Just before ascending into heaven Jesus commanded His apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit who would come in a few days. He said they would receive power when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. They would be witnesses to Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

5 “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has criticized the Jewish National Fund (JNF) following reports that the organization, established by Jews and for Jews to rebuild Jewish national life in the biblical home of the Jewish people, has donated 3,000 trees to the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA) of Mahmoud Abbas for a new city near Ramallah.

Benny Kashriel, the mayor of Maaleh Adumim who also is a member of the JNF board, said Monday that he will raise the JNF decision with the JNF board. The JNF, a time-honored symbol of Zionism, has for decades received literally billions of dollars from Jews in the Diaspora for planting trees and building the modern Jewish State. Kashriel said the contribution to the PA is a grave step that was taken without any request for approval and without advance notice and reflects a “system that has gone haywire … The country has gone crazy when it plants trees for the PA in Judea and Samaria at the same time that it forbids Jews to build. The system does not know who it is representing – us, the Palestinian Authority or the Americans?” (Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, ‘JNF Donates 3,000 Trees to Palestinian Authority,’ Israel National News, November 30, 2009).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We are deeply critical and indeed shocked by the decision of the JNF to donate thousands of trees, grown with money donated by Jews from around the world, to the PA. The PA is a terror-promoting entity controlled by Abbas’ Fatah, which demonstrated only in August at its Bethlehem conference that it does not accept Israel as a Jewish state, does not support a peace agreement that closes the conflict and engages in, indoctrinates for and glorifies terrorism against Jews. At this conference, Fatah honored terrorists, including Khaled Abu-Isbah and Dalal Mughrabi, responsible for the 1978 coastal road bus hijacking, in which 37 Israelis, including 12 children, were slaughtered.

“Has it really come to this, that a venerable Zionist organization with only one purpose – the up-building of a sovereign Jewish national existence, takes money from Jews and then uses these funds to make a gift of trees to Israel’s unreconstructed enemies?

“If JNF is to retain the confidence of American and world Jewry as to its dedicated purpose of building up the Jewish state of Israel, it is vital that the JNF publicly acknowledge its error and apologize for this clear misuse of funds it has raised. For the JNF to do otherwise would be to raise money from world Jewry under false pretenses. It is vital that JNF never repeat this decision.”

*
Preceding provided by Zionist Organization of America

Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed.

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.

Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

The Daily Path: I have been blessed each and every day over the past year. Though I may not always recognize His grace amid the “living” and surviving, I know that God continues to reach out to me.

Room to Chat: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

NEW YORK (Press Release)–The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is opposed to the policy announced Wednesday in Jerusalem by the Israeli government to institute a freeze on all Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria for a ten month period.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We would oppose freezing Jewish construction in any event, as Jews have a right to live in their religious and historic homeland. It would be wrong to deny Jews the right to live and build in these territories, simply because they are Jews. But we particularly oppose a freeze on Jewish construction in this instance as it is unilateral. Israel has not received any comparable, reciprocal concessions from either the Palestinians or the Arab states.

“At a minimum, Palestinian Arabs should also freeze Arab construction in Judea and Samaria so as not to permit Palestinian Arabs to prejudice a final settlement. As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu himself said in April to former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, ‘If Israelis can’t build homes on the West Bank, Palestinians shouldn’t be allowed to either. …If someone wishes to build a home in an existing settlement, I don’t think this is a problem (Haaretz, April 24, 2009).

“Even President Barack Obama opposed unilateral concessions last April by Israel when he said, ‘My hope is that we’re going to see movement not only from the Israelis but also from the Palestinians around issues of incitement and security, from Arab states that show their willingness to engage Israel. All sides must be willing to move off the rut we’re in currently.’

*
Preceding provided by Zionist Organization of America

JERUSALEM (Press Release)–As part of the efforts to give momentum to the peace talks with the Palestinian Authority and advance Israel’s comprehensive national interests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on (Wednesday),will ask the Security Cabinet to approve a ten-month suspension of new residential construction permits and new residential construction starts in Judea and Samaria.

