1 Tim 6:11-12 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

For the past few days our family has been fighting off various viruses, and I’m hoping we’re finally coming to the end of this bout of sickness. But it's causing me to reflect on the amazing way God has designed our bodies to combat these germs, with an immune system that can eliminate any intruder as soon as it penetrates.

While germs and physical illness are our battle in the flesh, our spiritual enemy is warring in the Spirit — relentlessly seeking to penetrate our spiritual defense system! He is seeking a place in us to encourage sin so he can entrench himself there and begin to spread spiritual disease and death into our lives.

Seeing how effectively God has designed our physical immune system, what can we learn in our spiritual battle to fight the good fight? The first lesson I see is "response time". As soon as that thought of jealousy, coveting, rebellion, lust, impurity, etc. enters our mind — we need to take notice! — and immediately take the thought captive, before it has an opportunity to grow and develop into spiritual illness.

We can all see the spiritual warfare really intensifying lately. More and more the Lord is calling for us to stand up and fight the good fight of faith in these last days. We must be mentally and spiritually awake, rise up at the first attack, take the battle to the enemy… and give him no place to reside! Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

One of the most fascinating sites to visit in Washington D.C. is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a platoon of 30 honor guards protects the tomb through rain, snow and even hurricanes! It's been guarded every minute of every day since 1937.

A single sentinel takes his post guarding carefully, walking exactly 21 steps then pausing for 21 seconds before turning around and continuing his duty. The number 21 is in reference to the 21 gun salute which is the military's highest honor given to a soldier. When the changing of the guard takes place, the orders are passed from one soldier to the next – "Orders Remain Unchanged."

As we enter into a New Year, the world is rapidly changing before our eyes! War seems inevitable in the Middle East, the world economy is on the brink of complete collapse – one thing hasn't changed — our orders from Yeshua to preach this gospel of the Kingdom to every one!

Continue to stand guard, watching and being ever alert of the times in which we live; and never forget that our "Orders Remain Unchanged!" With so much work to be done, let's be sure we enter 2012 with our priorities intact –

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you…"

Judges 6:11-14 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"

Biblical Hebrew uses a grammatical form called "s'michut". This form joins two words together to form a single word form. We have this in English: for example, a door and a knob are two nouns, which are used to form the word "doorknob", a compound noun. This form of joining nouns is found in Judges 6:12. The expression, "Angel of the Lord" is rendered, "angel-YHVH"; (Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay); in modern English — "angel-Yehovah". Then, suddenly, the narrative changes from "angel-Yehovah" to simply, "Yehovah". Here we see another appearance of YHVH in human form in the Old Testament. The God-Man, Yeshua in a "pre-incarnate" appearance.

When Gideon was called to fight the Midianites, he felt inadequate, unequipped and the weakest among his brethren — but the Lord called him "you mighty man of valor"! Isn't it always interesting how God calls the weak things of this world to confound the natural wisdom of the world [1 Cor 1:18-21]? And sometimes He sees right through their perception of themselves, and calls them "mighty" !

Gideon, in the midst of overwhelming circumstances, felt as many feel today: weak, abandoned by God, wondering, "Where are you LORD?" But when the Lord suddenly shows up to call us to be part of His solution, what will we say? What will we do? Because He knows who we are deep inside, and He knows how to empower the weak to perform His works for His glory.

If you find yourself asking, "Where are you LORD?", you might want to prepare yourself to be the answer to the problem. Because He might just "show up" and give you an "impossible" commission, then equip you with the strategy for victory. Even you, alone, with the LORD, are an army that no enemy wants to face!

Ezekiel 9:4-6 and the Lord said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark (Tav in Hebrew) on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark (Tav in Hebrew); and begin at My sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

The Ancient Word Tav, which is also the spelling of the Hebrew Letter Tav translated as mark in Ezekiel 9:4,6. The Vav is the image to the left of the cross which means in Ancient Hebrew a nail or a wooden pag. To the right of the Vav is the image of the cross, which was the method the Hebrew Letter Tav was orginially written.

