Holy Ground Explorations

09/03/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by CARLYN WOLIN

PSALM 65
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; 6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; 7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, 8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

CARLYN - This is the what our God can do and has done! I am in awe at His power, and yet He is so kind and so loving. He is worthy of our praise! Thank you, Lord!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by MEGAN HARVEY

JOHN 13
13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

MEGAN - How is this commandment NEW? In the Shema, God commanded Israel, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). And in Leviticus 19:18, He commanded, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." So what makes Jesus' command about love different? Jesus commands His disciples to live out a love that is modeled after His own sacrificial love. It is a love that stoops to wash feet in humble, selfless service. It is a love that is willing to lay down its life for its friends. Christs' command regarding love is not something we can produce in our own strength. It is because of God's transforming work within us made possible through Christ: "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26) and "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24). The command isn't new because love was previously unknown; rather, it is new because Jesus reveals the depth and nature of that love and, through the Spirit, enables His people to live it out! Thank you, Jesus!

LAMENTATIONS 1
1 How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave.

MEGAN - God had placed Jerusalem "in the center of the nations" (Ezekiel 5:5), making Israel His "treasured possession among peoples" to be to Him "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6). Jerusalem was meant to be a testimony to the surrounding nations–a city that reflected God’s holiness, presence, and glory. Yet because of her rebellion, Jerusalem became like a grieving widow... alone and forsaken.

Being set apart for God and entrusted with His truth is an amazing gift, but it also carries immense responsibility. We are not only called to receive what God has entrusted to us, but to walk faithfully in obedience with it. “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

JOHN 14 / PSALM 66 / LAMENTATIONS 2

JOHN 15 / PSALM 67 / LAMENTATIONS 3

JOHN 16 / PSALM 68 / LAMENTATIONS 4

JOHN 17 / PSALM 69 / LAMENTATIONS 5

JOHN 18 / PSALM 70 / ROMANS 1

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of AUG 31, 2026

PDF LINK https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MEU-AUG-31.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/cGlT6_qakws?si=8N09lGhtXmtet1vB

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 10

PDF LINK:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/S10-LUKE-15-17.pdf
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/DJgFY1xi2_8

DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/TjFrxhuOnco

09/02/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by DAN STOLEBARGER

PSALM 64
5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “Who will see them?”

6 They devise iniquities:
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.

8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.

9 All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.

DAN - As I read this psalm today I am reminded of all the strategies of the enemy that we are in the midst of today; both in our country as well as in the rest of the world … especially in Iran, Israel and the entire Middle East. We should be comforted in knowing that our God controls the entire chessboard! God can and will ‘shoot and arrow’ and ‘make them stumble’! Shalom to you all and Rest in the God of Israel!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by TROY ANDERSON

JOHN 12

44 Now Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me, but also in Him who sent Me. 45 And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness.

TROY – This is a powerful chapter. This world is full of people seeking enlightenment while believing in every crazy thing coming out of academia or posted on social media by some influencer. Living completely in the dark or apart from Jesus makes it impossible to know good from evil, truth from lies or to obtain wisdom and enlightenment.

JEREMIAH 52
10 And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the commanders of Judah in Riblah. 11 Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze shackles and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.

TROY – The Jewish people are God’s people but unfortunately, they have not stayed faithful to their God and they have a history of both political and religious leaders that have led them astray. What happened to Zedekiah is tragic but it is a reminder of the importance of taking seriously our responsibility to lead people to God and never away from Him. We influence those around us while we are also influenced by them, who are you allowing to have influence on you and what kind of influence are you?

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

JOHN 9 / PSALM 61 / JEREMIAH 49

JOHN 10 / PSALM 62 / JEREMIAH 50

JOHN 11 / PSALM 63 / JEREMIAH 51

JOHN12 / PSALM 64 / JEREMIAH 52

JOHN 13 / PSALM 65 / LAMENTATIONS 1

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of AUG 31, 2026

PDF LINK https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MEU-AUG-31.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/cGlT6_qakws?si=8N09lGhtXmtet1vB

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 10

PDF LINK:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/S10-LUKE-15-17.pdf

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/DJgFY1xi2_8

DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/TjFrxhuOnco

09/01/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by JOHN YOUNG

PSALM 63
[v.1] - You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.

