We praise God every day that I am cancer free and my energy is good and we have stepped back into our daily busy schedule. 2017 promises to be an extraordinary year of darkness covering the earth and light filled Kingdom advances. May your life see the breakthrough you have been waiting for and each day filled increasingly with His love, joy and purpose.
Third Season
A few evenings ago we met with the “Third Season Group”. Our congregation has grown and a significant portion are people over the age of 50. We have taken the helm to bring this important group together by having a regular gathering of all those in this special season of life and share an evening of food, fellowship and love. This past Thursday we had 25 come to our house for one of these gatherings. Two of them were non-believers! It was our seventh meeting and the depth of love and relationship that has formed as we have met together is a wonderful blessing. God spoke to us this past time and told us that the love between us is the “cement” that joins the individual stones together. Apart from this love, with the first “storm” or “earthquake” the building would fall apart. But with His love joining us, the winds can blow and the earth around us can shake but we will stand! How incredibly important this truth is as we face an age that is filled with attacks against the people of God. How much we need we each other!
Please keep praying for this senior’s gathering. It is precious and is a “tool” of the Holy Spirit in seeing God’s purposes accomplished here in Jerusalem in our day.
New Families
2017 also promises to be a year of “ingathering” as God is gathering his Jewish people from the four corners of the earth to his Land. Recently, we have had an influx of new families coming to the congregation, both older and younger, some newly married and some arriving with lots of children. We know that the process of these “new ones” being drawn into the living fabric that makes up Ahavat Yeshua demands special and loving attention. We have spent marvelous times in our home breaking bread with some and with others, having the blessing of going to their homes. We have met in coffee houses and restaurants but wherever and whenever, the goal of cementing these people into our congregation is being manifest. We are also blessed by some new people who are Gentiles and have come for a season of study and service. They come with hearts of love to give to this nation and we are grateful for their participation in our congregation. Again we ask you to be in prayer for these new and wonderful families. Each is precious, each is a gift from God and we will give all that we have to try and make them feel loved and welcomed.
Evangelism
As a result of all that we have gone through in the last 16 months, we are walking in increasing boldness and are sharing the Lord and praying for people wherever we go during the day. We are encouraging others to do the same. We believe that this is the day of Salvation and time is short! We sow the seeds, you water with your prayers, and God brings the increase! Please join us in prayer that we would see this increase in our day. The harvest is plentiful!
Terror Attacks
Please be in prayer for the difficult situation this nation faces. As expected, Israel is becoming increasingly isolated as the recent UN resolution against Israel and the current conference in Paris demonstrate. Terror attacks are ongoing. Several days ago a busload of young soldiers were getting off the bus in an Israeli park when a hate filled Palestinian drove a large truck through the crowd. Four beautiful young Israelis were murdered and numerous others wounded. International news does not cover most of the daily attacks in Israel but please join us in being the ones that “cover” all of these terror events in our prayers. The future of Israel is set upon God’s Word and the faith of us who believe and apply it.
The United States
And of course we stand together for America’s new President, Donald Trump. We are praying that he will come to know the Lord in a deep and personal way. We pray along with all of you that he will alter America’s growing anti-Israel policy and that he will be a tool in the hand of the Lord to bring blessing and order to the United States, a nation that is so special in the heart of God.
This article originally appeared on Zion’s Glory Update, January 16, 2017, and reposted with permission.