Yesterday, we began identifying the ancient Hebrew alphabet and exploring the potential symbolic meanings of its letters. The last letter, "Tav", as we saw, strongly resembles a cross. Today, we’re going to look at how "Tav" is spelled in ancient Hebrew. The phonetic spelling of "Tav" is Tav (T)-Vav (V). Now the ancient letter, "Vav" strongly resembled a commonly used tent peg, and then, later, a common nail.  So the spelling of "Tav" contains a cross and a nail.

This word in Hebrew is translated, "mark", in the verses above; so, this ancient Hebrew "mark" that was on the foreheads of righteous men who grieved over abominations in the Lord's house, was identified by a word containing a cross and a nail. Interesting…since the prophet is told to pass over all those that have that mark, beginning at the Lord's sanctuary, we have an Old Testament picture of the protection of the the Lord's cross, expressed by ancient Hebrew letters. Perhaps this is just another way in which the Lord has expressed His sovereignty, weaving His revelation into the entire fabric of His Word, revealing the protection of the cross in both the Old and New Testaments.

Another interesting aspect of this verse is the location where the Lord's judgment begins: the Lord's sanctuary. 1 Peter 4:17 states that, "it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God." I understand this to mean that those who are most accountable, who stand, as it were, closest to place where God dwells, will come under His judgment first. For us who believe, this judgment will be purification, possibly through suffering, as Peter suggests. For the wicked, who are increasingly distant from God, His judgment means eternal condemnation.

The Lord is returning for a bride who is prepared to meet Him. She will be pure and spotless, made white by His cross and purified through her submission to His careful preparation. Illustrated by the letter "Tav" in ancient Hebrew, her identifying mark will be that very cross. Are you prepared as a bride should be for her husband? Your sorrow and weeping over the abominations in our Lord's world, and even in His body, confirm the mark which is upon you. Wear the sign with honor — glorying in it, and carry your cross faithfully to the end, protected from the eternal judgment which awaits all men at His coming.

Psalms 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

There’s nothing we can do to earn God’s love, however if we want to experience His blessings we need to observe the qualifications that He’s given us in His Word. Psalm 112 details a whole list of blessings, but the key to receiving them is verse 1.

"Blessed is the man that fears (puts his trust, honors, in awe of His majesty) the Lord, and delights greatly in His commandments. (Takes pleasure in what God says and obeys Him)."

Adopt that attitude toward Him and be assured, blessings are on the way! Your offspring will be mighty on the earth (vs 2), wealth and riches shall be in your house (vs 3), even in darkness the light shall shine on you (vs 4), you shall not be shaken (vs 6) in the midst of evil you will have no fear of bad news because your heart is set upon Him (vs 7).

Now I don’t know about you, but I want to live in the blessings of God!

Let’s live a life that God will bless, honor the Lord with our whole heart, and delight in obeying Him!

Zechariah 14:16-17 And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them.

The God-ordained Feast of Tabernacles is a prophetic feast, and one which will be kept by all the people of the world in the coming age. In resurrected bodies, we will be celebrating this feast, year to year in Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Yeshua (Jesus)! Can you imagine it — celebrating with the King of Kings! If that's not something to anticipate, I'm not sure what is!

Right now, there's quite a bit of turmoil in the world, which is producing a level of uncertainty and anxiety that I've not witnessed as a believer. Yet despite all of these scary situations, we have something wonderful to look forward to — and if you're like me, you can't wait!

Don't let the times we’re living in control your life; instead, use these turbulent times as an opportunity to display the goodness and grace of God in your life! As Yeshua (Jesus) said, when you see these things begin to take place — lift your heads high because your redemption draws near!

Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me."

When Ruth pledged her alligence to Naomi and to the God of Israel, it wasn't based on, "What ifs?" or circumstances. It was a faith rooted in her devotion to Naomi and God even to the point of death!

So often, I've received emails from people wondering why? "Why this?" or "Why that?" But honestly, "His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts" — and I don't have easy answers for much of the horrendous stuff that happens to us! But what I do know is our faith is not based on "if this" circumstance was changed then I could serve — or "if this" problem didn't exist then my life would be so much easier!

We tend to look at our circumstances, our problems, our status, our situations — however the faith we're called to have is a "whatever and where ever" faith!

