1 Kings 13:1-10 ~ And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’

1 Kings 13:1-10


English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio   

And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. 

 Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 

 2 And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’”  

4 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.”  And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.  

5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.  

6 And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. 

 7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

 
Some Background History:

While still young, Jeroboam was promoted by Solomon to be chief superintendent of the slaves. Upon hearing the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29-39), he began to conspire to become king; but was discovered,  fled to Egypt, remaining under the protection of pharaoh Shishak. Upon the death of Solomon, Rehoboam assumed the throne. The 10 northern tribes revolted against Solomon's son and asked Jeroboam to become king. Rehoboam's poor conduct helped Jeroboam, and Jeroboam was accordingly proclaimed "king of Israel".

Jeroboam fortified Shechem as the capital of his kingdom. and in Dan and Bethel,built "golden calves," which he set up as symbols of God, pulling worship away from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, but to bring their offerings to his shrines.

He became distinguished as the man "who made Israel to sin."

This miracle made no abiding impression on him.He was in constant war with the "House of Judah."

Translocate

verb (used with object), trans·lo·cat·ed, trans·lo·cat·ing.

to move or transfer from one place to another; cause to change location; displace; dislocate.

Saint Pio (Pius) of Pietrelcina was said to have translocated to be with people in prayer. This information is not readily available in his saint literature. It would be difficult to prove and might cause someone to cry out "seize him" in order to ascertain the situation. This didn't work out well for Zechariah in Luke 1 either. 

What a unique reaction. Usually people have fear and trembling when dealing with Mighty Acts of God. The Scriptures do not record God trying again with Jeroboam.  The Word of God, He sent forth, was fulfilled.

Isaiah 55:11
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

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Mark 8:27-38 ~ If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Mark 8:27-38

 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸ And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” ³⁰ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

³¹ And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life  ^{[The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and once in verse 36 and once in verse 37]} will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Jesus told the crowd to take up a horrible instrument of death to be His followers. This is the Eighth chapter of Mark. This shocking statement did not put a dent in the people willing to follow Jesus. Which would say something about the wonders of God they have seen Jesus do. The comfort His Words of life offer. People followed Jesus into the wilderness without food, sometimes going 3 days to hear Him. Jesus was filled with compassion for His people.

Psalm 77:19
Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.


The Children of Israel were asked to believe and to follow the LORD. They were afraid to leave slavery, yet they did with gifts from the Egyptians. So many times we read of these great acts and wonder what Jesus would have us do with our lives.

Romans 4
And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

What are Abraham's footsteps?

Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:9-10
Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!

Abraham went by faith. Just as Paul went by faith to the Gentiles, having been educated at the feet of Gamaliel, and climbing quickly in his career at the Temple. 

These people who did not know the next step, but trusted God to provide the path.

Psalm 119:133
Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

Joshua 6:7
And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD.”

Philippians 2:23
Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me

John 16:33
have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

A cross.  A public stand. Making a vow. Keeping a vow. Caring enough to create action. Refraining from action and letting God in prayer. Putting forth the thought, the action to have our lives reflect His love.



2 Corinthians 5:20
So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"



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Genesis 20 ~ And Abraham said of Sarah

Genesis 20

From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. ² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” ⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? ⁵ Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” ¹¹ Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” ¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Abraham and Sarah, the parents of today's Middle East trauma. Abraham could hear the LORD speaking with him and Still was self-centered. My inner nature tells me - this is good work if you can get it. And then the real sorrow we do not do better for the LORD. In the wellsprings of our heart. Jesus deserves that LOVE.  The incredible patience He has for us. 

Abraham judged Abimelech to be his enemy. Abimelech had a lot of grace. Our movies would tell us Abimelech would take a woman immediately. Instead, Abimelech has spoken with Sarah but has not known her. In our world, we would be suspicious of That set of circumstances. The movie "The Kingdom" is a spectacular movie of the freedoms we enjoy as Christians and the devotions of being Muslim.  The plot, according to IMDb; A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East. There are a lot of rabbit holes and the investigator learns of a profound Muslim holiness dwelling in the Muslim family,  with a willingness to honor the evil of murder for those having different ideas. 

