Dee2rites Blog

Tag: Christian beliefs

  • Stand up and be Counted

    “On Nov. 20, 2009 a group of prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars released the Manhattan Declaration, which addresses the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty.” From the Manhattan Declaration website.

    I don’t normally use this to promote causes or groups, but I just learned of this movement and I feel it is something overdue and want to share about it. Look at their web site and if you agree, sign the petition.

    Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience


    But more important than just signing the petition, follow some of their suggestions, and pray. This nation is in serious trouble and unless God intervene, we will go the way of other societies who were self-indulgent and godless.
    Much of the blame can be layed at the feet of Christians who silently go along with a society who makes heroes of sports figures and actors. Then when their adultery comes to light just shrug and say “well they’re only human”.
    We’ve accepted being told we couldn’t have public prayer in our schools and our children not being allowed to carry their Bibles to class. We’ve continued to buy products that advertise on immoral and ungodly television programs and magazines. It’s time we take responsibility and stop shoving the blame. It’s time for us to stand up and say what we believe. More importantly it’s time for us to ACT on what we say we believe.

    “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”James 4:17

    God will hold us accountable. Christians must get back to being the leaders of our society, not the followers.

    Peace and Blessing in our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • In God’s Hands

    There is no doubt that we live in troubling times. The economy, flu epidemic, even our personal freedoms are being challenged today. If we only look to the world view for answers or only listen to the network news anchors, it is a pretty bleak picture. But thank God, Christians have a Higher Authority to turn to for answers and He has freely given them to us in His Word.

    “My times are in Your hands; deliver me from the hands of my foes and those who pursue me and persecute me.” Psalm 31:15 (The Amplified Bible)

    David wrote these words, and he was a man who understood trouble. God anointed him to be king in place of Saul, and Saul repeatedly tried to kill him. David’s own household was a battle ground and his son Absalom tried to dethrone him. The nation was at war almost his entire reign as king. David knew about trouble.
    In verse 9 of the Psalm he writes, “Have mercy and be gracious unto me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; with grief my eye is weakened, also my inner self and my body.” He goes on and talks about his strength is failing because of his enemies, he’s being slandered and he is surrounded by terror. But then in verse 14 he repeats his confession that he trusts in God.

    “But I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God.”

    However overwhelming our lives may be, we too can say with David, “You are my God.” His promises never fail. Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us and we can depend on it.  David knew who his God was and who he was. If we’ve received the Lord Jesus Christ and been filled with the Holy Spirit, we can know who we are and know who God is. Our times are in His hands, He knows our future so we don’t need to worry about it. We just have to trust Him to take us through it.

    “O love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, and plentifully pays back him who deals haughtily. Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!”  (Psalm 31:23,24)

    Be strong and let your heart take courage in the Lord.

    Peace and blessings through our Lord Jesus Christ,
    Dee

  • When You Get It Wrong – Again

    “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” Romans 7:18, 19 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)


    Do you ever wonder why you did something you said you’d never do again? Or failed to do something you promised yourself you would do? That’s me all the time. I swear I’ll get up early and walk, but then stay in bed too long, or start doing something else and forget about it. I promise myself I won’t get upset over trivial things, but catch myself getting irritated or angry over minor issues. Sometimes it’s not just little failures we suffer, but real sin catches us unaware and before we know it we’re right back in the midst of it, again.

    The Apostle Paul certainly knew about it. Even he felt there was nothing good in himself. Wow! You mean the man who wrote most of the New Testament struggled with sin? Yes, even Paul. There was only One who never sinned, Jesus,  and even He faced temptation.  (Read Matthew 4:1-11.)

    One of the many things I love about the Bible, it shows us that the men and women God used in the past were just like us. They sometimes got things wrong over and over, yet God was able to pick them up, clean them up and use them. Just like He picks us up, cleans us up, and desires to use us today.

    Gideon questioned God, not once, but three times. But God still used him to deliver Israel. (Read Chapter 6, 7 and 8 of Judges.)