Let's stop looking at the "what ifs" and "why that" and start looking to the "Who" of your life! The "who" of your life should be Yeshua (Jesus) — and when He is the "Who" of your life — then the rest of your life is "whatever and where ever" for your good and His glory!

In Biblical Hebrew, the verb tenses are not like our "past", "present", and "future" – there are only two: "perfect" and "imperfect". The "imperfect" tense is that which is not yet, not done, or not completed. The "perfect" is that which is done, complete and finished.

The Bible speaks of things that are yet to come in the perfect tense, as if they are already completed; (also called the "prophetic past"). God can have a finished work that hasn’t happened yet — for example, our salvation! In Messiah, we are a finished work that hasn't happened yet. We are becoming what we are already, in Him.

Yeshua (Jesus) instructed us to pray, "on earth as it is in heaven." Since we (believers) are born from above — from the finished, perfect work of God, we are already participating in His perfection, though we are still on earth doing His will.

So, reflect on this truth of your already complete perfection in Yeshua. You will look at your problems a little differently — actually be less worried about them from this "Heavenly" point of view. You may still be working them out with fear and trembling, yet rest in this simple and amazing fact: in Yeshua, they are already resolved!

by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions

Psalms 2:1-3 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed [in Hebrew it is the word Meshiach], saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

Acts 4:25-28 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

When Peter and John had gone up to the Temple for prayer [Acts 3], they saw a man who was lame from birth, and were moved to heal him in the name of Yeshua (Jesus). Immediately the religious leaders laid hands on them [Acts 4:3] and kept them imprisoned for a day. The following day, with boldness, they declared this miracle was done in the name of Yeshua. I love what the "religious" leaders said next — "they perceived that they were unlearned men and they marveled at their boldness!" Why were they bold? They had been with Yeshua, and the leaders took note of that!

It is no surprise that the world rages against the Messiah. Psalm 2 declares it clearly. Every year there are tens of thousands of believers suffering and dying for their faith, in large part because the kings and the rulers of the earth RAGE against the Lord and His Anointed. As followers of the King we should expect this and be prepared for it when it comes.

But, the examples of Peter and John, and every other true Christian martyr, are there to inspire and encourage us that if and when the time of persecution comes for us, we too can be bold as a lion. And this boldness is no merely human bravery, but an unction from the Holy Spirit Himself. So, though the kings of the earth will rage, our simple faith and Holy Spirit boldness will testify that we too have been with Yeshua!

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Every time we go to the States it seems I gain about 20 pounds! It’s really not that difficult – being a guest, and receiving the generous hospitality of American Christians for 3 months — which means being fed like a king. Feasting like this is really fun…until you get on the scale 3 months later! So now I’m back in Israel, eating right and knocking off what I call speaking weight. Those (women) who have experienced pregnancy weight, know just what I'm talking about.

So the other week I was in my favorite restaurant in Jerusalem where I usually order a steak sandwich. Thinking, "weight loss", I decided to be good to my body, and ordered a salad. But the entire time I was eating the salad, I was really thinking – "steak sandwich! I wish I had a steak sandwich!" Of course, the guy sitting to my left ordered a steak sandwich. I couldn’t even look at him for fear that I might start drooling.

Returning home on the bus from Jerusalem to Arad the Lord spoke to me, about revival. He said, revival will only take place when we REALLY hunger after Him. It's easy to hunger for a steak sandwich; but how often can we say with the psalmist, "My soul thirsts for thee O God, my flesh yearns for thee like a dry and weary land where there is no water." [Ps. 63:1]

The Lord is longing for us to long for Him; He is desiring us to desire him. Since He is life, He is the fountain of "revival". We need to redirect our hunger…amen?

Read more Christian devotions on: Attitude, Health, Intimacy, Revival

1 Chronicles 12:33 Of Zebulun, there were 50,000 who went out in the army, who could draw up in battle formation with all kinds of weapons of war and helped David with an undivided heart.

Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

50,000 soldiers from the tribe of Zebulun served in David's army with UNDIVIDED (some translations: "not double-hearted") hearts. Can you imagine a skilled army with this level of loyalty and devotion?

