Being a Christian, and living in a Nation that is not God-honoring, I can learn from Daniel's example in Daniel chapter 6. When the high officials of the kingdom Daniel served in decreed that no man should petition to any god other than to King Darius or else they would be killed, Daniel went to his house, got down on his knees and prayed. Giving thanks to God as he had always done. He didn't run around shouting his defiance or vengeance. He didn't cry out in anger. He simply prayed. Yes, his disobedience to the king's decree caused him to come face-to-face with death. But the God whom Daniel continually served, decreed life and not death, and rescued him. 

The truth is, I cannot expect America to become God-honoring, although I pray our government will. I cannot even 'hope' that this nation will turn from its evil ways.  I can't expect that I won't be attacked in some way for my faith in Jesus Christ. But I can remain faithful to the Lord my God who has been perfectly faithful to me. 

My hope is not in America becoming a Christian nation that honors God, like it used be in the beginning. My hope is in an eternal perfect Kingdom that is coming;m aybe not today; maybe not in my lifetime. But, it IS coming, because the God of the Bible has declared it! 

Matthew 24:4-14 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 1and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."(End of Dori's article)

The "end" is the return of the Lord to reign on earth for one thousand years to conquer all evil and rebellion once and for all, and to restore all things created that God once called "good."  Hallejujah! 

“Can a corrupt government (throne) be allied with You Oh God – a government that brings on misery by its policies (decrees)? "The wicked band together against those who live by Your laws, and they condemn the innocent to ruin and to death. They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. They oppress and crush Your people. They kill and murder and think You don’t notice or care! 

“Take notice all you senseless ones – all you fools! When will you become wise?

"Does He who fashioned the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines nations not punish? The Lord knows all human plans; He knows that they are futile. 

“You Oh God, are the fortress of those whom You deem righteous, of those who look to You as their Rock of all ages, the Rock in whom they take refuge. Blessed is the one You teach from Your Law; Your Law is above all laws! 

“You grant Your people relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For You will not forsake Your people. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy! When I said, ‘My foot is slipping!’ Your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. I called to the Lord, and He answered me. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.“You, Oh God, guard the lives of Your faithful ones and deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Your light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. 

“The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations! Therefore, no one will stand before Him with any excuse. He has revealed His love and laws. From everlasting to everlasting - He is God, and there is no other. 

“Your holiness, Oh Lord, adorns Your house for endless days. You love true justice, and Your equity is full of Your pure wisdom. Your rulings, Lord, stand firm; Your supreme equity overthrows the proud and arrogant. Your Supremacy was established forever. 

“The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth! Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. How long, Oh God, how long will the wicked be jubilant and get away with their acts of evil? Judgment will again be founded on God’s righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. You Oh God, You will repay the wicked for what they have done and destroy them for their wicked rejection of You. 

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty and armed with strength. By His wisdom the world is established, firm and secure. Your throne, Oh God, is from all eternity. For the Lord is the great God above all gods, the great King above all kings. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The seas are His and His hands formed the dry lands. He is Creator!

“Come, let us bow down in worship, before the Lord our Maker! Sing to the Lord, praise His Name; proclaim His salvation day after day. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods; for all the gods of the nations are worthless idols. Those who worship idols forfeit God’s love and the grace that could be theirs. 

“Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for HE COMES, He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness. Therefore, hate that which is evil; for those who love the Lord hate evil as He hates evil. Hate what faithless people do, have no part in that which is perverse. 

“The children of Your faithful ones will live in Your presence; their descendants will be established before You.

“Praise the Lord, Oh my soul; all my inmost being will praise His Holy Name!”

As we watch what is being done to Israel, we should understand what God says about it. No man has the right to dictate how Israel is treated. Israel doesn’t even belong to Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu is just another ruler that God has assigned.

TRUTH: All the nations belong to the LORD (as HE has said in His Word). And as He has said over and over in His Word (through His prophets - their books therein), He will judge all nations as to how they have treated Israel, and how they have obeyed God and His Word.

Why is the LORD GOD so favorable of Israel in comparison to all other nations? God ‘chose’ Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) through which to reveal His favor and power to all other nations, and that those who bless Israel - He will bless, but those who curse Israel – He will curse. This we can all believe in – as we have the ‘evidence of history’ that backs up God’s own word. God has also punished Israel for disobeying Him, using enemies against Israel.

God says in His Word that Jerusalem is where God’s Son returns to begin His thousand-year reign. Jerusalem is called the “apple of God’s eye,” the “center of the earth,” the “city God loves,” and the “footstool of God.” Whatever happens to Israel and in Israel is most important for all peoples.

The LORD will not be mocked, as we have been hearing from fools. When God calls Jerusalem “His Footstool,” it means He will rest His feet of having all His works complete for redemption of His people and restoration of the earth. There will be much destruction when He returns, as our LORD GOD has the LAST word with the LAST war on earth and in the heavens.