The movie relates to me biblically, Aaron was invited to come into God's sanctuary seeking forgiveness and splashes blood around the Holy of Holies. It is God -  knowing we are not His holiness but giving us JESUS to say,  please stay with me eternally. 

Instead of judging one another so harshly, we need to remember how unique we are to God. GOD knows us just as we are. God, who says come as you are. Grow. Rest. Lay down your burden.

Matthew 13:32
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

We know Abraham entertained angels and recognized them as angels. Surely we can recognize, in this passage, even the righteous need a Savior. Abraham prays for Abimelech, when it is Abimelech who had clean hands and asked for mercy. God loves the prayer of a righteous person.

James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.


Father God, each day let us remember in humility we can do nothing Good apart from You. In Your Son, Jesus Christ, alone is our great hope, faith and Love. In Jesus Christ alone is our mercy. We pray to you and hope to availeth much.  You have always appreciated the huge prayers and rejoice with us when we rejoice in Your smallest mercies. In the name of Jesus. Amen.




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Psalm 54 ~ O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might

Psalm 54


O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

3 For strangers^{[insolent men]} have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah

4 Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.          
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.

6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.


Psalm 54 is a Psalm of David.  A Psalm written by a man who saw war, homelessness, being overlooked by his father and brothers, marked as a criminal, a mercenary.  And he lived through victory, indulgence, defeat and into old age.

We live in time when the news generally isn't great.  People have doubts about their children's futures.  Most of us are amazed at least once a month by a new phone app or a computer application.  And we have so many debates about nutrition, carbs, the wheat supply being irradiated. Sometimes it helps to remember my grandmothers grew old after facing life's hardships. I know they had years life shook them like waves. They were not like the centenarian documentaries of self-reliance and hard core assurance. Yet they found they endured and looked forward to more with God in eternity. 

How are we saved? By the blood of Jesus. I wouldn't turn this down, especially at the Communion Table. By the cross of Jesus?  It is the symbol of victory of the LORD over the enemy of death, despair, false witness.  Yet David grasps something very important here. We are saved by the name of Jesus. The Christ. The Son of God. The LORD.

Philippians 2:10
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

What shall we say about our JESUS?

Jesus

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.


Genesis 1:3-4
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.



Proverbs 8

The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of old.
23 Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.


Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”


Isaiah 55:11
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Hebrews 6:13
When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself

Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.



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Isaiah 12 ~ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

The Alpha Course. All questions are open and welcome. Discover a loving relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. All are respected at the table. HopePointe Anglican Church for 8 weeks beginning September 23rd.

Isaiah 12

You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

Discover the richness of knowing God through the Love found in His Son Jesus Christ.

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Psalm 42 ~ Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.

 

 

Psalm 42

 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
 
When shall I come and appear before God?^{[See the face of God]
3} My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation ⁶ and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
 
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.
 
⁸ By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
⁹ I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
 
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.


During the years we were Catholic, I remember watching Mother Angelica on television - hearing of a priest being converted from worldly success to the priesthood, because he awed by the Scriptures being read word for word, in precision, in order across the entire world. Regardless of circumstance, the liturgy was read; the daily Scripture told of God's nature.

As a new, and again Anglican -  British people came to visit, telling of the Church of England suffering permanent loss after World War II because the correct order of the Scriptures were read and the people did not feel fed, merely part of a system.

Today is the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. A great tragedy, where we read the face of God was turned away. Today's Scripture was supposed to be Ezekiel 7, the Day of Wrath.  However, we are in a precarious situation in our country. Many people feel capitalism feeds only the cream and not the workers. Other people feel we should help everyone - give comfort with government decision on day care to the decision of where we should live and in what manner - as long as we all have access to health care. Others feel Animal Farm with a system appearing to help the masses while really the people in power are the only ones with affluence. 

