Well, that is not just how our weather has been, but that was the real big message to the people of Jerusalem – God’s serious business of telling the wayward people they were out of line – including “put her blood on the bare rock”…
“You will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.”
WOW! Really – our cooking pot of temperature is nothing to the wrath of God – we have the blood of Jesus to cover us and woe to those not accepting. We are not worthy but He is Worthy and His Righteousness will set us free – and we are covered…
Like a great break from the heat – today – or by anytime getting to a respite area – we need to get into God’s shade. We need to feel the breeze. We need to know that we are the blessed ones and live thankful to Him.
Remember the past. Honor the present. Hope for the future – I hope that the people of Jerusalem then would have – we certainly know Ezekiel was reminded to too!
Amen
—
Ezekiel 24:1-14
Jerusalem as a Cooking Pot In the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Tell this rebellious people a parable and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Put on the cooking pot; put it on
and pour water into it. Put into it the pieces of meat, all the choice pieces—the leg and the shoulder. Fill it with the best of these bones; take the pick of the flock. Pile wood beneath it for the bones; bring it to a boil and cook the bones in it.
“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Take the meat out piece by piece in whatever order it comes.
“‘For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the dust would cover it. To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I, too, will pile the wood high. So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows, so that its impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away. It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire.
“‘Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.
“‘I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
I find it very hard to complain about a temperature of 74,
even if I was actually CHILLY down at the shore.
Wore a jacket, but I had a break from 100 degrees! Say no more!
Yet even 100 degrees, I had AC, could get out of it, I can’t complain if I COULD and DID get to the shore.
.
My car is always packed ready, who knows what life has in store!
In my beach chair, I started reading about Fanny Crosby, her life as a blind child, famous for her poems, then hymn lyrics, and her trips and more.
I read about the scurge of 1800’s cholera in NYC all around. You know, we DON’T have cholera no more – should count blessings, right? Need I say more?
Famous Fanny Crosby even wrote a poem for the Camp Meeting of Ocean Grove – the blessed site of revival a stone’s throw from big city’s door.
Fanny Crosby loved life, she visited so much, appreciated, enjoyed the shore.
I was told this and MORE, by a gentleman greeting at the Gospel Pavilion, where they had free electricity too, cellphone plug outlets galore!
I respited there, watched lightning while a thunderstorm rolled off-shore.
Yes, a clear a display of God’s power and balance of life at the shore.
.
At the auditorium, the bells rang beautifully and a woman walked hunched over, surely a chore.
She struggled with a broken back but she kept walking, we enjoyed chatting, she invited me another day to visit with her some more.
And WOW, the hydrangea flowers, the scenery, and the quaint Camp tents, I loved their appreciative decor!
Back on the pier, a bee landed on me, rested 15 minutes, picked pollen off his head like a cat, done from his day at the shore, so many flowers he did explore.
It was me a busy bee too, appreciatively resting my core.
.
Yes, even in life stress, let us take a moment to remember the bless, blessed anywhere, just chilling, knowing about Jesus’s Forevermore!
Life on earth has many a temporary short summers, please find ways like a non-fancy little day trip, to LIVE IT UP some more.
I appreciated all the temperatures this day, we surely can endure: 100, then 80, then 74!
Water will go anywhere. (Living Water has already been there too.)
There is no rain (yet), but there is HEAT, and the ACs are cranking. But at four AM, a wake up UNEXPECTED with a subtle water splash on my face. Subtle sounds of drip… drip… What? A splash of half drops but I feared a big leak. Lights on… No big leak, hmmmm. This was so subtle I am surprised it registered, surely God awoke me. I’m so glad He did – in all ways… water and living water.
I got the towels out, preserved my stuff on the windowsill and dresser with a blanket overlay, including moving 2 FROGS, a gift from a friend well before I knew FROG could stand for Faithfully Relying On God. Ribb-itt Live it!
The splashing was a bounce of the water drop which became the smallest of wake ups.
Water goes everywhere and the extra crazy level of heat is making the AC above me (in the wall) of my son’s room working overtime. He runs it in the winter too, keeping his hot gaming computer cooled. I’m not going to shut it off right now, the only thing worse than me being woke up, and worse than a few drips, is waking up a still teenager (for 2 more months) from their deepest sleep at 430AM just to explain you need to shut off their AC in a heat wave. IT CAN WAIT! Add an extra towel – go back to sleep.
What about our LIVING WATER? Want to be in God’s sight AND Jesus’s water splash? Catch His Wave instead of our WIPEOUT? He knows and provides a needed WAKE UP. Drip drip, and sometimes a flood, God knows. Let His spirit flow put us in the know. He will calm our storms and pull us back into the boat. Even Jesus could sleep thru a storm – we can rest in a mini moment…
This 4am wake up (5am now) was OK, I was able to recognize God’s intervention (saving my stuff) and God’s path (finding a repair) and God’s Grace (not waking up a teenager, yet). Plus God’s preparation (when I find a handyman to work on this). God’s got this – I just need to follow thru!
When I recognized what the situation, I was SO THANKFUL to be in the SPLASH. Catching the wave before it becomes a Wipeout. Like of all places that my face was facing – I am grateful for the moment to know.
The cat was not bothered and called for the front door open to peer through the screen door to listen to the world waking up, the birds (God takes care on them!), and the un-still stillness. I too will rest in aware awareness. God is in control!
The Holy Spirit will flow, Jesus is our know. Get the splash and go.
AN A.M. AMEN!
Amen for the Jesus Splashzone!
John 7:37-39 NKJV – The Promise of the Holy Spirit
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Only what is doable and heal-able about their hearts.
.
Time softens and yields,
Ignorance forever seals,
Life yearns and squeals,
And Savior Jesus heals.
.
The ultimate price Jesus paid.
Not a soul now that can’t be saved.
Pouring healing blood, then rising from where He laid.
FREEDOM from death, we WALK the road Jesus paved.
.
Accept forgiveness, ask for it too.
Repair, restore, and be made ANEW.
Death no longer a compromise,
Walk through the shadows, run, and pray to see the Son Rise.
.
Amen
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Paul to the Corinthians 2:17-21
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 KJV
I know not to be playing on the rocks, but I was free to sit on them, these massive piles in the ocean. I needed to warm up, in the sunshine. Yes! YES, I SAID WARM UP! Warm up as the beach ocean breeze brought 65 degrees water temp into the heatwave, and so it was NOT nearly 100 degrees like at home, 1 hour away, but perfect 75 to 80, except in the shade, chilly! The clerk at the store said enjoy yourself – we all need some time to ourselves – AMEN – and for me this was my reading day.
What a treat! BEAT THE HEAT! The pier brought cold air up channeling it like a cave wind – and people under it were wearing sweatshirts while reading – yes sweatshirts – I brought my books too – but I moved out a bit – to under my umbrella. I think this is my new favorite beach – instant shade with the pier – free parking – and signs of God everywhere.
The rock outcropping next to us did not move, but the people could and the waves did. The lifeguard came to warn a small boy to get away from the rocks. It is the crash that is dangerous – and this is in life too – the flip flop washyness – best we stand firm in our faith and trust in the Lord. Here is another translation of psalmist David’s scripture: Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22 NIV
Not shaken – Not moved – and we are cared for – that is what my scripture card said – and what a perfect day to bring my summer reading books – about the Rapture: the Great disappearance – interesting and so is the second coming of Jesus after the millennium. The Rapture – the time when the dead in Christ will rise to the Lord first and us (if we are still alive) will rise next. And it is said people will wonder where we went. SO, if we leave these books and our bibles around – perhaps people will realize what happened – and trust in the Lord Jesus too – ready for their opportunity to meet him and accept forgiveness.
Cared for! and yet we are people in this world not without debate, and thus the second book suggested to me I will read too – when AT THE BEACH for this summer. Yes imagine that – there are differing of opinions of God’s end times for the earth. All I can tell you right now is just be ready for any scenario – and know that we GO with Jesus and therefore we will OK in the forever-run.
The saying is: those who are born once, die twice. and those who are born twice – die once. yes – so with a born again spirit in Jesus, we won’t die the second death – and thus we WILL be OK in the forever – and so therefore don’t fear the first death – or the rocks to be bashed against – or fear much of anything.
So feel the righteousness of Jesus as the wind inside the empty sails – the anchor holding up the umbrella – that pure gift of perfect to cover our imperfect – better than sunscreen – and so at the beach DO wear sunscreen and a hat and stay in the shade if you can – but accept the foray into the world – the tough world – knowing Jesus is with us. And let us pick up our freedom live in His Grace.
Amen
His blessings are all around us!
Amen
—
The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2
It’s a small devotion book, very powerful, “Windows Towards God” 1950 Charles Schmitz. He explains it is from RADIO broadcasts captured on paper, hoping to continue to inspire. I found this book buried in a box, buried in a closet at my old church, in the early weeks of my awakening. I knew the Holy Spirit gave it to me to understand that even “vintage” Word is Perfect Word for new ears. Mine were NEW. Like the windows cleaned fresh! I pray for each of us to renew NEW.
This vintage Spirit of old is openly new, every day, as our Lord is a Living God. The author urges us to open the windows and let God in FRESH! I have no problem opening car windows, house windows, even found a great day off to clear my head here in the shade OUTSIDE. Yet we all could pray for some more openings for cleaning our faith, our temples, our lives. And not let it get OLD, NOR COLD.
The author reminds that Daniel in the midst of old testament oppression by being an exile from Judah, lived a tough existence on the outside but inside let his spirit be refreshed – he learned that it was illegal to pray to God, but “when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Chapter 6:10. HE WAS PROTECTED AND RENEWED
There are tough times, but nothing worse than stale-ness of faith. WE NEED FRESH AIR!
God is FOR us. Let us open up to Him to do His work… that never gets old!!!
Amen
PS – someday I would like to publish a tiny book (big too) but a tiny book easily tucked away, easily kept, easily shared. Place it forward. For now, the window of opportunity is open, wherever the Spirit takes me! It’s open for all of us – to make the most of Spirit refreshing ways! Amen
God presented through Ezekiel some TOUGH TALK about the terrible flawed status of His people. He lays it out flat again in chapter 23 – an analogy of a country, a land, a people gone rogue, this time described like an adulterous woman with no scruples. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. Sisters in SIN.
Disgusted and defiled, the nasty life is just the beginning for these peoples, the Lord stirs up her (calling the countries as adulterous women) former lovers (being the neighboring warring countries and people) to bring her down even more. It is using the evil that was forged by the people to eventually take them down a notch. Ezekiel rails against this for the sake of God AND the people.
Of all people, people set aside by the Lord, they wandered again and again, with years of history of God showing His Power. Yet “They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children…” A horrifying practice but one that is not unheard of in certain cultures, including in the old testament. Terrible but thought to be “with the times” to please gods.
Terrible is any sacrifice or devotion to non-God gods. Granted that it was hundreds of years since Moses’s time – even David’s time, but God expected them to remember and recount the blessings of following God – and the lost wandering of not.
We too need to remember the times we have been blessed by God – and of all acts – we need to remember as being covered in the blood of Jesus to accept and repent our sinful ways and ask forgiveness and clean-up – ask for a way forward out of our lost ways. Ask Jesus to be OUR Way, Truth and Life.
Ezekiel called out the issues.
We know the issues.
We are to know our God as a God who has seen past all our people’s issues and given us a path forward.
Let us take Jesus’s Hand and keep walking – OUT of the valley of the shadow of death!
Amen
Ezekiel 23 NIV
Two Adulterous Sisters
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed. The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was still mine; and she lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors clothed in blue, governors and commanders, all of them handsome young men, and mounted horsemen. She gave herself as a prostitute to all the elite of the Assyrians and defiled herself with all the idols of everyone she lusted after. She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when during her youth men slept with her, caressed her virgin bosom and poured out their lust on her.
“Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
“Her sister Oholibah saw this, yet in her lust and prostitution she was more depraved than her sister. She too lusted after the Assyrians—governors and commanders, warriors in full dress, mounted horsemen, all handsome young men. I saw that she too defiled herself; both of them went the same way.
“But she carried her prostitution still further. She saw men portrayed on a wall, figures of Chaldeans portrayed in red, with belts around their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like Babylonian chariot officers, natives of Chaldea. As soon as she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. Then the Babylonians came to her, to the bed of love, and in their lust they defiled her. After she had been defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. When she carried on her prostitution openly and exposed her naked body, I turned away from her in disgust, just as I had turned away from her sister. Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses. So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.
“Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stir up your lovers against you, those you turned away from in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side – the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, the men of Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, handsome young men, all of them governors and commanders, chariot officers and men of high rank, all mounted on horses. They will come against you with weapons, chariots and wagons and with a throng of people; they will take up positions against you on every side with large and small shields and with helmets. I will turn you over to them for punishment, and they will punish you according to their standards. I will direct my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in fury. They will cut off your noses and your ears, and those of you who are left will fall by the sword. They will take away your sons and daughters, and those of you who are left will be consumed by fire. They will also strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry. So I will put a stop to the lewdness and prostitution you began in Egypt. You will not look on these things with longing or remember Egypt anymore.
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You will drink your sister’s cup a cup large and deep; it will bring scorn and derision, for it holds so much. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. You will drink it and drain it dry and chew on its pieces— and you will tear your breasts.
I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
The Lord said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.
“They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, applied eye makeup and put on your jewelry. You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and olive oil that belonged to me.
“The noise of a carefree crowd was around her; drunkards were brought from the desert along with men from the rabble, and they put bracelets on the wrists of the woman and her sister and beautiful crowns on their heads. Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is.’ And they slept with her. As men sleep with a prostitute, so they slept with those lewd women, Oholah and Oholibah. But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.
“So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”
Like this damsel fly which rested upon my leg at the ballpark Saturday evening, for a good ten minutes, I too rested, taking active inactivity seriously. NOT in distress. (It’s a damsel fly, one set of wings. dragonflies have 2 sets, I Googled it.) The intricacies of this smallest body and exquisite wings, WOW. How fearfully and wonderfully made, both of us. How both of us also resting. Granted I’m not young as a damsel or this fly, but Damsels NOT in Distress is a catchy title.
Granted I’m not young as a damsel and you may think we need more rest these days, but I also DO MORE busy these days. Last weekend was nothing but busy, this past weekend in contrast was NOT. Both blessings. Both filled with work and wow. Both I was at the ballpark for one game. Then was sunny with friends and this time alone but in the shade! And anticipation of fireworks!
It was a weekend I got stuff done, but NOT the stress of being busy. I did NOT break from cooking, as I normally don’t cook, I get tons of market fare each Saturday anyway. (I also got local cherry tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, and shelling peas, YUM.) I did NOT break from cleaning, as I spent 3 hours in the garden weeding Saturday then MANY hours inside on Sunday plus mowed outside. So productive WITHOUT the stress and because I could move around without furniture in excess. It was better to go deep cleaning for small areas than surface for it all. (AND it was better to clean at 80 degrees than 100 predicted later this week!!!)
I also I did NOT take a break from thinking, I unbusy-ed my brain too. I thought of those random thoughts and thought them through. I know God wants us to take time with Him, and not just on the weekend.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians3:23-24 NKJV
What is the allure of “unbusy” – time – unstructured time – and then consult the Lord for actions. That scripture, for work and home, is a good one – work hard – no matter where – accept and KNOW that we have an inherentance from Jesus’s sacrifice awaiting us… And REST, really rest and be aware of when we are NOT in distress. It is good to declutter our brains and focus on Him.
If God can put the intricacies into this fly’s wing’s patterns, then he can put this simpicity into our flying through the day pattern. REST then get ready for takeoff. God already has gone ahead for us.
a prayer for service: after “Reckless Love” and before “Surrender” – in conjunction with our sermonist’s sermon on Zacchaeus in a Tree with Jesus walking through…
Good morning, and a glorious father’s day to all our dads, uncles, grandfathers, and especially to our heavenly Father Who gives us the wisdom to draw close to Him.
——————- Won’t you please pray with me: Lord there is no mountain You won’t climb up, and that have not already climbed.
There’s no dark shadow You won’t light up, and have not already overcome.
There’s no wall You won’t kick down, Even the one’s we put up ourselves towards You.
And the biggest lies that you want torn down, is the lie that we tell ourselves that we are self sufficient – and the terrible lie that says we are not worthy. Well, Lord, we are worthy because You are worthy.
You know that we need You.
Therefore Lord, we DO need You to come find us – find us curious, up in our own trees – find us hungry for Your Voice to ring true – find us reaching for You when we are distant, because You are already there. Open our hearts to see You.
May we always try to find You Lord! May we climb down from exalting in our pride and Likewise, may we rise up from stumbling in our humanness to see You smiling at us. Encouraging us. May we surrender in glorious fear and humility, knowing both the Joy of Your presence and the AWE of You as Lord.
Now, as we listen deeply, the musicians AND THE LORD invite us to meditate upon the ultimate ASK that the Lord has for us, in the lyrics of the next song, the SURRENDER of our lives, in exchange for the Promise of NEW LIFE in You. Amen
—
PART 2
Help us Lord to surrender to You, to Your will, to accept You as a gift and then to listen to our calling – start and share our journey.
Remind us Lord that You have already won, so we just need to follow through.
May we stop hiding or watching from the sidelines, Sometimes our surrender means we need to shake up our priorities, to get on board, and sometimes it is that we need to change, stop clinging to old ways. May we embrace life now and forevermore. We wish and pray to turn fully toward You, Jesus, to listen to accept You as our Lord and Savior and then walk with You and Your Holy Spirit closer and closer to our Father – one day at a time – one moment at a time – one surrender and one success at a time.
42 is the answer, to the intersection of life, the universe, and everything – WOW- the god-like computer spit that out after millions of billions of computing power years – but what was the question? I appreciate old nerdy references. And this one is for the movie: “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. And even though I can visualize the scene of placing a fish in one’s ear to hear languages translated, I acknowledge this was not my nerdy obsession, it was my brother’s. Still it’s a cult classic funny intellectual film. I am glad I am old enough to know the references and pick it out in a set of stickers…
Nerds…
And the scene with the answer “42” really does come up with the god-like computer (a colorful spouting hole in a cave wall) saying: “well… you didn’t actually tell me the full question.” yeah…
RIGHT! We all have to be asking the RIGHT QUESTIONS and not just taking any answer without our own computing. SO how do we know what is the right question, let alone the right answer?
Here, at least for our faith, the Scriptures, the Lord, and the Lord’s people writing for the Lord, can give us truly a PATH to any question in our faith: “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election.”
WE MUST MAKE SURE – Make sure we are FIRM IN FAITH. Read our bibles, double check people’s truth with God’s Truth, don’t ask cheap 70’s lighted cracks in rocks – but depend upon and stand upon The Rock.
How? Peter gives this advice too, from years of wisdom hyperspeed-taught to him by the Holy Spirit after years of walking, he is now knowing: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”
WHY? “keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
WHY? “For if you do these things, you will never stumble”
BY BENEFIT OF? “having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
THEN WHAT? “you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Oh… The “answer” of life is continuing it in God’s Heavenly Kingdom… The “answer” to every question is Jesus (that is always the safe Sunday School answer)… The “question” to how to live life is following Jesus. He knows the Way – being the Way the Truth and the Life.
The expanded question is… Why wouldn’t we want all the God wants for us? I want this, and pray you do as well. Confirm one’s election sure. By God’s Divine Power, Peter surely did have this education, and so do we.
Amen to the Answer!
Thank You, Lord Jesus, Your Holy Spirit, and God Our Father Almighty! God, Three in One. (This would make a great sticker wouldn’t it?)
Amen
———–
2 Peter 1:3-11
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Stand in the Gap – that’s a position no one would do in the time of rebellious Israelites about to be put away to Babylon for punishment, with Ezekiel speaking out the judgment from God against them. Then God said no one would stand in the GAP, but someone, a BIG Someone could and would. JESUS came to stand in the gap for all of us, for each of us.
And we know Jesus as forever present, forever God, not an afterthought of repair but a pre-positioned acceptance of purpose and plan. Jesus, a lamb slain before the foundation of the world, came to save it and knew how.
Jesus stood in the GAP to save. He stood on earth calling up to Zacchaeus who was in a tree – and Zacchaeus stood up to repent and give back what he stole in tax collecting. Jesus in Heaven was set to go to earth – and awaits the time now to come back from Heaven, awaiting His second coming. The Wall of strength we must stand on is Jesus. The Gap we must fill in ourselves is Jesus. The HOPE is that the SON OF MAN fulfilled the Gap in man – and we are saved in repent.
Repent – Intent – Heaven Sent
Amen
—
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God. Ezekiel 22:30-31
—
Luke 19:1-10 New King James Version
Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Tough going – but tougher not going – that is both the readings and the writings about doomed Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s many many chapters – but the toughest is the Wrath of the Lord against this lot of sinners and ignorer-ers and armies raised for destruction – that is tougher to see than anything to read – and God means it!
A friend was watching the Hallmark Channel – loves that they all have happy endings – I don’t watch those shows – I know and understand the genre – but I am not going to watch them – and I am not going to sugar coat my readings of Ezekiel – it is TOUGH going reading – and yet I can look at it and say “not me” – WELL… We should not say that – because WE ARE the Ezekiels the Lord needs today. We should all say “maybe would have been me” – “maybe still me” – “maybe things that I hide and don’t let others see” – “BUT LORD FORGIVE ME!” – “Lord, I need You, Lord have Mercy. YES JESUS, THANKFULLY!”
Jesus is the Mercy we all make for in a plea.
In the writing of Ezekiel – handed down from the Lord – he talks about the sword coming against the nation of Jerusalem from Babylon – the king himself getting a false omen appearance that the Lord is putting into his hands – the Lord using evil for eventual good.
The Lord pouring wrath and yet making a path.
This path will restore their walk – but for now? Jerusalem must suffer and let Ezekiel talk.
Amen and here is talk of the Lord’s punishment (again).
Many chapters of the beginning of their end.
Lord have Mercy.
Amen
Ezekiel 21-22 New King James Version Babylon, the Sword of God And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you. Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, 5 that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes. And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say:
‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished! Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood. And He has given it to be polished, That it may be handled; This sword is sharpened, and it is polished To be given into the hand of the slayer.’
“Cry and wail, son of man; For it will be against My people, Against all the princes of Israel. Terrors including the sword will be against My people; Therefore strike your thigh.
“Because it is a testing, And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter shall be no more,”
says the Lord God.
“You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, That the heart may melt and many may stumble. Ah! It is made bright; It is grasped for slaughter:
“Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left— Wherever your edge is ordered!
“I also will beat My fists together, And I will cause My fury to rest; I, the Lord, have spoken.”
The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: “And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver. In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, thus says the Lord God:
“Remove the turban, and take off the crown; Nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted. Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown! It shall be no longer, Until He comes whose right it is, And I will give it to Him.” ’
A Sword Against the Ammonites “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:
‘A sword, a sword is drawn, Polished for slaughter, For consuming, for flashing— While they see false visions for you, While they divine a lie to you, To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain Whose day has come, Whose iniquity shall end.
‘Return it to its sheath. I will judge you In the place where you were created, In the land of your nativity. I will pour out My indignation on you; I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath, And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy. You shall be fuel for the fire; Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall not be remembered, For I the Lord have spoken.’ ”
Sins of Jerusalem Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and full of tumult.
“Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.
“Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
Israel in the Furnace The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.’ ”
Israel’s Wicked Leaders And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.
‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’ Well, yes and no – to God, parables are real – just a real way to explain things to people and make them think it thru – and remember it…
And we can say, ‘oh geez’ with the lost being lost – but the found being reminded to think of the efforts God put into finding. In the Old Testament, the lost bosses of the Babylon-bound lost Israelites, were not really wrapping their heads around the severity of the sentence God has for their judgement, exile, punishment. No one whole group could pull themselves completely out of sin. Ezekiel (God called him ‘Son of man’ as a prophet to speak to the people and their rulers) lays out God’s verdict in plain language in chapter 20, after a chapter 19 vivid portrayal of Israel as having a mother like a lioness rearing her cubs or as a vineyard bearing fruit plucked up and withering in dryness from disobedience.
The parables of the Bible (old testament and new) make people think, therefore the rough reality truth of chapter 20 should make people know!!! Perhaps the wayward rulers wanted to go back to parables instead of plain truth: “I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you”, declares the Sovereign Lord.” The consequences of the wandering in Moses’s time continued in the hearts of the people putting idols first, not listening to the prescribed remedy for obedience.
What about us? Ezekiel’s message reminds us of God’s Sovereignty and His Rule. We learn that God wants no one to worship falsely.
“‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” …. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. … I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.
We also learn of His Mercy!!! And He scattered the tribes of Israel rather than destroy them.
But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
Who can challenge the parables or the truth? No one. God’s lament over the lost becomes our lament too.
If we learn anything from the old testament, it is for us to listen to God and pray for those who aren’t. Amen to this – AND – I read the lyrics of a song in these scriptures – “With a Mighty Arm and an Outstretched Arm…” the song continues “His love with last forever” – the scripture mentions, however, His Wrath… Let us be remembering WHY God’s wrath was shown and stated – He want all to come to Him for this LOVE – God knows best – we best stick with God! Ezekiel said: Rebellious Israel Purged and the renewed. We know our Savior in Jesus – the renewal and the hope and the peace and the Way the Truth and the LIfe.
Amen Amen
—
Ezekiel 19-20 NIV
A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
“Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel and say:
“‘What a lioness was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.
She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.
The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a strong lion.
He prowled among the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he became a man-eater.
He broke down their strongholds
and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
Then the nations came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
With hooks they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison,
so his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.
“‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.
Its branches were strong,
fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
and for its many branches.
But it was uprooted in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.
Now it is planted in the desert,
in a dry and thirsty land.
Fire spread from one of its main branches
and consumed its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’
“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”
—
Rebellious Israel Purged
In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
“Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
“‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.
“‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness. I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”
“‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’
“Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors blasphemed me by being unfaithful to me: When I brought them into the land I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings. Then I said to them: What is this high place you go to?’” (It is called Bamah to this day.)
Rebellious Israel Renewed
“Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images? When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.
“‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand andan outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
“‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings and your choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices. I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors. There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Prophecy Against the South
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest of the southland. Say to the southern forest: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it. Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.’”
Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’”
What changes in the Catholic church? The words in the responses – makes a 70’s Catholic journey tough – to stay up with the new things – like I tried at my friend’s mother’s services. I knew the routine – like the kneelers feel hard – still – and my knees got worse and worse – but the routineness of rout memorization is not routine for me any more – I can’t fake it…
And no way I was going to go up for that tasty wafer of communion – since they stated “no non-Catholics” – even if I was coveting the taste. I did not covet the routine anymore – but what did I LONG FOR? THE WORTHINESS.
The prayer is “Lord I am not worthy to receive you – but only say the Word and I shall be healed.” – They changed those words too – but really there is only One Worthy – Jesus. There are no other ways than the Way. The Word DOES heal – and the Word does Live. The Word of Jesus makes us worthy – and DOES NOT CHANGE.
So – don’t worry about the earthly worthiness of temporary – appreciate the worthiness of the Word – the Lord – and the Healing.
Who IS WORTHY? The One Who gives us His Worth!
Amen
Isaiah 57:1-2
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
New song lyrics for ‘You are My Sunshine’ – based on the crazy volume of activities I have had this weekend – yesterday and Lord-Willing today. Disassembling and moving furniture, group activities, helping at a friend’s with recent knee surgery, outside and inside work, church and church meetings, shopping, baseball game, assembling furniture, laundry and more church stuff – and seeing how they all fell and will fall into place… it’s all good stuff, but hectic and yet the activities don’t fall, like a tetris pieces in a game, the weekend activities are a blessing of blessings, God fits them into place because He can see ahead. I even place my trust in Him to un-pick things not so fruitful. ‘Find out what pleases the Lord!’
For us it’s a crazy volume of intricate activities. Well ALL GOOD things are from God, right? (That includes sleep too!) So timing of life, people in our path, etc. So if things work out – it is all God, and listening to His suggestions before it becomes a mandate of crashing dates. Isn’t it better to watch Him fit things – and work at it – work at the listening!!!… ‘Find out what pleases the Lord!’
BE THANKFUL!!! (and be thankful for Monday too – some of us get to sit and work, whew!)
Here is my new lyrics Of “You are My Planner, My Holy Planner”… could write a lot of these verses!
You are the Planner, the Ultimate Scheduler.
You make things work out, un-busying fray.
You’ll ALWAYS know Lord, when I will need You.
Please don’t take my sanity away.
…
You are the Knower, the priority Sorter.
You weigh Your scales, Lord, upon my day.
You’ll make things GOOD Lord, Your knowing Way.
Please don’t take Your Light away.
Amen
—–
Ephesians 5:8-20
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
—
James 1, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
Trials and Temptations Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know dear how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”
Love hearing my mom’s voice singing this song when I was a child… I had a great childhood in hindsight, but it’s always us remembering an awkward time with icky teenage stuff, perceived mental rough, life hassle enough, and sometimes age old bluff. I’m SO glad to have it past me. I’m SO glad to be a grown up, but wish for those summers off, the sunshine, the hope of fun.It got summer real fast here in the northeast. I’m not complaining but WOW took me by surprise and my strawberries are done, peonies spent. Spring sprung then skedaddled. Wow. My garden peas planted in hope were a critter crunch for their comfort, I got none, except one, an accidental pea in the flower pot. It grew and developed and I was surprised as it gifted 2 pods full. Yum. 2 more await. Next year I will try to remember to plant this way. I never learn to adapt, but maybe next year.
It’s the sunshine which makes us warm in spring, hot in summer, or hopeful all winter long. We long for sunshine, then we jump inside air-conditioned houses. Hmmm… Whatever happened to shade? Shade in summer is the opportunity to enjoy both. We need to remember to adapt and explore the sunshine but be protected too. What burns us also welcomes us, grows fruitfulness, and lights our way. It’s great except when it’s not.
Can we brace ourselves against the bad attack of sun? Plants do. I guess that’s like life. We need to embrace and brace. We need to adult and child. We need to live and live. Oh, not live and hide but live and live.
Live and Live.
There’s living in all aspects of life.
I complained about hectic life this past week, but I saw a strange sight Friday night, a bus at the train station, with transit authorities, people including kids standing to the side. I thought, I don’t think this is vacation, I really think this is an immigration caravan into targeted cities, maybe not. Or if it’s a search, thats sad. If it’s a broken down bus, that doesn’t usually happen at the train station. I guess I really don’t know, will never know, but I thought of their embrace of a hopeful life even on the move. Then I thought of how blessed I was, how routine life really is, how I do have stuff, a ride, and options. I have a next spring, summer, sun and shade possibilities, I have a lots with many less unknowns than these people. I can see my sunshine and I can step into the shade too. I will always be OK. I’ll know that life lives on…
I can live life in a full capacity – and yet rest to recharge my battery.
God knows, God will lead, God will protect and help us embrace the grace as well as the race. We must keep going and keep knowing.
Life is for living. We should live it. Remember to step into the shade, the intimate God coverage of life. Live, and live it up. Try to even enjoy in the moment. Sunshine today, God always.
New lyrics:
Lord, You are my Life-shine, my only Life-Line. You make me happy when lives are in array. You really know Lord, how much I love you. Please embrace me and lead me today.
Amen
—
Psalm 25 – New King James Version – A Psalm of David.
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in You;
Let me not be ashamed;
Let not my enemies triumph over me.
Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;
Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. Consider my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.
People who think the Old Testament doesn’t pertain to new life – well that is not true! God is love to those people like He is to us and we can listen to His teachings to all. Especially that the Lord does not want anyone to perish.
God tells Ezekiel to write down the basic truth – that He is a just God – and that we are all our own persons in His eyes, our sins are our own – and our repentance can be real and for ourselves even if our parents are sinners. On the flip side, we can also go wrong even if our parents don’t. And we can go wrong even when we used to be right. We stand alone in God’s Judgement in each moment.
Surely we have encouragers and helpers to help us go right – and pray for that ultimate new heart and new spirit. Well God Himself will give it to us. We also must remember that God wants NO ONE to perish. God Himself set up the system to LIVE. Ezekiel 18 – so clearly a chapter for the ages – For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
I had an opportunity to do something rare – a person was walking a young man and as he waited to cross the street while I was going to turn, I offered him a ride – I know it sounds weird in this day and age but I just felt it was right. It was hot – he seemed well enough dressed and clean – he seemed very friendly and patient waiting for me to cross – i just asked – “you need a ride?” – well sure! He only was going up to the next section of the road but it was a ride that he was praying for – in this heat. I just thought well – then this must be a God thing after all. He said he was praying for a ride and here I offered – he was in a recovery house doing well and I said “God Bless you!” – I said one of my favorite scriptures: “If God is for us then who can be against us?!” – TRUE – and encouraging… Paul was speaking of God’s many blessings – we can too. God IS for us!!!
We DO know of people who come back to God – who come back to clean – who come back to righteousness and just keep walking step by step. I am SO thankful that God is there each step too – ready to serve us – ready to give that New Heart and New Spirit – amazing and amen…
Thank You Lord!
Amen
—-
Ezekiel 18
The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
“Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period. He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord.
“Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things (though the father has done none of them): “He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife. He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.
“But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife. He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.
“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
“But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.
“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
—
Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Psalm 44:22)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
wHEw… I just saw this – oh look there is capital “HE” in the wHEw – looks like HE, God, Him coming up out of water waves – which are the lowercase “w”‘s – Jesus walks on water and overcoming the world.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HE RISES above issues, above doubts, above all – He already did – HE AROSE- even if the whole world, sin, death, all were against Him. HE WON WHAT ALREADY WAS HIS.
We say WHEW when we give up the stress and emotions of ‘I have a lot’, ‘I did a lot’, ‘of I made it’, of ‘I’m not sure I can make it’, of ‘life is a lot’, of ‘these waves are rough’, of ‘HELP!’…
Well, wHEw is we are WATCHING and focusing ON Him. See Him walking towards us! See Him already have WON, now seated as the Son.
Well wHEw acknowledges HE did and will get us through. WHEW to the wHEw – or wHEw to the WHEW!!!
“TAKE HEART FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD“!!!
We have the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, God will see us through!
MARVELOUS wHEw! God is FOR you!
wHEw !!!
AMEN
Romans 8:31-39 KJV
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Matthew 8:23-27 KJV
And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
Luke 8:22-25 KJV
Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
There are not enough hours in the day, but there ARE enough moments to ask God for directions.
My friend responded to a conversation about asking God to number our days. Here is her comment: “I have been working on asking the Lord about daily little things, like what to say before opening mouth, or what to take to the potluck supper. I spent more than 1/2 hour upon awakening trying to decide what to take basically because I really do not want to cook. I finally asked for forgiveness for wasting so much time thinking about it and asked Him. A little later, the best thing came into my mind. It was something I know my husband will love and not too hard to make. And it just popped into my head.”
Oh yeah… been there, experienced that… I totally appreciate God popping things in my head when I ask for not just the quick fix but also the means to make it all work. Even now, with less time in the morning to linger (with driving my daughter to her new job – a blessed time consumer as a mom), this email popped into my head to post… It’s like we struggle and struggle until we realize: God’s the One Who’s got THE answer and ALL the answers. Even especially for where we spend our time.
I finished up my 2 extra crabs outside last night, was it a waste of time? Probably not but it could have been a waste on Sunday because Sunday I was having lunch out with a 90yr old friend, scrubbing my daughter’s room for moving her back in, and driving someone somewhere (taking a breather from the moving chaos), then I got to have ice cream out, then back to last minute sorting. wHEw… (oh look there is HE in the wHEw – looks like Him coming out of water waves – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday? Work was the best pick and I finished up my experiments from a few extra hours back in my sabbatical lab. Happy to have that stuff done. Now just the presentation to finish.
So Saturday crabs was a best pre-pick, and Monday crabs was the best post pick. I picked crabs while decompressing the day, all while the cat was enjoying being outside anyway for over an hour and the bugs weren’t biting. I was checking in with God as I did all day – it was too hectic to not consult Him…
So we do wonder sometimes if that is OK, the time that we take for ourselves, whether making decisions or just relaxing. As long as we have not overdone it and indulge too much in leisure. Walk with Him as much, even more than sitting with Him.
Sometimes where we are, in holding places, is better than being where we are NOT supposed to be…
And like picking through these crabs. It’s not just the time for the tasty meat, it is the acknowledgement of processing time – like you have to use your mouth to figure out if there’s any shell pieces, right? It’s best not to rush that. Processing time – like vacation travel, it’s like beach time, it’s appreciated and appropriate if you put in your work time too.
One of the beautiful things about Heaven is that we will have plenty of time…
A little poem about time (living on God’s dime):
Taking this much time for eating food (especially crabs) is PICKY and TRICKY.
It’s like making decisions that could be STICKY.
But best to take the time, plenty of time, so things don’t get ICKY.
.
Life is not always flowing and breezy.
So God knows that ‘be still’ TIME is His Gift, a chance to talk easy.
The Lord goes in FRONT of us, not just behind… He covers us where we are going BEFORE we get there or even start to go there, and I’m not JUST talking about Salvation, which is the MOST important coverage we have, and which gives one HOPE. On our most harried days, may we continue to remember He has thankfully already GONE AHEAD and has covered us with His Blood.
In addition, He went ahead FOR us and FOR all BEFORE the world was even begun. He went ahead to get us to see the proper path. And He went ahead so we could see the LIGHT that He IS.
So my EARTHLY EXAMPLE of a witness to “GOD KNOWS BEST”, is of God going in FRONT of my finances (we all need this): I SAVED instead of spending my tax refund – not knowing what for, but knowing maybe I needed it set aside. Maybe that’s not unusual for you folks, but it IS unusual for me!!! Especially as I WAS going to get some things fixed around the house and had the quote even. But/and then I just had this INTERESTING weird but PEACEFUL feeling that I should wait… WAIT… not for something bad but for something SHIFTED IN PRIORITIES… Not the want but the need… Oh to always remember we must follow by faith not sight. (Sometimes I do wonder if we prepare more for something bad then we prep for something GOOD… Yet, GOD HAS MORE GOOD PLANNED FOR US THAN BAD).
Anyway, I remember and say that the Lord does NOT drop the other shoe on us, and EVERY DAY with Him by our sides and all around and ESPECIALLY in FRONT, we are told NOT to worry… so I tucked the tax return away and waited.
Well, my tax return spending plan got a changed focus for sure… especially as my daughter’s graduation dinner approached, then to my car’s new tires $ and what-not$… and that normal $tuff, not bad, but $$$ little and big. Like sneaker$ for my son and then grocery $hopping for the returned graduate. And THEN, OH LORD, $omething not terrible, but $till an issue: the “UH-OH” of my paycheck being shorted… WOW… oops… oop$… Shorted monie$… this is the 1ST TIME IN OVER 25 YEARS for me! $hoot! It must have been a glitch – not specifically the sabbatical hours as they got entered, but something glitchy and forgotten coming back from the sabbatical. Ugh…
Yes, I got not paid for the regular hours, over half of them not paid… BIG OOPS… How unusual for me to see this on a Saturday too, but NOT unusual for us to feel this gut feeling that God put a wait on my actions months ago, holding onto the tax return. How could I know, but God was in the know and flow, God is the good and the go… oh…
God FRONTED me the money I needed and before I knew I needed it. The tax return (where I have always put in extra each paycheck as my house-fix savings for the last 20 years) is an earthly way where I have seen my prayers of COVERAGE yield fruit. The tax return became a cover of my back and front… happy earns!
I know they will fix this. I am not worried, I am thankful. Even HR and my boss were emailing on the weekend. I made no stink but just an “uh-oh” email, in which I actually wrote (a work email) of this witness of the Lord. If there’s anything we can do while waiting it is is PRAISE.
I know that not every foible, mine or others, will get fixed in this lifetime. I’m just grateful that the Lord could be giving us a heads up before we’re even looking… If there’s a fronting of blessings, why not be listening to the God who made it all happen.
Well… I will walk in faith today I pray, and watch things go His Way. It’s all going to be OK.
I thank God for bills which means life is happening. I thank God for work which means I can do stuff. I thank God for family I can take care of. And I thank God for Him, for His FRONT COVERAGE of LOVE.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
Amen
—
2nd CHRONICLES 20:14-22
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the Lord,for his love endures forever.”
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
We are told by the Lord to ASK the Lord to help us number our days… Yes. Number our days and ask for WISDOM to live them…
But if you are like me, I tend to get picky picky picky about how I spend my days and my minutes… I don’t like to waste time unless I am the one who has decided to waste it… Really.
I like unstructured time – especially on a Saturday (and honestly I should take a few vacation days this year to do so) – to simply be in charge of having no charge, to have the energy to not use the energy, to not second guess because I never guessed, to pick what I want to do – which is best when not picking anything… Yeah. Really.
But the pick of today was 2 fold. Actually there were many many picks – including to end the day with a waterpik! Today, I picked gardening, I picked planting flowers, I picked mowing the grass before 9am – good pick. I picked up the computer to rest – I picked up a shower and the mail. I picked up kale salad and egg custard and bananas – great pick. And I picked up the phone to chat with others – best pick. I also picked to chat with neighbors and friends. I picked to text my kids (new generation I know picks up the messages over the talking). I picked to talk to the Lord – PRICELESS but I did not pick that enough!
Anyway, I excitedly picked up a $20 new shredder – SO EXCITED! and then I JAMMED the shredder – OOPS. it has a great mechanism for knowing the drawer is in or out – BUT not that the drawer is OVER FULL. I did not apply wisdom here. Not the first time I forgot to pick out the wisdom. I did something similar – 30 years ago – with an in-sink grinder and giant zucchini and no water – but I digress… I jammed the shredder – THIS new shredder – and then I spent like 2 hours trying to unjam it with no luck. And I STILL have all the shredding to do and no, I don’t want to drop it off in a lockbox.
Now – I didn’t really feel like I wasted the money or the time – and you do get addicted to the picking… I did pick outside in the beautiful weather – and I DID have the time, I thought.. The cat was out in her tent too. And I was blessed as I picked up the phone a few times while picking the papers out. I picked and picked until it got dark – and it IS particularly good to be outside as the nicely crosscut paper is now everywhere – hmmm…
Anyway, I picked how to use the time – but did I pick to apply wisdom? Probably not – but I did pick to discuss it with the Lord about how stupid I could feel but decided to not pick up that self-criticism – I simply applied thanks to the Lord for this harmless incident reminding me that I am SO fallible…
I picked a second more delicious treat – crabs – garlic crabs – I picked inside this time – I meant to pick outside and enjoy messy yum fun – I picked them up last night at $4.50 each – I got 4 – 2 is enough for a meal that takes 2 hours… I meant to pick them up to eat early – but I picked and picked that shredder until I was almost picked out – but then remembered I had to pick at the crabs. I traded fruitless picking of jammed paper to pick the delicious crabs – same picking – different result.
And there is the WISDOM here – SAME PICKING MOTION – DIFFERENT RESULT. I could pick the day and pick the time and pick the place – but I SHOULD let God pick out the best wisdom for the moment. Number our days Lord and/but don’t make us count the minutes as wasted. There are times to be picky about time = and times to just be pickled in joy that we have the time to pick. Teach us to number our days Lord, and/but pick out the peace from the adventure too.
Pick your battles rather than let your battles pick on you. APPLY WISDOM.
I would pick again tomorrow – maybe – I do have more crabs and I do have more outside stuff planned – and you know the cat will want to go outside again. And so for that shredder, it is a challenge I will pick up until the Lord says: Put it down. Maybe pick up a new thing – maybe just let the Lord pick it – YEAH! And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.
Amen – and tomorrow is another pick day – God’s Way.
Amen
—
Psalm 90 NKJV – The Eternity of God, and Man’s Frailty – A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
You turn man to destruction, And say, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night. You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.
For we have been consumed by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified. You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.
It has been Planted, but will it THRIVE? OH Lord, help us help Your Word Spread… Help us not get in the way of teaching Your Way.
OH EZEKIEL 17, There is so VERY MUCH to unpack in this one chapter. Wow! We are a broken people, aren’t we? Ezekiel spoke of Jerusalem Israelites foreboding capture to Babylon, but as even Jesus, in Matthew 15, points out, then and we see now, life continues to have situations of the hardened hearts that are defiled, the people who have become corrupt. Wow.
No doubt this is why James 5 (Jesus’s brother) reminds us to STRENGTHEN our hearts, the Lord is coming back, soon. We have no time to waste, we have to deal with the grumbling and keep going…It’s no wonder that we are asked to NOT scuttle for divisive issues, but also we can’t stand idle.
For us to also flourish, we need Jesus’s guidance and vine-infused faith strengthening to bear fruit. We need to be Psalm 1 trees, grounded in the Word.
Psalm 127 brings us the truth of God’s Sovereignty – unless God builds it, it will fail.
Ezekiel 17 presents that the Lord choosing what will THRIVE – and a tree without roots will wither – we without the Lord won’t either (dry branches into the fire scripture).
Ezekiel records and speaks to the crucial aspect of God: He is IN CHARGE! ‘All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish’. – ‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’
Ezekiel calls out the wishy-washy unfaithfulness. And so does James. Let us be in the Lord’s Plan, not losing precious time to preach and reach.
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar, he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.
“‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water, and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.
“‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water. It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’
“Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots. It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?’”
Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Say to this rebellious people, ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say to them: ‘The king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and carried off her king and her nobles, bringing them back with him to Babylon. Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land, so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty. But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?
“‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke. Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives. He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.
“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant. I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment on him there because he was unfaithful to me. All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to the winds. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken.
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’”
—-
Psalm 127:1
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
—-
Matthew 15 NIV – UK
That which defiles
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!’
Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, “Honour your father and mother” and “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is “devoted to God,” they are not to “honour their father or mother” with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
“These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”’
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.’
Then the disciples came to him and asked, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?’
He replied, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.’
Peter said, ‘Explain the parable to us.’
‘Are you still so dull?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.’
—James 5
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Patience in Suffering
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
The Prayer of Faith
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
—
Psalm 1
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
—
James 1:1-20 – NKJV
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
Profiting from Trials
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Loving God Under Trials
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Qualities Needed in Trials
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
It shows the depth of deception and indecent activities of the land of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16 – easier to listen to than to read (link below) – a land of people who forgot the blessings and guidance from Abraham to Jacob to Moses to Joshua to Judges to Kings David, Solomon, and kings/kingdoms divided – a land of people following God who forgot to keep following Him, now living with their scathing condemned condition for the adulterous prostitution of life that they carried out, there’s no sweet coating these accusations as the Lord, calling out the building sinfulness of Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s time.
Condemnable but Coverable by Covenant. The people would feel the shame of their bad shape, God saved anyway because God stays His same sane Love in a land of chaos life.
Finely adorned and adored became detestable, broken covenant, broken commands, broken attention, all seen by God, bringing God’s Wrath, Fury, and Anger – but God delivers a Deliverer, as Promised, in a New Covenant, Whom we know will come in Jesus. Jesus Won. It was Done.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed…”
Ashamed but Saved.
Detestable, Desperate, Despicable but Deliverable.
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.
‘“Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, ‘Live!’ I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.
‘“Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.
‘“I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewellery: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace round your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.
‘“But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favours on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty. You also took the fine jewellery I gave you, the jewellery made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. Also the food I provided for you – the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat – you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.
‘“And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.
‘“Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbours with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity. So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.
‘“I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
‘“You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favours. So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favours. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.
‘“Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood, therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked. I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewellery and leave you stark naked. They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.
‘“Because you did not remember the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?
‘“Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Your elder sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom. You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.
‘“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
‘“However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbours and the daughters of the Philistines – all those around you who despise you. You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters, but not on the basis of my covenant with you. So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’
This is like a short analogy, shortest to the point chapter. Jerusalem is worthless without God, we all are. At first I read this chapter of Ezekiel’s chastisement of wandering Idolaters of Jacob’s flock as ‘oh there’s a connection to Jesus as the Vine’ in the new testament. Then I read the chapter 15 (below) and realized it’s deep and pertains to today too, it’s that without God, the people are lost!!! Lost, and it’s that the vine, especially broken up, or used as a fire starter or anything else is going to burn them all – and life away from God is not working out for them – so God’s going to turn His face away and they will suffer even more…
So, I add thoughts of the ‘Vine and branches’ scripture from Jesus (John 15, also below) as contrast in growth and usefulness. Jesus as FORGIVENESS power revives and re-vines the fruitfulness of the people who follow Him. There were wandering people but made clean by the Word, Jesus, instilled in them. People and disciples then and now, made clean by Jesus. Jesus restores the usefulness of the vine.
Jesus even calls Himself the Son of Man like God called Ezekiel, and it’s a true moniker for being among the people. Jesus protects (think of Daniel’s description of Jesus in the fire with the three standing against King Nebuchadnezzar’s command to worship him falsely), AND Jesus restores (a King, a true King, on David’s throne), AND Jesus is the inner fruitfulness to be expressed in each of us (I am the Vine, You are the branches, remain in Me)…
Jesus restores unfaithfulness, unfruitfulness, unrealized life.
Vine us back Lord.
Keep us growing for Your Work.
In Your Name, in Your Word, in Your Power, we pray.
Amen
—
Ezekiel Chapter 15 – Jerusalem as a Useless Vine
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
—
John 15 – The Vine and the Branches
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Elijah knew when to run, but I was happy to just walk away…
I LIKE the TIME that GOD HELPS ME me THINK.
Today I witnessed a fender bender scrape. First I thought I could keep going but then I thought maybe I should stop in case he needed a witness, even though it looked pretty clear to me: the driver in the back is always at fault. Wasn’t even in my lane, but I stopped anyway. So in minimum processing time, I decided to stop. Yes, they stopped. I stepped out and the back party (offender) stepped out and was questioning why the guy in front stopped (um, because he was merging and had a yield). The window of the front car opened, and the guy was not pleased. Just quiet. The offender in back kept yacking: ‘Why did you stop so fast? Why didn’t you just keep going?’ Honestly I could see there was no sorry coming, just arguing when you’re trying to put the blame on somebody else. But then I smelled the fumes of a somewhat legal illegal substance from the front car. These days it is sad, and dangerous. So I thought: even if the cops could be called, that the front driver (not in the wrong) was probably not gonna call because… Hmmm…
I got the sense that it was time to walk away. I did ask, of the front car driver, if he needed me to stay (like as a witness) and he waved me off, gave me a thumbs up. I walked away.
Good. I walked away.
It’s like that Kenny Roger’s song: “you got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run.” – I never felt like it was time to run and I was never in fear. I just processed fast that it was probably best to go. Probably they worked it out without my presence. I felt as though the Lord was helping my gut reaction, that it was time to go. Thanks Lord.
I do believe the Lord gives us times to ponder, then times to make big decisions, and TIME TO WALK AWAY, making no decisions except for letting another day worry about those later decisions... (ps the Lord will be there in the future to help too.)
There are other things and times where I had to walk away. And there will be in the future too. I appreciate we have the Lord’s counsel, especially when we don’t know everything going on.
That’s life. We don’t have to make every decision. We certainly should take it one day at a time. We don’t have to solve every puzzle. We don’t have to even put all the puzzle pieces out on the board. We simply need to just listen to the Lord: “Where am I supposed to be today? Now? And where am I NOT?.”
Thank you Lord, TODAY, for the ‘yes, be here’, and especially for the NOT.
AMEN
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY – to listen to God.
AMEN
—-
Psalm 32 of David. A maskil.
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
—
Elijah ran – God helped.
1 Kings 19:3-10
New International Version – UK
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.
All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he travelled for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the Lord came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’
He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty….‘
I love the local parades. The old cars and old fire trucks and the old time feeling of people enjoying themselves – being outside of course… Yes, I love the neighborhood-ness with the friendliness of neighbors and even people whom you have never met… I try to get in the first parade, Saturday morning, to then have Sunday and Monday for parades too, weather and schedule permitting. So, I continued to sit after the parade yesterday morning for a good 10 minutes after it was done so that I could simply soak in the neighborhood feel a little more, take the moment while making my facebook post of all the cool photos – the emails etc. I send my photos to my friend who is a online local newspaper editor… Local-ness, I appreciate it here, I appreciate being local wherever you are. And today, a woman was happy to chat with me about her brother, a Vietnam Vet, in the parade. I don’t worry about going alone to parades, God always finds me someone to talk to! Yesterday after that extra stretch of time sitting, people came by with chairs and asked if the parade was about to start – but I sadly had to tell them it was already done – sad look on the young tween-age kids faces, so I am glad the Lord gave me the notion to hand them all the candy I collected (not needing any of it) – and saw the smile in the young lads face. nice. I handed the young lady the flag given to me and a few pieces of the candy too – and I thought: God must have delayed me on purpose… cool… (and as I walked back to my car I collected some more roadside candy – saw my favorite blue vanilla tootsie roll – yum… Satisfied!
In the afternoon I made it to my friend’s art gallery show where it was a showing of all “plein air” – painted outside – paintings of local buildings. And this local Patterson farmstead, now owned by a local conservatory art project group, where they host summer camps, there were all the old farm buildings and fields – oh, I felt like I was up home. Was so nice to have farmland less than five minutes from the hustle and bustle of this area. The trees that must be near two hundred years old, including a heritage magnolia twenty-one feet around. Fabulous. I hung around the farm a little bit longer after seeing the art and my friend, thinking that I would do some writing – but instead I found myself attending to their outdoor flowers, taking the dried blooms off of the pansies and petunias, which entices new blooms to grow. I took an opportunity to water the plants too. I enjoyed helping an obvious need. I love the flowers – especially pertaining to memorial day – flowers. Flowers are the personal delight for you in sight and in the giving. Memories are the personal touching moments that are natural to each of us. God made us soft-hearted on purpose – God gave us emotions to care and love – to feel and smile – to laugh and cry…
In my memory of the fallen, I know I have many just from this past year who have “gone ahead” – many. I also heard and saw the new-ness of a little baby yesterday – age 3 and a half weeks, out at that farm – and held a 6 month old baby today – bursting with energy… New life abounds in these times – new life comes always with blessings and gives us focus to keep going. We don’t always see our relatives who are distant – but often we are given new life moments HERE – locally – in our sights. We can share our love locally for distant hearts.
And this brings me to my devotion for this Memorial Day Sunday – that God went LOCAL… He moved not a distant love but ALL His love to local. Yes – God sent Jesus here – local on earth and even in our hearts – for our hustle and bustle and for our limitedness of local. Jesus came to us. Came to save and not condemn – came to our place – which is His place to be in our hearts. Jesus came to simply be with us and in all complexity to save us. God went local, still does.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17
I hope to return to this farm, if not today then soon. And I do plan on more local parades – in between the raindrops we hope. I love my tourist in my own town” feeling too. I saw a little boy in the latest parade and as young as he was, he greeted the crowds with enthusiasm – knowing his ability to wave from a firetruck was just as cool as to wave to a firetruck. Sometimes we are in our own parades of fun too – and Jesus, He is holding the banner of LOVE while we wave.
Amen and God Bless local living – local flair and fresh air…
Ah – Memorial Day weekend – oh how I feel like resting not working, but I know that my yard calls to me – will do that first and then later – maybe – will tackle the garden – but not yet – that bug has not quite bit me – but the flower beds do… Flowers are traditionally planted on Memorial Day weekend – for the living and for the fallen.
Oh how unbelievable war is – and this Memorial Day we honor those who have fallen in war – we remember all of our loved ones no longer with us – it is time for flowers and parades. Parties and picnics too… And even my old friends camping in Gettysburg this weekend are doing civil war reenactments… We have a nostalgia for the past. However we have failing memories of the present, we really do. If our news cycle is spinning somewhere else, we forget about the current challenges – I certainly do…
A friend asked me, at work, to help with making a thank you for some children in the Ukraine to boost their spirits – to thank them for gifts that they made our site which were their way to say thank you for some donations – including cleaned up equipment donated to a school. These children are the future and we forget the hardships there and practically everywhere – not everyone forgets but if I forget then others must forget too… So for me to be the “photographer”, this was the smallest slice of my energy to send prayers and well wishes to those kids in war. Lest we forget that EVERYONE needs our encouragement.
And it IS easy to forget far away places when it is so beautiful and peaceful in our pockets of peace here. Just like last week, when in the center of the city, when I helped with a community garden, the peace was punctuated with birds chirping – having the airspace and trees to roam. Our children too need these places, places like schools and clubs, neighborhoods and church activities… We raise our kids and then we forget about the other kids… I don’t know the answer to this but to keep praying… We can’t fix the world but we can fix-up the small places we live in. We can pray-forth the people we can’t touch.
Another prayer would be for those times that we must put distance and not closeness into our lives – for people whom we purposefully don’t have contact with – and know it is for the best – everyone has long stories of these times. And this “healthy” separation of life brokeness can only be placed into God’s Hands. Thanking God for the buffer and asking His forgiveness for the fracture – and knowing there is good space in buffer of space and time and moving on… Another reason that we need God Himself to be our healing force – we can’t do it ourselves and there are times we don’t want to do it – but one day – if not today – and often it is not today – God’s forgiveness will reign. We can try to tap into that if we can’t muster it ourselves.
And a last prayer (for this blessed quiet morning) is for the acknowledgement of the challenges that the Lord has gotten us over in the past and therefore we must remember He will get us through the ones in our future – near future and distant future. He will heal wounds, He will preserve peace with a restoration and not a quick fix, He will rule and reign and return. All knees will bow.
Let us bow our hearts in praise, hurt, humility, and hope. Where we can only fathom peace, God IS Peace.
“Don’t go with the crowd” – it’s good to go the Way of the Lord in your unique way with Him. If you know that it’s a bad way, don’t go along, stop and pray it out, listen to your gut, and ask forgiveness for where and when life gets confusing. GOD WILL GET YOU OUT OF A JAM, and be whole FRUITFUL once again.
Ezekiel was the educator example teacher prophet for Jerusalem sons and daughters of Jacob who lost their way, being ignorant of God’s commands. Ezekiel reminded: Don’t be a false prophet or an idolator listening to them… The one who goes astray is just as guilty as the one who pulls them astray. Ezekiel was tasked: Tell the people to LISTEN to God – God says “I will save My people”…
Ezekiel also reminded the people that they could not be saved by associations – even the holy people of Noah, Job and Daniel were to be saved but their sons and daughters could not be saved by just being offspring and associated to the holy men. Each person needs their OWN relationship with our saving God.
Repentance is Real. Wash CLEAN white instead of whitewashing false.
WE HAPPILY AND JOYFULLY HAVE A FRIEND IN JESUS. Instead of whitewash to cover unsightly things (like Ezekiel spoke of), we have His ability to wash us, as sinful people, WHITE AS SNOW.
God said He would spread the word through Ezekiel “to recapture the hearts of the people” – we now have the Word, Jesus, to regather us.
Let us rejoice and be glad – our Repent opportunity is Heaven sent!
False prophets condemned The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, ‘The Lord declares’, and expect him to fulfil their words. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, ‘The Lord declares’, though I have not spoken?
‘“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
‘“Because they lead my people astray, saying, ‘Peace’, when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, ‘Where is the whitewash you covered it with?’
‘“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: in my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
‘Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.
‘“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practise divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.”’
Chapter 14 – Idolaters Condemned Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’
“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
“‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
“‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
“Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
“Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Do you ever feel like you’re living as an example to others? To aware of others watching us in normal life and to know we are Christians by our love. It’s our living out an exile here on earth, apart from complete reconciliation with the Lord which will complete us one day. Showing not signs of the times but LOVE. God is love, so to show love, mercy, kindness is to show God. We can show the future of reconciliation even if the world is not there yet.
In Ezekiel’s time, He also had to show the future – but a harsh one for disobedient Jerusalem-living Israelites bound for Babylon. He had to work his calling as an example. Ezekiel play acted out the prophecies, not just speak them.
‘They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
Interestingly, as God calls Ezekiel ‘Son of man’, Jesus calls Himself that when He came. Jesus demonstrated the love as well as the authority as well as chosen exile into a broken world, until the time God appointed the fulfillment of the Scriptures and Jesus being raised from the dead. It is forgiveness fulfillment’s finest hour.
The fulfillment of a Savior came, and Jesus will come again and fulfill the rest of the prophecies – all in God’s Timing. The remnants are in place, the gathered are gatherable. Let us live out our time as knowing we are LOVED… and keep moving too.
The exile symbolised The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
‘Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people. During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites.’
So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.
In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, “What are you doing?”
‘Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: this prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.” Say to them, “I am a sign to you.”
‘As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.
‘The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die. I will scatter to the winds all those around him – his staff and all his troops – and I will pursue them with drawn sword.
‘They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries. But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water. Say to the people of the land: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: they will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there. The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”’
There will be no delay The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: “The days go by and every vision comes to nothing”? Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.” Say to them, “The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfil whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, the Israelites are saying, “The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.” ‘Therefore say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: none of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’
God’s sure judgment on Jerusalem Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. The Lord said to me, ‘Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city. They say, “Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.” Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man.’
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: ‘This is what the Lord says: that is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. 6 You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.
‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: the bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you. You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.’
Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell face down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?’
The promise of Israel’s return The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, “They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.”
Therefore say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”
‘Therefore say: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.”
‘They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God.
Then the vision I had seen went up from me, and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.
There is SO much written in the bible about the Lord and this chapter of Ezekiel is filled with imagery, not imagination but IMAGERY described that is so elaborate one would THINK it is imagination. But imagination this elaborate and imagery this detailed – well only the Lord could put it forth to be simply a part of the scene of the day. Cherubim with wheels, four faces on the creatures as cherubim, human, lion, eagle and wheels under. The elaborate creatures with wings and eyes move by being filled with the SPIRIT of living creatures. So it’s but a segment of visualization of creatures and a throne, as the cloud too is the Spirit of the Lord. Chapter 10 is a visual experience, and I both listened (*audio link below*) and read the chapter. It’s a detailed description of Ezekiel’s witness to then tell others, to be a witness against the disorder of the day. God’s Living Creatures can move under His command – we should to.. Unfortunately that generation and many from Moses’s generation on, even from Adam and Eve’s time, those folks who didn’t get on the ark with Noah – well they were all wandering and NOT wondering.
The cherubim are described: “Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. I heard the wheels being called ‘the whirling wheels.'”
These cherubim traveled with the Glory of the Lord – it’s elaborate detail to demonstrate the LEAVING of God from a special place, a place directed by Him, the TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM built by Solomon, envisioned by David, the HOLY Worship location. The LEAVING was a crucial consequence of the disobedience of the people of the time who should have been following the Lord.
Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
We will learn in chapter 11 that Ezekial travels to be witness to the locations that God goes – then is able to tell the people what happened. Let US also be travelling in witness – for even though we don’t see the cherubim in flesh – we surely see the Glory of the Lord lived out – witness to the Way – a calling to the called is to carry on the details details details for God now.
We want to be moved by the Spirit too. God wants our witness.
I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of lapis lazuli above the vault that was over the heads of the cherubim. The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)
I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz. As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like human hands. Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead.
Here is the sermon I was blessed to preach yesterday – thank you for reading and absorbing.
Scriptures:
John 21:15-19 Jesus Reinstates Peter
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven (early chapter written by Luke)
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
I thought starting this sermon – WOW – just like my sermon last time – WOW asks: What’s my Witness???!!! And WOW “What a busy week!”, I thought: “how am I going to find time to focus on a sermon?” – well thankfully God found my nooks and crannies of time – to work on witnessing His Word… and WOW – I surely have a witness of His goodness in letting me march thru this week and keep marching…
Well of course there are many who are in tough spots – so we count our blessings – and there are plenty of down times that I am not going to dwell on now – the truth is that we MUST keep marching thru life – the good and the bad – that is Truth – and the sermon is going to be about continuing our Journey with Jesus – this time speaking about OUR WALK WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT = and talk about a KICKSTART – WOW – it is the Holy Spirit which fuels our WOW.
Yes, I can say that if it seems that I am running on Holy Spirit fumes – it’s because I am… And so to fuel myself and us, I want to start with this scripture from James – knowing that James too was able to experience the grace and mercy and Holy Spirit of his brother Jesus – realizing it after being sent the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s Advocate forever.
James wrote that: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18
Yes – every gift – especially for us to remember today when we celebrate the beginning of Pentecost – the birth of the church – the impetus to go out and share the Word – that the HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF is our GIFT – a gift to the disciples and gift to us. Now everyday is a journey with Jesus because we have the Holy Spirit in our midst.
And SO a sermon about Jesus after resurrection and about the Holy Spirit is not “hard” – even if I am running on ‘Holy Spirit fumes’ – because it is the Holy Spirit Himself feeding lines and the time to write them… it’s a flow, it’s a flow WE NEED TO TAP INTO: we are blessed “to be in the know”. This sermon is called “NOW WHAT?” – because we do have to figure out what to do as we follow Jesus. And I should have named the sermon “Guess What?” because we don’t know what God has around the corner for us to work on – but we DO know that He goes with us and He equips us with our tools and gifts to work in the world. Even Jesus said: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses – … to the ends of the earth.”
So the song that triggered my refocus over the course of the last week was from Godspell – “All good things around us – are sent from heaven above”… YES!!! And how can we not also praise the rain getting us all this green and the soon to be fruits of the summer – and our lives – and praise getting over those bad allergies this year – which of course showed how our bodies are working but ugh! So we will praise getting over the allergies and moving onto BEAUTIFUL spring weather, flowers and leaves abound… All good things … The song goes:
We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land.. But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand.. He sends us snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain… The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain…
All good gifts around us – Are sent from Heaven above – So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love…
We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good, The seedtime and the harvest, our life our health our food, No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!