“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you…And your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace. In righteousness you will be established: tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear….whoever attacks you will surrender to you….I will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent out My Word…this will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure FOREVER.” (Isaiah 54 in parts)

“They (Israelites) will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of HIS splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devasted; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations….and feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches boast….everlasting joy will be yours….All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed….For Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will SEE your vindication, and all the kings (rulers) will see your glory; you will be called by a NEW name, that the mouth of the LORD will bestow….You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes JERUSALEM and makes her the PRAISE OF THE EARTH.” (Isaiah 61 and 62 in parts)

Biden’s administration now against Israel – will not go unpunished, sadly for all of us living in America. We’ve already seen our enemies invading our land by Biden’s foolish open borders with their hope of staying in power by allowing illegals to vote. Now our president’s surrender to Hamas and to these ignorant activists for “Free Palestine,” has Israel now standing alone. Who takes over the White House in November – will indicate how God continues to deal with America.

“The Day of the LORD is near for ALL nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head….but on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be HOLY, and Israel will possess God’s inheritance…And the KINGDOM will be the LORD’s.” Hallelujah! GLORY to GOD on High! May the glory of the LORD fill the whole earth and heavens! King Jesus will return and every word of God’s fulfilled! “Thy KINGDOM come, Thy WILL be done on earth - as it is in heaven.”

So, as our LORD says, “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, I will be ashamed of them when I come in GLORY, in the GLORY of the FATHER and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:26

“In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. HE was with God in the beginning. Through HIM all things were made; without HIM nothing was made that has been made. In HIM was LIFE, and that LIFE was the LIGHT of all mankind….To those who believe in His Name, He gives the right to become the children of GOD – children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or will, BUT BORN OF GOD.” (John 1:1-13 in parts)

Jesus reminds us, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me HAS ETERNAL LIFE and will NOT be judged but will have crossed over from death to LIFE.” (John 5:24)
“I AM the way, the TRUTH and the LIFE; no one comes to the Father but by ME.” John 14:6

Passover time each year represents our Savior’s death and His resurrection, preparing the way for the rest of those who love Him with our whole heart – to be with Him FOREVER. We have the LORD’s promise, but His promise is to only those who understand and have surrendered to the CROSS of His love, forgiveness and kingdom.

BLESSED PASSOVER YOU ALL!

Reading Psalm 78 this morning, the reader is reminded of all the great wonders and works of the LORD. Yet, Israel continued to sin against the LORD after all He had done TO them and FOR them. As I consider what we Americans are dealing with under the Biden administration, it’s pretty evident that the LORD is angry and has allowed the wicked to have a time of getting their way – to show us that which is blessed by God and cursed by God.

What puzzles me, is why the LORD put Donald Trump as president four years between Obama’s reign and now Biden’s with ‘leftist anti-Americans’ dictating how Biden is to govern. Was it to show us the BIG difference in how policies affect every part of our lives?

I believe we just saw the very worst of Pres. Joe Biden, with his recent apology to a murderer who was in America ILLEGALLY, having other crimes on his record and free to go on with his crimes. Pres. Biden was shamed by his media into taking back having called this murderer an “illegal alien.” Then to top it off, Joe Biden said that his ‘technical mistake of words’ was wrong because it didn’t show any respect to this murderer! I think most of us understand why this is totally INSANE!

We have all seen who and what is controlling Joe Biden. We are also seeing how this has affected livelihoods and caused the numbers to quickly rise of those who have HAD ENOUGH.  

As I read in Psalm 78, God turns away from the nation Israel to let her national enemies (domestic as well) triumph over her, until His people have HAD ENOUGH and repent of having turned their backs on doing what God expects of them for the peace and good-will of the nation. America is not any different than Israel, when you consider ‘the truth’ in how America got her start, how our Constitution was formed and established, and why God continued to bless our nation.

What we have now in powerful seats of our government are people who have no relationship at all with the LORD GOD. They may ‘claim’ to be Christians, but clearly are not. They have no idea of what God calls ‘righteous’ and what He calls ‘wicked.’ In fact, they have it all reversed: right is wrong, and truth and is lie. They are so very self-deceived that they can’t see how wrong and wicked they are.

But, I know that God has allowed this ‘time’ to show us each our own ignorant and compromising ways. I have a wall hanging my daughter made me that says: Our lives end the day we remain silent about the things that matter most. SO TRUE! The life that God planned for Americans could NEVER be we are experiencing now! We were to be and remain, ‘God’s light’ in this dark world of ever-increasing evil, with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But over the decades God’s people have compromised the truth and let ‘religions’ take the place of a ‘personal relationship’ with the LORD JESUS CHRIST, walking with HIM in how to live and govern a nation.

