Author: olabumblebee55

Naaman has the commander of the Syrian army, respected esteemed but had leprosy. On one of his conquest he met a little a Israelites girl, whom he took home to his wife. As the little girl heard about Naaman problem. She urged him to go to Israel to seek for help of which he did. Upon going to the king of Israel, he asks for help, and the king thought Naaman wanted to start a quarrel, and refuted; Am I God? I do not give life or take life. Sometimes, this is my anthem, I don’t give life nor take it.

Then Elisha heard of the king’s outburst and Naaman case; he came to Naaman and asked him to go wash himself in the River Jordan (to flow down). Now the Jordan water was not the cleanest, so Naaman complains that the Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So, he turned and went off in a rage.

Now Abana and Pharpar as I said is river constructed with a split and a divide flowing upward. And healing comes down not goes up. As with Naaman, everyone thinks their own river is better. But it is not what we think it’s what God think and with this Naaman servant urged him that if it was difficult task, he would do task but a simple task he doubted it. Sometimes, it is the simple task we doubt. Naaman listened to his servant and got cured. Thereafter Gehazi went after Naaman to ask for 3000 price of silver and 2 changes which led him to be cursed with Lehman leprosy.

Healing is available for us today as the simplest things often carry the grace of God that bring healing, in Naaman case it was his leprosy. Elisha just gave a decree and Naaman was cleansed with an act of faith even still he had doubt.

I had been saying sorry so much to God, I forgot it was an excuse; I guess that why the British call it lame excuses. Sometimes, one can be blissfully ignorant about what God wants us to do. Then excuses come in.

A man had been ill for 38 years, and well he started giving Jesus excuses as to why he could not reach the pool. He said people got there before him. You know I had been giving God lame excuses as to why I could not evangelize. As this man, I went on and on as to why this was not for me.

Indeed in this coming days, I had gained clarity from the ignorance of what happened to me; and yes God had recompensed me for my foolishness of not knowing.

As with this man, Jesus came and asked him do you want to walk, and he said Yes. Jesus told him take up you mat and follow me. The Pharisees heard it and where angry as you would imagine that Jesus healed again on SABBATH Day. when Jesus healed the man, he told him to stop sinning else worse sin will fall on him, I did not know, continuous excuse is a sin. Jesus said my father is always working and I too must work. Sometimes we must walk with Jesus to work for him. Until then I reside on the house of Bethsaida.

Songs:

Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews? “So you say, They asked Jesus are not the king of the Jews. Jesus answered, “You say I am”. Thereafter, Jesus did not say any word to them again. The Jews during the Passover had the habit of setting a prisoner free (so they knew what grace was about). A man called Barabbas who was in prison for committing murder during riots, he was a rebel was set free. The majority will love a rebel and a rioter and choose to set him free in place of Jesus. This is why the innocent suffer because it is the cross line that exist, every rebel wants to be saved at the expense of another persons life and this why the nation of Israel fell after the death of Jesus. They did kill him but their nation dismantled.

The Jews shouted “Crucify him” his blood be upon our heads. A bold and assertive move to make for a country who lord was the God. They even forgot their laws that to: Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—the Lord detests them both. Proverbs 17; 15-16. Afterall the Levitical law was a life for a life but now it depends on what life you are substituting for another a righteous for the unrighteous. Even Pilate was sensible enough to ask again what crime Jesus had committed. But the Jews were bold in doing wrong. The soldiers mocked him saying long live the KING OF THE JEWS, they yelled he saved others let him save himself, other said He was saying Elias was going to come and save him. They mocked him, almost all Christian may have worked on the road. They said he trusted in the lord let the lord saved him. They mocked him saying he was going to tear the temple in 3 days and rebuild it.

The summoned Simon the Cyrene (suffering Christians) to carry the cross of Jesus until he was at Golgotha (the place for the head of skulls). They gave him myrrh, tore his clothes, the man crucified with him even mocked him. In the 3rd hour, Jesus cried, Eloi Eloi Lema Sabachthani – my God my God why have you forsaken me. It is as though most Christian feel forsaken when the cross between injustice and justice meet. Jesus died as the soaked cheap wine in a sponge to give him. The cloud darkened is where the temple got torn in two. The officer said “surely this man was the son of God”. It was Joseph of Arimathea, a respected man in the council who took Jesus body to wrap and lay it in a tomb.

Lessons:

Most times in the ply for justice, injustice resonates with man more than justice because most unbelievers feel condemned (they have done the same thing).

Most people stand on the side of injustice than justice. That is why injustice prevail.

To be on the side of Jesus is choosing to be on the side of mockery without expecting anything – Grace is after free will to work for God without condition as with Jesus, it is free gift of God, lest any man should boast.