    David was an adulterer and a murderer. But because he desired to be made clean and repented, God was able to call him a man after His own heart.

    Moses lost his temper and disobeyed God, but the Bible says, “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend”. (Exodus 33:11a)

    Jonah was angry at God because He didn’t destroy the city of Nineveh after the people repented when Jonah preached to them. And remember it took a whale to get him there. Think about that. He finally obeys God, goes to preach in one of the most wicked cities of the era, the entire city repents, including the King, and Jonah is angry because God did not destroy them. How many preachers can say they went to a city and the entire city, including the Mayor got saved? Not that many.

    Peter denied Jesus three times. But after the resurrection Jesus gave Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love for him. “Lord, You know I love You” and Jesus replied “Feed My sheep.”


    The Apostle Paul says “O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:24, 25 (Amplified Bible) In other words, it is through Jesus Christ we can overcome and we can be free from sin.

    When we do fail, praise God, He’s made the way for our restoration. The very next verse says God will not condemn us, but He will set us free. “THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:1, 2 (Amplified Bible)
    Matthew Henry says in his Concise Commentary on the Bible, “Believers may be chastened of the Lord, but will not be condemned with the world. By their union with Christ through faith, they are thus secured.”

    So, the next time you know you’ve gotten something wrong, the next time you feel unworthy of God, or doubt your usefulness to Him, remember you are not alone. We’re all there one time or another, and some of us on a regular basis. And God knew your weaknesses when He called you, but He chose you anyway. Pick yourself up, repent, and start over.

    “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ to you all,
    Dee

  • Billy Graham’s Prayer For Our Nation

    Like most Christian Americans I know, I’m concerned about the direction our country seems to be going. This is not a forum where I choose to discuss politics, but sometimes it is appropriate. This nation has made some bad choices in leadership and we are just beginning to see the consequences.

    Sin is increasing, our liberties are being subtly but surely diminished. Free enterprise is being taken over by government under the guise of  financial bailout, freedoms of speech are being challenged just to mention a few things. What gives me hope and comfort is I know God’s Word is true and His promises are sure. He called this nation into existence and even though we may go through a time of tribulation, He will not abandon His people.

    I received a copy of Rev Graham’s prayer in an email and felt it was appropriate to post here.  Let us make this our daily prayer for our nation until we see revival and healing in this nation.

    Billy Graham’s Prayer For Our Nation


    “Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done..  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare..  We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable..  We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.  We have abused power and called it politics.. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.  We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.  We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.  Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!”

    Peace and blessing to you all in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Dee

  • DEBRIDEMENT OF THE SOUL

    Have you ever been in a bad place emotionally or spiritually and thought it would be that way the rest of your life? The days so dark you believed you’d never feel right again? I have. I’ve been in that place. I understand exactly what the Psalmist was talking about in the 102nd Psalm:

    “By reason of my loud groaning [from suffering and trouble] my flesh cleaves to my bones.

    I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the waste places.

    I am sleepless and lie awake [mourning], like a bereaved sparrow alone on the housetop.”

    (Psalm 102:5-7, The Amplified Bible)

    When my mother died in June 2000, it was unexpected. Even though her health had not been good, none of us, except perhaps my dad, had a hint it was as bad as it was. As Christians, we all rejoiced that she was no longer in pain and that she was with her Lord, but that did not mean our pain or our lost was not real.

    Over time, my grief turned to anger and I turned inward. Outwardly, I said and did all the things expected of me. I told my children not to be angry at God because Mamma was gone, but inside I was questioning God. How could He let this happen without preparing me?

    I became angry because I didn’t feel my husband was as supportive as he should have been, but I was too inward to tell him what I needed. Issues arose in our marriage and we became more and more distant. When we did reconcile, it was still not as it should have been because I began substituting my relationship with my husband for the relationship I’d once had with God. I expected more of my husband than God ever intended.