Should we stay to the left? Vere to the right? People with political savvy feel we could become like South America where we veer right to left with little being accomplished. Some applaud the idea of government stymie. And Libertarians - I remember when we all thought they were out of their minds. Now, I hear moderate Republicans wanting to be Libertarians.  Recently, I went into an affluent store on Padre Island where the parties were being debated as really being one party. I suggested to the store employees lunching that both Congressional parties were receiving Chinese money to do away with our system and liberties. Partially I said it to see the reaction. They laughed and the most talkative of the group waved her fork and said she could see that happening easily.  We no longer have faith in our government to support our views. 

We've seen changes. We've seen college students unable to find jobs easily. People looking for jobs. We've also seen President Reagan run for President and ask us to believe America had not seen the end of its glories. We saw this country recover from economic stalemate almost purely on entrepreneurial inspiration. 

What would recovery of our hope take? God. The belief what we do matters. Now and  in the future to our family, what we put our efforts into should include our family and communication - so they really understand what we believe. The need to speak genuine hope to one another.  

The belief and actions that say - I believe we can do away with compromise that merely compromises our very cores and hope belief, action, industry, enterprise will offer opportunity to up lift, to confirm, to encourage, to prosper.

Pray each day for your nation, for your family, your Church, your neighbors, your friends. Expect the LORD to hear and act. Encourage each other in prayer.

 Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

In Jesus Christ is our salvation. 

Daily.  Pray.  Vote.  Believe.


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Psalm 112 ~ It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice

 
 Rain storm over the area of mountainous area outside of Jerusalm, Israel the Scriptures say was Samuel's home.


“even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” Isaiah 46:4 ESV


Psalm 112 


 Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.

7 He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!

This is one of the most joyous Psalms.  Dealing with the comfort we all long for our lives to hold. Blessing begins after the word we all do not care for in this generation, fear. It's good to point out that fear is the beginning and not the continuation of the relationship with Father God.

Who experienced this godly prosperity? 

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain [Jabez sounds like the Hebrew for pain].” 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm [evil] so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked. 





1 Samuel 25
Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah.

 

The tomb of Samuel has not been proven archaeologically to be Samuel's. One of the biblical proof''s would be Judas Maccabeus, in 167 B.C., honored the site as Samuel's tomb.




Jeremiah 32

6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ 8 Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

9 “And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. 12 And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13 I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, 14 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’


16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: 17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. 20 You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. 21 You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. 22 And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 And they entered and took possession of it. 

Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah is mentioned in Jeremiah in the 32, 36, 43 and 45th chapters of Jeremiah and in at least 44 of the verses. Baruch was someone Jeremiah could count in all circumstances. Baruch, his name in Hebrew: בָּרוּךְ ’s means blessed.

When one is blessed of God, one is blessed. Baruch is remembered as well as the most historical figures in history. The most famous of Shiloh’s bullae belonged to Gemaryahu ben Shafan, the King’s scribe and minister at the time of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36). Yehuchal is now the second royal minister whose name has appeared on a bulla from the City of David excavations. This came from David's Palace.  Associates for Scriptural Knowledge August 2004

2 Samuel 5:17
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

Eliat Miazar said this passage enabled her to find David's Palace, "which describes David in the City of David going down, or descending (yered), from his residence to the citadel or fortress (metzudah). The citadel or fortress to which he descended was of course the Canaanite/Jebusite stronghold, the Fortress of Zion (Metzudat Tsion; see 2 Samuel 5:7) that he had conquered a short time earlier. It is clear from the topography of the City of David that David could have gone down to the citadel only from the north, as the city is surrounded by deep valleys on every other side. It also makes sense that the Jebusite stronghold would have been located at the high point in the City of David, that is, in its northernmost section. From here, the fortress would not only command all areas of the city but would also provide for the defense of the city on its only vulnerable side—the north, which had no natural defense. If this was in fact the case, one can infer that after conquering the city, David’s palace was constructed north of this citadel (David went down to the fortress) and outside the northern fortifications of the city."

David's Palace was built using Phoenician architecture, drawing by Eilat Mazar




View from David's Palace - artistic rendition

Phoenician Column found in David's Palace

View looking outside from David's Palace archaeological dig
Views from David's Palace archaeological dig. Kidron Valley. As if you were looking from David's window.
This view is very similar to what David would have seen from this window.




