Sunday Night Country Gold: Smoky Mountain Rain

 

A song about a lost love...somewhere in the Smoky Mountain rain...
performed by one of the most popular country music artists
 of the 1970's and 1980's, the great Ronnie Milsap.

Smoky Mountain Rain

(1980)

Ronnie Milsap

In Time Of Silver Rain

 A perfect poem for this rainy last night of April.

Child In The Rain
Chantal Jodin Aquarelliste
Image courtesy/Pinterest

In time of silver rain

The earth puts forth new life again,

Green grasses grow

And flowers lift their heads,

And over all the plain

The wonder spreads

Of  Life,

Of Life,

Of Life!

In time of silver rain

The butterflies lift silken wings

To catch a rainbow cry,

And trees put forth new leaves to sing

In joy beneath the sky

As down the roadway

Passing boys and girls

Go singing, too,

In time of silver rain

When spring

And life

Are new.

"In Time Of Silver Rain"
(1947)
James Langston Hughes
(1902-1967)

Time Travel! Beef Lo Mien For Thomas Jefferson

 

The gracious host of Townsheds cooks up a delicious
18th-century version of this classic Chinese food take-out.

Sounds good to me!

Time Travel! Beef Lo Mien For Thomas Jefferson

Townsends

(April 30, 2023)

Bearing The Standard: Why We Need The Scriptures

 

What happens when believers fail to keep our eyes 
and the focus of our hearts on God's Word?  

In part one of this three part series, Messianic teacher and
 author Kevin Geoffrey, founder of Perfect Word Ministries,
 explains what Yeshua/Jesus taught us about bearing the
  standard of Scripture, and how it affects our ability
 to believe and walk out the reality of our salvation.

An important and relevant message for these times!

Bearing The Standard/Part One

Perfect Word Ministries

January 23, 2023

My Times Are In Your Hands

"But I have trusted, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord,
I said, You are my God.

My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes
and those who pursue me and persecute me."
(Psalm 31: 14-15)

King David Playing The Harp

17th Century French School 

Image courtesy/ Mutual Art

David was sad: his life was spent with grief, and his years with sighing.
His sorrow had wasted his strength, and even his bones were consumed
within him.  Cruel enemies pursued him with malicious craft, even seeking
his life.  At such a time he used the best resource of grief,  for he says in
 verse 14, "But I trusted in Thee, O Lord."

He had no other refuge but that which he found in faith in the Lord his God.
If enemies slandered him, he did not render railing for railing; if they devised
to take away his life, he did not meet violence with violence, but he calmly
trusted in the Lord.  They ran hither and thither, using all kinds of nets and
traps to make the man of God their victim; but he met all their inventions
with one simple defense of trust in God.

Many are the fiery darts of the wicked one; but our shield is one.  The shield of
faith not only quenches the fiery darts, but it breaks arrows of steel. Though the
javelins of the foe were dipped in the venom of hell, yet our one shield of faith
would hold us harmless, casting them off from us. Thus David had the grand
resource of faith in the hour of danger.  Note well that he uttered a glorious
 claim, the greatest claim that man has ever made. "I said, Thou art my God."

He that can say, "The kingdom is mine," makes a royal claim; he that can say,
"This mountain of silver is mine," makes a wealthy claim; but he that can say
to the Lord, "Thou art my God," hath said more than all the monarchs and
 millionaires can reach.  If this God is your God by His gift of Himself to you,
what can you have more?

If Jehovah has been made your own by an act of appropriating faith,
what more can be conceived of?  You have not the world, but you have
the Maker of the world, and that is far more. There is no measuring the
greatness of his treasure who hath God to be his all and all.

Having thus taken to the best resource by trusting in Jehovah, and made
the grandest claim possible by saying, "Thou art my God" the psalmist now
stays himself upon a grand old doctrine, the most wonderful that was ever
revealed to men.  He sings, "My times are in Thy hands." This to him
was a most cheering fact: he had no fear in his circumstances,
 since all things were in the divine hand.