JOHN - [v.1] – David comes out in full-measure in this psalm’s opening! It's a powerful statement of affirmation and truth coming straight from the Judean desert. I share his passion for clear declarations like this. They’re bound with assurance and locked within unbreakable faith and devotion! – It’s a Hallelujah in my eyes (and heart)!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by ERIC & TRICIA GEERDES

JOHN 11
1-6 “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was."

TRICIA - In this chapter we read about this miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, a miracle that proves the deity of Christ beyond the shadow of a doubt. One thing that stands out to
me in this story is the timing of Jesus. It says in verse 6 that after hearing about Lazarus’s illness, he waited 2 more days before leaving. How often have I questioned God’s timing? Lord, what is taking you so long? I need help now!!! Jesus is not late. Sometimes He allows us to be uncomfortable or even suffer for a while if it’s for a greater purpose. I need to trust that His timing is always perfect, and I can rest in that knowledge.

49-52 "And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death."

ERIC - Jesus demonstrated resurrection power with Lazarus, and now the Jewish leaders genuinely feared all the people would believe in Him as Messiah causing the Romans to intervene and take over Jerusalem and the entire nation of Israel. Around that point, Caiaphas (the high priest that year) received the prophetic word from the LORD that one man—Jesus--would die for the nation and for the children of God scattered abroad. But Caiaphas and the high council only viewed this as referring to a political revolution--not as the Spiritual revolution coming through the cross of Christ. So they plotted to put Him to death beginning that day. As in The Chosen, I want to think there were at least a few leaders who knew Jesus was more than a revolutionary. Of those, I wonder how many of them became believers after His resurrection.

JEREMIAH 51
5,19 (NLT) " For the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has not abandoned Israel and Judah. He is still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."

… “But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including his people, his own special possession. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is his name!"

ERIC - To me, this is true now as it was about 2,621 years ago… and my LORD is the God of Israel—and he is no idol!

15-16 “ He has made the earth by His power;
He has established the world by His wisdom,
And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.
When He utters His voice—
There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:
“He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightnings for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries"

TRICIA -In these verses, I am just reminded of the awesome power of our God.

This same God who possesses this great power is the same God who loves us with a deep and personal love, who sent His Son to die for our sins so that we can be with Him forever. Praise be to God! .

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

JOHN 9 / PSALM 61 / JEREMIAH 49

JOHN 10 / PSALM 62 / JEREMIAH 50

JOHN 11 / PSALM 63 / JEREMIAH 51

JOHN12 / PSALM 64 / JEREMIAH 52

JOHN 13 / PSALM 65 / LAMENTATIONS 1

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of AUG 31, 2026

PDF LINK https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MEU-AUG-31.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/cGlT6_qakws?si=8N09lGhtXmtet1vB

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 9

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/S9-LUKE-12-14.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/0YsMCiAB8N0

DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/TjFrxhuOnco

08/31/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS�Comments by TOD HORNBY
PSALM 62
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.

TOD - This passage reminds me of what I once heard a pastor say about the difference between gossip and flattery. Gossip is saying something behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face. Flattery is saying something to someone's face that you wouldn't say behind their back.

Why is it that we treat celebrities or people in power differently than we do regular Joes? I've been around famous people I admired, and I was quick to share with them how much their work or music meant to me and how it inspired me. I don't see myself ever encountering someone with whom I disagree just to get close to them to get in their face. I also know that I couldn't bring myself to suck up to them because of their power or celebrity. I pray that the Holy Spirit would give me discernment and the right words if I were to have a dialog with them.

HGE BIBLE READING�Comments by ANDREW SUEDKAMP

JOHN 10
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

ANDREW - With all the clutter that desperately tries to invade our thoughts, we need to train ourselves to hear His voice. Depending on how you were raised or your life experiences, it’s easy to slant, obscure, or muddle the whispers that He has for us. I pray that I can hear Him with more clarity and that the voices of my past, the voices of the world, and any other voices diminish and that His gains volume and resonates within the depths of my soul.

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to sn**ch them out of the Father's hand.

