CELEBRATE!!! For …
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
~ 2Corinthians 9:15 NKJV
Author: Sherron
Photo of the Month | December 2020
…behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:9-11
We celebrate what we have, and our trip to Israel was cancelled this year due to you-know-what. This photo is but a tiny glimpse into our daily scenery around here. Thanking God – for He is so good. His gifts are cherished treasures; just like the Magi brought to Baby Jesus so long ago. PRAISE AND HALLELUJAH!! as inheritors of His free gift of salvation, we feel especially blessed this Christmas.
Thank you, Tonya, for sharing with us your beautiful photo; and THANK ALL OF YOU for following Importantstuff.Live!
Winter Solstice 2020 | The Great Conjunction
What is The Great Conjunction? And what does it have to do with the Christmas Star of Bethlehem during the birth of our Jesus?
Follow the link to find out about this year’s Winter Solstice phenomenon regarding the alignment of the two super giant gas planets, Jupiter and Saturn -Alllllll the way down to the center of the page past the ads and such; it’s a rarity of epic planetary proportions. Be sure to read it for a possible explanation for the mysterious Star of Bethlehem.
That’s tonight, folks – December 21, 2020. Dust off your telescopes and enjoy the glory of our LORD’s handiwork in the heavenly Milky Way. Praying for clear skies tonight!
The Magi -first true followers of Christ
…behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship him.” ~ Matthew 2:1b-2
Happy stargazing from Importantstuff.Live!
Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo / kevron2001
What’s My Tree Growing?
Good fruit or bad?
Am I listening to false prophets?
Lord, I pray today for discernment.
By Kingly Decree | Executive Order
In 519 BC, God orchestrated the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem via kingly decrees. King Cyrus, King Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia were God’s instruments concerning the reconstruction of His House in Jerusalem.
Not surprisingly, there was resistance to the rebuilding of God’s house at Jerusalem during the entire project. At one point some people who were against the Israelites sent a letter to King Darius concerning the validity of the decree. “Did proof of such a decree actually exist?” they demanded.
Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, “where the treasures were stored in Babylon. And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:” ~ Ezra 6:1-2 NKJV
Bas relief at Persopolis, Iran; Canstock Photo/lucvar
In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid …Let the expenses be paid from the king’s treasury.” ~ Ezra 6:3-4 NKJV
Why pay for this project out of the King’s treasury? Verse 5 explains that the gold and silver treasury of God’s temple had been looted/stolen by King Nebuchadnezzar and brought back to Babylon around 70 years prior.
It was time for God’s judgement against the Israelites for idolatry to be over. The temple at Jerusalem was to be rebuilt and dedicated to the LORD. But in the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the LORD sent Ezra to Jerusalem to serve as priest and scribe of the Law of the LORD; but not to go empty-handed:
This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:
Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:Perfect peace, and so forth.
I issue a decree, that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.
And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand;
and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem;
and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem –
Now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings, and offer them in the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.”
~ Ezra 6:11-17 NKJV
WOW! When God moves, He means business. So how does any of this relate to us today? Perhaps this decree by King Artaxerxes reminds us of how the LORD bent the hearts of the Egyptians toward the Israelites during the Exodus. God caused the Egyptians to give their wealth freely to the Israelites at their departure from Egypt. There appears to be a pattern of how God cares for His children. He sometimes shifts wealth from the masters in order to bless His people when they have been held captive during judgement. At the point of God’s forgiveness and consequential freedom from bondage, God immediately blesses.
How do we view things like presidential executive orders today, which are very similar to kingly decrees back then? When our democratic processes break down, and it becomes difficult to govern the people righteously, God may use special means to guide us into trusting Him.
By kingly decree … It served the Israelites well when they were obedient to God in the Old Testament; and it will for us, too, if we trust our LORD.
Notice that as powerful as he was, King Artaxerxes called himself king of kings, without capital letters. He evidently realized that he was not THE King of Kings Jesus. As we celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus soon, may the world recognize and worship Him as their personal Messiah, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!
Thank you for following Importantstuff.Live this year.
When Good Comes
There are so many questions that go unanswered these days. Events are perplexing as year-end 2020 draws near.
5 Thus says the LORD:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD, 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.” ~ Jeremiah 17:
When the heat (testing) comes, God doesn’t want us to fear. If we trust in the LORD, we will be able to recognize God’s goodness when it comes. For instance, a very good thing happened in January 2020 that was mocked by news media; our President Trump issued an update to students’ right to pray in our public schools.
HALLELUJAH! THANK YOU PRECIOUS FATHER ABOVE!!
May we continue to be overcomers; producing good fruit for the LORD as the world struggles in useless pursuits of false justice as it always will until Jesus comes and sets things right.
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” ~ Jeremiah 17: 9-10
Let us strive to live according to the Word of the LORD, recognizing when good comes; trusting in our LORD instead of turning to worthless and unprofitable things during this year of spiritual drought.
God bless you greatly and thank you for following
Photo of the Month | November 2020
18 Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. ~ Micah 7:18-19
Who is God?
18For thus says the LORD,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the LORD, and there is no other.
19I have not spoken in secret,
In a dark place of the earth;
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in vain’;
I, the LORD, speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.”
Isaiah 45:18-19
21b “And there is no other God besides me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.
22 Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to me every knee shall bow,
Every tongue shall take an oath.“
Isaiah 45:21b-23
“Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.“
Isaiah 46:4
8 “Remember this, and show yourselves men;
Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
9 Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel,
from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.“
Isaiah 46:8-11
As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 47:4
May our ONE AND ONLY LORD GOD, CREATOR, RIGHTEOUS AND JUST REDEEMER, SAVIOR, BEARER, DELIVERER, WAY-MAKER, COUNSELLOR, WORD … BLESS YOU GREATLY TODAY!
And thank you for following
Today’s Nugget | Out of the Pit
Sometimes it seems like we get bogged down with the cares of this life. Do you linger in a place of miry clay? Let God help.
1I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. 2He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. 3He has put a new song in my mouth – Praise to our God; Many will see and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
~ Psalms 40:1-3
A few years back I managed to fall and break a leg. I was in a helpless state of being alone, and unable to get up off the ground. I was pinned under a hand truck which was also pinned under a heavy concrete block.
“LORD, I need help!” I cried out. I didn’t wait patiently for His answer either. The pain was significant and I almost blacked out. But the Lord heard my cry and I believe sent an angel who helped me get free and use the hand truck as a crutch to lean on. I was contemplating my next move when a neighbor’s truck came down the road so I waved the driver over. He was very kind and helped me get medical attention.
Many times I wondered why God allowed my foot to stumble.
11For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. 12In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.
Psalms 91:11-12
He quickly set my feet on solid ground and His angels helped me; but afterward I began to wonder if God had a bigger plan for me than what I was doing with my life at that time. First He needed to get my attention and stop my program. He had to remove me out of the horrible pit I was in.
Praise God! He allowed this trial but used it to put a new song in my mouth. My prayer life got a complete overhaul. People have noticed a change in my life since the accident. My spiritual growth has caught fire. It didn’t take me long to realize after surgery that the Lord now had my full attention. I could not run or escape my predicament. I began to watch a lot of Christian TV from the couch, study my Bible, and seek God’s will in my life. Soon I was in church again enjoying Christian fellowship, worship time and hearing God’s Word preached.
Have any of you had a similar experience? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear your testimony of how God has rescued you from the pit and changed the course of your life.
Thank you for stopping by and for following Importantstuff.Live!
Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo / Balefire9
Photo of the Month | October, 2020
And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
Psalms 39:7
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