He was not shut up unto the hand of the enemy, but his feet stood in a
large room, for he was in a space large enough for the ocean, seeing the
Lord had placed him in the hollow of His hand.  To be entirely at the
disposal of God is life and to be entirely at the disposal of God
is life and liberty for us.

Moreover, beloved brethren, our times are in the Lord's hands,
because we are one with Christ Jesus.  "We are members of His body,
of His flesh, and of His bones."  Everything that concerns Christ
touches the great Father's heart.  He thinks more of Jesus than
all the world.  Hence it follows that when we become one with
Jesus, we become conspicuous objects of the Father's care.

He takes us in hand for the sake of His dear Son.  He that loves
the Head loves all the members of the mystical body. We cannot
conceive of the dear Redeemer as ever being out of the 
 Father's mind; neither can any of us who are in Christ
be away from the Father's active, loving care;
our times are ever in His hand.

All His eternal purposes work towards the glorifying of the Son,
and quite as surely they work together for the good who are in His Son.
The purposes which concern our Lord and ourselves are so
intertwisted as never to be separated.

"We are assured and know that God being a partner in their labor,
all things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to
and for those who love God and are called according
to His design and purpose. "
(Romans 8:28)

"For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending
and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation
will be able to separate us from the love of God which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8: 38-39)

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Image courtesy/Learn Religions

"My Times Are In Thy Hands"
From an 1891 sermon by
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892)
English pastor and author

Known as the "Prince of Preachers" by many believers
from different denominations who attended his services
 by the thousands to hear him speak, Charles Spurgeon
was highly influential in his defense of the faith,
and was strongly opposed to the liberal and pragmatic 
theologies which had infiltrated the Church in his day.

Excerpt of "My Times Are In Thy Hands" was taken from:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/2205.cfm

The Bearded Bible Brothers Present: Return of the Shekinah

 

In the final episode of the series, Joshua and Caleb discuss
how in the Garden of Eden man was made perfect, having
a glorified body. Through Yeshua, believers have not only
gained access to the throne room of the Father, but, the
 blessed assurance that we will one day return to that
 glorified state when the Lord returns for His bride.

Return Of The Shekinah

Our Jewish Roots

(April 28, 2023)

Zola Levitt Presents: The Stones Cry Out/ The Red Rose City

In this episode of "The Stones Cry Out" Zola Levitt and
Dr. Tom McCall takes us on a field trip to the ancient city
of Petra in Jordan.  Located southeast of the Dead Sea,
the "Red Rose City" was once the capitol of a people
called the Nabataeans, who were known for
their skills in rock carving.

The Stones Cry Out/The Red Rose City/Part 10

Zola Levitt Presents/Our Jewish Roots

(Originally aired in 1997)

 

A Poem For Arbor Day

 

"Out of the ground the Lord God gave growth to every tree that is
pleasing to the eye and good for food.  And in the middle of the garden
were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
(Genesis 2:9)

Image courtesy/Idaho Press

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

"Trees"
(1913)
Alfred Joyce Kilmer
(1886-1918)
American poet

Mystery Of The 144 Thousand: Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat And Pastor Carl Gallups

 

An interesting take on the mystery of the 144,000 
 as mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

Mystery Of The 144 Thousand 

Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat And Pastor Carl Gallups

messiah ofisrael

(April 28, 2023)

Flashback Friday: Time In A Bottle

 

I guess we all wish we could save time in a bottle as one of the
 greatest balladeers of the 1970's, the magnificent Jim Croce,
 reminds us in this bittersweet song.

Happy Friday and Have A Blessed Weekend!


.

Time In A Bottle

(1972)

Jim Croce

Yom HaAtzmaut: Happy Birthday Israel

 

This week the nation of Israel celebrated their nation's 75th birthday!

Assuta Hospital in Ashdod dressed newborns in the blue and white colors 
 of the Israeli flag to celebrate the nation's Independence Day

Photograph courtesy/The Jewish Chronicle/Assuta Hospital, Ashdod.

Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's Independence Day celebration began at sunset on Tuesday.

