JERUSALEM
Suggested Reading: Nehemiah 10-11
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Looking north from the east side of the City David you can see the Kidron Valley with the Mount of Olives on the right and the Temple Mount on the Left.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Nehemiah 11:2
And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
Dwelling in Jerusalem today is much easier than in ancient times. Frozen meat and vegetables are available as in our western grocery stores. Jerusalem, at that time, was built on Mt. Moriah and Mt. Zion, rocky peaks where arable land is scarce. Jerusalem families had garden plots outside the city to which they would commute. Jerusalem was not “flowing with milk and honey” as was most of the rest of Israel. Living there 2,500 years ago was a sacrifice.
Blessing is the opposite of cursing. Understanding this fact enables us to grasp the meaning of “blessing.” All the dictionary meanings of “blessing” fall short of explaining what it means to bless someone. So… Let’s bless someone today! Let’s use our imaginations to come up with a unique, personalized way to bless others.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God of Ezra and Nehemiah, I pray that today I will bless someone who needs a blessing! I ask for creative ideas and for the determination to follow through until I bless someone. In the Name of the One who has blessed the whole world, Jesus, my Saviour and Lord! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I am a blessed man. Yesterday, my granddaughter, Hannah Shaheen, about to receive her M.D. degree, came over to our apartment for a quiet place to write her application for a residency and also her personal statement which she will also submit. She’s applying to teaching hospitals in both Canada and in the United States. Her big smiles and her loving hugs make Grandpa, “Feel better all over more than anywhere else” (as my brother-in-law, Reynold Rutledge says). When their family lived in Jerusalem, Hannah’s older sister, Sarah, who was 16 at the time, blessed me and many others by reading the Scriptures on a live satellite transmission from Jerusalem on the 100 Huntley Street telecast. This was the start of 24/7 broadcasting on a network of three satellite channels covering the world, where there was continuous reading of the books written in Jerusalem by the Prophets and Apostles. This continued from October to the end of December, 2000, when the funds designated for this purpose ran out. May I say that you, yes you, who have supported Crossroads/100 Huntley Street, and many other outreaches for God’s work, have blessed me more than words can express. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Someone sent me a picture (seen below) of Sarah blessing us with her reading from Jerusalem. The picture was taken off the person’s TV screen as 100 Huntley Street was live from Jerusalem.
Yours for blessing and being blessed!
David
When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.
Willie Nelson
Our scripture reading today reflects a blessing. The re-commitment of the Godly people of Israel to it’s land and it’s original God-based ordinances and principles was a blessing. If we as a people today would simply re-commit to God’s principles as as found in the Bible, the teachings of Jesus, and to follow in His precepts, we would bless the Lord and indeed the Lord would bless us in our time.
Amen, Scott. You are a blessed man, David and in turn you bless others. I have been a recipient of many blessings lately from you, David, the team and all my fellow bloggers. Forgive me if I appeared ungrateful. I was praying for all of you yesterday. I thought of how exciting it would be to dwell at Jerusalem for a while now. Today is a dull day so will be blessed to read you book, David, “This Far By Faith”, and bless someone else. God Bless all my fellow saints today.
Welcome back Ger and I pray The Lord will continue to strengthen you each day. Enjoy your reading.
Welcome back Ger!!! It is a joy and a blessing to have you back with us – we missed you. Thank you for praying for us!!!! Isn’t God Good!!!!……ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!!
Yesterday was a full day and so I left a comment late last night. It is relivent for today’s reading, if you care to read it .
A very nice photo of you and Sarah David. What is Sarah up to these days?
I prayed for you to get over your cold quickly as did so many others on this blog,
hope you are feeling better. 🙂
Love and prayers to all
M.
Blessings to you Pastor David and praying each day you feel much better. Also to all our fellow bloggers, as Scott said if we would commit to following Our Lord’s teachings, Blessings will follow.
After I see the doctor today I am off to the cottage for a few days, no Internet, but will continue in our readings.
Will be praying for each one of you, and may I too bless someone today.
Pray for you, Catherine, and you, Pastor David and many others who are suffering from cold and other types of sicknesses…. May God continue to strengthen you , Ger.
May you all find rest in God’s wings and get restored completely in health soon. God’s blessings are abundant in both sunny and cloudy days, in both light and darkness:
Psalm 139:11 “…even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (our Lord)”
In His love and blessings,
Janet
Another wonderful experience today (Sarah’s reading from Jerusalem). I do understand more now, David, when you said, “hang in there”! There are so many names listed. The reader from Bible Gateway does a wonderful job. I sure would not want to have to call these people to supper! (I wouldn’t be able to pronounce most of them). God bless you abundantly today, David, and strengthen you from your recent cold and your on-going physical challenges.
When your heart is lonely may the Lord give you His presence
When your spirit is troubled may the Lord give you His stillness.
When your eyes see only obstacles may the Lord give you
His opportunities to behold.
When your body is in pain may the Lord give you His healing.
When your soul is grieving may the Lord give you His peace.
Where ever you are, who ever you are, what ever you are doing
May the Lord’s blessings upon you be ever flowing.
May you always know the Lord’s Mercy and Grace
as you faithfully wait the day you will meet Him face to face.
Beautiful Donna!!!! That poem really blessed my soul today – Thank You!!!
Dear Donna M
How sweet are the words that you send us you truly are blessing each of us with your beautiful poem .
God Bless You dear sister in Christ.
xxxx Carole.
Donna, thank you sharing that beautiful poem!!!!
i love this.
Thank you Catherine and have a relaxing time at the cottage. Encouraging poem, Donna M. HE can meet all our needs.
