Still Small Voice
Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm 85:10
There are a few times in life when heaven seems to touch the earth, and recently Jay and I and my nephew Paul felt this favor while filming TV programs up in the Galilee. For a couple of days we were like kids out of school. There is just something about Galilee. Here Jesus spent the greatest time of His ministry and here he was heard gladly. In his life time Israeli historians say that out of the 2 million Jews living here at the time under Roman rule, 500,000 followed the Rabbi.
Our tour guide was Irene Bredlow, took us to explore Capernaum, Chorazin and biblical Bethsida where a monument has been set up which reads “Here the Gentiles gave glory to the God of Israel.” What did these 3 cities have in common? Jesus cursed them all. He even said in the day of judgment, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on Judgment Day.
These were prosperous commercial trading towns, dealing in wine, oil and salt. They did not heed the voice of the Shepherd of their souls. How similar we all are today.
I wish you had been there to enjoy it all with us. Perhaps you will join us on the November 2009 Tour.
We took time to go to Tabha, my favorite place on the sea, with a beautifully preserved harbor, and the ancient rocks still in existence where the fishermen tied their boats up. A small chapel has been kept in all simplicity, and we paused inside for a moment to sing and send praises heaven ward. The acoustics are so beautiful we sounded like angels. Swallows have made their nests on the altar there and seeing them flit in and out reminded me of Psalm 84:3
Even the sparrow has found her a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young –
even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
(the God of the armies of heaven)
My king and my God.
We paused on the Eastern shore of the sea to visit with air force boys making Turkish coffee together. Some army fellows let us take some photos. Enjoy on my web. Take a moment and look at their faces. These are just boys out of school, having to face a bitter enemy who calls for blood and revenge day and night. The world has gone mad.
Israel is on full alert with military exercises going on all the time, even during the Pope’s visit. David Wilkerson in NY is helping the David Davis work on Mount Carmel to build nuclear bomb shelters… We can’t go there, but Jesus gave me this word: Luke 12:24
“Be carefree in the care of God. Look at the birds of the air. They are free and unfettered. They are not tied down to work. God takes care of them. You count far more than the birds.You are much more valuable to God than birds. Don’t be uneasy, anxious or worried about your life. It is the Lord’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom!”
Yeah… not that I don’t think I have to work, I do praise the Lord for the privilege of my work. He knows it all and so we trust and are not afraid.
Yesterday we all went to David’s to help in his orchard… all of his trees are either in full bloom or already loaded with fruit, like the avocados, almonds and grapes… it is so inspiring to be out there. We absolutely love it. We all took food and ate in the vineyard… and the kiddies ran bare foot. We walked down to the forest to see the Scrolls of Fire, a monument to the victims of the Holocaust… it was built like the smoke stacks of a furnace sculptures depicted the Exodus, slave labor camps and the Holocaust and angels helping the lame and maimed and sick return home to Israel. Above it all King David played his harp. The flames of the furnace gave way to Hebrew and English scripture: Ezekiel 37:11
“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.”
There was Amitai our 8 year old Grandson sitting at the entrance waiting for us all. He is the only Great Grandson of his Great Grandparents who were murdered in Auschwitz. Josh and I walked slowly down the dirt road back to Davids village listening to the joyful chatter of 5 children, so happy and busy playing, oblivious to the price paid for their freedom.
We passed through very sobering days, Holocaust Remembrance, and Remembrance for the Fallen Soldiers marked by sirens and ceremonies. President Shimon Peres now 85 years old shared his heart with the nation and spoke to us all as the father he is: I quote:
“The pain becomes sharper as time goes by. You see a soldier in uniform in the street and your eyes well up, you hear steps in the stairwell and you think maybe he returned maybe he’s coming home but no, it’s not him. You participate in a family gathering and your heart is broken. This year also we lost the best of our boys and girls… we returned to the cemeteries to bury our dead, mourn their loss and cry with the families. For 61 years we have been burying our children and the end of this is still not on our horizon. This year too the threat to our existence persists and yet we do not run away from the battlefield. We do not want war, ut it is forced upon us. I suggest to our enemies and friends as one, to be on the right side, our side, the side that has always won and will always win.”
Again this year Adi, David’s wife choreographed Israel’s 61st National Celebrations held on Mount Herzl. You can catch part of the show on our website: www.israelvision.tv
Just as I was finishing the supper dishes and thinking about what to sit down and write to you, the phone rang and it was one of our intercessors. Read Revelation 1:11 he emphasized. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches…”
Both Jay and I have been compelled to write this winter and spring. Jay is telling his life’s story. It is amazing in the call to follow on… just that simple. I am hoping to get on with the editing this summer. We work together and find it very helpful to each other.
I have just completed a 72 page booklet: The Art of Living… we discuss how to deal with the hard things and how to get up and go on and keep going!
David has just completed a 2.5 hour DVD entitled Choosing Life. He came with us to Hamburg to film a day seminar that I gave on the various aspects of abuse, human trafficking, prostitution and child sexual abuse. It is in English and German, and has been created specifically for the German speaking world. Hamburg is the European center for Human Trafficking and Pornography.
Chris has just completed working with me on a power point called Small Talk. This title just about says it all. The subject of how to protect our babies, toddlers, young children and youth today is anything but small talk!
I will be working in Switzerland and Germany from May 15th to June 30th. Everyone in the family have been working with me over time to get ready to be launched forth! thank you for your prayers, that my teaching sessions, private counseling and seminars are very effectual.
Jay and the team are now busy with a major production for ZAKA the first responders to any terror incident or accident not just here but in many cities around the world. It is an honor to be chosen to create a film that will give them world wide exposure.
Recently we filmed 5 TV shows with the Palestinian Media Watch. All I can say is that ‘seeing is believing’. Please see www.israelvision.tv/news for the details. These programs should be seen everywhere. Tell your friends.
September 09 David and I have been invited to Canada to share the vision of our TV work and also to give healing seminars. If you are interested in having us just email us at: jvrawlings@gmail.com
My new website: www.stillsmallvoice.tv will be launched by the time you read this letter. Go to it for my blogs, short TV clips, updates, schedule and much more. Leave me a message. In the future if you would like to receive my newsletter via email please fill out your contact details here.
Thank you for your love gifts. Please, the best way to send a gift is to wrap it up in tin foil. It is getting harder and harder to cash cheques. Some one sent an Israeli shecked check and no one wanted to take it… we lost hours trying to cash it. Please spare us this.
The word is that Anti-Semitism / or Anti-Zionism today is equal to the ferocious intensity that it was in 1939, only it is world wide now. If you are wise you will have nothing to do with such hate tactics. History tells us where the Anti-Semitics have ended up.
Above all thank you for your prayers. We go forward on our knees. It is never easy, we have never expected it to be.
And He said, “My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33: 14, 15.
( Give rest: nu’ach: To be soothed and quieted; to be secure, to be still, to dwell peacefully.)
There is hope in your future says the LORD, that your children shall come back to their own border. Jeremiah 31:17
Dr. Meridel Rawlings, Box 84156, Mevasseret Zion, 90805 Israel.
www.stillsmallvoice.tv email: meridel.rawlings@gmail.com