 Despite the political unrest and protests in the streets which have bedeviled 
the nation for weeks on end,  along with the constant threats of terrorism
from surrounding enemies, many Israelis welcomed this important day in
 a festive party mood, celebrating much like Americans do on the 4th of July,
with family gatherings and fireworks, and trips to the beach, or as
we South Jerseyans like to say, "Goin' down the shore."

12 Tribes of Israel

Image courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

A divinely appointed land...reborn

 The Lord God speaking through His prophet, Ezekiel, whose name means,
"God is strong" and who was called to the prophetic ministry in 593 B.C., 
proclaimed a message of hope and restoration to His people after the news 
 reached Babylon that the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed in 586 BC.

God as the great Shepherd will regather the Israelites from the ends
of the earth and reestablish them in their own land.  The nations 
who challenge Israel's return will be defeated and judged.

"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I Myself, will search for
My sheep and will seek them out.

As a shepherd seeks out his sheep in the day that he is among
his flock that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep;
and I will rescue them out of all places where they have been
scattered in the day of clouds and thick darkness.

And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from
the countries and will bring them to their own land; and I will
feed them upon the mountains of Israel, by the water-courses,
and in all the inhabited places of the country."
(Ezekiel 34:11-13)

The "day of clouds and thick darkness" which the prophet spoke
 of thousands of years ago sounds like the times we are living in today.
In addition to the social unrest in the nation, the satanic specter
of Anti-Semitism has once again reared its ugly head with
 renewed ferocity in many parts of the world today.

And yet, despite the trials and tribulations Israel has endured in
 the past 75 years, God has brought them back to their land as
He promised through the prophet Ezekiel and other
prophets within the Holy Bible.

  In just the last few years alone, many scattered remnants of
 Jews have returned to inherit the land which God has divinely
bequeathed to them.  They are being gathered from the four
corners of the earth, traveling from such diverse places as
 Argentina, Brazil,  Canada, China, Ethiopia, India,
the Ukraine and the United States of America.

God promised through His prophet:  "I will seek that which
was lost and bring back that which has strayed, and I will bandage
the hurt and the crippled and will strengthen the weak and the sick,
but, I will destroy the fat and the strong, those who have become
hard-hearted and perverse; I will feed them 
with judgment and punishment."
(Ezekiel 34:16)

Jesus spoke of the future restoration of Israel and His future kingdom
which would be established there in the appointed time through the
parable of the nobleman who went into a distant country
 to obtain for himself a kingdom and then return.

The certain nobleman is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself .

He was soon to be rejected by His own people, the Jews.

 He was crucified on a Roman cross.

The nobleman then went into a far country.

After His resurrection, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father.

"The nobleman would now take possession of His kingdom, the right to
which as Messiah, He had acquired through His sufferings on the cross."
-Adam Clarke's Commentary

"And after He appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself
still further and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the
death of the cross!   Therefore, because He stooped so low, God has
highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him
the name that is above every name."
(Philippians 2:8-9)

"He is the sole expression of the glory of God, the Light-being, the
out-raying or radiance of the divine, and He is the perfect imprint,
and very image of God's nature, upholding and maintaining and
guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power.
When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing
of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand
of the divine Majesty on high."
(Hebrews 1:3)

"But as to the Son, He says to Him,  Your throne, O God, is
forever and ever, to the ages of the ages, and the scepter of
Your kingdom is a scepter of absolute righteousness,
of justice and straightforwardness."
(Hebrews 1:8)

The Ruler of His forthcoming kingdom on earth, 
Jesus will return, descending on the Mount of Olives,
and will destroy Israel's enemies, who are the
enemies of God, with the brightness of His coming.

"And you shall come up against My people Israel
like a cloud to cover the land. In the latter days, I will bring
you against My land, that the nations may know, understand,
and realize Me when My holiness shall be vindicated through
you, vindicated and honored in your overwhelming 
destruction, O Gog, before their eyes."
(Ezekiel 38:16)

This passage has always made me tremble inside when I
think of the soon approach of the day when God will destroy
His enemies, who to this day continue to stand defiant in His eyes,
through their unbelief and rebellion against Him.

At the time of the return of Christ to earth, which is the Second Coming,
there will be a remnant of  believing Jews who will be spared from
the Lord's impending judgment and punishment on the unbelieving
and wicked of this world.  The Bible also declares that at this time 
the individual nations of the world which have stood against Israel 
 will be judged and punished for their actions.

As the prophet Joel wrote, " I will gather all nations and will
bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and there I
will deal with and execute judgment upon them for their
treatment of My people and My heritage, Israel, whom
they have scattered among the nations and because
they have divided my land."
(Joel 3:2)

In the interests of brokering a "peace deal" between
Israel and their sworn enemy, the Palestinian Authority,
how many times have past U.S. Administrations bullied
the former into giving up more of their land to the
latter without demanding that the PA reciprocate
by rescinding their long standing charter which 
is committed to the destruction of Israel?

Within the current administration in Washington DC
as well as in Congress, there are those individuals who  
 are openly and unapologetically hostile towards the 
 continuing existence of the nation of Israel.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, whether you love and admire the man,
or count yourself as a member of the cross-section of the American
people who harbor a profound hatred and resentment towards him,
 has to his credit, become the first U.S. leader, at least in my lifetime,
 to seek out a genuine friendship and alliance with the nation
  and people of Israel. He furthermore openly declared that
 the city of Jerusalem be recognized as their official capitol.

  Mr. Trump backed up his words by moving the U.S. Embassy 
to Jerusalem in 2017.  Since that time, some of the other nations
of the world have decided to follow Mr. Trump's lead and
 have moved their embassies to Jerusalem too.

Although some people, including many of my fellow Christians
will not agree with me, I believe in my heart that God will one day
honor Mr. Trump for his actions regarding the nation of Israel.

I believe it was God Himself who placed the desire in our
former president's heart to honor His people and nation.
The Lord indeed works in mysterious ways. And although
He is a respecter of no person, the Lord often chooses
to work out His plans through people whom the self-
righteous hypocrites of this world often deem as unworthy.

God has also given everyone the gift of a free will.
Mr. Trump's decision to follow after the Lord's heart
might perhaps influence and change the hearts of many
people in America and spare them from the wrath
of God's forthcoming judgment.

As God spoke to Abraham,  "I will bless, do good for, benefit, those
who bless you.  And I will curse, that is, subject to My wrath and judgment
the one who curses, despises, dishonors, has contempt for you. 
 In you, all the families and nations of the earth shall be blessed,
and by you will bless themselves."
(Genesis 12:3)

May God continue to bless and protect Donald Trump and his family.

Shabbat Shalom, Eretz Israel!
Sabbath Blessings and Peace to all.

Sha'alu Shalom Yershalayim
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem"
(Psalm 122:6)

Maranatha!

The Bearded Bible Brothers Discuss How Enchantment, Sorcery & Divination Are Anti-Creation

Joshua and Caleb discuss how the darkness of occult practices
 which are widely accepted in our present day society are counterfeit 
points of power designed to take our focus off of God.

The Bearded Bible Brothers Discuss 

Enchantment, Sorcery, & Divination

Our Jewish Roots

(April 2023)

 

Thursday's Thoughts: Delight Yourself In The Lord

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires 
and secret petitions of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord,
roll and repose each care of your load on Him; trust, lean on,
rely on and be confident also in Him and He will bring it to pass."
(Psalm 37:4-5)

Field Flowers

(2011)

 Malgorzata Niegel

Polish artist

Image courtesy/Artmajeur

Wednesday's Word: Blessed Rain

 

"Ask of the Lord rain in the time of the latter or spring rain.
It is the Lord Who makes lightnings which usher in the rain 
 and gives men showers, and grass to everyone in the field."
(Zechariah 10:1)

April Rain

(1935)

Newell Convers Wyeth

(1882-1945)

American painter and illustrator
Image courtesy/Fine Art America

In the Bible rain is symbolic of a blessing from God.

Bread, Water, & The Rock: Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat Preaches

 

An inspirational message from beloved brother Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat.
Please pray that his ministry will continue to be a powerful witness for Yeshua in Israel.

