Daniel 1:8 ~ And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief †

 July 4th has great memories for all of us. Warm memories, on so many levels

The Scriptures know about Parades, and new nations as well.

Exodus, a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

Saturday, 10 March 597 B.C.

What we could consider, as Babylonian handwritten Post Cards,

these Agree with Jeremiah in intricate details. From 597 B.C., housed in the British Museum

Even the food rations of the King of Judea and his sons, in captivity.

Daniel 1:8

And God gave 

Daniel favor and compassion 

in the sight of the chief 

By the time God was giving Daniel such mercy and beautiful gifts, Daniel had walked 900 ancient miles from Jerusalem to Babylon. Hard core miles as a slave from a ruined Jerusalem.

Did Jesus know America existed? Can we prove this specifically, other than Jesus is the Son of the Most High, Light of the light, Light of the world since Genesis 1?

Matthew 4

 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain 

and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 

9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, 

if.... you will fall down..... 

and worship me.” 

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall Worship the Lord your God

    and Him only shall you serve.’”

Is there vague reference to the New World of the North American Continent? Yes. The USA is victor in two World Wars.

Isaiah 18: 7

At that time tribute will be brought to the LORD of Hosts 

from a people tall and smooth, 

from a people feared near and far, 

a nation mighty and conquering, 

whose land the rivers divide, 

to Mount Zion, 

the place of the Name of the LORD of Hosts.

Rivers?

The Mississippi River. And the Columbia and Colorado rivers flow west to the Pacific Ocean, while the Missouri River, the Mississippi River, and the Rio Grande flow east from the Divide to the Atlantic Ocean. The Saint Lawrence River Divide is a continental divide in central and eastern North America that separates the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin from the southerly Atlantic Ocean watersheds.

U.S. President Harry Truman was the first world leader to officially recognize Israel as a legitimate Jewish state on May 14, 1948

On December 6, 2017, President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and stated that the American embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

President Donald Trump has brokered a peace agreement between Sudan and Israel – the third such agreement between Israel and an Arab-Muslim nation in less than three months. Today, Israel and Sudan have agreed to make peace and to normalize their relations in another landmark agreement brokered by President Trump. Oct 23, 2020

Was the Lord our God pleased when The Declaration of Independence was signed, when James Madison wrote The Federalist Papers and the Bill of Rights?

July 4th, 1776

1609-1776 There was no religious freedom in the colonies of England. Quakers and Baptists were often forced to pay higher taxes or were banished. New England residents who failed to attend worship services on Sunday morning and afternoon were fined or put into stocks. Failing to glorify God for all his good gifts was a sacrilege.

1609 A.D., Jamestown ended in cannibalism. We never suffer much over the minors and young people, primarily from Great Britain, who made up of most of the people on the ships coming to the colonies of England. But the indentured servants' bones show they had their shoulders worn away with work. Wretched. Young teens, many. White Slavery.

And this is where the cannibalism started - the indentured servants buried not in the graveyard. Between one-half and two-thirds of white immigrants to the American colonies between the 1630s and the American Revolution had come under indentured servitude. About 75% were under the age of 25. 

The truth is a certain small part, some estimate up to 33%, of the white colonial population of America was brought by force, and a much larger portion came in response to deceit and misrepresentation on the part of the recruiting agents. Kidnapping is recorded and falls clearly into the category of "white slavery."

The beginnings of the indentured servants were the first died. All of them. As more died, they left shelter and supplies for the next batch to survive. White slavery. Who was part of this? Benjamin Franklin, one of the younger children, his parents had 17 children. Benjamin Franklin was smart, smart to run from being unfed and worked to death.

How many died? Half a million or more indentured servants? At least a third. 

Are 500,000 deaths important by 1776? The population of The United States of America July 4, 1776 was 2.5 million. Yes, this is supremely significant.

We will never know the exact count of slave deaths in the USA from 1609 to 1865. Those lives, the harsh cruelty we know did occur, said those lives did not matter. And this is part of the human condition, Genesis, the first Book of the Bible, mentions slaves in Chapter 20. The child labeled as, 'extra or unneeded.' We hope to outlive unwanted pregnancies and human death in all ages of heart beat life, by oppression. Good hearts making better choices.

Does this negate the importance of Martin Luther King, Jr. telling ALL of us to live His Dream?

No, instead, let us remember oppression from one another and families selling each other into oblivion, as Joseph was. Remember the Brave, who have fought to give us Freedom. 620,000 Americans (1861-1865) died, establishing a human being is not property. All of God's mankind deserving all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.

