Good King; Bad King

Mr. President: I liked your speech.  Some didn’t.  You might want to hire a cup bearer, just to be on the safe side.

Nehemiah, in the Bible had been a cup bearer in Persia for Queen Esther’s husband, King Artie something.  He took a break from that job to build a wall around Jerusalem...to fortify it.  Many people thought he was nuts. You two have that in common.  This man trusted God with his whole heart while satan let fly every trick he had up his sleeve.   BUT, the wall went up! ...in record time.

Since you are a speed writer on Twitter you may be a speed reader too, so,  between meetings with today’s world leaders, you might get some pointers about how to do your job by reading the bio of long-ago King Hezekiah.  He undertook his assignment with humility...confessing that he had no clue about how to do anything but bear cups. That gave God a huge advantage...but his wife secretly worshipped a fertility goddess...and so their son filled up with alligators the very swamp his daddy had drained. That part of the story isn't so good, but it doesn't cancel out Hezekiah's rewards for obedience.  

 Good King. Bad King.  If we read the record of the kings in one fell swoop our emotions fly right off the rails. Best to take them in chunks.

I am ninety years old and my thoughts are still not always His, nor are my ways His either.   Mr. President. Donald: Do not, for a minute “lean unto your own understanding”.  But of course, being human, you will.

Out here in wacko California, not all of us have bowed the knee to Baal.  May that give you hope for the country.

Love, 

Jo

Good king; Bad king

Mr. President: I liked your speech.  Some didn’t.  You might want to hire a cup -bearer, just to be on the safe side.

Nehemiah, in the Bible had been a cup-bearer in Persia for Queen Esther’s husband, King Artie something.  He took a break from that job to build a wall...far to the north...around Jerusalem.  Many people thought he was nuts. You two have that in common.  This man trusted God with his whole heart while satan let fly every trick he had up his sleeve.   BUT, the wall went up! ...in record time.

Since you are a speed writer on Twitter you may be a speed reader too...so,  between meetings with today’s world leaders, you could be encouraged by reading the bio of long-ago King Hezekiah.  He started his assignment with humility...confessing that he had no clue about how to do the job. That gave God a huge advantage...but his wife secretly worshipped a fertility goddess...and so their son filled up with alligators the very swamp his daddy had drained. That part of the story isn't so good, but it doesn't cancel out Hezekiah's rewards for obedience.  

 Good King. Bad King.  If we read the record of the kings in one fell swoop our emotions fly right off the track.  Best to take them in chunks.

I am ninety years old and my thoughts are still not always His, nor are my ways His either.   Mr. President. Donald: Do not, for a minute “lean unto your own understanding”.  But of course, being human, you will.

Out here in wacko California, not all of us have bowed the knee to Baal.  May that give you hope for the country.

Love, 

Jo

Good King; Bed King

Mr. President: I liked your speech.  Some didn’t.  You might want to hire a cup bearer, just to be on the safe side.

Nehemiah, in the Bible had been a cup-bearer in Persia for Queen Esther’s husband, King Artie something.  He took a break from that job to build a wall ...a thousand miles to the north...in Jerusalem.  Most people thought he was nuts. You two have that in common.  This man trusted God with his whole heart while satan let fly every trick he had up his sleeve.   BUT, the wall went up! ...in record time.

  

Since you are a speed writer on Twitter you may be a speed reader too...so , between meetings with today’s world leaders, you would do yourself a favor by reading the bio of long-ago King Hezekiah.  He started out humble...admittedly not knowing his right foot from his left. That gave God a huge advantage...but his wife secretly worshiped a fertility goddess...and so their son filled with alligators the very swamp his daddy had drained.

 Good King. Bad King.  If we read the record of the kings in one fell swoop our emotions fly right off the track.  Best to take it in chunks.

I am ninety years old and my thoughts are still not His, nor are my ways His either.   Mr. President. Donald: Do not, for a minute “lean unto your own understanding”.  But of course, being human, you will.

Out here in wacko California, not all of us have bowed the knee to Baal.  May that give you hope for the country.

Your friend,

Jo Stone

Love and Truth

Ted and I met her when we spoke at an event.  She came to us and asked to come for counseling. In one session we knew this lady deserved the best we could give her.  She came into our home and lived with us for several months. 

Let’s call her “Roselle”. She would like that. Her favorite color was rose. 

Sexual abuse is horrible.  Spiritual abuse is worse.  Many times this precious one had gone to the altar in her church for healing.  The ulcers on her legs remained and worsened; body weight increased. She was told she did not have enough faith to be healed.  Lies weigh so much.

Now she was fifty years old...exhausted from years of satan’s accusations,  the loss of four babies that died in her womb,  sacrificial  ministry, the mothering of nine foster children and adoption of three.  All the while she guarded the secret of her uncle’s sexual assaults from even her own conscious mind...but her soul knew; her body knew. Her spirit was wounded to near collapse.  If the lies remained hidden from her mind there would be no healing.  Little girl cries came from deep within her...many in the night. I held her, Ted held me and the Lord held all three of us.

The evil one resisted releasing some of the memories. As the lies were supplanted by God’s Truth, gradually the fears subsided and the cries ceased. There was no hurrying the work of the Holy Spirit. In His time Roselle went to her home,  then resumed ministry until the Lord took her Home... last week. She had called a month or so ago; we made a tentative date to play pinochle. “You saved my life.”  No, we didn’t.  His Love and Truth set her free. 

Did Ted and I have the “gift of healing”?  Of course not.  We had His gift of love, laced with His powerful Word.  Nothing else is needed.

Love, Jo

Afterthoughts:  
Tinnitus report: The crickets still cricket and the truck still revs its motor...but not quite as loud.  Now,  who is going to come and play pinochle with me?    J