Coming Home

Greetings in the Lord!

This morning when the Lord had me read from Ezra 7:11-28, I kind of thought, "Well, OK, this is a letter from King Artaxerxes to Ezra granting him and any other Israelite the freedom to return to Jerusalem--why am I reading this?" But when I re-read it I could see that this edict was big news AND it was a decree for gold, silver, animals for sacrifices and anything else they needed, to be given to the returning Jews as well. A very generous decree indeed. Lastly, it called for the establishment of Jewish officials in the region to be set up all at Ezra's command. That was really big and great news for the Israelites...at the time. But what about now?

Well, right after that I came across an article that talked about how Jews from all over the world are returning to Israel to live for free for a period of time, with Hebrew classes made available to them, as well as housing and job opportunities. In fact, the article says that record numbers are coming from North America because of the current economic situation--double and quadruple from the previous year, especially in the 21-30 age bracket. Of course, then, I could see that the Lord had willed this to be...for His purposes ultimately. How exciting! And with this insurgence of skilled youth one can only imagine what new things will be on the horizon for Israel...what influx of ideas and renewing of hearts could result...who knows what good things the Lord is up to? Praise God!

~Be blessed and be a blessing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Joel 2: Locusts Swarm and Devour the Land

  Greetings in the Lord~ Today's word comes from Joel 2, and is accompanied by a dream.  Let me first share about the passage from scripture.  In this passage, we read about the Lord directing an 'army' of locusts to come to devour and plunder the land as a form of judgment.  Interestingly, devouring locusts were one of the plagues that happened in Egypt long ago as a form of judgment to compel Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave their country--freeing them of their slavery.  Here, however, the plague of locusts come as a form of judgment upon His people for their persistent sin and stubborn rebellion against God.   "Ahead of them (locusts) the land lies as beautiful as the Garden of Eden.  Behind them is nothing but desolation, not one thing escapes....Look at them as they leap along the mountaintops.  Listen to the noise they make--like the rumbling of chariots, like the roar of fire sweeping across a field of stubble, or like an army moving into battle."  "
Read more

A Tsunami of Truth and Justice

  Greetings in the Lord~ Today's word comes from Psalm 31, and there are a couple of visions I will share as well. First, Psalm 31 is one that I don't get very often, probably because most of us don't find ourselves in this type of situation very often, if at all.  It is one in which the psalmist is crying out in deep distress and anguish to the Lord, even feeling like he is wasting away physically and emotionally all because of a great unjust conspiracy against him, a conspiracy so powerful and pervasive that everyone is running away from him, so it seems to the psalmist.  It is a lament of helplessness and abandonment that arises from the extreme wickedness of his foes, and distancing of those who were allies but now have retreated in self-preservation mode.  So while in immense distress, the psalmist resigns himself, even his very fate, to God alone and puts all his trust in the Lord to save him.  Complete surrender, like fasting and repentance, is a sure way to get God&
Read more

Confession is Good for the Soul

Greetings in the Lord~ Today's word comes from Jeremiah 11, which carries a pretty powerful and poignant punch to the gut of those who love and know the Lord, for it is a message of, "This is the last straw."   Jeremiah was told to preach to the people of Israel and Judah: "Remind the people of Judah and Jerusalem about the terms of My covenant with them.  Say to them, 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: Cursed is anyone who does not obey the terms of My covenant!  For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt, "If you obey Me and do whatever I command you, then you will be My people, and I will be your God."  I said this so I could keep My promise to your ancestors to give you a land flowing with milk and honey---the land you live in today."  Jeremiah 11:2- 5 However, the majority of the people of Israel and Judah at that time were not faithful to God, for they worshiped Baal and other false
Read more

A Deep Work Being Done

Greetings in the Lord~ Today the Holy Spirit spoke to me while I was on the treadmill watching the news.  President Trump walked across the screen and gave a half wave and somber nod to the crowd.  Obviously, he's seen better days.  The Holy Spirit said, "Psalm 123;" I recognized this one from my own tough times... I lift my eyes to You, O God, enthroned in heaven.   We keep looking to the Lord our God for His mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant. Yes, indeed; this psalm says so much, like the long sigh of a person when words fail them.  The Holy Spirit continued, "He is a broken man; I am doing a deep work in him and it is very painful now.  But he will not be removed from office, and every accusation against hi
Read more

Unshakable Lord, Have Your Way

Greetings in the Lord~ Today in prayer the Lord put on my heart that it would be a little while before I get a word for 2021, but He did show me a vision of a large scale.  So it appears that things are hanging in a balance, and we know politically speaking for the U.S., things are hanging in a balance (even though Biden supporters have jumped the gun to declare him president).  Nothing official is slated to happen until January 6th, when electoral votes are to be counted by Vice President Pence, and realistically, it may not even be decided that day because we know already there will be objections to the current electoral votes from contested states because of rampant fraud in their elections.  As a result of planned objections, alternate electoral votes have already been submitted, which means that Congress will have to break separately for 2 hours to discuss their objections and decide on which set of electoral votes will be counted.  Constitutionally, if there is no agreement, then
Read more

Battlements of Rubies, Gates of Sparkling Jewels

Greetings in the Lord! Today's word is from Isaiah 54:1-17. I will highlight selected verses: V. 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. V. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. V. 10 Though mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. V. 11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. V. 14 In righteousness you will be established; Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. V. 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. V. 16 "See, it is I w
Read more

Righteousness and Justice Your Foundation

Greetings in the Lord! Today's word comes from Isaiah 41:14-29, of which I will share selected verses: "Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I Myself will help you," declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. "See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel." "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thrist. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights...I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia,....so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created i
Read more