And another house was built as well.

2 Chronicles 8:11
Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”


 Page numbers from "Pharaohs and Kings" by David Rohl

 An Egyptian-style building once stood to the north of the Damascus Gate on a hill overlooking Jerusalem. It really was up from the city. (pg 182-183)

There was a statuette of a seated female figure in typical Egyptian style. (pg 182)

This structure was probably a small temple or tomb within the residence of a native Egyptian of high rank. (pg 183)

This is the only structure containing Egyptian archaeological elements in stone ever found in Jerusalem. The Bible only mentions one building constructed for a native Egyptian. This building was located in the right place and was in the right time period. (pg 183) 

Mark 1:14-20 ~ the Kingdom of God is at hand

And another house was built as well. Capernaum contains the first Christian House Church, the prosperous house of Peter the disciple. Built next to the Synagogue and with a view of their Sea of Galilee.  Also a good way for the owner of a fleet of fishing boats could see the activities of the day.

 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.



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Psalm 132 ~ The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which He will not turn back:

Psalm 132

Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the Lord
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!”

8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”

 

This is one of those Psalms we could call a mirror Psalm. It can lead to self-pity or it can cause us to remember:

Psalm 103:12,13
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Psalm 132 is best when we use it to remember compassion for others.  And the depths of God's amazing forgiveness. Staying well clear of cheap grace. Remembering miracles creating awe when they occurred and still occur today. It would be great if miracles had an accompanying trumpet, but God works within that still small voice as well as His Mighty Acts.

Numbers 6:25
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you



Job 22:28
You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.

Job 37:15
Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?

Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.

Psalm 80:3
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Psalm 80:7
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Psalm 80:19
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Psalm 118:27
The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us.


On David his crown will shi

Where do we get the halo idea? Moses had horns because Michelangelo read incorrectly this was horns. When Moses came from speaking with God “the skin of his face was radiant.” In fact, to protect people and to perhaps to continue his aura, Moses put on a veil. Michelangelo understood the Biblical verse  "karan" to mean Moses had horns. Some antisemitic people have believed all Jews to have horns. 

Ecclesiastes 8:1

Who is like the wise? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

Let the Light that Lights every man shine in our hearts -  In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Psalm 111 ~ I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation

Psalm 111  

 

1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.  2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.     


 4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations.      

 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.       

9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Redemption in Jesus Christ. Amen.



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John 9:1-17 ~ Rabbi, who sinned

John 9:1-17


  As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”


This portion of the Gospel of John points out some of the futility of trying to judge the sin of others. Jesus told us not to cast our pearls before swine. He told us to be discerning and He said to be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

People sometimes wonder if Jesus was a Rabbi, He was - a Teacher. Jesus was not a Priest in the conventional sense, He was not a descendant of Levi, but of the tribe of Judah. Priests were not allowed, even if they were Levi descendants if they had handicaps such as blindness. Handicapped people were not allowed access to the inner portion of the Temple.  Which is a somewhat unusual because Jacob wanted the spotted goats and not the pure ones.

The people Jesus chose as disciples asked Him if sin makes the man blind, and Jesus says - no,  it's for the miracle you are about to see.  Jesus was asked when a portion of the Tower of Siloam fell, is misfortune always sin :

Luke 13:1-5
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

John 9 is the swirl of good and determination of evil and it repeats. The events around Jesus were so charged with God, it confused people. It is the way the Scriptures begin, in the second chapter of Genesis. People want to determine right and wrong for themselves. The first person Jesus openly declared Himself as the Messiah, was a sinner and He said we need to worship God from our hearts. It is our hearts that make us saints, to believe and to act upon that belief.

God spoke to Elijah in quietness, we all have times to be quiet each day. We learn about ourselves in events in our lives.  Invest in prayer, invest in the hope of God. His spoken Word - JESUS CHRIST THE LORD. Invest in learning the Scripture, His Word to us. Telling us of His teaching about judgement and repentance.

Jeremiah 29:13

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

“Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

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