O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
Psalm 122
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of The Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Where the tribes go up, the tribes of The Lord, unto The Testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto The Name of The Lord. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of The Lord our God I will seek thy good.
O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
The house of the Lord is Jerusalem, the city of God. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that those who live within her walls would be safe in the arms of God. There are several gates, one of which remains closed even yet. It is called the Golden Gate, or Mercy Gate. It faces the Mount of Olives on the Eastern side of the Old City. Tradition says The Messiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate. So the muslims who lived under the rule of Suleiman closed it off to prevent His entrance.
O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
The Testimony of Israel is the Manna. The Ark contained the Manna, to remember how God provided the Bread of Heaven to feed His people in the wilderness after He delivered them out of the hands of Egypt. The Manna is sweet and sustaining, tasting like coriander seed, which today is used in the making of sweet breads and desserts. It had to be crushed to be used.
That Manna, the Bread of Heaven, is Jesus Christ. John 6:47-51-Truly, truly I say to you, He that believes on Me has everlasting life. IAM that Bread of Life. Your fathers did eat Manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the Bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. IAM the Living Bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever: and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
The Testimony of Israel is Jesus Christ, The Messiah. He left heaven for us once and will do so again when God tells Him to go. Though Christ was present at the creation of the world, His birth in a stable in Bethlehem was the first time He came in fleshly form. He left His glory at home when He came to witness, to testify of God, of The New Covenant: Himself. The Testimony of Israel was honored in the Old Testament as divine grace. The Testimony of Israel in the New Testament was rejected by the Israelites. They did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and crucified Him.
But that's why He came. Jesus Christ ministered divine grace while He walked here. His first words, after He left the wilderness where Satan tempted Him, were Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. For where Jesus is, God is. Where Jesus is, is where Jesus lives, therefore when a person repents of their sins, Jesus is able to live in that person by faith. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (nearby, close).
O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
We are still living in New Testament times. Though our days are happening 2,000 years after Christ's death and resurrection, The Word of God still speaks to us today. And today may be all we have, for tomorrow is not promised us. That is why God tells us that Today is the Day of Salvation. Waiting until tomorrow is not a good idea, because we might now have tomorrow. As you and I know, anything can happen between now and tomorrow. For the times we live in are filled with war, disease, blatant immorality disguised as law, violent unbelievers who rule with fear and hate. Today is your Day of Salvation. Today is your day to believe on Jesus Christ as The Lord and Savior of your life. Regardless of how long your life is.
O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
I am not a threat to you or your way of life. Oh wait, yes I am. Through the power of the Living Word of God, I am able to bring you the messages of God when He tells me to go. And He tells me everyday, as in the Book of Mark, "Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be damned." Belief in Jesus Christ is necessary for the salvation of your eternal soul. Belief determines destination.
Repentance of sins is to turn your back on your old way of life and surrender your will to God's will for your new life.
Baptizm is a public statement of belief. We are telling the world that we are buried with Christ and raised into a new life in Christ.
I pray for each of you. Your names are in my heart and in God's ears. But for you to accept Christ, you must pray also. Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Turn your back on your sinfulness and give your life to God. Accept God's mercy and forgiveness of your sins. Praise The Lord. Give thanks with a grateful heart:
O give thanks unto The Lord, for His mercy endures forever ~
---If you know someone who would be encouraged by Today's Thought, please feel free to share with them. That would be awesome.----
