“O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.”
(Psalm 107:1)
THANKSGIVING Day appeals to all of us, and we are glad that the Pilgrim Fathers long years ago started the custom. They placed it at the end of the harvest in recognition of the same. The keeping of such a day appeals to all civilized mankind to a considerable degree, because our Great Creator so organized us that the quality of reverence, worship, lies prominently on the top of our heads. The man or woman, rich or poor, educated or ignorant, bond or free, who has not this organ of veneration developed in considerable measure cannot be appreciative and deferential toward his Creator, and hence would not enjoy Thanksgiving Day. We are glad that these are comparatively few. We are glad to suppose that the majority of this great nation of civilization looks up to God with grateful hearts and renders Him thanks for blessings manifested. Nevertheless, yearly the numbers increase of those who are losing their reverence for the God of the Bible. These vaguely turn toward a God of Nature, of whom they profess to know comparatively little. These irreverent and unthankful fellow creatures are not generally the most ignorant of our race, nor the least favored in temporal mercies and blessings. Among them are many learned, wealthy, influential people. Their condition is well represented by that of a young woman who recently said, "I have lost my God. I am unhappy. I am hoping to be able to find Him again." Thank God, she did find Him again, and is now able to thank Him sincerely.
The Great Teacher prayed for His followers, "Sanctify them through Thy Truth; Thy Word is Truth." (John 17:17) To be forearmed with the Truth is to be safeguarded against the error. To be ignorant of the Truth is to fall a prey to the error ─ especially in this "evil day," when "a thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand." (Ps. 91:7) The difficulty with us has been that many have supposed that the conversion of the world and its sanctification can be better accomplished by misrepresentation of Divine Character and Justice. Unconsciously we have learned to twist and interpret our Bibles to fit the erroneous creeds which were handed to us by our well-meaning forefathers. The Day of Judgment upon these false creeds is upon us. Unless we learn that they do not properly interpret the Bible we will reject the Bible when we reject the creeds ─ and that must be very soon for all thinking people. "To the Law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Is. 8:20.) "Come, let us reason together, saith the Lord!" If our creeds tell us truly that we were all born damned to eternal torment, should we give thanks on this account? If our creeds tell truly that an elect handful of saints will escape the torture, how do we know whether or not we belong to that elect handful? Have we sufficient information on this subject to give thanks therefor? If our creeds tell truly that nearly all the members of our families, nearly all of our neighbors and friends, being unsaintly, not "sanctified in Christ Jesus," not followers in the footsteps of Jesus, not of those "who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit" ─ these all, except a mere handful, are doomed to more horrible torture than the worst earthly sufferings we could possibly imagine for them, and are doomed to these for centuries in Purgatory, according to the Catholic; or for all eternity, according to our Protestant theories. Can we honestly thank God for any of these conditions, if we believe them to be true? Can we "worship in spirit and in truth" a Creator who would make such an atrocious plan? And could we respect His honesty, if He labeled it "good tidings of great joy to all people"?
If the foregoing things, which have come down to us from the "Dark Ages," be true, of what consequence, in comparison, would be the material harvests of earth, which would merely encourage and stimulate the bringing into being of larger numbers of our race to experience those tortures? If these things be true, rather should we give thanks for famine and pestilence, which would obliterate our race entirely and thus save future thousands of millions from the horrors of eternal torture. These thoughts will come to all intelligent beings sooner or later. We bring them forward now, in order that we may offset them with the Truth ─ that we may show the fallacy of these "doctrines of devils," as St. Paul designates them (1 Tim. 4:1). We bring them to your attention so that we may not only demolish them, but give you instead the true, satisfactory portion, the Truth, the Bread that came down from heaven to give life eternal, not merely to the saintly few of the Church, but to mankind in general. Those who get the proper view of our Creator and of His glorious Plan for human salvation will be forever protected from such fears and doubts respecting Divine goodness. Getting the proper view of the Heavenly Father's character, through the discernment of His Plan of the Ages for spiritual Israel, natural Israel and the world in general, they will hereafter be able to celebrate every Thanksgiving Day much more abundantly, much more intelligently, much more happily than any in the past. More than this, to these every day will be a happy day if, rightly exercised by the goodness of God, they shall give Him their hearts.
