A 180 DEGREE TURN
Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 33
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
An hour’s drive north of the Sea of Galilee is Caesarea Philippi, also known as Banias. Here you can view the remnants of the Temple of Pan. It was here that Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20). As in today’s reading, here is evidence of the people of God turning to false gods.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: 2 Chronicles 33:3, 15
For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them…He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord…
Manasseh was just 12 when he was crowned king. His father, Hezekiah, was a man of the true God, but he died, and obviously those around the new boy king exerted a great influence. Not only did Manasseh reintroduce idol worship, he led the people deeply into the occult, practising witchcraft, sorcery, and consulting mediums and spiritists. This list sounds as if it could be lifted from today’s newspapers and magazines. Manasseh worshipped the starry hosts. Does that sound like reading the horoscopes? Ouija boards, fortune telling, and palm reading are prominent in our time. Let us run from such practises into the truth of Jesus, our Saviour and Lord!
Manasseh repented, making a 180 degree turn, but only after he had paid a horrible price. Nevertheless, God is full of mercy, and the latter days of Manasseh’s 55-year reign produced a return to God and God’s blessings upon the people of Judah and Israel. The story of Amon, Manasseh’s son, was a return to evil practises. However, Amon reigned for only two years. For that we can be thankful. How crucial it is for each generation to have its personal encounter with the true God!!!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray for total freedom in my life from any and all influences that come from the “rulers of the darkness of this age.” I run into Your complete protection! Keep me pure in Your sight, Lord Jesus. In Your holy and all-powerful Name I ask, Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
In tours that Norma-Jean and I have led to Israel, I have spoken at the location of today’s photos regarding the confession Peter made there, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). May I suggest that all of us read Matthew 16:12-23. Could it have been the influence of the spirits inhabiting this shrine that caused Jesus to have to say to Peter shortly thereafter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me.” In order to always think like God thinks, I must be faithful in reading, underlining, meditating and assimilating God’s thoughts, His Word.
Here’s a powerful 100 Huntley Street testimony of a woman who was deeply involved in the occult, as Manasseh was, who found deliverance in Christ (click here for part 1 of the story of Carole Kornacki and click here for part 2).
Yours for turning away from any influence whatsoever from the occult,
David
This was a “high place” in ancient Caesarea Philippi. It was a temple where various gods were worshipped. The main source of the Jordan River flows from under this mountain.
Jesus and His disciples likely walked on these very steps when they visited Caesarea Philippi.
This is a depiction of what the sacred high places in Caesarea Philippi may have looked like at the time of Jesus.
Thank you for this blog, for your faithfulness, for your prayers. You are the people of God, and I ask God to keep you all strong and free in Him. In Jesus’s greatest of all names, amen
I prayed David’s prayer this morning for protection from the evil one. I was encouraged by the Scripture reading that Manasseh repented and God forgiave him. We have to pray fervently for the next generation that they would see Christ in our lives and follow him. Sometimes we might get discouraged , when we don’t see any changes in those we have been praying for daily. But God hears our prayers and we have to remember that iHis timing is not the same as ours. We MUST NOT not give up.
Be encouraged that God is in control.
Blessings to all, continued prayers for Ann and all in need of a healing touch. Eleanor M.????
Eleanor M… you have completely expressed my prayers, hopes and wishes. May God BlessYou.
Amen Eleanor M!
In agreement with you Eleanor. My grandmother always prayed for her family’s salvation & I saw some come into salvation after her death (some had grandchildren who they wanted a better education for so sent them to Christian schools & became Christian through that). We all have a copy of her handwritten prayer that means so much to us. Thank You Lord. I am wearing 2 monitors just now. My heart is acting so abnormally. They are trying to figure it out. Appreciate prayers.
God bless you Doreen; yes God knows your heart; He created it; He has healing for you, Praise and Thank the Lord for providing very qualified medical staff to care for you; also we Thank and Praise the Lord for He is right beside you all the time; Lean on Him; Lord we lift up Doreen for complete healing; we pray You will fill her heart with beautiful music that plays while worshiping You; we pray that she feels Your very presence; we Thank You Lord for the healing of Doreen’s mind, body and soul, she is Your precious child Lord, Thank you in Jesus Name we Pray amen
Doreen.. The Lord knows your heart, HE created it!
May HE give the doctors wisdom to figure it out and the best course of treatment!
I am praying for the next generation as well, may our heavenly father hear all our prayers!
Prayers for you Doreen and Beverlee. I would appreciate prayer also for decision making. My next door neighbor Lynda had a biking accident; collision with a deer and request prayer for her and her husband physically and spiritually. Glad the King Manasseh turned back to the Lord, but not Ammon and the good King Josiah led after him. Enjoy your day!
I’m a biker too and not far down the road,a biker was killed when he hit a deer a couple weeks ago.Praying for Anne and those mentioned.God bless
Love the photos of places in Israel and the depiction of the sacred high places as I will probably never make a visit to that amazing state.