Prime Minister Netanyahu told Security Cabinet members at the start of today’s meeting that, “In the international circumstances that have been created, this step will promote Israel’s broad national interests.  This is neither simple nor easy but it has many more advantages than disadvantages.  It allows us to place a simple fact before the world: The Government of Israel wants to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians, is taking practical steps in order to do so and is very serious in its intentions to promote peace.”

*
Preceding provided by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office

Listen to this question the Samaritan woman asks (John 4 v.20) “Where is God? My people say he is on mountain Gerizim. Your people say he is in Jerusalem. I don’t know where he is.” I love to imagine the expression on Jesus’ face when he heard these words. Did His eyes water? Did He smile? Did He look up and wink at His Father?

Just think. Of all the places to find a hungry heart – Samaria? Of all the people to be searching for God – a woman? Of all the people to have an insatiable appetite for God – a five-time divorcee? Of all the people the most “insignificant” person in the region? And of all the people to receive the secret of the ages, an outcast among outcasts? (John 4 v. 26)

It is remarkable that Jesus revealed the secret of the ages – his identity – in the shade of a well, in a rejected land, to an ostracized woman. His eyes must have danced with pure love and joy as he whispered the secret — “I am the Messiah.”

Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

If you have come to a personal saving relationship with the Lord Jesus through faith and repentance, I urge you to soon be baptized by immersion in water–even though you may have been baptized before your conversion, either as a baby or an adult.

Some may think this is not necessary because as children they have been dedicated or baptized, perhaps as a baby. Many parents sincerely believe this will help them grow up to believe in the Lord and in their church. No doubt, teaching them about the word of God and the things of the Lord Jesus will make a great difference.

At that time all such decisions were made for the child by the parents. Sooner or later the time will come when each person must make their own decision to believe on the Lord Jesus and then follow Him in baptism. Here are some examples from the Scripture:

As we found in our study, on the day of Pentecost about three thousand people made personal decisions to believe on the Lord Jesus and were saved. (Acts 2:41)  Many of them were devout men who had been carefully taught in the law and religious tradi­tions from birth. Yet after hearing Peter preach about Jesus, they were cut to the heart and asked what they should do. Peter said,

Acts 2:38 “Repent, and let every one of be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

41 Then those who gladly received his words were baptized.

A similar thing happened at Samaria. It was the men and women who heard the gospel and then made personal decisions to believe on the name of Jesus who were baptized.

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

11

• Jesus took the first step to breach the gap between Samaritan woman and himself in an effort to offer her that which she lacks Jesus made the first move by asking the Samaritan woman for some water.

From there he took it slowly to more serious issues – spiritual stuff.

She was indifferent to spiritual issues, at least initially. To this woman, the lowest of the low, Jesus’ brought the message – “It does not matter to me how much of a failure you are in people’s eyes, you can still have the living water.”

Jesus offers her living water as a gift – a spiritual gift. The original word for “living” can also mean “running,” so it’s easy to see why she easily misunderstands his offer and becomes flippant and even cynical in her response and mocks him about both of his claims. “How are you going to get this water? You don’t even have a bucket!” and “Who do think you are–better than Jacob –our Father?”

Jesus offers her living water which refers to the gift of a personal relationship with God through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit–the gift that Jesus has come to make available to us. However the woman thinks, “if it’ll save me a trip out here daily, I’ll take it.”

Overcome your inhibitions for God’s Kingdom sake and take the first step forward.

related post links 

Reaching out to Christians -http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/reaching-out-to-christians.html

 Samaritan flaskback -http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/samaritan-flashback.html

• Jesus timed his arrival there to meet a certain Samaritan woman of ill-repute.

A Jewish prayer goes like this: “I thank you that I was not born a Gentile, a slave or woman.” Rabbis (Jesus was one) were forbidden to speak to any woman in public, even their own mothers or sisters (Jesus came to break off all shackles that bound people and he was often found in mixed company).

Samaritan women were regarded as ritually unclean from birth. To top it all, the Samaritan woman in question was immoral – she had been through five husbands, and currently had a live-in boyfriend!

She was also an outcast. In a small town like Sychar, she would be viewed as a threat to the other married women, so she was probably ostracized by them. For one thing, there was a well in Sychar, but she was coming almost a mile to this well. Furthermore, most women drew water in the evening or morning when it was cool, and made it a social occasion. But John 4 vs 6 says she came to the well at noon, in the heat of the day–probably because she was ostracized by the other women of the community.