In the Psalm from which our text is taken the Prophet David repeats five times this sentiment of Thanksgiving to God because of the ever-continuance of His mercy. Our English translation does not give us the exact thought, however. Properly translated it would read, "O give thanks... for His mercy endureth ever." The word "evermore" nearly represents the thought of the Hebrew, which signifies not forever, but to a completion. As long as there is any use for mercy, God's mercy will continue. When the Great Divine Program shall have been accomplished, when every creature in heaven and in earth, and under the earth, shall be heard saying, Praise and glory and honor, dominion and might be unto Him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb forever (Rev. 5:13), then there will no longer be need for mercy; mercy will have accomplished its work. Mercy signifies the setting aside of justice in some manner, for some reason. Justice is the foundation of God's throne ─ the foundation of the Divine Government. Justice had control of Father Adam and offered him eternal life in an Eden home, as a reward for obedience, or death, extinction, as the penalty for disobedience. As Divine Wisdom had foreknown, man disobeyed and the penalty of Justice, "Dying thou shalt die," was executed. Through heredity all of Adam's race became involved ─ all inherited sin and death.
For more than two thousand years death reigned under the edict of Justice, and our race as a whole was subject to it. A little later the Law Covenant was made with Israel ─ one nation out of many. It seemed to offer mercy, but did not. They were placed under the Law and were merely offered eternal life, if they could keep the Law ─ which they could not keep, because of inherited blemishes, moral and physical. It was over four thousand years from the time Justice struck the fatal blow until Divine mercy stepped forward with the healing balm. God's mercy is His love in active operation for the relief of the condemned. Although God is Love, and hence must always have been loving and kind and merciful of disposition, yet this quality of His character was held in restraint as respects condemned men for more than forty centuries. So the Apostle explains, saying, "Herein was manifested the love of God, in that He sent His only begotten Son into the world" "that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (1 John 4:9; John 3:16) But meantime the darkness of sin and the misrepresentations of the Divine character by the Adversary had so operated upon the fallen race that ─ eyes had they, but they saw not; ears had they, but they understood not; hearts had they, but they comprehended not, the message of Divine mercy. They fulfilled the Scriptures in slaying the One sent for their relief. And they have misunderstood, slandered, maligned, "killed" His followers ─ the few blessed with the hearing ears and the understanding hearts and the eyes of faith. These few constitute what the Scriptures designate the true Church of God, including the Apostles and all the faithful throughout this Age ─ the household of faith, "the Church of the First-Borns, which are written in heaven." (Heb. 12:23)
Man's necessity became God's opportunity for the display of His glorious character ─ perfect in Justice, Wisdom, Love and Power. While love could not clear the guilty, it could provide a Redeemer to suffer, "the Just for the unjust." But Divine Justice could not allow this, unless with the consent of the sufferer. Hence we read that God set before His only begotten Son a glorious Plan and invited His co-operation therein. The Son assented, left the heavenly glory, was made flesh and "offered Himself" an acceptable sacrifice, "the Just for the unjust" ─ for the redemption of Adam and his race. The Father honored Him by raising Him from the dead to a still higher glory and honor than He had before, to immortality ─ the Divine nature. Now, from this glorious station, He is empowered to be the Mediator between God and men ─ between Divine Justice and fallen humanity. He is empowered to give the earthly rights which He sacrificially laid down for Adam and his race – to as many of them as will accept the perfection of human nature and its rights and privileges upon terms in harmony with the Divine Law ─ the remainder He will destroy, annihilate "as brute beasts." (2 Pet. 2:12; Acts 3:23) As though all this were not sufficiently wonderful; as though with all this the Heavenly Father's Wisdom, Justice, Love and Power would not be sufficiently illustrated, exemplified, God added another feature. Before beginning to deal with the world as a whole, to give back to the willing and obedient of the race human perfection and an earthly Eden, Paradise, and eternal life; before commencing this work of restitution (Acts 3:19), the Father made known to the Son another feature of His Plan. He would give to the Son a Bride, a class selected from amongst the fallen race ─ called, chosen, faithful overcomers. These, as the Joint-Heirs of the Second Adam, will share with Him in the uplifting of those of Adam's race who will become the children of Christ through obedience.
