All is going well on this side of the world; I pray things are going well for each of you. We are in the 10 Days of Awe and this Shabbat is also Yom Kippur (by the time I get internet to send this we might be past Yom Kippur!). The Jewish people have been spending this time searching their hearts in preparation for observance of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Even though they do not have a high priest to go into the Holy of Holies to sacrifice on their behalf, they still spend the day in fasting and repenting. The orthodox Jews have decided that if they recite certain scriptures and then kill a chicken that this somehow atones for their sins. One day, they will know the One who sacrificed Himself as a fulfillment of the Day of Atonement! On a lighter note, the kids are getting excited about Yom Kippur because that means they get to ride their bikes in the middle of the streets (as there will be no cars), which is a highlight of their year. The joys of being children!
I want to go back to a scripture I referenced a few weeks ago. In John 9:29-33 the man who was born blind states to the Jewish leaders of his day, that Yeshua (Jesus) must be from God BECAUSE He opened the eyes of one BORN blind. They had never heard of one being healed who was BORN blind. That was the sign to this man that Yeshua could have come from no one but God. Someone told me a story of how a man was witnessing in a hospital and a Jewish woman came up to Him and said, “He is not dead anymore? How can you prove this to me?” So the man told her to go into the chapel, and ask God to show her how this was possible. Ten minutes later she came out with tears streaming down her face and said, “I know it’s true, I’ve just seen Him.” This is a present day example of God opening the eyes of one who was BORN blind. Only God can do this! We are in a new season and in this season we will be seeing the eyes of those BORN blind opened. They will shout, both Muslim and Jew, and say, “we know it’s true because we were born blind and now we see!”
In this season it will not be our words that will cause these precious ones to run to the one who can open their eyes. For those who walk in fear and anger and bitterness and rejection it is only the LOVE of God in us that can reach their hearts. The time has come for us to shut our mouths and show them our hearts. The world has heard it all, but they’ve not SEEN it all. It goes back to the nameless, faceless tribe. We don’t need to be out there shouting things at people, we need to be quiet, get out of the way, and let Him permeate the earth through our actions. We have nothing to give, but if we get rid of ourselves then through us He can give everything.
I have found that the more time I spend worshiping at His feet, the more I can see that in myself I am nothing. True worship lifts our focus from ourselves to Him. Worship is also the key to bringing down the manifest presence of God. Yes, God is everywhere and in everything (omnipresent), but that type of presence is not the same as the presence of God when He descends in all His glory. Our worship opens the heavens, changes the atmosphere and calls for His manifest presence to come down among us. When His manifest presence descends, His throne descends. And when His throne descends His government descends. A king governing from his throne does not behave in the same manner as a child in a manger. We are going to begin to see His governing in this earth. It will be fearsome to behold. In Genesis one He SPOKE and this earth was created. As King He will begin to speak again and when He does the earth will shake under the weight of His words.
Haggai 2:21-22 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake the heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.’”
Hebrews 12:25-26 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth: but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
Joel 3:16 The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Joel 3 reminds us that those who KNOW Him, and who hear His voice do not need to fear His voice. He consumes His enemies, but protects those He loves (which doesn’t mean you won’t endure difficult times, but we do not need to fear). We need to have our eyes wide open to see what He is doing and be able to get in line with Him in an instant. The closer we get to His return the faster He will be moving. We won’t have time to sit around and analyze what He is doing and discuss it for days and weeks on end. If we are watching and waiting we will have just enough time to get in line with what He is doing. These are exciting days we are living in! These are days that the men who penned the scriptures would have loved to see in person. So be alert, watching and waiting, ready to move at a moment’s notice.
Praise report:
1. My arm is feeling significantly better this week! There is still some soreness, but I was able to play a full two hour set!
2. God is continually reminding me that He is the one who cares for my needs. People have randomly given me money here in Israel over the last month, which, though it can’t be used to pay bills back home, has been a great blessing in covering my food and transportation costs here!
Prayer requests:
1. Completion of the healing of my elbow
2. Bethany (woman I live with), is in the last 3 weeks of her pregnancy. We live nearly an hour from the hospital and her last delivery took a total of 1 ½ hrs! So please pray that everything will line up and she will be able to get to the hospital in time (I will nanny, but I don’t want to deliver babies!!!!), and that her delivery will be without any complications.
3. Please join us in crying out for those who have been born blind so that we could see (Romans 9-11).
~Lydia
Photos:
1. I found a beach party in the middle of Jerusalem's streets
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