At The Place Of The Sea

"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea

and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong 

east wind all that night and made the sea dry land;

and the waters were divided."

Exodus 14:21

Passage Of The Jews Through The Red Sea

(1891)

Ivan Konstantinovich  Aivazovsky

(1817-1900)

Russian Romantic painter

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,

Where, in spite of all you can do,

There is no way out, there is no way back,

There is no other way but through?

Then wait on the Lord, with a trust serene,

'Till the night of your fear is gone;

He will send the winds, He will heap the floods,

When He says to your soul, "Go on!"

And His hand shall lead you through, clear through,

Ere the watery walls roll down;

No wave can touch you, no foe can smite,

No mightiest sea can drown.

The tossing billows may rear their crests,

Their foam at your feet may break,

But over their bed you shall walk dry-shod

In the path that your Lord shall make.

In the morning watch, 'neath the lifted cloud,

You shall see but the Lord alone,

When He leads you forth from the place of the sea,

To a land that you have not known;

And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,

You shall no more be afraid;

You shall sing His praise in a better place,

In a place His hand hath made.

"At The Place Of The Sea"

Annie Johnson Flint

(1866-1932)

American poetess

"Let be and be still, and know,

recognize and understand,

that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations!

I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our Refuge

Our High Tower and Stronghold.

Selah pause, and calmly think of that!"

Psalm 46:10-11

Fourth Sunday Meditation: God's Heart For America

"Return the sword to its sheath.

In the place where you were created,

in the land of your origin and of your

birth, I will judge you."

Ezekiel 21:30

This presentation by Bible teacher, Derek Prince

was recorded nearly 30 years ago. 

The message spoken here is as relevant for

 believers and our nation today as it was then.

"God's Heart For America"

Derek Prince

(1915-2003)

The Ballad Of Casey's Billy Goat

You've heard of "Casey at The Bat"

And "Casey's Tabble Dote";

But now it's time

To write the rhyme

Of "Casey's Billy-goat."

Irish Goat

Pat Casey had a billy-goat he gave the name of Shamus,

Because it was (the neighbours said) a national disgrace.

And sure enough the animal was eminently famous

For masticating every rag of laundry round the place.

From shirts to skirts prodigiously it proved its powers of chewing;

The question of digestion seemed to matter not at all;

But you'll agree, I think with me, its limit of misdoing
Was reached the day it swallowed Missis Rooney's  ould red shawl.

Now Missis Annie Rooney was a winsome widow woman,

And many a bouncing boy had sought to make her change her name;

And living just across the way 'twas surely only human

A lonesome man like Casey should be wishfully the same.

So every Sunday, shaved and shined, he'd make the fine occasion

To call upon the lady, and she'd take his hat and coat;

And supping tea it seemed that she might yield to his persuasion,

But alas! he hadn't counted on that devastating goat.

For Shamus loved his master with a deep and dumb devotion,

And everywhere that Casey went that goat would want to go;

And though I cannot analyze a quadruped's emotion,

They said the baste was jealous and I reckon it was so.

For every time that Casey went to call on Missis Rooney,

Beside the gate the goat would wait with woefulness intense;

Until one day it chanced that they were fast becoming spooney,

When Shamus spied that ould red shawl a-flutter on the fence.

Now Missis Rooney loved that shawl beyond all rhyme or reason,

And maybe 'twas an heirloom or a cherished souvenir;

For judging by the way she wore it season after season,

It might have been as precious as a product of Cashmere.

"Portrait Of A Young Lady Wearing A Red Shawl"
Herbert  A. Horwitz

(1892-1925)
British painter

So Shamus strolled towards it, and no doubt the colour pleased him,

For he biffed it and sniffed it, as most any goat might do;

Then his melancholy vanished as a sense of hunger seized him,

And he wagged his tail with rapture as he started in to chew

"Begorrah! You're a daisy," said the doting Mister Casey

To the blushing Widow Rooney as they parted at the door.

"Wid yer tinderness an' tazin' sure ye've set me heart a-blazin',

And I dread the day I'll nivver see me Annie anny more."

"Go on now wid yer blarney," said the widow softly sighing;

And she went to pull his whiskers, when dismay her bosom smote...