Indeed mercy refused in my life, when LOVE took my place and that GRACE. it has thorns nail scared hands, it is ALONE but it is still GRACE AND I AM PRODUCT OF IT, Gods riches at Christ expense.

Songs:

1 God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgment among the “gods”:
2 “How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
3 Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
5 The gods know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 “I said, ‘You are “gods”;
you are all sons of the Most High.’
7 But you will die like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.”
8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.

Most of the old testament calls us and tells us how kings should act. Truly, rulers have been put in place to execute justice, mercy and regard the cry of the poor. After the gospel is for the poor, the lost and the weary. This is what Jesus said “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, And as the king of kings he asked kings to do the same. Leadership, is after all a place to serve other as with what Joseph did. Wisdom has two sides and Justice has two sides after all. Justice affect all: he makes the sun shine on the just and unjust and he reigns down judgement on the just and the unjust. When the just do not warn the unjust. But more so for the unjust. Do not lead us to the wrath of God because you refuse to rule justly. Authority may be given to rulers to rule but power belongs to people Afterall.

Micah 6: 8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.

Songs: Maranatha

2 Thessalonians 2: 2

not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 

In Revelation 14, 18 we see two precedent that stated the fall of Babylon. The first signified the sickle given to bring harvest but in Revelation on a latter time the judgement on Babylon takes place. So, the first call to Babylon to repent was for harvest of Gods people.

The second call was bringing judgement on Babylon to set up a new kingdom, the Apocalypse. So the tribulation, rapture, destruction to come Jesus had this to say, ‘If I will that He Tarry till I Come, what is it to you? follow me’, John 21. 22. That’s for the first believers expected to call other believers that harvest is on as with Revelation 14 and the second time Jesus said was John 21: 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciples was not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “if it is my will that he remain until i come, what is that to you?” Are the ones who heed the call of harvest before judgement comes.

Jesus urged us to keep bearing witness about these things, that his testimony is true and I urge you with the love of God to keep doing these things as I shall try myself. Hold on.

A Carpenters son

Every time, I put out posting I get attached today had to be the most of it. Surely the work of God must be done still. Songs of Solomon begins with a woman called rose of Sharon who is the lily among valleys, we have a picture of a kind of church its name and its fragrance. Then there is the second woman in a banqueting hall talking about our beloved, Christ in the person of Solomon who sustains her with raisins. The 3rd woman is liken to a tree of figs but foxes spoilt its vineyard and avid picture of Israel as a nation. So we see the women knit together around Solomon’s life forming a body of the house of God, the interplay on how the speak to him and he responds is the state of our relationship with one another as well as with God. When one of the bride goes to the market place to ask for the groom is a picture of our evangelism or gift in the church.

Ephesians 1: 5 He predestined for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. And this purpose is manifested in the gift he gave to man to equip for the building up of the Saints. the unity in which this is done is through faith and the knowledge of Gods son. Ephesians 4: 8-12

Ezra begins with a plan to end marriage to foreign women and put them away as wives. We see slight protest here but altogether this was agreed.

The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages

¹While Ezra was bowing in prayer in front of the Temple, weeping and confessing these sins, a large group of Israelites — men, women, and children — gathered round him, weeping bitterly. ²Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have broken faith with God by marrying foreign women, but even so there is still hope for Israel. ³Now we must make a solemn promise to our God that we will send these women and their children away. We will do what you and the others who honour God’s commands advise us to do. We will do what God’s Law demands. ⁴It is your responsibility to act. We are behind you, so go ahead and get it done.”

⁵So Ezra began by making the leaders of the priests, of the Levites, and of the rest of the people take an oath that they would do what Shecaniah had proposed. ⁶Then he went from in front of the Temple into the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, and spent the night there grieving over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. He did not eat or drink anything.

⁷A message was sent throughout Jerusalem and Judah that all those who had returned from exile were to meet in Jerusalem ⁸by order of the leaders of the people. If anyone failed to come within three days, all his property would be confiscated, and he would lose his right to be a member of the community. ⁹Within the three days, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the men living in the territory of Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and assembled in the temple square. It was raining hard, and because of the weather and the importance of the meeting everyone was trembling.

¹⁰Ezra the priest stood up and spoke to them. He said, “You have been faithless and have brought guilt on Israel by marrying foreign women. ¹¹Now then, confess your sins to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what pleases him. Separate yourselves from the foreigners living in our land and get rid of your foreign wives.”

¹²The people shouted in answer, “We will do whatever you say.” ¹³But they added, “The crowd is too big, and it’s raining hard. We can’t stand here in the open like this. This isn’t something that can be done in one or two days, because so many of us are involved in this sin. ¹⁴Let our officials stay in Jerusalem and take charge of the matter. Then let anyone who has a foreign wife come at a set time, together with the leaders and the judges of his city. In this way God’s anger over this situation will be turned away.” ¹⁵No one was opposed to the plan except Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, who had the support of Meshullam and of Shabbethai, a Levite.

