Tag Archives: Jerusalem

Christian Living

City Wall

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Proverbs 25:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.

via Proverbs 25:28 NIV – Like a city whose walls are broken – Bible Gateway.

In Ancient Times what happened to a city when its wall was broken through?

That’s right. The city was pillaged.

Let me give you some synonyms for pillage. 

What else happened in Ancient Times to the people, women especially, and even children, in a city when the walls were broken through?  I don’t have to say it, do I? Isn’t that graphic?

And so Father is saying to us when we forsake His power working in us (i.e. for the Christian that is self-control) we have opened ourselves to be pillaged and that graphic word by the Evil One as well as our own marauding flesh.  Just turn on the news and see what happens when Ishmaelites overrun a city – there is a graphic picture of our spiritual lives (which naturally affects our physical lives, since the two are intricately tied) when we fail to maintain our city walls.

So in what condition is your city wall?

Sturdy? Solid? Strong? No breaches?
Or
Crumbling, Dis-repaired, Gaping holes, Breached?

THE WORD of GOD will rebuild our walls, but we have to show up for work detail! 

If we want our city walls up and healthy we have to have the WORD of GOD ALIVE AND ACTIVE IN US AND WORKING OUT THROUGH US. We can start by meditating (same action as worrying – you know how to do that: going over and over the same thing in our minds) on Scriptures that address our issues.

Thank You, Father, for this word picture of ancient city walls and how clearly it speaks to the absolute necessity for self-control to live holy in this world. HOLY SPIRIT, I pray that not one Dear Soul who comes here to read and pray will leave this page without seriously considering Your Word in this to us.

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,

Christian Living, KWT Paraphrasing, Questions

SLA

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And another week has begun.

We are into our third week of Summer. A summer, I am hoping, to be packed with learning and sweet memories for my GRANDS to carry with them through their lives.

There is a skill to learning, don’t you know? A most valuable skill, wouldn’t you say? And my GRANDS are not the only ones needing to learn the skill of learning.  And I know just the Teacher!  And I believe the steps to learning have been revealed to us. THE TEACHER used them Himself. Here let me share with you what I have found.

Luke 2

Remember the account of JESUS at twelve? Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem thinking He was within the caravan with some of His cousins. And when it came time to make camp for the night, naturally they went looking for Him. And when they did not find Him they returned to Jerusalem. Can you imagine the horror of not finding Him for three days?? I mean think of it! You have been entrusted with GOD’s SON and you can’t find Him?!  Seriously, what Mother’s heart would not be in a gut-wrenching panic even for a moment of not knowing where is her child – much less THREE DAYS?!

Finally, they go to the Temple and there He is!

Learning! 

46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. via Luke 2 NASB – Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem – Now in – Bible Gateway.

Three words, in particular, are my focus for this message.

Sitting. Listening. Asking

The steps to learning.

SIT.
To learn anything. Scripture. Math. Science. How to cut hair. You name it. Learning requires us to POSITION ourselves. To be still. Sit! Put ourselves in an environment conducive to the art of what we wish to learn.  JESUS was in the Temple. Smart move. We could learn a lot from this 12-year-old GOD-BOY!

LISTEN.
JESUS was not sitting there checking His Facebook, or playing a game on His iPad or iPod.  He was listening. He gave the teachers His attention! He heard their words. He considered what they said. He played the words, the concepts, the ideas in His mind examining them. He listened. We have to LISTEN if we expect to learn.  JESUS did. And if GOD did. Who are we not to?

Perhaps we don’t like the concept of JESUS learning; because learning denotes there is something we do not know and didn’t JESUS know everything?  As the GOD-INFANT, GOD-TODDLER, GOD-CHILD, GOD-BOY?  No, He didn’t. HE LEARNED. He allowed Himself to be limited because we humans are limited. He learned.  So can we, following His practice – Sit. Listen.

ASK.
If we sit. If we listen. We will surely have questions. Sometimes I have questions but I don’t ask. I don’t ask because I don’t want to appear ignorant. There’s a word for that kind of ignorance – PRIDE. I need to learn better.  :)  And I will.  JESUS modeled the pattern for us. The least we could do is use it!

Sit. Listen. Ask.

Simple isn’t it? And there is no art of schooling to which we cannot apply it.

Sit. Listen. Ask.

I am glad to be learning this — aren’t you?