Psalm 133 

Behold, how good and pleasant it is

    when brothers dwell in unity!

2 It is like the precious oil on the head,

    running down on the beard,

on the beard of Aaron,

    running down on the collar of his robes!

3 It is like the dew of Hermon,

    which falls on the mountains of Zion!

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,

   Life 

forevermore

In 1807, British William Wilberforce, UK House of Commons, made carrying any color slaves across the ocean, worthy of loss of cargo, mankind, and the vessel, the ship itself. 

Is the Lord our God pleased when The Declaration of Independence was signed, 

when James Madison wrote The Federalist Papers, The Bill of Rights?

Never forget, in World History, no nation is formed without war.  All have fallen short of the Goodness of God and are sinners. To call our history so biased is a lie. Live the Truth.

Is God pleased 

when America was created by The Declaration of Independence?

Isaiah 18: 7

At that time tribute 

will be brought to the LORD of Hosts 

from a people tall and smooth, 

from a people feared near and far, 

a nation mighty and conquering, 

whose land the rivers divide, 

to Mount Zion, 

the place of the Name of the LORD of Hosts.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed 

Self-Evident

Genesis 1:26

 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, 

after our likeness. 

And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens 

and over the livestock and over all the earth 

and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:27

 

God created man in His own image, 

in the image of God He created him; 

male and female 

He created them.

Psalm 82:3 

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; 

maintain the right of the afflicted 

and the destitute.

Isaiah 1:17 

Learn to do good; 

seek justice, 

correct oppression; 

bring justice to the fatherless, 

plead the widow's cause.

Psalm 19:14 

Let the words of my mouth 

and the meditation of my heart 

be acceptable in your sight, 

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

John 5:30 

I can do nothing on my own. 

As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, 

because I seek not my own will 

but the will of Him who sent me.

Hosea 6:6

For I desire steadfast love 

and not sacrifice, 

the knowledge of God 

rather than burnt offerings

Romans 3:23-24

 

For all have sinned 

and 

fall short of the glory of God

2 Corinthians 5:9

 

We make it our aim to please Him.

1 Peter 5:2

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, 

exercising oversight, 

not under compulsion, 

but willingly, 

as God would have you; 

not for shameful gain, 

yet eagerly 

Abba, Father,

Dwell in us, please, Father.

Dwell in those we Love.

Help us to seek You first.

In Jesus Christ, we will finish well.

In Jesus Christ is 

Our Love, Joy and Hope.

Thank You for Jesus.

To You, our Father, be the Glory

Our God is an Awesome God! 

Amen and Alleluia

Genesis 1:31

And God saw it was good

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Thank You Father

Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,10-13 ~ For he delivers

 

Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,10-13

1 Give the king your justice, O God, 

and your righteousness to the royal son!

2 May he judge your people with righteousness, 

and your poor with justice!

7 In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, 

till the moon be no more!

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, 

and from the River to the ends of the earth!

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, 

may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!

11 May all kings fall down before him, 

all nations serve him!

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, 

the poor and him who has no helper.

13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, 

and saves the lives of the needy.

Today, is our younger son's Birthday. Most days, I pick the Scripture without knowing what the Scripture is going to be. Julis Caesar would say: "iacta alea est [ˈjakta ˈaːlɛ. a ˈɛs̺t]" or the die is cast, it has been rolled. Jesus would say, "Give us the day. Our daily Bread."

And as I thought about this Post, I came across a Biblical Chapter, I pray a lot.

Isaiah 38

Isaiah 38:1-9, 16-20

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city.

7 “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he has promised: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined.

9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

16 O Lord, by these things men live,

    and in all these is the life of my spirit.

    Oh restore me to health and make me live!

17 Behold, it was for my welfare

    that I had great bitterness;

but in love you have delivered my life

    from the pit of destruction,

for you have cast all my sins

    behind your back.

18 For Sheol does not thank you;

    death does not praise you

Those who go down to the pit do not hope

    for your faithfulness.

19 The living, the living... he thanks you,

    as I do this day

The father makes known to the children

    your faithfulness.

20 The Lord will save me,

    and we will play my music on stringed instruments

all the days of our lives

 at the house of the Lord

Did this remarkable miracle ever happen in the other Scriptures?

Matthew 9:9-13 ~ eat with tax collectors and sinners?

 

Matthew 9:9-13

9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed Him.

