NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 24
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
This photo is of the model of the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. This magnificent structure was constructed by King Herod and was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. On today’s Google map, you will see where this model is located in Jerusalem; the original Temple stood just 300 yards to the northeast. Today the location of the Dome of the Rock Muslim shrine is just to the south of where the Temple was situated.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 2 Kings 24:2
And the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets.
We are now being introduced to Nebuchadnezzar, a King who will show up in our readings more often in the remaining Hebrew Scriptures than any other foreign monarch.
God is very patient, as is demonstrated again and again in our readings about the kings of Judah, but He will not forever endure disobedience and the flagrant misuse of His name. The practices established by Moses in the Tabernacle, and enhanced by Solomon in the Temple, were continuing. But the Kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord had added the idol worship of other religions. The peoples of Israel and Judah continued to be known as the people of God, but for most of the time, they did not act in a manner honouring God. God finally refused to see any more evil done in His Holy Name. God hurled enemy after enemy against Judah until it was a mere shadow of its former self, and it became a mere puppet of foreign rulers.
Let us not despair. God was working all things after the counsel of His will. He had His faithful people amongst the captives taken to Babylon. Check out Daniel 1:1-6.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, even as You had people who were faithful to You when evil deeds were government policy in both Israel and Judah, so You have those in our land who refuse to compromise their personal standards of righteousness. I pray that I may ever be one of those who serve You with all my heart, as did Daniel and the three Hebrew youths who, even though they were forcibly removed from Jerusalem, served You with integrity. In the Name of the One who served You most faithfully, Jesus, I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
While I use the common term to describe Israel, the “Holy Land,” it is by no means “holy” today. For example, the destruction of innocent life, known as abortion, is rampant amongst secular Jews who make up the majority of the population. The evil kings of ancient Judah in our recent readings burned children as sacrifices to the god Molech. Today little bodies are burned in an incinerator. The same atrocity is happening here. There is no protection in our country for a child up until the moment he or she exits the womb. I believe that the reason God is still merciful to modern Israel and to Canada is because there are people who grieve and repent for national sins against God on a daily basis. I know that our Queen, our official Head of State for Canada, is grieved deeply by the evil of abortion, but as a constitutional monarch, she does not have the power of a Hezekiah or a Josiah to change things. Our government is also powerless to protect these little ones until a clear majority of the members of the House of Commons and the Senate come to abhor the practice of abortion. Back in the 1980s, we had a Minister of Health, the Hon. Jake Epp, who succeeded in getting a bill through the Commons with some protection for these little lives, but this bill was defeated in the Senate by just one vote. I pray daily for leaders, those who hold life as a sacred gift of God, to rise up, run for elected office, and form the majority of our lawmakers. I not only pray but I work for such people, regardless of party affiliation.
Yours to pray and work for God’s “will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven,”
David
Amen, David. Thank you for your stance on all that is righteous in the eyes of our Lord. “And in the end he thrust them from his presence.” Oh, the Lord is ALL powerful! Blessings, dearest saints!
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:10-11 NKJV
What A Beautiful Name (Lyric Video) – Hillsong Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5L6QlAH3L4
What A Beautiful Name
Hillsong Worship
You were the Word at the beginning
One With God the Lord Most High
Your hidden glory in creation
Now revealed in You our Christ
What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
You didn’t want heaven without us
So Jesus, You brought heaven down
My sin was great, Your love was greater
What could separate us now
What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
Amen Beverlee…Yes, What a wonderful Name it is, the Name of Jesus!
Amen! Beverlee Kay.
Thank-you for sharing the beautiful Lyric Video.
Praying for God’s Will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven,
in Jesus Almighty Name, Amen.
Amen!
Paul Treciokas, I sincerely hope you will see today’s post, and read David Mainse’s stance on abortion.
Amen to that. ????
yes, Amen to that!
Amen, David. Thank you for taking such a stand and I remember taking a stand on the streets against abortion and attending some meetings. Lord help us to pray for leaders in the government who will do so. Need to pray for our Conservative Leader who is being chosen today that he will be prolife. God bless you saints. Lovely day here in the Maritimes.
Amen
Amen!
Yes, amen, Ger.
Yes Amen , May His will be done , To these innocent Babie,’s lives ,
I am praying some day soon there willbe no more abortions in our land
of Canada… wouldn’t that be wonderful…..Amen Amen…Rosemarie….
Amen to all these replies.
Eleanor M.
what about the rest of the world? A human life needs to be valued but many places in our world do not hold high regards for human beings!
Once again I thank you Paul for getting the dialogue going! David’s Mainse’s blog is exactly true! Laws protecting the children, the elderly, those who cannot protect themselves are put forth every day and voted upon AND some of the politicians DO NOT vote the right way!
I don’t wish to go any further because I have BIG problems with our Senate! 107 individuals who get life time pensions! I am all in favour of absolving the senate! Do away with it! It is not needed! that money could go to increasing pensions for seniors!
pray for our leaders and for our governments amen amen amen
men and women need to take responsibility for not having babies!
in my opinion I think it is such a stupid attitude for people to cry out and stop abortions! stop same sex marriage! Yes, stop indeed! HOWEVER it is a choice that each person must make!
when I got to the point of no more children, I had a removal of the uterus! It was MY choice! I waned no more children!
pray for the women and girls that have been released in Nigeria (83) there is about 117 left to release but some have married their captors and have had children and believe their captors beliefs; so; once again; we must pray for God’s Will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven! amen amen amen
Amen Rosemarie Henning!
amen David
Beverlee I that song is beautiful I bought the album on iTunes
Lianne Hogg
Bless you Pastor David for your stance on abortion!! It will be a glorious day, when this Nation of Canada and its leaders taken a stance against abortion, and stop the shed of the helpless innocent children!
Lord forgive us I pray, for not being more zealous in our prayer for these little ones. Jesus I pray you awaken the church of its complacency! Amen!!