All good gifts around us – Are sent from Heaven above – So thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love…
It’s paramount that we thank the Holy Spirit – thank Jesus – thank God – and as we are thinking of Jesus post Easter, we are to still think always of HOW He demonstrated the greatest gift of laying down His life – yes His actions expressed and completed God’s Grace Plan. When we are appreciating this great gift of GRACE, it is of FORGIVENESS – this is the WHY that Jesus came – because we can become closest to God in all His Almighty Love in the forgiveness of His GRACE brought by His Love. It is a costly grace, freedom is not without cost to God Himself, making this choice to sacrifice BEFORE the world began – and JESUS was in on the plan – not some pawn in the plan but JESUS AND the HOLY SPIRIT and GOD the Father – all three in our Holy Trinity – put this plan into play – knowing how it wins our relationships back to God – that is why we needed and need the Holy Spirit today – to get us individually to that reconciliation point and then keep marching forward. Jesus post resurrection walked the earth to teach and reconcile – He still does it today in our witness of the Holy Spirit God moving – in us and in others around us.
Reconciliation is real and active and participatory and necessary.
Reconciliation is Holy Spirit Conviction without the condemnation.
Reconciliation is a GIFT of Mercy and Grace.
Think about Peter’s reconciliation, Peter denying Jesus, three times that we know of… Peter impetuous and rash – he sank not only in his walking on the water, but sank deep into denial, fear, self-justification, and pride on that night of betrayal. “Oh not me! I didn’t mingle with him, I didn’t follow him!” – yeah… how fear overcomes us too, even when we DO know that we KNOW the Lord. Peter’s denial is 3 times but now hear the Reconciliation of Jesus also 3 times: Do you love me Peter? Oh yes Lord… Feed my sheep. Peter was not just reconciled to feel better, to get back into fellowship, “aww, it’s OK” but PETER specifically was reconciled for a mission: Feed my sheep. Jesus does tells many of us to “FEED MY SHEEP” – a spiritual feeding of knowledge of Jesus – to WITNESS.
I ALSO appreciate in this beach breakfast scene – a segment which moves the conversation from why to how and especially WHO – When Peter saw John, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
In this. Jesus has a conversation with Peter about John which indicates that Jesus is clearly saying to Peter: “[STAY IN YOUR LANE]” – “[What is it to you how he lives or dies early or late – what is it to you about his mission – YOU HAVE YOUR OWN]” – and Peter was even told by Jesus the method by which He would die – In other words the message to us all is “[Do what God has picked for you to do and don’t worry about the others]” !!! A job (jobs) given by the Holy Spirit to each of us is/are unique and God directed, our lives can be spent in giving Him Praise – and of course what we are blessedly tasked with is not just a job but a mission…
And our mission is to follow Jesus. Not necessarily to make it all 100% better in the world, although we are blessed to share and help best we can, the mission that we are being tasked with is to follow Jesus…
But without Jesus in flesh, how??? – He ascended – so are we now going to go it alone? NO…. WOW…. NO !!!
WOW – not alone – How about that Holy Spirit? Yeah – WOW – Holy Spirit is the Jesus Advocate for us in the world of people – and we do know the image of fire and tongues when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples – but we must remember that the Holy Spirit comes again and again for us to have a fresh filling – to fall onto others too – to help us when we ask that questions “Now What?!”
I had a moment about 9 years ago now – crucial to my understanding of the Holy Trinity, 3 in One, in a continual awakening to ask: WHY? WHY Jesus Why Holy Spirit, Why? What is that we need to know from Jesus’s time on the earth” – on our ground. Well, there was something that I found “on the ground” – I found a piece of paper, likely from a Bible class, on the ground in a front pew (and weird as no one ever sits in a front pew at my old church) –that day I was being an usher and cleaning up. Well it was reference to a scripture in John 16 which has totally changed me and I how I thought about Jesus and His mission and the Holy Spirit – this paper (from the ground) taught me, led me… Found me where I was – on the ground – and I am certain that I was led to find it. THIS IS HOLY SPIRIT at work – this is the leading that we are following – the Word that God is leaving out for us to find, ingest, remember, live by – and not return to God void. We are living out our lives WITH the Holy Spirit to fill that void that is the life on earth today.
SO Jesus spoke to His disciples three parts in John 16:
First:
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
OOOOHHHHHH… THAT IS WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR… SO it wasn’t just “sad that the people killed Jesus before His time – wasn’t just “bad luck” of bad people in the world – it was PART of the PLAN – to use even evil for good… AND WOW “unless I go away – the advocate – meaning the Holy Spirit – won’t come”… it was a path and a plan…
Second. Verses 8-10: When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
SATAN IS CONDEMNED!!!
Third – found in verse 12-15: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
The Holy Spirit points to Jesus, advocates, brings us back to Him, it’s good… all good things around us, are sent from heaven above…
Jesus says:
1) I have to go.
2) The world has people who need to understand Who I am and Why I came. And now Satan is condemned
3) The Holy Spirit will help you, tell you what to say when time is come, SO YOU even in your brokenness can hear from God, FROM Jesus, from Holy Spirit directly TO you – to move you – to witness and encourage – to help and hope.
It’s NOT about fixing the world – It’s about FEEDING the world – feeding the world with Living Water, the Bread of Life, it is not necessarily about fixing the world but about leading the world to Jesus. Jesus will not fix the world without first bringing human beings to God first and asking us to be pouring our fruits of the spirit to the world to share – all in order to point back to Him.
And here is just one more interesting thing about the Holy Spirit – demonstrating power – John was an old old man when he wrote down his gospels – he lived until his 90s – John also must have told stories in many age groups and throughout his long life – John ALSO took Mary under his household and therefore her stories were also recorded by the likes of Luke the physician. And John was exiled on Patmos – and he had visions come to him all about heaven and the vividness of his writing is amazing is in the Book of Revelation – of how Jesus returns and how the world ends and how we are taken to a new Jerusalem – new life – amazing life reconnected with God – without us showing blemish thanks to Jesus forgiveness. JOHN was on that unique path of what Jesus was talking out – the Holy Spirit led following of Jesus even after He is gone from earth – the “[what is it to you, Peter, in how he lives and dies?]” –“[Stay in your lane, Peter]” moment on that beach eating fish.
Yes – in Acts 1 first verses, Luke, the physician, writing from eyewitness accounts of everyone from Peter to Paul and unnamed people, wrote to his mentor Theophilus about so many moments about Jesus interacting with regular people as well as His disciples. That knowledge of Jesus ALSO came thru the Holy Spirit… How else would we know what Jesus did and taught – Holy Spirit remined what happened the day Jesus was taken up to heaven – because imagine that you would need some Holy Spirit help too in writing any of the gospels details after you are completely in awe of a resurrection and then ascension!
Also in Acts 1, Luke wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. [YES JESUS ALSO GOT HOLY SPIRIT HELP] After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
And here is another way of how the apostles, including Peter, were so human – just like us – and can we blame the apostles for asking human questions? The disciples asked in Acts – JUST before Jesus was taken up to heaven – that age old question – a fall back into to the old vision of a savior king – a Christ – a Messiah? Fix fix fix… “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
SO here is THEIR ASK: time “to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” [THAT IS US TOO!] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
WOW – there was some understanding for Jesus’s mission and even yet – after all this time – it was not just a restoration of a kingdom – it was a restoration of a RELATIONSHIP between Jesus and PEOPLE – between Jesus and the Jews yes but also Jesus and the Gentiles – and to the Gentiles and to the rest of the world… Jesus and everyone – how is that knowledge going to get out? US – we are His Hands and Feet.
We also need to be the eyes of the Holy Spirit – and look for Jesus to come back – as we have hope in His return – we also have work to do here on earth – on the ground… If one continued to read the book of Acts – you would hear about the Acts of the Apostles and the people they meet and the places they went. We are the recipients of these travels – that is how the Word of Jesus got to us – because the HOLY SPIRIT is moving the Word with continued sharings… Holy Spirit action is in the re-pointing back to Jesus.
Now think of these opportunities!!! Think how God is placing opportunities right in front of you to both help and specially to witness!!! We CAN think about these things in JOY – even sometimes hardship times. I think about those times that we see people who have lost everything in a tornado or flood or fire and are just thankful to be alive – they see the losses but better than that they see the gains! And we are to think back to the many tough situations that our brothers and sisters in Christ are in – some under persecution even now against living their true faith, brought to them by the Holy Spirit – think how they could be martyred killed and how yet they still witness to Jesus.
In closing – which is a new beginning, I offer thought and action – I think of these little cards that you can get with scripture verses as Holy Spirit miniatures like those chocolate miniatures – bite sized– and even thankful for big handouts like we got at our prayer gathering – BIG handouts from the Lord… Ready to be placed in the right hands by the Holy Spirit… we will continue to be the boots on the ground as Jesus was risen up. A little card itself helped me find the end of this long-winded but hopefully Holy Spirited sermon: From David, Psalm 143:10 –
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Amen – and please pray with me: May we know Lord, You ARE with us always – advocating for us – leading us – working the WOWs of Your Work – may we see the paths ahead of us – one step at a time – without our worry – just our willingness to be led and fed – to now feed and lead. AMEN
We didn’t know If the plans we made would have been a go.
Maybe sometimes we worried about the stuff that was “touch and go”…
SO if we did succeed – perhaps it was even really good – so, well good things are from God, right? SO…
So APPRECIATE whenever God states:
We don’t plan to fail – and in everything Jesus will help us grow.
We succeed and well, we give credit to where credit is due – Jesus is IN THE KNOW.
Overcome the World – Jesus did – He went with HIS FLOW.
So we too – must overcome the world and today’s woe.
Amen and Let’s GO!
Jesus made it beyond John the Baptist’s understanding of this amazing opportunity – to baptize the One who was actually baptizing him in Spirit… But Jesus said – we are doing this to fulfill God’s Righteousness… And God sanctioned and blessed the moment – YES – so who are we to not go with God’s daily life Flow!!! Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
A cool part of the devotion-journaling journey, at a prayer gathering I attended, was to prune a spider plant, but instead of casting to the fire for unproductive dryness, these branches were making new offshoots and are to be replanted and grown. Easy for a spider plant because it doesn’t even need soil that much, it just grows and grows. But yes, even better for me to plant it in it’s most healthy nutritional soil…
Our lives, grown, fed, watered, pruned, cared for, loved… God does this pruning thing in love so we can bear MORE fruit, as stronger branches reach further, and good fruit makes good seeds… God’s got ideas for us with Him, we are to know then that they involve us! We need to know that He never leaves us.
So like plants, SOME plantings and plans are easy, like this spider plant just begging to get it’s shoots to other places. Some plantings are HARD, tough to nurture and are constant care-needy… Some won’t take in this lifeline but the effort still teaches and reaches…
God’s plans, plantings, and waterings are God-gifted and we know God wins, so we should soak our soul and soil in Him, watching the results in the spring and summer after our winter weather woes…
So let us regroup to fruit… We may feel pain in pruning or we may feel a burden lightened – either way Let Us Go God’s Way…
Amen
Jesus speaks:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:1-17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18
No Sugar Coating – a HARD pill to swallow – the people of Israel were gone off the deep end and God was having none of it anymore… “Doom has burst forth” – WOW !!!
Written by Ezekiel: And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
It would be a hard pill to swallow for the HARD HEARTS – but the people themselves weren’t even listening. Ezekiel had to play act many years of graphic depictions of the doom – God even sent Ezekiel a vision of his throne departing Jerusalem and the temple to go to Babylon – see chapters 10 and 11 – God was going to leave the building…
So here in chapters 7, 8 and 9, God was clearly telling Ezekiel the hard bad news and that there was no hope for the people in the people getting their acts together – He Himself would move out and there would be no more guidance than what had already been given. Ezekiel’s call to writing is similar to the verbal warnings that Jesus gave when He walked the earth – no signs to be given than what has already been given – like Jonah’s warnings, the people need to LISTEN. Jesus spoke of people not listening to Solomon any more – that wicked generations will essentially become more wicked… Yeah…
The glimmer of hope is real in Ezekiel’s time – but it is that but only a remnant would be saved and carried thru to the next generation and generations… Not the place but the people. There are MANY more chapters to this book – just like we have many more chapters to our lives.
May we listen and not have to take the hard road like the people of Ezekiel’s time – but take the easier path of being led and following… Listen, Obey, Heal, Hope, Help…
Amen (and to be continued…)
(and always a reminder to watch the bible project depiction of the story line…
Ezekiel Chapter 7 – The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel: “‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. “‘Then you will know that I am the Lord.’
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Disaster! Unheard-of disaster! See, it comes! The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. See, it comes! Doom has come upon you, upon you who dwell in the land. The time has come! The day is near! There is panic, not joy, on the mountains. I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. “‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.
“‘See, the day! See, it comes! Doom has burst forth, the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed! Violence has arisen, a rod to punish the wicked. None of the people will be left, none of that crowd – none of their wealth, nothing of value. The time has come! The day has arrived! Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller grieve, for my wrath is on the whole crowd. The seller will not recover the property that was sold – as long as both buyer and seller live. For the vision concerning the whole crowd will not be reversed. Because of their sins, not one of them will preserve their life.
“‘They have blown the trumpet, they have made all things ready, but no one will go into battle, for my wrath is on the whole crowd. Outside is the sword; inside are plague and famine. Those in the country will die by the sword; those in the city will be devoured by famine and plague. The fugitives who escape will flee to the mountains. Like doves of the valleys, they will all moan, each for their own sins. Every hand will go limp; every leg will be wet with urine. They will put on sackcloth and be clothed with terror. Every face will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved.
“‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin. They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. They made it into vile images; therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them. I will give their wealth as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile it. I will turn my face away from the people, and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure. They will enter it and will defile it.
“‘Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence. I will bring the most wicked of nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated. When terror comes, they will seek peace in vain. Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will go searching for a vision from the prophet, priestly instruction in the law will cease, the counsel of the elders will come to an end. The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them.
“‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
Chapter 8 – Idolatry in the Temple In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there. I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy. And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there. And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.” So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel. In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’” Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”
Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”
He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.
He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
Chapter 9 – Judgment on the Idolaters Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.” And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.
Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”
As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.
Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city. While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”
He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’ So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.”
Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. PSALM 139:14
I KNOW THAT FULL WELL!!!!
My knees still creak but my tennis elbow? Hmmmm. 6 months later I can saw WOW, it’s tremendously improved, noting this after I grabbed laundry without fear of pain. I powered through life, but the underlying healing powers were powered by God in God’s Timing.
Yes, I wore my brace faithfully after the doctor said “you really have to do that, for A MONTH!” Yeah, not just now and then – so I wore it for nearly 2 months… and last few weeks I have misplaced it now, I realized the HEALING… it was a process. I had to plug into the process and not remain idle just watching. I was an active participant in God’s Plan. And I’m JUST talking about my elbow!
So life? Well, wow! This spring day, as my allergies have abated and pollen has petered out, I praise. Next week, I won’t even remember the bother, like not remembering the elbow. BOTH were the worst ever and are now almost afterthoughts… That’s the wonderful in wonderfully made. The sheer intricacies of life and activities are miracles of God. Wonderfully made, orchestrated and tweaked.
Fearfully made too, what does that mean? Fear as in AWE, like how my daughter and I are spitting images to some but I see all the contrasting traits, from the hair to the other aspects… Fear as in Ouch, like how things can go down so fast in health or be taken in a moment. Fear as in placing ourselves and our loved ones out into a dangerous world as well as into a dangerous peer pressure internally. Fearfully as God controls it all, as in the readings from Elijah 6, God has power!!!
I know FULL WELL, to appreciate not the leniency of God, but the MERCY. The ability to approach Jesus for forgiveness is to know GRACE. To remember that the AWESOME power of God can change life because He created it, is a stance we all drift from. We forget but God doesn’t change. HE IS STILL ALL POWERFUL and ALMIGHTY… just as Ezekiel for an unrepentant and unruly Israel of the day… just believe God’s correction in His Reasoning… remember even Jesus came out of a flawed human line of people saved for this purpose, there were saved few. Jesus brought Heaven to Earth, as Earth, also wonderfully made, could not rise back to God’s level… God’s Goodness is Heaven sent, we partake THANKFULLY.
Amen (and thank you Lord for the Blessings and MERCY of today).
Ezekiel 6 New King James Version
Judgment on Idolatrous Israel
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, to the hills, to the ravines, and to the valleys: “Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord. “Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.” ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He who is far off shall die by the pestilence, he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine. Thus will I spend My fury upon them. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, wherever they offered sweet incense to all their idols. So I will stretch out My hand against them and make the land desolate, yes, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblah, in all their dwelling places. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Time to get back to our storyline of Ezekiel… what an interesting life and call… this time Ezekiel is EZ-ily going to look like He is on a mission, but if it were to happen these days, we may doubt this unusual behavior actually being from God – BUT IT IS – and since it IS written as so, it IS from God… GOD SENT PROPHETS IN THE DAY. here God makes it clear of His knowledge of His unusual level of punishment… Jerusalem has behaved worse than even the nations around her (defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices), and it is AWFUL in God’s sight. It’s pretty unthinkable what will happen, HARSH, that even God remarks at the cruelty to be demonstrated by broken people and inflicted upon them, so much that God says this level of punishment is necessary but won’t be repeated. The Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations.
Ezekiel was told to shave his hair, both beard and head, with a sword edge, sharp as a razor, and physically weigh portions of his hair and do special specific signs with each portion. One third placed here and there… signature acts to represent how the Lord ‘myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword‘.
I really can’t conclude much more than just taking all this in, understand the moment and realize how powerful God is and that He means what He means. When we live on the razor edge, God brings out His sword. The Sword of Truth is something that we have from God Himself being the Word of God. There’s nothing more sharp or piercing than the Word of God in our lives… Let us all be faithful and listen.
Amen
There’s a really good spoken scripture on ‘BibleGateway’. I LISTENED to this chapter, read by David Suchet, who is a famous actor with a wonderful accent, and I can understand his inflections of voice. It’s a great way to listen to the Bible.
God’s Razor of Judgment “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword. But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even conformed to the standards of the nations around you.
“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations. Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds. Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you. A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.
“Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the Lord have spoken in my zeal.
“I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by. You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the Lord have spoken. When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.”
Here is my more serious devotion about God’s love – even in a broken world… Keep sharing the love my friends!!!
I passed a church sign this week and even heard somebody else say this recently: ‘there is no greater gift than that of our mother’ hmmm…. And although I appreciate the sentiment, I cringed at the church’s rephrase of a scripture so crucial – the scripture actually is: “there’s no better gift than to lay down One’s Life for One’s friends”, Jesus speaking about His role as Jesus, a mission in God’s Plan… this really was Jesus speaking, recorded in the gospel of John 15:12 and 13 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
Mother’s love is immense – and yet God is even Bigger… Imagine that – wow…
So Jesus commands us to LOVE and accept LOVE and be LOVE and give LOVE. Love is sacrificial and a whole, given as love willing to be sliced into pieces to spread out… Love is a whole delivered in pieces.
Well love, being God, never changes, so it becomes shared or not. God shared it to the max. We decide how much to give. Jesus wants us to give love until it hurts. Mothers do understand this. And we can never give as much love back as our mothers gave us, so instead we all should pay it forward, love it forward…
I feel this love and hurt too as a mom, blessed by my kids for sure and by my mom too – and in this life, don’t we also always feel the brokenness of human love, the human-stretched cracked broken chunks of love separated and scattered in this world? Knowing brokenness too well, we long for the gamut of wondering for our own children’s expressions of love back towards us, but perhaps we could instead just know our love was never wasted. Perhaps we are people who wanted to mother but never had the opportunity, or we are mothers who have had hard times showing the love because something broke in relationships somewhere. There are children growing in love but unable to bridge the original gap of a parenting relationships, either on purpose for good-enough reasons or things not under their control. Best to let it rest…. With brokenness, the hurt is there. The hurt we collectively could ache for those going through the hurt. Imagine new losses, Imagine old.
But Imagine healing in our forever hopeful futures.
The love of God is always there, God loves for restoration with restorative love. Jesus loves and His Holy Spirit allows us new mercies each morning to love more, better, well, whole. And to accept His love too.
Perhaps today if we cultivate love in whomever we meet, whether with our kids or mother or not, and cultivate love and share love to share God’s Love, we can create the healing over any hate. If anything a mother could give, it would be to give into love.
God is in the love of mothers whose love is great, let us remembering GREATER WHOLENESS in the love of God, for us, for everyone, for bearing fruit, for healing of the people and nations, for ever.
Love forever is seeing in a Mother’s love for her children and in God’s love for ALL HIS CHILDREN – a love willing to share…
Amen
Happy Mother’s Day, today.
Happy God Love Day, everyday !!!
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.” Jesus speaking to apostles and to us, in John 15:11-18
God got me through and God got me all the rest… it’s Him I profess.
4 week work professional development sabbatical, days 1-8 were learning and watching, 2 days off for a 4day weekend of a blessed retreat, then days 9 to 18 were 10 days of amazing lab time. I set up a chair in the corner of lab A, later moved to labs C and D, and thought through math math math… and worked and recorded and loved every minute of it!
It was the best of times it was the worst of times… The best was unstructured time, no pressure but planning to be as busy as possible in the lab for the last two weeks of this sabbatical – I wanted to work and I know how to work and I love to dig down and work – and learn learn learn learn. The worst of times was the terrible allergies, but with the grace of God I powered through sneezes with tissues tissues medicine coughing hacking and now – after the many days of rain – today, I can breathe FINE. Whew… rested so well too.
It’s keeping going in the mix, and finding God’s strength FIX.
There’s so much I could obsess about the mess and STRESS… But today 2 weeks later, I MUST CONFESS THE BLESS!!!
I got there because God is helping me number my days and pushing me when I dilly dally.
I worked long hours, because God gave me the strength.
I structured my unstructured time, because God gave me the platform.
I asked because God gave me this brain.
I waited because God gave me this heart.
I worked because God gave me this body.
I prayed because God gave me this soul.
I smiled because God gave me reason, joy, and a vision to enjoy.
a test the waters conversation with God we should start to steep.
.
To be with Jesus, it’s a simple Yes,
not a PhD dissertation, nor graduation address.
.
It doesn’t have to be that deep,
although it comes from one’s deep soul, really deep.
.
It can simply be a statement: ‘Yes’
and ‘I want to learn more, I confess.’
.
Jesus collects the tears we weep.
From His mouth, our ears should steep.
.
And to feel the full Mercy Blessing Bless,
We need to believe in Jesus for FORGIVENESS.
.
So let us make Jesus and His Word be the company we keep.
To start a relationship deep, let us make that continual PEEP.
.
Let us continue to believe and let us say: YES!
And in faithfulness, KNOW He is the Lord Jesus that we confess.
.
And now we can reap goodness from our deep.
AMEN – and AMEN to Keep Deep.
—-
Ephesians (a letter from Paul to strengthen that church community) chapter 3:14-19
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
—-
Psalm 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
If one would compare our life to that of Ezekial – I would say we are BLESSED… Ezekiel was tasked at being exposed – let us say EZ-posed – for over a year – living on the street – prophesying. and Ezekial had to symbolize the future of the Israelites who were turned away from God for years and years. And it wasn’t pretty.
Our lives could would should instead symbolize and exclaim God’s Goodness and Grace and especially His Salvation. We should symbolize and materialize His Joy – would could should – provide justice like Jesus would for the ostracized – we could walk humbly – we should show how we love mercy – modeling Jesus with our forgiveness passed to others… We are of His Children who should “get it” by now… We must realize and proclaim that Jesus came as our sacrificial lamb for God’s Plan.
Ezekial’s symbolism and prophecy to demonstrate? Ugh – not so pleasant… The book may be EZ Ezekial to read and understand – but the harsh symbolism of what was to come for those people, who disobeyed Him, for years is down right scary – both as the receiver and as the giver. Ezekial – protected by God – is being asked to live it out tough – God asks Ezekial to live on the ground for over a year – and next to a big slab of clay that portrays the siege of Jerusalem. Ezekial does get to eat but he has to cook his food over dung – and live a life totally EXPOSED… Ugh… No thanks, I would rather do my job of writing and speaking and singing of God’s Grace and Mercy, thank you! We live in a time after Jesus came and will come again. But Ezekial had to witness the rebellion and as tough as it was to be a prophet to people who didnt want to listen, EZekial is known to comply – God bless him!
390 days – a day for each year of Israel’s disobedience. plus 40 days for each year of Judah’s rebellion. God was warning and telling them what He was going to do – cut off the food supply – and woe to those who didn’t prepare and believe.
What about us – do we prepare and believe? Are we living a life exposed? We should be EZ-posed and so obviously EXPOSED to show that we DO TRUST GOD – we DO have JOY – we DO love mercy, kindness, goodness, and live sharing all the fruits of the spirit. If we have trouble in this life, we should remember the words of Jesus who said “I have overcome the world” and keep shining His Light.
If anything – we should model how we approach the Lord – EZ-posed with hope and thankfulness – with fear for His Almighty Power – and talk of His faithfulness. He has done GREAT things…
Let us live exposed in His Glory. Pray for those who do not yet realize He IS a Loving and Forgiving God.
Amen
— Ezekial 4
“Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.
“Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.
“After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.
“Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. Weigh out twenty shekels[b] of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. Also measure out a sixth of a hin of water and drink it at set times. Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.” The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”
Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”
“Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”
He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin.
—-
Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
A good and faithful kitty servant, ready to bite my toes.
Ever watchful as You, Lord, reminding me to wake up and write your prose.
For whom!? It is not I that knows.
.
Only known by You.
.
It’s not about me or my rest and my sleep.
It’s about prayers and encouragement for people out in the deep.
People in the world that You keep.
.
Loved by You.
.
Right now my world is full of pollen, which keeps my allergies hollerin’.
I find this the worst for my toleran’.
My sneezes and my coughs are trouble.
Add those night sweats, makes life’s annoyances double.
How can I harvest sleep from rubble?
.
But somehow I do.
.
I don’t understand the system of my health.
But I know Lord that I truly have life from your wealth.
Our inner workings are so stealth.
.
Who knew?
.
So I will somehow praise in my stumble.
Because I knew eventually my praise will be double.
My thorns but Your Grace is enough over my trouble.
.
You are truly True.
.
For now I will sit and watch my toes.
I will sleep when I’m not in tossing and turning throws.
And I live fine enough, everyone and I knows.
.
I do.
.
So let the Kitty purr and stare.
Let my brokeness make me aware.
Our life in part now, to Your WHOLE, there is no compare.
.
I love You.
.
Thank you Lord for the toes, prose and who knows.
You knows.
In You Lord, life goes…
.
TRUE.
.
Amen
—
1CORINTHIANS 13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Surely many of my memories of camp, a walk to Emmaus weekend where I was blessed to serve on team, will fade for now, resurface later – thanks for letting me share…
I know life goes fast, is OK to reflect in part – life doesn’t give us time to fully unpack everything on this side of heaven anyway, and life on the other side, in Heaven, will have us forever praising. The praise song in my head is “the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and Grace”. If we process only in part now, we still know and proclaim His Glory. All the time… God IS good…
I like my little (and big) memories from camp. I’m liking to call them my “Camp Crumbles”, little memory pieces that remind me of the love and joy. Sustenance and over the top sprinkles of love.
The food was rich and nourishing, tasty and plentiful (always is at camp). I took home one ziploc bag of physical “camp crumbles“- I unpacked that right away for sure – a mixture of one big piece camp coffee cake slice, one biscuit top that I really couldn’t finish then, and added one big brownie. And blessedly now I have been sprinkling them as Crumbles, from harsh transport, each morning on my oatmeal. Tidbits for taste. Sweetness for savor. Crumbles not intact but still tasty. Today is the last of it, but I ALSO received the leftover pretzels, the crumbled broken ones that I mentioned as my favorite ice cream topping and then I got to take home. Ah, the salt and the sweet. (The pretzels have helped me with my allergies, something different than cough drops to clear my throat).
Spiritual fulfillment is tasty, clears the way, walking by faith too… Perhaps we can continue to taste these snack-size crumbles of experiences all throughout our lives to sustain us until we sit in Heaven to feast forever. Salty and sweet. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
I ALSO remember tiny bits of camp songs, the light of the morning sun, and those birds chipping too. Oh, the sound of the creek waterfall resonating God’s power, and I remember tidbits of time for the quieting of my thoughts, I will try to remember the peace, even as it slips away from me time to time. I will try to sprinkle that peace back into my life, like these Camp Crumbles onto my oatmeal.
In remembering a tidbit of the fun -but nervousness – of finding one’s nametag at the camp farmhouse dinner table, I have been thinking – perhaps this is reflective of having our place at the Lord’s table: IT IS RESERVED and PERSONALIZED and ALREADY THERE. He will find a place, yes, calling us. Yes, camp gives much to contemplate about us and God forever.
And now, with my last day today to eat the camp crumbles back at home, with morning oatmeal nourishment, today will be the TWIX mini chocolate which is smooshed. In this, I am to remember, Lord, that as squished and smooshed our lives seem to be, YOU DO NOT CHANGE and that You are just as much here at home just as You were at camp. We may be clouded and falling asleep sometimes from knowing You better, but here You are in the finishing crumbs of life. And of those crumbs, of eating some of those pretzels just now, I looked up and saw the best sight. On top of my kitchen cabinets are three Lenox statues with the most prominent one in the front: You and me – You Jesus and me Jarius’s daughter – being awakened from sleepy death into forever faith. Ah… He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).
I’m now up and awake Lord, thanks, and am forever praising Your WHOLE and getting to share my part.. crumbs from You are part of Your WHOLE!
Amen
Salt and Light
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-16 NIV
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? Psalm 113:1-6
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” – “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. Matthew 15:25-28
A devotion written for our fellow Walk to Emmaus weekend folks – and for any experience where we have taken that time to get away and have a spirit-filled experience.
—-
I don’t know about how much you unpacked from camp, about the experience, but I find that so much stuff has gone deep, not ready to surface until later, not all at once.
Unpacking an experience like we had on a 72hour agape-filled walk with Jesus takes a while. Much to unpack, or not. I didn’t even unpack the actual stuff except my dirty life laundry and those clothes too. The rest is still piled on my kitchen chair… Piles of love, agape items, notes and whatnot. I’ve no time to unpack and sort it yet. The rest of the emotional and spiritual stuff is still there piled too. I’ll get to some, the rest…. hmmm….
So much.
I like to think we individually want to REFLECT the experience we have had, from this thought-provoking weekend, like an ability to SHINE it to the world, and imagine us SHINING a “bounce up” of the visual, like from a calm reflection pool in the sunshine. And we do that for sure. And yet, it is not so shiny and smooth on my pond in this world sometimes. Sure the smiling continues inside and out, the songs permeate my brain as I work and walk, people listen to some that I share, but my big chunks of the weekend are still packed deep and have sunk into my pond and my soul, asking to be hydrated by that Living Water, which is seeping, soaking and flooding in, mixing with my whole being.
It’s alright to let it soak.
We will regather soon, we will reflect and some stuff we will kick out to dry, but mostly we need to remember it is OK to go deep. Sit with it – unpack it as we can – sort it (or not) but hold it and be ready to let some of it go. Treasures are in Heaven – not to burden us here with too much “stuff”, but for now, we unpack slowly. It’s all not buried, lost, but hydrating. It will expand and fill our souls for years to come.
Let us let our experience SOAK in the Spirit… God sees ALL clearly. God will sort it all out for us, in His Time.
Amen
—
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:1-3
Amen and Amen and Amen, Again and Again and Again.
Of the thousand-millions of Holy Spirit activities, BOTH witnessed and in invisible angel-army realms, over the four days in my time at Camp (for our Walk to Emmaus weekend which is for spiritual growth and church leader development), God included one ‘just special for me‘ witness – so that I would see it and say WOW – WOW What’s Our Witness? Mine is that God’s in charge and has things that knock my socks off – again.
My whole awakening, over the course of 6weeks in December 2014 to Jan 2015, including unbelievable “God sightings” crazy coincidences, right people at right times. My dry soil seeds hydrated and burst to blooming all at once. So whom am I to not see these jaw-dropping little miracles now. I have MANY of them written up in my awakening writings (which were email format before I put them in blog format months later, now over 2000 writings in 9 years).
And this most recent God sighting was CLASSIC GOD… I was just minutes away from giving my prepared talk for the event, including discussing my awakening in short detail – making sure to mention that I was/am like Jarius’s daughter raised from dead faith, where Jesus said “she’s simply sleeping” and woke me gently. AND THEN, as I flipped through a book I had donated to the book table, demonstrating to a new friend of the cool set up of scripture and commentary of a Michael Card book (gospel of Mark from the Biblical series), and guess what page I opened? Right to Jarius’s daughter. Boom – I needed that – no matter my nerves I put my rendition of my talk into His Hands – this was for His work not for my comfort or not. We are His Witnesses – whom are we to hide it.
