Happy Flag Day and Happy Birthday!!

 

Saturday, June 14 is Flag Day in America.  It is also President Trump's birthday. He will be seventy-nine years old.  It is also the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.  A big celebration and military parade are planned for Washington, D.C., so be sure to watch it.  

Until I was married to Rabbi Jem, I'd never celebrated Flag Day, but boy has that changed.  Yesterday, he spent hours, in the hot sun, decorating the front yard of Golden Cottage with flags - 100+.  Flags are in the grass, in the trees, and in the flower pots.  Oh, and on our flag pole, too.  

 

These flags are faithfully put in place on Flag Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. We love our country and hope to inspire our neighbors to follow suit.  We do have about half a dozen neighbors who put out American flags, too.  God bless them all.   

Let's all show our love for the flag, our country, and our president by sending him a message on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, X, or Truth Social.  Tell him how much we appreciate his firm resolve to protect our families, cities, country, and our Constitution. And let him know you are praying for him.  He carries a heavy load of concern and care and seems to never tire in his work.  And he does it ALL for free.  He does not take the salary for his tireless attention to duty.  What a man.  What a president.  The most amazing one I've seen in my seventy plus years.  He deserves our respect and encouragement and even more, he needs our prayers

So, tomorrow is a big day for America.  I'm sad to say that there are those who want to spoil it all.  Protests are planned in 1500+ cities across the country.  They say they are protesting Trump's over-reach, mainly about the deportation of illegal immigrants.   If you watch the mainstream media, you will hear great sympathy for the riots in L.A.  They don't seem to grasp the truth - that entering this country without documentation is a crime.  They are criminals.  And, the state of California is aiding them in their lawlessness.  But I agree with this post on X:  "The truth is, these upcoming protests aren’t about illegal immigration, ICE, “Free Palestine,” or anything else. They’re about destroying our way of life, anti-cop sentiment, bringing lawlessness and anarchy to our doorstep, and bringing down the greatest President of our lifetime."

Gail-Friends, we live in a time of great delusion like the Bible prophesied.  Never did I dream that we would hear people defending crime, lies, abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, pedophilia, and other perversions.  Not only that, but when they're told THEY are wrong, we are called hateful and judgemental.  It's no wonder, really, because the modern-day churches do not teach on these things. Or, believe it or not, they defend and allow those things in their churches. These things are condemned in the Torah, and the New Testament (see the book of Leviticus, especially) and the world is suffering because WE have been told to sit down, shut up, and be nice.  

I understand Job's suffering like never before.  Like him, my soul is vexed every day as I see the lawlessness,  the hate, and the evil played out before me every day on the news.  I watched a video on YouTube of a "protest" in NYC.  It was night, and most of the people were dressed in black with black masks.  They were screaming and cursing and carrying flags and signs that spoke evil and perversion.  To me, it was like I was seeing the demons of hell filling the streets.  I was horrified to the point of tears. These people are lost, blind, deaf, and incapable of seeing the truth.  

Only God's power can set them free. Every one of us was in the same state. . . but God, in His mercy, caused His truth to shine like a light into our souls.  We saw that we were lost and without Him....and we had to make a decision. . . to turn to Him . . . or to turn to the evil one.  

I often read the story of the prodigal son Luke 15:11-32.  He went his own way, to do his own thing . . . and he wound up in a pig pen, covered in feces and filth.  But, he "came to his senses".  He suddenly saw his situation with new eyes.  And he decided to return to his father's house.  That is repentance, my friends.  It's realizing that our way had led to misery.  We had heard about the Father and Yeshua through preaching, teaching, or reading of the Holy Scriptures.  And we made the decision to go to Him and follow His Word and His Ways.

Oh, how I wish I could make people see the truth and turn to God, but I can't.  All I can do is share His Truth, which is love by the way, and pray.  And I do.  I pray daily for lost loved ones, friends, neighbors, leaders, lawmakers, and especially for those who share the good news of God's Word, His Will, and His Ways.  Turning to those things will make America great again.

  

 

 

 

Turnaround Tuesday - Praying for Prodigals

 

I'm sharing something heavy on my heart today:  prodigals / lost family members.  The article below my comments is by Nancy Campbell and is used with her permission.

Up until about seven years old, I stayed with my aunt while my parents worked.  Their family prayed together and it left a deep impression on me.  Also, praying together with my husband is the high-light of my day.  We already read the Word and pray in the morning, but will begin evening prayer. 

I hope you'll join in this on all points:  the family alter, fasting and praying for prodigals on Tuesdays, and that these prayers will bring revival.

This really lit my fire.  I believe in prayer and am burdened for four family members who have gone astray.  The graphic above really speaks of the state they are in.  Let's pray and believe that our prodigals will "come to their senses" and return to their Father's House.  (See the parable of Yeshua in Luke 15:11-32).  

Let's remember this:  the prodigal did not bring the pig pen home with him.   He had hit bottom.  Living and eating with the pigs is about as low as a Jewish boy can go.   He was humbled and repentant. He returned to the Father in surrender and obedience to His Laws.  This is important!  He understood that the Father would not allow his son to wallow in sin like before. 

If you'd like us to pray for your prodigal, please let me know in the comments section below.  And if you join in, please pray for four members of my family to return to the Father's House.

I hope you will share Nancy's article with others.

THE FORGOTTEN PHRASE

 

At the beginning of this year a member of our church fellowship shared some insights she had read from the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, a group of intercessors who meet together every year to pray and seek God for what He is saying to the body of Christ.

'

One of the things she shared was that they felt there would be a return to the “family altar.” She stopped and said, “Well, I don’t know what that means. I have never heard of it.” But I did know what it means, and my heart leapt to hear these words because they are forgotten words in the body of Christ today. Even archaic words. But they shouldn’t be archaic because the truth comes from the Living and eternal Word of God.