Her ould red shawl! 'Twas missin' where she'd left it bravely drying-

Then she saw it disappearing-down the neck at Casey's goat.

Fiercely flamed her Irish temper.  "Look!" says she, "the thavin' divvle!

Sure he's made me shawl his supper. Well, I hope it's to his taste;

But excuse me, Mister Casey, if I seem to be oncivil,

For I'll nivver wed a man wid such a misbegotten baste."

So she slammed the door and left him in a state of consternation,

And he couldn't understand it, till he saw that grinning goat;

Then with eloquence he cussed it, and his final fulmination

Was a poem of profanity impossible to quote.

So blasting goats and petticoats, and feeling downright sinful,

Despairfully he wandered in to Shinnigan's shebeen;

And straightway he proceeded to absorb a mighty skinful

Of the deadliest variety of Shinnigan's potheen.

And when he started homeward it was in the early morning,

But Shamus followed faithfully, a yard behind his back;

Then Casey slipped and stumbled, and without the slightest warning

Like a lump of lead he tumbled-right across the railway track.

And there he lay, serenely, and defied the powers to budge him,

Reposing like a baby, with his head upon a rail;

But Shamus seemed unhappy, and from time to time would nudge him,

Though his prods of protestation were without the least avail.

Then to that goatish mind, maybe, a sense of fell disaster

Came stealing like a spectre in the dim and dreary dawn;

For his bleat of warning blended with the snoring of his master

In a chorus of calamity-but Casey slumbered on.

Yet oh, that goat was troubled, for his efforts were redoubled;

Now he tugged at Casey's whisker, now he nibbled at his ear;

Now he shook him by the shoulder, and with fear becoming bolder,

He bellowed like a fog-horn, but the sleeper did not hear.

Then up and down the railway line he scampered for assistance;

But anxiously he hurried back and sought with tug and strain

To pull his master off the track...when sudden! in the distance

He heard the roar and rumble of the fast approaching train.

Did Shamus faint and falter? No, he stood there stark and splendid.

True, his tummy was distended, but he gave his horns a toss.

By them his goathood's honour would be gallantly defended,

And if their valour failed him-he would perish with his boss.

So dauntlessly he lowered his head, and ever clearer, clearer,

He heard the throb and thunder of the Continental Mail.

He would face that mighty monster.  It was coming nearer, nearer;

He would fight it, he would smite it, but he'd never show his tail.

Can you see that hirsute hero, standing there in tragic glory?

Can you hear the Pullman porters shrieking horror to the sky?

No you can't; because my story has no end so grim and gory,

For Shamus did not perish and his master did not die.

At this very present moment Casey swaggers hale and hearty,

And Shamus strolls beside him with a bright bell at his throat;

While the recent Missis Rooney is the gayest of the party,

For now she's Missis Casey and she's crazy for that goat.

You're wondering what happened? Well, you know that truth is stranger

Than the wildest brand of fiction, so I'll tell you without shame...

There was Shamus and his master in the face of awful danger,

And the giant locomotive dashing down in smoke and flame...

What power on earth could save them?  Yet a golden inspiration

To gods and goats alike may come, so in that brutish brain

A thought was born-the ould red shawl...Then rearing with elation,

Like lightning Shamus threw it up-

AND FLAGGED AND STOPPED THE TRAIN.

Irish Mail Train Antique Postcard
(Early 20th century)



"The Ballad Of Casey's Goat"
Robert William Service
(1874-1958)
British-Canadian poet and writer
Often called, "The Bard of the Yukon"

Simplify, Simplify

Rummaging through a closet in the attic a few days ago,

I unearthed some fashion magazines of the summer of 1908

and was astonished to discover that since that short time ago,

women have apparently changed the form of their bodies and

the shape of their faces, as well as the style 

of their gowns and their hair dressing.

Summer Afternoon Dress

Maison Agnes Les Modes

(July 1908)

Photo by Henri Manuel

Perhaps the pensive lines and die-away expression of the faces

in the old-fashion plates were due to the tightly drawn-in waists and

the overdrawn-check effect of the choker collars, or it may be that

faces with such an expression just naturally called for that style of dressing.

However that may be, a comparison of those fashions with the easy,

comfortable styles of this summer, which give beauty and grace of line

with freedom of movement and plenty of breathing room, is enough cause

for celebrating a special Thanksgiving Day months ahead of the regular time.

