Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem
Names and Titles of God the Holy Spirit
(Inspiration ) Matthew 22:43
42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
King James Version
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Since the Islamic Dome of the Rock is situated right in the spot where both Jews and Christians revere as holy, the designer of the building took great pains to slap both of these groups in the face. The very location of the building is believed to be the site, both of Solomon's Temple and The Rock upon which Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac. Inside the Dome is the slap to the Christians: an inscription that states that God does NOT have a Son. (As if an inscription can change a person's Faith.) The irony is that Jews and Christians are banned from The Temple Mount, except for very specific times, and neither are allowed inside the Dome of the Rock at all. So, even if a Christian or Jew could read Arabic Script, the insult is never "delivered" to its intended victim.
Today we read about Jesus debating with the Pharisees once again. It contains the usual "GOTCHA" Questions that we have come to expect in debates and interviews. Jesus, however, is able to use His quick answer to the GOTCHA Question to share an Eternal Truth about The Holy Spirit.
Look at Verse 43:
He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
With this almost casual reference to The Holy Spirit, Jesus is teaching that the Psalms, composed by David, were Inspired directly by The Holy Spirit, and therefore, were True and Reliable. He also, in the same conversation, affirms the Father and the Son.
Matthew doesn't record any further debate on that matter. It seems that the Pharisees accepted that David's words were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that David was speaking of the Lord (The Son, or The Messiah) speaking to MY LORD (The Father), as he was being inspired by The Holy Spirit.
Nobody is quoted as saying, "No, Rabbi, that's NOT what that passage means," or any other interpretation. The discussion just seems to end there. There will always be things we don't understand, and sometimes we wrestle with it. Here's a story I shared a couple of years ago about wrestling with the Spirit:
After nearly 11 hours on the road on a Harley Davidson Sportster, I was really shook up. You see, back in those days, the Sportster did not have a rubber-mounted engine...it was bolted directly onto the frame. And so, it rattled your bones mercilessly. At a lower speed, or when there wasn't any wind, the vibration was mellow and soothing, but as soon as the wind picked up, it wasn't nice at all. And so, I resolved to trade the Sporty in at the nearest Harley Davidson Dealership (which was in Hampton Roads, VA) and ride home on a newer, heavier bike with a rubber-mounted motor. (Ah, the wonders of credit-card living!)
To get to the Dealership, we had to traverse the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. This marvel of engineering is 22 miles long and alternates from bridge to tunnel and tunnel to bridge for the entire span. Since I am not afraid of an adventure, we opted to go that way instead of snaking around for miles to avoid it. So we paid the toll and proceeded across.
The "Tunnel" parts were easy., but each time we emerged from the tunnels onto a bridge portion, the wind battered and buffeted me on the Sportster as if I were in a North Atlantic storm. There was no turning back, and I just had to hold on, wrestling with the wind to keep the bike on the road. Then, a plunge into the cool dark tunnel for a mile or so, and then, back out into the wind for another wrestling match with the elements.
When we finally got to Hampton Roads, I traded in the Sporty for Blue, my current bike, a 1993 FXR Superglide. It has a bigger, rubber-mounted engine, sits low to the ground, and is much heavier. Even so, it is easier to handle than the Sporty. I have been riding it ever since, and have had to wrestle a few times, but nothing like what I went through on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.
The Sportster had a distinctive paint job that I did myself. I got a report that it was still tooting around Virginia with its new owner. I sure hope they avoid that Bridge!
In the Steppenwolf song "Born to Be Wild", the lyricist sings of "Wrestling with the Wind". I know what it feels like. The Wind can't be seen, but you can still wrestle with it. There is no way to defeat the wind, because it goes wherever it wants to and is beyond human strength. It is like Jacob wrestling with God. There would be no way he could win, but God allowed him to wrestle until daybreak, and then...ZOT! God merely touched Jacob's inner thigh and defeated him instantly. With this, Jacob became a New Creature with a New Name. He was no longer "Jacob", the grabber and schemer, but now, humbled, he became "Israel", "He Who Wrestles With God."
Please pray for our Fellow Americans who are suffering now after Hurricane Helene. I have a former student in Asheville, and I have no idea what has happened to her and her family. It is devastating.
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