Leaving Home

We've wrapped up 8 nights of Hanukkah and two Christmas celebrations and we feel loved. We are in the midst of packing up suitcases for our friend John to take on his flight, and then we'll pack up some more suitcases for Tom to take next week. We're making progress but we're feeling the wear and tear.We're thankful for our temporary home, which feels like home thanks to the Browns, but soon we will be celebrating little Cassidy's 5th birthday (something we eagerly look forward to -- 5!) and then we'll be getting on a plane for a new life.

We spent about two weeks packing, sorting through everything we own. It was a strange process, determining what is essential for Israel, what is worth saving for later and what should find a new home. Some gracious family members and friends helped us move ALL of our stuff to new locations -- my folks' basement being our storage unit for all the things we couldn't part with but couldn't justify bringing. What a blessing to have a rent-free, safe location for all of our things.

And then the cleaning. I'll spare you the details, but rest assured the house was in great shape when we left it. The place is still thick with memories, and it's hard to drive by it (we're currently staying 4 doors up) without feeling sad and strange, but we closed on Wednesday, so it's no longer ours.


My cupboards have never been so bare

Thank you for your prayers in regards to the home, the closing went seamlessly and selling it is a strong reminder of the faithfulness of G-d. We hope to see many of you in the next month and a half. This year is almost over, but there's always time to donate. We love seeing the L-rd tie all of this together!

His yoke is easy and His burden is light

Here is an old Jewish tale that illustrates Jesus’ Hebraic teaching that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 

“The true purpose of religious limitations [laws/commandments] on worldliness is only to release the soul for its free flight into the spiritual realms of holy joy.  Adam and Eve’s mistake was in failing to realize that by obeying G-d’s command, by restricting their physical pleasure and avoiding eating from just one tree among the many permissible, they would open themselves up to more intense and fulfilling spiritual pleasure and would enjoy the eternal bliss and delight of the Garden of Eden.”  

A STORY:

Rabbi Yaakov Kranz, the Maggid of Dubnow, the most famous Jewish preacher of the eighteenth century, told the following parable. 

A jewelry merchant and a tool seller, traveling separately on business, checked into the same hotel in a certain town at the same time.  The jewelry merchant had with him his small suitcase, containing his diamonds, pearls, and other jewels; the other merchant had a big, heavy trunk containing hammers, saws and all kinds of work tools. 

The jewelry merchant asked a porter to take his suitcase up to his room.  The porter came down soon afterward and presented himself for a tip, and the merchant gave him something.  But instead of leaving, the porter coughed and shrugged and made it clear that he was not satisfied with the tip.  He mumbled that the suitcase was “so heavy” and so difficult to “drag up the stairs.” 

The surprised merchant said to him, “If you’re talking about a heavy suitcase and how hard it was to drag up the stairs, you’ve made a mistake! That was not my suitcase! My suitcase is very light! You took the wrong suitcase!” [JToMJ by Buxbaum pg 14-15]

Jesus teaches a similar principle that following Him is not burdensome but joyful.  He doesn’t teach that the laws & commandments are done away with because they are for our benefit (Matthew 5:17-20).  If we find the rules and regulations of following Jesus “burdensome” then we are carrying the wrong suitcase!  When truly entering into the order and structure of His Kingdom, we have the ability to experience “more intense and fulfilling spiritual pleasure” as the joy of the L-rd becomes our strength.      

Our December Letter

Prayer Updates

I updated the 'Prayer' page, but I'll list the updates here as well. We're blessed to have so many people standing with us and appreciate your repeated inquiries for our specific prayer needs. How are you all doing? We'd love to pray specifics for you. E-mail us at leah@remember-jerusalem.org

We have been praying for the funds and so far we've received about half the support we need -- for the first year. We have received donations through monthly donors and one-time gifts and trust the L-rd will continue to speak to people about partnering with us. We would love to stay in Jerusalem for at least three years. We will be leaving Kansas City mid-February, right after Cassidy's 5th birthday, to start our work in Israel. Two and a half months to go!

-We want the L-rd to put us in the right home and ask for His strategic placement and timing when looking for a place. Tom is going in January for 10 days and will look at several places throughout the city. We hope to have enough space for visitors from the States!

-Cassidy will be leaving her preschool here and we're hoping that by next Fall we will have a great school for her to attend. Cassidy loves being in the classroom and learning, so finding a great school (whether it's public, private or home-schooling) is very important to us. This will also enable Leah to connect with and reach out to moms. In the meantime we need prayer for Cassidy's continued studies at home as well as opportunities to meet other little kids, and their parents.