10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 

11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 

12 But when He heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

If you have a crowd of people in a room - there will be different opinions, attitudes, thoughts. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. I once saw a PBS (Public Television) documentary of theologians at a long table - like a dinner table - and the photography was very interesting as it swung from person to person as if you sat at the table. Let's see all the implications of Jesus at this particular dinner table, today we will sit and look around this table. Jesus invites us every day of our lives to sit with Him.

Jesus should be first. We know God is holy, but we tend to shy away from the Books of the Law. We have forgotten God gave us His Word about all types of law - when you read it - you find the Law contains things you've never thought of doing. Shudder. God knows well what humans are capable of. Jesus chose to be part of us. God chose His holy and righteous Son to live the human condition. God has gone to help sinners for millenniums. We do not deserve God. Jesus is still doing His Father's work. Jesus speaks for Himself, He does not change.

Psalm 103:6-13

6 The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses,

His deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will He harbor His anger forever;

10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is His Love for those who fear Him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him

Matthew. Jesus called all of his disciples in this manner. Follow me. And they rose and followed Him. What did they have in common, these disciples: poor fishermen, rich fishermen, Rome-loving tax collectors doing Rome's work and pocketing money with a nod at Roman power, a zealot- hungry for a war against Rome, and a thief who would become a traitor?

This is an important question, why would all of these people put aside their lives and follow Jesus? Consider Nathanael or Zacchaeus - climbed a tree to see Jesus. His life was full, he had all he needed. Zacchaeus was seeking, he wanted someone to see him for who he really was and love him. Jesus saw Zacchaeus and knew him, loved him, didn't label him and invited him to be a friend and follower of Christ Jesus. Zacchaeus didn't even hesitate - his soul had been called, his life changed, his soul loved.

Pharisees. The Pharisees by the 9th chapter of Matthew are not comfortable asking Jesus and they ask the disciples to justify Jesus' actions. Why? Several reasons, Jesus is amazing to them. They see the authority, the miracles, the Words & the people following Jesus. The Spiritual Fruits are Astonishing.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, 

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law.

The Pharisees are interested by the disciples, not just the dinner companions. Why? This is not purely hypocritical, this is the Wisdom of the Old Testament. Proverbs tells us to be wise in our companions, Psalms tells us to not be with the crooked of heart. The Law is about purification and sanctification. The Pharisees want to see if this Wonder Worker is real.

(When Christians were first allowed to gather together legally in the Roman Empire ,in 325 A.D., The First Council of Nicaea is regarded as the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church. Invited by Emperor Constantine, about 318 world-wide Bishops, who had risked their lives and were condemned for serving Jesus, traveled across continents and oceans, continued to risk their lives in dangerous travel, to express the basis of the church today. The Ecclesiastics, Book of Sirach was included in the Bible these men chose.It follows along with the other books of the Bible and is historically accurate.)

Ecclesiasticus, The Book of Sirach 6:6-17 

(New American Bible)

6 Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.

7 When you gain a friend, first test him, and be not too ready to trust him

8 For one sort of friend is a friend when it suits him, but he will not be with you in time of distress.

9 Another is a friend who becomes an enemy, 

and tells of the quarrel to your shame.

10 Another is a friend, a boon companion, 

who will not be with you when sorrow comes.

11 When things go well, he is your other self, and lords it over your servants;

12 But if you are brought low, he turns against you and avoids meeting you.

13 Keep away from your enemies; be on your guard with your friends.

14 A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.

15 A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.

16 A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, 

such as he who fears God finds

17 For he who fears God behaves accordingly, 

and his friend will be like himself.

These heartfelt examinations are, of course, true for the Pharisees like Nicodemus or Gamaliel, seeking God. The Word of God tells us to examine spiritual matters and guard our heart.

Who is left? The crowd. Why are they here at dinner, what happened to them?

Matthew 24:38-44

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, 
marrying and giving in marriage, 

until the day when Noah entered the ark,

39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, 

so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake 

and would not have let his house be broken into.

 

44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming 
at an hour you do not expect.

When Jesus described the end, He was not just speaking of the end of the world. 

He was telling us we live our lives as if it will continue indefinitely. So caught up in work, entertainment, our relationships - we sometimes miss the good portion.

Who will be saved?

With God all things are possible.

Abba, Father, 

Help us each day to fulfill Your plans for us 
and the work You would have us do. 

Be our Light and our direction. 

In the Highest Name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

To You, our Father, be the Glory

Our God is an Awesome God! Amen

and Alleluia

in Jesus Christ and His Glory!

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus