But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him (Matthew 25:6)
Hey Neighbor!
No man may know the day nor the hour when our Lord and Saviorshall return, but we do know that we shall be changed in a twinkling of an eye.
Now in the parable above, The bridegroom came for his bride at midnight, i.e. in the middle of the night, which reminds me of a song where the narrator speaks and declares that, “God moves at midnight!”
So as I sat and thought about that, I was reminded of at least two occasions where God ‘Saved’ the ‘day’ 😂…When He showed up at the stroke of Midnight, to set the captives free.
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Can You recall an occasion, in the Bible, where God moved at Midnight??
…Shall misfortune or evil occur [as punishment] and the Lord has not caused it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7)
Hey Neighbor!
We’ve had a few difficult and/or tricky riddles and trivia questions, as of late; so today I am giving you an easy one🥰
Now, I love it when God says “Behold! I am about to do a New Thing!!”
Now this could either be good news, or bad news…depending on who is on the receiving end of God’s ‘New Thing.’ 😂
But Amos reminds us, as God’s mouthpiece, and as one who comes forth to communicate with man, after having been in the very presence of God, listening to His thoughts, His Words, and the plans He has for us….
Amos says that God, in His merciful nature, will not Do His Thing, without communicating His plan and His program to His prophet, first!!
Now there was another prophet in the Bible, who received a firsthand heads-up from God, while God was actually en-route to utterly destroy the wicked.
And because this prophet was well-aware of God’s abundantly merciful nature…and because he knew that God would not ‘unjustly’ destroy the righteous, along with the unrighteous, this prophet negotiated with God, to spare his ‘righteous’ relatives, before God proceeded on His way to Do His Thing against a very ‘pride-full’ group of people!! *********************************************
He will guard the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked shall be silenced and perish in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (1Samuel 2:9)
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Hey Neighbor!
This Week’s Nugget will hopefully help those of you, who are sick of suffering with dry, cracked 👣****************************************
I am so glad that Spring 🌹is in the air!
We had a few days of spring-like weather last week, and I found myself out in the garden – just as Barefoot🦶🏾and I was Quite Contented!!😌
I love to run around outside without shoes and/or sandals when the weather is nice; but this actually drives my husband nuts!!
He is always saying…
Girl, You better put on some shoes out here‼️
But my feet were Fed-up from Fall🍁🍂
And Wearied with Winter🥶❄️
No more Socks 🧦 and Boots 👢 for Me‼️
My feet were Crying out for Freedom🗽
In fact, just a few weeks prior, my feet were so dry, that they had begun to crack.
My regular arsenal of remedies together, were not resolving the problem; but then I remembered that I had taken some of my dried-out Rosemary (stems included) along with some Oregano leaves, and I had stuffed them down into my bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, with intentions to use the mix for a deep-conditioning hair treatment.
What’s good for the hair, was even better for my feet‼️
My feet were in desperate need for deep-conditioning, so I lathered the oil onto my clean and dried feet, slapped on some socks for insulation, and I went to bed…repeated…And after a couple of nights, my feet 👣were back to soft and supple, once again…
And I was a Happy Girl with Happy Feet‼️
You ought to try this!!
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Once Again…I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV!!
So Ultimately, You must do your own research, and talk with your physician to make the best health choices for yourself and your family.
-Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood–being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)
Hey Neighbor!
In the above scripture, the Writer of The Book of Hebrews reminds us that, if we have a heart to share with others, and a spirit of hospitality, we should graciously welcome and entertain the strangers, that we meet along the way.
Our scripture tells us that ‘some’ have done so, graciously, and have found themselves ‘entertaining’ angels without even knowing it.
Can you name 2 (two) men from the Old Testament, who entertained ‘heavenly’ strangers underneath their family’s terebinth tree??
Now, these ‘strangers’ appeared to be ordinary men, passing through and/or resting up for a moment, from their long journeys.
AndLittle did either of these (Bible) ‘entertainers’ know, nor did they actually realize it; but they had it ‘made in the shade,’ In The Presence of The Lord!!
So Solomon expelled Abiathar [descendant of (1Ki 2:27) Eli] from being priest to the Lord, fulfilling the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. (1Ki 2:27)
Hey Neighbor!
These are the families of Levi according to their generations. Amram took Jochebed his father“s sister as wife, and she bore him Aaron and Moses
In the lead Scripture above, we see where God was finally fulfilling his promise, and wielding the final fateful blow upon the House of Eli!!
You may want to go back and get some essential background information from our 2 previous Lessons on Eli and The Fall of the Church in Shiloh.
Now, The first blow ( 1 Sam 4:17) resulted in Eli’s 2 sons (Hophni and Phinehas) being slain together…on the battlefield…on the same day, after they willfully and recklessly departed from the Tabernacle at Shiloh, with the ark of the Lord.
Now the demise of these two wicked boys had already been foretold by the man of God in 1 Samuel 2:34
To Eli: And what befalls your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be a sign to you–in one day they both shall die. And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest (Priest), who shall do according to what is in My heart and mind.
You see Eli was an ‘Unfaith-full’ High Priest!!
He was the Judge, and the Chief Magistrate in Shiloh.
He was a Levite, and a direct descendant from the priestly line of Aaron. (See the chart above)
Now Eli’s grandfather, Aaron, Israel’s High Priest, had also lost two of his young sons (Nadab and Abihu), after they too, had also profaned the Lord’s altar in the tabernacle.
–AND NADAB and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord, as He had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from before the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord. (Lev 10:1-2)
Aaron’s Four (4) Sons
Now after Aaron had lost his first two sons – Eli’s uncles- Aaron obviously became much more watchful and diligent to train up his two remaining sons in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
After all, as God’s High Priest, Aaron had a sacred responsibility to honor and revere the Holy things of God; and He had a responsibility, as parent, to keep a continual eye upon Eleazar and Ithamar, as they were ‘priests- in- training,’ before the Lord.
–So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest“s office in the presence and under the supervision of Aaron their father (Num 3:4)
Now, if only Eli had learned from his grandfather, maybe he would have been more alert and attentive, when he first began to train up Hophni and Phinehas.
Maybe he would have been more diligent to restrict, restrain, rebuke, and/or even to remove Hophni and Phinehas from their honored positions of service, at the first sign of their willfulness and/or disobedience.
You see after God had slew Nadab and Abihu, Aaron became a full-time father, fully alert, and a priest who actively followed The Lord’s commands, within and without the tabernacle.
He became both a ‘faith-full’ High priest and parent.
Aaron was not a ‘sometimey’ part-time parent/priest, like Eli!!
Remember it was Eli’s lackadaisical parenting style, and his direct neglect and lack of supervision that caused his father, Ithamar’s (priestly) branch to break off and die in Shiloh…whereafter, God’s anointing was later transferred to Eleazar’s (priestly) branch in Jerusalem…under the reign of King Solomon!! 1 Kings 2:27
Let’s look at the gradual downfall of The House of Eli!!
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Now after the death of Hophni and Phinehas on the battlefield, there came the fall of Eli…when he ‘fell’ out of his chair in Shiloh; he broke his neck and he died. (1 Sam 4:18)
That was the final nail in the coffin for The Church in Shiloh – after The Presence of God was departed from the Tabernacle.
Then there was the bloody fall of Eli’s great grandson, Ahimelech at Nob, where He and all of Eli’s remaining descendants were utterly slaughtered – except for Abiathar, Eli’s only descendant who survived to mourn and tell the story!!
Do you Remember this (below) forewarning, prophesied by the very same man of God…to Eli??
– Yet I will not cut off from My altar every man of yours; some shall survive to weep and mourn [over the family“s ruin], but all the increase of your house shall die in their best years. (1Sa 2:33)
You see, after the demise of the Church in Shiloh, Eli’s remaining descendants, (grandsons by Phinehas) made their home in the priestly city of Nob – (minus the Ark of the Lord.)
Now Ahimelech was the High Priest on duty at Nob, When his family was judged and punished (by the hand of King Saul, and an Edomite), and where another 85 men from Ithamar’s branch, plus all of the women, children, sucklings, and even the animals were utterly slaughtered in 1 Samuel 22:18.
–And I [now] announce to him that I will judge and punish his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, for his sons were bringing a curse upon themselves [blaspheming God], and he did not restrain them. (1Sa 3:13)
Again, God spared the life of Abiathar, who fled and narrowly escaped with his own life; but ultimately, he too would soon become another male, destined to fail and fall from the priesthood – from the House of Eli!!
Friend, Our God is not a man, that He should Lie!!
The Lord had previously proclaimed that he would both Judge and Punish Eli’s house forever!!
Remember that Eli was fully aware of the sins of his sons, and yet, he had failed to stop them!! 🛑
But Our Great God of Justice, will not Stop until He Puts an end to this foolishness that’s going on in His House…even today!
Remember when God told Jeremiah that He was always on duty, alert, and fully active to watch over His Word; He said he would completely fulfill it!!
–Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it. (Jer 1:12)
And Indeed God was about to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ where his Words were concerned against Eli.
Remember when God told Samuel that every ear would tingle when they heard of it…Well They Did!!
– The Lord told Samuel, Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of all who hear it shall tingle. On that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end (1Sa 3:11-12)
So next week, we will continue with Part II, where we will learn more about the doom and demise of Eli’s great-grandson, Ahimelech…
And we will also witness God’s final rebuke upon the ‘unfaith-full’ Abiathar, (Eli’s great, great, grandson) and ultimately, Abiathar’s removal from both the priesthood, and from before The Presence of God, in The Lord’s House!!
