There is a story in the bible of the prophet Elijah. He was a big burly man from the country. He was not a highly educated or sophisticated priest. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Elijah was a Prophet of the Lord. In the story, two specific articles of clothing are spoken of, Elijah’s camel hair prayer shawl and his leather girdle. When Elisha had taken Elijah’s place, these two pieces were given to him by God. After Elisha’s death, the priest brought the camel hair prayer shawl and the leather girdle into the temple to ask God who was the next prophet. The Lord told them to place the prayer shawl and girdle at the Altar of Incense until He would show them the next prophet. In the economy of Israel, a man could be a priest and a prophet at the same time. On the other hand, a prophet didn’t necessarily have to be a priest. Just before Jesus was born, Mary’s cousin husband, Zacharias was performing his duties as high priest. He was burning incense before the Lord, in the Temple. The Archangel Gabriel appeared to him in the Holy of Holies, and said to him that Elizabeth, his wife, would have a boy. He, John, would be a Prophet of the Most High God. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair and a leather girdle about his loins: and his meat was locust and wild honey.” Matt.3:1-4.
Now you know why Jesus said this of John the Baptist, “But I say unto you, that Elias(Elijah) is come already, and they knew him not.” Luke 17:12. John came before Jesus preaching repentance for sins, preparing the coming of Jesus in his ministry.

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God didn’t establish a religion. He wanted to have a relationship with mankind. Knowing what is in the heart of man, God didn’t leave the rules and regulations up to mankind. God established His word so we, as His people, have a place to go to learn who God is. In Mark 1:27, it says, “and Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Seeing that man knows nothing and has no power to live the life that God has for us, what do we do? In John 1:12, it says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” So when we received, believe and trust Jesus, God will give us the power we need in our lives. We become part of God’s family, namely his sons and daughters. There is another effect that this process has on our lives. In 1 John 5:10, it says, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” God puts his Spirit in us to be able to understand, to know about God.

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What person knows anything about God? The Bible says in 1 Cor. 2:9 “But as it is written, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” So man really doesn’t know anything about God. When Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden, all he knew about God was what he had learned. Adam handed it down to his sons, grandsons and so forth. It wasn’t until Moses, that God actually had man write down what was required. This is the first five books of the Bible. It showed mankind how to act toward God and man. Many people followed after God, but no one had the power to live the life of God. When Adam and Eve fell from grace, God had to have a way for mankind to learn about Him. The Spirit of God has been on this earth since the beginning. Showing man who God is and what is required to do. In Cor. 2:10, it says, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God.” God began to reveal Himself to individuals, but He wanted to reach more people. God chose Abraham to begin to reveal Himself to the world. He made a covenant with Abraham to show His salvation for mankind. God promised a savior. God said through Abraham the world would be blessed.

