Something is bothering me and if I don't write it down, it will become a hindrance.

first- the redo of the US Presidential swearing in. There was a wording glitch on the original day. So it was repeated in the White House to make sure the wording was correct. When it was repeated the President stated he didn't have his Bible, but it was OK only the words mattered. It may just be me, but if I was sworn in at my house for something and needed a Bible one would be readily available. How much time would it have taken to get one? Please don't say "too busy".

I don't carry a Bible everywhere I go- maybe I should. Maybe we should. I also watched the news one night. The bail out plan- oh my. What is God's plan for bail out?

I have ideas on what He might say. It is a good thing for everyone to search the scriptures on their own for.

The other thing bothering me is the abortion clinic funding has been turned back on. In a federal monetary crisis its OK to fund abortions? I think the cries for help to God from the unborn will now be even louder, probably more so than the prayers for this country.

I'm not Obama bashing- it is my sincere prayer that he will walk with God, and not fall victim to influences that are not of God. He is our leader and we should pray for him and his administration. God help them and God help the United States.

OK- now my notes from the last Bible study

Ch 41 Rise of Cyrus

Cyrus is referred to in this chapter, and by name in later Chapters (44:28). The fact that he is referred to by name 150 years before his birth (which is many generations) shows that God is out there in the future. Instead of guessing about the future I think we should ask Him that knows.

God aroused him, and ordained his success. God protected the Persians as they overthrew the Babylonians and re-established Israel. In present day the Persians or Iranians are out to annihilate the jews and will try to do so in the first act of the tribulation period.

God is timeless, He was first, and will be last. There will not be a time without God.

As the Persians grow in strength the Babylonians pull together - they come together (without God -in their own strength) as they start to see the Persian threat. We as a nation are coming together and excited about the new President but is God in it? We should pray He will be and that we will do His will. In this coming together they are building idols- focused on what they can produce, and being supportive of each other. Agreeing together but excluding God- as it seems to me.

Israel has been in exile and are afraid- God's chosen people - allowed by Him to be conquered out of disobedience, and now they feel threatened once again. God reassures them and He reassures us that He is ever present even in times that seem uncertain. God will fight our battles for us, His chosen- we need to rely on Him (through submitting) and let Him through not interfering in His plan. If we will do that we will be a witness for Him for His glory, we are to be an example to those that aren't His and help harvest them into His family. Those that aren't with His program will be the ones that seem foolish. Ever not done anything afraid of looking foolish? If its God - you won't be foolish, and we should not fear.

God also reassures the needy, those who know their condition and admit to it, He will take care of. Those that show pride and feel self reliant He won't.

An example, God made Eden into a desert, and He can make deserts lush by acts of His power. Then there is global warming - we are taking credit for climate change by our activities, which is something we used to attribute to God, and were formally exclusively attributed to God. Does that in some way make us feel godlike?

If we want to be god, he says bring your case - tell Him what will happen. He knows what will happen, we can only speculate. We don't know and we need to admit we don't know. Theorizing what will happen after an asteroid strike is not predicting the future, saying the odds get better for one every year is not predicting the future. God alone knows. It will happen the way He ordained and the way He says. There is a long history of prophecy that has come true, and yet we often entertain just a little doubt that it will not be as He has said in His other prophecies. Only He knows - everyone else is false and their speculations are worthless.

Ch 42

Now the promise of Messiah also in Matthew. He will be soft spoken, He won't raise His voice. This fits nicely with Proverbs 15:1 - a gentle word turns away wrath. He won't be disheartened and crushed, and yet we get discouraged about situations and without much perserverance.

God created the earth we live on, gave us our breath and our spirit. He sent His son as a covenant to free us. He will not give His glory to another so Jesus had to be God Himself.

Verse 9 most interesting - past prophecies have come to pass, now He declares new things, and He will proclaim them before they spring forth. Are we listening? Are we asking? Are we asking the right source? -I believe God Himself in our prayers.

We should praise God, reference to Arabia - the sons of Ishmael. Ishmael was man's answer- which was not needed, God had it covered and He is in control. Sela- a rock city in Edom - Edom not the chosen people but still should praise Him.

God has restrained Himself, and kept silent. But like a pregnant women - birth will happen- its a matter of time. We know God will make Himself known, He will lead. The "blind" spiritually will be given a clear choice, trust God or trust self.

His servant in vs 18 is Israel - not the Messiah. They have seen many things- evidence of God, but have rejected it. Still He loves them, still He calls them. He gave them the Lae to show them their condition, but they didn't heed it God let them have the desires of their heart and it led to exile. God let it happen, He gave them up - its what they wanted. They made a choice not to follow Him. For some even when swallowed up by hardship won't get their attention.

Ch 43

God created Israel and through all their trials He protects them and demonstrates He is God. Trials will happen, the Bible does not anywhere say that people will not face trials. This applies to believers and non-believers. The trials of a non-believer are brought about by not following the ways in which God has outlined. Sooner or later it catches up with them either in this life or the next. The believer WILL face trials, sometimes it is said that those trials are to teach them some point, or point out some inrepentant sin. However the better answer is that it shows God's sovereignty, that He is bigger than the problems we face, and He is in control. In the book of Job - Job argues that he has lived a life and doesn't deserve the trials he is facing. His friends point to the trials as evidence that Job is not who he thinks he is and that the problems indicate he is a sinner.

Going back to protection of God for believers through trials. Protect does not mean necessarily prevent exile if disobedient, He is after submission to His authority and Praise for who He is. God protects them, and allows them to be scattered. He will gather them in His time. Their behavior will actually add to His glory. That He protects a nation that doesn't deserve it. We might rush to say that is foolish, but Israel just like all His followers start out ignorant and it takes time to learn. He's looking at the hearts and not the actions.

God alone has prophesied what has happened, and is the only trustworthy source of what will happen. Others cannot say that. We should acknowledge that fact and our need for God. We certainly don't deserve God's grace, and yet He gives it to us. The entire nation of Israel is like that. His majesty requires respecting- we can't wrap our minds around how great he is- we're only capable of glimpses.