Teaching on the Farm

For the last two weeks Tom has taught a group of servant-hearted followers of Jesus at a place called Harvest Home. Their ministry is to bring restoration and healing to women and children specifically. Through their tight-knit community they provide a safe place for this healing to happen and we are thankful for their ministry. It's an honor to be partnered with people that live out what it means to be the hands of G-d, and this community does so much work to bring new life and hope to many who were hopeless.

I went out with him this last Tuesday and recorded his message on covenant. He spent over two hours teaching and I think the people would have sat through more, but everyone has their limits. He will return to the Farm next week to teach on the New Covenant and to tackle any new questions as they journey through this teaching.

I plan on breaking this teaching into segments and then posting it here for all of you who would love to get a first-hand experience of Tom's teaching. Since finishing his thesis on Covenant he has uncovered more information and we know our time in Israel will only add to his understanding.

Blessings to you all for your constant support and encouragement. Only 3 more months and we'll be moving to Jerusalem!

Ordination

Last Sunday evening our local congregation, Kingdom Living, and our international covering, Tikkun International, laid hands on us and blessed us by ordaining us into ministry. The wisdom, love and power of the people involved Sunday night is almost unspeakable. Throughout the last 5 years we've journeyed closely with Paul Blake and Eric Simon and others to better understand the importance of Israel, and how G-d desires us to function within His Body of followers. One of Kingdom Living's board members and the man who ordained Paul, Hal Linhardt was there to lay hands on us as well. Additionally, Tikkun America leader and prophet John Glueck laid hands on us and blessed us into the ministry. During the ordination, we could feel the tangible presence of G-d and were filled with encouragement and support from others within the Body of Messiah.

Eric, Hal, John and Paul, with Tom and me

We see how G-d is moving us to Jerusalem, by giving us confirming words, providing a buyer for our home during a difficult market, bringing along men with wisdom concerning the finances (thank you Dad and Brenton!), and providing the finances themselves. Ordination was one more step of commitment that brought along encouragement. They ordained Tom as a teacher, and it's been made apparent that this is what he should be doing as he prepares to give two more teachings this week to groups hungry to connect with the importance of Israel. The L-rd used study to bring hope to Tom in the last two years and he is bearing fruit from that time. His education at UHL will further his own understanding of the Scriptures and will allow him to impart more to others.

It's hard to grasp how much there is to study and learn, yet as Tom gains clarity on one issue he sees another topic to dive into. We're blessed by the partnership of so many and thank you for giving of your time, energy, words and finances. Your partnership with the L-rd and with us makes this all possible. If you have questions or are curious about Tom's studies, please contact us. We can meet with you or send you his thesis, which seems like only the tip of the iceberg now that a few months have passed since he finished it. We are blessed that the L-rd is infinite and that He desires us to know Him. We pray He draws each of you closer to Himself as you journey with us.

B'resheet

In the beginning G-d...

And so begins another cycle of reading through the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. Every week Jews read and study a prescribed section of the Torah and come together to discuss it on Sabbath, as well as throughout the week. While we as gentile followers of Jesus are still fairly new to this we can tell you that every year we find ourselves reading something new, or have new questions or different light bulbs go on as we continue to study. The L-rd speaks through His word, even if you think you already know what it says.

This year is the first year that we have Gospel portions to go along with the Torah portion. Knowing the words of our Rabbi Yeshua effects how we live and respond to one another. We can't study it enough. If we read the Book from beginning to end then we see the connections G-d laid out to show us how infinite and amazing He is.

For instance: We all know that Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning G-d. And then John 1:1 says, In the beginning was the Word. This reminds me of Deuteronomy 30:14 (which we read not too long ago):...the word is very close to you -- in your mouth, even in your heart; therefore you can do it! Then because there is continuity in scripture (as Tom loves to point out) we turn to Revelation 19:13 and read: He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which He is called is, "THE WORD OF G-D".

There are many things that can be said about these passages, and perhaps Tom will make an appearance commenting on these things, but for me it's the simplicity of Scripture. In the beginning, G-d. In the meantime, G-d. In the future, G-d. Who was and is and is to come.

As you study Genesis 1 what stands out to you? Perhaps it's the first time you've really read it, or maybe it's just been a long time. Doesn't matter, it's still there for you to pick up and read. We'd love for you to join in, so we've posted the portions for each week on the left sidebar. You might not make it through every week, but I'm sure the L-rd will bless whatever time you give Him. May His Word bring refreshment to you as we enter these chilly times of Autumn and Winter.

At the beginning of David Stern's translation (The Complete Jewish Bible) is this blessing:

Praised are You, ADONAI our G-d, King of the universe,

Who gives the Torah of truth and the Good News of salvation to His people Israel

and to all the peoples through His Son Yeshua the Messiah, our L-rd.

