Joel of Jerusalem Dec/Jan 1983/1984
I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
Let me say it up front — unadorned and without fear of contradiction. The supreme malady of the human race — the seed cause of man’s labyrinth of problems is sin.
During my visit to North America in the spring, I met a very orthodox Jewish man. We spoke for only a few minutes, but in that short time we became friends.
Isaiah’s hopes were in danger of being dashed on the perilous rocks of human frailty and transience. He was about to stumble because his vision had been focused in the wrong place.
Judah was on the verge of expiring! Her spiritual chart read: head sick, heart faint, body full of wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores. From head to toe there was no soundness in her, cried isaiah (Isa. 1:6).
Soon we will be celebrating the most important holidays in Israel, Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). For those of us who know the Lord, this is no time to sleep.
I have many friends here in Jerusalem. Some of them are believers, while others are far away from the Lord, but since I have established contact with them, I feel it is important to maintain that contact.
The one who first suggested that “a man only has to do two things in life – pay income taxes and die,” no doubt spoke in jest. But, he underscored the certainty of paying taxes…
Here in Israel, one of the most important places for communication is often a public bus. Many times you meet people you know as they are getting on or off, and sometimes you are very surprised at the people you meet.
On a Jerusalem hillside a huge crowd had gathered to witness an event which would change the destiny of mankind. Darkness had filled the whole earth at noon, and it was drawing near 3:00 p.m.
We say that no ill is without its good. Every time a situation begins badly, I always pray, “O Lord, lead me and give me much patience so I can stand strong against the tribulations I face.”
NO ROOM in the inn. so He was born in a stable; NO ROOM in Herod’s kingdom. so He was hunted;
We have no desire to be trite, or petty or build mountains out of molehills, but we do desire to be true to the Word of God.
Jewish people are filled full with a zest for life. Candid and outgoing, they are often more recognizable by expression and gesture than by facial appearance. Rarely satisfied with being spectators…
The trespass offering is the final Levitical sacrifice required of the Israelite. Although it is similar to the sin offering (Lev. 7:7), there are a number of differences. The sin offering deals with sin against God;
I was reminded recently of the shortness of physical life. But because our souls are eternal, we all must prepare for eternity. For our physical bodies, we can purchase insurance.
He was now walking in the shadow of the cross. The hour for which He had come was soon to arrive. Jesus had utilized parables before in His teaching. They had been so enigmatic, however…
I thank the Lord, for He is so, good. After a very long time of having three of our children away in the army, we recently had the family together again around the table.
Moses the prophet and Paul the apostle are the two towering, stellar personalities of human history. No son of Adam’s race, however noble, however brilliant, however benevolent, however powerful, whether warrior or physician…
If anyone ever had a love and burden for the Jewish people, it was the Apostle Paul. He not only expresses his love and concern for them in Romans 9-11, but also God’s.
The coronation of an earthly monarch usually takes place early in life and commences his reign. For the believer, however, the coronation day takes place at death when he is raised to a higher realm of glory.
Mankind has done much talking about peace, but experienced little of it throughout the centuries. Someone estimated that in the last 5,600 years there have been 14,531 wars and only 292 years of world peace.
There are a number of covenants that God made in the Old Testament. Most of these covenants are concerned with the people of Israel (Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, and the New Covenant).
Two of my sons and my daughter are not at home these days. They have gone to the north (Lebanese front) with the army. And now I have received a nice letter stating that the army wants me to go also, but I said, “Not this time!”
It happened about ten years ago — when it was still fashionable to give away redemption stamps for almost anything purchased. I was walking in the downtown area of a large city and a church bulletin board caught my eye.
“What is Jesus doing now?” How would you answer that question? Most Christians have a fairly good understanding of what Jesus has done in the past and what Jesus will do in prophecy, but how many know what Jesus is doing in the present?
When the term Levitical offering is mentioned, blood sacrifice flashes across the mind of most people. True, the offerings in the the Levitical system were blood sacrifices, with one exception.
I thank God I am not what I used to be, I fully know that I am not all that I ought to be, and I look forward to what I one day will be.
In the land of Israel a broad valley stretches thirty-six miles from the port city of Haifa on Mount Carmel southeastward to the Jordan River. This fertile plain separates the mountains of Galilee to the north from those of Samaria to the south.
It is hard to live between the hammer and the anvil. In times such as this it is hard to know what to do in certain situations. There are people all around us with many troubles…
Here in Israel we have a special situation. There is much pressure from the north, south, east, and west. The wind is blowing from every direction, and we are in the center of the storm.
