The COHEN FAMILY
Today’s Reading: Joshua 21
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
Petra is one of the Ancient Wonders of the World and is without a doubt Jordan’s greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge over one km in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80 metre high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colours and formations of the reddish rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury). In ancient times, this was in the area of Edom, mentioned several times in our recent blog readings. Edomites were descendents of Esau, who was the brother of Jacob (Israel).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Joshua 21:45
Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
When we come across the Jewish name “Cohen,” we know they are from the line of Kohath, who was the second son of Levi (Joshua 21:20). They are hereditary priests. Moses and Joshua did not give the priests land like the other tribes in order to ensure the distribution of God’s priestly representatives throughout the land in an evenly placed manner. This may have served to retard Israel’s embrace of pagan cultures.
God’s Word will not fail. It may take time, but be assured of eventual fulfillment. Israel failed, not God’s Word. When God promised victory, they ran away in defeat. When God promised prosperity, they broke His rules so that God could not bless them as He wanted to. When God promised to be their leader, they begged for a king like the surrounding nations. When God promised to protect them from their enemies, they made their own unsuccessful battle plans. Are we as foolish as they were? Let us remind ourselves daily that God is totally committed to the fulfillment of all His good promises. Amen!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I’m well aware that there are promises of judgment as well as blessing. Help me to key in on the blessing promises, obeying You in everything that applies to me as a follower of Jesus. I promise to do this, “So help me God.” Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Our photographer, my son Rev. David Reynold Mainse, and his wife Kathy are missionaries based in Gulu, Uganda, Africa. Gulu is a city with 150,000 children under the age of 15. In the 80’s and 90’s, many of these children’s parents had been abducted by the rebel group known as The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). They were forced to be child soldiers, and the girls were also used as sex slaves to be raped again and again. I can’t imagine the horror of this, and now Reynold and Kathy have become part of the healing process. Reynold and Kathy have brought together denominational and tribal leaders in unity of purpose, many for the first time ever coming together like this. They have a vision for an outreach to the children and youth called “The 
Gulu City Park,” as there are no facilities capable of ministering to thousands of teens and children every day. Click here for information on what they are up to. Or if you’d like to contact Reynold directly, his email address is reynold@worldembrace.org.
Standing with you on God’s promises of blessing,
David
P.S. I’ll be sharing several of Reynold’s stunning Petra photos over the next few days!
Reynold walking through Petra’s dim, narrow gorge, which winds its way approximately 1.2 km and ends at Petra’s most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh (The Treasury). Reynold is a one-man crew, so he must have his camera on the tripod functioning automatically. Some believe that Petra is the fortress where God will hide and protect the remnant during the apocalypse.
FEBRUARY
IN THE GARDEN
Charles Austin Miles, 1868-1946
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing. [Refrain]
I’d stay in the garden with Him
Tho’ the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go; thro’ the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling. [Refrain]
Baptist Hymnal, 1991
Charles Austin Miles (1868-1946) Born: January 7, 1868, Lakehurst, New Jersey. Died: March 10, 1946, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Buried: Hillcrest Memorial Park, Sewell, New Jersey. Pseudonym: A. A. Payn. Miles attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1892, he abandoned his career as a pharmacist and wrote his first Gospel song, “List ’Tis Jesus’ Voice” which was published by the Hall-Mack Company. He served as editor and manager at the Hall-Mack publishers for 37 years. In his own words: It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my Master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.
IN THE GARDEN I Come To The Garden Alone Hymn Lyrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2vGONFV7ZM
Beverlee: Thank you so much for sharing this, I love this song. Also thank you for the info about the writer. Have a Blessed. day.
Eleanor M
Amazing ministry of Reynold & Cathy – God bless them and keep them during this challenging time. Looking forward to more of Petra – it certainly is an amazing place. Blessings all as we begin a new month. Amen
Father God, thank You for this day. Be with all Your children today. Guide them, bless them, and help them to stand in You and do all You have given them to do. Stir up each one’s faith and gifts, Lord, and help each one to do well the work You have prepared. Thank You again for this blog, for Your Word, and for Your servants. Bless each one in each particular place You have put them. In Jesus’s great name, amen
Amen, Rob.
Amen
Amen!
Amen Rob
Thank you Beverlee for the info and song. Is one of my favorite songs as well. Miss the old hymns we used to sing in our church. Thanks for all your prayers saints! Had a great prayer time with a former missionary friend yesterday. God is good!
That hymn was one of my close friend and mentor’s favourites as well as mine.It was sung at his funeral in December and was one our Men’s choir (interdenominational) often sang and had requests for.Those are very interesting facts about the author.Thank you,Beverlee.
I watched this movie about John Newton last night and was pleasantly surprised to hear the very book by Achen Wilson Tozer mentioned that I am currently reading….but Tozer was not born then???I’ll have to watch the movie again.
Newton was a close friend of William Wilberforce’s father and ‘like an uncle’ to him so was a great influence on William and no doubt,a force behind him.This book by Tozer,The Knowledge of The Holy,is a very enlightening book that I find in line with my many of my own thoughts on His holy Spirit and confirmation that ‘His ways’ are unimaginably !!! so far above our own.I expect I will finding I was wrong about Newton mentioning that book (and author) and I will have no trouble correcting ‘me’.This ‘garden poem’ came to me in about 10 minutes duration and it brings me a strange comfort.Although it came through me,I am no more its author than my keyboard (pen) is.May God bless
Back To The Garden
I want to go back to the garden,
Back to before sin knew it’s name;
Before hearts of stone would harden,
For then,Lord,our hearts were the same.
Father take me back,if only in dreams,
To Your world where love was to blossom,
Where birds sang beside mountain streams,
And the beauty that grew was so awesome.
Show me this secret garden of Yours,
Where I can be free from my sin,
Where the angels keep open doors
And time was not free to begin.
Show me the way to the garden path,
For too long my garden sprouts sin,
So let Your fire burn free Your wrath
To make a new heart from within.
G W(Bill) Marshall / 21 Feb, 2014
Sorry for the many typos.
It just hit me and I checked my books to confirm it.The book Newton mentioned was The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a` Kempis,written in the early 1400’s !(My mother didn’t call me ‘Sonny’ because I was bright.lol.)Blessings
Here’s that movie also,Newton’s Grace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdlZ8ykfwuw
Thanks to ALL Bloggers for wonderful PoemS, information, magnificent pictures, and prayer……a true Blessing!
I forwarded Paul Brandt’s Rendition of Song to a non-Christian acquaintance who is beginning a long Isolation for a Stem Cell Transplant.
Praying she will meet Him, (give-up the Crystals), and be healed as He Wills.
Amen to that Laur–give up the crystals and old ways and embrace only the Light of Christ. I remember years ago, throwing all my crystals into the lake. I felt they needed to be returned. They were not for me to keep and idolize. We are not to worship false idols and loving crystals as ornaments is the same thing. My adoration is only for Christ.
Wow–here is John Hagee on Daystar–great preaching on love!
John Hagee
https://www.daystar.com/watch/live-stream/
Typo: God is Love
Very inspirational messages from all bloggers very uplifting
May you all be blessed.