A blessed Christmas to you!
Today, when I awoke, the old hymn playing in my mind was: “Peace peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, in fathomless billows of love …”
Israel remains central in our prayers, Abba Father took us out of Israel, He did not take Israel out of us! It’s a family matter. I believe today, we all are on ‘alert’ for our nations. The world is battered by the winds of war, noise and trouble. We pray for those in leadership, the good, the bad and the ugly. I bring them to the Courts of Heaven and leave them there. God’s will be done in heaven as it is on earth.
How to Pray:
“He is our peace, He has broken down every wall.”
“Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love her…” May that Peace, be extended to our family, friends and yes enemies, plus the multitudes that we pray for, nation by nation. Before 2024 closes, I hope each one of us will make time to be alone with Jesus, the Giver of Peace who passes all understanding. May out desired birthright be God’s Kingdom of Peace, effective in our daily lives and prayers. His eternal workmanship in us makes the crooked straight, undoes all bondages and shackles, encouraging us to surrender that stubborn inbred self-will. The Holy Spirit loves to Comfort. What does anyone need more than inner-Peace? Only then the impossible becomes possible.
The Never Ending Story:
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, lowly shepherds, trembled in fear at the Angel’s message. Try to imagine it. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Messiah the LORD. Suddenly the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.’”Luke 2:11,14.
The Kingdom of God came when we invited Messiah Jesus to live in our hearts. Yes, because He alone paid the purchase price for our souls through His blood.“For He received honour and glory from the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.”2 Peter 1:17
Messiah came and will return under Father God’s instruction. The longer I live, the more I understand what His PEACE means to me personally. He IS Peace. Peace is an all-encompassing Shalom equipping us for every circumstance that we may face today and tomorrow. What hard work it is to rest in His love. He only works as I allow Him to redeem me to the uttermost. Maybe you are in this place too. Let go and let God!
“ … if you do these things, you will never FAIL. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.”
1 Peter 10b, 2.
Surprise in Syria ?:
Israeli PM stated: “The collapse of the Assad Regime’s tyranny in Damascus (of 50 years) offers great opportunity but is fraught with danger. It is the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbulloh and Iran, We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, the Kurds, the Christians, and Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel.”
A Syrian rebel extended a message of peace and cooperation via Israel’s Channel 11 saying, “Dear beloved neighbours and friends from the friendly State of Israel, there will be no extremism; we share passion. We invite Israel to come to Syria and invest.”
So friends, let us pray, these good intentions and words do Not fall to the ground.
Family:
Our Canadian guests this year brought many gifts. Keevin and Nancy (my youngest sister) arrived with two nativity scenes. One is ‘user friendly’ for our little grandsons to set up and play with. Jay’s cousin Rob and his wife Lara brought many children’s books; one on the Nativity. Thank you! Here nothing is available in English. We enjoyed family and Israeli neighbors from April through Dec. Everyone enjoyed the pastoral valley and seascapes.
Our sons and their families are all doing well. First, David in Jerusalem Israel (David and Adi, Amitai and Liyah), and Chris in Helsinki Finland (Chris and Terhi, Noam, Heidi, Jouni and Liam.) Thanks to Chris you receive this letter In English and German. Myrtha is my faithful translator in Zurich. Son Joshua has found a new profession in Greece. Josh’s daughters, Maya Copenhagen, Sophia Australia and Cecilie London. Daniel, and Shelly, parents of Ryan 3 yrs, Gabriel 1.5 yrs and Emanuel. 5 mos. They are all very motivated and busy!
Thanksgiving:
Jay and I spent time on Thanksgiving Day, remembering old friends. Many go back the past 50 years. We called out their names as we remembered their deeds of kindness and faithful prayers. Jay ended up with shouts of thankfulness, me … grateful tears. We have surely been surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. One of our finest prayer warriors of over 40 years was James Rawlings, a brother to Jay. He has left for Glory. We miss him. Just a week later we flew to Finland for our oldest Grandson’s wedding. Noam married Heidi in a historical village. It was an occasion of tremendous celebration and joy,
Christmas With New Eyes:
This year, I read Anna, a historical work on the mother of Mary. In the forward, the author wrote about telling her granddaughter of 4 years, the Christmas Story. When she came to “ … and the tired little Holy Family finally arrived, in a small village called Bethlehem. There was no place for them to stay. They were offered privacy in a stable which was warm and sheltered. They shared it with the donkeys, sheep and chickens…” The little child jumped off of the sofa, indignation filling her voice, she exclaimed “But WHY didn’t they go to Grandma’s house?” (Historically, Jesus’ Grandma, Anna had died.)
For those of you who would appreciate some delightful historical insights into the life of Miriam – Mary the mother of Yeshua – Jesus, you will find the enclosed podcast not only delightful but historical and informative. The presenter is Dr. Claire Pfann, who with her husband Steve co-founded the Jerusalem University. Enjoy, and truly, may we see Christmas with new eyes!
I hope we will all take time in the rush to ponder Father God’s unimaginable kindness, yes even in the hard times. Thank you for your loving help, notes, calls but most of all your prayers. A very blessed Christmas to each reader and to your loved ones.
May Peace be resident in your hearts and home from now until our Prince of Peace returns! Thank you for being wonderful friends to us Rawlings during 2024.
With love and peace from our home to yours.
Jay and Meridel Rawlings.
Painting at the top by Shelly Bandel Rawlings. “The Heavens Declare The Glory of God!”
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