May your September be spirit-filled and God Blessed!
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
~ Psalm 103:12 NLT
Photo of the Month | September 2019
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The Critics
I am increasingly alarmed at the level of vicious criticism aimed at our current U.S. President. It is a national shame. Church, we are tasked to pray for our governing leaders. Way back in the Old Testament of the Bible, there was a similar situation brewing. Continue reading
The Blessed Promise
I hear so much these days about the rapture of the Church; our blessed hope. I hold fast to that faith and in no way diminish the work of Christ regarding the rapture of believers. Praise God! But … Continue reading
Photo of the Month | June 2019
O LORD, you have made our nation great; yes, you have made us great. You have extended our borders, and we give you the glory! ~ Isaiah 26: 15 NLT
Habakkuk’s Complaint | God’s Second Answer
Will you let them get away with this forever?
Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests? ~ Habakkuk 1:17 NLT
Habakkuk now has God’s attention. He has just accused God of being unfair!
Really? God’s own prophet? Yes, and The LORD just confirmed His plan to send Babylonian “heathens” to invade “the more righteous” nation of Judah! After more complaining, Habakkuk retires to the nearest watch tower and simply waits for the LORD’S reply.
It isn’t long in coming. The LORD methodically reminds Habakkuk that the future invasion is not a random act, but His judgement plan for the unrepentant sinful nation of Judah. Continue reading
Photo of the Month | May 2019
8A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
She Did What She Could
How can one person see the bigger picture while another is oblivious to the obvious? At a time when there was a plot to kill Jesus, a woman close to Yeshua sensed trouble and took action. Realizing that she could do nothing to prevent Yeshua’s death, she did what she could a couple of days prior to Passover:
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He (Jesus) sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask, and poured it on His head. ~ Mark 14:3 NKJV
The diners were shocked and criticized the woman, accusing her of wasting a commodity that was worth a year’s wages. At the very least, they indicated it should have been sold and given to the poor.
But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” ~ Mark 14:6-9 NKJV (Emphasis added)
Satan is not “oblivious to the obvious”. He immediately jumped on the opportunity of Judas’s dismay over the woman’s “waste”. We know from that point on how the story takes its twisted path to Calvary’s cross.
10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. 11And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. ~ Mark 14:10-11 NKJV
But what just happened at dinner? While Judas Iscariot was busy plotting the betrayal of the Messiah and the other disciples were enjoying a meal with Jesus, a woman follower sees the bigger picture and brought a most treasured possession to dinner. She anointed Yeshua’s body right then and there, in case it would prove to be impossible later; believing that Jesus is the Lamb of God, soon to be sacrificed for our sins; Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
She did what she could – and today,
“what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
If you enjoy reading about special people in history, you may like a previous post titled, What can you do?
God bless you and thanks for following
P.C. Feature Photo – Macro Colorful Soap Bubble:
© Can Stock Photo / Vlue
Photo of the Month | April 2019
Photo of the Month | March 2019
Snow, Dogsled Races, and Ice Fishing take us outdoors this month!
But Jesus sent him home, saying, 39”…Go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him. ~ Luke 8:38b-39 NLT
Lessons from Old Lions |A Changed King Manasseh
After this Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, from west of the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley to the Fish Gate, and continuing around the hill of Ophel. He built the wall very high. And he stationed his military officers in all of the fortified towns of Judah. ~ 2 Chronicles 33:14 NLT (Emphasis Added)
It looks like Manasseh was not about to help those Assyrians take over Judah or risk being dragged off to Babylon in chains again!
Continuing on in 2 Chronicles Chapter 33:
- He wasted no time in securing the borders. He walled off Judah and the public water supply from invaders.
- Manasseh removed the idols, including the one he carved and put in the Lord’s Temple
- He tore down all the foreign altars and dumped them outside Jerusalem.
- Manasseh was thankful. He restored the altar in the Temple and offered the proper offerings of peace and thanksgiving on it.
- He encouraged the people of Judah to worship the Lord of Israel – However, a lot of damage had been done. They did not respect King Manasseh like they respected his father, King Hezekiah. They continued to worship at pagan shrines even though they worshipped only Jehovah.
This story of two father-son Old Testament kings holds truths for our own nation on many levels. We have had numerous King Hezekiah-type leaders in our nation’s history. They attended church and got wealthier while they were in office. They built great projects, led us into wars, forged the United States of America into a military and economic superpower; but did not always protect our freedoms. Our King Hezekiahs kicked the can of growing evils down the road by not keeping us One Nation Under God. Then they left office and wrote prideful memoirs.
I would rather have leaders like King Manasseh – Repentant sinners who do their best to right a whole bunch of our country’s wrongs. One sad thing is that even though King Manasseh humbled himself, his own people never really trusted his leadership again. So even though Manasseh worked hard to secure the nation from foreign invasion and to reinstate proper Temple worship of the One True God, Jehovah; his reputation remained as a man who did evil in the Lord’s sight. Judah’s subjects respected King Hezekiah more; and he was a non-repentant prideful king!
It just goes to show that only God knows the heart. We can’t trust the fickleness of humans. God is just and He does not change. Praise Him for loving us sinners! We are all condemned if we fall under human judgement. I am thankful –
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the Power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. ~ Romans 8:1-2 NLT
One Lesson from Old Lions is this: Nations are judged or blessed by God according to their leadership. We need righteous leaders who work humbly for We the People under the guidance of Jehovah, who is God over all. Vote every election and vote responsibly. Vote for leaders who seek God’s wise counsel. Pray for Kings! If we expect God to bless our nation, His church needs to REPENT AND PRAY!
“Father Jehovah God, You are HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! And You are LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!!! Today we pray for those in authority over our nation. We repent for ourselves and our nation of the sins of pride and of rebellion against You. May our people rally behind leaders who realize that the LORD alone is God! We pray for undeserved mercy – knowing that Your judgement looms large. LORD, SHAKE BUT DON’T BREAK! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”
Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your Name is on their lips, but You are far from their hearts. ~Jeremiah 12:1b-2 NLT
Bless you for following Jesus, our Messiah and King of Kings!!
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