¹⁶The returned exiles accepted the plan, so Ezra the priest appointed men from among the heads of the clans and recorded their names. On the first day of the tenth month they began their investigation, ¹⁷and within the next three months they investigated all the cases of men with foreign wives.

The Men who had Foreign Wives

¹⁸This is the list of the men who had foreign wives:

Priests, listed by clans:

Clan of Joshua and his brothers, sons of Jehozadak: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. ¹⁹They promised to divorce their wives, and they offered a ram as a sacrifice for their sins.

²⁰Clan of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah

²¹Clan of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah

²²Clan of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

²³Levites:

Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also called Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

²⁴Musicians:

Eliashib.

Temple guards:

Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

²⁵Others:

Clan of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah

²⁶Clan of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah

²⁷Clan of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza

²⁸Clan of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai

²⁹Clan of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth

³⁰Clan of Pahath Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh

^31-32Clan of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah

³³Clan of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei

^34-37Clan of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu

^38-42Clan of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph

⁴³Clan of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

⁴⁴All these men had foreign wives. They divorced them and sent them and their children away.

As I said sometimes, someone may be born blind and it’s no fault of his or any sin he has committed, or his parent had committed. John 9. WHEN You find yourself in trouble, do you sometimes think, I must have done something wrong. The disciples weren’t in the storm by disobeying but obeying Jesus; not by rejecting Gods will but by embracing it. The bible says, ……. Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go …….’, and they obeyed. At times you will find yourself in troubled waters because you did what was right. When this happens here are some helpful lessons from the disciple’s experience 1) obedience doesn’t guarantee there will be no storms. The disciples had just seen Jesus’ feed five thousand people with 5 bread rolls and two fishes and end up with more food than he started with. Understand when God doesn’t solve your problem, he shows up in the middle of it and cause you to come out stronger. 2) Fear doesn’t mean you are a failure. It’s just a reminder that you are human, and we should remember who is in charge. This will transform how we see trials.

Years ago, I was in a church that said for imperfect people and with my imperfect behavior I entered. At the time the pastor was suffering some level of disappointments he called injustice. I was going through my own private hell, as well. So, I liked this guy in a platonic way (he had a family), unknown to me I didn’t realize that we behaved in the same way. So, I defended his family, I didn’t realize that it took a fox to recognize a fox.

He was a car deals man in America but was heavily anointed and pretended to be nothing. I wondered why we agreed on everything. The day I failed my English the sky turns red orange when we prayed. An odd occurrence, he used up all his money on mission and in his hour of need in another European country, he got nothing instead and claimed the church there was a hard ground. Of course, I agreed with him, I was going through the same thing two years sleepless night with prejudice and bias on my result. So, he left the EU nation bitterly and I left as well in the same manner. Looking back, I realize we both on trial and we just did not know it. I have been in and out of many waters it seems I’m getting used to this game. God allowed it to deepen our strength in him and myself. If we believe God is unjust, he will suffer unjustly, and only unjust people would come to us. This pastor returns to America AND months after another American came who stayed for 6 months and left thereafter and while I left, I heard another person from the UK a woman came but left after the pandemic. Since then, none had gone to this atheist nation. So, it seemed the preacher got his justice for what was done to him and his family, but where was the mercy for the lost souls there. Reading John 9: 1- 4, we see a man having no fault born blind from birth. I realize this problem the pastor had was not his doing as the man born blind but because the works of God had to be made manifest in him. Sometimes, God had to break us, so we can dig deeper to win souls. We sometimes suffer so Gods work would be done in us.

In Deuteronomy 22 “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.

There was a principle that if a man meets a virgin not betrothed and seizes her and lies with her, he had a high price to pay for this. So, this is why in songs of Solomon, Solomon is advised not to awaken love until the time is right. TWICE. So, there is a timing for love much like the time Jesus returns for his bride.

Songs of Solomon 3 vs 4 says I charge you daughters of Jerusalem not to awaken love until the time is right. why it has consequences, as Deuteronomy shows. so, we see Jesus as with Solomon coming out of the wilderness, and Solomon was perfumed with myrrh and frankincense and pillar of silver, bottom gold. The very same gifts given to Jesus when he was young. And Solomon was young and inexperienced when he got these gifts.

He then entreats in Song of Solomon 4: 7 that I am all fair and there is no spot in me (purity), Song of Solomon 5: 2 undefiled woman is what Solomon was seeking for. So, if Solomon a king could choose and seek for a pure bride, why won’t Jesus come for a pure bride unblemished bride. We see Philippians 2:15
so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world. Purity and Holiness matter to God, even Jesus was a spotless and harmless lamb. We can ascribe for those without putting one another down.

Songs: