“Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies! On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name!” (Jeremiah 51:18)
“Peace I give to you says the Lord.”
He gives peace that the world doesn’t understand. His peace is from above and reaches the inward man. Turn to Christ, receive his peace, and be whole.
America. Land of the free, home of the brave. Home to generations of patriots, generations of the righteous. There have always been naysayers in America. Today is no different that it has ever been. It’s that today, we have instant media which is a platform for naysayers and patriots alike. Do not be dismayed now that the naysayers are more visible my friends, for America is still here, strong, mighty, and righteous. Land of the free and home of the brave. One Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Forgiveness is so sweet. Sweet to give and sweet to receive. Un-forgiveness is a poison that slowly rots out the inside of a person and becomes a weight which is hard to bear. Cast off the weight of un-forgiveness and be free! What’s done is done. Forgive and set yourself free! (Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. II Corinthians 3:17)
“O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.“ (Psalm 98:1)
Have faith in God. Do not believe the report of the enemy. Social media and the opinions of non believing vocalists have no merit when held up to the light of God’s word, as found in the Bible. Have faith in God and his word. He cannot lie. He loves you. Always has...always will. - Gene
Love Your Enemies
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (To give the gift of a bountiful harvest) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Matthew 5:43-46)
A Nation, a People, WILL humble themselves before God. Either by their own volition, in obeying His word and following His ways, or... by suffering his righteous judgement at His time of reckoning. Either way, a Nation, a People Will humble themselves. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11)
Abraham Lincoln said “I will walk slow, but I will never walk backward.” In this fast paced world of do it now, have it now, there’s a lot to be said for walking slow and steady. Slow and steady was the tortoise as he raced the hare, but look who won the race! The tortoise! So Live for God. Learn of His ways. Walk slow and steady and never look back. You’ll win the race.
PASSING THE TEST IF LIBERTY
Reading today’s headlines, we learn of constant challenges to our liberty. Terrorists’ threats against our nation, economic turmoil, and political struggles are on our minds. But hasn’t that been a constant in the history of our country?
From the very outset of our nation’s birth, our forefathers passed the test of liberty in places like Bunker Hill and Valley Forge. But there has come a steady stream of trials and tests to our nation that we have had to pass in order to remain free. We mustn’t forget the Alamo, the battle of New Orleans, or Gettysburg, and our current heroes who fight a war against global terror.
There has been a test that each generation has had to pass for liberty. And these tests are always given to the individual. A woman, who we’ll call Maria, had always wanted to become a United States citizen, but could not pass the test. Well, after praying with a CBN prayer representative, Maria passed the test of liberty and became a United States citizen!
There once was a young boy named Tommy who was brilliant at an early age. Born and raised in a rural area, he read all of his father’s books by the age of six and had a hunger for knowledge that was unquenchable. He was tested many times in his life but at the age of 14, his father passed away, leaving him to assume the role of head of the house.
In spite of life’s circumstances, he entered college at the age of 17. Maintaining his home with his mother and siblings, at the age of 24, Tommy passed the bar exam and became a lawyer. When he was 27 and away working in another city, his home burned down and he lost all his prized possessions, including his extensive library. In time, he rebuilt his library, had an illustrious career, and passed the test of liberty.
Harriet Powers, a woman freed from slavery after the civil war, suffered hardships and struggled to pass the test of liberty. She was an expert seamstress who made quilts to help support her family of nine children. Few black women could write in those days, but Harriet told the stories of the Bible with the figures she sewed into the panels of her quilts. To see Harriet’s quilts was to get a visual of the great stories of the Bible. She passed the test of liberty and led her family into the free world.
The greatest test of liberty, however, came in a garden in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus passed the test of liberty for all mankind when He submitted Himself to His Father and said,
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42).
He sacrificed His liberty for ours, even to His death on a cross. Now we have liberty in Christ, eternal life that no man or devil in hell can take from us. When we accept Christ Jesus as our savior, we are free!
The test of liberty is an individual test, which we must pass daily. Our struggle, whether spiritual, physical, or financial, is not in vain. Just as we reap the rewards of those who have passed the test before us, we pass the rewards of our tests on to those who come after us.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
So, pass the test of liberty and be an over-comer like Harriet Powers, the freed slave whose Bible quilt hangs in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC today. Or Maria, who passed the test of liberty and became a United States citizen at 96 years of age! And finally, let’s not forget Tommy, who at the age of 33 passed the test of liberty when he penned these words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Thomas Jefferson, July 4, 1776).
Copyright © Gene Markland
“And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6-7)