An undivided heart is one of the most powerful things on earth. Singleness of purpose will flow from the life of a person whose heart is undivided. Couples whose hearts are devoted to the Lord this way will preserve their marriages, no matter how difficult their issues and problems become. Intercessors whose hearts are filled with a single purpose will ultimately demolish terrible strongholds. Missionaries with vision and absolute loyalty, will be able to take entire nations for Christ. One woman will pour out ointment worth a year's salary on her savior's head. An undivided heart is one of the most powerful things on earth.

Yeshua (Jesus) inspires and empowers undivided hearts. If you really know him well, you will be very much like the men of Zebulun were in their loyalty toward David.

Check your heart. Is it inspired by the beauty, heroism, and love of the Messiah? If not, you just don't know him well enough.

Read more Christian Devotions on: Attitude, Beauty, Courageous, Heart, Love, Loyalty, Meshiach ben David, War

We're preparing to celebrate our 7th Thanksgiving here in Israel, and as you may or may not know, the majority of Israelis have never heard of this holiday. So it’s always an adventure on the day we go out hunting for a turkey and all the other Thanksgiving foods which Americans are normally accustomed to. You see, most Israelis have never contemplated the idea of cooking a turkey whole, (not that the little Israeli ovens could even fit one if they had).

Facing this Thanksgiving challenge year after year has improved our hunting skills, but nothing in past years compares to the first year we celebrated Thanksgiving — it was a total fiasco! We pre-ordered a turkey several days in advance from the local butcher, and when we went to pick it up, he informed us that they had to cut it up for parts, because they ran out of meat. By that time it was Wednesday evening, we were looking forward to a slew of guests arriving the next day for Thanksgiving dinner…TURKEYLESS!!! We ended up having to pay a whole LOT of money for this ugly, frozen, lopsided, skinny, feathery, turkey (with the neck still attached) the afternoon of Thanksgiving, with barely enough time to cook it (thank God it was skinny!). We actually had to saw off the neck and pluck the ugly thing with tweezers! Then, when we went to the grocery store, we asked for canned cranberry sauce and they pointed us to the beverage aisle, having no earthly idea what we were talking about. Even with all the chaos however, we stayed hopeful and determined to get the job done. We ended up having a wonderful time and got to share the Good news of Messiah with a number of searching Israelis.

So every year since then, we have praised and thanked God that it’s nothing like our first Thanksgiving in the land. But the moral of the story really is, that sometimes things don’t go exactly the way we’d expected or hoped — yet we still need to hang in there for the sake of the final outcome, because our God has a way of making us thankful, even when we are turkeyless, or even when we feel like turkeys.

If things aren’t going your way today, don’t get all flustered and featherless, feeling like you’ve been gobbled up. Keep your eyes on the prize! The Lord never promised it would be easy, but he did promise us great rewards for enduring till the end! And that’s something to be really thankful for. Have a grateful and joyful Thanksgiving!

by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions

One constant pitfall we must watch for is taking credit for something that God does in or through us, or using the gifts and callings of God for self-exaltation. In that light it may be easier to handle poverty, weakness, or insignificance, than wealth, ability, power or authority, since poverty and frailty are not normally things we boast about, and they cause us to recognize our need for God. Prosperity, gifting, and anointing, on the other hand can be powerful temptations, leading to pride, covetousness, and self-sufficiency.

Saul, who came from a humble background, was anointed king of Israel, yet his heart was revealed when the Lord exalted him, but he exulted in his own position, eventually coveting it so severely he became a fierce enemy of God. The Lord then removed His spirit from Saul and the true condition of the man became apparent to everyone.

Even the great Solomon whose gifting, anointing, and prosperity were unsurpassed in some ways, seems to have taken for granted his abilities and wealth, and, somehow, rationalizing his blatant disobedience to God's law, he fell into idolatry and brought disaster to the Kingdom of Israel. This seems amazing, given the fact that Solomon's most precious gift was his wisdom. (Those with this gift should take note).

Be careful how you handle the gifts and successes that God gives you! Enjoy His blessings as you serve in your family, business, or ministry – but never forget where it all comes from, and to whom the glory belongs, cause if you do, He will be sure to remind you.

by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions.

It ought to be obvious to all of us believers that we are in a spiritual war that is taking place all over the earth — and that we are called to fight in this battle. In the world's armies, soldiers are not sent into battle before receiving many months of serious training. They need to get physically in shape first and then to learn how to handle different wartime situations and tactics of the enemy.