Amen.

Continual Confirmation

From Leah:
I spend most days thinking about what it's going to be like for us in Israel. I am not a city girl; I like my yard, my large kitchen, my car. And in a few months all of that will change. Through the last 10 months the L-rd has continued to redirect my heart. Every time Tom suggests something about Israel (for starters going there) I take it to the L-rd and ask Him to help me. You see, I trust my husband. He is wise and loving, he cares very deeply for me and wants to change the world. But while he jumps, I stand on the ground and ask, Do I have to? But even though I move slower than him, I do move.

So when we found out about Tom getting into the Doctoral program the question came up about selling the house. I did not want to sell. Keeping it meant coming home, but for Tom it meant stress and uncertainty. As I was telling a good friend about the situation, and our opposing viewpoints, he said something that I couldn't escape. "Well, I guess that means the decision hasn't been made and you both need to keep praying about it." I thought that meant Tom would eventually see my way and decide to keep the house. But then I prayed and realized we should sell. And though at times it seems like I'm constantly laying down my own way the L-rd encourages me, and the Holy Spirit tweaks my heart so I'm excited about the next step. And He makes a way so it's not as overwhelming. Which means that we already have a prospective buyer, but can use any prayers that things will go smoothly.

A few weeks ago an acquaintance shared something very powerful with us. She did not know our plans for moving to Jerusalem. She said that while she was praying for us she felt like we were supposed to move to Israel and minister hope to the secular Jews there. The L-rd even gave her Isaiah 61:1-3. She kept this to herself because directional words require much prayer, confirmation and good timing. She told us about this only after she heard us talking about our move with some other people. After she shared Tom showed her his belt buckle, the one I had made for him, with the scripture reference of Isaiah 61 on it. This is the passage the L-rd gave Tom years ago as part of his calling to teach.

Everything she spoke resonated with us -- our move to Israel, the Isaiah passage for Tom, and for me personally the desire to communicate hope to secular Jews in the Land. I hold tightly to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, Now, brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died; otherwise, you might become sad the way other people do who have nothing to hope for. For since we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, we also believe that in the same way God, through Yeshua, will take with him those who have died. This is the hope of our calling.

I am grateful the L-rd works in my life and my heart and that He speaks to me personally. But when someone hears from the L-rd on my behalf it is also powerful. Having continual confirmation helps us to move forward when things seem overwhelming or uncertain. And it reminds us that He is in control and will speak when we wait and listen.

We are grateful for all of your prayers and time spent in intercession; it changes our lives. And yours, we hope.

Day of the Sounding

Wednesday evening is the beginning of Rosh Hashanah or the Day of the sounding of the shofar.  It is one of the Biblical Holy Days or appointed times according to Leviticus 23:23-25 and Numbers 29:1-6.  I like to call it the Annual Commemoration of the Second Coming of Jesus.  Many have taught that we should be prepared as if He is to return at any time and while I think that is a good idea, it is also beneficial to have a specific day to commemorate that great and terrible day.  Revelation 11:15 records the sounding of the 7^th Shofar (trumpet) and the following chapters and versus detail His return.  Rosh Hashanah is the 1^st day of the 7^th month on the Biblical calendar (1^st Tishrei).  The 7^th shofar announces the coming of King Jesus!  At the same time the shofar is meant to wake us up from our slumber as it also symbolizes repentance.  Now is the time to repent and to come into a right relational covenant with the King of all Kings. 

May grace come and may this world pass away.  Hoshanah to the G-d of David! Everyone who is holy, let him come.  Everyone who is not, let him repent.  May He come soon and in our days. Amen         

May you be inscribed for a sweet new year

 

3 Years in Israel!

 After much prayer and consultation, we have decided to pursue the 3-year doctoral degree in Jerusalem!  Because of our student-visa, we have the amazing opportunity to be able to live in the Holy Land for 3 years.  Be praying for us as we are still emotionally digesting the reality of being gone for so long.  We are thankful we get to stay longer than a year or so.  Being there for three years means deeper relationships and more opportunities to minister and learn.  Because of the school semesters we will be leaving in February.  Assuming we are able to raise enough support…

As you may have guessed, 3 years also means that we need to raise a lot more money.  As for raising support, we have just added the ability to receive tax-deductible donations online to make it easier for people to partner with us.  When you click on our “Donate Now” button on the right hand side of the screen it takes you to our webpage at Tikkun International and allows you to donate electronically to “Remember Jerusalem”. 