It was something some would call coincidence yet we know thereare NO coincidences with God. Treat or trial – thorns too – God says My GRACE is ENOUGH and then some… Some would say a God-sighting yes, and I would say “Yes, Lord, YOU ARE IN CONTROL – and You like to remind me” – cue the acknowledgement of the angel armies in hidden sight. AGAIN… Yeah…
Funny House – I appreciated the talks before mine – and my talk was number 13, one of many fun numbers in my head for God and me – so in talk 12 the pastor-presentor spoke about the example of a house for stages of grace: Prevenient Grace (before we knew it – on the doorstep of the house), Justifying Grace (Just as if I’d never sinned – like being in the door frame), and Sanctifying Grace (you are completely inside – having chosen to walk through the door)… WELL, I told our speaker that God set up my ‘house example’ of Grace like a FUNNY HOUSE, and those days of unbelievable God sightings, the strikes to my disbelief system, THE CHRISTMAS FLOOD, found me holding onto the door jam while God tipped the house and shook it until I had no choice but let my fingers go and LET GO, right into Grace-acceptance, fall right… from asleep to a ‘sanctified faith’ – yeah God, I got it now…
Jesus sees us, comes to us, wakes us, tends to us as His sheep, and His Holy Spirit grows us up to His Children. Child-like WOWs – still growing in grace – ever approaching His throne – being nudged to live a life that God wants us to live – WITNESSING…
God’s got this – again… Amen
Amen
—-
Mark 5:34-43
While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Paul in 2nd Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I was already thinking about the bag of pretzels and the cream cheese in the back of my car before I pulled out of camp (a 4-day time for me to help others in a closer walk with Jesus on a Walk to Emmaus weekend). And the cream cheese and chocolate snacks called to me more and more as I drove one friend then another friend home. The chocolate was eaten well before I left the back roads, and satisfyingly wanted as we left utopia-like situations back to the real world. Chocolate would have melted anyway, best to partake fast!
The back to reality wasn’t tough on my car or my life, but mentally tough on me for those first few hours, just not getting where I WANTED to go, especially the thought of back tracking my path driving adding an extra hour, IT WAS TOUGH until the last dropped-off friend reminded me about the truthful generous aspect of life with others in Christian living that lends itself into a saying that I on occasion hear: ‘it is about one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread‘. Ah, yes, I had lost a bit of that bread-hunger-FOCUS in my crush of reality after a dreamy 72hour weekend filled with God in action, where my cup runneth over. I was then the beggar begetting anger until I remembered GRACE and not throwing away my peace. It was a reminder in reality to RE-know to thirst for the SPIRIT influx, be satisfied with my blessings, stop selfishness, and return to SELFLESSNESS. “MY GRACE IS ENOUGH” God says over my thorns… YUP..
The cream cheese and my frustration waited, I started counting my blessings instead. Especially counting blessings when I saw a car accident that I WASN’T in. Oh those fire trucks, ambulance, and the crushed car in front of me along the second highway. Reality check. Life is precarious at those fast speeds, cars too. Slowdown the harried hurry. Put the peace pursuit back in.
72 hours I had slowed down, with practically no worries, no phone, no car, no hassle, no worries… a life in agape grace… but now was time for re-entering the world… whew…
I wasn’t concerned about home, except for thinking I needed to GET THERE. My son’s concern, texted to me, was that the cat missed me, and birds had pooped on his new car, hmmm… Not a crisis… “did I have car wash tokens?” No… So it was not like anyone was desperate for me. Yes the cat is SO HAPPY now, on my feet as I write this, and I have recouped much sleep – but then I was lacking that sleep. And I always drive drive drive but life back on the road is not the camp life that only a few hours earlier that had me so relaxed that I worried about nothing.
The CRUSH OF REALITY became me reaching for that chocolate first and pretzels next with the dream of cream cheese – but the best reach (and re-reach) was for the bread of sharing in common Jesus moments, trying to understand how I had the break but now was back in the hassle of the hustle SO QUICKLY. And as I got slightly stuck in traffic, I was reminded that God’s Timing sometimes makes us accepting long hauls. It was OK, I was OK. I calmed my soul and my gas pedal.
First friend dropped off, then an hour later the second friend got her stuff out of the car and said, ‘oh I have all this bread, I don’t know why they gave it away to me’ – I replied “oh I’ll take it – I’ll take it to work-they eat anything” as I had taken other items myself for work, like skittles and the bagels and cream cheese to reduce the ‘burden’ of excess after camp. WELL, I paused in my pain of reality crush driving when I saw that she handed me 2 loaves of what would have been communion bread, EXTRA… the friend, a spirit-filled soul, stated that clear message: ‘hey, it’s like a beggar telling a beggar where to find bread’… Oh yeah, it’s like continually thirsty for the Lord over the world. Yeah, my spirit cup refilled like my gas tank – I grabbed the cream cheese and my thankfulness and headed home in silence, except for a praise song repopulating my head… “Jesus Jesus, can I tell You how I feel? You have given me Your Spirit, I love You so…”
We MUST see the BREAD of Life over the dread of life. We must feel the Grace over the rat race. We must sacrifice our sure desire to serve ourselves, and serve others – be the Jesus was want to be even to the point of painful gifting – and be doling out God’s grace in the world, knowing how we are OK, thorns and all, applying Grace to ourselves too. We have been preveniently loved and we will be OK.
I recounted my blessings of having the ability to drive, a full tank of gas, and the cream cheese now in my hands with gifted pretzels too… prevenient snacking fuel on the last 45 minutes home… prevenient Cream Cheese and forever THANKFULNESS for God on the journey… whew…
Keep moving… rest… let us get up and do this life journey in the real world again… and share that bread, with all the beggars out there…
I gave myself some GRACE and had pre-prepared older favorite posts to re-publish while I was away for the long weekend – a wonderful opportunity to get with the Lord and rekindle that knowledge of how much He loves us. Now I have a few new writings specifically about camp. But first – I had the processing of the time to bury Christmas the Crab back at the same camp and same path that I found him, with a friend, walking during a break.
Arriving at camp early on a Thursday, I thought what a wonderful pre-day to process the Lord’s blessings in my life and especially appreciate a day off, a weekend at camp, friends old and new, and Jesus Himself showing up to bless us and hold us and hear us. Christmas in April – April 25th, new mercies every morning, and before camp really got underway, this is when I had the opportunity to bury Christmas the Crab, who passed away last week. I knew he, yes you can check hermit crabs for he vs she, was not the same after his last molt. I buried him with love at camp where a friend and I had found him, deep in the woods, chilly October, actually found him twice since we left him the first time (oops). Now, I have placed him back into the ground for closure, just before this NEW opportunity to be at camp, just before new people came to camp to walk their own walk with Jesus. It has been 7 years since I found him – what amazing timing. I am appreciative of the Lord tasking me with the privilege, the mini cohort to my encouragement to children young and old that INDEED, God takes care of the little creatures so much, look how intricate they are made too, so that then He must REALLY love us.
It’s not like people understand the hoopla or the importance, or even non importance, of a little crab, which is fine. It is between God and me, and a few of us. People understand big God’s moments in their lives as a Shepherd calls a sheep, and little moments too. Why would any of us understand even a fraction of the things that happen in our lives at the Hands of God? So it is OK and good and designed that way that you have your own little and big things going on with God – so don’t worry about others that don’t understand you, Jesus does. Jesus understands.
This was just a small one little thing (although big for the crab which did not belong in the cold October air in the woods). It was a hair on the head moment of miniscule proportions and yet I could grasp in that very moment that God had and has a plan – and this means that if God pays attention to even the smallest creature, He REALLY IS watching us.
It’s not me thinking about the crab as much as me thinking about God moving. For the life of me, I will never understand most of the things that God has done in my life, I will count my blessings because God has placed me in this time and in this place. We won’t always understand and appreciate every time and place that God places us in, but we can ask Him… Why would we understand everything? Why would we? God is God and we are NOT God.
I think it’s fitting to have put Christmas the crab back in the ground near where I found him. I knew that the Spirit helped us 7 years ago on this weekend walk with Jesus. He helps us everyday. We are filled anew. This chapter closes and another opens. From dust he came and to dust he will return (and us too and yeah, because we won’t last here forever). He lived a good even if lonely life, double the average time of hermit crabs. And, I will always wonder: “Why me?” to take care of him – and I always will hear from God: “Why not? Why not you?!”
That’s a God thing to share private moments with God. Remember, most people will NOT understand how the Spirit moves between you and God, but He does, so accept the private conversations and walk. And trust – just trust – that the Spirit DOES move with each person too, in His own way, so why wouldn’t your path also be different? Unique to everyone. God says: “Why NOT you?!”…
I buried Christmas and placed a few sticks as a cross. My friend brought some flowers and I placed a whirlygig, nice colorful pinwheel nearby. My hope is someone else to smile, see the colors, and hopefully feel the Holy Spirit move. May we all feel the JOY of the Holy Spirit.
I have. And I will remember these days as blessed. Decolores little colorful Christmas the crab. Thanks Lord for all in all.
I wonder what people think of my journey – but I don’t worry too much because it is still between me and God of where I was and where I am…
I certainly benefited from preparing my fields for rain and I took some time to contemplate almost everything around me… sure – you could suggest I over analyze everything – but when exciting times are all around, you don’t want to miss out on ANYTHING!
…and yet I wonder if people think this journey was TOO easy – well it wasn’t – yeah sure it was a quiet journey and wasn’t filled with blockbuster movie scenes of tormented pain, tragic losses, marvelous car crashes, health hells… nope – wasn’t like that at all – and I don’t think your journey has to be the “movie of the week” material…. slow and steady wins the race – God’s time and patience – yes, that is my story… quiet yet moving – filled with grace that was already given. Before I took Jesus up into my heart, I was half way (well two thirds there – believing in God and the Holy Spirit – and always praising – but this last third, accepting Jesus, was a juggernaut in my disbelief system – a mountain which I have moved now – I feel I am still growing but so so there….
Sure – sometimes we think (I think) that coming to Jesus should have involved a momentous experience – me in the Dukes of Hazard car going airborne – screaming at the top of my lungs and a miraculous appearance of a 60-foot snow drift – or tractor bed filled with soft hay – to catch us and return us safely back to earth…. and yeah, I have certainly have heard those tales of awakening – I was certainly held on the edge of my seat wanting to know more….
Perhaps you did or want to feel a lightning bolt – or maybe you fear feeling a lightning bolt because you don’t want to be changed… Ben Franklin supposedly felt a big lightning bolt during his kite and the key experiment – how brave – how stupid… But then, how did he utilize that info? Whom did he tell? How did he take what he learned into a movement towards the amazing age of electricity?
After we have felt a lightning bolt of faith growth, what should we do with that lightning? that info? that feeling? … I bet our friend Franklin did that experiment a few times again (why wouldn’t he?) he experimented in the country and in the city – I have to think that he kept doing this experiment to have more data….
I can be assured that lighting strikes many times in your area – of course they do. But what do you do with a lightning strike to your faith? Would you make good use of it? Will lightening strike again and again if you need it to?
What if Benjamin Franklin tied his kite string to a fence and what if he cautiously approached the key… I wonder if he wanted to know what the shock felt like. Some people probably approach the throne of God as they tantalize about the concept of Jesus but they are afraid to touch the key… perhaps they are afraid of the shock – and yet, little do they know, that they would be in for the most energizing boost of all their lives.
Have you felt lightning?I have… I was maybe 20 feet away from a strike – I was outside running between a pavilion and my car… yeah tempting fate and ended up getting too close to the lightning before I was safely in my car. The heat was unbelievable! The flash hurt my eyes. And the sound was as loud as you could imagine God’s roar… I would not tempt that kind of fate again… well – maybe…
So I went on this unknown journey of faith – I don’t know if I was worried about being struck by lightning… Did I feel the energy in the air? Yes most definitely!!! Did the thunderous sound of God catch my attention? You better believe it did! Did it make my hair stand up on end? Oh yeah!! In my faith journey I was tempted to touch the key… I got closer and closer and I then prayed for the key to touch… and the key fit into my soul… the energy transferred… the Lord came to me in the most gentle of ways. I will use my God lightning from here on out to serve God at to give Jesus the honor He is due.
Would you approach lighting? Don’t let it get so bad that lightning has to kill you – don’t get so dead that lightning has to be used like a defibrillator to wake you up …… maybe you know people who need a jolt to wake up… maybe they or you just need to feel the energy and taste a little zap… you will want that zap again – trust me – you will ask for it everyday…
Would you dissipate all the gained electricity as heat – screaming? Maybe you should be an engineer and hook up the machines and capture that lightning for future use. Only a few are called by terrific heartbreaking jaw-dropping blockbuster-movie lightning strike… and only a few of those people are called to spread that lightning in the form of energy to others.
Nope, my journey was not a blockbuster movie… there was no direct lightning strike…but yes, I did feel the electricity all around me – and I did approach the powerful energized key…. my excess energy emanates now – not as heat but now as writing and in praise… and in song…
PERHAPS (yes I know the answer to this) perhaps there are many many people who can relate to my story – a quiet story – maybe you are on your own journey to find your own key…
So many people still need to come to terms with their faith – many people have hearts that need to crack open and yes, they need to feel the energy…
God is Good – feel His energy inside of you… long for that repeat lightning strike…
A piece written in my stages of awakening – so strong that I STILL can hear the pins being struck down….
Strike, 10 Jan 2015
If God were a bowler, he’s rolling a pretty good game right now. Not a perfect 300 score, but I think he might put in some extra frames on me, just because he can, he’s GOD for God’s sake…not a perfect score because I have successfully blocked many a shot, kept a pin or two standing (hot glued them to the lane), and maybe even fudged the score, which I knew He had actually earned….and yes, I took a couple of fallen pins and snuck them back up to standing position.
See the pins are my disbelief system, and lately God’s been rolling quite a few strikes…loud, smashing, pin-splintering strikes. A spare in there on occasion… but that awe-achieving sound of all the pins dispatched… all SMASHING with such force against the lane walls that even the people and pins in the lanes to my right and left are starting to notice.
Some of my pins were not really standing strong…I do have a tremendous belief in the Almighty Power of God… I know He is the maker, the mover and shaker, and he likes to tweak the system in this sandbox experiment He calls Earth….
And God has such a sense of humor… “God never gives you more then you can handle”, the saying goes… “well thanks God, but haven’t I had enough now?” is what many people probably say when they are in the grips of tragedies, uncertainties, and just plain bad luck. Do you believe in fate? Or is life a pop-up round of game show questions? Do we determine our own fate? I think so… God gives us freedom or does God give us just enough rope to…?…… Well, maybe for some people… but if so, then I see him loosening those ropes, cutting them from time to time, throwing an angel in there for corrective action and yes, rolling strikes in our disbelief systems all the time. Strike and collect the pins… bring you back to Godly ways. Maybe it isn’t rope that God has given me… perhaps it is elastic… let’s see how far you can go before I reel you back in… sew you down and correct your belief system….
So why have I kept some disbelief pins up? Why do I re-rack some of them intentionally or innocently? It is not my intention to taunt God. I just like to know things, I want to bring a checklist to heaven and say: “what about that healing? What about that meteor crashing into earth? What about that flood? How’s your angel count? And could you tell me all the rest of your secrets too?” Did you ever wonder what heaven looks like? The thought that it is seven or more layers…and is there a holding pen for babies who didn’t get baptized? Can you refute or prove those things my sixth grade nun teacher told me?… What is the real answer for those times I had to say “that seems like you are making that up”.?. Imperfect man trying to describe a perfect system… Yeah, I don’t buy it all… my shaken belief in man-made religions.
I accidentally, uninformed-ly, mixed up the terms religious and spiritual leader when introducing a now good friend at a women’s retreat… I get it now… and I am more and more a spiritual being too… lifting away from worldly religious trappings, not forgetting my foundations, but building on them, snapping in new spiritual Lego pieces.
Yes, your belief system has to start somewhere, you can’t learn about God in a vacuum. You need religious rigidity at times to click you in, obligate you, to surround yourself with believers and teachers. I am confident that some who disbelieve in religions still believe in God, because of their religious foundations. I felt compassion for one of my grad school advisors who stood strong against the belief in God. I think he might still be at the gates right now saying “oops”. I pray that God let’s him in anyway… a friend once told me that his religious training as a shaman included a belief that when you die, you have to wrap up loose ends and that is why you shouldn’t be cremated…that your soul is tied to your human body for as long as it takes to repent, repair… not exactly like Jacob Marley in Scrooge… but you might have some fixing up to do. Whether that is true or not, it behooves us to make our peace with people now on earth, not wait to ask for forgiveness, not wait to repair old relationship rifts, etc… Either way I don’t want to be cremated (and I want balloons at my funeral too)… I will try to repair my rifts now. And I will let those people, who are God-sightings in my own life, know how much I appreciate them, right then and not wait. I will try to hug and kiss my parents and my kids physically or mentally each time I say goodbye just in case I or they meet an untimely death. I will try to live and love in the present.
Back to bowling… I don’t know God’s plan but I know it involves me… I don’t know why, when, where he will strike down disbelief or put up new pins for me to follow, to become pillars in my soul… I don’t know how many frames are in this game, how many more strikes I am going to see… either way, I am sure He will keep trying until He and I can faithfully record a perfect score when it’s my time to meet Him.
Note: This piece is really telling it all…where I was – and OH – HOW I HAVE GROWN! Wow! 30 essays in one months time after this had put me right on track and ready to stop being embarrassed about where I was – and I needed to confess this to put it aside and allow God to work on me – and wow has He ever! Please please please – don’t judge me for where I was – but I hope you can appreciate where I am now and where I am going… because this has been the most amazing experience for me to know and accept Jesus…
Lego Christianity, 18Dec2014
I have loaded up my brain and my heart with the tenants of my Christian faith for years and years. I have most if not all of pieces, probably lots of duplicates…see they are like Lego pieces, little snippets of scripture, interpretation and beliefs…also included are fluff pieces, good advice and the trappings of the commercialization of Christmas.
I carry these Lego pieces, but I didn’t snap then in yet. They are there but I didn’t have the instructions or maybe I have been purposely ignoring the instructions of how to put them together in the right order. Or maybe struggling to take them out after placing in them in the wrong order. Do you know how hard it is to undo a Lego piece?
Legos in this day and age are no longer sold as loose blocks, like when I was a kid, but instead they are puzzle kits…combining those plastic model aircraft kits of my youth with easy snap into place segments.
One of my joys of putting together those pieces is when I feel and hear the clink clink clink sound when you root around in this big batch of all the random pieces trying to find that next piece…it’s that activity of finding the right piece…a three dimensional physical “I got it” feeling. Then snap, put it into place.
I have had these Lego pieces of Christianity for awhile; just never felt my brain and my heart were in sync. Been recently pondering Christmas and Christ…I spoke in Sunday school to the kids and mentioned that “Christ is Coming” but really He came two thousand years ago and we celebrate his coming…rather than him physically coming every year. Later I was listening to a CD of an advent service from last year, which included a wonderfully moving and spirit-filled sermon of a friend, whose spiritual messages I can relate to. In that service I heard another friend, read the interpretation of the first candle of Advent, HOPE. Paraphrasing what she said…”why is Jesus coming every year? He is coming new to so many people each year…” Oh…wish I had said THAT in Sunday school…that does make sense. Lego piece absorbed…add it to the mix.
I am too busy to attend the church service, I am in the building, mostly with the kids…but when I can, I find the contemporary music and meaning so wonderful. I have been lacking spiritual growth…except for when I prepare UMW, VBS and Sunday school curriculum…
… I had been in that spiritual growth drought for so long that when I realized that God was knocking on my brain to make it catch up with my heart, it caught me by surprise. I was preparing months ago my own Sunday school curriculum for a science-based lesson because I didn’t think there was enough science connection in the lesson about Jesus’ stories…about how his stories were used to encourage non-believers to open their hearts to the existence and good of God.
I incorporated (with a cool messy hands-on experiment) the use of a catalyst… And snap…my deliberate disbelief – questioning Jesus actually being God – maybe he was just another prophet with a good publicist – maybe it’s a great group of stories… well, all that crumbled.. my brain cracked open to the possibility that Jesus was real. It dawned on me that if Jesus was real, maybe God brought him to us to be the catalyst for change. More than just a Lego piece absorbed, more like a Lego piece and one of those green square bases to build things on…
This look for more spiritual growth lately is just like when I took biochemistry in college and had to learn it from the book, self taught, because my professor wasn’t good, I find now that I have to seek out and find my own way spiritually… another friend once said you’ve got a library card now go figure out what book you want to check out…
…I have found help… I have meditated on the scriptures presented within the 4 messages that a new friend, who also is a guest sermonist, delivered. The teachings are not cliff notes for the Bible, they are not like watching a movie to teach the Bible, but the sermons are making the Bible come alive in the context of our lives… in MY life. One sermon on Joseph, one on the great commission… the holy spirit, one on father’s day about “I am the vine, you are the branches” and how God prunes us to bear more fruit, and one on worship:
“Worship, like salvation, is a personal decision. It is an expression of the individual’s relationship with God and it is the spiritual condition of the worshiper that determines whether God is at work. If your worship experience doesn’t change you, you should consider your approach to it. “
John 4:23-24 ”Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
And song, “Come to the Cradle come and find peace..” – that is a big Lego piece.
Lego piece accepted.
While making copies of the CDs of these sermons and the church Christmas music for a couple of friends who also don’t get to sit in church, I was checking Facebook. I noticed I was added to a group named “church” from a not so tech savvy friend, who likely confused making a group with a grouped friend lists…oh well…. Anyway, a friends’ son, who is a young new scholar-pastor-dad, posts “what is this???” I jokingly replied that its or mutual friend learning Facebook and playing with the Facebook-time-space continuum. Then I clicked his page to see his posts… I read how he was mourning this Christmas by reading the old prophets telling of the coming of Jesus. I didn’t read the whole post at first (which included so much recent world strife, mass murders close to home) and I messaged him to say “why mourning?”
I give thanks for this little nugget that he gave me to focus my mind on… “What to mourn is the sin and death and injustice in our world, the very reason the world needs a Savior so badly”. I have has done small and large bursts of spiritual growth over this last year, and it is likely not a coincidence that that statement hits me just right where my thought process is today…big Lego piece accepted.
The previous night I wrote a piece called the Christmas Flood. Speaking to how Christmas is a deluge of rain good rain but too much rain, that could flood us and wash away our carefully planted spiritual seeds in our gardens, unless we prepare for the excess rain and protect ourselves… spiritual uplifting, soaking nutritive rain in the form of His message comes from God but only when we prepare for this rain…then we can let it soak in…
…It was me playing with the Legos of Christianity in my head while writing it… But I was forgetting about Advent being a mini-Lent, a time of repentance and prayer not just for ourselves but for others to give up their bad ways…for us and others to realize that we need Christ to come to save the world… we need His example… we need to absorb and portray His example…. then at Easter, realize He opens our path to heaven…but that can’t happen until He comes to each person first… so yes, Jesus is God and comes each year.
Snap, I put the right Lego piece in, the little ones and the big ones… they fit, they are in the right order now. I need to builds more on them…to wiggle them some to make sure I can fit some other new ones in. You can never be done building…
You grew me from a caterpillar. You fed me on Your gifts to nourish me. Your Word opened my ears. I began to change. I learned. I grew.
You allowed me to find a safe sanctuary for not resting but for actively changing thru the most amazing series of modifications, inside and out. Within a protected shell I waited. I knew I was changing, but how could I comprehend how amazing this change would be. You knew.
Then you told me to start entering this world again. I could not remain hidden under the leaves, I had to peer out from my cocoon and stretch and find how to steady my new legs. All my mass had been shifted and repurposed into a completely different being, and yet my soul, my heart, my mind are still intact – I knew I changed – I knew I was called to take the next step, even if I didn’t know if I was ready…
You told me to fly.
You told me to stretch my wings and feel for the right moment. You made me capable of everything that I could never have imagined. You made then remade me.
You made me beautiful. You made me intricate, complex, strong thru weakness, and capable.
I now can fly.
I can open the gifts of the earthly phase of my life and fly thru the world on Your Spirit. I will be ever watching for danger as well as refuge. And in those peace-filled times I can catch a warm breeze and fly higher and longer – seemingly forever…
I do know that I cannot fly here forever, but you have a place for me eternal – then I will rest….
[FYI – Peepers are frogs in the spring in the ponds. SO LOUD – but you have to be near the water to hear.]
I am screaming in my head while walking up the EXACT same hill where just months prior I had screamed in my head: “The stars, Lord!” – To whom can I call out? Again with no one to talk to – I can only call out to YOU, Lord! Only and appropriately only have praise for YOU – “to whom all is due”
I can hear those PEEPERS, Lord! WOW!
I can see those stars!
There are people too, Lord! I can feel them calling out Your praises tonight, even if I can’t see them.
I know they are praising – after I leave camp I will not hear them, but You can hear them, and that makes me happy.
There are REALLY LOUD peepers, Lord. I am floored at how blessed I am at this very moment – to relive an awestruck moment – to hear Your creation so loud… but Lord, why are peepers SO LOUD??? Do they need to hear each other? or perhaps do we need to hear them loud and clear so that we know that they are from You? – praising back to You?
Why are the stars SO bright, Lord? Do the stars need to shine to each other? or perhaps do weneed to see them so bright so that we know they are a sign from You?
Why is the moon SO mesmerizing, Lord? Does the moon need to startle the world? or perhaps do we need to just say ‘I do not know how God does all these amazing things!’
There’s our world, Lord! Why is our world so diverse, Lord? Is the earth for us or is it for You, Lord? – dust to dust with YOU… Can we remember to look for You in our mesmerization?
Do we need to understand the world to love it? or perhaps do we just need to know that You love it? Can we take care of Your beautiful Earth, Lord? Can you help us? Can we take a moment to care? to stare? to see? to listen? Will Your future children ever get to hear praises out of the voices of peepers? I don’t know – but I pray that they will…
Do we need to understand the people in the world to love them? Or perhaps do we just need to know that You love them and we should too? Will Your future children ever get to hear praises out of the voices of people? Will Your future children get to feel Your love? I know that answer – they WILL feel your LOVE – but of course I pray that they will know it is from You…
Can we truly ever know how much You love us?
Can I simply walk up this hill and know You are with me always? To the ends of the earth? I can Lord – I can!
Can we keep walking with you Lord? We can Lord – we can!
Can we understand that You most simply and most intricately want to show us that You love us! We can Lord – we can!
Can I hear praising peepers again?
Actually I still DO hear those PRAISING PEEPERS, Lord…. Your Spirit placed them in my head – and LORD, THEY ARE LOUD!
Retreat writing that had to wait until I had the peace-filled time to write… Blessed…
THE STARS!!! 27OCT
Off the grid, out of the way of intrusive light pollution, “Oh, the Stars” – I screamed thru my eyes… I screamed in my head… I screamed up… I reached down and grabbed for my phone… GONE… Nope… Facebook, texts and even faith writings had to wait…
No phone, no Subaru, no glue gun…
This camping retreat was seriously roughing it for me. No collection of stuff, no props… And at that moment not even people to whom I could speak to… at that exact star-gazing moment there was nothing…. but there was EVERYTHING… because I had time to pause and I had time of prayer and I had time for praise… I had only LOVE that I could share – and it was pulled straight UP! Thru the stars shined the LIGHT and the LOVE. Thru me the LOVE went right back out.
Oh, those stars!!!… Oh the praise!!!.. To Whom did I call out?
First I instantly and naturally wanted to send my praise to my friends, I just wanted to share this marvelous observation of brilliant stars, but I had no phone to text, hmmm…. So, to Whom could I really call out – in the very moment?
There was ONE and ONLY ONE to whom I should have called praise – so I did – I had to call out to our Lord…
Praise worthy for only ONE – God who made those very stars – God who immersed me in those stars – God who immersed me in His LOVE.
The Lord loves us in the moment, and we LOVE the moment because of Him.
“Allpraise and honor are Yours”
Lord, You are so precious, and You make me want to scream Your praise. You are the ONLY ONE I should and could praise. No one else makes it clearer than You Yourself that it is You who holds us in Your hands. You hold us and keep us inside Your time plan. I know it’s just all from You opening my eyes to see You Lord renewed in my sight. Your stars, Lord, they fill the sky shinier than diamonds. Your colors, Lord, shine on earth so brightly to call out Your splendor. Your people, Lord, Your people shine Your LOVE… Thank You Lord for all these.
Thank You, Lord, for waking me to see…
To see You in all these things….
Thank You for making me sing out Your praise back to YOU.
Lord, help me to also live Your LOVE thru me and back to YOU.
YOU are THE STARS that fills my eyes, YOU are THE SPIRIT that fills my soul.
YOU Lord are LOVE.
Isaiah 42:5-10
This is what God the Lord says – the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth…
I love watching “Survivor” on TV – it’s my “rest my brain” time of sort of nonsense TV but good stuff – and couch sitting usually but not always – so it is actually my “just use a whole other sector of my brain” moment for TV watching but especially in strategizing…
Honestly, I don’t have to strategize much in life – I do at work – sort of – well – sometimes yes – and sometimes no – but actually we are strategizing all the time in life… I think leaving it to tv shows which are edited anyway for content, is NOT better and it is really best to just piece life out in life but without fear of getting voted out. Work hard and work the work. It is not like scrambling in Survivor – it is not “running the numbers” of how many votes I have, I just live life to live and go to work and work – work with the people, and see where the work works out… and yes there is lots of God’s work at work too, just as in the rest of life… Listen to serve and listen to know. God really does help out everywhere in life. If he created the planet the stars the animals and the plants and us – then surely He knows the right next step – surely making many steps is OK, because He is in charge.
There is one other really blessed advice I can give myself- I SURVIVED – SAVED – I didn’t survive a game or a work scenario – I didn’t survive a merger or a mayhem – I didn’t survive a storm or a situation – I SURVIVED LIFE. I didn’t survive due to my actions other than believing – I survived because Jesus rescued. With man it is impossible, with God, EVERYTHING is possible.
We will have SURVIVED LIFE because Jesus got us and took us and NEVER NEVER will we be snatched out of His Hand… Never means Never – Saved means Saved – Hope means Hope – and Home means Home.
None of this is deserved or achieved – this is GRACE applied and Jesus applying – this is Love.
This is LOVE.
Love is allowing us to be putting the THRIVE into survive: more of Him, less of me, and devotion to God in three. Lord lead me to Thee.
Amen
Jesus said: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one. John 10:27-30
The Living Stone and a Chosen People -As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1Peter 2:4-10
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election – His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Prophecy of Scripture – So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2nd Peter 1
I remember how faithful God is – I have WOWs of witness – I have hope – I have experienced the little and the big monumental steps of watching my children GROW!!!!!!!!!! I passed by a yellow sign in a neighborhood and took a photo- Watch Children – well – God has watched over my children and watched over me and I am THANKFUL!!!
Monday night, my son picked up his new car – WOW – an Intense blue one – WOW. And yesterday my daughter told me that she was signing her paperwork for a job offered to her – at the firm where she did a winter internship – and where she has been working each Friday during the semester when she had no classes – working remotely on her laptop doing the click click click of architect programs for a symphony hall restoration project for their water damage. The firm even delivered the laptop TO her – yeah – crazy WOW… Now, one month before she graduates she has her first “real” job. GOD IS GOOD – HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD.
My son has been working too – over a year now – full time and dedicated and dependable and on time each day… He will take on the car payments – and his part of the insurance… I only co-signed to give my credit score dependability to help lower the interest rate (which is outrageous these days but we may refinance later)… The salesman could not have been more excellent and real and focused on him as a grownup rather than a kid. The salesman and the finance guy stayed late that evening to help finish the sale of 3 cars – they both covered someone else’s shifts because those people had called out sick.- they showed dependability – we walked out of the place (drove out) at 930 pm, from a 7pm appointment, not bad for a car pickup.
My WOW – “what’s our witness” – is God’s Dependability – God’s blessing to show me that He is in control – God’s blessing to take care of me and my children when I hit some bumps in the road, He had the traction to keep me sane. Now of course it is interesting to say that both my kids are on my medical insurance until age 26 – because we are the insurance that they get into the world OK – we ARE the insurance that God trusted His children to us – we as parents are blessed to see these milestones – and even though sometimes we get the brush-off (I certainly do) – we also get the witness of them growing and maturing… I called to my son as he jumped in his new car: “I love you” = and instead of the grunt, I heard “I love you” back – first time in a couple years. It is not that I doubted the love and I don’t do things for my kids so that they love me or say it flippantly – it is that I do things for my kids because I know that Love exists deeply and God has blessed me to work hard to work for them – and all…. hearing the love in my ears was good but SEEING the joy in him was really the joy in my heart….
God has blessed me to know that He loves me too… as His child… I remember – I remember is a great song to belt out in the car – which I did just after that yellow “watch children” sign. It and “How Great is Our God” were the next songs on my youtube auto-play…. Yeah – True – how GREAT is our God!!!!
Here are the songs – and here as some of the photos…
I was sad this morning when I realized Christmas the crab had passed away. And it’s hard to process this, but I know the Lord gave me both the idea and the means to process this too, by writing. He surely gave me the crab to take care of – lost in the woods in October in an area far away from native. This was 7 years ago.
The clear idea for a devotion given to me by the Holy Spirit is probably the most important devotion I could write about Christmas the crab… See, Christmas the crab died without his shell, the shell was nowhere near him even if he had plenty of shells to choose from. He made his way to his water dish vulnerable. I don’t know what he could think, IF he could think, but there was never a time he was without his shell, never. It was as if (if he thought) that he laid it all bare, exposed, open, forthcoming, free, and went to the water… and that’s how WE should be with the Lord, reaching to His water. OPEN, FORTHCOMING, FREE.
