Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem(9/10/23)[Prayer]

The Holy Scriptures | 9/10/23 | left that other site

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

John 12

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[h]

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40  “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”[i]

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

_______________________________________________________

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

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Our Lord and our God
Sometimes, Your Refining Fire is SO Hot!
Sometimes, It Feels as though we will not make it through.
But Your Word promises that we will never be tested beyond our capacity to endure,
And That You purify us through these ordeals,
That we might be powerful witnesses and reflections of your Glory.
Purity us, Oh Lord,
And in doing so,
Make Us More Like You With Each Passing Day!

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

[pollywog]

AMEN!! AMEN!!! Praying so for the land of Israel right now.

[DarthVader]

Amen !!! <><

Psalm 62

To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall never be shaken.

3 How long will you assail a person,
will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.
Selah

5 For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honour;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah

9 Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

John 12

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[h]

39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

40  “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”[i]

41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

_______________________________________________________

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.

Jesus quotes a lot from the Prophet Isaiah in Today's Reading. He relates the verses to Himself, in a way that reveals His Identity to His Disciples. However, the words would be meaningless to His audience if they were not already familiar with the Scriptures. One would have to infer that being knowledgeable of the Scriptures and being able to read them was not the exclusive privilege of the Pharisees. This idea is supported by the fact that the quotations are from the Septuagint, which was a translation of the Hebrew into Greek, which was the common language at the time. The Scriptures became available to everyone by rendering them in Greek. Nearly all the Scripture Quotes in the Gospels are from the Septuagint. (One of the reasons I like St. Jerome so much was that he translated the Scriptures into Latin, which in his day, was the language of the common people. That's why it's called "The Vulgate". It doesn't mean "vulgar", it means "common")

I love to read. Although I am quite capable of using a touch-screen or computer, I much prefer to actually sit down with a book. I love the touch of the pages, the smell of the paper, the sound of the pages turning, and the actual sensation of READING. One of the computer book services actually tried to simulate this experience with fake page-turning sounds. It's NOT the same and I despise that. I also dislike it when an automated answering device tries to sound "human" with little chuckles and hesitations, as if that will make me feel more comfortable talking to a computer. PUH-leeeze. Don't insult my intelligence with these fake sounds! I KNOW the difference.

Just as there is a difference between reading a real book and reading an online book, or a difference between talking to a real person rather than a robot, there is a difference between reading or hearing The Word of God vs. reading a novel or even a history book. The difference is stated by the Prophet Isaiah and expounded by Jesus. The difference is in the HEARER believing the report. The next line tells us…"to whom has the Arm of the Lord been revealed?" Believing brings Revelation. It's more than just reading. The Author of the book of Hebrews tells us that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God". Hearing is a form of "receiving", and John's Gospel opens with Christ being called "The Word." We also know that one of the names of God is "The Arm of the Lord". It all ties in

My friend Joe needed a new guitar. He was gigging every weekend, and his faithful axe was starting to show a lot of wear and tear. He began looking around on the Internet for a replacement, and finally did find a good one. But then, his smart phone became inundated with ads for guitars. His brother, who is the drummer for the band, cracked a cymbal during rehearsal and loudly complained that he needed a new "16 inch ride" before the next gig. Lo and behold, a plethora of ads magically appeared on his cell phone for "16 inch ride cymbals" from a number of sources, and he was able to get one before the deadline.

Joe found this somewhat troubling, because although he had looked up "guitars" on his phone, his brother had not gone on line at all, but had just spoken out loud about his cymbal.

So the band conducted an experiment. They sat together in the rehearsal room, some with their phones turned on and some turned off. Then the all said a pre-arranged word, one that they would have never texted, tweeted, uttered, or looked up for any reason. The word was "DIAPERS".

The next day, ALL of them had a bunch of ads for diapers in their feeds, whether their phone had been switched on or off.

As a culture, we naively open ourselves up to each and every thing that gets broadcast. We lock our cars but leave the doors to our minds flapping open. We have become like the poor souls in the book "1984", always on view to the "telescreen" which is always blasting propaganda back at us.

We submit to the illusion of privacy by hitting the "OFF" button, but as Joe's experiment showed, it's not really "OFF".

The openness and transparency, though, only goes one way. The ones on the other end of the connection do not tell us they are listening, except when they tip their hand by sending a bunch of ads. That is the whole reason why you "get" a "free" service. YOU are the product.

Funny though, when confronted with a hard spiritual Truth, the openness and transparency is not there for many. The flapping door gets slammed shut. Jesus was not like the the internet moguls who send you their stuff whether you asked for it or not. He always encountered those who would not listen. He did not deceive, spy on, eavesdrop, or "spam" His listeners. He said "Let he who has ears to hear". He gives us the option. Isaiah said "Who has believed our report?". The Author of Hebrews tells us that "Faith comes by hearing." There will always be those who close their ears, and those who will receive the Word with joy.

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

[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, pollywog, 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

[etabeta]

My prayers always. 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

[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

[NEWwoman]

Amen, left that other site

Joining in prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and for our beloved America.

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, NEWwoman, 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]

Speaking a blessing over Israel. Amen.

[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