REJOICING IN TRIBULATION
The trials and testings of all those who will become the Bride of Christ must be similar to those of the Redeemer. They must suffer with Him if they would reign with Him. As He sacrificed His earthly life and rights and interests, so must they. He exhorted them, "Present your bodies living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, a reasonable service." (Rom. 12:1) True, there is a difference between these followers of Jesus and the Captain of their Salvation. He was brought into the world holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners; hence His sacrifice is a perfect one. Those accepted as His members, as His Bride, belong to the race of sinners. They were “children of wrath even as others.” (Eph. 2:3) Their acceptance as sacrifices, therefore, was not possible except as the great Captain of their Salvation imputed to those sacrifices a sufficiency of the merit of His sacrifice to compensate for their defects and to make their sacrifices acceptable to the Father with His and as a part of His ─ they being counted in with Him as "members of His Body." Those of us who have the eye of faith and the bearing of faith to appreciate this, the Message of God's Word, may surely be thankful to the last degree. What more could our Heavenly Father do for us than He has done ─ redeeming us, inviting us to a new nature, giving us the aids by the way, and making us sharers in the Kingdom glory of His Son? More than this, He has been blessing our friends, our children, our parents, our neighbors, the heathen ─ all of mankind, of one family.
"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever!" During this Gospel Age His mercy has been manifest to all those who take up their cross and follow Jesus. By and by these will be glorified in the "First Resurrection." Then His mercy will return to natural Israel under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31), of which Christ and the Church are "Able Ministers," Servants, Priests and Kings. Could all the world discern, through the trials and tears and sorrows and imperfections and dying of their present experience, the glorious outcome which God is providing the whole world, they would be filled with praise to Him who loved us and bought us back from the penalty of death and who ultimately will complete His glorious work through Messiah's Kingdom. Have we not, as followers of the Lord, as Christians, misrepresented the facts of the case and endeavored to have people give thanks to God for unkind-ness, injustice, lovelessness ─ to a God whose mercy never reached us and would never reach any but a small proportion of our race through the knowledge of Christ; to a God whose mercy, even to the one-tenth of those who had ever heard of Him, He said, would endure only for the present life, and even among these bring a blessing only to a mere handful of the elect? Let us go back to the Word of God and free our minds of the prejudices of superstition and misinterpretation handed down from the Dark Ages. Let us see the glory of our God, as revealed in the Bible. Let Christians give thanks that, by the grace of God, their eyes and ears of understanding are opening to a better knowledge of Him. Let them give thanks, not only for redemption from the death sentence, but also for their call to saint-ship and its consequent suffering in this present time and its promise of reward of glory on the spirit plane by and by. Let the world give thanks in proportion as it is able to discern God’s goodness and mercy for Adam’s race ─ that eventually through the channel of the glorified Church the Divine blessing will be extended to every member of Adam’s race, giving opportunity to all to attain life everlasting with full human perfection and an everlasting Eden upon this now sin-cursed earth of ours.
(Brother Paul S.L Johnson, The Herald of the Epiphany, pages 41-43, November 15, 1926)
___________________________________________________________________
“PRESBYSTERIANS TO DECIDE ON WORSHIP ALTERNATIVES FOR TRADITIONAL TRINITY: BIRMINGHAM, ALA. ─ Delegates of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are to tackle whether to adopt gender-inclusive language for worship of the divine Trinity along with the traditional ‘Father Son and Holy Spirit.’
“A study panel said the classical language for the Trinity shouldn't be diminished, but advocated ‘fresh ways to speak of the mystery of the triune God’ to ‘expand the church's vocabulary of praise and wonder.’
“One reason is that language limited to the Father and Son ‘has been used to support the idea that God is male and that men are superior to women,’ the panel said.
“Conservatives object that the church should stick close to the way God is named in the Bible.
“Among the feminist-inspired, gender-inclusive options:
“‘Mother, Child, Womb’
“‘Lover, Beloved, Love’
“‘Creator, Savior, Sanctifier’
“‘Rock, Redeemer, Friend’
“‘King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love.’
“Two professors at the Presbyterians' Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Andrew Purves and Charles Partee, said there is potential danger that ‘we not only lose the ground for our language for God, we in fact lose the Trinity. We lose God.’
“‘We do not need a diluted, metaphorical Trinity; rather, we need our confidence in the Christian doctrine of God to be restored,’ they said.
“Other critics noted that Jesus' most famous prayer begins by addressing ‘Our Father.’”