Related posts

Reaching out to Christians -http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/reaching-out-to-christians.html

 Samaritan flaskback -http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/samaritan-flashback.html

• Jesus took the unpopular route to Samaria, John 4.3

The rabbis taught it was ritually defiling to touch a Samaritan or any utensil handled by a Samaritan. Since Samaria lay between Galilee and Judea , pious Jews normally walked the 20+ extra miles around Samaria rather than go through it.

We too must be willing to walk paths that are not often trod to reach out. Thru his Good Samaritan’s parable Jesus urges every disciple of his to reach out to nominal Christians with love and concern.

http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/reaching-out-to-christians.html use this link to go to the original master post – - Reaching Out to Christians. this and some other following posts are small postcripts. read more

If you think the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is ready for the next round of peace talks consider this quote: “I say this clearly; I do not accept the Jewish State.” Thus spoke Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stated, “Netanyahu’s demand that Palestinians recognize the Jewish State is ruining the chance for peace.”

While I could continue to document the hate filled rhetoric of both Palestinian and Arab leaders, I chose the above two examples specifically.

Abbas is the head of the terror group that is reportedly the representative of the Palestinian people, thus if he does not recognize Israel as a legitimate sovereign nation, then the Oslo Accord and all subsequent agreements are null and void.

As the leader of Egypt (a so called moderate Arab nation and a nation supposedly at peace with Israel)  it is clear that peace through a two nation system inclusive of the Israelis and Palestinians is neither a reality nor the ultimate goal.

Israel’s obligation was to exchange land for peace. They gave up the land but have not gained peace. The powers that be refuse to acknowledge their legitimate existence are the same ones doing the killing.

Since Hamas has driven Fatah out of Gaza and is trying to remove Fatah from the Judea-Samaria area,  there is a two nation existence that of Fatah and Hamas with Israel caught in the middle. The apostle Paul wrote of men crying peace and safety being followed by sudden destruction. Today is that very time.

Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed.

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

The Daily Path: Ten men were healed, but only one gave thanks.

How often have I become so “comfortable” in my current condition that it’s difficult for me to see change? As I continue to focus and reflect on the abundance God has provided, it seems that I have acted more like the nine than the one. Have I truly recognized his redemption and returned to give thanks to God? Or have I been so busy “showing myself” that all too often I forget the source of all that I have been blessed with.

Room to Chat: Father, you alone have returned my sight. Help me to always see You, the one true source of abundance. Thank you!

Daily Bible Reading, thoughts, and prayer for November 11th

Today is the 11th of November.  This is the Daily Bible Reading, thoughts, and prayer starter for today.  Today we are reading from the New Living Translation Version Bible.  We’ll begin today from Ezekiel 23:1-49.  We will continue with Hebrews 10:19-39, Psalms 109:1-31 and Proverbs 27:13

Ezekiel 23:1-49

 ¹ This message came to me from the Lord: ² “Son of man, once there were two sisters who were daughters of the same mother. ³ They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts. ⁴ The older girl was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. I married them, and they bore me sons and daughters. I am speaking of Samaria and Jerusalem, for Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

 ⁵ “Then Oholah lusted after other lovers instead of me, and she gave her love to the Assyrian officers. ⁶ They were all attractive young men, captains and commanders dressed in handsome blue, charioteers driving their horses. ⁷ And so she prostituted herself with the most desirable men of Assyria, worshiping their idols and defiling herself. ⁸ For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind. She was still as lewd as in her youth, when the Egyptians slept with her, fondled her breasts, and used her as a prostitute.

 ⁹ “And so I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers, whom she desired so much. ¹⁰ They stripped her, took away her children as their slaves, and then killed her. After she received her punishment, her reputation was known to every woman in the land.

 ¹¹ “Yet even though Oholibah saw what had happened to Oholah, her sister, she followed right in her footsteps. And she was even more depraved, abandoning herself to her lust and prostitution. ¹² She fawned over all the Assyrian officers—those captains and commanders in handsome uniforms, those charioteers driving their horses—all of them attractive young men. ¹³ I saw the way she was going, defiling herself just like her older sister.