    Except for a couple of friends, most of the people at my church were clueless about what I was going through. Even those who knew I’d lost my mother had no idea that I was struggling. I kept my feeling inside, not letting anyone close enough to see my pain. We stopped going to church for a while because I felt the church had let me down.

    I stopped reading my Bible or praying. I questioned God’s love for me or if I had really ever heard from Him. But even when I was deep in unbelief, there was still a small spark of hope. God’s call to us is “without repentance” – He promised to never leave or forsake us, even when we turn our backs to Him.

    Sometimes God uses things from unexpected sources to reach us. The Creator of the universe creates a way to reach us even at our lowest. For me, it was a song. Not a “Christian” song, but God used it to scratch the scab on my heart.  The same year my mother died, Kathie Lee Gifford put out a CD “Born For You”. I’d listened to it many times, but one night while I was up late writing, one special song touched that small spark in me and something began to break.

    “I’d like to lose all time again

    And look for trees to climb again

    Recite a little rhyme again

    And dream a reckless dream.

    For someone I’ve exiled in me

    Awoke today and smiled in me.

    I need to find the child in me again.”

    (Child in Me Again, written by Annie Dinerman)

    Yes, I needed to find the child in me again – the child who’d trusted God with her whole heart without question or reservation. The child who could laugh at life and who loved without reservation or expectation.  I sat face to face with who I’d become and desperately wanted to go back to the child I had been before. The last line of the chorus goes, “Oh I need to recapture the truths I’ve unlearned.” I needed to recapture The Truth I’d turned from.

    I still was a long way from being spiritually or emotionally healed, or even wanting to do what I needed to do to get there. But it was beginning. Some of the hardness had been removed.

    A few days later I “just happened” to read a verse of scripture from the Message Bible in a magazine.

    “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt.11:28-30, The Message Bible)

    It was as though Jesus was speaking directly to me, inviting me to just walk with Him. “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” I don’t have to try to please anyone. I don’t have to be a certain way. Religion had burned me out and let me down. He was offering me what I’d needed all along – a relationship with Him alone.

    There is a medical procedure called Debridement which is the medical removal of infected tissue to improve healing of healthy tissue. It can be painful, but sometimes is necessary for the antibiotic treatment to work. Once the infected or dead tissue is removed the healing medicine can be applied.

    Sometimes we need something to remove the dead part of our souls before the healing balm of God’s Word can heal what remains. It can be a painful process, but if we allow it, the Holy Spirit will do a work in us that will start the healing process that comes with the application of the Word.

    “He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.” (Psalm 107:20, The Amplified Bible)

    Whatever is the cause or source of your pain, whatever the pit is you’ve fallen in, or whatever the sorrow is you’re carrying, you are not alone. Allow the Spirit of God to move in your life and He will heal you. The process may not be easy, it probably won’t be exactly what you expect, but true healing is yours through our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Peace and blessings,
    Dee

  • RELATIONSHIP WITNESSING

    “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (The Message)

    Look around you in church sometime, I mean really look at the people who are there. Who do you see? Do you see non-Christians searching for the answers for their lives or believers there to assemble themselves together? More than likely most of them are believers. So then, how are we to get the gospel to those outside who need Jesus? The Bible says how can they believe except they hear, and how can they hear except someone is sent?  (See Romans 10:14.)

    We have to do it outside the church. That’s what Jesus did. He went about his daily life, meeting people on the street and calling them to follow him. He went to dinner with sinners, not so he could tell them what great sinners they were – they already knew that – but to show them God.

    We’re to do the same thing. That’s what the Apostle Paul was talking about in the passage above. He didn’t participate in their sin, but he adapted himself to their circumstances so that he could share the gospel with them.

    The question is how do we do that? How do we show Jesus to the outside world in a way they want to know more? Reciting religious platitudes and quoting scripture will usually turn them off and away from you. Conversations that are great when you’re with fellow believers and Christian friends are not always so great around non-believers. When my best friend and I talk, we have a wonderful time sharing what we’re learned from the Bible and what God is doing in our lives. But I can’t have that type of relationship with everyone.

    The first thing we need to do is to be nice to people. Sometimes we pick and choose how to treat people based on appearance. That’s not how God calls us to be. Jesus went to the outcasts. Probably few if any of the 12 disciples Jesus called would qualify to serve on the staff of any of our modern churches. They were for the most part uneducated and a few of them were pretty rowdy.  James and John were called Sons of Thunder and Peter cut off a man’s ear! Be nice to everybody – the store clerk who can’t make change, the stressed out parents in the restaurant with a screaming child, the dirty day-laborer in line at the convenience store. Show them who God is by being nice.

    Then just be a friend to people we meet. Get to know them and learn about their lives before we start telling them how they need God. Be their friend first and wait for God to open the door for spiritual discussions. It may take months, it may take years.  It may never happen in the way you expect. But never underestimate the impact a godly life just lived openly and honestly in front of someone can have.

    Be sensitive to other people’s needs and their feelings. I’m as guilty as the next person about saying something “religious” because I thought it was what I was supposed to say only to realize later that what I said was not what the person needed to hear at all. What they needed most was for me to just be their friend. Offer help when they need help, and give it without any “religious” strings attached. When we meet peoples’ needs, they have the chance to see Jesus but only if we do it freely and without preaching to them about it.

    Most of all, we cannot hold ourselves out as being better or more righteous than they are.  Arrogant spirituality turns people away. The only difference between them and us is Jesus. Paul said he did not participate in their sin, (“I am committed to the law of Christ”, I Cor. 9:21b) but he accepted them as they were.  We can decline to participate in sin without having to expound on the evils of it. Jesus said to let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no and that is enough. (Matt. 5:37)
    Jesus said we’re to be the light of the world. Light in only noticed where there is dark. During the daylight, you don’t usually notice that a lamp is on. But as soon as it gets dark, that lamp becomes useful. If we’re to be useful “lamps”, we need to get out of the daylight of our church pew and go out to the dark where we’re needed.

    Peace and blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ.
    Dee

  • BE VIGILANT

    Flip Wilson used to portray a TV character who would say “The devil made me do it” every time he (or she sometimes) did something wrong. It became a popular catch phrase imitated in commercials and in everyday life.
    For a Christian, such a statement would be Biblically incorrect. The devil cannot make us do anything against our own will. He tempts us with evil, but it still our choice to do it or not.
    A statement I hear frequently today from some Christians is that the devil caused this or that to happen.  Looking at what the Bible says about the devil, that may or may not always be the case. It is true that as believers in Jesus Christ, we have an enemy who works against us and we are cautioned to be on guard against him. But we are also given weapons to use and instructions concerning him.

    “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

    “Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

    “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:10-12 (Amplified Bible)

    When I hear Christians give the devil credit for every bad or unpleasant thing that happens to them, I have to wonder why. The Bible says we are to put on the “God’s whole armor” and when we do, we are able to withstand any attacks of the enemy.
    God’s Word is greater than any evil spirit or demon. The Blood of Jesus is greater than all the powers of darkness combined. They tremble and flee at the very Name of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is our teacher and He gives us direction. And as if that weren’t enough, God’s holy angels have been charged to assist us.

    “Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service [of God for the assistance] of those who are to inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14 (The Amplified Bible)


    What I have observed is that usually what people give the devil credit for are things that are the consequences of their own bad choices or the results of the actions of someone else. If I speed on the freeway because I was late leaving for an appointment, and I get stopped by a police officer, it won’t be the devil writing the ticket! It will be the consequences of my actions.
    Sometimes bad things happen because we live in a fallen world. Sin abounds in the world; it’s not necessarily a personal attack against us from the devil.     I’ve decided that whatever comes my way, I will not give the enemy any credit, not for anything. Even when I know it is him attacking, I will not give him credit for hurting me. In Jesus Christ I am more than a conqueror. God orders my steps and He guides my life. God is my provider and my protector. When problems arise, I will seek my Father’s face. I will search His Word. I will call on His Name. And I will be vigilant.

    “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
    “Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset–rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.”
    I Peter 5:8, 9 (Amplified Bible)


    Peace and blessings in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
    Dee

  • Waiting for Granddaughter

    “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your

    book all the day’s [of my life] were written before

    ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of

    them.” Psalm 139:16 ( The Amplified Bible)


    Two weeks from today my daughter will be having her second child.  We know from the sonograms the baby is a girl; the doctor knows her approximate size and weight and the position the baby is in right now. Modern medical technology makes it possible for doctors to have valuable information about an unborn baby. But as miraculous as that is, God knows even more. God was there when she was conceived; He’s been there as she was developing and growing inside her mother’s womb and He will be there as she makes her entrance into the world.


    As we eagerly anticipate the birth of this new grandchild, I wonder what will she look like? Will she have her mother’s beautiful blue eyes like her older brother? Will she be outgoing and talkative like her mother or will she be quiet and introspective like her dad? These are questions parents and grandparents ask while waiting for a new baby, and there are deeper questions we ask as well. What will her life be like? Will she make good choices?

    As we wonder, God already knows. He knows each one of us intimately. He knows the very number of hairs on our head. He knows our very thoughts; there is nothing in us that is hidden from Him.  Knowing us so intimately even before we were born, He has provided for us everything we need for life and godliness.

    “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:3,4 (New International Version)


    Through Jesus Christ, God has provided us with the means to live our lives as He intended them to be. Through knowing Jesus Christ, we not only have eternal life after we die, but we have the tools we need for this  life. Without Him, we can never fulfill the plan God laid out for us.

    I can trust God to give my new granddaughter, and well as my grandsons, the tools they need for their lives. My job is to help their parents teach them, to love them and to point them to Jesus. God will do the rest.

    “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
    I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
    You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
    You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
    Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
    The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.”     Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message)

    Peace and Blessings

    Dee

  • National Day of Prayer 2009

    “(CNN) — For the past eight years, the White House recognized the National Day of Prayer with a service in the East Room, but this year, President Obama decided against holding a public ceremony.”
    While this did not surprise me, it does make me very sad. Will this be the first of other religious traditions left in our nation that he will ignore or abandon? I pray not. I pray that God will be able to change his heart to follow the godly examples set by previous presidents. None have been perfect, they all are flawed men. But some more than others sought after God’s guidance during their term of office. I pray that the present President will learn to seek  God through Jesus Christ.

    John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, and a Founding Father of the United States; the President of the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1779 and, from 1789 to 1795, the first Chief Justice of the United States. During and after the American Revolution, he was an ambassador to Spain and France and helped fashion American foreign policy and to secure favorable peace terms from the British (the Jay Treaty) and French.

    Here is an excerpt from the Proclamation he wrote while President of the Continental Congress, written and signed March 23, 1779.

    PROCLAMATION

    WHEREAS, in just Punishment of our manifold Transgressions, it hath pleased the Supreme Disposer of all Events to visit these United States with a calamitous War, through which his Divine Providence hath hitherto in a wonderful Manner conducted us, so that we might acknowledge that the Race is not to the Swift, nor the Battle to the Strong: AND WHEREAS, notwithstanding the Chastisements received and Benefits bestowed, too few have been sufficiently awakened to a Sense of their Guilt, or warmed with Gratitude, or taught to amend their Lives and turn from their Sins, that so he might turn his Wrath: AND WHEREAS, from a Consciousness of what we have merited at his Hands, and an Apprehension that the Malevolence of our disappointed Enemies, like the Incredulity of Pharaoh, may be used as the Scourge of Omnipotence to vindicate his slighted Majesty, there is Reason to fear that he may permit much of our Land to become the Prey of the Spoiler, our Borders to be ravaged, and our Habitations destroyed:

    RESOLVED,
    THAT it be recommended to the several States to appoint the First Thursday in May next to be a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer to Almighty God, that he will be pleased to avert those impending Calamities which we have but too well deserved: That he will grant us his Grace to repent of our Sins, and amend our Lives according to his Holy Word: That he will continue that wonderful Protection which hath led us through the Paths of Danger and Distress: That he will be a Husband to the Widow, and a Father to the fatherless Children, who weep over the Barbarities of a Savage Enemy: That he will grant us Patience in Suffering, and Fortitude in Adversity: That he will inspire us with Humility, Moderation, and Gratitude in prosperous Circumstances: That he will give Wisdom to our Councils, Firmness to our Resolutions, and Victory to our Arms: That he will bless the Labours of the Husbandman, and pour forth Abundance, so that we may enjoy the Fruits of the Earth in due Season: That he will cause Union, Harmony, and mutual Confidence to prevail throughout these States: That he will bestow on our great Ally all those Blessings which may enable him to be gloriously instrumental in protecting the Rights of Mankind, and promoting the Happiness of his Subjects: That he will bountifully continue his paternal Care to the Commander in Chief, and the Officers and Soldiers of the United States: That he will grant the Blessings of Peace to all contending Nations, Freedom to those who are in Bondage, and Comfort to the Afflicted: That he will diffuse Useful Knowledge, extend the Influence of True Religion, and give us that Peace of Mind which the World cannot give: That he will be our Shield in the Day of Battle, our Comforter in the Hour of Death, and our kind Parent and merciful Judge through Time and through Eternity.

    Done in CONGRESS, this Twentieth Day of March, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-Nine, and in the Third Year of our Independence.
    JOHN JAY, President.
    Attest. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.

    I can add nothing more.
    Peace and Blessings

    Dee

  • Preparing for the National Day of Prayer

    Next Thursday, May 7, is the National Day of Prayer for our country. If there ever was a time that we as a nation need to come together in a time of prayer, it is now. We have an economic crisis resulting from years of greed, sin is not just tolerated but is exalted as “alternative life-style”, disrespect and disregard of life is rampant, and now our government is heading us down the slippery slope to socialism. Yes, we need to call on God, Who brought this nation into existence over 200 years ago, Who called us to preach the gospel to all the world and to be a friend to Israel; we need repentance as individuals and as a nation. We need to obey the command of 2 Chronicles 7:14:


    “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (NKJV)

    It’s not enough to just have some religious groups meet or have some prayers read in town hall meetings.  We can’t just go through the motions of calling it a Day of Prayer with no repentance and expect to see any positive changes in our nation.

    In the Old Testament, the Jewish people had gone into captivity and in time some were living in Persia under King Xerxes. One of his officials hated the Jews and persuaded Xerxes to publish an edict that on a certain day, all the Jews were to be killed and their possessions to be confiscated.  Mordecai the Jew, who also served King Xerxes, sent word to Queen Esther and asked her to go to the king and appeal to the king on their behalf. When she finally consented, she instructed Mordecai to call all the Jews in the city and “fast for me; and neither eat nor drink for three days and nights. I also and my maids will fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

    We have a more just King than Xerxes. The One to whom we appeal is eager to receive us and to hear our plea. But we must go before him with clean hands and a pure heart.

    Job 11:13-15 says, “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you.
    Then your face will brighten with innocence. You will be strong and free of fear.”     (New Living Translation)

    Prepare our hearts. How do we do that? Esther fasted. Daniel fasted and prayed.  Moses fasted and prayed. Jesus before starting his ministry on earth spent 40 days and nights in the desert fasting and praying.  Before we can effectively pray for our nation, we must first be sure our own lives are pure before the Lord. Maybe not everyone can go three days and nights without eating or drinking, but we all can give up something to spend more time with the Lord. Instead of watching the evening news, spend that time reading the Word and praying. How much time do we spend every day doing non-essential things, not that there is anything wrong with them, but maybe just for three days we can give those things up to spend more time praying and seeking God’s face. If every Christian would spend the next three days devoting more of their time with the Lord on behalf of our nation, this year’s Day of National of Prayer could be the “re”-turning point for our nation.

    Peace and blessings.
    Dee