I would like to tell you about our Passover celebration last year. As in every other year, my home was completely full on the Passover evening. Ii was expecting about ten people, but many more than that came.
Christians commemorate December twenty-fifth as the day more than nineteen hundred years ago when the eternal Son of God was clothed in human flesh. That the day and month are almost certainly in error is of no great consequence.
In the last issue, we were introduced to a man who came roaring out of the mountains of Gilead – a “rustic renegade from the rural regions”. This wild looking character marched into the palace of Ahab…
The Passover was concluded with the chanting of the Hallel Psalms. Slowly the small group made their way down the narrow stairs from the upper room, through the winding streets of Jerusalem…
Sometimes we see things which are hard to believe, but we know they are so. It is also funny to see how grown people can be as children and speak like them. They can confuse folklore and Bible truths.
We live in a time when people are conscious of sports heroes. There’s a Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, a Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and a Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
A few weeks ago I was thinking that I would like to go to the religious school, which is not far from my home, and give a witness about the Lord. Of course, I realized that this was impossible;
The planet Earth is replete with “pedigree” organizations. Membership within them is often predicated upon political, educational, social, economic or philosophical qualifications. Many of these organizations exist for commendable reasons…
The old campaigner was hard-bitten, crafty and arrogant. His question was a cynical response to Jesus of Nazareth’s straightforward answer to a query: “Art thou the King of the Jews?” (Jn. 18:33).
Paul was certainly familiar with the armor of the soldier. Rome had control over Palestine in his day. As a young Pharisee in Jerusalem, he had often taken notice of the military…
The above advertisement is not a gimmick! How would you like to wear a pair of these shoes? Fine, now that we have your interest, may we give you the pertinent information and explicit details concerning them?
Shoes are to the feet . . . toothpaste is to the teeth . . . and clothes are to the body, as the shield of faith is to our spiritual lives.
Handley Moule was a godly scholar-preacher who ministered in Great Britain around the turn of the century. One day, as he was walking along Princess Street in Edinburgh, he approached a corner where Salvation Army workers were conducting an open-air meeting.
The sun was rising over the Mount of Olives, casting its golden glow on the Temple altar, as priests busied themselves preparing for the morning sacrifice. A priest, standing on the roof of a Temple building…
The ancient Roman soldier was called upon to fight in many and varied circumstances. Because of the privations of a long campaign, he would sometimes have to fight without part of his regular armor.
Here in Israel it seems we are paying taxes even for the air we breathe. The more we earn, the more taxes they take and, as if this is not enough, I was recently called to the tax office for an audit.
We often say that no ill is without its good, but until the good news comes we must usually go through many troubles. Even the worst people have some good in them, and I would like to tell you about one such person.
I would like to tell you about an opportunity I had just a few days ago. On my way home from work, for some “unknown” reason I went by a different way than I usually take.
The high priest, clothed in the beautiful dress of his office, moved gracefully through the Tabernacle ministering in behalf of Israel. None was held in higher esteem among the people than he!
Here in Israel, people are thinking about the political situation more than ever, and many people are leaving the country because of fear. They are wondering what will happen next.
I have been called up to the army once again and since I have been here I have received a nice new nickname – “revolutionary”. I didn’t know why they were calling me this…
A hush fell over the congregation of Israel as they gathered before the Tabernacle. One could sense the unspoken excitement which pounded deep in the heart of each Israelite as he anticipated the events which were about to unfold.
I want to thank all of you for the wonderful time I recently had in America and for the friendships I made while there. It was so good to be in a place where people can openly sing “What a friend we have in Jesus”…
It must have been with quivering hands and tear-filled eyes that Horatio Spafford read the telegram. It was from his wife. It contained only two words: “Saved alone.”
I don’t know how it is that so many people know about me here in Israel, but one evening as my family and I were returning home, two people stopped me…
Recently I was in Hebron where I met many tourists. They were looking at the graves of our forefathers, but their guide was not giving them the right information about the place.
“Why was I born? Why am I living? What have I got? What am I giving?” These questions are not new — men have asked them since time immemorial.
Daniel was a man of prayer. He learned early in life how to lay hold of God and be able to get answers from Him. He won many spiritual battles on his knees…
Here in Israel the people are looking forward to seeing the promises of Camp David become real. But where is the peace? War seems very near. Will the promises ever be kept?