 ¹⁴ “Then she carried her prostitution even further. She fell in love with pictures that were painted on a wall—pictures of Babylonian military officers, outfitted in striking red uniforms. ¹⁵ Handsome belts encircled their waists, and flowing turbans crowned their heads. They were dressed like chariot officers from the land of Babylonia. ¹⁶ When she saw these paintings, she longed to give herself to them, so she sent messengers to Babylonia to invite them to come to her. ¹⁷ So they came and committed adultery with her, defiling her in the bed of love. After being defiled, however, she rejected them in disgust.

 ¹⁸ “In the same way, I became disgusted with Oholibah and rejected her, just as I had rejected her sister, because she flaunted herself before them and gave herself to satisfy their lusts. ¹⁹ Yet she turned to even greater prostitution, remembering her youth when she was a prostitute in Egypt. ²⁰ She lusted after lovers with genitals as large as a donkey’s and emissions like those of a horse. ²¹ And so, Oholibah, you relived your former days as a young girl in Egypt, when you first allowed your breasts to be fondled.

 ²² “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will send your lovers against you from every direction—those very nations from which you turned away in disgust. ²³ For the Babylonians will come with all the Chaldeans from Pekod and Shoa and Koa. And all the Assyrians will come with them—handsome young captains, commanders, chariot officers, and other high-ranking officers, all riding their horses. ²⁴ They will all come against you from the north with chariots, wagons, and a great army prepared for attack. They will take up positions on every side, surrounding you with men armed with shields and helmets. And I will hand you over to them for punishment so they can do with you as they please. ²⁵ I will turn my jealous anger against you, and they will deal harshly with you. They will cut off your nose and ears, and any survivors will then be slaughtered by the sword. Your children will be taken away as captives, and everything that is left will be burned. ²⁶ They will strip you of your beautiful clothes and jewels. ²⁷ In this way, I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you brought from Egypt. You will never again cast longing eyes on those things or fondly remember your time in Egypt.

 ²⁸ “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will surely hand you over to your enemies, to those you loathe, those you rejected. ²⁹ They will treat you with hatred and rob you of all you own, leaving you stark naked. The shame of your prostitution will be exposed to all the world. ³⁰ You brought all this on yourself by prostituting yourself to other nations, defiling yourself with all their idols. ³¹ Because you have followed in your sister’s footsteps, I will force you to drink the same cup of terror she drank.

 ³² “Yes, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

   “You will drink from your sister’s cup of terror,
      a cup that is large and deep.
   It is filled to the brim
      with scorn and derision.
 ³³ Drunkenness and anguish will fill you,
      for your cup is filled to the brim with distress and desolation,
      the same cup your sister Samaria drank.
 ³⁴ You will drain that cup of terror
      to the very bottom.
   Then you will smash it to pieces
      and beat your breast in anguish.
      I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!

 ³⁵ “And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”

 ³⁶ The Lord said to me, “Son of man, you must accuse Oholah and Oholibah of all their detestable sins. ³⁷ They have committed both adultery and murder—adultery by worshiping idols and murder by burning as sacrifices the children they bore to me. ³⁸ Furthermore, they have defiled my Temple and violated my Sabbath day! ³⁹ On the very day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they boldly came into my Temple to worship! They came in and defiled my house.

 ⁴⁰ “You sisters sent messengers to distant lands to get men. Then when they arrived, you bathed yourselves, painted your eyelids, and put on your finest jewels for them. ⁴¹ You sat with them on a beautifully embroidered couch and put my incense and my special oil on a table that was spread before you. ⁴² From your room came the sound of many men carousing. They were lustful men and drunkards from the wilderness, who put bracelets on your wrists and beautiful crowns on your heads. ⁴³ Then I said, ‘If they really want to have sex with old worn-out prostitutes like these, let them!’ ⁴⁴ And that is what they did. They had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, these shameless prostitutes. ⁴⁵ But righteous people will judge these sister cities for what they really are—adulterers and murderers.