For us, the moment we are saved, the Lord begins our training for the ongoing spiritual battle in this world. It begins with learning to trust Him for protection as young believers, and progresses through many phases even to the place where we may enter strenuous wrestling with principalities and powers, as the apostle Paul describes in these verses.

Are you struggling in your walk with God? If so, realize that He is training you. Born into war, you are both protected and also necessarily engaged in the battle. Thank God for His protection and His preparation. We need both as we mature and become more involved and useful soldiers for Him against the diverse strategies and tactics of the enemy.

The Lord's weapons are spiritual; they include a knowledge of the scriptures, the anointing of the Holy Spirit which increases with a devoted prayer life, the courage which comes only with deep trust, and His divine wisdom which reveals His strategy for our present situation.

Realizing that we are in a battle, we ought to reflect on and discover where our weaknesses are. We may already be aware of some of them, but the Lord will show us if we ask Him for more insight. Our part is to cooperate with His development and sharpening of our spiritual weapons. If we cooperate with Him He will always lead us in triumph. Our present trial is the battleground for our next victory.

So, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. With His armor you will stand, and with His weapons you will win.

by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions

Rivka, my sweet wife and wonderful mother, once said to me that she feels that she's not doing enough for the Lord. So I told her a story that I once heard.

A woman came in to see her Pastor with the very same concern. She said "Pastor, I just don't feel like I've done much for the Lord with my life…and now I'm old and tired and probably don't have much time left, or energy for that matter, to do anything great for Him."

This particular woman had raised four boys in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, three of which were doing full time missionary work in different countries and one in Bible college aspiring to the the same. "Sister," he said, I'll be lucky to get a small mansion next to your palace in Paradise".

We may not be pastors or world traveling missionaries but one thing is for sure. We each have been given gifts and abilities by the Lord for use in His Kingdom. Right now, Rivka is called to be a full-time wife and mother and do those things whole-heartedly unto the Lord. And you, perhaps, are called to minister to the Lord by being a light to your co-workers at your secular job, being available for a family member or friend in trouble, financially supporting missions around the world, or even cleaning the toilets after services at your local church.

Whatever the case, rejoice in the Lord and do it as though you're doing it for Him!

by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions

Here in Israel we have an interesting geographical phenomenon – there are two landlocked seas. One is alive and one is dead. The sea full of life is the Kinneret, better known as the Sea of Galilee. The dead sea is…….you guessed it, the Dead Sea. Now the Kinneret is constantly emptying as it flows through the Jordan River valley…. into the Dead Sea. But the Dead Sea does not empty its water at all. Instead, the Dead Sea is continually shrinking, because the intense heat at this lowest place on Earth actually evaporates more water than is flowing in. Do you see a parable here?

The Sea that is alive is the one that gives. The more of your self, of your life, of your love, that you pour out, the more alive, filled up, and refreshed you will become. The Lord Yeshua (Jesus) exemplified this to the greatest extent ever, by giving all He was and all He had, even to those who hated Him and were His bitter enemies. And the love that He gave was returned to Him by His Father in the resurrection, and by all the multitude of His redeemed people throughout all ages and into eternity. Could it possibly be any different for those of us who live lives of giving and loving? No. We will continue to be filled by the Lord's infinite abundance no matter how much we pour ourselves out. Of course, if we hold back, keeping all we have to ourselves, we will begin to evaporate and die…

Give and you will live. Love, and you will be filled with God’s love. Hold back, and even that which you have will vanish away. A friend of mine shares this limerick:

There once was a sea that was dead
It was, 'cause it only got fed
And never gave up
Not one single cup
Now that's something to keep in your head

Let's be givers. Let's be lovers. Empty ourselves into His Kingdom, into His work, and be constantly refilled with His love, power and peace. With so much work to be done, I'm choosing the Sea of Life!

by George Whitten, Editor of Worthy Devotions

In our house we have an old lounge chair that has a built-in foot rest operated by a lever on the side. It's my captain chair. It's so comfortable that oftentimes our guests plop in the chair, kick up the foot-rest, and within minutes, fall asleep. As a matter of fact it happened last night!

