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Tag: 1 kings

“O altar, altar! place of slaughter, place of worship
And behold, a man of God .. cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord:

1 Kings 13:1-2 excerpt NKJV

Are you going to listen?

So SEVERE the message! And who is this anonymous Prophet? (I’ve never heard of him — and we’re in a church gathering after all..) Who is this man approaching the King?

WE worship a King and Priest with his own hill and altar of worship and praise of the People.

Will we hear God’s Voice through the true Prophet of the Almighty?

An Altar of Stone on the Stage of Worship

Surround it with towering Common Era walls of glass — or even a city built for worship of every ancient saint and yet another elevated arch–episkopos —

Stand over it and hold up so many sacrifices of the people,, stained with the Blood of unseen sins.. proclaiming the Altar on your stage for ‘Him‘ as Priest of Aaron and King over all your people..

And so.. you people gathered for a week’s sprinkling of grace.. a people of amplified praise of prepositional paraphrased worship.. have you who praise him as king who thank him as priest.. DO YOU hear the Prophet who rejects the Blood of your every sacrifice?

Prophet, Priest and King
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It's an ancient and little-noticed scenario of the present .. that of the specific roles of mortal men (yes, men) anointed as intercessors on behalf of those they lead in worship and in an ever-so-brief life in the flesh and blood of the created. 
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Have you heard this Scripture in your worship?

NOTE the roles of those involved:

1 Kings 13:

‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ”

1 Kings 13:2b NKJV
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IF you know this Scripture you will realize that I have intentionally omitted some of this introduction in order to focus on its participants. 

You most likely know that Josiah became a young King of Judah, right? 
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A Hebrew view of Scripture

Although you may recall a more famous Prophet from the book of First Kings, like me you may have wondered why the Christian Bible includes 1 & 2 Kings as O.T. History and not with the Prophets (who lived during these same historic times).

Old Testament [source]

Take a quick Jewish look back at a fallen and broken Kingdom of David.

Without noting Scriptures pointing to named authors of God’s written word in the Hebrew list of Nevi’im (Prophets) the Tanakh includes Joshua (the General of Moses), Judges, Samuel (a Priest of the God) and Kings with the former Prophets BEFORE the Exile and other books (i.e. Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet) as Post-exilic Scriptures.

Lamentations of our past in a Lenten path forward

The LEADERSHIP ROLES of GOD’s Chosen peoples have changed over time — both Before Christ and in these last days of Christ’s Chosen Church.

Has man (anthrōpos) misrepresented the WRITTEN instruction of the LORD?

Here in 1 Kings we read one (of many) Scriptural examples and warnings to worshipers of God.

(Have you heard them?)

Kings in charge (or so they thought)
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Let's examine this Scripture (or Hebrew book of the Prophets) in terms of leadership roles and relationships. 
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And behold, [in] Bethel .. Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then [the man] cried out against the altar..

1 Kings 13:1-2 excerpt

To set the scene:
- Bethel בֵּית־אֵל
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Bethel was a royal city of the Canaanites (Joshua 12:16). It appears to have been captured by Joshua (8:7), and it was allotted to Benjamin (Joshua 18:22). 

To counteract the influence of Jerusalem as the national religious center Jeroboam embarked on the policy which won for him the unenviable reputation of having "made Israel to sin." Here he erected a temple, set up an image, the golden calf, and established an imposing ritual. It became the royal sanctuary and the religious center of his kingdom.
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source
- Jeroboam יָרָבְעָם
The LORD brought Israel to ruin before Judah. The decline began from the first kings of each divided nation AND the LORD sent prophets to them again and again.

Israel’s Rebellion
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READ more (from 1 Kings 12) for the context of the LORD's curse against the altar of Jeroboam. 

And do not presume, O divided Nation of this Common Era, that WE are so free from the judgement of the Lord our God.
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So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
12:19 וַיִּפְשְׁעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבֵית דָּוִד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ ס
- Shemaiah
But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God..

” Therefore they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.
- Jeroboam
12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there…

31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

Jeroboam ordained a feast .. like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar.

So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made.

