NOTE:
When writing about God and Jesus, The Daily Jot means YHVH as God and Yeshua Ha Mashiach as Jesus--the actual original names and the true nature and character of them.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
The recent Israeli elections are a reminder of what we have in America right now-division. After all the campaigning and the accusations and the dirty conniving, Israel's Blue and White party could not gain enough seats to reach a majority. Neither could the Likud party. This leaves lesser parties, such as the Joint List of Arab parties to do what they do-sow even more division. There is no national unity, but rather partisan parties seeking their own agendas, caring little about the nation as a whole. This division is systemic. It is also prophetic. When people are divided as they are both here in America and in Israel, it spells trouble because what binds them together is no longer as important as the issues that divide them.
In Mark 3, Jesus is confronted by the scribes who believed he was Beelzebub and said that "By the ruler of the demons, he casts out demons." Jesus responded by saying in verses 23-27, "
How can Satan cast out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.
No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house." The lesson here is that division among people who are supposed to be united leads to destruction in people, kingdoms or nations, and in homes.
In 1 Kings 3, Solomon was faced with a dilemma. Two women claimed the same baby, because one's had died and she swapped the dead baby with another woman's living baby during the night. Both then claimed the living baby. In verses 24-27, Solomon solves the problem: "
Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other." Then the woman whose son
was
living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!"
But the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours,
but
divide
him."
So the king answered and said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she
is
his mother."
In both America and in Israel, the political division is so systemic that it has turned the natural affection one should have for his neighbor and countryman into a hatred that is dividing not only the nations, but also friends and families. Given the endless visceral rhetoric bantered back and forth, natural enemies do not have to work hard to achieve their intended results. In a spiritual sense, the countries, like the baby in Solomon's example, are on a course for division, which could be lethal. The question is, who will stand before the King and say they surrender that the country might live? And in doing so, the King will save the country and entrust it to its righteous guardian. We need to stand as did the child's mother, and also petition the King of King's to not allow this evil to prevail in its division. Pray, act. Stand in the gap.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
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For the children in rural Ghana, the need is great
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By Pastor William Agbeti
"Father, we have a huge challenge!" That was the alarming prayer that sprung up in my heart when we registered the 181st child that showed up for our feeding program this month, against an invited number of 150! The makeshift auditorium of the local rural church, Bread of Life Sanctuary, that we are supporting and where we fed the children, was packed to full capacity by both invited and uninvited rural children. These started showing up in their numbers, with great excitement, hours before the announced time of 1:00 pm! They came from poor rural communities spread miles apart.
As a result, we were compelled to set up an overflow area outside the auditorium to contain the extra numbers that kept pouring in! Many were reported to have come very early in the morning to survey the area to assure themselves that the feeding program was for real! We ran out of rented chairs and could not get any to rent in the whole of the Kojonya community where the program was held, forcing us to go for benches and other types of chairs for the children. An hour before the official start of the program, which was held under the theme, JESUS - OUR BREAD OF LIFE!, we had 200 rural children on our hands to feed with both spiritual and physical food!
Naturally, I started panicking! How could we possibly feed all these needy children? And we were still counting! Just then, definitely by divine intervention, a volunteer stepped up unto the platform where the musical instruments were and started singing: "We serve a Miracle working God who never fails!"
Immediately, the spirit of panic left me and I dashed down to where the cooks were. I asked the chief volunteer cook if we have enough to feed all the children. She reported they had noticed the situation and had reduced the size of the fried chicken by half, thereby creating 300 pieces! Thankfully she confirmed also there was going to be enough rice for all, if the intended por
tions were also reduced by half! Thank you Father, I exclaimed silently! Half a portion is better than no portion a
t all! I tried to convince myse
lf!
It turned out to be a
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The Daily Jot supported ministry in Ghana feeds, clothes and provides clean water for hundreds of children |
first-tim
e experience for the 200 children. Many of these had never eaten fried rice! They were treated to a popular nutritious local drink called SOBOLO, made out of the hibiscus flower. They also had popcorn and a received donations of clothing. Our regular musical chairs and dancing competitions were held and the winners were presented with Bibles. At the tail end of the program, majority of the children took decisions to accept Christ and were invited to attend church. These were given summarized lessons about the Old and New Testaments. They learned there are 66 books in the Bible, with 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New.
The need for them to have their own Bibles and carry them at all times was emphasized. We had a head count of the children who had Bibles and it turned out only a handful of them had bibles. Well over 150 had no Bibles. We promised to organize Bibles for distribution to them.
As usual, I observed four developments that greatly humbled me and brought tears to my eyes! First, the portions of meals were obviously not enough for some of the children! Secondly, many did not have popcorn to eat and were openly disappointed! Thirdly, when we assembled to have a group photograph, scores of children came over to cling to me, and will not let go; making me almost fall down! I had to control the tears welling up in my eyes! Lastly, after it all, a small boy aged about four walked to me and pointed out to something on a table somewhere.
It was another child's pair of shoes! I checked his name on the register of names, asked a volunteer to find out where he came from, and promised to bring him a pair of shoes! How can I ever fail to deliver on this promise? Meanwhile, I am still thinking about how to address the overwhelming food needs of the children, with a regular monthly, if not weekly, feeding program for at least a year! This is my newest burden I have chosen to carry, so help me God!
Against above backdrop, we have purposed to have follow up activities to help establish the children in local churches, give them Bibles, supply some of their personal needs and win them and many more away from the reach or influence of Islam, traditionalist and other pagan and oppressive religions!
Hopefully, with a rippling effect and impact on our target children and rural communities, we would make a profound mark on rural Ghana with the feeding program! On the whole we had two local rural churches and two local NGOs supporting the program with children they bused to the venue, biblical literature and volunteers! To God be the Glory for a power-filled program like this!
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The Daily Jot is totally reader supported. My wife, Chris, and I do not take a salary or receive any
remuneration for this work. Your gifts go directly to assisting us in maintaining this column, the website, outreach, and the Lord's work we do in Ghana, West Africa. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day,
Bill Wilson
The Daily Jot
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