"Mordecai Sat Withnin the King's Gate"

"....Mordecai sat within the king's gate."  (Esther 2:19)

.....And so have I.  The Bible is "living history."  As I finished the Book of Esther this time, I found myself praying the whole way through it.  Jesus can do this again; He has done it before.  The One Whom the crowd attempted to throw off a cliff and walked right through them, can do the same, not only in us, but among men and nations. 

I have not watched much of "The Bible" series on The History Channel, but whether one likes everything the makers did here is not the issue.  I remember seeing just the seen of Mary telling Joseph that she was pregnant.  Now of course the Bible does not share the specifics of everything she and Joseph struggled with, but the film certainly gave some very real possibilities.  The same was true with David taking the citadele at Jerusalem; that boy could fight.  And the other battle scenes, e.g., the one with Abraham then Joshua taking Jericho, revealed that these Jews were warriors.  To me, films bring a certain sense of the "realness" of the Bible.  Things were not as most of our Sunday School literature portrayed, neat, no blood, no battles to the death---------- yet the Bible is full of this.

Mordecai is one of my favorite Bible personages.  He was just as much a warrior as David and the others.  Now he did not take up arms, but he was just as powerful and effective a warrior as Abraham, Joshua, David, et.al.  You remember, "that wicked Haman."  Incensed by Mordecai's refusal to bow down to him, he went to the king and persuaded him to issue a state sponsored genocide of the Jews, one of two times in history this was attempted; the second one, in my lifetime, almost succeeded.  Our text tells us that, "Mordecai sat within the King's gate."  That is what I have done many times in Washington, DC.  That is where our Lord Jesus Christ has led many people over the centuries.  I am about to go to another one in a few days.  Mordecai pushed the issue of the coming annihilation of the Jews with Esther, who in turn brought before the king, who in turn killed the instigator. 

You and I are in a great tradition in Jesus Christ.  He dwells within us, keeps us, does everything for us.  But may we never forget that He can also take us to, "s[i]t within the King's gate."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Lead on, Oh King, Eternal."  Amen.    

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"A Beautiful Place"

"Would you indeed annul My judgment?  Would you condemn Me that you may be justified." (Job 40:8) 

The MSG says, "Do you presume to tell me what I'm doing wrong?  Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint?" 

All this, "I'm-mad-at-God" talk, all the, "Well-if-that-is-the-kinda-God-He-is," or the, "Why-did-He-allow-this-to-happen-to-me," all of it is a condemnation of God------------ so the accuser can just look better than God, i.e., in reality, His moral superior.  The song, "If I Ruled the World," had some revealing lines about man's attitude with the way The Living Triune God runs the universe.  "If I ruled the world every heart would have a new song to sing and we'd sing of the joy every morning would bring....My world would be a beautiful place where we would weave such wonderful dreams, My world would wear a smile on its face...."  Okay, Tony, I get it.  Jesus does not do this, so you can do a better job.  Got it.  Don't think this too harsh, my friend.  There are a lot of hurting souls out there today who are writing their own version of this song----------- and some sit in Church meetings.

Forgive the sarcasm, but this is very similar to John Lennon's "Imagine"; you remember him.  He was the one who said in 1966, "We are more popular than Jesus."  A whole generation embraced this multi-god- worshipping, Far-Eastern-gurus-embracing whatever.  The generation which was arguably the most populous exploding generation in history was enraptured with The Beatles and groups like them.  The world is simply dominated by "If-I-Ruled-the-World" people.  Listen to what is coming from Washington, DC, for example.

I have had people who have been surprised I never got mad at God when our son died.  How could I get mad at Him Who Himself, "took [my] sins in His Own Body on the Tree"?  How could I get mad at Him Who came to me in my darkest hour and did what no one could do?  He gave me "a new song to sing," but not the one above.  It is a deep resonating song, deeper and more healing and liberating and worshipful and glorious "than any tongue or pen could tell."  There is truth in what an early Follower of Jesus once said, "The worst He could do to me is still better than I deserve."  This is not some religious flagellation.  This is true as I see it, but more importantly, it is Biblical Truth. 