(By Richard N. Ostling, AP Religious writer, June 19, 2006)
Comment: The above is a good example of how the nominal churches have fallen. Of course, this is just one denomination, but there are signs in all of them. In the first place, the Trinity is a false doctrine. The first commandment shows that. It reads: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord God is one Lord." (Deut. 6:4) And Jesus repeats it in Mark 12:29 and the scribe that had questioned Jesus said: "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God: and there is none other but He." (Mark 12:32)
But now here comes the Presbyterians injecting gender into the matter. The column says that it is feminist-inspired. The idea that God is a male in the sense of humanity is unreasonable. The term "Father" means life-giver. This means that He, as Father, provided the life principle for mankind and Mother Earth does the nourishing. We equate that with the fact that in human beings, it is the father that produces the life principle, or sperm. The Mother nourishes before and after birth. This in no way downgrades either the male or the female. They share. This is, also, shown in Jesus and His Bride. Jesus will be the life-giver in the Kingdom and the Church, which is His bride, will do the nourishing.
But God, as the life-giver, created Adam and Eve through Jesus, not that He entered into any sexual activity to do so. He had the power and possession of the life principle. The Scriptures speak of Jesus as God’s “only begotten Son.” This means that Jesus was the only direct creation of God. All other things were created by Him through Jesus, who was the Word or Logos before He came into the world. (See John 1:1-3)
___________________________________________________________________
TIME TO TURN TO GOD
“It might sound silly, or even naive, but the time has come to turn to G-d. Throughout our history, the Jewish people have always turned toward Heaven in the face of peril, brandishing the most potent of weapons contained in our armory: the power of prayer. It is time we do so once more. If our enemies are intent on waging a holy war against us, shouldn't we deploy our spiritual arsenal too?
“As an undergraduate at Princeton University, I took a number of courses in political thought. We were constantly being told that international relations is the sum product of the interplay among the various actors on the world stage, be they people, nations or leaders. But what the learned professors forgot to mention, of course, is that in addition to the actors, there is also the Director, and it is He who writes the script of what is yet to be.
“Prayer gives each of us a chance, a unique opportunity, to appeal to the Director, and to influence the outcome of this production called history. But we must act quickly, because the clock is ticking, and the danger of a nuclear Iran grows ever more near.
“Jews, Christians, and others should launch an international campaign of prayer for Israel. We must storm the Heavens, and beseech G-d to intervene at this, the Jewish people's hour of need. Synagogues, churches, and other houses of worship should lead the call, creating a ‘prayer shield’ around the Jewish state. Now, more than ever, we must utilize our faith.”
(Excerpt from Michael Freund, Columnist for The Jerusalem Post, Reported by Bridges For Peace, July/August 2006)
“UNUSUAL TRADE: Israel exports surplus apples to Syria. For the second straight year, Israeli apple growers expanded their customer base to include an unlikely, but eager purchaser of their surplus produce ─ Syria.
“Using the United Nations as intermediary, Israel exported about 10,000 tons of apples from the Golan Heights to Syria this spring, double the amount exported last year. The growing trade in apples between the two countries, which are technically at war with each other, is an interesting anomaly in a region riddled with violence and conflict. The Syrians, apparently short of apples, unexpectedly agreed to the deal, brokered by the UN on behalf of the Israel Agriculture Ministry.
“Ironically, Israel’s apples are grown mainly in the Golan Heights, which Syria has considered occupied territory since the 1967 Six Day War. The produce will come from Druze apple growers. The deal is expected to help Jewish growers by stabilizing prices on the local market, said Glora Sela, Director of the Israel Farmers’ Federation.
“In another twist, Sela said Israel’s surplus of apples stems from the inability of growers to market the produce in Gaza due to the prolonged closure of the Karni border terminal, shut down for security reasons. Syrian consumers may not be able to taste the Israeli apples as the importers will probably resell the apples to states in the Persian Gulf, where produce prices are much higher.”
(Excerpted from an article by Scott Shiloh, InternetNetNews, Reported by Bridges For Peace, May-June 2006)
“3,000-year old-city found – An ancient Jewish town from the time of King Solomon has been uncovered beneath the Arab village of Kafr Kana, north of Nazareth in the Galilee. Kana, or Cana, is where Jesus performed his first miracle turning water into wine (John 21).
“Archaeologists date the remains of a city wall and buildings to the periods of the United Kingdom of King Solomon and the Kingdom of Israel, following the split between Israel and Judah, from the 10th to the 9th centuries BC. Pottery vessels, large quantities of animal bones, a scarab depicting a man surrounded by two crocodiles, and ceramic seal bearing the image of a lion were discovered at the site.