Yes, not only does the Lord already know all, He wants us to lay it all down, leaving it all exposed, and let Him see us hungering for Him, seeking cover in Him only, seeking hope in Him only, and accepting our finality at the end of our days, hitting the finishing line with nothing left in us… We are blessed to set aside our hidden mess.
Another thing I noticed about Christmas the crab was that he was much bigger out of his shell than he was in it. He was agile in the shell and protected, just like we are in the Lord. The beauty of life is that God is watching us inside and out. The beauty of coming to Him unencumbered is that WE lose our baggage.
Perhaps also we can work on peace with the Lord by being willing to show our pieces into His puzzle, and let us be clicked in.
Goodbye, little Christmas the crab. I will plan to bury you in the same stretch of forest where I found you at camp. 7 years… endless joy from knowing God sent me his way on His Way…
Peace
(As for details, he did not seem well at all after his last moulting to a much smaller creature, darker in color, lethargic. And I have always known Christmas to be so very active… I thought this morning that I haven’t heard him in a little bit and checked on him. And I always was very neglectful but did change the water once a week. So I thank you so very much for over 7 years of sharing with me of interest and support and love and curiosity and marvel at the works of the Lord. )
Keep walking as if today is a new adventure, and then make it so.
I purposefully do not read through the bible quickly. It’s so much to absorb as well as savor. I AM excited that I am only down to a slice of pages – in Ezekiel now – hoping it is EZ Ezekiel. I am grateful to be reading and embedded inside knowledge that has seeped into the library of my brain – but really just grateful finding the joy already indexed in my soul. I jokingly said to a friend that God’s waiting for me to finish my scripture readings so He can start the rapture, LOL…
Now there’s debates and theories about the rapture and tribulation and how “it all goes down” (or up. LOL), and I do plan to read into more theories AFTER I read the rest of this Bible, because I know upcoming chapters in Daniel has discussions, in addition to what I already have read in the gospels from Jesus Himself. It’s like we should learn about theories, but as my friend said to me: as long as we believe in Jesus, and keep holding onto hope, let us cling to Him as Lord and Savior, then Jesus will get us through those times. Just be His.
Ezekiel would probably shake his head at our discussions and debates about heaven because he SAW it – in part – especially the best part of the Lord and the Glory. And then He was DISTRESSED – because he had to then go tell and try to convince all the people that were not listening to the Lord, to LISTEN and OBEY. A hard sell but a have to sell… Nothing was EZ for Ezekiel… Nothing.
God did strengthen Ezekiel, and chapter 3 tells of the hardest part – having to endure the roughness of life and the direction of work – the Strong Hand of the Lord was on Ezekiel – but this was a tough sell – and no one was buying… But God said: stand out there as a watchman and keep trying to sell it: “But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
I want to bring this back to our times of pre-rapture – no matter where you stand in the debates and theories – I want us to realize that we must be out there speaking and witnessing and educating. Reading and realizing and retelling. And we should not shy away from saying that the Lord’s Hand is on us now – and woe to those who run away – woe to those who turn away – woe to those who never want to know.
I don’t know about an EZ life – now or in the future – but I DO know that I want to know – I do know that I want to hear what the Lord is saying to me and all. And I do want to stick with God…
Keep reading my friends!
Amen
Ezekiel 3:9-27
The Lord said: I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.” And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.” Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.
Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
“Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.
This is not simply a diamond in the rough story, not so simple because diamonds have to be cut and polished anyway AND because not everyone is filled with flawless beauty, well NO ONE is, so don’t condemn yourself for not being so…
So, I have been thinking about this geode filled with quartz that was a gift from a new friend, a seasoned geologist, who gave it to me today. Yes, this geode rock is filled with shimmery quartz, and she hammered this piece open to reveal the treasure in the light of day. I had really never talked to her before this – it was just sort of the polite smiles in church when we saw each other. So, I found it interesting timing and a God-for-sure-intervention that last week, when after I gave my sermon (about witness and if we didn’t praise that the rocks would cry out – and told the story of my friend who prayed while wandering to find home as her guide dog was not in harness, and she ran into some familiar rocks which signaled to her the way to go) that this polite smiling person HAD to speak to me – that she EXCITEDLY told me that she was a geologist and she had been bringing rocks to our friend’s son each week at church – SO COOL… And then this week, again so cool, that she was all talkative and showed me lots of rocks she had tumbled to shiny-ness, and then gave me the geode. Sweet. This broke-open rock was and is beautiful – but what was MORE beautiful was the SHINE I felt and heard in her smile and friendliness and openness. BEAUTIFUL!
Isn’t that the blessing of finding new friends – of finding out new things about people, about finding common interests, and about just seeing the SHINE in their souls to be shared. I find this to be the case over and over again – and with so many. I avow that as my mom says: “There are nice people everywhere!” – TRUE!
One other nice person that brings me joy when I see him, is our local homeless institution of a fellow: Mike. I often was seeing him before the weather got cold and last fall promised him I would bring him a lawn chair – but never saw him all winter. So, as a friend told me she saw him, I kept an eye out and sure enough he was at a local place along our main road this afternoon. So, after I ate my lunch, I packed a little extra for him and headed out with the chair – and best yet, I sat in the chair to chat with him for about 15 minutes. Mike knows me by sight – calls me the ‘singing church lady’ – and always has a smile… Mike is unique and never seems to ask for anything – unless you ask and then he does share the certain things that would help him – like the chair. Not that there is any room in the shelters (there really isn’t as they are filled with kids and moms), but we know Mike is a loner. Social, but a loner, not into living under a house with house rules – he just wants to stay out of the rain if possible. So, of course because of his friendliness, people shower Mike with gifts. It is both our wanting to help and make it all good, but it is also fitting Mike into cultural norms that don’t always work for everyone… Well, I do appreciate Mike as a role model of joy in perserverence. As I was sitting there, among his couple grocery carts worth of stuff, a man named Al came by and brought Mike a big bag of deli food and drinks. Mike does share with others he sees in the homeless camps. He believes in the “pass it on” mentality. Me too.
And Mike’s smiles and openness are the TREASURE in interacting with him – good encouragement, good affirmation of ideas, plans, and excitement in life. He is also a man of faith and we have intriguing interesting conversations there too… I know that the lawn chair (which I picked up from a neighbor’s trash in decent working order) – and the other items Mike has – will likely not last and may be removed by a yet-again move of his living corner in this region. These possessions are functional and temporary – just like everything we have too.
So – treasure – Jesus said don’t store up worldly treasures – but put your hope on treasure in Heaven. Treasure is found in the Spirit of the person brought to the light of day – God-polished rather than world-bruised. Treasure is the Shine that you may not have seen before. Treasure is in the ample hope given to us that we should share. Treasure is the moment that is placed in front of you to live in. Treasure is the JOY in your heart – and that of the Lord breaking through you to shine His Glory to the world.
Treasure is the Light of Day – the Light of His Way. Let us share the Joy of life and love. And no matter what, keep smiling!
Amen
Jesus said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
What a wonderful piece of advice – a meme I copied – “You have never been in this exact moment so you don’t have to pretend like you know exactly what to do.”
TRUE
And often when I feel awkward or look silly or whatever – I wonder “Why Lord?” – “What Lord?” – and “How do I get out of this, Lord?”
That is what I felt like when I knocked something down at the dinner table – the FANCY dinner table – with new-to-me colleagues – and just that crazy inkling that I was supposed to be more FANCY than myself… Well….. NO…. and at least I didn’t knock over a drink or anything – maybe it was just my phone or something like silverware – see I don’t even remember – but no harm no foul except for 2 seconds of embarrassment.
You know what? God did NOT make us wonderful in His Image to stay embarrassed and worry about 2 seconds of embarrassment compared to a LIFETIME of just being ourselves… BE AUTHENTIC in everything you do…
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
YES – If we can’t be ourselves (of course trying to be our best selves) then who should we be? Let us just be ourselves! It is our flaws that leads us to follows of Him, which God uses – AND it is our leaning on Him that God appreciates.
One thing that always interested me was that I was born to not be this person or that person – but born to be me!!! God is in charge of personalities – but we are in charge of SHINE best we can (and closing our mouth when we best)…
Well, I am not always that person of shying away from talking – hardly never – but I have learned to lean in – to listen out – to pray purposefully. I thank the Lord for any new experience – and especially for ones that He leads me to…
Amen
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:14-18
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10
There’s no comparison between my NYC trip yesterday and what Ezekiel saw as MAJOR glimpse of hope, and a MAJOR revelation of heavens opened when he was in exile in Babylon, BUT there IS something to be said for LIVING in the MOMENT (good or bad)… and trust me, yesterday was GOOD!!!! And something to be said for being embraced by a group of people who don’t have to embrace you but do so – so wholeheartedly… These work-sabbatical people that I am with for 4 weeks surely know how to roll out the red carpet, the passenger vans, the NYC taxis, and the food… WOW – what a blessing to feel like a team that tries hard to team together!
Thursday’s NYC and the whole trip was the BEST EVER team building I think I’ve ever been on… A 7AM start from work, on a private van bus to the Big Apple! And an amazing scavenger hunt along the way! We were headed to a scientific conference (yes really this was work with team building attached) with many, many vendors and fun ‘swag’ to pick up at the booths. These conferences are fun to dream about new equipment and new procedures, sure, but you don’t know how exciting M&Ms in a tiny metal can look, and pens and pens for ‘swag’ crazy… The vendor interactions were fun too, the last day of their event and the vendors were open to our giddiness, helping satisfy scavenger items like ‘juggling’ or pretending to wear a bowtie held up. There was even a booth from my own company – so my own people seeing that I am energetic nuts! I gave them a business card to hope they realized I was really an employee. They gave away a stuffed firefly advertising a luciferase experiment! Now that is the LIGHT-hearted fun…
Unbelievable delicious brunch and dinner at two different New York institutions (and brought the leftovers home). And singing seventies and eighties music so fun (New York New York – Staying alive – to Last Dance) all the way home… I LOVE my sabbatical so much, I love learning but I can’t even express how much I LOVE these people for the fun and how much they have embraced me as a visitor for these 4 weeks! This was just week one! And yes, it is really unreal how we are similar era folks, knowing the song era, but especially the science too. And we know that we are blessed!
The embrace of hope for yourself is immense when you are navigating this world, from work, life balancing, etc. Finding Heaven on earth is awesome beyond measure. The people, food, sights, especially comradery… Then can you (or really immeasurable to even imagine A GLIMPSE of REAL HEAVEN?!!! Well, Ezekiel in the Old Testament book after Jeremiah and Lamentations, tells us unbelievable sights!
There was a scavenger hunt item (and you had to take photographs for proof) for “someone broken down” – so we saw a truck crushed and burned but people ok. We saw the burnout – we spoke to the man who said his truck was burned – but he and his dogs were OK – We loved on those little dogs including Hershey – and then we got back on the bus van – we were not broken down and we kept moving… Situation different but a little fraction of the same in Ezekiel’s time, Ezekiel WAS broken down. Peoples (not listening to God) caused peoples from Jerusalem and those folks from the remnants of the Israelite tribes swept away to Babylon, Ezekiel was taken in the first wave. Ezekiel was bummed out, burnt out in sorrow, but OH, he SAW the LIGHT!!! Ezekiel saw VISIONS of GOD! He knew that exact moment, had been counting the days surely, he saw a windstorm and fire and creatures IN the fire, winged, four-faced creatures, a sight! Under the creatures with legs that glistened like gold were wheels that moved with them – with their spirit, over the creatures was a sparkling crystal vault and a THRONE! WOW! Now – on my trip to NYC I did see the Crystal Ball in Time Square – in a quick turn and take a snapshot while hoofing it to the east side – and I saw beautiful Waterford Crystal in the Irish Restaurant – but Ezekiel saw CRYSTAL VAULT coming from Heaven – with a throne and wow!!!!
When the creatures moved, Ezekiel heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. AND he heard THE ALMIGHTY! Oh my – can’t even imagine the situation and yet the few chapters of Ezekiel are SO DESCRIPTIVE – see below.
Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, fell facedown, heard the voice: “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” The Spirit came into Ezekiel and rose him to his feet. WOW! Ezekiel was tasked (as a son of man) to go tell rebellious people (also broken down) to repent and listen to God. Well, imagine the bitterness that Ezekiel had to face – especially after this glimpse of God and yet God gave this Ezekiel the wherewithal and fortitude to carry out his work. The scroll of instructions even tasted of honey and filled him – filling him with the spirit.
There are many times we DO have a glimpse of heaven on earth – that working together – that comradery – that fun – AND THEN there is the JOY of working for the Lord – sharing LOVE and HOPE – being filled with the Spirit and moving fast (although not as fast as those creatures with wings and wheels)…
I don’t know what each day brings – but we do have the opportunity to find the good in it – even on bad days – and let us remember the GOOD days – and really really good ones… And let us remember that Heaven will be EVEN BETTER…
WOW – no scavenger hunt clue will find me into Heaven – because we ARE the scattered and God is scavenging US – just like He was scavenging the peoples of His flock – for years… I will read more later about Ezekiel’s work – but for now, let us keep keepin’ on… Let us roll with a fraction of the Holy Spirit Wheels – and at least STAND UP like Ezekiel.. It may NOT be ‘Heaven on earth’ always but let us keep going anyway – let us get moving – and let us say WOW!!!!
Amen and PLEASE READ BELOW = and there is also the first few minutes of this video which details the bible story for Ezekiel… worth the watch…
Keep rolling my friends! Head the Call – Until the “Last Dance”…
Amen again… here is the video of Ezekiel:
Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision
In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the Lord was on him.
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.
He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”
And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”
“Meet the new boss – same as the old boss…” That is such a catchy lyric from the band the Who.
Do you ever have your head spin from too many things and people drawing your attention? Thus last week for me was such a week of processing and yet keeping going, because God didn’t give me much any time to process it! He tweaked the system because He MADE the system and He puts us on track to keep rolling… and rolling right along I did… WHEW!
One of the thoughts I had – in the sea of processing that I could only wade into – was that no matter who is your boss on earth, God IS our Boss – whether we accept that or not. Meet the new boss – same as the old boss! – YES – because God never changes… FOREVER BOSS
So keep walking and dreaming. Keep rolling down the road as He tips it less inclined to roughness but inclined to looking at Him… Keep your eyes on things above!
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:10
One of the sad things that I feel people experience is that they are exiled from their knowledge of a loving God. They know a painful rejection and they know a cold distance because something or some evil blockage prevents them from remembering that God DOES love them beyond a measure. GOD IS LOVE. Punishment for a prescribed 70 years, yet preservation forever, by God’s hands, may come for exiled Babylon-residing Israelites for a couple generations, as a poem in lamentations reveals sadness yet reaching out, BUT EMOTIONAL DISTANCE comes now way too often for way too many people in our day and age who should experience and KNOW the LOVE of GOD – but either reject or revel in their distance. (We should not revel in distance, He is here.) Or they simply don’t know how to find God in the confusion of the world-cluttered views. We pray an opening of hearts, repentance, and acknowledgement – then praise – receiving recognition that we can see Him Holding us close.
If we tear up to know the Lamentations of loss, may we weep in JOY as we remember this RESCUE from the Rejection. May we measure the Love of our Lord immensely immeasurably. You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
Well, He DOES love us beyond measure and He’s not angry with us beyond measure, because He Rose a Forgiveness branch of Mercy, a Vine Divine in JESUS. His anger only a moment and mercy forever…
Psalm 30 sings it out – by David years before this time – “Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”
So may we always remember this loving and merciful.God and get through the things we’ve got to get through but don’t turn away and don’t let people or circumstances prevent us from seeing the mercy after the mud, the rainbow after the storm, the homecoming after exile.
May we tell others too that God is love.
We are reminded by these poems of lamentations that people longed for the Lord, and we finally got to see Him come. JESUS LOVE – vine the divine…
Amen
—
1 John 4:1-19
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God’s Love and Ours
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
—
Lamentations 5 NIV
Remember, Lord, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace. Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We have become fatherless, our mothers are widows. We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price. Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest. We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. Our ancestors sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment. Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to free us from their hands. We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the desert. Our skin is hot as an oven feverish from hunger. Women have been violated in Zion, and virgins in the towns of Judah. Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect. Young men toil at the millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood. The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.
Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
One of the memories I have from middle school, 9th grade, was a friendly competition and serious spar between Mrs. S. in science and Mrs. H. in math. They talked about each other being tough – or warned us about each other – and surely were friends but never hesitated to make use of a good rivalry.
In classic stories in scripture – we saw Jacob and Esau sparing with each other – a rivalry since before birth – a real legacy to hold onto with property rights and family heritage. These were life-determining struggles, not just fighting for fun like many of our known friendly sparring partners like Mrs. S. and Mrs. H. These were rivalries set up for life – with a good reconciliation in the middle mediated by God when they met many years later… The switcheroo of family lines and fates had already been put into place however with a trickery by Jacob, and a scheming by mother Rachael too, deceiving father Isaac (remember he was the one son that Abraham was tested to potentially sacrifice, and saved by God)… it made a difference immediately with an inheritance for Jacob over Esau – but forever God was planning to split two whole nations by their brotherly strife anyway. One quote from a genealogy of Abraham’s states “Esau took wives from neighboring nations who followed idolatry and pagan gods and was the father of the Edomites, a neighboring nation of Israel.” – Aha – that is a term I heard before – as Esau gave lineage to the Edomites. Neighboring to Israel, there were wars to be had years down the road.
Wikipedia states it this way for Abraham – that he was blessed so that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen 26:4). God would make of Ishmael a great nation because he was of the seed of Abraham. However, God told Hagar that her son would be living in conflict with his relatives” Ishmael was half brother to Issac and whereas conflicting nations would come from Issac, a whole nation of Islam would spring from the descendants of Ishmael. Wikipedia again states: “According to the Genesis account, he died at the age of 137 (Genesis 25:17). According to biblical tradition, he is the ancestor of the Arabs.Within Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and the ancestor of the Ishmaelites (Hagarenes or Adnanites) and patriarch of Qaydār (of northern Arabian lands).
My point for this devotion is that sparring tribes and peoples of today were already set in place – already sparing or living in static strife. These bubbled over then like today into wars. The Edomites (from Esau) are mentioned in the 4th poem of Lamentations – the Israelites were bucketted with warring tribes forever – even now… Israelites then were being carried to Babylon for some time – pre-described by God to Jeremiah – and the people had to mourn their fate but were told to praise their future – for their future generations… Us too – we must stay strong for us and for our children and for our hope. They were to TRUST… Sparing rivalries will be here for our earthly time – no getting around it – set up in pre-prescribed ways. We best in all of this not lose our trust in God. Keep knowing (like those exiled to Babylon) that we will get out of this mess of today’s wars, someday…
Here is Lamentations 4 – much strife – but much HOPE. Edomites are mentioned at the end – for their strife with Israel (descendants of Jacob).
How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps.
The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.
Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli.
But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.
With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.
The Lord has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.
“Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them. “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!” When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, “They can stay here no longer.”
The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
People stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come.
Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert.
The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.
Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked.
Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom, and expose your wickedness.
For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. Lamentations 3:31-33
Oh yes, I love this passage, I am to live for hope rather than say “I told you so” to wayward folks. or maybe I am to find hope in the loss that I have by my sin and distance from God. Yes, I would rather God be a God of compassion, not a draconian dark mean convicting God. And in my recommitment to reading, the Lamentations poem in chapter 3 is a glimmer and glimpse of compassion, of mercy, of justice by jurisdiction because God ultimately God floods darkness with light. God breaks down a broken system to rebuild it and restore hope.
Lamentations also find me wondering if Jesus, the acceptor of our sins and maker of our salvation, writes what He experiences for us – the gaul and bitterness – the distance… I know that these Lamentation poems refer to life in captivity in the exile to Babylon – but they speak of hope of the exile our sins cause us from God – and that God does not want us to linger in exile. God gives us the hope to remove our sadness and fill it with gladness: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
When we look at this poem of the destruction and then the rebuilding – we are reminded of hope – we are reminded to keep seeking His Face – know His Love – and Accept His forgiveness thru Jesus. “You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.’ “ – and the Way to not fear is to accept His Hope over our failings. We must praise MORE than our laments were sorrowful, because we DO know this forgiveness in Jesus.
Amen
—
Lamentations 3:1-58
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the Lord’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. . He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. . He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. . Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. . He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink. . He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” . I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: . Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” . The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. . Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. . For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, to deny people their rights before the Most High, to deprive them of justice— would not the Lord see such things? . Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should the living complain when punished for their sins?
.
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. . “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. . “All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction.” Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. . My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees. What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city. . Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird. They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to perish. . I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” . You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life….
So Very blessed to share my sermon today which was well received – and a miracle happened – both Liane and I showed up to church EARLY – probably because I was preaching about Liane and she had to make sure I did OK!
BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John 20:19-31 NIV
Jesus Appears to His Disciples – On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas – Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel – Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Sermon 14APR – “WOW – What’s Our Witness?”
I had all the parts of this sermon swirling in my head and also sorta on paper for there were stories I knew would go great with the scriptures – and then also when writing last night I was thinking “well, news is posting about drones coming from Iran to Israel – and how much little impact that was having on me at the moment where I was – and yet has great impact in many lives – in lives we will never meet – and yet how usual for these days but unusual in times past would one have “pre-knowledge” of not just what kind of weapons folks had – but of when they were launched – and would have thought there would be the ability to intercept the missiles and shoot them down (hopefully) – and they DID shoot then down last night – they have like a GPS tracking and GPS zoning in – and so, after that one attack was done, I flipped back to my “regularly scheduled programs” which was the other browser tab on the laptop and I restarted watching the TV shows I was watching… I thought how funny that I got to sit there and both know it and ignore it at the same time and “check back later”… even go to bed… even do frivolous things plus important things too, like pull together this sermon… Really isn’t it funny the known that we “get” to ignore wars because they are not close by… Well, forgive me for not delving into world issues that I can’t solve – at least not solve in an hour – and allow me to step aside from the tragedies of the day to look at and expound upon these most important scriptures from John about “Journeying with Jesus” for the next few minutes because in this, I pray that we realize that we are really really really blessed in His guidance and His blessings seen – and especially blessings unseen… We are created to praise God – even in unknown times.
I have called this sermon “What’s Our Witness” “WOW” – because we should be filled with the WOWs of our experiences and understandings on this “Journey with Jesus” and then even more wow-ed by faith in things that we will never be able to understand in this lifetime and here – hoping to understand more when we are face to face with God. And yet – I know that we are experiencing God ALL THE TIME without seeing Him… aren’t we?… We are experiencing Him thru the Holy Spirit Who helps us understand. We do and should witness AMAZING things – big and small –
Unseen – sometimes the unknown scares us – we should rely on God to help understand Him better – understand He lives for the LOVE that He is and wants to give… Certainly the ancients, people of Moses’s time would have thought seeing the face of God would make them die… Well, some ancients DID see God in various forms – the burning bush for Moses – he believed didn’t he? The cloud filling the temple Solomon built – they knew that was God. And Jacob wrestled with God – ouch my hip hurts too – I wrestle with God too much.
I was returning to the book of Lamentations in the old testament – about the exile that people were forced into by the hands of the Babylonians – and here people were forced to look to God to plea: “I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life….”
So – we also can call in this manner and we DO know this redemption – for eternal life – because we have learned and experienced this great day of Easter – of Jesus rising to save us -and from the scriptures we have just heard, we are to remember our redemption and believe – even without seeing…
Collectively we can remember God’s faithfulness – especially because Jesus came – and like the poet in Lamentations, we too can reflect that we too are saved:
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lam 3:19-26
How AMAZING now for Jesus Himself to come to earth to be seen and for those that Easter day like on the Walk to Emmaus disciples to see the scriptures come to fruition? They did not know it was Jesus – all the while the walked and talked – all the while the scriptures were opened up to them – they did not know even though they saw HIM – and walked with Him for 3 years – they ONLY knew Jesus when He broke the bread – to remember HIM…
Amazing for the ancients before and for us now to believe – there were lots of people who believed in God without seeing Him… There is a GREAT set of scriptures that my friend Patti brought to my attention when I was dilly dallying and looking at facebook and not writing my sermon – yeah – then I called her about her garage door and discussed the lawnmower and my procrastination too for mowing my grass – well I digress – and so I explained my sermon bits and pieces floating in my head and she gave me these great scriptures –
—- Hebrews 11:1-2, 7Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for… 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. – So Noah really had to trust God, didn’t he? before he saw any raindrops… The Lord rescued Him—- Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Meaning that God made everything not from a drawing or a model in existence – it was made from nothing seen – something which is not nothing and yet nothing to our mind – we can’t wrap our heads around this something or nothing… We are so human and therefore we must have this faith – faith for faiths sake – for our sake and for God’s… Just like our money says: In God we Trust – we trust and know how God is amazing… So even God Himself knew what He could make and why He was going to make it… We must praise a God who can handle it all and love it all and want to share it all with us – and even saw and knew and loved us before we were even “knit in our mother’s wombs”. God was Love before the beginning of time… Faith-living, for faith with faith is to know that God is looking out for us and wanting us to Praise Him in return….
I want to share an amazing story of faith – of struggling to keep all the faith and the benefits praying and calming down and trusting in God… We do have to keep the praise going – having it remind us that we need to count our blessings and calm down – and put God first – and we need to understand that God is in control… this is a great story of seeing what is unseen – that God is for us… My friend Liane wrote me – this was almost 10 years ago now – Liane has been relying EVEN more on God since an accident took her sight in her early teens. She is so amazing – my sister in Christ – so capable – filled with PRAISE. This is her email, she is addicted to her phone and a computer whiz and facebook fanatic like me:
“Hi Debbie, When Pastor John (we called him PJ) asked in church today if anyone had a praise offering, it was silent. Then a few people spoke up. I was thinking about saying I was thankful for being at church since I haven’t been there in a while and also wanted to thank God for rocks and trees and of course, I thought to myself, people are probably going to think I’m crazy.
“So PJ’s message was about how we do not praise God enough and for the simple things. He went on to say how God created nature and the things in it to sing his praises – like the rocks and trees – we who were created in his image don’t realize how important it is to give thanks and praise.
“So this is why I wanted to say praise for rocks and trees, you’ll understand how it all connected for me. Friday morning after putting my son on the bus, I stupidly decided to go across the street to a very familiar corner to walk my dog without his harness on. I wasn’t feeling that great but I go there often and besides that, I had my trusty I-phone. So Basil (that’s her previous guide dog) and I walk across the street and then I realize we are not where I wanted to go. I felt around with my foot and was trying to get oriented by listening to the traffic but the more frustrated I got, the more disoriented I became., Lightbulb moment, use your I-phone to call someone or use GPS. Well, my phone was not working because before the boys went to school they told me to update my phone but they neglected to tell me I need to go through setting up my phone after that. I was getting upset with myself since I haven’t grasped this technology and [yet] have become so dependent on it. So, I stopped and prayed asking God to send me someone or something to get me back home. I was already lost for about a half an hour and was panicking because I left my house open and Mom was going to be coming over but she always calls first to see where I’m at and of course, she wouldn’t be able to get hold of me. So I waited a little longer for a sign but no one or nothing clued me in so I calmed myself down, prayed again and decided to walk towards the sound of traffic in hopes I would figure out which intersection I was at.
“I told Basil to go home and he started pulling the leash a little but then stopped and he seemed confused as well then I felt the sun. I started thinking about where I am when I can feel the sun when I go for my regular walks. I decided to turn around and walk the opposite direction and I started getting closer to traffic. Then, a tree branch brushes across the top of my head – [ah] – this branch feels like the one I always bump my head on while passing my neighbor’s house who lives across the street from me. So I keep walking and find a driveway and decide to cross the street and if I’m correct, it will take me to my driveway. Well, it didn’t. So, I step up on the curb and decide to still head toward the traffic but use my foot to trail the grass line hoping for a clue. I didn’t have to walk too far before my foot bumps into a pile of rocks which I immediately recognize as the river rocks my husband placed around the sump pump pipe sticking out of our yard. I say out loud, “Thank You God!!!!” and I immediately get this message from God, God is my rock. He is there no matter what I’m going through and as long as I believe and have faith and hope, he will take care of me. I found my way back to my house and went inside and cried tears of joy. God is awesome!
“So when PJ said about the rocks singing praises and then he mentioned the trees, it just confirmed my belief. I know you will understand what I mean.”
AMEN and for sure, Liane, I understand – yes, I understood what she meant – and what a beautiful testimony of trusting God… gave me tears of joy because I in those days had also just started to understand this amazing world of God we were in. … The rocks will cry out if you don’t praise God, and sometimes the trees will knock you in the head until YOU praise!
This was a WOW – and in my response to Liane – I thought these rocks were an emergency GPS – “God Positioning Stones”. I have those GPS letters from our VBS days – and I want us now to have WOW cards – to think about and write some items of WOW – of our witness – presence – believing – and GPS – where God positionings/blessing or God-winks some would call them, occurred – for us to remember when we have been blessed.
SO – these WOW cards are actually stickers, and perhaps you can take a moment to write down a real witness you have – we are not collecting them – they are for you – and perhaps we can share some or our experiences later – so with this in mind – let us return to our scriptures of WOW today – that keep us thinking…
And so – WOW – A Risen Jesus walks into the disciples’ room and says: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” WOW and now we learn the HOW – How did Jesus give his disciples (and us) this ability to praise and witness? With what did fill these disciples (and us) with ? “He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” WOW!
Here is more of that verse: If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”WOW !!!! the peace and ability and greatest gift of love and mercy is forgiveness! WOW !!!!
I love how my friend Liane felt for the sun to orient herself that day she was lost – and she still does that – but in that situation – she found the best reliance was on God, and Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit to help.
Did you enjoy the eclipse? I know that Liane enjoyed the eclipse and I did too – even if I didn’t see the sun (or feel it) – I was in western NY near where I went to college up on a golf course (and bar and grill) – with lots of university people – 180 plus – and it was cloudy but that was OK because I was still on vacation and still blessed -and so out of the blue – there was someone who eclipsed my eclipse – I got to see my p-chem professor and his wife from like 30 years ago… WOW! – I could care less that it was cloudy now that I was positioned to talk to them for well over an hour – and it was cool – an astronomy professor answered questions and then a little boy – asked simply: ‘what IS an eclipse?’ – and the professor says: you have a sibling? Well his sister was of course there – and the professor said – you ever watch one of your favorite tv shows and then your sister stands right in front of the TV? – well THAT’S an eclipse – so funny – yes …
And I will share how my friend Liane enjoyed the eclipse – she sent me a text: she listened to a zoom call of blind people from Texas and sequentially all up the path of the eclipse where the people were listening and then describing these light measuring devices – making decreased noise when the moon moved in partially and then totally and then moved back out increasing the noises measuring the light.. so cool – and Liane said it was like experiencing the travel around the world of New Years celebrations one after another – and it was such an excitement for these folks to collectively enjoy that phenomenon – as a community – over zoom but collective in appreciation… so cool… I have told dozens of people this week that Liane and her description – that she appreciated and enjoyed the eclipse more than most sighted people I know – she experienced the excitement and the community without seeing the light but by KNOWING the LIGHT – that is the love of God – we walk by faith not sight…
Jesus Appears to Thomas – Now Thomas, ‘doubting Thomas’ said to the others: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later Thomas was with them and Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Are we not the blessed ones to believe without seeing – and yet have our WOW moments – our witness of His Love? This is my segue transition to avow what is something like an eclipse but much more severe than the moon getting in front of the sun (or the sister in front of the tv) – Sin is between us and God and ends up with us living in the darkness and the cold – like the eclipse day I had – and it is more frighteningly easy to get lost. All that stuff that gets in the way between us and God – yes this is an eclipse from being close to Him – an eclipse of us experiencing and feeling God less – God is still there [like the sun is still there but behind clouds etc] and yet the LOVE does not dim but we feel it less because we are clouded and eclipsed by sin. and how is that removed? By forgiveness… and Jesus comes to forgive – forgiveness is more easily given (and commanded to be given) by Jesus and felt by the presence of the Holy Spirit Who gives you that ‘Jesus Peace’ so that we can and may forgive others… If you have not yet accepted the forgiveness that Jesus has been giving out then please consider coming out of the cold – please consider coming into the warm loving light – you yourself have not been sharing in a gift given by Jesus to be in the full capacity of total love that we could be in. Likewise, if we hold grudges and we don’t forgive then we are in risk of being stuck in an eclipse between that gift and us… I have heard it said that Peace is already given and if we don’t feel peaceful, it is because we have given away that ability to feel the peace – we need to hold onto it – feel it – and give it –
WOW – what is our witness? Like did we forget all the times that God saved us and we forgot to praise Him and also bad that we get ourselves so worried at another time and forget we can call upon His Name to help us?
