreement: You are welcome to forward, reprint and use these messages, provided that you cite original source and contact information.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, taken from the New King James Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
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