Bread, Water, & Rock

Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat Preaches

messiah ofisrael

(April 25, 2023)

Zola Levitt Presents: The Stones Cry Out/ A Tale Of Three Cities

 

 Zola Levitt and Dr. Tom McCall tell the story of the day-to-day
 business which existed between three ancient cities in the Jordan Valley:
 Tel Bet Shean and Rehovot, west of the Jordan River, and Pella, 
on the east side of the Jordan. This ninth episodes includes a
field trip to the excavation sites of each city.

The Stones Cry Out/A Tale of Three Cities/Part Nine

Zola Levitt Presents/Our Jewish Roots

(Originally aired in 1997)

Listen To Me The Lord, O My People

 

"The remnant in the last days are exhorted the have confidence.
Those who follow after righteousness are a little flock; but God
had called Abraham alone, and had blessed and increased him.
He can do the same for the remnant."
- Darby's Bible Synopsis

Symphony Of Praise

Yongsung Kim

Korean artist

"At the beginning You existed and laid the foundations
of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands.

They shall perish but You shall remain and endure; yes,
all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment.
Like clothing You shall change them and they shall be
changed and pass away.

But You remain the same and Your years shall have no end.

The children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue,
and their descendants shall be established before You.
(Psalm 102:25-28)

"Hearken to Me, you who follow after rightness and justice,
you who seek and inquire of the Lord, claiming Him by
necessity and right; look to the rock from which you
were hewn and to the hole in the quarry
from which you were dug.

Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you;
for I called him when he was but one, and I blessed 
him and made him many.

For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places;
And He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the
garden of the Lord.  Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving, and the voice of song or instrument of praise.

Listen to Me the Lord, O my people and give ear to Me, O My nation;
for a divine law will go forth from Me, and I will establish
My justice for a light to the peoples.

My rightness and justice are near, My salvation is going forth, and
My arm shall rule the peoples; the islands shall wait for and expect Me,
and on My arm shall they trust and wait with hope.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath;
the heavens shall be dissolved and vanish away like smoke, and the
 earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein
shall die in like manner.  But My salvation shall be forever,
and My rightness and justice and faithfully fulfilled
promise shall not be abolished.
(Isaiah 51:1-6)

"Sky and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
(Matthew 24:35)

"And further, You, Lord, did lay the foundation of the earth
in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands.
They will perish, but You remain and continue permanently;
They will grow old and wear out like a garment. Like a
mantle thrown about one's self, You will roll them up,
and they will be changed and replaced by others.
But You remain the same, and Your years will
never end nor come to failure."
(Hebrews 1:10-12)

"But we look for new heavens and a new earth according
to His promise, in which righteousness, freedom from sin,
and right standing with God is to abide."
(11 Peter 3:13)

Maranatha!

Monday Meditation: The Red Sea Place

 

"And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush now! Be still!"  
And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."
(Mark 4:39)

Jersey Shore Sunrise
Photograph courtesy/Reddit

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 wind, He will heap the floods,

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

And His hand will lead you through-clear through-

Ere the watery walls roll down,

No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,

No mightiest sea can drown;


The tossing billows may rear their crests,

Their foam at your feet may break,

But over their beds you shall walk dry-shod

In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, 'neath the lifted cloud,

You shall see but the Lord alone,

When He leads you on 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,

A place that His hand has made.

Photograph courtesy/Craig T. Owens

Annie Johnson Flint
(1866-1932)
Prolific American Christian poetess

April Birthday Girl

 A Happy Birthday salute to the precious little girl whose
 adorable personality and amazing singing and dancing 
 talents lifted the spirits of a Great Depression-weary nation.

America's own curly-topped sweetheart Shirley Temple!

After her Hollywood career, and in addition to becoming a wife 
 and the mother of three children,  Shirley honorably served as
United States ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia
and as Chief of Protocol of the United States.

🎂 Shirley Jane Temple was born on April 23, 1928. 🎂

Photograph courtesy/Walmart

One of my favorite scenes from the movie, "The Little Colonel" 
is when six year old Shirley danced up and down the staircase  
 with the  phenomenal dancer/ actor  Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

He called her, "Darlin" and she called him, "Uncle Billy".