Lastly we listened to the end scriptures of “The Purpose of John’s Gospel” :
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Jesus was and is not a side show – an attraction of God’s power to impress… sure they as disciples had seen impressive miracles in person – but John wrote this down for us to believe… Likely those gathered at his feet, would have been among the first earliest Christians who would have not seen Jesus alive directly – at least one and two generations after Jesus … Jesus provided continuity in people who witnessed and shared – with John, the only disciple to live until old age – He provided an overlap in generations – and knowledge to the real stories of I was there… God knows what time after time after time, really did witness those who were listening to the stories and to us. But it is not JUST the listening to a trusted soul – like a nice salesman at the car dealer – there is more to it – Yes there is – we the people listening must open their faith by letting God open our hearts… Yes, God’s intention in sharing THESE miracles is so that we believe who have not seen them first hand – INN GOD WE TRUST – and God would know not too little or too much info – and God knows that the witness in the person would develop to see God in their own miracles and WOWs -and be able to explain how each section touched their hearts…
If you wrote on your WOW cards, What’s Our Witness – or just have a short thought from this past week that would be good to share – please let us share – these WOW statements or experiences – and if you did just write it or just thought it out – maybe now you can use this as a book mark or put it in your car or on your fridge – then remember that we DO have our own WOWs – our moments that we praise – and we DO remind ourselves of how faithful He is, so that in the future when we doubt we can look back at these.
You are free to share with us or keep it a secret – there are such good secrets to keep between us and God – but before a tree hits you in the head or rocks cry out – well – you best call it out in PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE!
And we can be God’s WOW – a Walk of Wonder – and Witness of Whew … Maybe you have understanding and witness – Like seeing spring rebirth – or an old friend or mentor – or held a baby like I did recently, experiencing the trust of the mom to let me hold her – maybe you have a WOW of Jesus forgiveness when you were distant – maybe you have a WOW of simply being alive today.
I will pause and wait a moment…
WOW – let us end with a WOW – What’s Our Witness – knowing types of witness are physical and spiritual – how we see things working in our lives, like Jesus showing up in the flesh; physical like Thomas needing to actually touch and see. Maybe we are not wanting to believe either – but I must urge you to try. Look for your WOWs:
Spiritual like the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of forgiveness to share. Spiritual in us understanding salvation.
Wisdom-filled – experience-derived – understanding the stories like John is giving
And Trust: All the miracles and happenings of Jesus would be more than too many books could contain – given what we need to know was on a “needs to know” basis ONLY.
The rapid eclipse darkness was cool (yes it was rainy then overcast in my eclipse viewing site, oh well) but the company was even COOLER! Wow! With nearly 200 people at an event at the golf course country club bar and grill it was going to be fun in all ways…. and yummy food…
Totality zone. Totality in Treasured Time.
BEST EVER was for getting to spend an hour with an emeritus professor and his wife, awesome! Dr. P. taught me how to keep a real science notebook in chemistry class over 30 yrs ago, wow!!! I spent much time at his house revisiting over the years too. He came to my wedding… always gave me great advice… I’m SO thankful for my college days and especially for the wonderful mentors that the Lord has put in my life. And yeah awesome that my frosh roommate and friends were there to witness the eclipse too, and so cool to hear an astronomy professor’s lecture too!!! And, yeah, oh the moon sun eclipse cookies were tasty! Yum with the Sun!
(Of course it was later sunny, LOL, for a nice sunset, oh well…)
My spiritual science geek experience with the actual eclipse was that the darkness grew strangely fast, then as darkness held for a minute moment, it showed the sky to have a glow around the edges, then we saw the darkness flee, the LIGHT GREW EVEN FASTER than the dark had gotten dark… The LIGHT overcomes the dark always!
My question to the astronomy professor was about light from the earth bouncing to the moon, and he said that’s called EARTHSHINE ! THAT’S SO COOL to observe and to know this term! We all reflect this phenomena and we should be shedding light on the world here as an EARTHSHINE for God’s Love beaming through us!
As a day FILLED with things going on, a day full of activity, not just FILLED with clouds, the darkness was interesting but the LIGHT WAS more awesome. So, my observation and faith is that darkness will creep away from our lives. Let us look to God to shine in the darkness – and then let us be His EARTHSHINE LIGHT of Love to others every day!
BLESSED in Knowing: The LIGHT SHINES in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
AMEN
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. Proverbs 3:13-20
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Genesis 1:1-5
To be honest, just the thought of vacation is a treasure… but taking even one day off (I’m taking two) in my college town area is AWESOME, like I’m putting myself into “parade rest” from my normal routine. Yesterday, after my many hour, very enjoyable, drive in brilliant sunshine 60 degrees (hey it’s not snowing), I sat on the porch of my friend’s family farmhouse and got covered in dog hair and cat hair… ah… rest… blessed rest…
The rest is stillness but not, it’s like watching the world turn but the things in it turn at a different pace. They move and so do you, but you can actually watch them instead of being full force doing your own thing with blinders on.
Arriving up to my friend’s farmhouse, in the backwoods of the hilltop, the dirt roads, the cows and barns were welcome sights. I’ve been here maybe 5 years ago (?). The maple syrup-ing sap lines were really cool. But the windmills were a SURPRISE – good thing this is desolate driving areas, they startled me! I stopped many times for pictures. Cool… but it does change the horizon image and nothing you can do about it, you don’t ‘own your view’…
Still, not still, windmills are novelty cool in my opinion, (a difficult future waste problem, but I digress), the obvious view I had was that they must have motors keeping them running at a certain speed, ready to move more when the wind ramps up. They don’t seem efficient effective power generators, but I’m uninformed for sure. They sure do keep moving!
That’s us too, we keep moving even at ‘parade rest’. We watch the world, we think, we dream, we appreciate everything or nothing, but it still moves. We don’t own our view but we do own our viewpoints. There is a fly just now buzzy in the sunrise window, doesn’t bother me, because there IS a sunrise. There IS a sun. There IS a me alive (and on vacation!). And there IS a God keeping all in motion. His Power Self-generated for sure, to hold us all and all in all, in His Love. That’s my view today.
So pause and pray sunny skies, praise moving life, spring springing, and dog hair too. Praise God for the understanding that what we see is beautiful, temporary compared to forever, but beautiful in the pause to praise. Treasure today, no matter what…
Keep moving, but REST (and reset) in the Lord! Then move again. Forever He blesses us. Keep Moving into His Rest.
Amen
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
SO many times I am reminded of my life as Jairus’s Daughter – called back to life from my sleeping faith. I am really so awe-struck that Jesus came to me. This is not a boast but a nudge to say that Jesus comes to us all – we must simply open our eyes and reach for His Hand outstretched to ours.
I was 45 when Jesus finally was clear in my sight – and wow – the Lord has blessed me with awaken-ness that I pray never ceases. I pray to listen for Jesus’s voice as Shephard – may we all yearn to hear!
Awaken, Hear, Yearn, Know
Amen
John 10:1-18 The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Mark 5: 38-43
They arrived at Jairus’ house, where Jesus saw the confusion and heard all the loud crying and wailing. He went in and said to them, “Why all this confusion? Why are you crying? The child is not dead—she is only sleeping!” They started making fun of him, so he put them all out, took the child’s father and mother and his three disciples, and went into the room where the child was lying. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha, koum,” which means, “Little girl, I tell you to get up!” She got up at once and started walking around. (She was twelve years old.) When this happened, they were completely amazed. But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone, and he said, “Give her something to eat.”
Here is a blurb from a play that I portrayed Jairus’s daughter at an Easter Sunrise service the year I awakened:
Rocking it !!! ‘My Feet are on the ROCK!!!’ – It is not just a peppy praise song – it is the truth!
We have to remember to stand on solid ground – we have to remember if we stand in His Love – we will be OK. We will still have to remember to not be shaken – and keep our eyes above the waves – and let our feet move where He needs us – and the most important is that we keep looking at HIM – TRUST!!!
Amen
My Feet are on the Rock – lyrics – by I Am They
I can see the clouds roll in I can feel the winds, they try to shake me I will not be moved My feet are on the Rock
I can feel the waters rise I can hear the howling lies that haunt me Fear won’t hold me now My feet are on the Rock
When I feel my hope about to break I will cling to Your unchanging grace Let the waters come and the Earth give way I’ll be dancing in the rain My feet are on the Rock
I can see the morning light I can feel the joy on the horizon Here my faith is found I stand on solid ground
When I feel my hope about to break I will cling to Your unchanging grace Let the waters come and the Earth give way I’ll be dancing in the rain My feet are on the Rock
On Christ the solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand So stomp your feet and clap your hands Our feet are on the Rock On Christ the solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand So stomp your feet and clap your hands Our feet are on the Rock On Christ the solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand So stomp your feet and clap your hands Our feet are on the Rock
When I feel my hope about to break I will cling to Your unchanging grace Let the waters come and the Earth give way I’ll be dancing in the rain When I feel my hope about to break I will cling to Your unchanging grace Let the waters come and the Earth give way I’ll be dancing in the rain My feet are on the Rock
This tune is new to me but classic beautiful in it’s lyrics and music – the colors to explain the love of God in His Easter gift and in awakening our cold hearts…
What I do know – is that there is “just one God and just one Man – That can give us life, that can make us grow, That can make our sins as white as snow”… Yes, Jesus!
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Yesterday we had an earthquake and an aftershock. Everybody is fine which is great. My phone exploded. A friend texted from Florida, Facebook was crazy, but my favorite event was that my daughter CALLED ME seeing if I was okay. Yay, my daughter was worried about me and reached out. I loved that. God tilted the system just enough for the slide of rocks to worry us and stir up LOVE.
TILT.
Now, a full-blown tilt of a pinball machine is what I have experienced growing up. I rarely have done it, but it’s from shaking it too much and you have to unplug the machine and plug It back in. But in the old days you really had to wait for the manager of the pinball arcade to do that unplugging and plugging back in, AND for them to give you your quarter back. You then could restart. Another example, sometimes bowling alley situations had to get restarted, because the ball would get stuck or the pins just froze. I remember that button often worked, but sometimes the manager had to go back to the back. RESET THE TILT.
Now, personally, sometimes my dreams early in the morning will get stuck. Resetting fruitless dream threads bring God to wake me up to say ‘ick’… reset… TILT the system and restart. Go back to sleep or stay awake, either way it’s the Mastermind of God restarting your system, clearing your mind, and saying ‘whew’ that craziness can stop. TILT, because Love has no evil in mind. God instructs angels, I’m sure, to send a cat to wake you, sometimes lately with a cough or a hot flash I readjust and reset. I’m glad sleep is set for restoration. Naps too. REST THROUGH THE TILT.
One last interesting personal thing about the earthquake, I did not notice until I got home, but Mastermind the game box must have been jostled out of my cabinet, pushing the door open, or more open, slid onto the floor and spilled a couple pieces. That is my only explanation of why it was out. Yes, normal gravity would do that too… Precarious stacking gives way, like sliding plates… ah, where is this in the scripture? NOT this minor inconvenience but a warning of times to come? The whole interesting thing about our world is that the Lord Himself is holding it together and the ‘loosing’ of the forces holding it together is natural prophetic fulfillment… Things are going to get worse – things don’t slip by accident but by design. TILT is prophetic but done in love, and Jesus pretold to us to not let it worry us, but for us to keep working to the last minute that the BIG reset of the system goes on. MORE THAN JUST A TILT.
Did I feel the earthquake yesterday? Nope. I was driving both during the earthquake AND during the aftershock… What timing!!! So I was doing my normal thing and kept going… That’s what our Mastermind Lord wants us to do in life: keep going, keep working… We can keep asking our Manager Lord to reset the system and help us in restoration.
He has. He can. He Will.
God is our All in All. Mastermind yes, but always with LOVE in mind. Don’t let the world distract you – shaken or not shaken – keep working for the Lord.
Amen
Daniel 7 NIV – in a dream
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Collosians 1:9-23 a letter from Paul to the Collosians
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The Supremacy of the Son of God
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Matthew 24 – The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times NIV
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.
“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ – “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Revelation 4-5 NKJV – The Throne Room of Heaven
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
The Lamb Takes the Scroll And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
Worthy Is the Lamb Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
But I didn’t wait and wallow, instead I worked while I waited… Sure I wondered. Sure I wished. But I found it best that I walked because I knew: Love has no evil in mind.
It was then I knew, I noticed. I nodded that God had me waiting on purpose. I acknowledged and I knocked on doors. I never lost hope – not that I should have, this notion was not novel or nutty. And I knew: Love has no evil in mind.
Now, I didn’t assume my expectation would be answered positively. So nice that it was.
No, I didn’t always understand why I couldn’t dial up an instant answer. So nice it did finally come.
And I didn’t anticipate – well at least I tried not to. So nice that God delivered – I knew He would – because Love has no evil in mind.
I didn’t knock God – especially since He has never knocked me.
I waited. I worked. I wondered.
I wished. I walked. I witnessed.
Love has no evil in mind.
I finally went “Whew!” when my prayer got answered: “YES!” Great!!! and on top of all that, I felt God was answering in LOVE.
God is LOVE – that is why Love has no evil in mind.
Amen
—-
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(PS – these last few days I had been waiting and waiting for clearing all the hoops that I was jumping to have cleared = and they did = and I am BLESSED as it was no slam dunk – it was no done deal – it wasn’t hard to apply but the waiting was needed and noticed… I had to wait upon people and people’s acceptance but I was not idle in waiting on God because God always keeps us looking to the moment at hand – what am I supposed to do while waiting? work, wonder, witness, and praise… I am SO glad that I waited without the wallow… thanks God – thanks!)
Why would destruction seem so needed and so orderly, like taking this time to describe a spectator situation of destruction to come placed in this Lamentations poem as an acrostic poem, with verses beginning with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. I mean did this harsh scene need a pick-me-up of order? Or is it a warning of the order of God in clear fashion. Or is the poem simply using the alphabet so that it’s remembered step by step and letter by letter of witness, that what God builds lasts but what God scorns He dismantles (???)… I understand God’s fury here of the people because I read the reasons for it, chapter after chapter of general disobedience and lack of discipline, of ignorance and greed, of fear and futility. How God decides to act is beyond my comprehension. There is no way for me to know in whole as I only know in part. What I do know/glean from this info and these chapters is that these people are messed up – as a society and lack praise and following. Well, that is us too and we are always looking for correction – at least we should be – to the Holy Spirit correction – conviction but not condemnation. Oh yes, of course, we are to look for Jesus and His Spirit to be our salvation – and reorder the order. YES!
We await fates individually now if we don’t repent. Same but different than those times. God justified and we just wish others knew of the forgiveness given in Jesus, that’s the pillar of faith to cling to. We wish those to put their feet on the Rock, to have repentance wanted, and Jesus applied.
“The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago.” – this is a warning for our time too – we need to be aware and awake for His second coming – and cling to what is good – Jesus is good and just and our Savior – our hope.
Oh what a friend we have in Jesus is not just a song but a truth. Let us not Lament our lives in Him but lament the situations of the peoples we are still lost… Let us keep calling out for them to be found.
Amen and Lord, please find them for their – and Your sake. The Save and Sake of Forever is what we savor in our Savior.
Amen
Lamentations 2
How the Lord has covered Daughter Zion with the cloud of his anger! He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger. Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob; in his wrath he has torn down the strongholds of Daughter Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor.In fierce anger he has cut off every horn of Israel. He has withdrawn his right hand at the approach of the enemy. He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire that consumes everything around it.
Like an enemy he has strung his bow; his right hand is ready. Like a foe he has slain all who were pleasing to the eye; he has poured out his wrath like fire on the tent of Daughter Zion. The Lord is like an enemy; he has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds. He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for Daughter Judah. He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden; he has destroyed his place of meeting.
The Lord has made Zion forget her appointed festivals and her Sabbaths; in his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest. The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his sanctuary. He has given the walls of her palaces into the hands of the enemy; they have raised a shout in the house of the Lord as on the day of an appointed festival.
The Lord determined to tear down the wall around Daughter Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold his hand from destroying. He made ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away. Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed.Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the Lord. The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth.
The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. They say to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away in their mothers’ arms.
What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, Daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, Virgin Daughter Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you? The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity.
The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading. All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?”All your enemies open their mouths wide against you; they scoff and gnash their teeth and say, “We have swallowed her up. This is the day we have waited for; we have lived to see it.”
The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes. The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord.
You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest. Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner. “Look, Lord, and consider: Whom have you ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have cared for? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?
“Young and old lie together in the dust of the streets; my young men and young women have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered them without pity. “As you summon to a feast day, so you summoned against me terrors on every side. In the day of the Lord’s anger no one escaped or survived; those I cared for and reared my enemy has destroyed.”
Faith and Hope and Love – Love is the greatest… Love…
I love these Joni Mitchell lyrics based on scripture – about Love being the greatest.
“Love suffers long – Love is kind – Love has no evil in mind… “
Yes – and as I listen to the songs (links below) – I am reminded how in part we are – we are seeing only in part and must trust the rest…
Love sees as a whole – we see as a part – this is so true in my life and in our lives – we only see in part and if we could see love as a whole then we would not experience the brokenness that we do – we sort of have to look around the corner to when we will know love fully as God loves – and trust until we get there. This trust in God gives us the opportunity to forgive – to move forward. This trust in God gives us the time to ponder the patience we lack. I do trust God – and of enduring hoping trusting faith – AND LOVE – Love must be the strongest and greatest and what we seek out to know even if we will never understand in whole until we know God in whole – of which we will always be journeying.
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
My friend told me that I was not confident enough in myself for something I was waiting approval for – and I thought about that – it is not just that I am not confident that I will get what I need – I thought yeah, it is that I am not confident enough in God to give me what HE thinks I need… and right now He must be thinking I need to learn patience. And He must be finding the trust in me to keep working while I am waiting… Keep doing my part and let Him take care of the Whole. Yes Lord – I will see your greatness in this – I will see that Love has no evil in mind and therefore I should also trust and not let my mind run rampant into the bad thoughts… I will keep trusting and know that only one day is revealed to me – trust is that I will wake up and start again – but actually trust is that I will wait upon the Lord and see His Love come to fruition in ways that I would never see. I only see in part but must love in whole.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Amen – and please do listen to the songs, and read the scripture below.
original Joni Mitchell 1982 in Wild Things albumhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faaJqFVP__Q
Although I speak in tongues Of men and angels I’m just sounding brass And tinkling cymbals without love
Love suffers long Love is kind! Enduring all things Love has no evil in mind
If I had the gift of prophecy And all the knowledge And the faith to move the mountains Even if I understood all of the mysteries If I didn’t have love I’d be nothing
Love never looks for love Love’s not puffed up Or envious Or touchy Because it rejoices in the truth Not in iniquity Love sees like a child sees
As a child I spoke as a child I thought and I understood as a child But when I became a woman I put away childish things And began to see through a glass darkly
Where as a child I saw it face to face Now I only know it in part Fractions in me Of faith and hope and love And of these great three Love’s the greatest beauty Love Love Love
————-
Scripture: Paul in the Letter 1 Corinthians 13 NKJV
The Greatest Gift Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
NO FOOLIN – Sometimes we see the light but we’re still sitting in the dark. Sometimes life goes on with us questioning. Sometimes we will never know what we won’t know.
And No Foolin – there are confusing parts of scripture too – and we are left to ponder but as long as we just believe – we will understand in whole LATER – even if only in PART now.
On Sunday, Easter Sunday, I heard a seasoned preacher scholar say that we DON’T know why Matthew records that many people were raised but we have NO OTHER INFO… Hmmm… That scripture freaks people out… and we don’t know anything more after – like ‘did they go back in?’????
I know that for Jesus’s Rising, the tomb was not empty having been robbed by others, but was the result of Jesus robbing His grave – robbing sin and death of its victory. And I know scripture helps us in understanding the ‘gravity’ of the grave with the real death of Him – the real separation from God to take those sins way far away – and to re-bring us back to God – to tear that curtain and no longer have us experience separation from God.
But when I read about the people also raised from the dead, a startling piece confuses – it says they were raised when Jesus died but that they left the tombs when Jesus did… In other words, I think that this is saying that they were still still saturday… and then on the move sunday… us too… the ‘moving’ required the Spirit of the Lord to move them – the life returned but the living was Jesus-driven… (or at least the angels kept those tomb stones from rolling too early…)
I don’t know – but I do know that if I was alive in the grave, then I would probably be needing Jesus too – to tell me what to do and when to go… I wonder if we could do that in the grave then can we do that now – not in the grave – could we await Jesus’s instructions now?!!!
I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT BEING STILL! I bet those angels would hold me back too – like a horse lined up in the starting gate – just waiting for the bell, the doors to open, and the clear path ahead. But when it is time to move – Lord please move me. If you brought me back to life for forever – I can wait just one more day for this days’s moves… Awaiting the resurrection rising – always…
Amen
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs AFTER Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Matthew 27:50-53
…
Jesus Has Risen After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5 KJV
The artwork on the projection screen portrayed to be a tomb, opened for Easter, ALSO looked like an eye shining! No fooling! I saw both!
So fitting for now IS our time to SHINE OUT the LOVE of Jesus, SPEAK out the HOPE of Salvation, and BEAM for all to see…
The stone rolled away by God opens the possibilities for us to see and to know that the Miracle of Jesus Rising is a New Day in this New Covenant. Our eyes opened to see – a morning of HOPE after darkness made us linger in our fears. Now the blessed hope of Jesus is beaming the beaming light to come out from us – to come from the place within. Jesus motivates us to LIGHT up the world. He sends us!
Let us go out and SHINE His Light to overcome all darkness. Let us love boldly and humbly. The darkness won’t comprehend this light, but it won’t be able to deny it either.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 NIV
Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is Risen! Peace IS with us. Go SHINE. Go Be His Beam. Go with God.
Amen
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:19-21
Happy Easter – an AMAZING MIRACLE of AMAZING GRACE!
We know Easter is a miracle of Heaven and Earth.
Here is an amazing recent certain earthly miracle that I remember – The Miracle on the Hudson – January 2009. I can see it – I can hear it – I just know it… Others might not know because it was 15 years ago in the past but we saw that news footage of the plane landing on the water and we saw the people standing on the wing – and we know the collective amazement of everyone surviving – even those who jumped into the water and were helped into a rescue boat or back onto the wing. Ah the movies and documentaries never capture that actual moment – but isn’t it also interesting to see the people now – and one documentary, 15 years later, brings my own memories flooding back all while I am still learning new things… I can’t even imagine those people who lived in once in the water and thousands of times in their minds since. Those people are all in certain stages of a post traumatic stress – and some have recovered and some have even triumphed to even a higher level of consciousness for their life mission and journey. The psychologist on the documentary states that may remember that day and those times as “the emotion of ELEVATION” – a feel good collective LIFT to the whole country – to at least those in this northeast neck of the woods – amazing – unreal – and beautiful as a miracle. Yes, a miracle. The psychologist explained it is a ‘[warm feeling in the chest when you see acts of moral virtue – which leads to inspiration].’ We survive better because of this emotion.
Sully, the Captain, spoke of the collective emotion of the passengers and crew who say they felt they were gifted this second change of life. Sully’s Wife spoke of the amazing change in her husband having to deal not only with that post traumatic stress but also the media crush and the constant reminders. She wonders if he is still living in the thoughts of “have I done enough with this fame and story” – she reminds him that what he has done is enough.
Ah Easter – today – a gift – let me say that the Miracle on the Hudson is less than the fraction of a fraction of a fraction in the scheme of God’s miracles but it gives us some emotional connection to the WHO is the Miracle behind the Miracles…. And EASTER – celebration – for now we have a second chance of LIFE.
Jesus in His Day and Now – Miracles – God’s ultimate Sacrifice Miracle. Could you imagine the recounting of the stories? How about being Mary, first hearing the voice of Jesus – or imagine being one of those people walking to Emmaus where Jesus takes that time to explain, to answer questions, to listen, to teach, to open eyes? What about now – what about seeing a friend of loved one change in a miracle of faith when they understand the Good News in themselves – that second birth. Their new life in Jesus.
Yes, Jesus had/has many miracles then and today, and oh what a Miracle on the first Easter Day. Could we even begin to wrap our heads around this? I am sure that the Gospels, written various years after Jesus ascended, were accompanied by a gazillion verbal “did you hear this good news?” moments. And now? The Miracle will never be forgotten – never lose its importance – and by the Spirit, will always be our most important memory to cling to. This IS the Emotion of Elevation – with a burning in our chests of the Spirit which then inspires. And this miracle of the Holy Spirit spurs us to burn brighter – move further – love immensely and Be His.
I can say that I believe in this Miracle of Jesus’s Resurrection even if I did not see it – nor really physically understand it – or understand why God allows me to now understand the change in me. I also know that I know it not simply because someone told me but because Jesus Himself was holding me when God opened the eyes of my heart.
Here today on Easter and always in our lives, may we remember this love, and may we long to tell the Good News that Jesus rose from the dead to beat sin and death – to give us eternal life – to fill us with His Spirit – and to forgive us – again and again – once for all and once for all that we will continue to make. It is a Miracle of the Heart and Hope and Heaven. And yet we never saw Jesus in the flesh – in the death – and in the resurrection. However we do know that someday we will also have that feeling of the resuscitation. We will always be alive because of Him.
When we remember our Salvation – we are in stages of shock, tears, joy, and belief over disbelief – mostly we remember the time we committed our lives to Him. We remember that elevation – that emotion – that relief and that conviction of sin overturned plus now the conviction of sin reminding us that yes, we have a Savior. May we all remember to turn to Him continually. We now live in His Grace.
There is an Empty Tomb of Jesus (SEE JOHN 20), there is a process to the unveiling of our faith in our walk from Jesus (SEE LUKE 24), and then there is the Great Commission where we ourselves go out and tell the world by the help of Jesus (SEE MATTHEW 28). Jesus gives this LIFT.
If you know the LIFT – the Emotion of Elevation by Jesus – this is called JOY…
Please feel the JOY of today, Easter, and every day. For God so Loved the World He gave His Son – and victory is WON.
AMEN AND HAPPY EASTER
—
John 20:1-23
The Empty Tomb
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
—-
Luke 24:13-49
On the Road to Emmaus
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
—
Matthew 28:16-20 – The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Good Friday, I’ve gotten into the routine of finding a new place for midday services. And this was beautiful, a retirement home for priests with a gorgeous huge 1970’s ‘modern’ sanctuary (who would think modern 1970 was 50 years ago), open not as a parish but a place of service, with daily services… It was an hour and a half service, singing, carrying the cross, incense, communion. I tried stifling my allergies cough, but that is so tough and I am so human. My favorite song lyric was “Human Nature at the Father’s Throne” – that’s how I felt, human and flawed in a room of reverence and realness.
I appreciated my childhood memories of the reading of the passion of Christ. Also 1970s era. I remember that all the priests came to participate. At this service, there were 12 priests or more in white and one lead senior in red robes. There were 3 singers and choir and orchestra. The back and forth conversations in the book of John 18-19 plus descriptions sung dramatically and with the echo it was extra beautiful. There was the classic crying rambunctious little one echoing louder than loud too. These were the hardest most uncomfortable pews ever. The kneeling was on the hard floor when the cross came to our section, but honestly that was a welcoming break from sitting with my ok but not perfect back.
I took a side seat being 10 minutes late. I sat human. I felt human and flawed in awe of my knowledge of Jesus and His desire to sacrifice and save. And as I saw one priest take out a phone for video of the cross movement and unveiling, I felt OK stealing a couple snapshots. Human that I am…
One priest had a very poignant brief homily of remembering the cross as a green tree bearing the fruitfulness of Salvation… and the moment Jesus called out “I thirst” – that we are to remember that Jesus, God, thirsts for us. It was probably the best to the point homily. [it was a duplicate to the scripture gem I noticed yesterday – that Jesus said, Luke 23:31, “For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”]
Then we had communion where nobody asked our denomination… “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the Word and I shall be healed.” I’m very grateful that Jesus IS the WORD that heals, and that He said it all, and He lived/lives it all, and died for all, and He loves all.
All in all, Beautiful Blessings, and will I return another day for the friendly anonymity and self reflection. I found the stations of the cross in a side chapel. beautiful ‘modern’ 70s. My phone camera was out of batteries, my heart however smiled at finding myself first at the LAST station. YES, I feel the salvation now, I can’t even imagine how blessed I will feel in heaven forever.
Two last interactions on my way out. The first was a nun in her habit, smiling and gentle, who asked me if I thought she might have parked her car on one side or the other. I didn’t know but I enjoyed our speculation. She saw other sisters and found her way. I’m looking forward to a deeper conversation with her in heaven one day. The other interactions was on my way out and a retired priest, I surmised, headed with his rolling walker back to the adjacent apartments. We spoke so briefly about the beauty of the service, the offerings all weekend, and the fine spring weather. I wished him a happy Easter even if it hasn’t yet come, because honestly it already has…
It’s these days we (I) must soak in the sun and the situation and reflection of salvation. See, we know the rest of the story and are not stuck in Saturday. But ah, it’s a moment today before Sunday’s rise, to soak it all in.
Soak it in Saturday.
Amen
Soak it in Saturday.
Jesus death and intent.
Intentions that we should absorb.
Solemn
Saturated
Satisfied
The Solution to Sin Separation is Salvation.
Jesus didn’t just hang on the cross to suffer for suffering sake, He Satisfied the Scriptures.
The crowd soaked in the moment. The disciples scattered scared. The sky stumbled.
The situation stopped.
Soak it in Saturday.
John 18-19 New King James Version
Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane
18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”
5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”
Before the High Priest
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Peter Denies Jesus
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
Jesus Questioned by the High Priest
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”
24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter Denies Twice More
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
In Pilate’s Court
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
Taking the Place of Barabbas
39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
19 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
Pilate’s Decision
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.
The King on a Cross
17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:
“They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”
Therefore the soldiers did these things.
Behold Your Mother
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
It Is Finished
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Jesus’ Side Is Pierced
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
I can’t find my own words for Good Friday – and I don’t need to – but I can find the walk and the witness – the work and the wailing – the wounded and the whatnot… And that is all in the WORD… I need to hear from Jesus this Good Friday – gratefully He has much to say – including how it had to go down this way… Fulfillment and Forevers – planned forever ago for the forever in our future.
Jesus said: “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Matthew 26:53-54
It HAS to go down this way.
I have (below) cut and paste (from the benefit of Bible Gateway . com) from all the four gospel sets of scriptures in that day – but not necessarily all the words that were shared. The succinct few paragraphs glued here mean a LifeLine of a LifeTime. And the answer to the question of WHY – is that God Rescues. A mocking man may have said: “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:43) But in the answer truly of this question is YES – GOD RESCUES BECAUSE HE WANTS TO – HE DOES WANT TO – GOD WANTS US – God rescues US – and God does that by sending Jesus to the death instead of us. And Jesus accepts this in love.
In this season of love and day of remembrance – let us keep the green life of Jesus alive and share of the Lord – because the days are coming when people will have darkness and cold and DRY… For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Presented below are the best words to know – bind to our hearts – and share. Keep hydrafed in His Love. Let us this Good Friday hare what is so good inside and because of what is so bad from this day. That God so loved us that He sent His only Son to SAVE.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
Amen – and please read below:
—
Matthew 26:47-56 Jesus Arrested
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
—
Matthew 27: 32-61 The Crucifixion of Jesus
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus – From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
The Burial of Jesus – As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
—-
Mark 15:16-47 The Soldiers Mock Jesus
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. (So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”) Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus – At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The Burial of Jesus – It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
—-
Luke 23:28-56
Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus – It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus – Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
—
John 19 16-42 – The Crucifixion of Jesus
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
The Death of Jesus – Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
The Burial of Jesus – Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
I’m making soup for Holy Thursday church meal – a simple meal – not a huge feast. I’m making 2 kinds of soup: 16 bean and tomato. I’ve never made these kinds of soup, but I’m OK, grateful, because I am following roughly to recipe, and it’s not gonna be SO bad, right? Just add more garlic…
Like I said, I’m not really perfect on recipe, making some substitutions. It’s even an unknown if I bring it hot or cold and heat it up there… I’ll figure it out along the way, it’s a journey right? It’s just soup. It’s going to be alright, croutons or no croutons.
Jesus didn’t live life so flippantly and spur of the moment… He was preparing for the Passover meal, Holy Thursday, the Last Supper… He had it planned down to the hair of the head of everybody who was there. He had it planned down to the ear of everybody who would hear about it forever. He had the room, the table seats, the cushions, the captive audience and even the betrayal planned. He knew what was in the soup and how it would go down.
Another thing Jesus did not leave the chance, Jesus knew the crew. Jesus knew who they were that day and so importantly that he knew whom they would become, how they would touch lives, how they would spread the church and knowledge of His Good News. But of course He also cautioned them to not go it alone because He knew how they would need and accept the Holy Spirit and be moved by it. He knew whom they would become FOR HIM – us too.
These disciples were not perfect but they were PERFECT FOR JESUS. These bumbling seemingly clueless disciples would become spirit-filled and so noticeably changed that people would take notice. These disciples would become the beginners of the church and so effective beyond their understanding, but all within the knowledge and the plan of Jesus. Wow.
What about us? What do we bring to the soup? Do we fear to tread because we don’t realize we are being led? Do we hesitate to open our mouths for fear of retaliation? We are Thursday night disciples and we need to cook a bit more in maturation – feel the heat and even the burn of Friday- simmer on Saturday – rest then realize that the Sunday Soup is Ready! Hallelujah! Easter Sunday awaits our praise!!!… Now, don’t put the soup into the back of the fridge now that it is made and raised, but keep ladling it out, with a Holy Spirit pour… keep it going… pass it on...
