Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem(10/16/23)[Prayer]

The Holy Scriptures | 10/16/23 | left that other site

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Acts 3

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

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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 Lord and Heavenly Father
You are The Truth,
And, By Definition, There Is Only One Truth,
And Everything Else is a Fantasy,
A Legend, or a Lie.
The Truth is Eternal,
It Does Not Change With the Fashions of Time.
You Are The same Yesterday, Today, and Forever,
And We can Look To You With Confidence,
and Not Be Moved from The Integrity of The Truth.

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

[Red Badger]

Ezekiel 38

New International Version

The Lord’s Great Victory Over the Nations

38 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[b] Meshek and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush[c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.

7 “‘Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. 8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.[d]” 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages[e] will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?”’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? 15 You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. 16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.

17 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. 23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Acts 3

Peter Heals a Lame Beggar

3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

_______________________________________________________

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.

The Main Government Offices in the City of Boston are housed in some of the Ugliest Buildings in the World. Constructed in the 1960's, the Architecture is called Brutalist, and it is well named. In the early 70's I had to go into one of these buildings many times as a Bicycle Messenger. The stairs leading into the building were uneven and curved, forcing me to keep my eyes lowered and watch every step. Because of the different widths of each step, it was impossible to run up them without falling on your face. By the time you reached the front door, you were exhausted and humiliated, and lost a good portion of the workday to the Odyssey of climbing those stairs. Perhaps it was a Psychological Ploy to keep the "peasants" from storming the gates with their grievances. In any case, Brutalist Architecture is no longer in favor, but the City of Boston is stuck with Government Center.



Twentieth Century excavations have revealed what Archaeologists believe are the actual steps up to the Temple from the Second Temple Period. That would mean that, as you walk up these steps in modern times, you are actually walking in Jesus's footsteps. These are the steps where Today's Story takes place. VIDEO

I have walked on these steps, and, I have to tell you, they are not steps you can run up in leaps and bounds. The risers are different heights and the steps are different widths. One must ascend them one step at a time, humbly, with head bowed. Otherwise you could fall on your face. In the case of the Temple, such a humble approach is appropriate, because you are approaching the King of the Universe, not some Massachusetts Politician.

Proper Reverence for The One True God is always appropriate.

To really appreciate today's story, one needs to remember that, in the Mosaic law, a lame man was not allowed into the Temple. So this poor man sat outside, hoping that pious people would toss him a few coins on THEIR way in. So, Peter was giving the man more than just the ability to walk. He was also giving him the privilege of worshiping God with his fellow Israelites.

Here is a little something I wrote many years ago about this incident in the Book of Acts:

In Ancient Egyptian Tomb Paintings, there is a curious picture of a set of balance scales. On one side of the scale is a feather. On the other side is a human heart. Lurking directly below the heart is a nasty-looking critter that is part lion, part hippo, and part crocodile. The scene is theorized to be the Final Judgment of a Soul. The Feather represents "Maat" or "Truth", the heart is the soul of the deceased. If the heart is heavier than Truth (which it is always!) the critter gets to gobble up the heart and the person is denied an afterlife. The only defense the Egyptian has to "lighten" his heart is a book of spells, good deeds, and incantations which he hopes will work. There is no grace involved.

The religion that dominates that area now has a similar unpleasant view of the Final Judgment. If one's good deeds do not outbalance the bad, the soul is doomed. Special provision is made for one who dies for their 'faith', but not everybody is prepared to do that. So, one of the Five Pillars of Islam is "Charity" which is translated into the giving of alms. For this reason, beggars station themselves in the doorways of mosques hoping to get a few coins tossed their way from the faithful, who are trying to work their way into Paradise. No grace involved here either.

Now, one might ask why there were beggars around the Holy Temple of God in Ancient Israel. Surely there was a way he could get help by going inside and asking for it. However, there was this admonition from the Torah:

No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; (Leviticus 21:18)

How Awful! But there it is, right in the Law. What was going on?

In my humble opinion (I promise I will ALWAYS tell you if it's my opinion!) Entering the Temple put one in The Presence of The One True and Holy God. Because God is Holy, nothing that is imperfect can stand in His Presence. That means all of us! By excluding the Lame and "imperfect", the Temple was a picture of how "All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and that our own works of righteousness are like "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). By this standard, we ALL sit on the steps outside begging.

Peter and John are on their way into the Temple when the beggar asks them for some money. They reply, not only with his healing, but with a cleansing that comes from grace, a robe of righteousness, that he can now walk, leap, and enter the Presence of God.

Yesterday, this Thread became a True Garden of Prayer, as many of you voiced your passionate prayers for Israel during this crucial time. Thank you for that! I think it was the most prayer I have seen on this Thread in the thirteen years of its existence.

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

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Yes indeed, my Friend.

I do believe we are on the Threshold.

Psalm 83 concurs.

[Red Badger]

Psalm 83 - New International Version

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b]

9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes:

Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.

Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Amen.

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, Red Badger, For Your Prayers and Awesome Scripture Passage 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]

Excellent! :-)

[left that other site]

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, fieldmarshaldj, 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

[SisterK]

Amen

[SisterK]

Thank You Lord, that through Jesus Christ we may be healed, cleansed, and made right to enter into the Kingdom of the Lord.
Father God, we pray that more people will humbly walk the steps to salvation.

Lord, we lift up Israel. We pray that You be with them and cover them with Your mercy and love.

we pray in the name of Jesus
Amen

[etabeta]

All my prayers for Israel, its people and the World. God bless.

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, SisterK, 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, 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

[DarthVader]

Amen !!! <><

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3 ‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
and cast their cords from us.’

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 ‘I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.’

7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
with trembling 12kiss his feet,*
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him.

[TianaHighrider]

Thank you. And prayers for all to be filled with the Guidance of Jesus Christ.

[redryder_90]

Amen

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Thank You, DarthVader, For Your Prayers and Very Appropriate 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

[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