And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made…

So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel .. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

1 Kings 12:33 NKJV excerpt

a Prophet from Judah
- a man of God
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Returning to 1 Kings 13 and the cursed altar where we began don't miss that an unnamed Prophet delivers this key message from the LORD.
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13:1 וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים בָּא מִיהוּדָה בִּדְבַר יְהוָה אֶל־בֵּית־אֵל וְיָרָבְעָם עֹמֵד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְהַקְטִיר׃

And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord:

‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ”

3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!”

Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.

The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

1 Kings 13:5 NKJV – more

6Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.”

So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”
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Who with ears to hear does not tremble at this outcome spoken by the 'man of God' - an unnamed Prophet hearing the KING order his arrest; and yet a son of man healing the outstretched arm of Israel's King and self-appointed Priest? 

But have you even heard of such a thing in YOUR contemporary evangelical house of worship? 
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Before Christ in Gethsemane

אֱלֹהִים

And behold, a man of God…

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Matthew 5:17 NKJV –
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Jesus preached from 'the Law and the Prophets,' which includes both books of Kings. 
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He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

Matthew 12:9a,10a, 13 NKJV
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So could a man of God have healed Jeroboam's withered arm? Do you believe that JESUS could have instantly healed this man in the Synagogue? 
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Garden of Gethsemane

And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear… In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes,

“Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.

excerpt from Matthew 26 NKJV

“But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Gospel of Matthew 26:56 NKJV

a Common Era Contrition for Lent – Ash and dust

Lent 2025 C.E. – a time for contrition
March 20, 2025
a Failure of Kings Advent 4 of Christ
What do you think about Kings?
- Do you have a Sovereign?
- Would you like to follow one?
Who is your King?

Perhaps your gut response would be no different than that of the high priests of Jerusalem at the capital trial of Jesus.

The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Gospel of John 19:15b King James Version

You may say that WE have no religious leaders in charge of a nation. But look closer at leadership titles where you will discover priests in politics. And don’t miss some presidents, premiers, prime ministers and even kings governing as Caesars.

Descendants of Abraham did not always have kings, nor did the kings of Israel, Judah and Judea always have power.

a reminder of Roger@TalkofJesus.com

a glance at kings of the Promised Land

Previously we witnessed pre-history as a timeline, essentially beginning again from the restoration of life at the time of NOAH.

Now is the Time Christmas Advent 3

Which kings in history have been successful and which kings were a failure?

TODAY, before we proceed to the recognized historical kings of Israel let’s also consider others from the Mosaic record.

kings and princes mentioned by Moses

mālaḵ verb, מָלַךְ

Strong’s H4427 in the following manner: reign (289x), king (46x), made (4x), queen (2x).. more

And Bela the son of Beor reigned^H4427 in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
- KINGS of cities (or later City-States in places such as Greece)
- Perhaps Prince would fit better.
- Or maybe, Mayor? (But they were military generals as well.)
meleḵ מֶלֶךְ

The KJV translates Strong’s H4428 in the following manner: king (2,518x), misc..

That these made war with Bera king^H4428 of Sodom, and with Birsha king^H4428 of Gomorrah, Shinab king^H4428 of Admah, and Shemeber king^H4428 of Zeboiim, and the king^H4428 of Bela, which is Zoar.

Genesis 14:2 King James Version

These are just a few of the kings who made war. (That’s what Kings tend to do.) Therefore, Abraham (a Prince without a city. So like these kings and generals he was treated as a king when he helped them win a battle.

And Melchizedek king H4428 of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

14:18 וּמַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃

Melchizedek NOT just the mayor of Jerusalem or a mere Prime Minister or even Prince (as Abraham was generally treated) — the כֹּהֵן – kōhēn – Priest of ʿelyôn ‘ēl –

THE MOST HIGH GOD לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃

IF in this 21st century of the Common Era WE independent evangelists (who know nothing of kings) attempt to compare Abraham, Melchizedek, David or Solomon to any common Caesar of this day,

or

IF WE anoint JESUS with simply the same royal title of any King (such as Charles),

THEN WE miss many overlapping roles of Sovereignty the Lord God gave to these men

AS WELL AS equally important roles of the Christ our High Priest and our Prophet dismissed and diminished by the common Caesar’s of these last days.

Roger@TalkofJesus.com

Kings of the Promised People

From a promise of the LORD to Abraham, a king without a country,

to David conquering King uniting twelve tribes, Solomon son of David built the Temple and an Empire.

You will be as familiar with the Dan to Beersheba borders as me.

