Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem(8/14/23)[Prayer]

The Holy Scriptures | 8/14/23 | left that other site

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

John 5

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

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New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God Bless America.

ML/LTOS

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Our Father,
Thank You For Your Healing Mercies.
Thank You For Your Provision and for Your Grace.
You Are Excellent!
Everlasting, Immortal, Eternal, and Infinite,
We tremble in Awe as we Behold your Wonder and Glory.
The Angels Surround Your Throne
And sing of Your Excellence Day and Night.
The whole world is Full of Your Glory
Thank you Father, For letting us know You.

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

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

John 5

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

_______________________________________________________

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

When I was in Jerusalem, I saw a Tattoo Shop in the Old City. Even though I had already been a biker for 14 years at the time, I had no ink. Maybe it was because I hated needles, or I just was rebellious among rebels. I had no objection to Tattoos, but they were just not for me. I remember at the time, seeing the sign, and being a wee bit self-righteous. (Tattoo Parlors in JERUSALEM? How gauche!). It is only now that I have learned that this particular Tattoo Parlor has been there since the 1300's, and is a tradition for Christian Pilgrims. It has been run by the same family of Coptic Christians for over 800 years. But, 40 years ago, I just saw the sign in the window that said "Tattoos", and judged based upon my own prejudice.

On my daily walks with Tippy, we pass by a church that has been abandoned by its denomination. The members of that church can go to services to an affiliate in the next town, but the local building has been closed, and I suppose, deconsecrated. The grass is still being cut, but the outside of the building is starting to look bad, with peeling paint and weeds where the shrubs used to be. One can peer through the stained glass windows and see that the interior is pristine. Thank God, no vandals have invaded. No graffiti, no broken windows, and no trash, but it's just empty. However, the sign is still out front, announcing that it is a church. Every time I pass by and see the sign, I get a little sad. My elderly neighbor, who used to go to church there every morning, can't really get to the alternate location, so she has just stopped going.

Some of you may remember Penny the Pit-bull(RIP) who had been my hiking companion for many years. Here is a little thing I wrote some time ago, which also has to do with signs and authority:

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

"Signs" by Five Man Electrical Band (60's Pop Song)

As I have mentioned before, I love hiking with my dog Penny, and the South Shore of Massachusetts has been quite accommodating by setting aside acres of reclaimed land and designating some awesome trails that are easy enough to be safe, but challenging enough not to be boring. Hundreds of acres that were once missile sites, shipyards, ammunition storage facilities from WW2, factories, mills, and other industrial sites, dammed rivers and factory ponds, etc, have now been cleaned up and provide miles of trails with excellent signage for everyone's enjoyment. Penny prances with joy when I load up my backpack with water, snacks, compass, and walking staff, and say to her, "Let's Go!" and we are on our way. Wherever there is a fancy wooden sign saying that the Trail is open, we explore and hike and have quite a few favorites.

One of the more challenging was The Fireworks Trail. This had some elevation to it, ruins, a marsh and pond that had some amazing wildlife, rustic bridges, and a lot of historic significance, as it had once housed a Fireworks Factory, and then, during the complete mobilization of America during WW2, a Munitions Facility. There were tricky ridges over bubbling brooks that had to be negotiated with the walking stick single file, and other fun stuff. After over a month of brutally hot weather, when we didn't hike, I looked forward to cooler days when Penny and I could Hike Fireworks again.

On the way home from Thursday's lesson, I passed the entrance to Fireworks. The pretty sign was still there, but the was also a TEN-FOOT chain link fence across the entrance with other signs reading: KEEP OUT!!!! DANGER!!! NO TRESPASSING!!!! NO ADMITTANCE!!!! (not a good sign at all). I went home and searched "Fireworks Trail MA closed?" and found out that there was Mercury in the pond, heavy metals in the soil, and UN-EXPLODED ORDINANCE left over from WW2 that need to be detonated by the local bomb squad. There is no projected date for the re-opening of the trail, but it makes one wonder what is lying around at the Nuclear Missile Sites. As a tax-paying citizen who just wanted a nice place to walk my dog, I relied upon those in charge to at least be truthful in designating those "green spaces". Don't just put up a quaint and well-designed wooden sign announcing how "green" and "natural" the town is while ignoring the poison that is just below the surface. This is "Virtue Signaling" at its most evil and dangerous.

In the First Century (as in all) the ordinary people relied upon "officials" to protect them That is, in fact, the purpose of government. The same thing went for religion. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were religious officials, and the High Priest was the intermediary between God and Man. This hierarchy was set up in the Scriptures, so it wasn't a bad thing. The problem was when a religious display was set up without cleaning up the poisons that lurked under the surface. People gladly did the rituals, paid the tithes, obeyed the rules, etc, thinking they were "safe", and yet their souls were in danger. Those who had been given the responsibility of caring for the sheep were not doing their job. And the trail is Full "un-exploded ordinance".

The Evangelist John gets into some deep Theology as he relates the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees. While Jesus loved to teach in Parables and stories (I do too!), sometimes He would address things head-on in more sophisticated terms. Even as He said "MY Father" instead of "THE Father" or even "OUR Father", Jesus was telling the Pharisees that His Relationship with Our Heavenly Father was different than theirs. Every word that Jesus used when speaking to them meant something that, as Scholars and Religious Leaders, they should have been able to see.

But no. They wanted to see a SIGN.

Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[etabeta]

Joining in prayer. God bless.

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, Etabeta, For Your Prayers For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[redryder_90]

Amen

[DarthVader]

Amen!!! <><

Psalm 46

To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present* help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city;* it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 ‘Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.’
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
Selah

[TianaHighrider]

Thank you. Blessings and Prayers up.

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, redryder_90, For Your Prayers For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, DarthVader, For Your Prayers and Wonderful Psalm For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, TianaHighrider, For Your Prayers For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[Hiskid]

Amen

[Silentgypsy]

Amen and thank you.

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, Hiskid, For Your Prayers For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, Silentgypsy, For Your Prayers For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[Jeanbl]

AMEN, thank you for the shared story and significance. Always something to ponder and to prayer about. God Bless. Joining in prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and for our families and Nation.

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, Jeanbl, For Your Prayers For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.

"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS