America: Land of Freedom to Worship!

January 2021 / Tevet 5781We are standing in the Light – We are ready for deliverance!See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 1 John 1:31Chazak! Be Strong and of good courage (Joshua 1:9) especially during these tumultuous and challenging times. As we see this ‘ball of confusion’ (planet earth) spinning wildly into a new season, we can be sure of several things:2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but love, power and a sound mindPray for a spirit of discernment for all internet postsRomans 8:28 Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.God's got you! Even setbacks are setups for His purposesEsther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place—but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows whether you have attained royal status for such a time as this?”You are part of the answer to spread the love and truth of Yeshua to this world - it is your destiny LET FREEDOM RING!I came across a remarkable fact about the “old country”, New York City. I was born in Manhattan, raised in Queens… Flushing, Queens. I often lamented the name of my neighborhood. I mean, it would be so much cooler to be from Da Bronx, Flatbush, or even Hell’s Kitchen. But Flushing?Imagine my surprise when I discovered (this week) that Flushing was the site of a remarkable battle for the freedom of religion and the freedom to worship in the New World! Called “The Flushing Remonstrance” it pushed back against religious oppression and is called the “Magna Carta of the New World”The village, originally named Vlissingen, then Vlishing, and now Flushing (the anglicized name), Queens, New York, had been part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. It was originally settled by English people operating under a patent, issued by Governor Willem Kieft in 1645, granting them the same state of religious freedom existing in Holland, the most tolerant of European countries.Governor Peter Stuyvesant demanded that the (mostly Dutch Reformed) citizens join him in persecuting the Quakers. In 1657 the freedom-loving Christians wrote “The Flushing Remonstrance” (an old word for ‘a peaceful, verbal, forceful reproachful protest’):“You have been pleased to send unto us a certain prohibition or command that we should not receive or entertain any of those people called Quakers because they are supposed to be, by some, seducers of the people. For our part we cannot condemn them in this case, neither can we stretch out our hands against them…We desire therefore in this case not to judge lest we be judged, neither to condemn lest we be condemned, but rather let every man stand or fall to his own Master. We are bound by the law to do good unto all men, especially to those of the household of faith.”You may ask, “so what?”Substitute a modern American Governor’s name (many to choose from!) and the parallel becomes crystal clear. As in the 1600s, authorities are demanding that any of those who do not follow the state-sponsored religion of atheistic secular humanism should be persecuted, marginalized, silenced, de-platformed, canceled and God knows what else.Like the Believers of old… let’s assert our right to freedom of worship!This month we will be sowing into a key ministry in Israel. Our friends and mentors on Mount Carmel have a full-orbed Gospel-based humanitarian outreach to the native Israelis and the new ‘olim’ - recent arrivals from the nations. They preach, teach, see drug addicts recover and discipled - and provide food, shelter and clothing for refugees and the people in the Land.Will you join us as we bless the people of God in His Land?Thanks again for loving what God loves and helping House of Peace to proclaim Yeshua to Israel and the nations and to proclaim Israel to the Church.With love and gratitude, Myles & Katharine