Today’s story just proves that no matter how far we’ve strayed from our Lord, He will forgive us and gladly welcome us back into His arms of salvation.
Praying for all dear saints and those who will eventually come to Jesus.
Amen;just like the prodigal son.He instills in us the same love for our own children but His love is much more powerful than ours.
In OT days they did not have the Helper/the Holy Spirit as we do today nor the history of the scriptures that we have so no wonder they kept falling…
Satan is a very powerful being especially before he was defeated by Jesus.He (and his demons) can influence human minds ‘stealthily’ for we don’t usually recognize this influence for what it is…((2 Corinthians 11:14 New International Version (NIV) ))
“14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
I strongly suspect that Satan can not affect the physical world directly but must use mortals to do so for him which is why he tricks us mortals into doing his diabolical work for him,thus the shrines,etc.Satan and his demons are wannabe gods.They can’t earn respect so they settle for fear.
Jesus recognized that Satan had put a negative emotion/impulse (which then turns to a thought) into Peter’s mind.((We think these impulses are our own thoughts which they do become if we do not reject them.))
Thank You,Jesus for Pentecost !
Control (I believe this to be a fact.)
“….the one who has the power of death
—the devil.” Hebrews 2:14c (ERV)
Satan blends his thoughts with yours,
You think they came from you,
For his goal is to close all doors,
To control everything you do.
He starts this at an early age,
His lies make you the liar
And if you are in a rage,
That’s when you fuel his hellfire.
But just like Satan who sneaks in,
There is Another who is true,
For He knows well about sin
And what Satan wants with you.
He will only enter if invited,
A slave is not His goal,
He seeks a fire be ignited
From within to make you whole.
G W(Bill) Marshall / 13 June, 2013
“…. the evil one comes and snatches
away….” Matthew 13:19a (NIV)
Charles Stanley agrees in this video:
https://youtu.be/1j0j0XD_gsE
Here is a very powerful message from Carol Kornacki’s FB page (unrelated to my comments).
https://www.facebook.com/carolkornacki?fref=search&__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAb6Dp8jf1QVtSvDpIsmojG3bphvPKQDbXvULo2Zv3uE8GcRAejFSHBs1FepiXYGuWD2wqnoUNgakL-
In OT days they did not have the Helper/the Holy Spirit as we do today nor the history of the scriptures that we have so no wonder they kept falling…
Satan is a very powerful being especially before he was defeated by Jesus.He (and his demons) can influence human minds ‘stealthily’ for we don’t usually recognize this influence for what it is…((2 Corinthians 11:14 New International Version (NIV) ))
“14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
I strongly suspect that Satan can not affect the physical world directly but must use mortals to do so for him which is why he tricks us mortals into doing his diabolical work for him,thus the shrines,etc.Satan and his demons are wannabe gods.They can’t earn respect so they settle for fear.
Jesus recognized that Satan had put a negative emotion/impulse (which then turns to a thought) into Peter’s mind.((We think these impulses are our own thoughts which they do become if we do not reject them.))
Thank You,Jesus for Pentecost !
Control (I believe this to be a fact.)
“….the one who has the power of death
—the devil.” Hebrews 2:14c (ERV)
Satan blends his thoughts with yours,
You think they came from you,
For his goal is to close all doors,
To control everything you do.
He starts this at an early age,
His lies make you the liar
And if you are in a rage,
That’s when you fuel his hellfire.
But just like Satan who sneaks in,
There is Another who is true,
For He knows well about sin
And what Satan wants with you.
He will only enter if invited,
A slave is not His goal,
He seeks a fire be ignited
From within to make you whole.
G W(Bill) Marshall / 13 June, 2013
“…. the evil one comes and snatches
away….” Matthew 13:19a (NIV)
Charles Stanley agrees in this video:
https://youtu.be/1j0j0XD_gsE
Here is a very powerful message from Carol Kornacki’s FB page (unrelated to my comments).
https://www.facebook.com/carolkornacki?fref=search&__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAb6Dp8jf1QVtSvDpIsmojG3bphvPKQDbXvULo2Zv3uE8GcRAejFSHBs1FepiXYGuWD2wqnoUNgakL-
Sorry,that’s her FB page,this is the correct link I meant to share,very powerful.God bless
https://www.facebook.com/joshua.feuerstein.5/videos/599919886777364/?t=0
prayers needed to rebuke the devil in all he does,he is nothing; we plead the Blood of the Lamb over our families;friends;neighbours;communities;churches;cities;towns;municipalities;everywhere and into every corner of this earth which God created, we Thank our Lord God for every breath; bless the family of a resident who passed away today;we Thank the Lord for His forgiveness to us of all our sins; amen amen amen In Jesus Name we Pray amen