Additionally you may have discerned that Solomon conquered to the north beyond Damascus as far as Tiphsah on the Euphrates River [1 Kings 4:24].

Solomon a distant memory of success

The Jews of Jesus’ incarnate days had visualized their glorious past in the empire of Solomon. These contemporaries of Jesus nostalgically recalled Solomon as a Caesar of Israel in his time.

From ~989 B.C. until his death in ~931 B.C. Solomon’s influence extended even into all the nearby world.

Centuries of Failed Kings Before Christ
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We still have not reached the center of all history and the Advent of the Messiah of Israel now to be predicted by the Prophets. 

Keep in mind that now Israel and Judah will have separate kings eventually overruled by conquering kings.
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King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh [king of Egypt]—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women.

2 These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.”

1 Kings 11:1-2 BSB

Christian preaching makes much of monogamy here while ignoring common customs of marriage alliances between political rulers of nations through intermarriage. Yet the LORD had forbidden it.

And incentives inviting our cultural bias against the True God of Israel continue as a leaven diluting a Common Era Church to this day.

Frequently forced alliances led to the fall of Israel [722 BC] and decline through gradual apostasy compromised Judah just a century later [606 BC].

606 B.C. Some captives taken to Babylon. (Daniel included)

597 B.C. More captives taken to Babylon. (Ezekiel included)

586 B.C. Jerusalem is destroyed by fire.

Kings of Chosen Captives

Without dwelling on all the kings of both Israel and Judah who ‘did evil in the sight of the LORD,’ we’ll move forward to those left powerless by defeat and the refining of the Lord our God.

2 Kings 17 – Failure of Israel

3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria.

And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year.

Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
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Egypt's king (not so much a god and Pharoah to an Assyrian king) wouldn't help Hoshea out of his political servitude to Shalmaneser king of Assyria. 

Does this king's representative vassal relationship sound somewhat prophetic of a later Herodian whoredom with Rome?
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Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.

In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria…

2 Kings 17:5-6a ESV ~724BC -722 BC

Meanwhile, back in Judah

Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.

7And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. 8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.

2 Kings 18:5-8 BSB
- 701 B.C. 200,000 of the inhabitants of Judah captured by Sennacherib
- 621 B.C. Nineveh, Assyria falls to Babylon and Media (the Medes)
- 586 B.C Judah falls to Babylon, the rebuilt Temple destroyed and captured families of the leading Jews led captive to Babylonia
Flight of the Prisoners, Artist: Tissot, Photographer: John Parnell, Photo © The Jewish Museum, New York

600 years Before Christ, No more Kings of Israel;

No King of the Jews in Jerusalem!

Hope only for a few

Biblical Foundations of Freedom

The Prophesy of Isaiah, with some familiar to Christians as prophesy foreseeing the Messiah born in Bethlehem of Judea (formerly Judah), is set earlier than what we have just read in the context of the divided kingdom.

Isaiah 10:

Here in part is Isaiah’s and the LORD’s lament:

11 ” ‘..shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images

as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’ ”

19 And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few

that a child could write them down.

22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

Two mote Empires (Before Christ & Rome)
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For those who like me may have occasionally fallen asleep in history class I'll make this rise and fall of three Empires brief.
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- a remnant does return to Jerusalem and rebuilds its wall and Temple
  - 536 B.C. Cyrus the Great permitted the return. 49,897 Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem.
- 516 B.C. The temple was completed. source
  - (Jerusalem will later get a Governor, Nehemiah and a Priest, Ezra),
  - But still no King since they are subjects of Persia.
If not a king, how about a Queen?

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Esther 2:17 KJV

Yet Esther becomes co-regent of the Medes and Persians [~478 B.E.] not simply a small remote city of Jerusalem.
- Malachi’s prophecy likely came sometime after the ministry of Nehemiah around BC 458-445.
- Malachi is the last prophet to speak before Christ.
  - source
Before Caesars, Greeks

The advent of Christ takes place in Judea and beyond, documented in Greek texts as was the whole New Testament. Persia.

It’s a period of some 400 years Before Christ.

Jews from Persia in the east, in Samaria to the north and even west as far as Rome became divided in their interest in the Bible given by Moses and the Prophets.

Thanks to Alexander the Great, the nearby world of the Herod’s and Jews spoke Greek (not Hebrew or certainly not the Latin of Rome).