We probably never think that we are ready. But Jesus didn’t pick us only to simmer, instead He picked us to Shine. Like soup that seemed so hard to make before gathering ingredients, it’s easier when we read His Recipe, settle down and look at our abilities and our tools (I mean I do own 2 crockpots and like 17 ladles, I might as well use them), and then get busy to feed the hungry, share the love.
I am truly talking not about soup but sharing the LOVE of JESUS with all whom we meet – and then when they are surprised and complementary to us – tell them that it was God Who cooked up this moment – not us – if you are to boast then boast in the Lord.
I’m sure this evening I will be surprised when people say (if they say) this is good soup. I am certainly surprised when people see spiritual hope in me. But I am to remember that the One who cooks up this whole life is the Lord Himself. Who am I to not know Him as good and know His protection to keep stirring up life in Him for Him. Who am I to know now growth and maturity and go with it for He Himself is the One who cooks up this life for us to keep sharing Him – one ladle or a whole pot at a time.
Let’s keep stirring the pot.
Let’s listen to the Lord.
Let us taste and know that He is good.
Amen
—
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
I enjoyed the day yesterday, even if I didn’t understand it all. I stepped through it one BINGO number at a time, one moment at a time, one step at a time. I had many moments to think, all day. I had work, worked from home, but first wrote my devotions. Then hit the news of a bridge collapse, BIG one, and videos plus speculation, news conferences etc. Then I shut the news off. I worked on what I could work on. I thought about it occasionally as I stepped through my day, which was blessed ordinary and extraordinary but far from an ordinary day. I worked, laughed, ate, pondered, prodded, purposed, planned, put aside my schedule (which honestly I saw how God cleared curiously for me to be in new places), and pondered again. I had much time to meet up with God moment by moment, which is unusual, and yet always wonder where I misstep. I did feel blessed by my company and moments, even if I didn’t understand them all. Jesus wants us to walk through the day in His Way – listening to Him. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
At lunch I was talking about a bridge between Jesus and us – independent from the earthly bridge that fell down but will be rebuilt – but isn’t that what Jesus experienced? a knock down for the lift up… A fitting Holy Week thought… Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Wrapped up work and took some time off to get the cat to the vet (an ordinary thing on an unordinary day). In the evening it was interesting playing BINGO with my friend at the fire company, just plain fun as a fundraiser, but wow it is WORK! Fast paced and mega boards given. I’ve been here only once before. I mixed myself up a few times. Accidentally, I called BINGO once (it was a coverall nor regular, oops), and I enjoyed the time with my friend. I was an observer of people and their routines, who they knew as regulars and what little things made this a regular scene for many. I enjoyed thinking about my Dad and Mom in our BINGO days growing up catholic and the required work at the fundraiser if you had kids in the school. REQUIRED. My Dad called the numbers maybe once a month and mom sold cards, and I hung out to work the concessions – with those candy bars and glass soda bottles. Fun but yes a true reflection of how money influences the world. It is a tool – may we always use it wisely. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
It was my Dad’s birthday yesterday too, was I tickled when his birthday showed up? Yes. But was it proving some connections in the universe? Nah, because I already know connectiveness for the universe. I already know life pops up like BINGO numbers, but you don’t always have them on your card and you just try again. I know that with God there are no coincidences. There are some games you sit out, to take a ‘bio-break’ or stretch or take a concession visit. There are some hecklers in fun. There are rules and rituals that are invented and confusing, but most people here understood them. There was lots of money spent and lots of money won. I bought a dollar snack and thought – this is enough. My cards were enough (too much actually). My time was enough. My moment was enough. I felt not stuck in time but sitting inside it and outside it at the same time. I didn’t win BINGO but I didn’t care – I already won life with a good family and with the Good Lord. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
In life – we have ordinary non-ordinary days. Like BINGO, you have to play the cards that life gives you – you have to make the most of it – you have to know Who (God) makes life livable in good and bad – and God is also good at the same time reminding you that life on earth is temporary and worldly. Oh how we bridge to the real life in Heaven? Oh, Jesus. Yes… One day at a time, one number at a time, one step at a time. One Savior always. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Play the cards the Lord gives – and call out to Him for numbering your days… Enjoy Life…
AMEN
Paul to the Colossians 3:1-17
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
It’s three years this summer that my Dad passed and that time was one of those windows of opportunity where people got their vaccinations and also by natural spring/summer people got more outside and covid dropped off enough to be the first time the people in my hometown went back to big events. (their lockdown was really severe and they benefited by having so few deaths in comparison to communities closer). So, those days was a blessed break in the suffering of timing for covid. Lest we forget the freedoms we have – we should not complain now!!
Yet in those days my dad was suffering in decline and it was his time when the Lord called him. I made it up there visiting many times, even for just a half hour on the porch. We were blessed post vaccinations to stay IN the house for a good stretch of time both my kids and me – blessed to get up there to see him in decent shape still – a hug for my daughter and handshake for my son. My Dad never lost his ability to walk until the last 2 days and never lost his ability to communicate until that last day.
I am always imagining my Dad in heaven regathering with his buddies – this I can picture the card games and fun – and I can’t even imagine the reunion with his Mom and Dad. His Dad passed away when he was 20. I had my Dad until I was 50, how can I complain! I still feel blessed to have my Dad in Heaven away from the body but close to the heart and mind, and yes Dad I’ll get my brakes and tires checked soon… I will get them into compliance and better than that…
I could complain about not having my Dad now, but how could I complain? I can’t. I had him and have him mentally. I had and have the best Dad.
Now, my Dad had knee problems all the time and back problems at times, once they moved a bed into the living room for him to recoup. I have been bad enough to have a whole week flat on my back on the floor of my apartment living room when in my 20s. I’ve known those times in gotcha pain and known recovery too. My own back is about 95% now from that recent incident, I consider, I don’t fear the gotcha grab of pain and move more freely. It still has a left lower side bulge type pain but as a pinch occasionally. It’s not cured but collected back. Now will be times to start strengthening and really bring it back. I can not equate back pain to suffering for the Lord, but it’s both times you have to work through the pain. Or re-work in resting and healing before redirecting your energies. One aspect is TIME, giving up precious time from YOUR PLANS.
I RESTED after that back thing and I was blessed that first weekend with lots of help as I got myself back into compliance – both my back and my work for God’s work. And I scrolled through my head of what I was supposed to be redirected for in the Lord’s Work – oh yeah – my writings were 4 months behind in curating and printing- ummm – oh yeah the Lord WANTS you to keep promises and I DID promise (oops) to keep these up to date. So click click click I worked and now have printed 4 chapters.
I also redirected in fixing this and whatnot for the benefit of my health. And I read for the benefit of my soul. Read the Bible chapters I’m supposed to be getting back to. One BIG move now is into the book of Lamentations – and if you need a reminder of old testament God of compliance – Jeremiah and Lamentations is it.
I can not and will not compare present day suffering to these unbelievable old testament times of Babylon exile and the terrible scenes in Jerusalem and Judah – not for me – but I do remember there are many suffering these days in pockets of places known and unknown… I will read this next bible section of Lamentations – not as a God “I told you so” – but as a lament that bad times are bad – and isn’t that a reminder to look to God for His guidance and those good times WILL come – even if not in present…. And if we suffer but a fraction, we can never suffer that pain of Jesus who took it all upon Himself… That is my Holy Week devotion – to listen to God Father as well as my Dad’s advice – get yourself back into compliance no matter how painful… And yes – our biggest compliance rescue is from Jesus Himself.
Our worst non-compliance is turning our backs to God. Let us keep praising Him in us and us in Him and be back to listening to His Love.
AMEN
—-
Lamentations 1 How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed festivals. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her young women grieve, and she is in bitter anguish. Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe. All the splendor has departed from Daughter Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursuer. In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction.
Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have all seen her naked; she herself groans and turns away. Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her. “Look, Lord, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed.” The enemy laid hands on all her treasures; she saw pagan nations enter her sanctuary — those you had forbidden to enter your assembly. All her people groan as they search for bread; they barter their treasures for food to keep themselves alive.“ Look, Lord, and consider, for I am despised.”
“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the Lord brought on me in the day of his fierce anger? From on high he sent fire, sent it down into my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long. “My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have been hung on my neck, and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has given me into the hands of those I cannot withstand.
“The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled Virgin Daughter Judah. “This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.” Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The Lord has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
“The Lord is righteous, yet I rebelled against his command. Listen, all you peoples; look on my suffering. My young men and young women have gone into exile. “I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive. “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death. “People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my distress; they rejoice at what you have done. May you bring the day you have announced so they may become like me. “Let all their wickedness come before you; deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my sins. My groans are many and my heart is faint.”
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. Philippians 1:29
How fitting in this Holy Week that my Old Testament bible reading has brought me to Lamentations, chapter volumes of sorrowful PROCESSING the suffering reflecting the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, which God prescribed for a certain time of exile.
It’s Holy Week. Jesus 500 plus years later has entered restored Jerusalem. His donkey-ridden entrance fulfilled prophecies with people yelling Hosanna, but they believed in him as an earthly king and they expected an overthrow of this government, which is yet another oppressing foreign rule, harkening back to memories of the Babylonians, but now, an Empire in Rome invading. Now, the Hosannas don’t last and of course, the people by Friday will scorn and mock Jesus, the crowd mob scene already known by Jesus is coming.
I’m starting this book of Lamentations this week by watching ‘The Bible Project’s’ video on YouTube which I highly recommend. It’s just enough of an explanation to get started, telling us that these chapters are poems lamenting the fall of Jerusalem. There are some acrostics too (which seems to be the theme of my month for me and friends who like to make poems starting with first letters). And the bible project video has a fitting image of stones to explain the building of history into history.
It’s at these building stones that I pause and remember the scripture of Jesus walking through the temple, and the apostle’s marveling at the building and Jesus’s marveling that it will all be fallen again, one day as Jerusalem falls again.
Jesus sees the whole of time as well as the intricacies of the moment of the journey. Jesus, fully God, shares in seeing everything from beginning (and before the world) to the New Jerusalem rolling in (book of Revelation to apostle John). Likewise to knowing BIG PICTURE, Jesus God knows us – knowing each hair of our heads as Jesus knows us intimately – and Jesus knows where we fit in time – just like each hair has a root and place. God sees the whole body of Christ even when we see and feel only part.
That’s how Jesus rolls into Holy Week. It’s a completion but it’s a whole new beginning. It’s pain but it’s recovery. It’s walking and then being still. It’s Alpha and Omega showing up to secure the middle.
I will pause here after learning about the beginning of lamentations to process my own. And as a pastor friend mentioned to one of my small groups over the weekend, we hope people don’t skip from Palm Sunday to Easter without processing the middle of the week. Yes. We need to see Jesus as the Alpha and Omega but also see how He is present for every little moment in between. Let us walk with Jesus this week as He walks with us.
Amen
I watched only the first minute so far, for the general gist of lamentations.
A set of scriptures speak to the fall of Jerusalem (thanks Google for the list and Bible Gateway for the text): Matthew 23:37-24:51,Mark 13,Luke 21:5-36
Greater Love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Today Palm Sunday, we are waving our palms and saying Hosanna, seeing You Jesus as a great king. May we see You Jesus as OUR King, a Heavenly king and not just an earthly king. May we be walking with You this whole week, still saying Hosanna as we want to grow – grow from the sheep being fed – to disciples being led.
May our Hosannas come with hope everlasting and a willingness to believe. Oh Jesus, Lord, please keep us from becoming that crowd that scorns You, denies You, and leaves You hanging by Friday. We ask Lord to remain walking step by step and be a witness as we all get to Thursday, Your last supper on earth, Your Passover feast, to break bread with You. We want to try to stay awake with You in the garden. We WANT to be Your friend, but our sleepiness is shown in Your tears. And please console us on Friday, Lord, open our eyes to see why such darkness was necessary in death and then truly allow us to see the Light overcoming darkness, by GLORIOUS Sunday. Let us not remain those wondering Saturday people, lost and hopeless. Bring us Lord to Easter and understanding, Jesus let us taste in Your resurrection and Life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who-so-ever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
So today Lord, we are Your people who lay down their coats and palms, may we continue all week and for all of our days to lay down our plans for Yours, lay down our expectations for Your enrichment. Kneel at Your cross and tomb then keep walking and share your Good News:
For God sent nothis Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Please Lord send your Holy Spirit. As we receive Your Word today may we be filled with Your Spirit to open our ears and hearts to hear Your Voice as Shephard, know You as Prince of Peace, and to understand You and Your plan for us.
And Sweet Jesus, may we continue this Holy Week being led in praise and in measured steps, onedayatatime.
Yeah this is exciting and funny – and yet I am reminded that God does REAL and just go with it…. GOD DOES HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR – AND ALSO A WAY TO GET US ON OUR WAY!
A most recent blog post number is full of 52s and 25s – 52 for God and 25 for me… this is the code number for the post I got so excited about, my work faith blog, is 12525…. I think that 2525 is God inside of me whereas 5252 would be me inside God… I know numbers are of the world but even God did math and counted and measured in addition to being immeasurable.
I just love numbers just to love them – but I LOVE GOD BECAUSE HE LOVED ME FIRST! “You are in Me – and I am in you”
COOL FUN !!!
BLESSED LIVING!!!
AMEN
—
Jesus in John 14:16-21 speaking to the disciples (and us):
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
This phrase has helped me immensely this week. It’s an acronym repeated to me from my friend Deacon Don: P.U.S.H. = Pray Until Something Happens. Ah… yeah!!!!
When I got frustrated with some things this week – I PUSHED – but not pushing me but pushing the agenda (not too much but just enough and in God’s timing) – and bringing forth convincing hard evidence rather than angry steam. (taking the time to know the audience.)
I pushed my agenda yes, and I pushed my self to not collapse in frustration but to stand strong. and I P/U/S/H-ed, I Prayed Until Something Happened – and I PRAISED until I understood. Not praising idle nor idol but ideal – Pray without ceasing.
Seriously we have ALL had times to turn to God and actively ask: ‘How do I overcome this?’ – ‘How do I keep working around this?’ – ‘How do I (most importantly) not get MORE frustrated here?’ – Well, when we look for the bread of life, we often find it is God on a roll, and in motion, and so with that I kept rolling.
GOOD outlets were(are) being still and waiting where there was no emergency yet – for wading in the water until Jesus called(calls) me – for channeling pain into productive writing – if anything, God got more work out of me in positive ways than in frustration. God PUSHED me His Way when the world pushed my wrong buttons. God paused me for looking and thinking and acting BIG PICTURE!
Yes, at first my frustrations found the right trusted ears to release some steam and minimize explosions -not to make implosions but to make new excavations – and new understandings of where I was to wait – and work in other ways – what I was to do in that waiting – and yet still make progress. And isn’t it MORE effective to PUSH with a SMILE than fight with a back-bite. In all, one stoppage became several new streams of encouragement and like rays from the sun, I looked and found God’s SHINE. There is too much LIGHT here to accept any work in darkness. QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT !!!
PUSH – PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS – time and time again keep praying – not praying in idle ways but in active hope – in fueling fire – and in redirecting flow.
Prayers, you know, redirect our flow.
F/L/O/W/I/N/G – For Love of Waiting I N God.
P.R.A.Y. I.T. – Pray Righteousness Against Your Indignation TODAY.
Amen
— Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-24
Jeremiah 52 – is not just a repeat of 2nd Kings 25 – but a story of a wash into the wash of mercy. Like experiencing the Living Water of Jesus – it is an H2O of HOPE.
I love these ‘Bible Project’ videos, like for Jeremiah, as they help me like cliffnotes in reading these prophet chapters – and Babylon is destroyed yes – but what about the much much verbiage of the whole scene?! Oh there is so much good stuff to learn (and relearn) – and the video helps! The reading too – when you listen to it read, like on Bible Gateway, allows your brain to process it differently and directly – especially the parts of the description of the temple of Jerusalem and of it’s treasures taken. Especially I also remember the uniqueness of the stories of Nebuchadnezzar (for which we will learn more in the book of Daniel coming up in a few chapters) and we learn more of Jeremiah who employed a scribe in Baruch to capture the work of writing prophecy. And after prophecy there is the actual newspaper -story-like tale of how it all went down – the capture of Jerusalem and the people.
THEN – there is one little story at the very very end which tells of prisoned king, Jehoiachin of Judah, getting a reprieve from the prison life and sitting and eating bread and living out his days in less anguish – a reprieve – oh yeah – Judah’s king – and isn’t it amazing how it relates to the HOPE of the people held captive (those who did wrong and repented as well as those who kept God’s commands) – and of the scattered people – and of those lost in the world now – that Jesus is the true KING – Who came out of Judah many years later. Yes – in addition to the stories – it is the commentaries that help – and in addition to the life of king Jehoachin getting bread in captivity – the captive bread comes out from Judah – the LIVING BREAD – Living Hope – of Jesus – and conquers all captivity of sin and death.
God said to the israelites to wait out those years in Babylon – we can too – we can wait until He comes again.
May we all remember – ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTER HOLY WEEK NEXT WEEK – we are gifted the bread of life – Jesus – even in our broken captive world look for the bread – keep eating my friends – keep taking in Jesus
Awesome and Amen
Here is the video I recommend:
Here are the scriptures from Jeremiah 52 and 2nd Kings 25 – I love the numbers here – 52 is special between me and God – be still and be quiet and be knowing that God’s got this – and so is the number 25 as I was born on the 25th – I love that they are number order swap twins AND you can flip one upside down and see the other number – cool….
Also cool is going to a Biblical tool for School – via Jeremiah… blessed to read!
Jeremiah 52 NKJV – The Fall of Jerusalem Reviewed Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around. So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. By the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine had become so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then the city wall was broken through, and all the men of war fled and went out of the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden, even though the Chaldeans were near the city all around. And they went by way of the plain.
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from him. So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he pronounced judgment on him. 10 Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. And he killed all the princes of Judah in Riblah. He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
The Temple and City Plundered and Burned Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem all around. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.
The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, and the carts and the bronze Sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all their bronze to Babylon. They also took away the pots, the shovels, the trimmers, the bowls, the spoons, and all the bronze utensils with which the priests ministered. The basins, the firepans, the bowls, the pots, the lampstands, the spoons, and the cups, whatever was solid gold and whatever was solid silver, the captain of the guard took away. The two pillars, one Sea, the twelve bronze bulls which were under it, and the carts, which King Solomon had made for the house of the Lord—the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure. Now concerning the pillars: the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, a measuring line of twelve cubits could measure its circumference, and its thickness was four fingers; it was hollow. A capital of bronze was on it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with a network and pomegranates all around the capital, all of bronze. The second pillar, with pomegranates was the same. There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates, all around on the network, were one hundred.
The People Taken Captive to Babylonia The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, and the three doorkeepers. He also took out of the city an [f]officer who had charge of the men of war, seven men of the king’s close associates who were found in the city, the principal scribe of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. Then the king of Babylon struck them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive from its own land.
These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand and twenty-three Jews; in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred and thirty-two persons; in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred and forty-five persons. All the persons were four thousand six hundred.
Jehoiachin Released from Prison Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that [g]Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 33 So [i]Jehoiachin changed from his prison garments, and he ate bread regularly before the king all the days of his life. 34 And as for his provisions, there was a regular ration given him by the king of Babylon, a portion for each day until the day of his death, all the days of his life.
—— 2nd Kings Chapter 25
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carry away.
But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land. And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
The most interesting but necessary part of sharing my faith is to sometimes (often) take myself out of it – meaning taking the “it’s MY faith’ – “the faith that is MINE” out of the expression of my faith walk and “get myself out of the way” – out of God’s Way for me. Out of the Way of the Holy Spirit to work THRU me.
And what an amazing thing to do this AT WORK! Yes! To both express faith and to remember faith doesn’t stop with you – but work THRU you. Cool. And the encouragement to walk away from my fear of sharing.
My faith blog – FOR WORK – the encouragement to be more open has come from our CEO – bring your authentic self to work. And so they/we started a Multi-Faith employee resource group ERG.
Before posting on the local share-group for our Multi-Faith ERG. I sent it to our team leader – a woman in the HR department who is growing in her faith – who recently posted her own writings of the Lenten season and Ash Wednesday. She made some really good edits and pointed out where I had lost my way in the middle of the piece by trying to explain ALL of Christianity in less than a page – ah yeah… I was in the way of my own writing – EXCITED YES – but in the way of the Way. And so cohesive editing – best for the audience of TEACHING – all while getting the opportunity for REACHING – and STRENGTHENING others.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOVE! The Holy Spirit lead – and a blessing indeed! – and simply to witness at work – the Lord allows us boldness – and to be an authentic Christian means to allow the Lord to bring us to the challenges as well as the easy streets. BUT IN LOVE!!!
We work at our witness and witness in our work – we work in our work and we witness that we have something to witness about. Wonderful.
Here is my writing (BELOW) remembering that often we do need to take ourselves out of the way to make a way…
Thank you for letting me share!
AMEN
Sharing about Easter.
By Faith, I would like to take a moment within our new Multi-Faith ERG site, to share about this Lenten Season, Holy Week and Easter, to write about and explain my understanding of Christian faith – of which I could say is known ‘by Faith’ – by the actual faith coming into and from us divinely rather than simply to us and stopping. In other words, we are gifted this ability to share and to encourage. I am not a pastor or scholar, but a learning soul in discipleship mode, continuing to walk, to be eager, and be willing to learn as well as share. I will not be able to explain ALL Christian beliefs, as there are thousands of denominations (a good reference is the book, “Handbook of Denominations in the United States,” by Mead and Hill), but I can speak to the understanding that Christian faith is to be truly understood and practiced as a RELATIONSHIP over only performing rites in a ritualistic religion. Where does one learn this? Christians are asked to read the Holy Bible – both Old and New Testaments – and are asked to look for individual relationships with Jesus, who is identified as “the Word”.
A definition of ‘deity’ for Christians would certainly be that Christians follow Christ, Jesus Christ, as the word derives from Greek speaking of ‘The Christ’, or ‘the Anointed One’ as a savior from the sin that separates people from God. It is the faith in forgiveness that we share. Now certain faiths, but not all, respect and understand a divine Trinity of God the Father, God in Jesus Christ the Son, and God in an advocate in the Holy Spirit, three in one. For the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the scriptures of the Bible as the advocate who was sent by God after Jesus’s ascension after Easter on Pentecost and continually. The Holy Spirit is sent to help be inside each person, and this is called ‘to be moved by the Spirit’ and important to note is that the Holy Spirit is always pointing back to Jesus as Lord. The Trinity is said to be represented in the favorite Easter flower, the Lily, which has parts in whorls of 3’s.
At a time approximately 2000 years ago, now celebrated in the holiday called Christmas, the word suffix ‘mas’ means ‘celebration’, Jesus came into the world as ‘God in the flesh’, referred to as Emmanuel, meaning ‘God with us’. Scripture tells us that Jesus was present from the beginning with God, and then came down to earth. Jesus walked the earth for approximately 33 years as is recorded in the New Testament, containing teachings and merciful miracles. As we are approaching Easter (31MAR2024, or 05MAY2024 for Orthodox observations), Christians experience the culmination of Lent in the pondering of Holy Week. This one-week observance starts with Palm Sunday as Jesus enters Jerusalem in both joy and sorrow as the people think that he is an earthly Jewish king rather than God, then the Last Supper, Jesus’s arrest, and Good Friday, the day of crucifixion and death. Jesus always stated that He came to do His Father’s Will, which would fulfill the prophecies resurrection on Easter Sunday, removing sin and death. Two more holidays after Easter celebrate Jesus’s ascension to Heaven as well as Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus. This moment is also referred to as, “the birth of the church,” as the event opened the opportunity to share the knowledge of Christ’s Good News of forgiveness into the world.
‘By Faith’, a known aspect of Christianity is that Christians are ‘not of this world’ but ‘of Heaven’ and are temporarily placed into this world, thus the, “from dust you came and to dust you will return’ aspect of Ash Wednesday. Jesus came to allow covering of sins by covering all ‘with His blood’ as forgiveness. A key aspect of Christianity is to understand that with man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. And thus his journey is of sacrifice. Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, connects to the Old Testament and the brokenness of the people from their ‘covenant’ with God, starting with Adam and Eve who experienced ‘original sin’ separation by breaking God’s commands. Continuing into Moses’s time with the Ten Commandments, the people also broke adherence, thus distancing themselves from God’s companionship. Although a system of sacrifice for the people to attend to the rift was put in place, the plan from the beginning was that God was making a ‘New Covenant’ – defined and achieved as ‘redemption’ by Jesus entering the world to be slain as the ultimate sacrificial lamb – a ransom for all sins of all people – restoring the relationship that restores God and man. The Bible states that God is Love – and we love because He first loved us, experiencing Jesus’s calling as a Shepherd, to hear and understand His Voice. When Christians say ‘Amen’ it indicates agreement, acceptance, and hope. We all know that the world has so many conflicting noisy distractions clamoring for our attention. By faith, we also know in Christianity that the world experiences brokenness, and that the evil in the world is created and fostered by the opposite of the Love of God – by a fallen angel named Satan. By faith, we know from the first readings in the book of Genesis, that Jesus as Messiah would come to crush the power of the devil, and this win over sin and death is already accomplished by the Easter miracle. Christians also know that Jesus will come again into the world, at any time, to complete the purpose of silencing the devil in all ways, and Christians are awaiting a second coming at any moment. With a second coming of Christ, a new Millennium begins on Earth and then a forever future in Heaven, with a New Jerusalem yet to come.
In conclusion – which is always a new beginning – Christianity can be explained by sharing the best of us in this world with others, to bring God’s best to others by sharing His Love and forgiveness. ‘Love Wins’ may be a catchy phrase, but it is a scriptural quote: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” By faith – the world is to know we are Christians by our Love.
Sending hopes of many blessings to you and your family now and throughout all the holidays this spring.
Jeremiah wasn’t joking when he warned that Babylon was going down. And as we know of real Babylon in this moment that took away Israelites for a 70 year captivity (sanctioned by God), we also know of Babylon’s demise. And often scholars will suggest that ALL nations eventually become corrupted into Babylon-like demise brought on by its own folly. A broken world plays like a broken record. Just skip from one era to another.
God’s people survive however. In this era, Israel is taken by Nebuchadnezzar who himself will go into the Lord’s correction. Another one of those times the Lord says: I’m handling this! “for I will forgive the remnant I spare.” And the Lord tells His people this too, for fortifying them, comforting them and allowing them to wait upon God.
That’s us too, wait upon God. I often think we need to both listen for Jesus calling but ALSO read the transcription records that He has been dictating FOR YEARS. Just like those secretarial spiral dictation copy pads for phone messages from the days past, we are to reread the recorded records of God’s Action Plans and whom He’s messaging. (AND WE GET TO READ AHEAD IN HIS WORD TOO)
There are two BIG messages here: Babylon and Babylon-like situations (where people oppose the Lord) are going down like to rock tied to Jeremiah’s scroll message (isn’t God good at demonstrations) – AND – the Lord is setting up His people for forever forgiveness and life (isn’t God good at restorations!).
Those going down: “I set a trap for you, Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the Lord. – …The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up…”
Those being rescued: “their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land…”
The Lord God says: “Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”
No one, especially not Babylon, nor any evil in this world.
If God is for us, who can be against us? Stick with Saving Grace.
Amen
—
Jeremiah 50:17-46 and 51:58-64
“Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture, and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan; their appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.
“Attack the land of Merathaim and those who live in Pekod. Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,” declares the Lord. “Do everything I have commanded you. The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction! How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations! I set a trap for you, Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the Lord. The Lord has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians. Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant. Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished.
Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the Lord our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple. “Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord.
“See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.
“A sword against the Babylonians!” declares the Lord — “against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men! A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become weaklings. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.
“So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns,” declares the Lord, “so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it.
“Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Babylon. The king of Babylon has heard reports about them, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?”
Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon, what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations.
…
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Babylon’s thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”
This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate forever.’ When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.’”
Because when you live in a broken world (and we are in one), we become broken too – we become judgmental – and we are seeing things that distract us from seeing the attractions of the good.
Gratefully we also see lots of GOOD!
Prime example was Friday night, a beautiful concert, beautiful acoustics, and a beautiful church. – The attraction of sitting down, ahh. But the distraction of my bad (but improving) back and those harsh unforgiving shaped 1800s church pews which kept you awake in the day. ouch. – The attraction of heat at my feet, wow, the pipe placed under these pews? Cool I mean HOT, as I tested it with my foot and it burned for a second, oops. An attraction plus a distraction, just don’t get too close to the heat. – The attraction of beautiful music, a tough to absorb contemporary piece about the Little Match Girl, a sad tale from folklore writing, so the distraction of desolations and death, wow, tough. – The distractions in this hour-long event helped me through, I counted the piece numbers from my pew until we were through. I watched the distractions of an energetic singer’s hair, captivated myself with the bells and unique instruments, and heard the occasional cough of some guests, all while trying to prevent mine… and the cough drops in my pocket for these allergies distracting me from spring. I also watched the woman in front of me on her phone reading the lyrics, and I couldn’t read them but I could see how long the song was and be thankful for short ones. Distractions were commonplace here (and some even I appreciated) – but all in all it was tough getting through.
The ATTRACTION of the last musical piece, representing HEAVEN and Salvation for the Match Girl, a beautiful song with beautiful singing – it was the freedom from the cruel world. Freedom from forgottenness by those more rich than she and freedom from the unforgiving reality of freezing to death, such harsh ignorance of human needs. And the finality of it all with a Heavenly tune consoled us in the pain of watching it all (watching the match girl’s plight) and not being able to help. Distraction.
Oh, but the ATTRACTION of Heaven in music, especially because I closed my eyes and absorbed the goodness of it all. The high notes were higher than any darkness of the dungeon, the harmony sweeter than any sour note of sorrow, the Heaven higher than any hurts. Heaven MUST be like that – above all – above distractions – above judgement. Above human failings and even allergies. No sour notes or stark seats – I think Heaven-focusing is glorious to appreciate living for the best attraction – amid the worst days of distraction. I think closing one’s eyes, like I did in the music, helps us in this world when wanting to be feeling Heaven – BUT opening up our eyes is BEST for us getting to Heaven and watching where Jesus steps us.
Open eyes and Open ears and Open hearts:
Jesus steps us forward by stepping up to see and help Match Girls and those like her in the crushed world.
Jesus calls us awake by calling us to hear lonely voices and help healing tones where we can add a harmony.
Jesus is in us, and we in Him, when we act in Him, look up with Him, and not be distracted by worldly down views. Jesus sees through the worldly view.
The ATTRACTION of Heaven is also in creating Heaven on earth. Let’s not get distracted from doing that.
Amen
Remember one thing of us in a broken world, DON’T let the brokenness break you. Focus on things above.
This post was from a couple years ago – a reminder of God’s faithfulness that day, 17MAR
I Heard the Lord – Stop being afraid, for I AM with you.
They called upon me to go to the work audit – not just any audit but the BIG audit – that had the whole building all abuzz… whew… I knew it was a possibility to go speak, I even kinda wanted the opportunity.
I didn’t have extra time to prep, we’ve been preparing for weeks, years. I had 30 minutes warning, I knew the ins and outs and loose ends and such of my small part of the big puzzle, but did not know what they specifically wanted to hear, but I really COULD talk for hours on the subject at hand. Obviously the best advice for me and everyone was/is: ‘Just ONLY answer what they ask. Make it SHORT and SWEET and SAIL OUT of there.’
I felt the nerves but not the fear. I KNEW I KNEW WHAT I KNEW. So joyous and smiling, decked out in St Patty’s GREEN. I went in, of course, to be SMART, the SME, Subject Matter Expert, with a SMILE.
The St Patrick’s prayer populated my palm, it really did land in my hand, in the form of a STICKER. Yes in handing out a pack of stickers with shamrocks and secular St Pats sayings, whoda thunk there WAS one in there for me. God did. A sticker to stick to me. I needed that prayer JUST THEN…
Let’s say there’s no luck but the blessed HOPE when the Holy Spirit hits like a Mack Truck.
Jesus says No Fear, Only Faith.
I read the St Patrick’s Prayer as I walked toward the audit, read it over again and my step slowed, as it calmed me. I walked out of my ego, while reading it, the first lines, the middle lines, the last 2 lines are what really humbling, a chance to be whatever God needs me to be at that moment. This is God’s walk that allows me to NOT trip up when I take a trip WITH Him.
Let us show Christ Himself, by walking in to SERVE. It’s better to NOT stand out as unknowing then be a standout for knowing.
God saved me today in the God way. By taking my way out of His way.
Yay.
Amen
…
The sticker:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
…
Amen and here’s the whole prayer:
St Patrick’s Prayer, 5th century
I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation
My Condensed Story for a presentation to our ladies at the women’s group – republished for this amazing season of Easter.
