Shalom Friends:
Welcome. Let me take you on my morning walk down through the olive groves to the beach. I never fail to return home energized and encouraged. See my video clip at the end. Today during my time in the Bible, this jumped out at me, pushing me to think.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift from above; comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens]. It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself – sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes]. “ James 1:17a, 18.
The thought that Abba in Heaven chose my birth was not new to me. Yes, our conception was in His Will. He chose us, and He asks us to CHOOSE Him, How simple is that? That ‘choosing’ of course brings us to the blood covering of Yeshua Jesus. Blood has been demanded as a cover for sin from the beginning with Abel. It is no different today. But there is so much more in this walk of faith. This truth is a cornerstone of faith. I call this seed thought! See the opening photo. That seed of life, will and thought, in the word of God brings our spiritual transformation; allowing us to live and stretch up to the light. Hopefully, as we mature, we will bear much fruit. How to begin? Well, here it comes.
“Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful thoughtful listener], slow to speak, [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];” James 1:19.
Jesus spent His entire ministry teaching us how to live this life. Perhaps the hardest lessons come when we are in contact with others that smudge and fudge. The hardest of all for me is religious hypocrisy. Well, Jesus suffered it continually. He is the finest example of speaking the truth, not throwing dirt and losing ground. Pun intended! Jesus observed: “It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].” Matthew:15:11-20.
Strong words indeed! Defile is a noun. ‘It is the act of making something foul, dirty or unclean.’ For example, Humankind’s destruction and defilement of the natural environment is seriously endangering the continuation of life on this planet.
Defilement or uncleanness can be an infected intestine, an infection in the bone, running sores on the skin, or … those nasty little jabs and critical words that FIRST pierced themselves into our conscious thoughts. We put them on someone else, using our God-given gifts of speech. Sadly, these poisonous words can grow and increase within me and you, over time. They set up a rottenness that defiles and try to stay hidden within. May each one of us repent of our negative, even hurtful thoughts and words. You can STOP this program NOW! Repent and forsake! We must again choose to return to the blessed WILL of our Father. This is the essence of Jesus: “doing the will of My Father.”
Iran’s Attack on is Israel Imminent:
Iran has stopped hiding behind its proxies.
Head of the IDF says, “We are prepared and ready for any scenario.”
The head of US Defence visits Israel as I write.
President Biden said, “IF Israel needs to respond to Iran, we are with them.”
Hamas divulges: “We cannot find 40 hostages, to meet Israel’s proposed cease-fire!” Shocking … can we believe them? They continue to do NOTHING supported by the UN and most nations.
The Gaza war is not over. There are 3,000 Hamas operatives embedded among the 1.5 million Gazans in Rafa. Israel is in a gorilla war. It is not won by large armies. Israel is regrouping and changing tactics. Our work is to pray and help in any way we can.
How to Pray:
It is time to pray and not to faint. Israel is facing perhaps what they always knew was coming. Let’s pray as David did.
To your willing heart and faith, add determination and courage. We will triumph over and over in prayer, throughout our entire lives. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being a human being guided and directed by the Living God. And when we fall, repent, get up and come back. Starting again.
Please, go to 1 Samuel: chapter 17:v 28, “Eliab his oldest brother heard what he (David) said to the men: and his anger burned against David and he said: …I know your presumption [over confidence and the evil of your heart; …”
David responded, “What have I done now?” v. 29.
A little brother deals with his elder brother. A good example of defilement in Eliab’s thought life. Think of the world today in an uproar to save Hamas and paint Israel as the enemy of all People. Who is the Goliath here?
When you Pray, pray the scriptures:
“David went out alone to meet Goliath: Then David said to the Philistine,’ You come to me with a sword, spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day, the LORD will hand you over to me … so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel and that this entire assembly may know that the LORD does not see with the sword or with the spear for the battle is the LORD’s and He will hand you over to us.’” 1 Sam 17:v 46a, 47.
I also suggest Psalm 2, Psalm 83, and Hebrews 11.
Enjoy Ishay Ribo and Omer Adam. These popular young Israelis, combine their great talents on this beautiful song which is equally a prayer and a cry.
In closing dear friends: The will of the Father for us after 50 years in Israel, was to bring us to this beautiful haven to live. Two months after we left Israel, all hell broke out. The LORD showed us many things, but not the war. Yes, it was very hard back in 2022 to be willing to give over our wills in this matter. Our lives had been lived in and for Israel. But, after many struggles, Jay and I finally could agree that God was in this. Now we could move forward, we could see this as the leading of the LORD, and still we did not understand the full impact of this instruction.
“Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. So will I bless You as long as I live; …” Psalm 63:4
We have been sequestered away to rest, enjoy our 80’s and our work now is to pray and fight in the heavens for the Father’s Will to come to pass for Israel our beloved. His WILL is perfect! That profound secret is found in listening to the Still Small Voice, repenting often and working to obeying always!
Here is a video I took with my dogs down at the beach near our house sending Shabbat Shalom greetings to you all!
Since this newsletter has been written on Friday 12th of April. The latest news is that Iran attacked Israel with over 300 missiles, drones and ballistic missiles on Saturday night April 13th till early Sunday morning. See the latest news here:
Please keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the safety of Israel and her peoples.
Love from Meridel and of course, Jay Rawlings.
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Thank you so very much. Mom Shabbat Shalom.