So away with all temptation, "to tell God what [He] is doing [is] wrong".  Jesus Christ is Truth, not Wrong.  Whatever you think of the world situation, the suffering, the wars, the starvation, etc., it is not His doing.  We made that decision in the Garden.  And every promise, every prophesy, every act coming from and residing in the Blessed Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, is He at work in the world to bring us back to Himself.  Then, when a repentant sinner admits his guilt and receives Jesus Christ as King and Savior and goes through the waters of Baptism, he/she may really sing, "my heart has 'a new song to sing and we[] sing of the joy every morning would bring.   

Father, in Jesus' Name, Your World is "a beautiful place."  Amen.
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Be sure to check us out on Facebook, and, read the recommended articles.  They are very timely.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Sherwood Barnette sent you a video: "An Israeli Soldier's song to the world for Passover"

"Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete." (Revelation 15:1)

The American Standard Version translates the latter portion of our text, "for in them is finished the wrath of God."  Now we know that in the Blood of Jesus in His Cross, "is finished the wrath of God," but our text is speaking of the, "complete[d]," or, "finished the wrath of God," in the final judgment of man in the earth.  Only those in Jesus Christ will triumph, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day....He who feeds on Me will live because of me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven-- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever." (Jesus)   

Meanwhile:  I sent the video below to my Facebook page.  Now some may consider it, well, I don't know what some will consider it.  But I do know that the fighting in the Middle East and persecution of and bigotry toward the Jews will never stop in this present age.  President Obama is now in Israel.  He is no friend of Israel or the Jews.  All of his appointments and actions to date reveal his prejudice, perhaps the worst of any American President.  But this is the choice of the current American generation.  By the way, if you did not view the interview with the Catholic priest which I sent yesterday, I would highly recommend it; it is very timely.  Most evangelical/charismatics just don't think this way, but should!  (Continued below)

Sherwood Barnette has shared a video with you on YouTube An Israeli Soldier's song to the world for Passover by LatmaTV Latma brings you a word from proud Israeli soldiers and wishes a Happy and Kosher Passover to our wonderful soldiers, and to the entire Jewish people and our friends in Israel and throughout the world.

I am about to go to the country which is number one on the list of the 50 nations which engage in state sponsored persecution of the Church.  The video may offend the delicate sensibilities of some churchgoers, but there is a real sense in which the Church in the Earth, especially the suffering, persecuted, yet victorious Church of Jesus Christ, could sing right along with the Israeli Soldiers.

The conflict of the ages, the conflict which started against Jesus Christ and His Church in the Garden, continues right up to this moment, and will continue until, "I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for what Paul prayed for, "the household of Onesiphorus,..that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day."  Amen.
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Prayer Watch times are almost full.  If you would like to participate, I can let you know what slots are open.

"All Scripture...Is Profitable"

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable...." ( 2 Timothy 3:16)

As you may know, the NIV says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful...."  This, my friend, is a supreme understatement.  To me, "All Scripture is (more than) useful."  To me, "All Scripture is (lifesaving)."

Last night, in preparation for the upcoming mission, I was doing some practice on an electronic version I have of Strong's Concordance and came across a great revelation.  I don't know how I missed it in studying the passage before.  2 Timothy 3 tells us that His words are, "breathed," into us.  This is His, "life...more abundantly."  While it is correct Biblical Theology to say that His Words continually abide in me because Jesus so abides, there is also a sense that every time I read the Bible, the Breath of the Godhead is moving through me.  According to Strong's, one Greek word for, "breathe," means, "to breathe voluntarily but gently."  Another refers to "an inanimate breeze (by implication of reduction of temperature by evaporation) to chill (figurative): -- wax cold."  But here it "the kicker:"  The word used in 2 Timothy 3:16 means, "to breathe hard, i.e.,--- blow."  Could we say that Jesus' Words come with force, "breathe hard."  I am not a Greek expert; I only had one year of Ancient Greek.  But it seems to me there is a great reality here in God's impartation of Himself in His Word.  It is not a, "to breathe voluntarily but gently."  The word is pneo, "to breathe as the wind, to breathe hard."  I will just let you think more about that.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am so thankful that You "Breathe hard" your Words to and in me.  Amen.
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More and more alarming revelations about South Africa: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2