“Yardena Alexandre, director of the excavation, reported that evidence was found indicating the place was ransacked during the 9th century BC. Following the destruction, the excavation area was abandoned until its ruins were re-inhabited by Jewish settlers during the Early Roman period (1st century AD). The identity of these residents as Galilean Jews was already known from previous excavations. The discovery includes remnants of Jewish settlement during this Roman period. Among the findings are underground tunnels excavated by Jews who defended the city against Roman legions during the Great Revolt of the year AD 66.
“Some of the walls that were destroyed were reused in the new construction, and new floors were laid down. The Jewish settlers built igloo-shaped pits on the ruins of the previous settlement, whereby the bedrock served as the floor of the pit and the walls were built. A rock-hewn pit in one of the tunnels contained 11 storage jars char-acteristic of the second half of the 1st century AD.
“Alexandre noted that ‘the pits are connected to each other by short tunnels. It seems that they were used as hiding refuges ─ a kind of concealed subterranean home – that were built prior to the Great Revolt against the Romans in AD 66.’”
(Bridges For Peace – May-June 2006)
“SOMETHNG EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW: The Palestinian’s assertion that Gush Katif is legally their land is simply untrue. Gaza has never been ‘Palestinian land.’ From 1948 to 1967 it was Egyptian-occupied territory. Before that from 1922 to 1948, it was part of the League of Nations mandate to create a Jewish national home under the trusteeship of Great Britain. For four centuries before the Mandate it was a part of the Ottoman Empire. There was no sovereign entity called Palestine, and therefore no legally ‘Palestinian land,’ during this or previous history.”
(Excerpts from The Jerusalem Post, by Max Singer, March 2006)
___________________________________________________________________
QUESTION OF GENERAL INTEREST
QUESTION ─ If only the elect are now inscribing their names (characters) in the Book of Life, is there no remembrance of the noble characters of the world?
ANSWER ─ "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Prov. 15:3) The residue of mankind will be awakened with the same character qualities they had in this Age, which will be a wonderful "remembrance" for the noble of this world. However, the "repentant and believing" of the finished Epiphany Camp hold a better position, although all restitutionists will receive the resurrection of the unjust whatever character qualities they may have. But we believe the "repentant and believing" who offer "prayers and alms" in this Age are in relatively the same position as was Cornelius before his consecration was acceptable. See Acts 10:1-4. The following is a quotation from Brother Johnson's teaching on this subject:
"Question: What is the book of life?
“Answer: The expression, ‘book of life’ is found seven times in the A.V. (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19, the Greek word xulon used here, should be translated tree or wood). In order to understand more clearly what is meant by the ‘book of life,’ we want to state, first of all, that there are, generally speaking, two books of life ─ one for the elect and another for the non-elect class (Rev. 20:12). According to this passage, during the Gospel Age the books (the 66 books of the Bible) are opened to our understanding as the Lamb's book of life; but in the Millennium another book of life (the New Covenant revelations) will be opened (made clear). Since the Bible is really an elaboration of the Covenants, the two books of life may, generally speaking, correspond to the all-embracing Abrahamic Covenant, especially in its Oath-bound features, and the New Covenant.
"Question: What is meant by names being written in the book of life?
“Answer: Sometimes it may refer to one's office activities in God's arranged plan (Ex. 32:33,34), but the usual meaning is that of one's character being inscribed into a Covenant. By this we mean developing a character in harmony with a covenant, thus enabling us to become a partaker of the covenant's promises. During the Gospel Age, every consecrated and Spirit-begotten one (except the 12 Apostles, who, before Pentecost, Luke 10:20, because of their pre-anointing, were treated in the same way as the Spirit-begotten) at the time of his entrance into the High Calling began to inscribe his character into the Covenant in its Sarah features, which develop the Christ class. Some failed to continue this work, through allowing sin, error, selfishness and worldliness to interfere to such an extent that they fell into the Great Company. Thus they were blotted out of their places as Little Flock members. If unfaithful as Great Company members, they will be blotted out of their places as such, and out of existence entirely, i.e., go into the Second Death; but if faithful as Great Company members, they will inscribe their characters into those features of the Covenant typed by Rachel. The Ancient Worthies began and Youthful Worthies also at consecration begin to inscribe their characters into the earthly features of its Oath-bound phase. If faithful, they will have their names written in heaven (Heb. 12:23) at the beginning of the Little Season, for they are among the antitypica1 Millennia1-Age firstborn (Levites) who had no inheritance in the land (Ex. 12:11-13, 21-23,27; 13:1,2, 11-15; Num. 3:40-51). Thus all the elect classes will ultimately have their characters inscribed into the all-embracing Abrahamic Covenant in one or another of its features.
