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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Name!
You Alone Are Worthy to be Praised and Worshiped,
for You Alone Are the One True God,
From Everlasting to Everlasting,
All Seeing and All Knowing,
Righteous, Just and Holy,
Slow to anger,
And abounding in tender mercies.
With Our Whole Soul Our Whole Mind,
Our Whole Strength, and Our Whole Being,
We Bow Down before 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

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Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem

Names and Titles of God (Son of The HIghest) Luke 1:32

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

King James Version

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In my search for images for Today's Meditation, I came across something I wrote in 2017. (I'm so careful about plagiarism that I even mention when I am citing MYSELF). It was a commentary on Isaiah, and is about one of my favorite subjects: Biblical Archaeology:

In Scripture, Egypt, like Babylon, is more than just a geographic area or even a culture or a civilization. Egypt, with its awesome architecture, distinctive art, wealth and glittering courts were (and still are!) a very epitome of human achievement and elegance. This was not just true in the ancient world. The discovery of King Tut's Tomb in the 1920's caused a huge response in fashion, decor, architecture, and the Arts, which has not yet abated. Western museums often gauge their quality based on the size of their "Egyptian Collection."

But, in spite of its beauty and glory, Egypt had a dark side. Its religion was tightly controlled by a hierarchy of priests who exploited the people, and wielded such power that they were able to depose and destroy the one king who did not "agree" with them. The ordinary people lived a primitive life of toil and drudgery, all to support the giant monolithic government. The beautiful art and architecture was all in service to the State, and in the end, was used to celebrate Death. Archaeologists have a rough time finding any ruins that have to do with everyday life, and have only recently been able to find the remains of some homes of working people. "Working People", meaning, a huge work camp in the shadow of the Pyramids, and the Pyramids, of course, were TOMBS.

Nevertheless, Egypt and Babylon projected an image of wealth and prosperity. Wealth and prosperity are not bad things in and of themselves. In fact, these two things are among the Promises of God in Deuteronomy 28, when the "Blessings and Curses" are pronounced. The catch is that we are not to go to "Egypt" or "Babylon" for help, but to the Lord.

Isaiah speaks of people who "Can't handle the Truth", like that famous Jack Nickelson Movie Scene ("You want me on that wall!...another coincidence?) People who want the Wealth, Prosperity, and Protection of the Lord but refuse to listen to Him, and look to others for that Blessing, still exist in our society. And, it would seem, the only one actually PROSPERING is the one preaching the false message.

Right now, I happen to be in the middle of a bestselling book about Cleopatra. She is one of my all-time favorite "ancient history people" and this is a very good book about her. The events in the book take place a little over 40 years Before Christ is born, and it is amazing how the characters and events lead up to that World-Changing Birth in Bethlehem

Julius Caesar, who was a lover of Cleopatra, conquered huge amounts of the Mediterranean area, including the Middle East. He was a married man, but he had no children with his real wife. He did, however, name a close relative (Octavian) as his heir, even though Cleo had had a son with him.

Marc Antony felt that HE should be an heir, since he and Caesar had been close in both warfare and politics. When Caesar was assassinated in 44BC, Cleo had to take her child and flee from Rome, aided by Marc Antony. They became allies (in more ways than one), and a war erupted between Antony and Octavian. Octavian won and eventually became known as AUGUSTUS Caesar, the very one who decreed that a census be taken in "the colonies" so that the tax rolls could be updated.

See how History is all connected? Now we will fast forward to what we now call the year ONE-BC, and a Virgin is saying her prayers, perhaps musing about her upcoming marriage to the Village Carpenter.

Suddenly, an Angel appears and informs her that she will give Birth to the Messiah. In that Announcement, we have yet another Name for the Child that has been conceived by The Holy Spirit: Son of the Highest.

This is a Name ("Most High" or "The Highest") that was in use all over the East to Name the One True God that was above all the rest, Supreme, Majestic, and so far beyond all the legends, myths, stories, temples, religions or whatever else man can cook up.

Cleopatra advertised that she was Isis, but she wasn't the Most High. Caesar was "made into a god" after his assassination, but he didn't rise from the dead. Octavian probably died a natural death, but if some theories are believed, he was poisoned by his wife Livia, who was such a sinister character that the fictional Mob Boss Tony Soprano's mother bore the same name (and she put out a "hit" on her own son!).

The connections in Ancient History are fascinating. What if Julius had resisted Cleo's advances? What if he had had children with his own lawfully wedded wife, and therefore hadn't bestowed his legacy onto Octavian. What if Marc Antony had won the war and become Emperor instead of Augustus? What if the Middle East had not been colonized by Rome? And on, and on, and, on.

Next time I become horribly distressed by a horrible World Event or a Terrible Injustice, I will try and remember that the Most High God is Never Surprised or Blindsided by ANYTHING.

That's Called Omniscience.

And Sovereignty.

And Providence.

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

For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (Mark 4:22)

God Bless America.

Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.

Hallelujah and Amen

ML/LTOS

[ViLaLuz]

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.
...................................

Amen! Abba Father, thank You for hearing our prayers!