ANDREW - There are times that I wrestle with my own salvation, but verses like this remind me that I’m not in control of it; it’s not about me…it’s about Him and what He’s done. I can’t be good enough to achieve it on my own, and I can’t be bad enough to lose that which Jesus promised to me. I don’t want to be religious and think I can “earn” my way into His Kingdom, but I also know that faith without works is dead….it can be a bit of a conundrum. I’ve prayed a lot the last many years that He would allow me to manifest His glory…not by my intentional efforts, but without realizing I was doing so. I want to be glorifying to Jesus in all aspects of my life and to do so because it’s the normal response of someone who is intimate with Him, not because it allows me to complete some internal checklist of what I think a good Christian should do.


JEREMIAH 50
6 My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.

ANDREW - It’s very important that each of us is biblically astute. Well worded, emotionally charged, and politically acceptable messages might tickle our ears, but if they don’t coincide with what God’s Word actually says, we need to run away. There are many bad, misleading shepherds out there, even in the church. It is critically important in this day, when it’s tough to discern truth from fiction, that we hold fast to God’s actual words, not someone’s interpretation or (mis)representation of them, regardless of how palatable their preaching or message may be. Satan loves to twist the truth and does so through mediums that may come across as sweet as honey, but the intent Believer needs to be aware of his schemes.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE
JOHN 9 / PSALM 61 / JEREMIAH 49
JOHN 10 / PSALM 62 / JEREMIAH 50
JOHN 11 / PSALM 63 / JEREMIAH 51
JOHN12 / PSALM 64 / JEREMIAH 52
JOHN 13 / PSALM 65 / LAMENTATIONS 1

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of AUG 31, 2026
PDF LINK https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MEU-AUG-31.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/cGlT6_qakws?si=8N09lGhtXmtet1vB

�OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 9
PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/S9-LUKE-12-14.pdf
YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/0YsMCiAB8N0
�
DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART
YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/TjFrxhuOnco

08/31/2026

THIS WEEKS ARTICLES

Zechariah 12
News Bites
America … where are we?
El-Sayed
Palestinian Math
Palestinian English
Kingmaker - Abbas
Any Doubts?
Boycott Apple - Use Pagers
New US Territory

PDF LINK https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MEU-AUG-31.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/cGlT6_qakws?si=8N09lGhtXmtet1vB

THIS WEEKS ARTICLESZechariah 12News BitesAmerica … where are we...

08/31/2026

No Words - Just Hugs …. Heading into my Cave today - just to REMEMBER!

08/30/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by DAN & SHARON STOLEBARGER

PSALM 61
Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.

2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.

4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

DAN - It is easy on this day for me to be OVERWHELMED with sadness as we remember our boy (my Pal); it has now been 8 years and I pray that his memory will continue to be a BLESSING! So, Jesus - lead me today to that ROCK so I can have an eternal perspective.

7 He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!

DAN - Just thinking of my T-Man … so looking forward to our REUNION - being with Jesus FOREVER!

5 “...you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”

SHARON - There is a depth to this sentence that I can’t put my finger on. I guess it speaks to me that He counts me with all those who follow Him and has made me a part of that lineage, or family so to speak. Think about it!

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by DAN & SHARON STOLEBARGER

JOHN 9

Go wash in the pool of Siloam … It is very significant that of all the places Yeshua could have sent the man to wash his eyes, He sent him to only one pool of the many in Jerusalem - the Pool of Siloam. This pool was not easy to get to from the main part of Jerusalem because he had to walk down a steep hill. This was the week of the Feast of Tabernacles and during this feast, there was a special ritual called "the outpouring of water." In this ritual, the priests came down from the Temple Mount to the Pool of Siloam, filled jugs with the water from the Pool of Siloam, marched back up the Temple Mount, and poured out the water into the Laver within the Temple Compound. This was followed by great rejoicing. During the Feast of Tabernacles, the main pool, which was the center of Jewish attention, was the Pool of Siloam, the one pool that had the greatest number of Jewish people present who would observe this third messianic miracle.

25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”
27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

DAN - And here is the greatest and strongest type of testimony… ONE THING!