"In the Millennium, the non-elect, the restitution class, will have to develop their characters in harmony with the new book of life, the New Covenant revelations, which will then be given. As they progress up the highway of holiness, they will be symbolically writing their names in this other book of life ─ inscribing their characters into the New Covenant. Of course, those who die the Second Death will have their names blotted out of that book. Surely as we consider this matter and its importance to all of us as God's people, we can indeed rejoice as Jesus said, ‘in that our names (either actually, or prospectively in the case of the Youthful Worthies) are written in heaven!’
"Question: Does Rev. 22:19 apply to the Gospel Age or to the Millennial Age?
“Answer: This verse contains a warning which has applied all during the Gospel Age and it will also apply in the Millennium. We pointed out above that the Greek word for book in the expression, ‘book of life’ should be translated tree or wood. In Rev. 2:7 the tree of life refers to something in which the Christ class is to share. The world of mankind has another tree or grove of life (Rev. 22:2) in which it is to share. Therefore the warning in this text is applicable to any in either Age." (July 1950 Present Truth, pages 110, 111)
___________________________________________________________________
LETTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST
June 17, 2006
Dear Emily and Marjorie,
Warm greetings from the Galilee where Our Lord spent his time mostly on the earth! It is hard to realize I can live in such a special place!
The last two months have been an extremely busy time with the Bed and Breakfast rooms. There have been many tourists in Israel and I have had guests the last two months from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Australia, Hong Kong, U.S.A and Israel. So a very international house! It is good to be able to share with them about God’s plans and purposes.
It isn’t easy to manage all the work without Lev, but the Lord gives me new strength day by day. Also I am learning to pace myself.
In Israel we feel like a “pot just ready to boil,” but where or when is the question. There is near civil war within the Palestinian areas, and reminds one of Israel’s enemies in the past turning against each other. Then Hezbollah in the north is ready for a fight. Who knows what this crazy Iranian leader will do next. In the meantime Olmert runs around trying to sell his new borders, and no one is ready to buy. So we see the plans of man can be great, but God brings all things out in His way in the end. What a wonderful God we serve! Take care.
Love, Hava Bausch (TIBERIAS, ISRAEL)
………………………………….
July 24, 2006
Dear Emily and Marjorie: Many warm greetings from the Galilee!
Hope you are all having a good summer. Our summer is not only hot in temperature but also with the war’s situation here now. It all came upon us so fast, and it is still hard to realize that over one million people are being kept in or near shelters in the north of Israel on a daily basis. We have had nearly 2,000 missiles land in the northern third of Israel now in some eleven days. Considering the number coming in each day, between 100 and 200, there have been many miracles that more people have not been killed! Many missiles land in open areas or empty homes or apartments. Sadly those that do hit are made more deadly by the 40Kg of ball bearings that are placed in the missile. That makes it like a machine gun as it explodes killing anyone around. So we have to go to our shelters whenever the missiles are coming and we are warned by the sirens that give us one minute. I have a shelter in one corner of my home, and have to go there two or three times a day. You never know when and for how long, so it is a very tense time for everyone. About half the people on our street block have fled to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. So Tiberius, as well as the other cities in the north, are like ghost towns. Most shops are closed, with few cars on the roads, and no children out playing even though it is school vacation now.
It is not easy to be without Lev through all this experience, but good to know the Lord is my shelter as in Psalm 91! Only He can we depend on in these turbulent times. I do appreciate your prayers now, and for Israel!
The Scripture on your July/August newsletter Isaiah 40:1,2 could not be more appropriate for this time as we need to “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people!” Thank you for the encouraging words regarding Israel and God’s plan for his people. May God continue to bless all of you there. May He also give you strength daily.
Love, Hava Bausch (TIBERIAS, ISRAEL)
Comment: We can see from the two letters above how quickly things can change in the Middle East as well as elsewhere. However, we must remember that the trouble will come in spasms with periods of relative quiet in between, much as a woman in childbirth (1Thes. 5:3). So we must gird up the loins of our minds and have patient endurance waiting for the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).
………………………………….
Dear Brethren,
Thank you so much for the “Divine Plan of the Ages.” I just love it! It really makes me think and helps me apply what I learned to the Bible. Your thoughtfulness touches me.
Thank you for such a blessing. Love, ___ (FLORIDA)