There is still room for improvement in children's clothes. They are much too

fussy to be either beautiful or becoming. Why trouble with fancy, changeable

children's styles? There will be plenty of time for them to learn all the

vanities of dress later, and it is better to keep them 

simple and sweet as long as possible.

It would do away with a lot of needless bother and vexation if we copied

the English in their way of dressing little girls as their mothers were dressed,

in the same kind of simple little smock frock.

Fashions in other things than clothes have been and are still being simplified

for the sake of more economic production, thus lessening the cost of 

manufacturing by saving time, labor, and material.

Furniture makers cut down the number of their patterns several hundred

percent during the war, cutting out just that many varieties of furniture.

This was done on the advice of the War Industries Board to reduce the cost

of production and save materials and labor for other work.
 It was found to be such a benefit that it has been decided

 to keep on in the same way, and so we shall have

 fewer styles in furniture.

In the hardware trade the same plan is being used .
 There are something like 4,450 fewer styles of pocket knives

 for Johnnie to buy and lose than there were before the war,
 but it does seem that he should be able to please himself

by a choice from the 250 kinds left him.

There used to be 207 kinds of lawnmowers. Now there are only six.

This number does not include the regular mowing machine which the

Man of the Place uses so effectively in the front yard nor the pet colt

who mows the lawn and puts the clippings to such good use.

The idea of doing away with useless, unnecessary things is at work in

architecture also in the planning and building of houses, so that we are

hearing a great deal these days of the dining room-less house.

The dining room, if kept strictly as a dining room, is used for only a few

minutes three times a day which is not enough return for the work and thought

and expense of keeping up an extra room. The fact is that most dining rooms

are used by the family as a living room as well, and so in the new plans,

the rooms are frankly combined into one.

Sometimes where the kitchen is large, it is the kitchen and dining room

and many steps are saved. Either of these combination rooms may be made

very attractive and have been in small houses where people did not

wait for it to become a fashion.

Everyone is complaining of being tired, of not having time for what

they wish to do. It is no wonder when they are obliged to pick and choose

from such multitudes of thoughts and things.

The world is full of so many things, so many of them useless, so many,

many varieties of the same thing creating confusion and a feeling of being

overwhelmed by their number.  It would be a wonderful relief if, by

eliminating both both wisely and well, life might be simplified.

From left to right: Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls

in a photograph taken shortly after the Hard Winter of 1881.

"Simplify, Simplify"

(July 1919)

Laura Ingalls Wilder

(1867-1857)

Prolific American writer

 of the "Little House" book series.

An essay taken from the book,

"Little House In The Ozarks"

A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler

The Rediscovered Writings

Edited by Stephan W. Hines

Guideposts Edition

(1991)

Third Sunday Meditation: "But to those who are called..."

"Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person

glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty 

and the powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power;

let not the person who is rich in physical gratification and earthly wealth

glory and boast in his temporal satisfactions and earthly riches.

But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me,

personally and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character,

that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness

in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord."

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Scarlet Anemones in the Garden of Gethsemane

(Israel)

WHOSE WISDOM IS FOOLISH?

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those

who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring

to nothing the understanding of the intelligent."

Where is the wise one? Where is the Torah scholar?

Where is the debater of this age?

Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For seeing that-in God's wisdom-the world through its

wisdom did not know God, God was pleased- through the

foolishness of the message proclaimed-to save those who believe.

For Jewish people ask for signs and Greek (Gentile, or non-Jewish)

seek after wisdom, but we proclaim Messiah crucified-a stumbling block

to Jewish people and foolishness to Gentile people, but to those 

 who are called, both Jewish and Greek people, 

Messiah, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the

weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many are wise

according to human standards, not many are powerful,

and not many are born well.

Yet God chose the foolish things of the world so that He might

put to shame the wise; and God chose the weak things of the world

so that He might put to shame the strong;  and God chose the lowly

and despised things of the world, the things that are as nothing,

so He might bring to nothing the things that are-

so that no human being might boast before God.

But because of Him you are in Messiah Yeshua, who became

to us wisdom from God and righteousness and holiness and redemption-

so that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in Adonai."

