The Apple of His Eye Mission Society

July 2020 E-Newsletter

Established August 1, 1996

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The Eve of Destruction?By Steve Cohen

P. F. Sloan penned the protest song The Eve of Destruction which was released in 1965 by Barry McGuire. That song starkly articulated the signs of those times. The third stanza says:

Yeah, my blood’s so mad, feels like coagulatin’, I’m sittin’ here, just contemplatin’, I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation, Handful of Senators don’t pass legislation, And marches alone can’t bring integration, When human respect is disintegratin’, This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’, And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

Perhaps I could add an updated verse to this scenario:

The Covid pandemic has taken the world by stormUpending all our lives and setting a new normMasks? No Masks? The rally cries of the daySchools open? Schools closed? Who has the final say?Governors seeking the best advice from their aidsWhile protests abound and people loudly rageSometimes it’s just too hard to be isolated and aloneWhen what we really want is for this all to be goneAnd you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.

When that song came out, I did not know Jesus as my Messiah. It would be another eight tumul-tuous years before I received God’s gift of salvation. What went on then? The Viet Nam war filled the news broadcasts, along with the rise of protests, the civil rights movement, four dead in Ohio at Kent State, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Martin Luther King and Robert Kenne-dy, the first moon landing, the Beatles breakup, the Black Power movement, and Watergate just to name a few.

BySteve

Cohen

You are invited watch our recently recorded

webinar series -

The Messiah and theBiblical Festivals

Please help us get the word out and forward this invitation to your church, bible studies, friends and

through your social media.

https://www.appleofhiseye.org/connect/aohe-tv

The norms of society were being shaken at the very core. What was once an era of civility and respect devolved into chaos. Various sectors of society in America clamored to have their voices heard and freedoms assured. All of these political actions were subverting the firm spiritual roots which had guard-ed our minds and guided us to run to the arms of our Lord. These spiritual distractions lead to destruc-tion. Let me say it again, Distraction lead to Destruction!

The REAL battle is not on the streets, nor is it against an unfeeling, uncaring virus. It is not really about masks and vaccines, though they are prudent for the sake of the social good. The real ultimate battle is a spiritual one. The enemy of our souls, Satan, is wreaking havoc by touching minds here, poking hearts there. The result of all this leaves so many desperate and hopeless.

As followers of Jesus, we need not despair! God has given us His Word to engage the enemy!

He promises the ultimate victory even while the bat-tles rage today: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty pow-er. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11

“No, in all these things we are more than conquer-ors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ro-mans 8:37-39

“I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”John 16:33

This battle is not going to be won through legislation or treaties. This battle will not be won through bullets and agitation. Social change may come but the ultimate victory will be found in Christ and Christ alone. For in Him and through Him we have the power and promises of His presence in our lives.

We may indeed be nearing destruction, but take hope! Even if we die, we shall yet live in a better place with better promises, better bodies, and yes, no further de-struction... for we shall be in the presence of the Lord whose righteous rule will be the order of the New Day! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus, put an end to the destruction and bring renewal. This is our prayer.

Perhaps a new ending to this song could be:

True peace was won for us at CalvaryThe Messiah Jesus gave up his life for you and meWhile this world still groans in agonyThe time is near when God will bring His true victorySalvation has been given to overcome the fallHope has been restored where there was none at allGrace and mercy freely given and aboundFor whoever believes, eternal life will be foundSo let me tell you over and over and over my friendGod wins, victory given, and we are on the eve of reconstruction, amen.

God’s Promise in a Window!Second, in a Series of Articles Sharing the Stained-Glass Windows

of Immanuel Church Lutheran in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Last month, I began a series of articles to share with you the uniqueness and beauty of the stained-glass win-dows of Immanuel Church Lutheran in Tel Aviv-Yafo. The first window and article I shared talked about “God’s Reminder in a Window!” This month I would like to share a second window and article with you about “God’s Promise in a Window!”

