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Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who lived from 1899-1981 was a Minister at the Westminster Chapel in London said:

“Does it grieve you my friends, that the name of God is being taken in vain and desecrated?

“Does it grieve you that we are living in such an age and the main reason we should be praying about revival is that we are anxious to see God’s name vindicated and His glory manifested.”

“We should be anxious to see something happening that will arrest the nations, all the peoples, and cause them to stop and to think again.”

So many of the TV shows and movies, especially on the “streaming” channels use God’s name in vain. Showing a complete lack of respect for God and those who believe in God, they have recently seemed to sink to new lows. It’s even becoming difficult to find programs to watch which do NOT use God’s name in vain!

Because the use of God’s name in vain seems to be INCREASING! Why is that? Could it be they are trying to desensitize the public and cause a decrease in our nation’s and people’s respect for God?

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A favorite of many, this song teaches us in so many ways what we really need to do! Believing in Jesus and Following Him should really change us. We should want to be changed. And we should seek change. Afterall, if we are truly Saved by Jesus, we should at the very least, want to Save others 🙂

Refrain: “I don’t need to recognize, the man in the mirror, And I don’t wanna trade Your plan, for something familiar. I can’t waste a day, I can’t stay the same. I wanna be different, I wanna be changed, ‘Til all of me is gone, And all that remains. Is a fire so bright The whole world can see That there’s something different So come and be different In me”

There is another special verse:

“I don’t want to see anymore, give me a vision”

Can we imagine what kind of Vision comes from this person’s genuine desire to see Jesus’s Vision over the world’s?

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord. So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”²⁹ Jesus said to him, ^[a]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” -John 20: 24-29

We can’t let any doubts we have hold us back. Jesus knows we will have some and He understands! If we accept Him as Our Savior and follow Him we will be Saved, no matter our doubts.

And never forget :), asking Jesus is simply a choice that we make, and a commitment to follow Him 🙂

Thomas had his own doubts, and he was there! And yet Jesus understood his doubts and reassured him. How much more will Jesus understands ours over 2,000 years later!

Call upon Jesus, He will Save you and bring you to Heaven 🙂

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!

” But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.” – 2 Timothy 3-9

As we approach the Last Days, we will see more and more of the above, but the Holy Spirit will warn us when something is not right.

We need to LISTEN & OBEY!

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“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. ” – Luke 21:11 

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines.” – Mark 13:8

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” – -Matthew 24:7

There were recently 4 earthquakes in Syria. A 7.1 earthquake in Russia. Last year the Syrian/Turkey earthquake killed almost 60,000 people. And two days ago, the “The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first-ever advisory on the elevated likelihood of a megaquake around the Nankai Trough on Aug. 8, following a magnitude 7.1 quake in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan”

That there has been an increase in earthquakes is without doubt!

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!

A 5.1 earthquake occurred today in Syria. 8 earthquakes occurred in the last 24 hours. God is protecting Israel and warning Israel’s enemies not to attack. Will they listen?

In recent days the Jewish people have prayed and fasted on the Temple Mount. And they should. All those of Jewish and Christian faith should be allowed to pray and fast on the Temple Mount!

Many Jewish people cried on the Temple Mount. Rabbi Shlomo Carlesbach said that there are “two types of tears: ones that flow down from our sorrow and pain, and those that rise up through our hopes and prayers.” What a wonderful thing to say!

The Jewish people are God’s Chosen People and He loves them! God always will!

And we would be wise to love what God loves, and pray for them! For isn’t that what God requires?

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!

Acceptance is really one of the major keys of happiness. It’s easy to be happy, when all things are going super well. The children are all healthy and happy, our husband is madly in love with us and all of the bills are paid… When we are healthy and happy, our faith is deep and solid and we are surrounded by family and friends who love you…But what if that is not true?

But what if we or one of our family is critically ill? What if our husband lost his job and we have no idea where the next house payment will come from? What if no on seems happy? What if our faith is teetering? What if our family and friends are far away?

It’s then that we have a choice. We can feel desperately sorry for ourselves or we can ask ourselves what does God want us to do today-and do it. We can ask God to let His Will be done in our hearts, our souls and our lives, and accept that it may not be what we would want, but it might be what we need. Or even what someone else needs. We can turn to God and ask Him to help us find the happy or peaceful moments in our day and we can ask Jesus to carry us though those difficult times!

Acceptance can be difficult to explain. It’s a way of looking at our lives and choosing to be happy with what God has given us. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be times that we cry or are unhappy. Someone we love very much may be extremely ill or die. We may have to move far away. We may face divorce. There may be many, many reasons that cause us to cry and mourn an event. But Acceptance means we don’t stay there. We pull ourselves up and we Accept our circumstances and we begin again. We ask God how we might help another person or reach out to another. And we do it!

Remember, it’s not about how we fall down; it’s about how we get up!

And we know that God will bring laughter into our life again 🙂

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!

Last night there was an earthquake in Syria. It was felt also in Israel and Lebanon.

This morning there was another earthquake in Hama, Syria. This earthquake was felt in Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.

God’s Warning. Will the world listen?

Israel belongs to God and so do the Jewish People. They are His Chosen people and He loves them! He brought them home to Israel and they will not be moved.

Will the world listen? We can only pray and hope so!

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The night of August 12-Tuesday August 13, 2024 is the 9th Day of the Annual Fast in Judaism. The Jewish people mourn a number of disasters on this day and we also need to recognize and mourn the destruction of the First and Second Temples, as well as all of the harm done to the Jewish People. Please pray for all of them!

At one time, the Jewish Temple was the only Temple. The First Temple was ordered built by Solomon and the First Temple was built on the Temple Mount. The First Temple contained both the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, as well as Aaron’s Rod and a pot of Manna!

The Second Temple contained a stone that weighed 400 tons and contained up to a million people. It was so beautiful, it is said that Jesus cried “at the thought of its destruction”. Among Christians, the Temple is well known for the visit Jesus made to it at age 12, as well as His anger and cleansing of the Temple. Jesus said that the Temple would be destroyed in 70 A.D.-and it was.

Why are the Temples so important to Christians? First, they are part of our history. We have a shared history with the Jewish people. No one else. Our history is, in many ways, their history. That is one reason why Israel and the Jewish people have always been so important to Christians.

Our Bible doesn’t just include the New Testament, it also includes the Old Testament. And:

“¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God^[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.”-2 Timothy 3:16-17

Notice, Timothy did not say some; Timothy said “All”!

Second, the Jewish people have and always will be, God’s “Chosen People” and God loves them and so should we! And no one can replace them and no one destroy them. There will always be a “remanent”, because God loves them that much!

The First Temple contained both the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, as well as Aaron’s Rod and a pot of Manna!

The Second Temple was known for Jesus’ visit at age 12, Jesus’s Cleansing of the Temple and the fact that Jesus said it would be destroyed in 70 A.D.-and it was!

There will be a Third Temple and Jesus will come again!

Please pray for Israel today!!!

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!

Isn’t that so true? Jesus loved us First. And because He loved us so much; we loved Him.

The song, “Love Moved First” by Casting Crowns sings about how when we fell, “love refused to let my story end that way”! It talks about how Jesus came “running” after us. Jesus does the same for all of us. We only need to accept His great love and He will always come “running after” us!

As long as we are alive, it is never too late!

Follow Jesus & Keep Praying; Prayer Changes Things!