 

I decided to check out what she was saying and found it on the Internet. In one of the paragraphs I read:

 

“During this Era of the Holy Spirit, many prodigals will come back to the Lord. We are backing the Turnaround Tuesday movement where the Body of Christ fasts on Tuesday for the salvation of families and for prodigals to come home. God will also shake and prune the church to prepare to receive them, along with the great harvest. (I had not heard about Turnaround Tuesday but it sounds great. I am sure that families who have prodigals would love to check this out and join in this fasting and prayer).

The vision continued: “There will be a special emphasis in 2022 on the family. God is calling families to “build the family altar” in their homes and pray with and for their families.”

 

There was the phrase in writing. What does it mean? “The family altar” was one time part of the daily life of every Christian family. Every morning and evening they would gather as a family to meet with God—to hear His words and to pray and worship together. 

 

It comes from the passage in Leviticus 6:8-13 where God gave the instructions of how to conduct the burnt offerings on the altar. He told them that the fire on the altar was NEVER to go out. He told them to keep it going by attending to it every morning and every evening. If we want the fire of God to keep burning in our lives and each member of our family, we must attend to the fire every morning and evening. Fires go out easily if they are not constantly refueled. 

 

God wants each family burning brightly for Him. O, how I was encouraged to hear that God is calling His families again to the family altar. 

 

THE MODERN CHURCH MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN BUT GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN! 

 

Will you hear His call? Are you ready to rearrange your family lives to incorporate the family altar into each day? To meet with Him morning and evening is the very least that we can give to Him in the 24 hours He gives us each day. I have found in my own experience that I cannot hope this will happen. I must make it happen. I make it happen and everything else fits around it. If other things don’t get done, it doesn’t matter. But if we let this go, the fire will go out.

 

Let’s respond to God’s call. This is the beginning of revival. If a move of God does not begin and CONTINUE in the families of God’s people, it will be something that comes and goes but does not last.

 

Oh, let’s turn back to His ways, Nancy Campbell

 

These links are from Nancy. 

 

I would encourage you to check out the following materials:

To read more about the Morning and Evening Principle in the Scriptures go to:

http://aboverubies.org/morning-evening-principle

BOOKS:

FAMILY DEVOTIONS - The Husband's and Wife's Role E-Booklet (mybigcommerce.com)

HOW TO HAVE A FAMILY ALTAR

http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/.../HowtoHaveAFamily...

 

 

**Personally, I recommend a daily reading of Proverbs - there's one for every day of the month. I've been doing it monthly for twenty-seven years.  

Also, it is a practice in Judaism to study through the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) yearly.

Jem and I  also use a daily devotional with a Messianic Jewish focus titled  The Voice of the Lord.  It is a collection of meditations written by various authors, and is edited by David J. Rudolph.

 

 If you have some recommendations, I'd love for you to share them with us.

Shabbat Shalom to you all, dear Gail-Friends.

Thankful Thursday - The Waiting Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the parenting lesson you've given me in Luke 15:

The prodigal's father could have run after his beloved son, tracked him down, and done everything he could to save him from pain and suffering.  He didn’t do that.  He allowed his son to learn his own lessons.

The father stayed at home, doing the work you’d given him to do; but, he was praying and he was believing.  He looked down that road every day, hoping to see his son return.  One day it happened.  He ran to meet the wayward son, and the son ran into his arms. 

Pain had done it’s work, and the son had come to his senses.  Wallowing in the pig pen had accomplished what the father could not do. 

Help, Father,  me to be patient while You do Your perfect work in my child.   

Help me to remember it may take much longer than I want.   

Help me to keep my focus on You and the work You’ve called me to do. Prayer is part of my work, and may I not faint  or grow weary in it. 

Help me to learn my own lessons as I go through the pain of watching my dear child suffer. 

Thank you for Your holy work in my child and in me.

Thankful Thursday is my weekly discipline - to express my gratitude to Hashem for His over-flowing, abundant blessings. 

~~~~~~ 

I'm sharing this prayer today at Somebody's Mother Online Prayer Support Group on Facebook.  

Also sharing with:
  Spiritual Sunday
The Gathering Spot Link-Up

Modest Mom Monday Link-up 

Growing Homemakers Link-Up

Titus 2 Tuesday 

Tuesdays with a Twist

A Hope in Every Season Homemaking Link-Up  
Wordless Wednesdays 

Winsome Wednesday

A Wise Woman Builds
Whole Hearted Wednesday 
Wake Up Wednesday
Whimsical Wednesday

Hearts for Home
Favorite Things 

Fab Creative Friday
Friendship Friday 
Freedom Friday

The Good Shepherd

Do you have a prodigal loved one?  I pray you will find comfort in this prayer based on Psalm 23. 


As you, pray this prayer, picture each scene in your mind:

The L-rd is ________'s tender, loving, caring shepherd ; 

The L-RD is providing what _______ needs and is with _______ even though ______ has strayed on to a dangerous path away from the sheepfold.
 
He will lead ________ to lie down in green pastures: He will lead ______ to still waters and restore ______'s soul.

He will  lead _______ to the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.

Yes, even though ______is walking through the valley of the shadow of death right now, I will not give in to fear: because  The L-rd is with _______; 

The L-rd's  rod and His staff  (Holy Word and Spirit) are guiding _______ to His path of righteousness.

 The L-rd prepares a table (is bringing good out of what the evil one is trying to do) , and  ______ is learning lessons that will anoint _______'s head with oil and cause _______'s  cup to run over with blessings.

Surely goodness and mercy  follow _______ all the days of  his/her life: and ________ will dwell in the house of the L-rd for ever.


I'm linking up to:
 Faith Filled Friday
 and Spiritual Sundays