We will also see how David was used by God, even upon his deathbed, to fulfill God’s oath against Eli’s House; as He (God) was actively transferring his anointing from Ithamar, (Eli) to Eleazar, (Zadok)
Get Ready for Your Ears👂To Tingle!!
–But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me, and they shall attend Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood, says the Lord God (Ezekiel 44:15)
Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.
(1Chronicles 12:32)
Hey Neighbor!
Then there arose another man to rescue Israel…
This man was one from amongst the 12 tribes of Jacob, whose descendants would someday come to understand the signs of the times and thus, they would also comprehend what actions Israel must take to prevail against their enemies.
This judge governed Israel after the death of the Shechemite’s ‘chosen’ king, whose skull was crushed by a woman with a millstone.
Today’s Oldie is from 2015, back when I realized that God wanted to extend his helping hand into every area of my life. The Holy Spirit gave me a fresh opportunity to try Him out…and Yes!! – He showed and proved that He was ‘Faith-full’ to fulfill every Promise!!
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–Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully-
(1Peter 5:7)
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Yesterday, in Our Bible Study at the Center, We talked about giving All of OUR stuff to Jesus…ALL of Our issues, whether Great or small.
That’s – ALL of our Anxieties, ALL of Our Worries…ALL of Our Cares and Concerns.
Once…and For ALL!!
I told the class a story about how I have a special agreement with the Holy Spirit, Who helps me find ALL of my stuff, after I’ve misplaced it!!
Here’s Part 1 of My Story….
The Holy Spirit and I started this thing together, after I had misplaced a train ticket that I had purchased for my Aunt JoAnn, who was coming to visit me from California.
Well, Customer Service had mailed the train ticket to my house, in Illinois, instead of mailing it to my Aunt in Cali…so I held on to it…and I set it aside…and I lost it.
Uh-Oh!!
Now When my Aunt called me, asking me to mail the train ticket to her in California, I had absolutely no idea where it was. I couldn’t tell her that I had lost it, she would lose her mind!!
So I avoided her call…while I searched through everything for several days…but I Still couldn’t find it!!
Finally, I threw up my hands and I sat down and I cried to the Lord, Telling Him how I had looked everywhere, and how frustrated I was…and how I just didn’t know what else to do.
Then I heard the Holy Spirit whisper,
“Ask Me.”
Huh?? I thought…Ask the Holy Spirit to help me find something that I misplaced??
That doesn’t make any sense!!
Then, He gave me this scripture:
–But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you-
(John 14:26)
I thought, Wow!!….He does bring All things to Our remembrance…That is one of His many, Jobs!!
Then, I thought…That’s just too easy!!
Then, I remembered this scripture:
–For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good–not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne-
(Mat 11:30)
So I did it…I asked Him, “Holy Spirit, Please help me to find My Aunt JoAnn’s ticket.”
I didn’t get an immediate response, but I decided that since this whole ‘ask Me for help thing’ was His idea…I was just going to Try Him out!!
So during that week, while I waited to hear from Him, I kinda expected to hear Him whisper to me, saying something like, “Look in the Glove Compartment!” Or “Look under the Desk.”
But Nothing…No Word….Until He reminded me that I had unconsciously, restarted my search.
I was out in the car looking in the glove compartment…
I was on my knees, looking under that desk…When I heard Him Say…
“Are YOU Going to find it…Or Are You Going to Trust Me to Show YOU?”
So I agreed, AGAIN, that I would give up my independent search…Once and for ALL!!
Although it was really hard to relinquish dependence upon myself, and to not continue my search, using my own effort and power to locate the ticket, I had to stop looking…while I was learning to lean on Him.
I had to refocus my attention on the Goodness of God and ALL the things that He had brought me through, thus far!!
I had to go on with my day, as usual, without continuing to worry and stress about that ticket.
You see…He was teaching Me how to REST in His perfect peacefulness…while I committed the WORK to Him.
My job was to Wait Confidently, and to FULLY, and Completely, rely on Him!!
–You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.-
(Isaiah 26:3)
Well…That’s It for Part 1!!
So Join Me Again, Tomorrow, to hear God’s ‘Amazing’ End to This Story!!
Remember…We Are going to be Amazed at God, Together, in 2015!!
Until Tomorrow,
God Loves You and So Do I!!
💕Tam
Leave A Reply and Share Your ‘Amazing’ God Story with the CareBibleStudy friends or Send me an email to ttwear@gmail.com.
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–Then Ahimelech answered the king, And who is so faithful among all your servants as David, who is the king“s son-in-law, and is taken into your council and honored in your house? (1Sa 22:14)
Hey Neighbor!