In the timeline of all history Rome’s consequent defeat of other kings, princes and generals after Alexander’s death and division of yet another Empire would set the stage for the birth of a King from before all time born into it in a little Judean town unnoticed by a vassal King appointed by Caesar, a king of a captive Israel actually raised in distant Rome.

These centuries of ADVENT lead up to a glorious day central to all of history and all of mankind.

NEXT: Christmas 2024 of the Common Era, God-willing
December 22, 2024
Advent 2 of Christmas Evangelicalism
Advent

‘Advent of what’ we ask?
a Nativity Scene on the mantle for Advent and our annual Christmas feast?

A COVID Christmas – Shall we take Jesus out of the box includes history of Christmas in the U.S. December 1, 2020 C.E.
“Before what?”

Last time in our ADVENT 1 post from this 2024 Common Era series, we asked:

Can we comprehend a time Before the first Christmas?

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:11-12 KJV

Command of the LORD & promise of a Covenant

“But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark.. Genesis 6

“I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” – Genesis 9

READ MORE about God’s covenant with Noah

IMAGINE the historical NOAH preaching to a corrupt church about this ADVENT of the Last Days when JESUS will return to judge creation with fire and fellow sinners sitting right beside you at this year’s Christmas program.

The chosen Before Christ

A PERSONAL interaction between the Creator and Living God of timeless eternity and a created son of Adam and NOAH.

Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?’

Jesus said to them,

‘Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham’s coming — I am;’

excerpt from Gospel of John 8: Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

AFTER this unique time of ABRAHAM Before Christ,
- Judah (and Israel) had yet to be conquered, named, lost, regained and renamed over centuries of the chosen sons of Abraham.
Chosen for Covenant and Curse
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FROM the LAW of Moses 
for the generations of the LORD's chosen; 
administered by Levite priests (sons of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham:
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Additional Blessings of Obedience
- “You must not make idols for yourselves..
- You must keep My Sabbaths
- and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.
- .. and I will establish My covenant with you.
How are you doing with your obedience:
- youthful christian Swifty?
- Sunday morning NFL evangelist?
- Latte listeners of amplified praise?
Punishments for Disobedience

If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, then this is what I will do to you: … Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.

18 And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride…

And YES,

(You know some of the long history of God’s chosen)

it gets worse from here even BEFORE Christ.

YET could the LORD’s prophesy apply even to US?

Our sin and disobedience continue into these Common Evangelical post-Christian times — (notably by some adopted in Christ Jesus).

The Advent of Defeat

You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

Deuteronomy 7:2b-4 NKJV
- But if your heart turns away and you do not listen.. – Deuteronomy 30:17a
- Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” – Joshua 24:22
Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. – 1 Kings 11:11-12 NKJV

King Solomon (the Preacher) & Sin

But King Solomon loved many foreign women.. from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

.. his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

א מְלָכִיםא (1 Kings) 11:1-3 excerpt

All this took place a millennium BEFORE the Common Era centered around the very incarnation of JESUS CHRIST.

Failed Kings Before Christ

Saul, as most of us know, failed in disobedience to the Lord’s word through His Prophet Samuel.

Even David was a failed king, but he repented of his sin before the Lord and publically in sight of Israel.

To name just one king of Israel or Judah who did evil in the sight of the Lord, Ahab (and Jezebel) come to mind due to their zeal to destroy God’s Prophet Elijah.

Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.

Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

1 Kings 16:30,32 NKJV

So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
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READ the compelling contest for your own clarity of faith.
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And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

But the people answered him not a word.
1 Kings 18:21

Advent of a Common Era

“How long will you falter between two opinions, twenty-first century C.E. christian?
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

In this traditional Advent season of these last days we anticipate more than simply celebrating Christmas in the year of our Lord (A.D.) 2024.

For the similarities of centuries of evil times Before Christ bring to mind our own disobedience to God’s will.

Our incarnate redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man: And NOW celebrate Him in a manger, though our Savior was sacrificed on a Cross for repentant sinners – sinners who love babies and good gifts, even while we fear DEATH and judgment.

SO what does Advent mean to YOU? And how will YOU evangelize Christ our Lord in these brief days before our ever-popular CHRISTmas celebration?

Talk of JESUS .com

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December 11, 2024