Posted on 08/10/2023 5:34:50 AM PDT by left that other site


Let all that has been Concealed
Be Revealed.
Father, We Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem,
According To Your Will and Promise.
We Pray That You Will Forgive The Sins
of Our Own Nation,
and Lead us all to Godly Repentance.
Create in Us Clean Hearts, Oh LORD,
and Renew a Right Spirit Within Us.
This we Pray Together,
As We Await Your Messiah,
Blessed Be He,
To Set Up His Kingdom,
And Make All Things Right.
God Bless America.
ML/LTOS

We were in D.C. for Rolling Thunder, and the Motorcycle Parade in Honor of The Vietnam Vets had gone beautifully the day before. The next morning we decided that it was a beautiful day, so why not go out for breakfast? Well, we rode and rode around Washington, trying to find a Dunkin Donuts, an IHOP, or a Waffle House, but such things didn't seem to exist in Our Nation's Capital. Round and round we rode, in an ever increasing circle, and soon found ourselves in the part of town that the tourists never see. Burned-out buildings lined the street, and later we found out that they were burned in the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King and had never been fixed...and here it was 1995! The street grew more and more depressing, and, of course, there wasn't a Dunkin Donuts, IHOP, or Waffle House in sight. Suddenly I saw an elderly Black man crossing the street, against the lights and walking very slowly. I signaled Hubby to stop his bike, and the two us us halted to let him pass. Then I saw it! In the man's hands were a muffin and a cup of coffee!
"Excuse me, Sir," I said. "Can you tell me where you got that coffee and muffin?"
"At the Homeless Shelter." he replied.
Our hearts sank. "Oh." I muttered."We could never go THERE!"
The old man looked us up and down and said:
"It's OK. They'll accept ANYBODY!"
We found our way back to our hotel, which by that time was serving LUNCH.
All cultures have an "In Group" and an "Out Group". It is unfortunate, but, Human Nature and the tide of History being what they are, prejudice exists in every community. Rich and Poor, Black and White, Brahman and Untouchable, Homeowners and renters, Religious and non-religious, it is everywhere. Even a three-digit credit score can deny one housing, job, or a loan.
In Jesus' Day, it was Jewish People versus Samaritans. Now, historic events and religious beliefs had indeed separated these two groups from one another. When the Assyrians attempted to replace the Jewish People in Samaria with their own colonists, and subsequently when Nehemiah attempted to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the Samaritans were rejected as a group and considered enemies of the Jews. (Naturally, at that point, the Samaritans felt the same way in return.) This is in spite of the fact that there were no pagan beliefs in the religion of the Samaritans, so the animosity is a little hard to understand. Today, we would look back, scratch our heads, and say, "So WHAT is your problem with the Samaritans?"
Jesus and his Disciples were coming through "Samaritan Territory" on their way home from Preaching and Teaching. Hungry and thirsty...it was time to eat, but they were in a "bad section of town". The disciples had to "go shopping" and Jesus stayed at the well where He had a wonderful conversation with the Woman who went there at High Noon, thinking she would be alone.
When the disciples got back, there Jesus was talking to this Samaritan Woman. It was the first of many surprises they would encounter with their Lord not acting like a "normal" Rabbi.
I have always loved this story.
Joining in prayer. God bless.

Amen!!! <><
Psalm 105
1 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgements he has uttered,
6 O offspring of his servant Abraham,*
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God;
his judgements are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant for ever,
of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan
as your portion for an inheritance.’
12 When they were few in number,
of little account, and strangers in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them;
he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, ‘Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.’
16 When he summoned famine against the land,
and broke every staff of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters,
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the Lord kept testing him.
20 The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
21 He made him lord of his house,
and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to instruct* his officials at his pleasure,
and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord made his people very fruitful,
and made them stronger than their foes,
25 whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his servants.
26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them,
and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark;
they rebelled* against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood,
and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs,
even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
and lightning that flashed through their land.
33 He struck their vines and fig trees,
and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
and young locusts without number;
35 they devoured all the vegetation in their land,
and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the first issue of all their strength.
37 Then he brought Israel* out with silver and gold,
and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quails,
and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise,
and Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45 that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!

Amen
Thank you. Blessings and Prayers up. In Sweet Jesus Name.


And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. (John 21:25) Joining in prayer, praise, and worship, together. Thank you.

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