Last night late, I watched a old movie with Walter Mathau playing Albert Einstein. It was a very nice situation comedy where Einstein kept repeating the phrase "Since time doesn't exist anymore>" Well, we are on the eve of a new decade and in a way time does and does not exist at the same time! Yes, a new year is about to burst forth and bring with it the early teens of the 21st Millennium. The biblical concept of time is very different that the normal world view of the majority of mankind. The Bible looks at time not as an eternal presence, but as something that has a birthday and also has an end. Time was born and time will dies. Time has a beginning and it has an end. I think that this is so wonderful that time has an end. Where time ends starts eternity or endlessness of existence and only in that endlessness there can be the true test of existence with all of the implications of things like pleasure and joy and happiness and belonging and identity and fellowship with those you like and love. All of this list is essentially temporal and no matter how good things are or how bad things are, they will have an end in a sphere where time is the tyrant. And, time is a tyrant in our present world. I am the boss here in Netivyah and this morning I had so many phone calls of people from the other end of Israel calling already early to discuss and ask questions on biblical issues that it made me late to the office. I felt so bad that I was late to the office and when I can in I had to apologize and excuse myself for not being in the office on time. Time is a very cruel and harsh dictator to us all with the exception of a few wonderful people of a set gender who like Albert Einsten received a special mandate from the Creator of the World to be free of the normal constraints of time. And they come whenever they feel like it and leave whenever they feel like it. The world is changing the number on the calendar this evening and other than that number not much will change. The wars around the golbe will continue to bleed and the problem of global warming will continue to simmer and the financial crises will continue to be a plague and a scourge on the poor and suffering in our world. Yes, the financial problem is not a problem of the rich, because even if their companies are bankrupt they will still have food on their talbes and enough money to take their vacation in Acapulco or St Moritz. Although much will remain the same in our world, after we change from 2009 to 2010 there are things that are in constant change and never stop changing. That is much more than the color of my hair and the size of my waistline of my trousers. Israel is changing. There are more and more Jews in Israel who are turning to Yeshua and even some Rabbis are beginning to speak out and present a totally different attitude towards Yeshua the Messiah that what we are used to hearing. If you want to see what is happening go to WWW.YOUTUBE.COM on the internet and type "MESSIANISM" or "MESSIANIC" and see how much stuff you get, some good some much less than good. You need to pray for this new year of 2010 and pray that first of all you and your family and your friends will be protected in your health. Second pray that the Good Lord will bless you and make you a blessing for many others in your close proximity and a blessing for Israel. The Jewish people need a blessing as much as any other nation in the world. Israel is the nation that God chose to bring the Messiah from and to give His Word to and we all want to see the Jewish people blessed.

This year that is upon us will be a year of great challenged for us in Jerusalem and in Israel. We have the court case that is pending and is so very important for the future civil rights of all Jewish Disciples of Yeshua in the land. We also have the conference in Portugal that is supposed to raise a world wide awareness for those Jews who have been victims of the Inquisition for more than 500 years and it is time to bring them home, both physically and spiritually to the land of Israel and to the faith of Israel away from the pagan heritage of Rome. The challenge for all of us this coming year of 2010 is also going to be financial, because the world financial crisis is not yet really over and because the US Dollar is so down and becuase the needs of the poor and needy increase and don't decrease in our world and in Israel. The challenge of this next decase is also to salvage what is left of European and Western Christianity and to bring a new zeal and dedication to the Good News of Yeshua for the world. Unless Christians start again to share their faith and to bring Good News to a world full of bad news, this next generation might be the very last generation of Disciples of Yeshua in the history of the world. In fact, at any rate, this might be the very last generation of humanity anyway, at least we must be prepare and ready to receive and face this possibility in a very real and tangible way.

The developments for the conference in Portugal next December are getting into high gear and we plan to send invitations as soon as all the speakers confirm their participation. I really feel that this is a monumental task that will change the demographic picture of the whole State of Israel and by changing the demographics it will also change the ethnic and spiritual atmosphere of the State of Israel. With a potential of near a million immigrants to the Negev Desert, the Negev will flourish and David Ben-Gurion will be happy in his grave, but above that, the Almighty One of Israel will be happy in the heavens and that is so much more important. Please join us in prayer for the success and accomplishment of this conference in Portugal at the end of 2010. All we want is to see the Lord God of Israel and the Messiah rejoice in their children who have been lost and are found.

Our dear sister Sara who had fallen from the balcony a few years ago and had recovered had fallen again in her living room and broken her upper arm. Please lift her up in your prayers and lift up Zvi her husband in your prayers also, because he is so worried about his wife. They are both well past 80 years old and walking strong in the Lord.

Continue to pray for our dear brothers and sisters who are ill with chronic illness, Marcia, Miriam, Ahuva, Leah, Sarit, David, and the second David and brothers and sisters in other parts of the world like Paulo in Brazil, and Kemi San and Ishiida San in Japan, and Ruby in Oklahoma, and Liz in Georgin, and Tim and Tellervo in Finland.

I also ask you to pray for brothers and sisters in Israel and in other parts of the world who are suffering from major financial setbacks and need help of the Almighty in financial recovery and finding jobs and supporting their families.

Pray for my family in the United States. Their health and their finances and our grandchildren. Right now, especially lift up Noaam my granddaughter who is going through a hard time. I can't say too much on this situation other that it really requires much prayer and much involvement of God's mercy and righteousness in the life of my family.

Blessing to all of you who pray for us and for the salvation of Israel. Be blessed in every aspect of your life and work and spiritual walk. Find happiness in things eternal and things that have no time limits. Enjoy the now with an eye towrad the then forever! Do good now so that you will see good when you wake up from your sleep and see the Face of God looking at you. Don't look for a guy wearing a red had with white trim but look for a Jew wearing a crown of thorns on his head who says to you "I have been looking for you - Welcome!"

Please keep us in your prayers. The ministry of God's Word, the Soup Kitchen, Kol Hayeshua Radio Broadcasts, the publication and writing of books, the help to young Israeli students who are preparing for a productive and successful life, and for the outreach to so many nations and people who want to know more about the Word of God.

Shalom 2009 and Welcome 2010!

Joseph Shulam