Ministry Report December – David was Dancing before the LORD
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might,
while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets…
(I Sam 6:14-15)
Dear Friends of FZS,
Grace and Peace to you all from Jerusalem!,
Yesterday, I visited Kiriat Yaarim (Abu Gosh), the place where the Ark of the Covenant rested just a few miles outside of Jerusalem. We read in the book of Samuel the Ark was on its way back to Jerusalem after the Philistines captured it from Saul who had wrongly taken it out to battle for “good luck.” However, the Philistines would soon also discover that the Ark was not to be played with, and soon after the entire nation was afflicted with tumors, wisely, the Philistines sent the Ark back to Jerusalem on an unmanned cart driven by 2 cows.
Kiriat Yaarim, where the Ark of the Covenant rested at Obed’s house and he was blessed
When David received the news the Ark was returned, he hastily went out and met the Ark and ordered it to be quickly transferred onto a new cart and pulled by oxen the rest of the way to Jerusalem. Unfortunately though, these were not the instructions the Lord gave for the transport of the Ark: “But unto the sons of Kohath he gave the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them and that they should bear (the Ark) upon their shoulders” (Nm 7:9), and when Uzzah reached out and touched the Ark to steady it, he immediately died.
The celebration quickly turned to mourning and we read that David became angry with the Lord. Next we read in 2 Sam 6 that the Ark rested for 3 months in the house of Obed in Kiriat Yaarim and The Lord blessed and prospered all of his house. Interestingly enough, one of the modern residents of Kiriat Yaarim won $17 million dollars in the Chicago lottery and invested much of his winnings in this quaint and charming village nestled in the Jerusalem hills.
David had learned the hard way that to obey is better than sacrifice and after a time of reflection, he finally had faith to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem the Lord’s way.
“So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” (2 Sam 6:12-15)
Winter is definitely here in Jerusalem and many new immigrants coming to us are seeking warm jackets and cozy blankest to help keep warm as temperatures continue to drop. We are so thankful that our last shipment of aid arrived with many boxes of brand new winter clothing, shoes and bed linen as the Lord has provided! Here are some recent pictures we took of Olim that come to us for assistance, some have only just arrived in Israel weeks ago…
We are also happy to report that we are giving more bibles to Olim than ever before! It is clear that the uncertainties and perceived fear of this global plandemic situation is causing many people to begin to seek spiritual answers… and we have plenty of free bibles to give to help them find those answers!
Thank you for your support to FZS in these very difficult and challenging times! Stas is asking for help…
You may remember Stas (Stanislav) who tragically fell several stories a few years ago while working in construction and became paralyzed from the waist down. We try and keep in touch with Stas along with his wife Olga, and Lior, their son who is also physically challenged, to bring encouragement and offer assistance as we are able.
On our last visit this week Stas asked us if we could help him find a new rubber ring for his wheel chair where his hands push the wheels forward. He said it’s a standard size, so we were hoping someone has a connection abroad where we could find one for him? If so please contact us here
Painting project for the new Apartment
Marianna and I have been in an extensive painting project using the “Shabby Chic” refinishing process with some older donated furniture we had so that it will match the gray and white color scheme of the apartment. Initially, we had hoped to use the apartment as BnB for pilgrims visiting Israel, but because of the ongoing lockdowns, tourism has all but died here.
In the meantime, we are advertising in a local classified publication for believers, that we are looking for long-term renters. Please pray that the Lord would bring the right renters to our facility!
 |
|
|
|
|
Join Us Live on Shabbat
Every Friday night on Shabbat, at 6pm (Israel time) we invite you to join us live via ZOOM as we are currently going through the Book of Daniel. If anyone is interested to join our virtual congregational service, please contact Bradley at [email protected] for instructions.
Finally, tonight we light the 7th light of Chanukkah here in Jerusalem, which reminds us that Yeshua is the Light of the World and He is returning soon!
May we also take this time to wish you very special blessings as you gather with family and friends and celebrate the birth of our Lord this Christmas season!
Thank you very much for your faithful prayers and support for the work of the Lord here in Jerusalem! Please also be in prayer for all of the Lord’s provision in the different outreaches we are involved with!
May the LORD bless and keep you!
וישמרך יהוה יברכך
Bradley Antolovich
International Director