Jerusalem is known for it’s many gates.  There is the Damascus Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate, Eastern Gate, New Gate and Stephen’s Gate and many others.  What is a Gate?  It’s an entrance into something majestic, something protected and of great importance.  As I was attending Messianic Congregation tonight, I came across a couple verses that now have a new meaning to me.  Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  These have always been meaningful verses to me but tonight I got such a prophetic revelation from them I wanted to jump out of my seat and run into the Old City and explore the gates on my own to look further into the meaning of these two verses.  In fact, I may do just that in the next day or two.  Why?  Oh, buckle your seatbelts, things are about to get exciting!  Let me go back to the different gates here in Jerusalem.  For instance Damascus Gate.  Damascus Gate is in the Arab part of the Old City and it is a Gate that people (Jews, tourists and any non-Arabs) are told to avoid at all costs because it is dangerous.  Much theft occurs at this entrance.  People get robbed, mistreated, even stabbed here.  A lot of crime occurs at this gate and it is a place to be avoided.  Then there is the Jaffa Gate.  A gate that is glorious in appearance and is full of life.  Vendors selling fresh bread, fruit and vegetables as well as souvenirs and all sorts of fun items gather at this gate to greet the tourists that enter.  Friendly transactions are made and it is a fun place to be.  Then you have Stephen’s Gate, where Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7).  What a powerful gate this is because you can feel the presence of the Ruach HaKodesh here (Holy Spirit).  The magnitude of that event alone is thought-provoking and inspiring.  Don’t forget the Eastern Gate where our Yeshua is prophesied to return through!  It’s the most beautiful gate in Jerusalem with a breathtaking view of the Old City, in particular, the Temple Mount.  But my question for you is, which gate have you walked through?  Or which gate will you choose to enter?  Have you been lured through the Damascus Gate by the deceptions of the Enemy?  Are you afraid of what’s behind every turn, every corner?  Are you lost in the maze and the darkness of this gate?  Or have you chosen the popular Jaffa Gate where there is plenty of activity and plenty of people?  You can blend in with the crowds and follow the masses and indulge in the sensory displays.  Or have you chosen Stephen’s Gate, where very few people pass through?  A gate that offers a deeper passage into the heart of God.  A gate that contains mystery and adventure.  Chances are, if you look around you and see crowds of people alongside of you, you’ve not chosen the right gate.  If you blend in with the crowds or live in fear of the unknown, you’re not in the right place either.  But if you are traveling alone and only come across a few people on your journey yet experience the amazing peace that such a narrow gate can provide… then you are in the right place, my friend.  It’s good to see you here.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

This past week has been so eventful I don’t know where to begin!  So I’ll randomly list the highlights for you.

 

I got to enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner with good friends of mine this past Friday.  It was awesome to light the candles and listen to the prayers.  We had a wonderful dinner and I felt so at home.  I call them my adopted family because I spend a lot of time with all three of their children who are my age.  We all sit around and tell stories and have some great laughs!

 

I experienced a grim reminder that, “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”  Mandie and I were sitting outside of a café on Ben Yehuda Street writing in our journals when all of the sudden we heard what sounded like an explosion.  People on the street all stopped dead and we all froze in fear.  I grabbed Mandie’s hand and my eyes grew big.  After some time we found out that it was a dumpster that was lifted to be emptied and it was dropped onto the street accidentally.  Mandie said, “I think you and I sometimes forget what country we are living in.”  And she’s right.  We live life here and blend in while forgetting sometimes that there is a real threat lurking in the shadows.  The threat of terror.  It was a good reminder for us to be careful and never trust our surroundings too much.

 

Work at the hospital has been a great joy to me personally.  I have formed such close relationships with the patients and staff and I am getting into deeper conversations with them.  Dror, Moti and I had another long discussion two nights ago about God.  I look up to them as my brothers in the Lord and I trust that in time they will indeed come to know Yeshua as Messiah.  Israel is a unique place in that you must formulate relationships based on trust.  You can’t walk around with a Bible and beat people over the head with it (though I would never recommend such a method in any part of the world!)  I need your prayers to continue working in the lives of these precious people.

 

I also need prayer as I am attempting to extend my visa in the next week.  Please pray for the largest extension possible so I do not have to leave the country for a few days before returning.  Also please pray for me as I am aiming to start full-time Hebrew classes in January.  My next step to being a full-time volunteer/missionary is to learn the language fluently.  Here in Israel it is relatively inexpensive to do so.  Please pray for God’s provision and His continued blessing upon the ministry I have started here.

 

This weekend I am babysitting Julie’s four children!  So I guess I need prayer for that also (heehee). Julie and her husband have not been away overnight in over a year and could use a break after her husband just returned from reporting from Gaza the past month on CNN. 

 

You know, I sit back and I look at how God is really opening the doors through relationships with the people here.  I have grown so attached to these people and they have also in return.  That is an accomplishment in and of itself.  This culture is not easy and a lot of people give up.  It requires a lot of personal sacrifice and even inconveniences, but in the end, if I see their faces in heaven, it’s all worth it.  My heart is slowly healing.

 

This is Erin reporting LIVE from Jerusalem…

 

P.S.  Don’t forget to visit my website for pictures, updates and a chance to talk with me and other supporters. http://braveandunafraid.blogspot.com/

Also, if you would like to continue supporting this ministry financially, contact my mom at kcmather3@aol.com for information.  Your support is greatly needed and appreciated.