They were the first interracial couple to dance onscreen.

In addition to becoming her favorite dance partner,
Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson remained lifelong friends.

Little Colonel Bojangles Dance

Courtesy mysticmoon 1984/via Youtube

Zola Levitt Presents: The Stones Cry Out/ Shadows Of The Past

 

In this episode of "The Stones Cry Out"  Zola  Levitt and Dr. Tom McCall
help us to understand the burial customs in ancient times, followed by a
  field trip to Qumran, where the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

The Stones Cry Out: Shadows of the Past/Part Eight

Zola Levitt Presents/Our Jewish Roots

(Originally aired in 1997)

God Of The Glorious Sunshine

 

"For He spoke, and it was done: He commanded and it stood fast."
(Psalm 33:9)

"By faith we understand that the worlds during the successive ages
were framed, fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended
purpose by the Word of God, so that what we see was not
made out of things which are visible."
(Hebrews 11:3)

Beautiful Spring Morning

Photograph courtesy/Pxfuel

God of the glorious sunshine,

God of refreshing rain,

Whose voice bids earth awaken

And clothe itself again.


With life of riches beauty;

In plant, and flower, and tree;

Thou God of light and splendor,

We rise and worship Thee.

God of the hill and mountain,

Of valley and of dale,

Whose finger paints the rainbows;

Thy beauties never fail


To raise our souls in wonder,

And turn our thoughts to Thee;

Thou God of living nature,

We stand and worship Thee.

God of the busy daytime,

God of the quiet night,

Whose peace pervades the darkness,

And greets us with the light;


Safe with Thy presence near us,

Wherever we may be

Thou God, our great Protector

We love and worship Thee.

God of the whole creation,

God of all life below,

We seek Thy nearer presence,

Thy grander life to know;


When we, Thy heightened splendor,

Thy greater glories see,

Thou God of all creation,

We still shall worship Thee.

"God Of The Glorious Sunshine"
A 19th century hymn
Words by Thomas Paxton

Today Is Earth Day

 

"Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is
so vast and deep as to be unsearchable.  Our generation shall laud
Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on
Your wondrous works I will meditate."
(Psalm 145:3-5)

Wild Violets

New Jersey State Flower
Photograph courtesy/State Symbols USA

There is only one song I can think of that says Earth Day to me.

The beautiful lyrics of this classic 1960's folksong never fails to remind me
 of how blessed I am to greet the sunrise each day, to hear the sweet
morning songs of the birds,  to see spring flowers blooming in my yard,
to wonder at the red-gold hued masterpiece of a sunset,  or the
 pristine order of the heavens on a clear starry night...

Mid-Spring is the christening of the newborn season, the
perfect time to reflect on the beauty of God's creation... in the
pungent smell of newly turned earth, coupled with the sweet
fragrance of cut, sun-warmed grass...
 the pristine white and delicate pink blossoms
of apple and peach tree orchards in bloom...

 the profusion of green leafy hedges of violet blue lilacs...
and luscious strands of deep purple, wild wisteria vines
adorning backyard trees and trellises and back road meadows...
the undisputed flower queens of April... in all their
magnificent, if short-lived, glory...

Dare I forget all the joy that is mine.. Today.

Today

(1964)

The New Christy Minstrels

Flashback Friday: You're Lookin' At Country

 

A Birthday Girl Salute to the beautiful blue-eyed belle from 
Butcher Holler and undisputed Queen of Country Music,
the one and only Loretta Lynn, born April 14, 1932.

You're Lookin' At Country

(1971)

Loretta Lynn

National Poetry Month Selection: Lilacs

 

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted
eternity in men's hearts and minds, a divinely implanted sense of
purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun
but God alone can satisfy, yet so that men cannot find out
what God has done from the beginning to the end."
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)

The Time Of The Lilacs

Sophie Gengembre Anderson

(1823-1903)

French-born British Victorian painter

Image courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

A wealth of lilacs have I here,

Their mystic whispers stir my ear.

Their lovely fragrance fills my heart,

As memories their blooms impart.

When I was but a little child

A lilac bush, untrimmed and wild,

Delighted me with joy untold,

Where shone the sun of purest gold,

I pulled the clustered lilac spray.