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God showed Ezekiel a valley full of dried bones. He said to Ezekiel speak what I tell you. God had Ezekiel to speak back into existence the nation of Israel. God performed His word. He did it so that people would know who God was and is. How many times has God showed himself to you? Where God has done miracles in front of your face. It has been so many times, I can only give you a few examples. My third son had spinal meningitis at 6 months old. God healed him in 3 days. God loved me when I was unlovable. He brought me from death’s door to life. He had healed my family. And why would He do that for me? For God so loved the world that He gave. Can you think of things that God did in your life? Even when you weren’t following the Lord. God will show Himself to everyone on this earth. He said He would do just that. This is to give everyone an opportunity to come to the Lord. You must first believe that He is. And when you do come, He will provide for us. When God becomes real in your life everything changes. So people will know that He is the Lord.
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There is a news story about a police officer rescuing a duck and her family. The duck laid her eggs in a storm drain. When they hatched they couldn’t get out. So the officers figured out a way rescue the ducklings and released them all in a nearby lake. The ducklings all rushed to mama under her wings. There they were safe. One reason I like the King James Version of the bible is because it is flowery. It is very descriptive. One of the practices of the Jewish people is wearing a prayer shawl on their heads. It is called a tallit. The bible refers to it as under His wings. It is a trust issue. It is like your mother putting her arms around you and you feeling safe. The bible says that you must first believe that He is and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Trusting in God is a real issue for some people. They haven’t found people that are trustworthy. God is wanting for us to move close to Him. The only way you will ever find out is the move toward Him. Let Him prove to you that He is trustworthy.
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Knowledge isn’t understanding. Understanding isn’t wisdom. Wisdom is understanding the knowledge and applying it. It is only through experience that wisdom becomes real. We are in the information age. There is a lot of knowledge out there. I can google just about anything I want to know. The bible says that the devil knows and fears God. That didn’t stop him from rebelling against God. Only when he and his angels were cast out of heaven did they get their wisdom about God. Our first step with God is knowledge. We read to find out who He is. Then God Himself gives us the understanding of the word of God. Then we as God’s children apply the understanding putting it into practice. Then we obtain wisdom for our lives. There is so much to learn. I have been studying for 35 years and have reached a conclusion. I know very little about God because He is so vast. But the little I know keeps my heart and mind at peace. It also protects me and my family from harm. It provides healing for us. It provides us with a purpose for this life. It provides us faith in the Almighty. The bible says if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can say to the mountain be thou removed and cast into the sea and doubt not. It shall be done by our Father who is in heaven. Wisdom for all the ages comes from God Himself.
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My father served in WWII. He served in all theaters of the war. He first fought in Alaska. Then he transfer to the Signal Corps and they shipped to England. He went to Africa with the 3rd Army. After Africa he went back to England. There he was involved with D-Day. My father land on Omaha beach on D-Day +1. He served again in the 3rd Army until Germany surrendered. I have a picture of him with Uncle Neal, a medical doctor also army captain, at Berchtesgaden. When I was old enough to ask dad about WWII, he never wanted to say anything. My brother and I served during the Vietnam. That when I found out why dad never wanted to talk about his service to our country. Dad died 32 years ago. But there are still men and women alive who served in WWII. Service to our country is honorable. And we should be thankful for the people who did just that. We enjoy a lot of freedoms that we wouldn’t have if they wouldn’t have. It is just a shame that the only time that people come together is in time our world crisis. Billions of dollars were spent to save our world, maybe we need to do this for our own betterment.
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My life is like a tale being told. I was born into a family eventually of 6. I was reared by a conservative mother and father. I went to a private school. I was taught religion. I attended church all my life. Then I graduated from high school. I went to college and then served in the military. When I came to myself I didn’t know what to do. All the preparation didn’t prepare me for life. I wandered around for years. Wondering what I was supposed to do. Until one day I met the Lord and my life changed. I finally knew who I was and what I was supposed to do. I began by reading the bible and studying. I found out that I was a son. A child of the living God, who loved me and care what happened to me. As I grew in the Lord, I gained strength and courage. I began using the word of God to do the work I was called to. People’s lives were changed. People would walk up to me and tell me how I helped them in time of need. I have always been amazed at what God has done through me. And on top of that, God gives me the reward for doing His will. I have the best of both worlds in the here and now. As a Tale being told.

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There is a John Steinbeck short story called “Flight”. A young man kills a man and flees for his life. They chased him to the top of a hill. There he knew he had to face the truth. He stood up and the police shot him dead. The tragic story is about taking courage even though it may kill you. We are placed on this earth to prove the truth that we are the image and likeness of God. We walk in this world trying to figure out what is the best way to live our lives. Not everyone succeeds. The only way we can possibly live this life is by taking courage. Our parents tried to teach us how to live the right way. They wanted the best for us. When I was a teenager, I thought my parents were brain dead. As I got older, I saw the wisdom of my parents. My dad died 31 years ago. For the longest time after his death, I heard my father’s voice. Whenever I had a problem, I could hear inside me my father’s voice giving me wisdom. As I discovered my father wasn’t as stupid as I thought. That wisdom always gave me courage to face whatever I needed to. And I would take courage and face life as I am supposed to.
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Jesus lived in a country that was occupied with foreign battle harden troops. The Romans allowed people to go about their daily lives as long as they didn’t start trouble. If a roman needed assistance by law he could ask anyone to help him and they had to do it. They built their garrison next to the temple in Jerusalem. Just in case the Jews started trouble. They could be in the temple in minutes. No Jew was willing to risk the destruction of the Temple. The romans taxed everybody every year. Jesus’ younger step brother was a tax collector, Matthew. The romans were hated by all. They conquered the world by force. They kept peace in the empire by force. Jesus never preached rebellion. He never told people to rise up and throw the romans out. He told them to love their neighbor as themselves. Judas on the other hand was a zealot and did preach rebellion. Jesus’ teachings did get to Judas. He understood God’s way. But he never thought it was for him. He had killed people and there was no hope for him. You know that Peter and Judas committed the same sin. They betrayed Jesus. The difference was that Peter believe that God would forgive him and Judas didn’t. Judas died a lonely death. Peter led the church in the first century. Forgiveness is there for anyone who will trust God and believe.
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