1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

Adonai

Paul Wilbur

(2005)



"Whose Wisdom Is Foolish"
Excerpt from the "Tree Of Life"
The New Covenant
The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Project
(2012)

Discovery

Today I smiled, and all at once

Things didn't look so bad.

Today I shared with someone else,

A bit of hope I had.

Today I sang a little song,

And felt my heart grow light,

And walked a happy little mile,

With not a cloud in sight.

Today I worked with what I had,

Nor longed for any more,

And what had seemed like only weeds,

Were flowers at my door.

Today I loved a little more,

Complained a little less,

And in the giving of myself

Forgot my weariness.

"The Kite Flyers"

Kathleen Chaney Smith

"Discovery"

Author Unknown

Some Passing Thoughts On A Hot Summer Afternoon

The Heat Is On In The Great Northeast!

I suppose because I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and I have

come to love studying God's Word, the Holy Bible, on a daily basis,

it is not hard for me to see the striking parallels between America,

the land I love and which I am proud to call home and ancient Israel.

 Although they were divinely bequeathed the oracles

 as well as the promises and protection of God as

His chosen people and nation, many times, throughout their

troubled history, the Israelites chose to forsake Him in

order to follow after the wicked desires of their own hearts,

which included paying homage to the atrocious demon-gods 

worshiped by the heathen cultures that lived around them,

and indulging in such heinous practices like child sacrifice

  and other rituals of unspeakable debauchery.

When you delve further into the subject of crime and punishment in the Bible, 

 especially as it pertains to God's judgment, it seems to me that although He

did punish appalling human wickedness, like the destruction

which befell Sodom and Gomorrah, much of the judgment of

people and nations was brought upon them because they chose it.

   The pharaoh of ancient Egypt is a perfect example.

Pharaoh knew he was up against the unconquerable God of Israel and yet, he

remained standing defiant in His sight.  As a result of this, pharaoh, of his own

free will, brought calamity after calamity on his people, on his household,

and in the death of his own son.  Yet, even after he let the Hebrew slaves go,

due to wounded pride, he later chased after them to destroy them and

ended up watching in horror as the waters of the Red Sea

closed in and drowned his pursuing army.

Fast forward to America 2019 and the national focus this week

 on the growing war of words between President Trump 

 and a group of young women whom are being touted by
the news media as "The Squad"- otherwise known as four

  freshman members of the United States Congress:

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota);

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York);

 Rep.Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan)

   Rep. Ayanna Pressley ( D-Massachusetts).

Since elected to our government in November 2018 these four women 

have become the darlings of the national news media with at least two 

 of them,  Ms. Omar and Ms. Tlaib,  sparking controversy after making 

 inflammatory and hurtful remarks about the Jewish people

  and the nation of Israel, as well as attacking members of our 

 government who support the Jewish State, while consistently

 disrespecting President Trump and calling him a "racist".
They are now demanding that he should be impeached 
after tweeting about them on social media.

  According to Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), in an

  interview with Fox News,  members of the House are 

 actually "afraid to cross these women" refusing to reprimand them for
their bad behavior or remove them from the government altogether.

I believe what we see happening in the natural, and especially in regards

to these four women in particular, can be defined in the spiritual, or the

supernatural realm, as the spirit of witchcraft at work, the core
tenet of which is gaining control over the will of others with satanic power.

As can clearly be seen, these four women not only stand against the

purposes of Almighty God with their contempt for and hatred of His chosen

people and nation, but are in constant attack mode against President Trump,

most recently by refusing to vote on much needed aid for our southern border

crisis and now calling for his impeachment after he tweeted his opinion of them.

  The president also said that these four women "hate America"

 and I believe he is right!

I further believe these four-along with many others in our government-

 have been endowed with a hedge of  satanic protection

which prevents those who are ignorant of the underlying

spiritual condition, as well as bereft of the discernment of the Holy Spirit,

 from seeing what is really going on here-human puppets whose

strings are being pulled by Satan- whether they recognize it or not.

In fact, most of the Democrat Party, and certain members of the

Republican Party across the aisle as well, are blinded by

 the god of this world, especially in regards to their drive to

murder the unborn and to elevate perversion to a protected race

class under the law,  while attacking the true followers of Christ,

and valiantly trying to remove any and all influence of the

One True God permanently from our land.