And breathed their fragrance of the day.

One morning time a lilac hue

Slipped softly o'er the sea of blue.

It seemed that the souls of lilac gone

Had stolen back to rule the dawn.

Fair lilacs of my thousand dreams,

My heart amid you thrills and teems

With thoughts and hopes of life to be

That seek to win the soul of me.

"Lilacs"
Helen Emma Maring

Thursday's Thoughts: I Will Thank You And Confide In You Forever

 

Why boast of mischief done against the loving-kindness of God
and the godly, O mighty sinful man, day after day?

Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsamane

Israel Art Print

Photograph courtesy/James Schultz/Fine Art America

Your tongue devises wickedness; it is like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

You love evil more than good, and lying rather than to speak righteousness,
justice and right.  Selah pause, and calmly think of that!

You love all destroying and devouring words, O deceitful tongue.

God will likewise break you down and destroy you forever; He will lay
hold of you and pluck you out of your tent and uproot you from the
land of the living.  Selah pause and calmly think of that!

The uncompromisingly righteous also shall see it and be in reverent
fear and awe, but about you they will scoffingly laugh, saying,

See, this is the man who made not God his strength, his stronghold
and high tower, but trusted in and confidently relied on the abundance of
 his riches; seeking refuge and security for himself through his wickedness.

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;  I trust in and confidently
rely on the loving-kindness and the mercy of God forever and ever.

I will thank You and confide in You forever, because You have done it,
delivered me and kept me safe. I will wait on, hope in and expect in
Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your saints.
Your kind and pious ones.

Psalm 52

To the Chief Musician.  A skillful song, or a didactic
or reflective poem.  A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite
came and told Saul, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.

Zola Levitt Presents: The Stones Cry Out/Cities Of The Past

 

In this seventh episode of "The Stones Cry Out"  Zola Levitt and
 Dr. Tom McCall continue their sojourn to archaeological sites in Israel
with a visit to Zippori, once a thriving cultural center in the Galilee,
which most likely influenced Jesus as a boy growing up in Nazareth.

The Stones Cry Out/Cities of the Past/Part Seven

Zola Levitt Presents/Our Jewish Roots

(Originally aired in 1997)

The Unseen Realm

 

In this documentary, "The Unseen Realm" a light is cast on
the strange and enigmatic supernatural elements 
 within the pages of Scripture.

What we discover are two very distinct worlds-vastly different
inhabitants-created and ruled by one loving triune God.

Narrated by actor Corbin Bernsen and featuring commentary
 from the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser, an  Old Testament scholar
 and best-selling Christian author, and others, this is a must-see
 documentary for all believers in these increasingly
  dark and perilous times on earth.

The Unseen Realm

Logos Bible Software

(October 12, 2022)

Listening To God-Dr. Charles Stanley

 

Listening to God requires making time for Him. 

In this teaching, Dr. Charles Stanley assures believers that
we need to seek Him, and He will answer. When we stop
striving and dive into His Word, we open the door to
experience His many blessings.

Listening To God

In Touch Ministries

(March 23, 2023)

Wednesday's Word: Written For Our Instruction

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
(Hebrews 13:8)

Chickadees and Lilac

Image courtesy/ Overstock via Pinterest

"For Christ did not please Himself, gave no thought to His own interests;
but, as it is written, The reproaches and abuses of those who reproached
and abused you fell on Me.

For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction,
that by our steadfast and patient endurance and the encouragement drawn from
the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.

Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance and Who supplies
encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy
with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.

That together you may unanimously with united hearts and one voice,
praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Welcome and receive to your hearts one another, then, even as Christ
has welcomed and received you, for the glory of God."
(Romans 15:3-7)

Remembering Pastor Charles Stanley

 

"I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever;
let me find refuge and trust in the shadow of Your wings."
(Psalm 61:4)

Dr. Charles Stanley, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in
 Atlanta, Georgia for 50 years and founder of In Touch Ministries
went home to be with the Lord this morning. According to his family,
Dr. Stanley died peacefully in his sleep.  He was 90 years old.
May he rest safely in the arms of Jesus.

