THE HUMAN HEART
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 16-17
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The Arch of Titus in Rome was constructed in 82 AD by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus’ victory in the Sack of Jerusalem in 70 AD (note the extra photo below of the inside of the Arch). The Arch of Titus has provided the general model for many of the triumphal arches erected since the 16th century, including the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. In the P.S. today is the description of the destruction of Jerusalem according to the Jewish historian, Josephus. The Roman historian, Tacitus, also covers this massacre of Jewish people and the rape of the Temple. It’s not unlike what must have happened to Jerusalem when it was destroyed by the Babylonians hundreds of years earlier as prophesied by Jeremiah.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Jeremiah 17:9, 14
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
…Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for You are my praise!
Heart disease is our #1 killer physically. Same thing spiritually! Many of us have done “The Daniel Plan,” which will help heal and strengthen that blood pump inside (click here for information), and for spiritual healing there is this blog! “He sent His Word and healed them” (Psalm 107:20a). There’s healing both for the body as well as the soul and spirit in daily, daily, daily reading and meditating on God’s Word!!! For potential new 100words.ca readers, you can start any time and finish in two years (compared to one-year plans, there are shorter readings and extra time for meditating). Soak in God’s Word and experience physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing!!!
Jeremiah diagnosed the human heart as deceitful and desperately wicked. Is there a guaranteed healing prescription? Can this terminal heart condition be healed?
The ultimate heart healing treatment is this…Romans 10:8-10. The word “heart” is repeated three times in that passage. It’s an oral medication. You take it by mouth! Speak these words out loud or even whisper them. That gets God’s Word down into our hearts. Healing and wholeness follows. Now, having ingested God’s healing medicine, let’s do as the last words of our key verses instruct us: “You [Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ] are my [our] praise!”
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, Your Word declares that You “inhabit the praises of [Your people!] Israel!” (Psalm 22:3b). I pray that I will learn more and more to use Scripture in my praise of You! As I do this, I know that I am inhabiting the realm of Your Presence! I’m singing now the glorious hymn of praise, “I Will Praise Him!” (click here for the Messianic Jewish family — believers in Jesus — The Isaacs singing this hymn). Let us praise God together!!! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
It can be discouraging to read Jeremiah because of his prophecies of woe. I heard a preacher on the local Christian radio station say, “When God says, ‘Woe,’ it means, Whoa!” That’s horse language for STOP!!!” Good advice?
I debated whether or not to quote the Jewish historian Josephus in his description of the next destruction of Jerusalem after the one prophesied by Jeremiah. There are probably similarities in both destructions of the city which the religious and political leaders brought on themselves. When God is not wanted and when He withdraws as a result, all hell breaks loose. This quote is from 70 A.D., after thousands of Christian Jews had left Jerusalem, as they were warned in a prophecy to escape. In case you don’t want to read of such horror, I’ll put it in a post script.
Yours for ingesting God’s Word and inhabiting, as God does, the PRAISE SPACE!!!
David
P.S. Josephus, a Jew, was in Jerusalem under the protection of the future Roman Emperor Titus when he wrote, “You would have thought the hill on which the Temple stood was boiling from the bottom upwards, that everywhere was a mass of flames, that here lay a sea of blood deeper than the fire, that there were more killed than killers. You could not see a single piece of ground anywhere because it was so thickly covered with bodies, forcing the soldiers to climb over them in order to reach further victims.”
Inside the Arch of Titus in Rome, one side depicts the Roman soldiers removing the menorah, table of showbread and silver trumpets from the Temple as it was destroyed in AD 70.
how great thou art youtube
Wonderful praise singing of the Isaac’s – very anointed. I wish the words were included. I will look up the lyrics elsewhere. Thanks, David.
Words & Music: Margaret J. Harris, 1898 for Doreen
“When I saw the cleansing fountain
Open wide for all my sin,
I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing,
When He said, “Wilt thou be clean?”
Refrain:
I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.
Though the way seems straight and narrow,
All I claimed was swept away;
My ambitions, plans and wishes,
At my feet in ashes lay.
Refrain
Then God’s fire upon the altar
Of my heart was set aflame;
I shall never cease to praise Him
Glory, glory to His Name!
Refrain
Blessèd be the Name of Jesus!
I’m so glad He took me in;
He’s forgiven my transgressions,
He has cleansed my heart from sin.
Refrain
Glory, glory to the Father!
Glory, glory to the Son!
Glory, glory to the Spirit!
Glory to the Three in One!
