Author name: Bonnie Manning

Prophets Arise

Madmen

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A rugged prophet is standing before Hazael, weeping. It does not matter if the king has sent 40 camels laden with gifts. Hazael thinks he is only standing in front of this man to get one answer for King Ben-hadad. Hazael, like all of us, if we were in his position, becomes quite uncomfortable to see such a man stand and weep–a man with a hairy mantle and a voice that pierces the soul. The passage states, “Elisha stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael felt ashamed. Then the man of God began to weep.” When Hazael asked, “Why is my lord weeping?” he answered him in this manner:

Because I know the evil that you will inflict on the men of Israel: their strongholds you will set on fire, their young men you will slay with the sword, their little ones you will dash into pieces, and their pregnant ones you will rip open.

–II Kings 8:12, TLV

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Vision

“I see,” Said the Blind Man

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There is a woman who lost her eye as a child. In middle school, she was called third eye. By eight, her left eye was removed. By nine, she had a prosthetic eye. At 12, her ballet coach transformed her handicap into a strength, and by 19, she was teaching cardiac surgery. Her name is Katarina Stephan. I touch on this story because I feel like many times, we have eyes to see but do not see. And what are we missing while we go about our daily lives? Driving across town to an appointment, inspecting fruit at the supermarket, doing dishes, talking on the phone, etc. What are we not seeing that is right in front of us? How many times did it take for someone to mention Sabbath or feasts days before we looked at them with one eye, our 3rd one?

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9th of AV, Widow

Widow–9th of AV

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Rhett Butler pays a pretty penny to have Scarlett dance with him.

“150 dollars in gold for Mrs. Charles Hamilton!”

The crowd is stunned. Mouths gasped open as elderly women fan themselves and grab smelling salts.

Widows don’t dance with men. Widows mourn. They wear dark colors and go about with their heads bowed, but not Katie Scarlett. She is ready to dance a hundred steps.

“She’ll never agree to it,” the auctioneer bellows.

“Oh, yes, I will!” she screamed.

“I am going to dance, and dance! Why I wouldn’t mind dancing with Abe Lincoln himself.”
But a true widow, a woman who loved her husband, and knew him intimately, year after year, becoming more and more one with him, would have found no dance in her feet. No joy or gleam in her eyes. Her sorrow could not be exchanged for gold or dancing with the most handsome man in the room.

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Pentecost/ Shavuot

Mar-A-Lago and Shavuot

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Every generation has to prepare for a King. Every bride has her day when the whole gathering stands and in awe sees her beauty. Our beauty comes from obedience. Our beauty comes from death. Our beauty comes from humility. Our beauty comes when we are as Ruth, and we leave everything to follow Him. His Bride is wearing her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10–I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

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Luz Bone

The Luz bone, which cannot be crushed, burned, or destroyed.

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Have you ever wondered how all the graves will open? Not when, but how? Will we come up out of the sea—the earth—an urn? Even the people who sharks have eaten? The graves will open on “that day.” Bodies shipwrecked at sea—bodies waiting in pine boxes under the earth—and ash remains tucked inside urns will all give up their dead. When studying resurrection, consider the Luz bone, which cannot be crushed, burned, or destroyed. The Father presents Ezekiel with a question concerning bones:

The Luz bone, which cannot be crushed, burned, or destroyed. Read Post »

#Heart Matters, America

The Clocks Were Striking 13, Wake Up, Get UP!

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There is an 18th-century London legend of a clock that struck thirteen times and saved a man’s life. The story goes that St Paul’s Cathedral clock on one occasion struck thirteen bongs of the bell at midnight, with the result of saving the life of a soldier accused of sleeping at his post. An obituary notice of a John Hatfield that appeared in the Public Advertiser a few days after his death states that a soldier in the time of William III and Mary II was tried by a court-martial on a charge of having fallen asleep when on duty upon the terrace at Windsor. It goes on to say that he categorically denied the charge against him. He swore as a proof of his having been awake at the time that he heard St Paul’s Cathedral clock strike thirteen. . .

The Clocks Were Striking 13, Wake Up, Get UP! Read Post »

Barzillai, The Coup & the King

The Coup and The King

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Your servant could go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.” (II Samuel 19:34-37).

He can no longer discern what is good and what is not.

He can no longer taste.

He can no longer hear the voice of singing.

Barzillai sends his servant—his son ChimHam instead. Chimham means to thirst, pinning, and having a great desire. “The verb כמה (kama) means to thirst but specifically expresses a desire for liquidity in the exchange of knowledge and wisdom (rather than the light of wisdom itself, or the eventual productivity that results from having wisdom).

The Coup and The King Read Post »

Inspirational, spirituality, The Rose of Roda

The Rose of Rhoda, A Sweet Smelling Fragrance

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When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison.” (Acts 12:12-17).

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Joseph's Bones, prophetic

Joseph’s bones are carried out of Egypt, Moses Grabbed bones

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When my children were small, we rented a humble house in a subdivision. One night, one of my sons knocked a lamp over that had no shade, and it fell on the comforter. The light bulb smoldered and caught fire. I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to the scent of smoke and was thankful to find all three sons asleep in front of the television. I shut the door to the burning bedroom, grabbed them, and took them outside to my mini van. Then called the fire department and proceeded to snatch my Bible and a photo album close by. When we exit a place, and we have little time, we grab our most treasured possessions.
Moses grabbed bones!

Joseph’s bones are carried out of Egypt, Moses Grabbed bones Read Post »

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