America has come so far from it's Judeo-Christian heritage in our short 

 243 years of existence that it is not hard to see that we have unfortunately

become what the Bible declares as "a byword among the nations" 

a definition which has only seemed to increase in clarity

 since the beginning of the 21st century.

The one sure-fire cure which will completely rid the influence of

and diminish the power of Satan both within our government and in 

our nation is the nullifying power of the Cross.

I believe, however, that not only is God always good and His mercy everlasting,

 but He has permitted two very important events to come to pass in America

as His answer to many righteous prayers:

1. The election of Donald Trump to the White House in 2016.

I firmly believe that only Divine Intervention against the powers of

satanic darkness, which for so long have eclipsed the minds and hearts

of those at the helm of power in Washington DC allowed this ordinary,

yet extraordinarily wealthy businessman to be elected 

 to the office of President of the United States.

Along with his innovative dream to "Make America Great Again"

  I believe Mr. Trump is sincerely hard at work both for the

American people and to reclaim our nation's honorable

standing in the world.  I further believe that he has been

chosen by God to be a vessel for His glory at this

uncertain and perilous time in world history.

Why do I believe this?  Because it is not only an established fact that God

is a respecter of no person, but, over the course of many centuries,

He has often chosen ordinary, sinful men and women from

all walks of life to implement His extraordinary will on earth.

Furthermore, the unprecedented level of hatred and contempt

shown to this man and his family since he won the 2016 election

is only more evidence that our president is perceived as a

real and viable threat to the forces of evil, both human

 and spiritual, which comprise the 'world system' at large.

  Remember what Jesus told us:

"If the world hates you, know that it hated Me

before it hated you. If you belonged to the world,

the world would treat you with affection and would

love you as its own. But because you are not of the world,

no longer one with it, but I have chosen you out of the

world the world hates you."

John 15:18-19

2. Every time ancient Israel turned away from the provision and

protection of Almighty God, Who had chosen them from among all the

peoples of the earth to be His people and nation, they were

taken into captivity by their enemies, exercising their own free will to do so.

And yet, there was always a remnant of people in the land whom

  chose to remain faithful to Almighty God.

Although unbiased news media  coverage of this subject is extremely rare

in America today, I am seeing more and more evidence of a remnant of 

those determine to remain loyal to Jesus Christ at all costs.

The most recent example is the story of a remarkable

young Christian woman from North Carolina named Jaelene Hinkle,

who in deference to her faith, refused to wear the the US Women's

Soccer Team's jersey honoring Gay Pride Month.

For taking a stand for Christ instead of embracing the celebration of

perversion, Jaelene has been ostracized by both the news media and

her fellow teammates, who have criticized her decision as "intolerant".
.
Yes, I suppose Jaelene's decision could be perceived as a show of
intolerance.  Intolerance to sin.

Jaelene offered  some words of encouragement for all believers when

she recently tweeted:  "This world is falling further and further away

from God...All that can be done by believers is to continue to pray."

 Professional soccer player Jaelene Hinkle

I pray that Jaelene's bold stand as a blood-purchased,

Holy Spirit-led believer in Messiah Jesus will be an inspiration to

other members of the body of Christ to stand up for God's truth,

and especially influence the young and impressionable people

 of her own age group who too often feel forced to

compromise their faith due to peer pressure.

Please pray that in these last of the last days for a revival of the true,

Cross-centered, Holy Spirit-led faith, and that through the message of saving 

grace, God's truth will prevail in the searching hearts of many people

across this nation and the rest of the world.

Please pray for President Donald Trump,  Vice President Mike Pence,

and everyone in the current administration, that they will receive God's wisdom,

and the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, both in their personal lives,

and in making decisions for our nation.

Pray for the veil of satanic darkness to be lifted off the minds and hearts of

our representatives in the Senate and the House of Representatives so that

they will make the right decisions for themselves and for America, 

and not ending up like Pharaoh,  whom God overcame

 with the "hardening of his heart".

"...and I will gain honor and glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts,

and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.  And they did so."

Exodus 14:4

Pharaoh's Army Engulfed By The Red Sea

(1900)

Frederick Arthur Bridgman

(1857-1928)

American artist