If you are like me, you are probably wondering when is all this bad news going to come to an end? We are filled each and every day with the terrible updates that more and more people are being infected with COVID-19. That the number of cases continues to rise setting new one-day records for the number of cases in some of our individual States and concurrently, new daily records of infections for the United States as a whole! With this bad news comes the continued increase in the number of hospitalizations and deaths as well. Also, what about the current increase happening in some of our major metropolitan areas related to shootings and murders? Or what about the ongoing debates around “Black Lives Matter” and the opposite “White Supremacy” positions? There has even been an increase in antisemitism and antisemitic acts of violence since the beginning of 2020!

I don’t know about you but all I want to do is holler, “STOP!” It seems like there is only so much a person can take with all this bad news. Is there any good news out there these days? Well, thanks be to God there is LOTS of GOOD NEWS! How about starting with His promise to us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I encourage you to seek the promises He has given to you by His Holy Spirit through His Word and Sacraments. Even though I’m expecting the news to get worse before it gets better because we live in a sinful world, He has promised to “prosper” us, and “not to harm” us. He has promised to give us a “hope and a future.”

How am I so sure of this? Well, God’s given us a promise in a window, and I would like to share it with you. This stained-glass window is the left window of the three stained-glass windows in the “apse” or the area be-hind and above the altar at Immanuel Church Lutheran in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

The upper half of this stained-glass window is a promise God gives to us through His angels as they proclaimed in Luke 2:13-14, at the birth of Jesus, Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Portals of Prayer September 2020

For those who are regular readers of Portals of Prayer, please look for the

July, August, September edition for 2020.

Once again, I have written a month of devotions. For September they are focusing on the the Fall Festivals of Israel. Please feel free to share these

with others you know. - sc

The lower half of this stained-glass window is a promise given to us in the manger, where God’s one and only Son, Y’shua HaMashiach, is laid to rest after His birth. From Luke 2:6-7 and 10-12, While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. . . But the angel said to them (the Shepherds), “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” So, how do we defeat our endless days of no good news about the world pandemic? By seeing God’s prom-ise to us in a window of His GOOD NEWS! How do we defeat our endless days of no good news around the countless shootings and murders happening in our country? By seeing God’s promise to us in a window of His GOOD NEWS! How do we defeat our endless days of no good news around the reality of racism in our coun-try? By seeing God’s promise to us in a window of His GOOD NEWS! God’s GOOD NEWS is a Peace that passes all understanding! God’s promise to us is in a window!

Rev. Dr. Robert M. RoegnerBible Teacher to Israel

robert.roegner@appleofhiseye.orgWhen in the USA: +1.314.640.9558

When in Israel: +972.58.402.6778

NanC’s Corner “ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and

saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denari and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus

said to him, “YOU GO, AND DO LIKEWISE.” Luke 10:30-37

The following was copied from my devotions: “The great Jewish theologian Martin Buber described the healthiest or matures relationship between two human beings as an ‘I – Thou’ relationship. In such a relationship, I recognize that I am made in the image of God, and so is every other person. This makes them a ‘Thou’ to me. They have dignity and worth and are to be treated with respect. I affirm them as being a unique and separate human being apart from me.

In most of our human relationships. However, we treat people as objects – as an ‘it’. In an ‘I-It’ relationship, I treat you as a means to an end – as I might a toothbrush or a car. I talk to people to get something off my chest, not to be with them as separate individuals. I talk about people – authority figures, people in the news and so on – as if they were subhuman. I get frustrated when people don’t conform to my plans or see tings the way I do.The priest and the Levite did not make the connection that emotional maturity (loving well) and loving God are inseparable. They missed the ‘Thou’ lying on the road and simply passed him by.”

WOW! This is so apropos for today (and yesterday and tomorrow). It has baffled me forever, how people who call themselves Christians (little Christ’s) treat other believers as well as non-believers, with disdain or indifference. Hebrews 12:1, tells us that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. We are the only witness some people will see – what kind are we? A “believing” woman was screaming at a fellow believer. My daughter and daughter-in-law rushed the screamer’s children to another area to save them from witnessing their parent out of control. My daughter wanted to comfort the kids, but they informed her “It’s okay my parents scream at each other all the time – we’re used to it” Sadly the confrontational lifestyle has become the norm. We are seeing these scenes in the news and in the media. Oft with guns.