Today’s reading was one that made me think!
At church, I am part of a ministry where I am consistently surrounded by very talented people. This past week, I was working with a girl who I realized I was becoming very easily annoyed by. I was very closed off to her and rolled my eyes when she would walk away.
I started to feel guilty about it and I started to beat myself up…after all that wasn’t the “Christian” thing to do. Instead of being sarcastic or having a “you’re not good enough” attitude, which is what many people in the world believe God’s attitude to be, God was very gracious in how he dealt with this situation. –> blessing #1
Instead of continuing to beat myself up, I felt led to think about why I was feeling annoyed by this person. I started off by thinking some awful things in my head first, but after getting nowhere, I realized that it was because I was completely jealous of her. She is wonderfully gifted in what she does and was getting recognition for it. Moreover, she wasn’t afraid to act on her gifting like I have always been. I have been working towards trusting God in this area, but it was exactly that for me – work. She delicately and beautifully gave of herself with what seemed like ease.
I have gone through this jealousy thing enough times to know that it isn’t productive and was playing around with the idea of how to work through it. Which is where this teaching on blessing came in.
We are supposed to bless and not curse our enemies (Romans 12:14). The Bible specifically talks about blessing those who persecute you in this passage! How much more then, should I be working towards blessing people who I am essentially persecuting – so that I can authentically show an attitude of love the way that Christ loved me towards someone who has done no harm to me.
Anyways, one of the things that I have learned in the past is that I should really get to know someone before I judge them. There have been a couple people in my life that I have not liked right off the bat, but getting to know them on a deeper level has made me understand how much more I could be appreciating them. My goal then now, is to get to know this person so that I can see over my pride and instead get to a place where I can see her the way Christ does.
also, I’m sure I will in turn be blessed by her friendship –> another blessing!
Jessica I struggle with jealousy too thank you for sharing.
you are loved, and are made perfectly! thanks for your vulnerability!… did i spell that right?!
Dear Jessica,
Thanks for your honest and truthful sharing. I had that kind of experience before. For me to overcome it, I found that if I tried to treat that person (in this if that is a she) as my “daughter” ( if younger than you) or my “mother” (if she is older than you), I found it much easier for me to accept her unconditionally, and even was able to pray for her for God’s mighty use of her talent and gift to further His kingdom, without holding any grudge, grumpiness nor any self-bitterness. May God give you wisdom and love to conquer this as the greatest gift of all is love, which is solely from God.
Bless you, my dear sister.
Janet
so encouraging 🙂 she is my age… so i’m definitely twin sister material… heh, when i think about it that way, it gives me even more to think about…let me indulge my abstract thinking for a moment – twins are symbolic of self-reflection…there are no two people in the world more alike then your twin…kind of convicting. it reminds me to think about the fact that i need to love her and care about her the way that i would love and care about myself. good food for thought. thanks 😀
Good sharing, Jessica. Look forward to hear how God leads you.
thank you for the encouragement :)!
Dear Jessica
Talking about blessings sharing your story sure feels like The Lords blessing to me .
Have a blessed day dear sister in Christ.
xxxx Carole.
i love this. thanks 🙂
Excellent teaching today Pastor David!!!! Getting through all those names is sometimes difficult and I often wonder, what can we receive from this, but you always find a nugget of truth for us. Thank You!!!
Well, I am off to bless my daughter this morning!!! Have a great day blog-buddies and God BLESS each one of you!!!!
May the Lord Bless you all especilly those who are struggling with an illness
of any kind phyiscally spiritually or mentally God bless you this day ….R…
Dear David M.
Well I am sending you right back thank you thank you thank you and the list of the reasons why could go way beyond a 100 words as what your ministery of crossroads and 100 Huntley has done in making me reborn in Christ surrendering my life and trusting the Lord that each day that I am alive is only for one reason to let Him be known until HIS RETURN and bring salvation to my family and every human being that crosses my path .
I trust that your grand daughter visit surly boosted your immune system and I expect Our Great Physician had a little doing in there ….
Blessed day everyone
xxxx Carole.
David, you have been a blessing to soooo many and we bless you and pray for continued sustaining and empowering of the Holy Spirit!
God bless YOU David for your faithfullness to HIM and us blog readers!!
Nancy
Thank you fellow bloggers for your comments my thoughts and prayers are with you. David M. may God’s healing hand be upon you and my fellow bloggers as Rosemarie prayed. God blessings be on each one!!
Dear Jessica
What honesty! I believe You are being blessed . The only way the lord can work in us is if we are honest with our selves. I camend you for your honesty, and I pray you will over come any and all of your personal struggles .
We all struggle with something.
Thank you Jesus for loving us, your children, unconditionaly.
M 🙂
PS
Beautiful poem Donna. You are so talented. Your poems are comforting.
Thank you for ahareing!
Hi All,
Thank you for allowing this place to be a place of honesty. What an incredible gift to be able to share the depths of my heart with people who don’t know me in person, but who share a common heart through an understanding of Jesus. I’d like to thank my father, David (not David Maines, but the other David who posts on here daily) for his introduction to such a loving and accepting group of people. I am the blessed one. Isn’t this community such a beautiful representation of the church! 🙂
Jessica you are a Blessing! Thank you so much for sharing and being so transparent!
To grasp our Lord’s love is to acknowledge His reason for your being, Jessica.
A DOUBLE portion of blessings upon you David.
May the Lord continue to ‘make His face shine upon thee & be gracious unto thee’.
Love you, Darko’s Donna :o)