a new month

I have a new calendar from Zola Levitt starting in September. Judaism 101 explains the Jewish calendar, which I would like to know more about.

The beautiful Sea of Galilee.

Ted Kennedy

Ted Kennedy was a true friend of Israel.

posted by Scott

The Olive Tree

I don’t so much like to eat olives, but I love to keep olive oil for cooking; it’s great for popcorn, and I use it for face moisturizer – it’s great. I could write more about olives, but the link below has all the information anyone could ever want or need.

Israel travel blog – off the beaten path places.

Terraced olive groves – shows how olives have been grown for a very long time.

very, very much information on olives

In the Old Testament, Zechariah prophesied the coming day of the Lord.

`On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives which lies before Jerusalem on the east: and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward” (14:3-4).

Mount of Olives

Olives grow every other year.

Psalm 91 – Made to love God

Psalms Chapter 91
1 O thou that dwellest in the covert of the Most High, and abidest in the shadow of the Almighty;
2 I will say of HaShem, who is my refuge and my fortress, my G-d, in whom I trust,
3 That He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He will cover thee with His pinions, and under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor of the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at Thy side, and ten thousand at Thy right hand; it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For thou hast made HaShem who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.
11 For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee upon their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp; the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.
14 ‘Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and bring him to honour.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and make Him to behold My salvation.’

“Search the Scriptures” Bible study:

The theme of Psalm 91 is security and blessedness of living under God’s protection.

The rich promises of this chapter depend on meeting the conditions of the first 2 verses. Same idea in Exodus 15:26 – “If you will diligently harken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.

There are seven gracious promises in verses 14-16. Because he sets his love on God, God will:
1. deliver him
2. set him on high
3. answer him
4. be with him in trouble
5. deliver and honor him
6. satisfy him with a long life
7. show him His salvation

II Peter 1:2-4: vs. 3 – His power is given us for all things we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). vs. 4 – God has given us His great promises and by them we can escape moral decay which are in the world because of lust and greed. We become sharers of His divine nature.

Verses 3, 5, 10, 13 mention all kinds of adversity, insidious and hidden, or open and visible, explicable or inexplicable.
Verse 13 doesn’t mean deliverance like Tarzan, but deliverance from dangers, natural and supernatural, not by magic (as in Egypt) but by by faith. Verse 14 – God will literally protect – “I will set him inaccessibly high.”

Finishing up this Bible study, the song, “I was made to love You,” came to mind. Here is Toby Mac singing it – a blessing – simply, we are made to love God. That is first and foremost what He wants from us. Servolution is good, but loving God is way ahead of whatever is 2nd.

smiling babies

Lately I’ve enjoyed smiling babies. This morning at the stores I went to, there were several babies smiling at their mothers as they smiled and talked back to their babies. I smiled at one and got a beautiful smiley face in return. What makes a baby respond so readily with a smile to perfect strangers? This article explains that a baby is able to smile at about 2 months and from 2-5 months will smile at anyone who smiles at them; after that, they become more aware of their social surroundings. Why do people like to smile at babies? They are trusting and loving. Does God smile on His children? Why would He?

Genesis 6:8 – God smiled on Noah. Noah was obedient to what God told him. God provided for him because of it, even though Noah didn’t see the whole picture. How to make God smile – from Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life.

God smiles when we love him supremely.
God smiles when we trust him completely.
God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly.
God smiles when we thank him continually.
God smiles when we receive his gifts joyfully.

more on what makes God smile

photo is from Ein Gedi Nature Reserve

God’s nature vs. man’s nature

Nehemiah chapter nine is a good study in the difference between God’s nature and man’s nature.

God’s heart: just and faithful; ready to pardon; gracious and merciful; of great and steadfast love; does not forsake His people; abundant in mercy; many times delivered His people; great goodness

Man’s heart: Made the molten calf; disobedient; rebellious; blasphemous; presumptuous, wicked

The beautiful Sea of Galilee looking at the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Beatitudes (Supreme blessedness or happiness) in the Sermon on the Mount.

Greek Orthodox Church of the 7 Apostles

I really liked this photo and finally found what the red roofed church was from Jewish Virtual Library

Notice the basalt, a dark and porous stone formed from volcanic lava.

Baptists today blog

This church was built in dedication of the 7 apostles when Jesus appears after His resurrection to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. The seven apostles are Simon called Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and 2 other disciples. John 21:1 “After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.”

Room in the Pew blog entry about this

In this area the ancient fishing boat was found because of low waters in 1986.

many Jews come to Israel

Planeload of new olim in Israel

This is wonderful to watch, even brings tears to my eyes seeing God’s words fulfilled in these many Jews from America going to live in the land of Israel. May God bless each one with His peace, joy and blessings.

My T-Shirt of Jerusalem

On my 10-day tour of Israel in 1984 I went to a T-Shirt making shop and picked out this blue T-shirt with Jerusalem on it. It never did fit well so I framed it and always love having it on the wall. I had fun photo-shopping it today.

1 A Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Song. His foundation is in the holy mountains.

2 HaShem loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are spoken of Thee, O city of G-d. Selah

Psalm 87:1-3

Shabbat Shalom