Charles Frazier Stanley

(September 25, 1932-April 18, 2023)

Yom HaShoah /Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023

"He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence,
 and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel
Who alone does wondrous things!

Blessed be His glorious name forever;
let the whole earth be filled with His glory!
Amen and Amen!
(Psalm 72:14, 18, 19)

Child Survivors of the Holocaust

Picture courtesy/United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The nation of Israel paused today as sirens wailed across the land 
to remember the six million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust.
In the hearts of Jewish people around the world is the sentiment,
"Always remember.  Never forget."

I still find it hard to believe at times that something so abominable
 as the Holocaust could have happened in the mid-20th century.

But it did happen.

Unfortunately, there are many people today with hatred and
  resentment simmering in their hearts for God's chosen people 
and the nation of Israel.

There are those who deny that the Holocaust happened.

There are those who declare that the land which God bequeathed
  to the Jewish people in the Bible does not belong to them.

Many self-proclaimed Christians erroneously believe that God 
 has replaced Israel with the church in these last days.

Antisemitism is on the rise in many places in the world, and unfortunately,
this includes a place once considered a safe haven for Jewish people
called the United States of America.

Currently within the land of Israel itself there is
much political chaos and unrest in the streets 
 pitting Israeli against Israeli. 

 Meanwhile, acts of violence and murder against Israelis by terrorist groups like
Palestinian Islamic jihad,  Hamas, and Hezbollah, remain a constant threat.

The Daffodil Project aspires to build a worldwide Living

Holocaust Memorial by planted 1.5 million daffodils

in memory of the children who perished in the Holocaust,

and in support of children suffering in humanitarian

crisis in the world today.

Information courtesy/The Daffodil Project

Photograph courtesy/ Atlanta Jewish Times

That the Jewish people have survived through centuries of persecution

and attempts by their enemies to wipe them out is nothing short of a miracle.

 Only three years after the end of WWII, the modern state of

 Israel rose from ashes of the Holocaust to take her place among

the nations of the world. I believe this is the greatest fulfillment

of Bible prophecy since the coming of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach.

(Jesus the Messiah)

That Jews are once again established in their own land, while the
 scattered remnants of the twelve tribes are returning there from the 
 uttermost parts of the earth, not only attests to the Spirit of the Lord 
 at work, but of His boundless love and mercy, and amazing grace,
 for His own beloved people and nation.

Image courtesy/Wikipedia

PSALM 121
*A Song of Ascents

I will lift up my eyes to the hills around Jerusalem
 to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah-
From whence shall my help come?

My help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber or sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your
right hand, the side not carrying a shield.

The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

Prayer For The Peace Of Jerusalem

(2002)

Paul Wilbur

Integrity Music

*The fifteen psalms known as the "Songs of Degrees or Ascents"
were traditionally sung by caravans of Jewish pilgrims 
going up to attend the feasts at Jerusalem.  

Understanding The "Anti-Gospel" Woke Church

 

 The Spirit Of Antichrist Unmasked!

"Who is such a liar as he who denies Jesus Christ the Messiah?
He is the antichrist, the antagonist of Christ, who habitually
denies and refuses to acknowledge Father and Son.

No one who habitually denies, (disowns) the Son, even has the Father."
(1 John 2:22-23)

The Anti-Gospel "Woke" Church

Lucas Miles Interview

The Beckett Cook Show

(March 13, 2023)

A Must Watch: Counting The Omer/ Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat Preaches

 

An important yet little known teaching from beloved
  Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat of messiah ofisrael ministries.

 May God bless him and his ministry always!

A Must Watch/

Counting The Omer

Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat Preaches

messiah ofisrael

(March 13, 2023)

Monday Meditation: My Soul Will Exult In My God

 

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God;

for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation.

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Lilacs In Bloom
Picture courtesy/Daniel Kelly

For surely as the earth brings forth its shoots, and

 as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth,

so surely the Lord God will cause rightness and justice

and praise to spring forth before all the nations,

through the self-fulfilling power of His word.

(Isaiah 61:10-11)