Scripture

~Psalm 124:2-3, NLT

Quote

Every child of God has an omnipotent guardian, and God will sooner empty heaven of angels as to leave a saint unguarded.

~Charles H. Spurgeon

Psalm 124 in another of the Ascent Psalms and it was also written by David who authored three of the fifteen. It begins with a thought provoking question, “What if the LORD had not been on our side?” Then David answers the question–“We would have been swallowed alive by our angry enemies.” The Jews have always been surrounded by enemies: people who hate them and want to annihilate them. Hitler was not the first and he will not be the last. As a matter of fact, there are several nations and organizations who’s primary goal is the annihilation of Israel. HAMAS would be one and the PLO another. Iran’s goal is to wipe Israel off the map. YET no one, not Pharaoh, not Nebuchadnezzar, not  Sennacherib, not Antiochus Epiphanes, not  Tiglath Pileser, not hateful Haman, not Hitler or Stalin has been successful at eliminating the Jews and I have news for Iran and Hamas–they will not succeed either. Why can’t they annihilate Israel? Because God is Israel’s Divine Protector.

What a difference the LORD makes is a believer’s life. We have victory in Jesus: it is assured. Oh we may lose a battle here and there but we will not lose the war. With the LORD watching over us, we are indestructible. God plus one equals the majority. You could take the weakest saint on earth [that could be me] and with God protecting that saint, the entire world could not destroy him or her. On the other hand, you could take the most powerful personality on the planet and without the LORD, he or she does not stand a chance. No person who rebels against God will succeed. Let me give you a couple of examples: Jacob was a sissy–he probably wore pink. He liked to cook and sow. He was not fund of the outdoors. Jacob was a mama’s boy. Esau was just the opposite; he was a brute. He was a left tackle or middle linebacker. He was strong enough to wrestle a bear and could shoot straight as an arrow. He enjoyed a good fight. Jacob cheated him out of his birthright and now Jacob is coming home. The closer Jacob gets to home the more worried he becomes. Esau can break his frail body into pieces and Jacob knows it. What saved Jacob? The LORD was on his side. David was no sissy and like Esau, he liked a good fight now and then. Actually, he was like Esau in at least one other way, he loved the fairer sex. Esau downfall was wine, women and wild parties: David’s downfall was women period. Like Jacob, David was not perfect but he never lost a battle, not one. David was not the greatest warrior, not even in Israel, yet he never lost a battle. There is an easy explanation: God protected him and gave him victory over all his enemies.

It is not our ability or inability that makes the difference: it is God’s grace and blessing. We may not be facing the same thing as David and the ancient Israelites but 9/11 made us realize that we do have enemies who want to destroy us. I know we are critical of our Federal Government but one thing we have to commend them for is protecting us from terrorist. I am sure that some terrorist plots have been stopped without you and I even knowing there was a threat. Likewise, I am convinced that evil would consume us like a beast devouring it’s prey if it were not for God’s protection. You might want to thank Him for being your soul guard.

Veteran of the Day

Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr.

 (July 15, 1924 – March 28, 2014)

Jeremiah Denton is a native of Mobile, Alabama. He became a household name in America during the later stages of the Viet Nam war. He was in a POW camp [the Hanoi Hilton] for 8 years and most of that in solitary confinement. He spent the last four years is a bamboo cage 4X4X4. It was a cube. He could never stand erectly or stretch out when he lay down. He and other prisoners were tortured daily. Denton was a navy pilot and was shot down in 1965

Denton was the first of all the POWs that were held captive and finally released by Hanoi to step off an American plane during  Operation Homecoming in February 1973.  The group made Denton their spokeman and I was glued to the TV the night it was aired but I can’t remember the entire speech. I know he said, “God bless America.” I think he said it before saying anything else. I tried to find the video but was unable. As one of the earliest and highest-ranking officers to be taken prisoner in North Vietnam, Denton was forced by his captors to participate in a 1966 televised propaganda interview which was broadcast in the United States. While answering questions and feigning trouble with the blinding television lights, Denton blinked his eyes in Morse code,  spelling the word “TORTURE”—and confirming for the first time to U.S. Naval Intelligence that American POWs were in fact being tortured. When President Nixion order the B-52 to bomb the hades out of North Viet Nam, Denton and the prisoners cheered. They did not care that the bombs were close or that they might be hit, the simply wanted and end to the torture. This is a war the democrats started but liked the courage to finish. Say what you want about Nixon but he put an end to the war and he got most of our guys home including Denton.

Denton retired from the navy as a Rear Admiral and ran for the U.S. Senate representing the great State of Alabama. Unfortuantely, we were unworthy of such nobility. He was not a politician. He didn’t kiss babes or rear ends and it did bring that all important pork to the special interest groups. They despised him. The infamous Richard Shelby, a democrat, unseated him after one term. Shelby is still a pork loving democrat. He is Republican in name only.

• I am still praising God for a GREAT REVIVAL. June and I had a very busy day yesterday and we got caught in Decatur traffic about dark last night. It was like Friday night traffic and June reminded me that school is out today so I guess they were treating Thursday as Friday. We were exhausted by the time we got home. It was good be able to stay home once we got there.
• We are thrilled that Josh Jenkins got to come home and we rejoice that he is going to OK.
• June and I are hosting the GOLDEN GIRL CHRISTMAS breakfast. We have our Christmas in November. One reason I was so tired last night is that June has a list of things that have to be done before the breakfast in the morning. I’m the big buck who insisted we do this: it has kind’a backfired on me. Seriously, I am excited and looking forward to feeding the GOLDEN GIRLS.
• LORD willing, we are going to take a short excursion today. We are not going that far because we have some more things to do to get ready for tomorrow. We are going through June’s old stomping ground, through Minor Hill, Pulaski and on up to Lynnville, Tennessee. We may do the LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN PARKWAY next week. One of our readers who enjoyed reading our reports has encouraged me to keep doing this through December. I’m game if I can talk Big Mama into it. I hate to set my foot down: she gets a little cranky when I make her do things.