We are so thankful for all the financial support we have received and appreciate your continued prayers for this big life transition; we also need prayer as we consider selling our house.  We experience the L-rd working and moving and wait with anticipation as February is only 5 months away! 

All Eyes on Jerusalem

What a mess.  The United Nations is completely out of control.  The Palestinian Authority through their upcoming unilateral declaration of statehood at the United Nations is attempting to ignore the previously binding United Nations resolutions that require negotiations between the Arab world and Israel with regard to any specific border issues.  Not surprisingly, the Palestinian Arab Leadership is attempting to declare indefensible borders for the nation of Israel with the possible blessing of the General Assembly of the United Nations without any input/negotiation with Israel.  Why is this not surprising?  Because to this day, the representatives of the Palestinian Arabs do not recognize the existence of the state of Israel.  Can you imagine the world pressuring the United States to negotiate the specifics of a border with Mexico when Mexico was adamant that the United States did not exist?  Maybe, just maybe Israel sees the writing on the wall that the Arab world does not want the Jewish nation to exist!  If that is true, what a great strategy by the Palestinian Arabs to ignore negotiations with Israel and declare borders that will lead to the ultimate destruction of Israel.  And if that seems “extreme” let’s remember our history and that the surrounding Arab nations attempted to achieve that destruction in 1948, 1967, and 1973.  History teaches us that we don't learn from what history teaches us.  Here is a quick 5 minute video to help explain the situation.  Now is the time to pray for the peace of Jerusalem!  Psalm 122:6           

Be Aware, Take Action

Thanks to The Shofar for spreading the news around about the Palestinian Statehood issue. There is a good link on there to sign up that you opppose this movement, and it urges our leaders to stand with Israel. The US has said that they will oppose the Palestinian resolution for statehood at the Security Council and at the General Election, but it never hurts to let those in charge know what you want. I will let your convictions guide you, but if you believe that Israel is the apple of G-d's eye, as He says over and over, then you should be praying and taking whatever action possible to oppose this move of the "Palestinians". The vote is on September 20th, so shake a leg. Get more information at http://shofarsofar.tumblr.com/ and Christians United for Israel. Blessings on you all.

Road to Israel Update

We just heard some big news from the University of Holy Land in Jerusalem – I (Tom) have been accepted into their Doctoral Program!  This is surprising and emotional on many levels.  First of all, to stay in Israel beyond 3 months you must have a special visa.  Dan Juster recommended this school as a way to be able to stay in Israel by obtaining a student visa.  Although I obviously applied to the doctoral program, I did not really think I would be accepted.  So we have a lot to pray about.  We were planning on staying around a year and a half in Israel and trying to also complete a Master’s Degree.  Now we have the option of staying 3 years and completing the doctoral program while also connecting with Tikkun in Israel.  It’s a lot more money to stay that long but it is also a great opportunity.  The extra time would allow us to develop deeper relationships with the Messianic Jewish community and ministries in Israel which is an important aspect of why we are going to Israel.  It would also obviously help our Hebrew language learning by being there longer.  At the same time, it would take us away from our friends and family for longer than we had anticipated.  Please pray the L-rd will speak to us about this big decision and that we will have confirmations of His will.                 

Hello there, friend...

We find ourselves in an interesting season. It seems like we're waiting, and yet we're not bored. The L-rd is exploding our minds with His plans for our future, and we are getting more acquainted with His dramatic ways. I think it's part of His nature to keep us on our toes, to challenge us to trust more. Recently I was blessed with this passage in Psalms 36:8-10 (CJB):

How precious, G-d, is your grace!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings,
they feast on the rich bounty of your house,
and you have them drink from the stream of your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.

I was invited to drink from the stream of G-d's delights. It's like enjoying a food you never knew existed. G-d's delights are greater than our imaginations, His goodness exceeds all boundaries we set forth. I am ready to wet my lips with the wonderful things of the L-rd, even though I don't know what that will look like. We do know that He is sending the three of us on an adventure to an old land to find out more about who He is. Our days are filled with planning and studying, our nights are filled with prayers and dreams. We are getting a taste of the beautiful things of the L-rd and want more.

We invite you to come along with us, to journey into this revelation of Jew and Gentile joining together in unity. Perhaps you barely know us and wonder what this even means. Then please, grab a cup of coffee, or a glass of iced tea, and read through the pages listed above. We've tried to lay out who we are and our plans, as much as we know, so that you can partner with us. Our personal history reveals that prayer is essential to pursuing the L-rd, so please, take a moment and talk with Him. Ask Him to show you what this means for your life, and what you're supposed to do. And more than anything, thank Him for being the G-d who hears. Because He does, friends, He waits to hear your voice say His name, and He longs for you to drink from the streams of His delights.