“But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep His laws and principles…They angered Him with their high places (of man-made religions); they aroused His jealousy with their idols (worship of men, possessions, self-appointed positions of power over the people)…. In HIS anger, He gave His people over to His enemies.” Then the psalmist shows God’s sovereignty, “God beat back His enemies; He put them to everlasting shame…. He chose David His servant [taking him out of his sheep-herding job] to be the shepherd of the nation Israel, God’s inheritance. And David shepherded them with INTEGRITY OF HEART; with SKILLFUL HANDS he led them.” (Psalm 78:56-72 in part)

King David was not in any way a perfect man; what man is? David did things he was very ashamed of, and then suffered the consequences for, just as we are seeing happen with Donald Trump. And like David, we are also seeing false accusations that Donald Trump is NOT guilty of, as far as GOD considers ‘guilty.’

What we are seeing today are ungodly men/women making up their own reasons and policies for deeming a man/woman guilty, as well as deeming ‘lawlessness’ as being lawful - by those in power (i.e. as in their “open borders” with illegals flooding in causing destruction of communities, and as in working to end our God-given rights to legal law-abiding Americans). We have a two-tiered justice system that has been so very destructive.

What I love about our CREATOR GOD, is how HE sees the motives and secrets of the heart and knows exactly how to bring about ‘a change’ of a man’s heart. David had a heart-change by all he went through before and after taking office as Israel’s leader. Man can’t see what God sees. Man doesn’t know what God knows. Man’s understanding of right and wrong is not always the same as God’s definition. God is the one who raises up and takes down kings and presidents. Man may think he has this power, but he does not. God has a good and lasting purpose in all that He does. God has put into effect for us all, the natural and spiritual consequences of breaking HIS LAWS.

Over the years we have seen men and women voted into powerful offices who have absolutely no understanding of who God is let alone how to govern a nation so that the nation is able to remain blessed/prospered and protected by God. Is it any wonder we have seen America fall into the pit she’s in now!

King David also had enemies who tried to remove him from remaining in power, as we also have seen, still seeing, with President Trump’s enemies; politicians afraid he will undo all they’ve done within Biden’s time in the White House – as God has allowed.

So, I ask God, “How long will You be angry with us?” I’m sure we will see the answer this November election!

“Because God lives in an everlasting now, He has no past and no future. When time-words occur in the Scriptures they refer to OUR time, not to His. When the four living creatures before the throne cry day and night, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come,’ they are identifying God with the flow of creature-life with its familiar three tenses; and this is right and good, for God has sovereignly willed so to IDENTIFY Himself. But since God is uncreated, He is not Himself affected by that succession of consecutive changes we call time……God dwells in eternity but time dwells in God. HE HAS ALREADY LIVED ALL OUR TOMORROWS AS HE HAS LIVED ALL OUR YESTERDAYS.” (A.W. Tozer quote)

God has made Himself KNOWN to every generation since Adam and Eve, so that no one has any kind of excuse (in the judgment) of NOT KNOWING there is God, and that He gave us His SON as our only Savior, and that He has purposely worked through HIS SPIRIT to draw each person into a personal relationship with Himself in truth and love. Nothing about each of us – is hidden to God; not a thought, not a word, not an idea, not a motive, not an action, not a desire, etc. Yet, He loves each one of us. Whether or not each person takes hold of the truth and wholeheartedly believes it all, as written for us in the Holy Scriptures, is up to each person.

What a GREAT BIG MERCIFUL POWERFULLY ALL-KNOWING COMMITTED CREATOR-FATHER HE IS! And I’m THANKFUL to be His favored child; how about you?

I'm PRAISING God this morning for what He has done in restoring another marriage. Eight years ago I started praying with my friend about her marriage, having only been married for under two years. As it always goes with two married people who become disappointed with who they married, they want to blame the other one, instead of working on their self. 

As I met with my friend last night and heard how they EACH had come to terms with their own 'strongholds,' repenting and asking forgiveness of each other, I was soooo thankful to God for HIS faithfulness to answer 8 years of prayer for these two to become one - remaining faithful to their vows - and being thankful to God for it. 

Only God can bring us to see the light/truth about ourselves in the way that can only bring true love and even restoration in a grievous marriage or in any relationship. AND, the same is true in everyone's need to have a real and fulfilled relationship with Jesus Christ; to see ourselves humbly in God's light and truth and love. The Bible gives it ALL! 

Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus says about how we SEE people and situations: "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" 

We need to SEE how God wants us to see, HEAR what we need to hear and accept, UNDERSTAND what we need to humbly understand, so that we can live how we should live and do what we should do - that brings glory to our Father God. 

Mark 9:23, Jesus says to those who have lost hope and to those who doubt, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Believes? Believes in what though? You can get help, but make sure that 'help' is rooted in their faith in the LORD and their lived out trust in His principles for life. 

Mark 10:2-9 "Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: 'Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?' Jesus answered them with a question: 'What did Moses say in the law about divorce?' Well, he permitted it, they replied. He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away. But Jesus responded, 'He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your HARD hearts. But God made them male and female from the beginning of creation. This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.'”

As I look at our society and the culture of unfaithfulness, lawlessness, sexual immorality and gender alteration - it's so very clear how FAR from the truth and light of God - people are. To reject God and His Word is the WORSE thing in life because it not only ruins our earthly life but denies eternal life with our Father God.