 ⁴⁶ “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring an army against them and hand them over to be terrorized and plundered. ⁴⁷ For their enemies will stone them and kill them with swords. They will butcher their sons and daughters and burn their homes. ⁴⁸ In this way, I will put an end to lewdness and idolatry in the land, and my judgment will be a warning to others not to follow their wicked example. ⁴⁹ You will be fully repaid for all your prostitution—your worship of idols. Yes, you will suffer the full penalty. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”

Hebrews 10:19-39¹⁹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. ²⁰ By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. ²¹ And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, ²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

 ²³ Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. ²⁴ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

 ²⁶ Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. ²⁷ There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. ²⁸ For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. ³⁰ For we know the one who said,

   “I will take revenge.
      I will pay them back.”

   He also said,

   “The Lord will judge his own people.”

 ³¹ It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 ³² Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. ³⁴ You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

 ³⁵ So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! ³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

 ³⁷ “For in just a little while,
      the Coming One will come and not delay.
 ³⁸ And my righteous ones will live by faith.
      But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

 ³⁹ But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

Psalms 109:1-31 ¹ O God, whom I praise,
      don’t stand silent and aloof
 ² while the wicked slander me
      and tell lies about me.
 ³ They surround me with hateful words
      and fight against me for no reason.
 ⁴ I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations
      even as I am praying for them!
 ⁵ They repay evil for good,
      and hatred for my love.

 ⁶ They say, “Get an evil person to turn against him.
      Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
 ⁷ When his case comes up for judgment,
      let him be pronounced guilty.
      Count his prayers as sins.
 ⁸ Let his years be few;
      let someone else take his position.
 ⁹ May his children become fatherless,
      and his wife a widow.
 ¹⁰ May his children wander as beggars
      and be driven from their ruined homes.
 ¹¹ May creditors seize his entire estate,
      and strangers take all he has earned.
 ¹² Let no one be kind to him;
      let no one pity his fatherless children.
 ¹³ May all his offspring die.
      May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.
 ¹⁴ May the Lord never forget the sins of his fathers;
      may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.
 ¹⁵ May the Lord always remember these sins,
      and may his name disappear from human memory.
 ¹⁶ For he refused all kindness to others;
      he persecuted the poor and needy,
      and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
 ¹⁷ He loved to curse others;
      now you curse him.
   He never blessed others;
      now don’t you bless him.
 ¹⁸ Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,
      or the water he drinks,
      or the rich food he eats.
 ¹⁹ Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;
      may they be tied around him like a belt.”

 ²⁰ May those curses become the Lord’s punishment
      for my accusers who speak evil of me.
 ²¹ But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord,
      for the sake of your own reputation!
   Rescue me
      because you are so faithful and good.
 ²² For I am poor and needy,
      and my heart is full of pain.
 ²³ I am fading like a shadow at dusk;
      I am brushed off like a locust.
 ²⁴ My knees are weak from fasting,
      and I am skin and bones.
 ²⁵ I am a joke to people everywhere;
      when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

 ²⁶ Help me, O Lord my God!
      Save me because of your unfailing love.
 ²⁷ Let them see that this is your doing,
      that you yourself have done it, Lord.
 ²⁸ Then let them curse me if they like,
      but you will bless me!
   When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
      But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
 ²⁹ May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
      may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
 ³⁰ But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,
      praising him to everyone.
 ³¹ For he stands beside the needy,
      ready to save them from those who condemn them.

Proverbs 27:13

¹³ Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.
      Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.^[

Daily Bible Reading, Thoughts, and a prayer

Prayer for November 11th

(Prayer) Jesus we enter this new week with excitement; with anticipation, we feel this sense of completion coming in our lives as we are in the season of harvest.  You are putting back together many things.  Things that we did not think we could complete this year are coming to fruition.  As we humble ourselves before You; places in our lives are being healed that we didn’t even know about.  And You are completing us with Your love; we give ourselves over to that process this week, committing ourselves to the process.  Jesus You are Lord; which means You are our Lord.  We trust You and we love You; we invite you into our lives this week, guide our steps.  Show us the ways we should go.  In Your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.

Have a great day.  And I will be waiting for you here tomorrow.

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The woman at the well had met Jesus for the first time.  He had asked her for a drink of water from the well to which she had came.  Jesus had offered her water that would give her everlasting life with peace and joy in the presence of God.