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,

Thank You, JESUS, for this simple and profound tool of learning; help us practice it well for Your glory and our good. Thank You, Father, for each soul who comes here to read and to pray. I am asking You to bless them for coming; whatever their needs I pray they will find You faithful today.  I pray for strength and courage, wisdom and discernment, peace and security, and for our sick and afflicted I pray You will heal them and for the wayward and rebellious I am thanking You that You will not give up on them and You are continuing to pursue them. I pray, HOLY SPIRIT, for You to help them repent.  And we remember Israel, praying for peace and safety, and for America, we pray for a great awakening unto repentance. Thank You, Father, for perfecting Your saints in JESUS’ name. Amen and amen.

A Quick Hello, Christian Living

Small Beginnings

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The first week is closing. Obviously, I have not found our groove yet, evidenced by a lack of posting – :) – nor a balance between accomplishments and going with the flow BUT we have had a good time!! And there have been some teachable moments.

Small Beginnings

Zechariah 4:7-9 The Message (MSG)

5-7The Messenger-Angel said, “Can’t you tell?”

“No, sir,” I said.

Then he said, “This is God’s Message to Zerubbabel: ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. ‘So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you’re nothing but a molehill. He’ll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!'”

8-10After that, the Word of God came to me: “Zerubbabel started rebuilding this Temple and he will complete it. That will be your confirmation that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me to you. Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings? They’ll change their tune when they see Zerubbabel setting the last stone in place!”

Going back to the vision, the Messenger-Angel said, “The seven lamps are the eyes of God probing the dark corners of the world like searchlights.”

via Zechariah 4:7-9 MSG – The Messenger-Angel said, “Can’t – Bible Gateway.

Small Beginnings.

Don’t think I will be foolish enough to despise them.

How about you?

Prayers coveted.

Hopefully, see you Monday!! :)

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,

P.S. this is not an endorsement for The Message paraphrase — please daily read a good Translation of the Scriptures.

Father, thank You for this place to gather and I pray we are praying one for another. I pray we will not let the most important matters to life slip this summer – conversing and listening to YOU. As often we bring our sick and afflicted asking You to heal them. Sheila immediately comes to mind – thank You for her still-in-progress recovery – may today be a good and productive day for her. And there are others: Kerri, Dori, Noah, and others; each precious and in need of strength, wisdom, discernment, and encouragement, as they are desiring healthy bodies. And then the prodigals – truthfully, even needier than the sick – thank You for not giving up on them, help us not lose faith, ABBA. Thank You for keeping on with them and us in JESUS’ name. amen and amen.

Celebrations, Passion Week

Passion Week

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Yesterday  (Day 1) we remembered The LORD’s CHRIST, JESUS THE MESSIAH,  and His entry into Jerusalem. The people shouted Hosanna, Hosanna! What a scene!

See (read) the scene again at

Matthew 21

Beginning at verse 6 – JESUS is riding into Jerusalem.

In Luke 19:41-44 see HIM weep over the beloved City.

That was yesterday.

Today we are remembering other encounters. 

See Him teach His Beloved Disciples with a Barren Fig Tree:

The Barren Fig Tree   Matthew 21

18 Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.
19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”
21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.
22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
via Matthew 21 NASB – The Triumphal Entry – When they had – Bible Gateway.

See Him cleanse the Temple.

Luke 19: 45 Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
47 And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.
via Luke 19 NASB – Zaccheus Converted – He entered Jericho – Bible Gateway.

And the last two verses of Matthew 21 oh how sad!!
The Chief Priests.
The Pharisees.
They saw, they heard, they KNEW the Words JESUS spoke revealed their hearts. But they refused to repent.

Matthew 21:
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.
46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.
via Matthew 21 NASB – The Triumphal Entry – When they had – Bible Gateway.

ABBA, help us see much this week. Help us see ourselves this week as You see us. Help us repent, help us rejoice, help us praise, help us worship, help us adore You and bring to JESUS the glory He deserves. The glory You deserve, ABBA.  HOLY SPIRIT, we are depending on You to reveal ABBA’s heart and our own hearts as we remember Passion Week. We are depending on You to revive us, to enable us to repent, to quicken us alive – we know You are able, for You raised JESUS from the dead and so will You quicken our mortal bodies today and on that day. Amen and . . .  .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!