“Inquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.” Jeremiah 21:2

When sung with reverence, there are few songs that stir the soul like “God Bless America.” It seems to be an important medium to convey that our success as a nation has been due to Divine blessings. We are thus reminded that for continued blessings, we must meet Divine expectations.

At patriotic events, there are still those who call for God’s favor and blessing, in view of the enormity of the challenges facing our nation. Many of those calls are from sincere-hearted patriots. Some follow the pattern of Zedekiah, who habitually ignored God’s Word, but when faced with Nebuchadrezzar’s army that he could not defeat, called upon Jeremiah to pray to God, that God would bless the kingdom with His wondrous works to cause Nebuchadrezzar to depart from them.

But instead of Jeremiah being able to say, “The Lord’s blessings are on the way,” he had to deliver the message from God: “And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.” Jeremiah 21:5

Even though God’s judgment was thus announced, God revealed that His hand was stretched out still for Judah’s repentance: “Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.” Jeremiah 22:3

America needs to turn back to God, breaking off from her sins and abominations that provoke the wrath of God. I feel it is safe to say that judgment for our willful ignoring of God as Creator and the rejection of His Word, has been decreed against our nation, but that we are in a period of “longsuffering,” where “God’s hand is stretched out still,” even as we see the Nebuchadrezzars of our time moving against us. We cannot continue on as we are, without drastic consequences. The call of God to our nation going out all across the land is the call to repentance.

God’s arm is not short that is cannot save. But sin and iniquity will separate between a nation and God. God spared not the angels that sinned. He sent the flood, He destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He spared not Israel. He will judge our nation. Who is on the Lord’s side?

June 15-19 from 9:00am to 11:30am for ages 5 through 18

It is one of the assembling of the saints together: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25. Christians caring for one another!

It is love for God, seeking to draw nigh to Him: “My soul longeth, yea, fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:2,4,10

It is about maintaining the importance of worshipping God: “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.” Psalm 5:7

It is where God imparts needed understanding: “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” Psalm 73:16-17

It is where the Holy Spirit meets with God’s people: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31

It is the “breaking of spiritual bread” beyond the Lord’s Day: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” Acts 2:46

It is God’s cafeteria: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to received it.” Malachi 3:10

It is approximately one hour out of the other six days of 144 hours.

“WHY IS THE HOUSE OF GOD FORSAKEN?” Nehemiah 13:11

Not only will God hold His children responsible for having forsaken the assembly, but He will also hold churches responsible for forsaking to have the assembly. If there ever was a time when the assembly is important, it is now.

NOTE: In Biblical days, the 24 hour daily cycle was divided into two equal parts: night and day – the night preceding the day, Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31. The sun controlled the day, and the moon the night, John 11:9. In Biblical days, the day started at 6:00pm (in the evening) and ended at 6:00pm the next evening. Our days are reckoned from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight.

SATURDAY: Mark 11:1-11: Jesus entered Jerusalem. The world says He entered on Palm Sunday. He entered the Temple as His custom was on the Sabbath. Mark 11:11, He returned to Bethany.

SUNDAY: Mark 11:12-19: He returns to Jerusalem. On the way, He curses the fig tree. Mark 11:15-19, He cleanses the Temple. Mark 11:19, Jesus goes back to Bethany.

MONDAY: Mark 11:20: Jesus returned to Jerusalem by the same route and sees the withered fig tree. Mark 11:27–Mark 14:1, Jesus teaches and answers questions. Mark 14:1…In 2 days (Wednesday) would be the Passover.

TUESDAY: Mark 14:12-16: The day before the Passover, the Preparation Day. The Jewish Passover began on the 14th day of the month Abib or Nisan, by killing the lamb that was caught on the 10th day of the month, Exodus 12:3-6. The Passover is a type of Christ – 1 Corinthians 5:7. The Passover lasted 7 days. The first day of the Passover (the 15th) and the last day were High Sabbaths (annual). – Leviticus 23:4-8.

WEDNESDAY: Their Wednesday began at 6:00pm…our Tuesday (see above note.) During this time, Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples, and instituted the Lord’s Supper, Mark 14:22-25. Mark 14:26-52, Tuesday evening (Wednesday Jewish time) they go out to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ prays and is arrested. Mark 14:53-72, The trial of Christ before the Sanhedrin, in the night hours (our Tuesday, their Wednesday.) Mark 15:1-25, The trial before Pilate and the crucifixion in the third hour of the day, which would be 9:00am Wednesday, our time. Wednesday, He is on the cross. Mark 15:33, There is darkness from the sixth to the ninth hours (12:00 noon to 3:00pm.) Mark 15:42-47, In the afternoon before 6:00pm, His death and burial, which would make it before the beginning of the next day, which was a High Sabbath (not the weekly Sabbath)…see John 19:31. So, before 6:00pm Wednesday, Christ was placed in the tomb.

THURSDAY: Matthew 27:62-66: Guards are placed at the tomb.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY: He is in the tomb. Saturday ended at 6:00pm.

SUNDAY: The tomb is visited, Matthew 28:1-7. Matthew 28:1 – as it begins to “dawn,” speaking of daylight. NOTE: Sunday (the first day of the week) had begun at 6:00pm Saturday, our time. Matthew 28:6, The tomb is already empty. He was in the tomb Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights…three nights. He was in the tomb Thursday, Friday, and Saturday…three days, just as He had said – Matthew 12:39-40. This is essential to have the gospel according to the scriptures – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. He arose after 6:00pm Saturday evening, which was the Jewish first day of the week. So, we observe the first day of the week as the Lord’s Day. It is to be observed weekly on the first day of the week, rather than on an annual basis, just as the Old Testament Sabbath was observed weekly. If it were an annual observance, God would command it and it would fall on a different day of the week every year, just as any other annual holiday does…see 1 John 2:21.