While Jesus was speaking with her, He told her all about her life.  She had had four failed marriages, and the man with whom she was presently living was not her husband.  She believed Jesus, trusted Him with her life.  Her first response was to go into the city and tell as many as she could and many of them believed, because of her personal testimony, and then, we have them saying,

“Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”  John 4:42 (KJV).

They had believed her enough to go and meet the Man she told them about.  When they meet Jesus they put their whole faith in Him.

Faith is not something you gain by the words of others.  It is what you gain by meeting Jesus personally.  There are many who believe they are “Christian” because their parents, or grandparents were.  There are even some who believe they are “Christian”, because they were born in the United States of America, and because of that “Of course they are Christian”.  That is not true.  None of these cases makes one “Christian”.

If you were born in a garage would that make you a car?  To become “Christ-like” which is the meaning of the word “Christian” requires receiving personal faith in Jesus Christ, and that is a gift He alone gives.  Someone once told me, “God has no grandchildren”, and is that ever a true statement.  Trust Christ for yourself.  You will not know Him, nor will He know you if you are resting on the coattails of someone else.

-Tim A. Blankenship

The news clip is below. This is the suspect who has confessed to bombing the Ortiz family (Messianic Believers) in Ariel – where I was half of last week, working in the olive groves harvesting olives with another family visiting there. Keep the family in prayer!

-Teddy

Shin Bet suspects Jewish terrorist behind more murders
By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Correspondent.

Suspect Arrest Announced in Ami Ortiz Case
by Chris Mitchell, CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief.

Police arrest new suspect in Jewish terrorist case
By Chaim Levinson, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies.

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:1-6, ESV

Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria? Any good Jew of that day would have told you that this was all wrong. Jesus did NOT have to pass through Samaria. In fact, what he HAD to do was go around Samaria no matter how much it added to his journey. No self-respecting Jew would step one foot onto Samaritan soil. Yet Scripture tells us Jesus HAD to go through Samaria.

Are there places we think we have to avoid? It would be wise for us Christians to be careful about thinking such things as they may become the very places God tells us we have to go to.

Sunday, October 18

Tonight we worshipped with the church in Las Sabanas and it was one of the most humbling experiences I’ve had.  Everything was very simple; the pastor played the guitar and his wife sang (along with a couple of other women).  The guitar was not tuned and the singers were off-key… but they didn’t care.  They sang and played with all their heart and mind and strength and the resulting passion was incredible.  It was all to the glory of God and God alone.  How foolish we can be when we forget who we worship and think our own ideas of perfect pitch and tone are anywhere close to what God desires.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:1-2

Tuesday, October 20

Today we went to a community called La Victoria.  It’s a small town and is not easy to get to.   In our prayer-walking the day before, we were invited to a believer’s house who offered to host us today.  She was someone who had done evangelism in another area before and was now in La Victoria.  Again, I was amazed to see God’s sovereignty at work in how He puts people in each other’s paths at just the right time.

Because of the small size of the community, it did not take long for us to go house-to-house and we were done by lunch time.  I remember thinking that sometimes we get these “Billy Graham” views of evangelism and expect that “success” equals thousands of people coming to Christ in a single setting.  Or, that we’re somehow more spiritual if we walk long distances over huge hills to do God’s work.  Yet, God shows how limited those views really are and how different His perspective is.  There was a reason He sent us to a place that had maybe 25 houses.  To Him, that community was important, regardless of its size.  Those people were valuable to Him and they were worth the effort.  And, that night, just about the entire town came to a 1-room school house to watch a movie about Jesus and heard the gospel.

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.       Ezekiel 33:6

Friday, October 16

There were times during this trip that I felt completely inadequate for the task laid ahead of me.  I’m not an outgoing person, I cannot hold conversations with people in Spanish, and I rarely hold conversations with people in English.  I confessed to Loren that one of the things I worry about is that my “introvertedness” gets in the way of doing things that God might want me to do.  After reminding me of a number of people in the Bible who felt similar inadequacies, Loren also reminded me that I did end up going up to several people’s houses and communicated effectively enough in Spanish that they knew I had a gift for them and when/where the movie was that night.  Before and afterwards, I was my quiet self, but for 45 seconds, God absolutely gave me what I needed to get His work done.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11

Written by Jennifer Gidden