Your Expansion 2011
February 2011
Dear Friend,
Thank you for making 2010 a year of blessing and incredible outreach in Israel! From Jerusalem to Haifa, Tel Aviv to Bethlehem, the Gospel is proclaimed throughout Israel!
The work that you do through your partnership in Israel is extra special! Israel has strict laws for Gospel advancement work, different than the religious freedoms we enjoy in North America. Gospel ministries are forbidden from “converting” someone from one religion to another.
Your Gospel workers you support through Way of Peace are given freedom to worship, however must use God given wisdom when sharing the love of Jesus with others. They, that means you, friend, see success for Christ every month!
Yes, God has given our precious workers in Israel great wisdom to share the Gospel. Whether through coffee shops, book stores, showing films at schools, drug outreach centers our Gospel workers are able to complement their church with outreaches that are non-threatening, yet effective tools for the Gospel.
As we enter 2011, God has given us an open door to expand into further areas of Israel with the Gospel… YOUR EXPANSION 2011!
Friend, let me be clear. Your expansion in Israel does not come at the expense of expansion in your personal life… mentally, spiritually, physically, financially… quite the contrary!
The same loving Father we serve in Israel, and brings expansion in the work we do there, will do the same in your life in 2011… YOUR EXPANSION 2011!
Your partnership and God’s incredible favor have allowed Way of Peace to add to the Gospel workers you support in 2011. Pastor Richard is a strong Gospel worker in Israel, whom I had the privilege to meet in 2010. Together, we will support his work in 2011.
God has given Pastor Richard an incredible gift of creativity, and he is using that gift to reach out with the Gospel. His church reaches families, and his media talents are being used to reach the youth of Israel with the Gospel.
Expansion is yours in 2011. Life is full of ebbs and flows… ups and downs. However, as good or as bad as it gets, there are always specific areas where we could do better with the gifts God has given us… financially… mentally… spiritually… or any number of areas.
Expansion is a beautiful word. It does not indicate good or bad about the area expanding. The area of expansion could already be very positive, but more is possible!
God is so good! Not only does He bless, He abundantly blesses! 2011 is our year of abundant expansion! Areas that are doing good will abundantly expand, as a result of God’s blessing! Yes, areas not doing well will turn around also!
Pastor Peter shared a very special word from the Lord at his New Year’s Eve service. The key verse was Psalm 65:11.
“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.”
What a beautiful picture of God’s goodness and grace toward us in 2011! I believe this verse holds a secret truth for us in 2011. Join with me for this incredible journey:
These same two words, “Goodness” and “Abundance” are included in Isaiah 55:2.
“Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”
Notice we are NOT told, “if you do ________, then you will qualify for goodness and abundance”. We are qualified by Jesus! We are told to listen carefully!
These two words, “listen carefully” are translated from the Hebrew words, “shama shama” and carry an extra strong emphasis on the word listen as an active participle. Listen, and keep on listening.
Where else can we find the words “shama shama” in Hebrew? Deuteronomy 28:1! “if you “shama shama” - diligently obey (listen, and keep on listening) the voice of the LORD your God”. The next 14 verses, blessing upon blessing is listed as the result.
Our focus must not be on our own efforts, but on Christ’s efforts, which naturally produces faith that freely receives!
Note carefully our role: LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. Your own effort is useless to bring about God’s blessing of expansion. Don’t rely on your own power. By listening to the good news of the Gospel, what Jesus has already accomplished on the cross, you will expand with blessing!
“Shama shama” is listed in three other places in the Old Testament. Each carry special prophetic significance for our lives today!
1. HEALTH EXPANSION BLESSING
“If you “shama shama” - diligently heed (listen listen) the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26
Today we don’t have to DO what is right to qualify to receive. We listen. Right DOING comes as a result of receiving. In Mark 5 the woman with the issue of blood “heard about Jesus”. She was able to receive. We have no record of what she did to qualify herself. No, she merely listened and acted as a result. Throughout Jesus ministry we consistently see, “multitudes gather to listen” to Jesus and were healed! We are qualified to receive!
Health is so important. You can be the most successful business person, have the greatest family, but if your health fails, what good are those tangible blessings? God knows this, and made the promise of good health part of our covenant of grace.
2. FAMILY EXPANSION BLESSING
“And it shall be that if you “shama shama” - earnestly obey (listen listen) My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.” Deut 11:13 & 21
Family can either be the most endearing blessing or cause the most heart wrenching heart ache. A wayward child, a lying partner, an unfaithful spouse, backbiting relatives, are each examples of the trauma families can create.
Remember, the law, or commandments as written here, were fulfilled by Jesus on the cross. We are no longer under the curse of the law! (Galatians 3:13)
God promises us a family life of heaven on earth! WOW, WOW, WOW! No matter your current situation, nothing is impossible for God. It may not always happen the way you thought, but it can happen.
3. PROSPERITY EXPANSION BLESSING
“If you “shama shama” – carefully obey (listen listen) the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.” Deut 15:5,6
There is a reason the rich keep getting richer. Those who borrow are servant to the lender. However, God has made us rulers! As rulers you exert influence for righteousness on earth. Yes, you and I are to be blessed financially.
Some may say, yes, listening is good, but doing is key! Look at James 1:22, where it says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only”. It is crucial to keep scriptures in context. Look at verse 25 “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
“Doing” is merely a by-product of listening to liberty and grace! Don’t put the cart before the horse. Emphasizing your works as the key to blessing will produce frustration and ultimately quitting. Trust me I have been there. However, when we listen, not just to anything, but to liberty and grace… blessing, blessing, blessing!
2011 is your year of expansion! Listen to the words of Jesus once again. Remember, listen, and keep on listening!
“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm 65:11
This is a declaration of God’s favor for you! It is not filled with qualifiers… do this, do that… and you will have goodness and abundance in 2011.
Just like your salvation, receive by faith, which comes by hearing! Of course, before you heard Jesus had forgiven your sins, you were still ABLE to receive New Life, but ignorance left you without. In the same way if we refuse to listen to God’s pronunciations of blessing in 2011, ignorance leaves us without.
God is willing… God is good. Expansion and abundant blessing is yours today and throughout 2011. Your year is already crowned with favor! Listen and live!
You have made expansion possible for our Gospel workers in Israel. You have made the good news available to the precious souls of Israel THANK YOU!
As you continue to partner, continue to plant abundant financial seed into the work of the Gospel in Israel, do so with great joy! You are crowned with blessing in 2011!
Welcome to the abundant, expanding life in 2011!
Shalom!
Nathan Thurber