In the lead scripture above, we see where the High Priest, Ahimelech, attempts to attest to the utterly paranoid King/Leader of Israel, that there were no feelings of animus in David’s heart against his father-in law, King Saul.
In fact, Ahimelech goes on to remind the king that David had been an honorable man, with an excellent track record, both within and without the palace, as both a psalmist and a soldier; and because David had been so ‘faith-full’ and valiant, You, Saul, even gave him your own daughter, Michal, to wife!!
Now in the Book of Judges, there was another most valiant son and soldier from the tribe of Judah, who became a most ‘faith-full’ deliverer in Israel, for forty years.
This particular judge was blessed with the Spirit of the Lord, both to govern and to battle; but it was certainly of no disadvantage to him that he had also become the son-in-law of the Leader in Hebron.
-Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me-
(2 Corinthians 12:9)
Hey Neighbor!
The world tells us that by March 15th, most folks have given up, and/or have gotten off track with their New Year’s Resolutions; but that’s not what scripture says!!
God tells us His mercies are new…EVERY MORNING!! (Lamentations 3:22)
So each day He wakes us up…whether that day be January 1st or March 16th…we get a fresh and new start with God!!
Here’s Friday’s Oldie!!
Enjoy🤩
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Okay, It’s the New Year and I was afraid to step on the scale, but I did and I must boast and confess…that I have gained 7 lbs in my weakness…and I’m not happy about it!!
No Blame Game For Me…It’s All My Fault!!
I would normally blame my husband, Dewitt, because he is naturally thin…and can eat all night…and not gain a pound!!
He brings the tempting foods into the bedroom to eat…and eats them in the bed…after 8 pm; but it’s my fault when I decide to lay there and feed my face right along with him!!
Of Course, He’s still slim and trim…but I WILL have to ‘Work-Out.’
Our Exercise Class, at the Center, has been on a holiday hiatus, so I am looking forward to restarting our exercise routine Next Week.
We have exercise class on Wednesday and Friday nights…we do a walking routine, equivalent to 2-3 miles.
Afterwards, we usually have a healthy salad…that is unless Uncle Bob is cooking up one of his fantastically, fattening dishes…in his huge pot!!
Is that Blame??…Lol.
So Anyway…I am excited about this New Year…and I’m excited about My New Start…WITH God’s Grace!!
You know what else I’m excited about??
I’m Excited about Jesus!!
Because EVERYDAY…We Get a New Start WITH God!!
-It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness- (Lamentations 3:22)
God’s mercy…His Lovingkindness…and His compassion for Us is ‘New’ EVERYDAY!!
So…When God blesses us with a ‘New’ Morning…We get a New Start!!
We can Go to Our Father, asking for His mercies, like David in Psalm 51, after he had sinned with Bathsheba…
-HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions- (Psalms 51:1)
Two things to notice, in both scriptures…David says God’s ‘tender’ mercy is multitudinous…
And (in Lamentations also above), Jeremiah says…God’s ‘tender’ compassions never Fail Us!!
So both writers, use the word ‘tender’ to describe these qualities of God…
‘Tender’ means to show gentleness or concern.
So every morning…God is concerned about Us…waiting for Us to come to Him in prayer…ready to show Us His gentle mercy and compassion, because He understands that We have ‘Faith-failures’ and that We sometimes, succumb to the devil’s temptations…and get tripped up…by sin.
But God IS ‘Faith-Full’ and He understands that in Our Flesh, We are ‘Un-faith-full’…and Without His mercy…and His lovingkindness…We would be consumed by Our sins!!
And…Just as God renewed David (in Psalms 51:7)…
He WILL Renew Us!!
He WILL wash away ALL of Our sins, making Us whiter than snow!!
Making Us Feel ‘Brand-New!!’ Lol
Then…He gives Us His Grace…His free gift that stabilizes Us and empowers Us to walk in His ‘Faith-fullness.’
So Each New Morning of 2015…in this New Year…
We Can Go to God And Ask for…
‘New’ Compassion and ‘New’ Mercies…
For A ‘New’ Start in Him!!
So You…can stop moping and whining…because You’re All ‘Jacked-Up!’
WE ALL ARE!!…without JESUS!!
So this year, when We find that…WITHOUT God, We are not able to stick to that new diet…
Or…
WITHOUT God…We are not faithful to maintain Our new fitness plan…
Remember…
We can ask God for His Grace…
To Start Again…and to accomplish Our Goals..and to accomplish…ALL THINGS!!
-I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency-
(Philippians 4:13)
What New Starts WILL You Make in 2015…WITH God’s Grace??
Leave Me A Comment to Let me Know…
I WILL Help Keep You Accountable…Lol!!
Or
Email me At ttwear@gmail.com
Let’s Be Amazed, Together at God in 2015…
Till Monday…
God Loves You and So Do I!!
-Tam
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