The scripture says God's captain chair, His throne, is in heaven… and his footstool is right here on earth! This planet is God's footstool. That means everything – the mountains, the rivers, oceans, your home, under His feet…but, more than that, your problems, your worries, your fears – they are all under His feet as well!

So stop worrying and relax – give those problems over to God, kick up your feet, and rest in Him, realizing that every issue you're dealing with is also truly under His feet, and that He never slumbers or sleeps!

Driving through Jerusalem two days ago on our way to Ariel, we saw the most incredible sight – a double rainbow over Jerusalem! It was interesting that we saw the rainbows on our way to see the Ortiz family. For those of you who are not familiar with the Ortiz family, earlier this year this family was the victim of a horrific bombing. Their 15 year old son Ami opened a Purim basket rigged with such explosive power that it totally destroyed their apartment– and nearly killed the boy!

Looking at the close-up photos of that day, I realized that it's not just amazing – it is absolutely miraculous that Ami survived an explosion which occurred in his own hands, at point-blank range, and devastated the apartment in which he stood! We had never actually seen Ami in person. So after he came into the room and sat down next to me, my wife, Rivka, was still waiting for him to arrive – not realizing that it was Ami that was sitting next to me! She couldn't believe this was the young man that survived the bombing! That's how astounding his recovery has been thus far. Although he still lives with continual pain, his family is believing for a complete recovery – and we believe right along with them! At one point I turned to ask him, "Do you feel any bitterness from what happened?" His response showed no trace of the anger or bitterness that one would expect. So Ami is also a living portrait of the miraculous power of the grace and forgiveness of our Lord!

Death was seeking this family in Israel – yet God completely protected them. They have become a sign of His powerful deliverance! The rainbows we saw on the way were a picture of God's covenant faithfulness, which has been bountifully poured out on this faithful family in Ariel.

We have a choice each and every day how we will live! It's been said of our life that its significance is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to those events. Our attitude is the one thing we can have full control over – whatever situations are thrown our way! It may not be a bombing, as happened to Ami, but perhaps we can learn a lesson from this young man – there is NO trial or temptation that necessarily forces us into a sinful attitude of bitterness and hatred; with Yeshua as our perfect example and His Spirit as our power source we can always overcome.

Almost every Jewish holiday season, we go door to door, predominantly in poor neighborhoods throughout Israel, delivering baskets full of food, toiletries and other gifts. This year, we've included a copy of my wife's first cd, hot off the presses***!

For those who don't know, my wife Rivka has a phenomenal voice. The cd, called "Lazman Hazeh" (For Such a Time as This) contains twelve songs, all sung in Hebrew. And most of the lyrics are scriptures of God's love, grace and encouragement for His people; they are crucial to the difficult times Israel is enduring right now. Also included on the album, is the song "Mercy Seat", if you've heard of it, a very powerful song about God's great mercy toward us when we run to Him.

We'll spare you the details of the battle we've had with this cd but I'll just say this: you could not imagine to what great lengths the enemy went to try to terminate this project from coming to fruition this past year. Time and time again, right as we were nearing the finish, we hit another brick wall — so many tears, frustrations and wanting to just "throw in the towel" — we thought it would never get done!

Then, yesterday, at our very first attempt to deliver baskets with the cd's inside, our ministry van dies ("dies", like our mechanic said that the value of the vehicle is not worth putting the money into fixing it). And if that wasn't tough enough, today as we were delivering a second batch of baskets with our own little car, it too died — in fact, we barely made it home as we were driving through the dark highways of the Negev with two sleeping little one's in the back seat!

Okaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…. I think it might be safe to say that our enemy is just a little upset about this album! But here's the thing. We will continue to press forward to do the work of the Kingdom and we will prevail!

If you're going through some tough stuff today, we are so there with you, friend! But let's get tougher — and get ourselves going! Let's stand strong together for the Lord's purposes, no matter the cost, no matter the obstacles! Because, you know it — there's soooooo much work to be done!

*** If you'd like to have a listen and/or purchase a cd, go to www.lazmanhazeh.com Each cd you buy will enable us to give away five in Israel. 100% the proceeds will be used to encourage and bless Israel.