Here is the song played with lyrics (though not sung)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPsGoXqP_Ow
Thank you David. Posted “How Great Thou Art” by the Isaacs to my Facebook. It’s been a beautiful sunny week here in NB. Can’t believe my driveway is almost bare. There was certainly a lot of cruelty during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. Blessings on all you saints!
Oh how our God wanted to spare them from destruction, how he longed for them to avoid the pain and the suffering that was the consequence of such a debauched lifestyle, how he wanted to protect them from the oncoming storm, how he longs to do the same for us. Forgive me Lord for my sins, cleanse me, help me, be my fortress againsts the idols of this world and fleeting pleasures, be with me always and keep me from temptation. How I need you.
I was blessed…as I joined in Praise with you and the Isaac’s…thank you for posting this praise song. Always enjoyed hearing the Isaac’s when they sang with the Gaither’s.
It can be depressing reading Jeremiah’s prophesies…but they are a good warning to us to feed on the WORD…:
Jesus told us in John 15:4: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the Vine; no more can you, except you abide in ME”.
And in John 15: 5 Jesus said “I am the Vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing”.
The photos of the Arch of Titus take me back to my art history days in university; divine architecture! Thanks for posting the link to the song, David. I have posted it below; it runs into How Great Thou Art, Sah. Having a rather difficult day, but giving Him all the praise, and it is cheering me up. Amen, saints!
“For I am the Lord, who heals you.” Ex 15:26 AMP
I Will Praise Him, The Isaacs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxXdswmI-oY
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease:
Take from our souls the strain and stress;
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the pulses of desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, its beats expire:
Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!”
Quoted poem from Streams in the Desert, January 30th
Lord the middle east has never been at peace since Jesus returned to Heaven! HOWEVER God knows what is happening and these are His people and God will deal with those who have persecuted the Jewish people!
I have trouble just trying to be at peace with my neighbours; it just seems when I zag then someone zigs and WHAM! Now suddenly there is a problem! It gets tiring, sometimes I think I won’t talk to anyone BUT a person can’t live that way either! SO, LORD, HELP ME TO FORGIVE AND OVERLOOK THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS! HELP ME LORD TO BITE MY TONGUE! THANK YOU LORD
asking for prayers of healing for neighbour Donna, she has cancer in the rectum! Prayers of heaing for her husband who has 2 broken ribs! they are seniois! I believe God will heal them both. I heard about the eagle: when he senses fear coming he spreads his wings and soars higher and higher! They do this to get a clearer view of the danger and they fly out of their comfort zone and when the danger is past, then they resume their flight pattern!
prayers of thanksgiving that the Property Assessment took my appeal over the phone! THANK AND PRAISE AND GOD FOR THIS MIRACLE!
Thank You Lord for swimming, that was also a miracle!
Lord I pray that Sah soar on Eagles Wings…safe and secure in Your loving arms!!!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I am asking for healing prayers for my mother Joyce who will undergo heart surgery this coming Tuesday. She has two blocked veins. I know God is our Devine healer and through him all things are possible .
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Thank you Lord that Pam posted a prayer of healing for her mother! What a wonderful blessing to be able to pray freely for others!
Lord You know this mother, you know her heart and You know the 2 veins that are blocked and Lord You have sent qualified surgeons to do this surgery, these surgeons are highly trained, very skilfull, the entire operating staff are highly trained and they will do the very best surgery on this precious mother, she will be feeling 100% plus, she will be able to feel the warm sun on her face, hear the birds chirping, see the first buttercups to bloom, she will be able to do all this because of You dear Lord! She will give You all the praise and thanksgiving!
You are our Healer, Our Saviour, Our Friend, Our Brother, Our God Almighty! There is none like You! ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO YOU DEAR LORD AMEN
TY Lord for his day! I come to You Lord God for a BIG financial breakthrough! Lord I lost much weight over the past 20 years and I thank You for turning my broken leg into me learning to swim!
I now have a bunch of loose skin around my middle! Father I pray for $500,000 which would pay off my loan, be able to send money to my children and grand children, donate to clear up a deficit at St.Johns and book surgery to clear up the excess weight! TY Lord for giving me the desire to exercise in the water!
Lord I desire to invest at $300,000 for a better income, once I am healed from surgery then prayerfully ask for help to finish my place; maybe plan on seeing children, continue swimming and pray for the Lord’s guidance, should I find a small condo uptown? or? I need the Lord’s guidance everyday! Thank you Lord for all the blessings of this day In Jesus name I Pray AMEN