"Signification"

"For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure." (Psalms 135:4)

  Not to change the subject, but I think we really need to start praying for the churches in this country! What we have before us today is something we should all embrace and hold dear to our hearts; especially in times when we might be felling a little unworthy. Let's pretend for a moment we are talking about just one person, Jacob; who is also known as Israel, as so named by God. If you are someone that pays attention to little details, after God named Jacob, Israel, He still sometimes referred back to him as Jacob. Some might associate that to the actions that he did: If he obeyed God he was called Israel; if he did not obey, he was called Jacob. That is quite an assumption! You do know what the word, "Assume," actually means, don't you? This is about a man that went from running his own life, to a man that was governed by God. But, that said, the man who ran his own life, was chosen by God, long before he became the man governed by God; a long time before! I don't know how you feel about this, because the matter is not really settled within the discussion among church leaders: but, God did not just start governing Jacob's life after He named him Israel. If I look back on my own life, I can see God's hand of protection was on it; along with a little direction, now and again; maybe a lot of direction, especially when I needed to be directed. I shared this before: but when I got saved, I had no respect for church; as a matter of fact, I felt that organized religion was something that just used people and tried to control them to suit their particular needs or desires. So I did my very best to stay away from churches; and as it so happened, the place that I had been sent to had a little white church right in the middle of the main compound. I have always been able to care for myself, and a few others too; so it was only natural that I had a store. Most people would get money from their visitors; I would give Marianne money when she came to visit! (Back in the early Eighties, inmates were allowed to have money; and cigarettes.) Well, as things would have it, there were a couple of guys that did not like the fact that I had too much money, so they tried to rob me of my Bible. I guess they thought that because I always carried that Bible, that is where I kept my cash; but it was not, it was just something that I held onto and loved to read. Anywho, I was sent to another facility, because someone told on those two guys; not me, I could care less, because they only got $10.00 from me; which was kind of stupid to begin with, because I just gave Marianne $100.00 at the visiting area. The new place where I was sent did not have a church; the services there were held in a cafeteria or a classroom. Talk about being blindsided; God knew exactly what He was doing...

""Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God's service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind. He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he." The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. The idol makers encourage one another, saying to each other, "Be strong!" The carver encourages the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. "Good," they say. "It's coming along fine." Carefully they join the parts together, then they fasten the thing in place so it won't fall over. "But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away."" (Isaiah 41:2-9) NLT