As believers, we need to see everyone as Thou not “it”. The Samaritan took care of the unlovable, dirty, wounded “Thou”. He did not count the cost of his time, reputation or financially. He just did the right thing. Cursing the homeless does not honor God. Hating others whose ethnicity is different to yours, does not honor God. Repulsion to those who do not understand God – does not honor the Savior. Love them. Help them. Encourage them.

Nancy & grandson Andy

My daughter-in-law, a nurse, was recently convicted of helping the homeless she passes on her nursing visits. Because of the virus and for her safety, she was conflicted in how to help. So, she decided to keep bottled water on her front seat and pass it out to them at stop lights. It’s a small gesture, but it is SOMETHING. Mother Teresa said: “I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I only look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time. I can only feed one person at a time. Just one, one, one. You get closer to Christ by getting closer to each other.”

This is a blanket statement. Love all.Keeping in context with loving the unlovely: has someone hurt, offended, wounded your spirit, betrayed or slandered you? Those are also your “Thou”. Forgive (they don’t have to ask forgiveness) – just forgive. Guess what? You don’t have to have a relationship with them, but you do have to forgive. A book that we had to read at University, before graduation was In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. It is a profound story that teaches what I just wrote. It is a good read for the whole family.

Let us pray to see Yeshua (Jesus), in the people we meet.Thot: Flowers leave their fragrance on the hand that bestows them. helen steiner rice

Love, from my heart, nanC

(If this article has blessed you – share it)

Have you had a victory in these days of Covid? Do you have a story to share? Send them to me nancy.cohen@appleofhiseye.org We would love to hear from you and how God is blessing your life.

Not Always Smooth Sailing! Kristi Roegner

Have you ever felt God calling you to do something, and then every-thing seemed to go awry? Life is not always smooth sailing. There are times of great blessing and times of significant challenge. Sometimes we don’t see God’s hand, feel His presence, or know if we are hearing His voice. However, it is best to continue praying about God’s plans for us and trusting Him. As we travel on the sea of life, we need not worry about where we are going. Instead, we can contemplate that

getting “off course” may be a preface to God’s deeper work in our life. We should simply focus on Who is guiding us.

This year has been challenging to say the least! There are many great experiences God allowed us recently - like going to Israel. There are tough ones, too – like returning to the States due to COVID-19. While we’ve been Stateside, things have changed significantly in Israel. The long-term young adult volunteers returned to their respective countries (also due to COVID-19). The Senior Pastor at Immanuel Church Lutheran stepped down because he felt the Lord calling him to begin new work in Jerusalem. Bob was asked to serve as the vacancy pastor at Immanuel until a new pastor is engaged.

With these major changes, we wondered what would be required of us upon our return. We couldn’t possibly do the work of all those others! God was seemingly sending stormy seas our way! Though some uneasiness crept in, we know we need not worry because God is in control of His work, and He will never abandon us! We prayed and trusted Him.

The result? Our awesome God provides! Within a few days of one another, we had two young adults (one from the U.S. and one from Germany) make contact regarding their desire to volun-teer at Immanuel Church! Each has been to Israel before (and worshiped at Immanuel Church), and each desires to do a “gap year” in Israel. Additionally, a German organization that sends post-high-school volunteers has at least one, and possibly two, volunteers willing to help in Israel next year! What an awesome God we serve! His love is with us wherever we go. His Word gives us strength, while His Spirit helps us when we are weak. He knows our hearts. He hears our prayers. God uses us for His purposes, and nothing can separate us from Him. God truly is amazing!

We often measure whether God is with us by the results, and the world’s standards of success. But God calls us to another level of faithfulness when it seems like we are “going under”. One of the passages we cling to is Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

God faithfully watches over and guides His work – through blessings and challenges – though it’s not always smooth sailing!

Debby & Richard Wilson - Wichita Kristi & Bob Roegner - Israel Toi & Richard Powell - Texas

Nancy & Steve Cohen - Texas Laura Rizzo - Brentwood,TN

Please Pray for our Mission Family

Izabela & Lee Cormier - NOLA

Social distancing should be renamed physical distancing. We need each other and should strive to be connected through the tools of technologies and gracious helps which connect us. We all need stronger connections. - steve cohen

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. Isaiah 40:1-2