As well as a great question.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

SHARON - Jesus heals a blind man and it seems to me that, in this chapter, more effort is spent on denying that he was blind or that Jesus had healed the beggar, than being amazed at the miracle of the healing. Are we like this today? Certainly, in watching the news, etc., anything that possibly could be considered a miracle is discounted or explained away. I personally believe that this cultural mindset is preparing the world to explain away the rapture when it occurs. Rather than yielding to truth, we would rather explain it away. Not me! Jesus healed the man born blind and HALLELUJAH! I may not have been born blind, but He certainly healed me of my blindness to Him and His Way.

JEREMIAH 49
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies
And before those who seek their life.
I will bring disaster upon them,
My fierce anger,’ says the Lord;
‘And I will send the sword after them
Until I have consumed them.

38 I will set My throne in Elam,
And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the Lord.

DAN - Interesting NOTE - Elam is often identified with modern-day Iran in the Bible.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

JOHN 9 / PSALM 61 / JEREMIAH 49

JOHN 10 / PSALM 62 / JEREMIAH 50

JOHN 11 / PSALM 63 / JEREMIAH 51

JOHN12 / PSALM 64 / JEREMIAH 52

JOHN 13 / PSALM 65 / LAMENTATIONS 1

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 9

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/S9-LUKE-12-14.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/0YsMCiAB8N0

DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/TjFrxhuOnco

08/28/2026

DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART
YOUTUBE LINK:

Take the time the week to TASTE, HEAR, SMELL, TOUCH and SEE the LORD!

08/27/2026

HGE MORNING PSALMS
Comments by MEGAN HARVEY

PSALM 60
11 O give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain.
12 Through God we shall do valiantly,
And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.

MEGAN - We cannot face challenges, difficulty, or evil without acknowledging our dependence on God. Apart from His presence, His guidance, His power, His mercy, His protection, His truth, His love... we are hopeless. We NEED Him. Victory is His! Through God, we not only endure the battles before us– we do VALIANTLY! We can trust Him to lead us forward with courage, strength, and boldness.

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord." (Proverbs 21:31)

“Divine working is not an argument for human inaction, but rather is it the best excitement for courageous effort.” (Spurgeon)

HGE BIBLE READING
Comments by CARLYN WOLIN

JOHN 8
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

CARLYN - Ultimately, we see in this passage that the Pharisees didn’t believe Jesus’ claim of who He was, even though He gave instruction in verse 31 on how to find truth. Their pride and desire for control of their own lives made the Pharisees unable to accept that Jesus’ claims were true.

Just like the Pharisees, our sin can blind us from the truth. The only way to know the truth is to abide in the Word of God, just as Jesus says. May this be what we cling to and desire most!

JEREMIAH 48
44 He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For I will bring these things upon Moab, the year of their punishment, declares the Lord

CARLYN - God’s judgment is inescapable. We cannot run from it, hide from it, or prepare ourselves to withstand it. The Moabites were prideful and placed their trust in the things they could control rather than in Yahweh. We must guard our hearts against doing the same. It is easy to find security in the things of this world—money, relationships, success, possessions, or our own abilities. But none of these things can ultimately protect us or give us true security. Instead, we must place our hope and trust solely in God, knowing that He alone is our foundation.

KFIR BIBLE READING SCHEDULE

JOHN 9 / PSALM 61 / JEREMIAH 49

JOHN 10 / PSALM 62 / JEREMIAH 50

JOHN 11 / PSALM 63 / JEREMIAH 51

JOHN12 / PSALM 64 / JEREMIAH 52

JOHN 13 / PSALM 65 / LAMENTATIONS 1

MIDDLE EAST UPDATE - Week of AUG 24, 2026

PDF LINK -https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/MEU-AUG-24.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/VwTVQSUe6Fc

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 9

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/S9-LUKE-12-14.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/0YsMCiAB8N0

DOWN BY THE RIVER & STRAIGHT FROM MY HEART

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/--2z0PcssY0

08/27/2026

OFBS - GOSPEL OF LUKE - Session 9

PDF NOTES:https://holygroundexplorations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/S9-LUKE-12-14.pdf

YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/0YsMCiAB8N0