Dear Friends:
Today I received this email from our dear Canadian friends, Ralph Rutledge and his sister Norma Jean Mainse. David Mainse, of blessed memory, founded and hosted 100 Huntley Street, Canada’s nationwide Christian TV network. David was a great friend of Israel and of ours. Meridel and I have followed David’s anointed daily blog 100 Words. Now, since David’s graduation to Heaven last year his son, Ron Mainse continues to send out his Dad’s blog at the request of many.
We first met David on a Saturday morning in Sept 1969. Norma Jean served us coffee at their kitchen table, while Ron and Ren pranced through the house, slamming the screen door as young teens do! Maybe they thought we were cool because of our Corvette parked in their drive way. Jay and I had recently been shown the left foot of fellowship by well meaning Pastors, when we prayed for their young people to receive the Baptism of the Holy spirit. Hurt, but not deterred; reading the Friday paper, Jay said, “I have to find someone I can speak with.” That was how he found the Rev. David, Mainse, who hosted at 15 minute TV show in Hamilton Ontario at the time.
We told him of our rather unusual call to ‘sell everything and go to Israel.’ David listened intently and later challenged his entire church to pray that we would sell the Corvette Sting Ray in order to be debt free. Our departure date for Israel was October 20th 1969. David said very carefully looking directly into our eyes: “I do NOT understand your call, but I know this, you are both called by God!”
“My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; neither shall anyone snatch hem out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand: I and my Father are one.” John 10;27-30
As David mentions in his article below, he and Norma Jean were our pastors in 1969 when the Lord called us to leave Canada and to do two things. First He said to Meridel, “If you love Me, Love My People,” and secondly He said to me, “Declare among the nations; Proclaim, and set up a standard; Publish – do not conceal it.” Jeremiah 50;2a
So with these brief instructions we gave away our belongings and began a lifetime of blessing Israel. We first began to ‘fish’ for the Jewish people by visiting the heads of Jewish Communities around the globe, 120 nations and seven years later, we made Israel our home. No Jewish soul ever turned us away. The solemn message is even MORE relative today than it was back then: “Behold, I will send for many fishermen, says the LORD, and they shall fish them: and afterward I will send for many hunters and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill and out of the holes of the rocks.” Jeremiah 16:16
Dear David Mainse did not elaborate… since that photo was taken (see below), both Jay and I completed our earned doctorates: his in history and mine in psychology. We are citizens of Israel and very much at home with our Jewish heritage, which we knew nothing of prior to coming to Israel.
Over the last forty years, Jay and team have produced 150 documentaries on the unfolding of Israel’s Biblical, natural and prophetic history with our son David working along side of us for 20 years. Because we were are no longer able to support him financially he has taken a position at Media Line in Jerusalem. You can see his weekly news feeds on You Tube at: medialine.com Chris is a Product Designer and team leader working in Finland as a design specialist at Digitalist a company that creates digital solutions & innovations for companies such as Samsung, Intel, Nokia, Time Warner and more. Josh is also a web designer working for high tech start ups in Israel and New York. Daniel is our cameraman/editor for Jerusalem Vistas. This spring and summer he has been miraculously healed of inflammation of the brain. Thank God! All of our men contribute their expertise to the work. Amen!
October 20th will begin our 50th anniversary from the day we left Canada for Israel. We will be rejoicing greatly with Jerusalem and with all who love her! Now we will see what the LORD will do with our sons!
You might remember my firsts book; Fishers and Hunters, then; Honour Thy Father??? Together Jay and I wrote: Love My People – Volume 1 Timeless Secrets. I have been blessed to counsel privately and present seminars with instructive workbooks for survivors and educators who attend my seminars on sexual abuse. We are in the process of publishing my latest work: Healing the Indelible Stain.
Jay and I are presently building a summer home in Greece, a place of rest and recreation for our tribe. Seven of us live in Europe and seven of us live in Israel. We delight in hand picked encounters day by day as we go about the business of the Master in this new outreach for the Lord!
We send you our love and would be delighted to hear from you.
Jay’s favourite scripture is: “Love, never fails!” 1 Corinthians 13:8
With love and thanksgiving,
Meridel Rawlings
Tel: 054 4711786, call us if you are in Jerusalem.
Box 84156 Mevasseret Zion, 9079097 ISRAEL
Now back to David’s Mainse’s blog: DOUBLE HONOUR
Canadian and long-time Christian leader in Israel, Jay Rawlings, holds his Bible on the path that leads to the Eastern Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. Jay and his wife, Meridel, have built many bridges of relationship between the Jews and Christians. Jay has a Masters Degree in Hospital Administration and was Assistant Administrator of Henderson Hospital in Hamilton as a young man. I had the privilege of serving as their Pastor when God called them to world missions, specifically with a calling to bless God’s ancient people, the Jews. Jay sold his much-loved Corvette Stingray and with their little son, David, they left all to follow Jesus. Jay and Meridel are surely worthy of “double honour,” as they have served as true elders, as Paul said, “in the Word and doctrine.” by the Reverend David Mainse.
PHOTO of JAY
See: www.100words.ca