My Conversation from Soda Bread to Yeast-Leavened, 10MAR2015
While preparing for Communion this evening at UMW – I remembered back to a couple of years ago when I forgot to purchase the bread – oops – well luckily I had made Irish soda bread for the snack that night (was a recipe from my non-Irish but east European-heritage mom) – luckily we still were able to break bread with Pastor. So, yesterday, preparing for today I thought – I wonder if I should make Irish soda bread? I checked with Pastor and he said sure – if there was enough time to make it – well I never have enough time for anything – but I have learned how to make time – so I made some bread this morning – couldn’t find the recipe – but I got one off the web that said “on St. Patrick’s Day, save a spot on the table for Irish soda bread to remember how far the Irish have come from the days when it was the only thing on the table to today when our tables are filled with good things to eat and thoughts of the Famine years (An Gorta Mor) are long forgotten.”
Yes – we shouldn’t forget how far we have all come from our famine years – but for me that meant something different – it also means I forgot that yeast bread is traditional for communion
Yes – I remembered that I taught a Sunday school class – years prior – that used yeast as an example – used it for the living organism used to make bread and wine – and that Jesus was living and he was the one we are to remember when we break the communion bread –
The act of communion is to remember the last supper and the time just before Jesus was crucified, died and was risen – all for us – for each and every one of us… see Jesus was sent by God to show us the way to Heaven and to show us the way to Peace here on Earth – by LOVE – the greatest commandment is LOVE
Well, I knew that – but I forgot that – and I forgot that until I was thinking about Irish soda bread… I forgot that Sunday school lesson of using yeast bread as an example of Jesus. and baking soda is man-made – not alive… Irish soda bread represents man-made leavening… not God-made leavening…
Well, I also taught you a bible timeline and used yeast as an example of Jesus as a catalyst – where the addition of yeast to hydrogen peroxide and dish soap caused it to foam and overflow – and that this related to the spread of Christianity – that God sent Jesus to be the catalyst for change – to make the reaction go faster… and now I am going to tell you that when I taught that experiment about a year or more ago – that that experiment changed me – not just the chemicals – but it actually changed me –
Yes – that experiment is how I became a Christian… now, please believe me that I always loved God – and I even believed in the Holy Spirit – but I had a mental hang-up on whether Jesus was real – yeah I know, your president of UMW – a Sunday school teacher – person in charge of vacation bible school – I didn’t know if Jesus was really real – I didn’t know if he existed – if he was just another prophet with a good publicist… none of this cast doubt on God – but I doubted man-made stories – how could I really trust the new testament to be real..
Well – that yeast experiment opened my brain and I said – hmm… maybe God did send Jesus to be the catalyst of change – and I meditated on that – I prayed – I started to ask questions of my own belief system – you see – I had most everything in my head – but I didn’t’ accept it – I had it in my heart – but I didn’t allow my brain to believe it – and I was stuck – I needed help – I questioned myself – and I questioned a few trusted souls… and one day – three months ago today – Dec 10th – I wrote a 5 page diatribe out – I only shared it with one person (now a blessed and trusted friend) – for whom I asked to be non-judgmental – someone from whom I listened to guest sermons – in the safe sanctuary of my car – sermons that touched my heart AND my head – and made me think. And he always said at the end – “Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, to be changed by the Holy Spirit” – and offered at the end of the sermons to pray with you if you had any questions and movement in your heart…. so well, I took him up on that offer – and I sent him my 5 page diatribe – carried it out of embarrassment for a week hidden in my car and then I got up the nerve and sent it as well as two other pieces, Christmas Flood (Dec 17th) and Lego Christianity (Dec 18th), to him – and soon he replied that it was “very honest and intense in a good way” and that we would talk soon – and guess what? – literally the NEXT morning I pulled out of my section from a completely different entrance onto the main road and guess who was right across the street at the car repair shop – outside? Yup, our cars recognized each other -there he was… God placed him there I am sure… And in our 10 minute conversation, and in one a few days later…in those conversations I was able to be so honest about how I did not question God but I questioned what man may have made up… questioned what I believed in… that started a month of continued conversations with so many people from all sides of my life… including both scholars who showed me the data and the writings of the new testament…this led me down and up the narrow path…right into Jesus.
Yeah – that started a series of God-sightings, unexplained interventions in my spiritual life – Christmas – a flood of good things – I had so much going on that i had to figure out how to process this all – and I started to write – and guess what? I haven’t stopped writing since – I have written and written – I have over 150 pages – Dec/Jan is all processing and Feb is all praise… March is more processing and praise.
I have listened in my car to so many sermons (both from our guest sermonist and from Pastor (whose sermons do speak to me now – so differnt than before because my ears were CLOSED) and now I listen to others sermons, and of course praise songs in my car – my Subaru, that is my temple – I have read and studied the bible in it – especially when a verse of a song points me there… I listen to all the clues God places in my path. I am in a feeding frenzy – I have shared with first one person and then three and then a dozen – and now 100. I must say that my biggest vocal pep band leader-cheerleader – you name it …to reply to EVERY single one of my early essays – all 150 pages – was/is Pastor S…she has encouraged me like no other. And “K”, my pocket counselor, had been the most carefully conscious and concerned for me…truly a great friend…
and then, finally, on Jan 25th- I finally got a quiet moment to talk to Pastor – and he said “I KNEW!!” – you cannot imagine how blown away I was… what a joy for both of us! And that joy continues … New conversations, about faith, science, relationships, I am, we are, so blessed with an amazing Pastor!
With an original admission that was embarrassment and questioning – I grew into a sincere seeker – and GOD IS GOOD – He is so good – he has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams ever since – the small miracles and god-sightings i have seen – I have been a part of – well, I don’t’ have time to tell you everything now – but Praise the Lord, I have been writing them!
Yes, over 150 pages for this story. I would be glad to send the whole packet to anyone. I am not embarrassed now to tell my story…I have been empowered to tell it- I have been put here for a reason – and I don’t know why this was God’s timing – – I am 45 years old… God said now is your time to shine, so let’s fix this, let’s throw so many God sightings your way that you have no choice but to believe, and no choice but to tell your story, which is really God’s story, not mine.
When God put a mountain right in front of me and told me it was time to climb – well I had no choice to go anywhere else – I had to start climbing – I had to accept that this is where God was taking me -from skeptical cynic to sincere seeker in just over 50 days…I got to 99.44% pure, like ivory soap.
Then, I FINALLY GOT IT – and Feb 1, – Superbowl Sunday – after I had lunch with the women’s retreat planning women – which was immediately after I was blessed to hear from a wonderful friend part of their story of becoming a Christian. So, after lunch (where we saw an American Bald Eagle in flight), “K” offered for me to come for a cup of hot cocoa and decompression at her house… But I got lost and found my car near the 911 reflection garden – never been – that’s where I stopped and I went to hold the trade center steel beams – I held them and prayed for the 3000 lost, prayed they were found – and prayed for the evil doers in the world- I then went from 99.44% believer in Jesus to 100%. There were coins filling the inside of the beans and I flipped over a plastic gold coin that had John 3:16 on it – God so loved the world that he sent his only son – on superbowl Sunday – a scripture always tied to athletic events because of the signs people hold up – and for the first time ever – I KNEW I believed it – 100% . I was filled with warmth – I really believed it… first time ever…I became Christian 100%.
So – back to the soda bread story – I realized that I WAS the soda bread – leavened by man-made means and not risen to the level that GOD wanted me to be – I was not there – I am SO there now –
See I am half Irish but my other side is from a place I’m going to journey home to in only 2 weeks, over to Europe. My mother’s maiden name is xxxxxx which means CROSS… this speaks to me that I am not complete without Jesus… BOTH sides I need to be myself.. I need the cross of Jesus to make me whole.
I am so humbled to have God work on me and send the Holy Spirit to me. I am now the yeast bread…leavened by Jesus as the yeast…created by God’s will…filled with the Holy Spirit…And ready to share wherever and whenever God’s good news. I ask that we have communion with both breads…Have two pieces….yeast for those accepting, and soda bread for those who were like me, a few short month ago, pray that they become sincere seekers…Please pray for them to find their way.
I am in Pentecost – I am in thanksgiving – Christmas – a new year – Valentines – St. Patrick’s – lent – Easter and most definitely in Pentecost – the Holy Spirit is coming strong and sure – and blowing me to places unknown – and sending his energy and fire through me and into whomever I can see – I can talk to – and I can inspire – and yet – this is not any of my doing – I just let it happen – and all this is due to GOD… and if anyone is getting any ripple effect from this it is because they are just witnessing my witness, and then they themselves are allowing God’s Holy Spirit to work in them. It is not my doing….and I take no credit.
Praise God and may Jesus receive the honor He is due!!!
I used to be superstitious a little about Friday the 13th, full moons (except I truly once was in an emergency room once on a crazy full moon night), and just the phrase “Beware the Ides of March” – for March 15th – because the phrase itself I could say in deep foreboding tones… funny or fun or fundamentally wrong? Back luck is not a thing but certainly feels like a thing. Good luck is thought to a thing if you think of it as blessings. but luck is no luck at all – and the Ides of March only pertains to you if you are Greek, named Caesar, and have pre-meditating friends – yeah I fail at that in all 3 categories…
There is ONE thing that DOES pertain to the Ides of March – it is the birthday of our dear friend Miss Bonnie – crafter, glitter gem and Jesus lover extraordinaire. I remember distinctly when she was so proud to be bewared because she was born on the ides of March. Yeah she beware her bewonderful scarriness. Glitter everywhere…
I must say I miss her greatly, but am so glad she didn’t have to live through covid fear times… just no AC with her uncontrolled asthma was bad enough…
So a memory of sweetness… She loved the Lord and often wore a Jesus Reese’s peanut butter cup orange shirt… She visited elderly just as much as the kiddos… She KNEW Jesus was the Way through – through to Heaven – and Heaven she went to – sleeping from a diabetic coma but now dancing with Jesus.
For with God all things are possible – specifically salvationYES – and life – and even finding interesting ways to correct my oops-es! And I am guessing that me seeing the elephant (an actual image) in the room (over and over) was probably a sign that I completely missed the meaning of something small and yet BIG – yeah – yeah I did. Yeah – elephants AND camels are big. So – I had just finished my sermon writing for that Sunday – printed, closed the laptop, and turned around to see this cute elephant figurine in my house – well cute because I have an elephant theme going this day – I thought – and even later I saw an elephant photo on a store wall – hmmm… WELL, my elephant in the room was that I wrote the scripture of Mark 10:25 as an elephant not a camel – oops… It is easier for a camel [not elephant] to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Yeah.
Where did I learn this? That I had mis-spoke and even mis-posted? Not in the sermon or parishioners, but later in a car with me recounting my sermon scripture to my wienermobile-travelling friends who certainly knew best on this one. Oh how we laughed – because the reason I have such a wienermobile connection with my friend is that I messed up previously and gave her a candy dish that I was so excited to give her and it was a peanut not a hot dog – OH! my brain switched the peanutmobile and wienermobile, oops… maybe someday we can ride in the peanutmobile for me, LOL. My mistake made a better more fun history of our hot diggity doggedness of friendship. Well, my switch of an elephant for a camel was just my brain being, you guessed it, HUMAN!
This connection with others, others who know their scriptures, is one of those great opportunities for iron to sharpen iron as I was simply wrong, and I (we) do need correction and polishing – and it is no big deal and the elephant in the room for me is that probably I was too distracted by worldly things anyway. Now, here is some folklore not in the bible: some say that the “eye of the needle” is a passageway or gate to Jerusalem and camels had to be unloaded to enter – thus a rich man would have to unload his wealth too… Hmmm… yet there are just as many credible sources that say the opposite – that there is no proof of a gate or passageway like that… Oh well – I guess we will have to ask the Lord when we see Him…
Three of the four gospels carry this story – and in Luke, Jesus says: “Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches…” TRUTH – it is not just a warning against riches – it is a warning about trusting any money over trusting HIM. We get focused upon the money aspects of that story but really it is all about TRUST – it is if we TRUST the Lord with directing our days – pointing the Way – and having His say.
One more BIG elephant in the room is me needing to get back to my Jeremiah scriptures – and in one chapter I find 2 BIG elephants – one is that Babylon is going to fall – such strong language by the Lord’s prophesy to Jeremiah in chapter 50 – and the OTHER BIG blessed elephant, in the room of my scripture immersion, is that the Lord is sending a Savior – verse 34 “Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name.” It would have been such a comfort to those in Jeremiah’s time that the Lord had this under control. And it should be for us today too. Where are we in believing that too? I pray we all do see the Lord’s control and gifts and promises.
May we not see the elephant in the room but instead focus on the Lord in our view – Let Him lead us – Salvation is His to give. May we ever be faithful enough to TRUST. Trust is the key to this scripture – trust not in riches nor your own understanding – trust in the Lord.
With the Lord it IS Possible.
Amen
Amen
—
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
—
Mark 10:21-27 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
—
Matthew 19:21-26 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
—-
Jeremiah 50:1-34 A Message About Babylon This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians: “Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say, ‘Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.’ A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both people and animals will flee away. “In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’
“Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock. For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. So Babylonia will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,” declares the Lord. “Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions, your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations— a wilderness, a dry land, a desert. Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate. All who pass Babylon will be appalled; they will scoff because of all her wounds.
“Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the Lord. Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the Lord, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others. Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to their own people, let everyone flee to their own land.
“Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour them was the king of Assyria; the last to crush their bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture, and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan; their appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare. “Attack the land of Merathaim and those who live in Pekod. Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,” declares the Lord. “Do everything I have commanded you. The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction! How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations! I set a trap for you, Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the Lord. The Lord has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians. Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant. Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished. Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the Lord our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple.
“Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord. “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – That is a great reminder of scripture, Psalm 90, which urges us to learn and watch the Lord put us into focusing upon the importance of life, of listening to the Lord’s Will for us. Number our days and be productive, yes. Number our days and pay attention, 100%. AND numbering our days gives us something to do while we are waiting – YES. Number our days and keep moving through them making the most of every opportunity.
I have often said that Jesus gives us pause where the devil gives up panic. We have an agenda and if disrupted, many might curse the Lord – but it is our worldliness which is a curse – and we must apply trust – we also must remember when we DO see something that the Lord has led us too – like people and events – to give Him the Glory.
Yesterday I was tired of hearing the wind howling, as it had been for 2 whole days – silly thing to be upset about – but the noise was bothering me – I just wanted the quiet and the change. Whom am I to be annoyed by the wind – that is not my call – there are much worse things in the world. the wind is done now. I also was debating yesterday – was I OK to drive – now that my back is subsiding in pain (still with ice and ibuprofen) – I was – and I both MUST appreciate when I was told and made to BE STILL and now when I am able to move, MOVE. My craving for chicken made me move – and when I got to the store I met an old friend who was now working there. Cool Lord! I was looking at the pile of dishes and of laundry and then when I was able to do them – I thanked the Lord. Just the other day – my bad back made me alter plans and I was able to accept some big balloons for a neighbor who had not yet gotten home from shopping for a party. Interesting timing. And of course my biggest squeal to be sitting quietly and all of a sudden I got the call to go see that wienermobile – wow! Do number my moments Lord and let me know that I am paying attention to the right things. One more crucial moment on friday (before my back went out), I was telling my friends about something I had done, helping people, and my friend said (with others listening) – “wow, you are definitely going to heaven” – and I was able to correct gently and excitedly that I was giving a sermon about that exact thing – that it is not our good works that bring us to Heaven – because with man it is impossible – but with Jesus – with God – it is POSSIBLE! and this was a teaching to three listeners, cool. AH – see trusting the Lord to put us in the right place and right time. He does.
Lord, teach me to number my days and find those ways to glorify and teach about YOU!
Amen
Psalm 90:1-12
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death – they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.
We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Our Jesus Calling devotional book for today is so fitting – as God is – Written by Sarah Young for March 12th – written as if Jesus is speaking this: “Waiting, trusting, and hoping are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is the response from My children that I desire the most. Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, to evidence that you really do trust Me. If you mouth the words, “I trust You” while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow. Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritance in heaven. However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present. Because you are Mine, you don’t just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust. Keep your “antennae” out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.John 14:1 ESV
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for theLord! Psalm 27:14 ESV
What a crazy blessing – after my Sunday Sermon which was sharing that we need to be ready to meet whomever God wants us to meet this day – to Follow Jesus – I was home icing my sore back when my friends called me up “out of the blue” and say they couldn’t believe it – but the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was actually in our neck of the woods! WOW – And so they picked me up – and we all swooped up into the fun for the surreal flow of the day. It was so good, it was like the Lord was leading the Way – HE IS!
Our fun was also our amazement – and the 2 Hotdoggers crew were as nice as nice could be – and bonded immediately with my friend whose dream it was to do that job – travel around – and spread JOY! YES! Meat-ing the two Hotdoggers was the best and experiencing the rest was wrapping the “BUN of FUN” around the real amazeMEAT of the moment. May the special sauce of Love surround these young HotDoggers in their travels – for them to remain safe!
YES, ALWAYS an amazing story for my friend of my same age, a partner in silly fun, who has been blind since being a teenager but always wanted to drive this Wienermobile! Well at least she got to ride in it! The connection she made with the two Hotdoggers crew was fabulous, and she went back to bring me to meet them because there’s a funny history of me confusing the Peanutmobile and Wienermobile, oops. ANYWAY, this was FUN! And certainly only a very few people get to ride!!! Aren’t we blessed! One of the last people was Drew Barrymore – and she was in tears to see it.
I knew this was a divine incident of JOY – I KNEW God orchestrated this – because when Jesus says: FOLLOW ME – He walks us into the good times just as much (actually much more) than the tough days. THIS WAS A GREAT DAY – JOY IS IMMEASURABLE AND APPRECIATED!
They named us ‘Little Links’ and ‘Tailgate’ and our dear mom-mom ‘Sizzlin’ and even ‘Ketchup’ for her guide dog, plus me ‘Hot Diggity Debbie’, we were blessedly connected with our new adopted daughter drivers, hotdoggers ‘Chlo-Wienie’ and ‘ChilliCheeseMC’!!! Sweetest of college graduates, in marketing, picked from thousands of applicants, now in their one year stint as JOY ambassadors! WOW, 9 months so far. Blessed beyond Wienerwords! RELISHED THE FUN!!!
They spread JOY. People love this. I felt amazed to be a small part of riding along – like earlier that day I gave a sermon to Follow Jesus, with a benediction to go out and meet the people He would want us to meet, but I COULD NEVER HAVE ENVISIONED THIS! The connection was so easily fostered by my fun and loving friend, and after we heard that we would ride at the end of the shift – we went into the grocery store and got them gift bags of snacks and coffee gift cards, it brought them nearly to tears. They enjoy this opportunity but rarely get home. I am glad we were able to share this love – but it is really all my friend’s enthusiastic love – which of course is from the Lord – because God IS Love and Life.
Loved the people’s faces with lots of car horns honking and that great jingle as their horn! “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener!” Started in 1936, oh how the people loved looking at this sweet ride. Well – I can only say that every day may we hop on the sweet ride of excitement – one step at a time. Keep on rolling!
Blessed on this Jesus Journey to share in the JOY!!!
My Sunday Sermon for Lenten season = based on Mark 10:7-31
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” – “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” – Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” – At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” – The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” – Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” – “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
You may have heard or seen those cool hip new “let’s give this up for lent” lists – Instead of chocolate, give up x y z. – like gossiping and judging, give up negativity, give up fear, etc etc… it is a reminder to NOT focus on what we physically give up but mentally and culturally and emotionally where we can be better – work on traits we desire to have – And I was thinking that in our scripture today, Jesus asked this Rich man to give up the money yes – give to the poor – but to GIVE UP CONTROL – give up our time – and to follow Him most closely – yes – He also uses these scriptures to remind us that with Jesus, we are able to TRY to give up complaining, and our worldly-focus – and to be more able to live the abundant life that He gifts us… And isn’t the strength that we gain from following Jesus that allows us to do x y z. Like – being less self-focused and be more Jesus focused. We give up – but we take in – we take in Jesus.
What about time, if we trust the Lord and live our time more wisely, does it make a difference? Yes. Of course = you folks may have experienced what I have experienced these last couple days – the generosity of friends. They have blessed me. And this reminds me that the moments when the Lord says “follow me and use ourselves in our good health to be active and mobile and do things – DO THEM! (a secular example is when I saw the huge line at the drive thru at chik fila during the pandemic and even now – and just said I should use my good legs and walk in – and walk out – order on the app and keep moving!) AND THEN – in our days of NOT MOVING – also to find opportunity in any times of bad health, to BE STILL – which of course I always need that reminder. TO BE STILL and know that He is God… and to keep praying. My friend who has a near 100 year old mother on hospice, she reminds that the people in the worst of health still have STRONG PRAYER as their MOST important job…
So – in this Following Jesus scripture about the rich man and the disciples – the continuation of this Lenten journey of learning about Jesus and the interactions with individual people – which Barb and Jen have preached about – the point that struck me also strikes us: This rich man followed rules that he was told, but Jesus also asked: follow me. Jesus says FOLLOW ME.
In the section of the book which was given to me, “Lent for Everyone”, the author uses this funny story to convey the deeper and deeper images of Jesus that we see in this passage – the story involves selling three different types of binoculars – that one basic type can see only just so far and the next level up purchase sees further and further. The seller says to the customer: “with these binoculars you can see the church clock half a mile away” – and with these binoculars you can read the lips of what the vicar is saying to the people – but with THIS set – and he takes out the biggest monstrous pair – ‘well these bring you SO close that you can hear the choir singing.’ – yeah – THAT CLOSE. The author was trying to convey a deeper and deeper understanding of what Jesus was saying when He talked to the rich man and the disciples – and to us as we are journeying with Jesus – it is so crucial for us looking at all three parts of this scripture to bring us closer to what He wants to teach us to draw us closer to God and to Himself. We not only want to hear the choir but sing in His Choir. So, let’s look at the journey of understanding the three conversations. The first revealed conversation is with the rich man himself – to more than simply “follow all the rules” – even if they are not so simple to follow. The second conversation is just a bit deeper – with the disciples, and the author of the book passage stating that the disciples jaws must have dropped when Jesus spoke to the rich man in that way – wondering why He didn’t “close the deal” and invite the man to come “as he was”… It WAS an interesting statement by Jesus – ‘it is tougher for an CAMEL to go thru the EYE of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven’(FYI – The “Eye of the Needle” was a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.)… Geeze, wow… but Jesus also blesses the disciples later by telling them that they will gain more and more family and more and more abundant life of the promises of Heaven… and the third conversation – who can be saved – those lenses of the binoculars which are so strong that we can hear the choir singing – which you know is impossible – is the statement that Jesus tells Peter – that with man it IS impossible – but with Jesus – with God – all things are possible…
I actually heard an amazing opportunity to share this message just this week – but it was from hearing a misleading statement from a person of faith – she found out of the good deeds of another and said “wow – they are DEFINITELY going to Heaven!” – wow but not wow – I have heard that statement so many times and people believe it – yet it isn’t our good deeds – our goodie two shoes – our rule following – but our JESUS following – with man it is IMPOSSIBLE – but with Jesus – it is ALL POSSIBLE!
Have you ever seen those cartoons where the person is so close to the object that they can’t see it? I saw a cartoon and these people were against an elephant and extremely curious but giving their own evaluation – and said things about the elephant “it’s a rope” (it was the tail) – “it’s a spear” (it was the tusk) – “it’s a wall – “it’s a fan – it’s a tree” etc – people look at only the small things in front of them and they can’t always grasp the big picture – this sometimes prevents them from going further – from making a life changing response when they only see a limited view – So in our story, could this rich man NOT see far enough ahead – was that the problem? – or simply could he NOT see that the teacher right in front of him was more than just the rabbi – that He, Jesus, was and is God? The disciples sort of saw it – God actually had not opened the eyes of everyone’s hearts yet. And even when God opens the hearts of many – including us – we STILL won’t be able to see the whole journey – we are told the end destination but these ups and down along the way? We need trust – Jesus says take one day at a time – let tomorrow worry about itself.
This rich man stood there, face to face with His God. Most likely he was thinking Jesus was a teacher, a healer, an advice giver – and yet when he and we say “master”, we then still have to decide to be a follower. Maybe the man thought that Jesus would give Him an easy answer. Well, for Jesus this answer WAS EASY – it was and is FOLLOWME – I not only know the way – I am the way the truth and the life. Was this man ready to believe that – could he do that? We know that he went away sad. But (forgive me Lord for dreaming) we don’t actually know if He came back. We don’t know if years later he re-blessed others with His wealth. Jesus didn’t say the man couldn’t be involved in knowing how he was blessing. Maybe after seeing Jesus raised from the dead the rich man was able to re-decide to follow Jesus. It’s a process to get enough courage to trust Jesus. So, I’m hopeful for Him. I know that we are only looking at a snapshot – so wouldn’t you love to run into this man in Heaven and hear him say: YES – Jesus IS the Way.
We do know he was very sad was shocked and he was so close to the real answer of salvation, so close he didn’t know it. Part but not whole. One of my favorite scriptures these days is “when completeness comes, what is in part disappears” – “Now I know only in part – then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
What did the rich man tell Jesus that he successfully did? From childhood? Followed the commandments – yes. There’s a stained-glass window in the back of our church which has the beautiful image of 2 tablets. In Exodus and Deuteronomy we know from Moses’s time the scriptures of the 10 commandments and from Jesus the greatest commandments to love – we can hear this imploring ASK: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
When I remember the great Charlton Heston scenes in Ten Commandments movie about Moses saying ‘Let my people go’ – and the parting of the Red Sea, and of the tablets but recently now – every time I see this image of the commandments for the last month, I am reminded of this little Itty bitty scroll craft that I got from a girl scout event called “Thinking Day”. It was from a table of Girl Scouts representing the country of Israel. It is two Smarties rolls of candy which are covered in a paper to look like a Torah – and the two tablets image is printed on the front. Isn’t that cool? And I love how they MAYBE took (before gobbling up the sweetest candy) that they took a short moment to realize that these represent – the 10 commandments, the basis of the law given by God – shared by Moses – to the future descendants and to all of us as Gentiles, are God’s instructions to follow Him. The commandments are of God’s advice to help those folks stay holy. And perhaps this rich man DID keep to the commandments best he could – and I am sure he, like in Moses’s time, make the sacrificial offerings that were pleasing to God – but what about us? Where is our sacrifice – well – is it JUST in giving up many things – and we know that we should – but God knew and knows our humanness, it is SO hard to give up as well as satisfy all the commandments, especially the one about jealousy. Apostle Paul the prolific writer said that commandment was the near impossible one for him to follow.
The rich man WAS dismayed when Jesus told him to give up everything and “Follow Me”. Jesus told the disciples that they, who did give up their day to day lives, would recover their losses many-fold. God would cover it and cover them in the present and the future.
All throughout the old testament, the prophets do tell us that the Lord’s Promise Covenant will RESTORE His faithful. Restore if not in the present then in the forever future. We know of Jesus Himself being the Promise, come to earth for that FULFILLMENT in the New Covenant when the old was broken by the people – and Jesus came Himself be that Sacrifice – to satisfy the law and the prophets, Jesus Himself was able to explain how He came to teach and preach but especially to reach. Jesus also taught that we have FULFILLMENT yet to come.
So – from this craft – and from our own knowledge – where is the sweetness here? – of following the rules – or of giving of ourselves – where is the inner POSSIBLE to the impossible in following all the commandments and more – well Jesus IS the possible – the sweetness to the core – the hope and the promise. The MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER. We HAVE to unwrap this sweetness – HIS SWEETNESS – open the door for Jesus – listen – and FOLLOW. Like this GIANT roll of candy [ show the giant tube of Smarties candy ] He is our BIG SWEET !
The zoom lenses: Let’s rehear what Jesus says to Peter (knowing that the others also would hear), it is verse 27 of that gospel of Mark: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” – “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “[no one who has left home or family for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.]”
The phrase ‘along with persecutions’ tells us that Jesus did not sugarcoat it. But Jesus told them of the gain. The sweetness that comes along with any sorrow.
It’s not a new concept for us. Came into this world with nothing. We are going to leave and we can’t take anything with us. Dust to dust ashes to ashes we remember in this Lenten season. So as “your treasures are in heaven”, these material things are just going to get eaten by moths. We are reminded that items and money is a tool.
Let’s think back to that loaves and fishes scene – The disciples said ‘[send them away. Lord, we don’t have enough. We don’t have the money to buy stuff for everybody on this hill]’… Isn’t that what we say when we look at the problems of the world? We don’t have enough for all, let alone me and my family and it makes us less likely to give…. But we can imagine that Jesus wants to take care of His family – of us – of all – and when we give of ourselves to Jesus – he multiplies what we give. Another example, how about the woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive oil. Which Jesus said was in preparation for his burial. She didn’t mind how precious and expensive it was. But here was her Lord. How about the widow who gave her last 2 mites. Jesus said she gave out of her faith.
So doesn’t he make money into a tool just like everything else that can be used for good works. We certainly know that we get blessed when we share for God’s Glory.
—
We get hung up on the money part of the story – because we live in a society that is fearful of not having enough money – or losing money that you worked hard to get. But think most closely to this conversation between the man and Jesus –when we take any road where Jesus says “Follow Me” – know that He is THAT CLOSE – we are so close that we realize He is the possible to get us thru anything. – He is the known.
Jesus is asking this man and us not merely for willingness to give up, but to go – to listen and go. Jesus is calling and yet sometimes we put him on hold. Some even hang up the phone. We instead need Jesus on speed dial. When the going goes tough, the tough get going to Jesus.
Best yet, we need to remember that He is walking with us. We should follow Him because He’s following us. And because He called us first. This is why we are walking in this Lenten season with Him to give up those things that prevents us from seeing Him clearly, seeing His mission for us here on earth. He gave up Heaven to come to earth – surely we can give up a little earth…
Yes, sure, we might as well give up our treasures on earth (we aren’t taking them with us are we), remember what Jesus asked – give to the poor – well that doesn’t mean we give until we are poor – but give untilwe are RICH – rich in JOY – rich in seeing – and rich in Jesus shared. The poor don’t have to be poor moneywise but what about poor in spirit – like friends who are lonely – we could “spend” some of our precious time with them. Give away your time. What about poor in faith – poor in understanding they are loved – poor in hope. Give away Hope and God will make more for you and all. Jesus wants us to follow His lead and love one another. Jesus says Follow me – do what I do – and be blessed for it in Heaven.
It is the strength and commitment that we get from following Jesus that give us fruits of His Spirit to share. It is also the love and joy we get from following Jesus that it gives us the ability to see HIM as the Gain over any of the lost.
I often talk about Christmas the hermit crab, He gives up, naturally and routinely lots of parts of his body – parts that he could fend off attacker with – what a crazy thing – but he will make more – he has to find a safe space to do so. And so he NEVER gives up his shell. He never gives up the protection which really is SO STRONG. He gives up the time to molt (he has lots of time, do we?). He gives up strength to molt, do we? Can we allow ourselves and forgive ourselves to be weak, and let the Lord be strong? Maybe we are easily weak, but can we even give up the pride of faking it thru life? Can we simply say, “I need You Jesus?!” and will we recognize that He is more than just a shell of protection – He is our sweetest we never have to give up. Jesus – we never have to give up His protection – His shell – and His new life in us and us in Him.
The last and MOST important part of this rich man’s interaction with Jesus = Jesus looked at him and loved him – Jesus is GOD and GOD IS LOVE. Jesus could only love him. Jesus was filled with love – Jesus knows the love that saves. With man – impossible – but with God everything is possible. What a marvel to know that He loved and loves us so much that He gave up His life for us, His friends.
Well, my agenda is just that: ‘my agenda’ and we need to check our agendas more, sometimes at the door but sometimes at the floor, when kneeling at the feet of Jesus.
My experience will tell you, His plan is what we should explore.
We need to check the plan against His plan of the day, against His say, along The Way.
I am sad to say – my back kinda went out today.
No i didn’t’ throw it out and away – it walked then just RAN away.
I have been here before, I know I will be OK.
But for now, I just have to say “Hey!
.
I understand Lord, when you say You wish for me to have plans to go YOUR WAY.
So at Your feet I now pray.
.
OK I appreciated yesterday –
I read the Jesus Calling later in the day –
when I was checking with the Lord – “am I being too ambitious today?”
Well, I kept moving as I waited for Him to enter His opinions and His Say.
And I am glad I was ‘allowed’ to finish my work and call it a day.
I was still allowed to move my moves throughout the day.
I even got in a quick walk – because I am way out of shape – WAY!
When my back goes out – or any day,
The Jesus Walking Way is Best Medicine, OK and Hurray!
.
So, yesterday, as I finished a project late in the day,
I slid into the car knowing there would be much pain today.
And now? Well – close to home is where I will stay.
I did sleep last night but a few times yelled “HEY!”
.
So what did Jesus Calling blog say yesterday?
To get out of your own way.
Seek My Face in your day.
I will turn your attention to My Way.
.
Amen – and thanks Lord – everyday.
—-
Jesus Calling – March 8th
Save your best striving for seeking My Face. I am constantly communicating with you. To find Me and hear My voice, you must seek Me above all else. Anything that you desire more than Me becomes an idol. When you are determined to get your own way, you blot Me out of your consciousness. Instead of single-mindedly pursuing some goal, talk with Me about it. Let the Light of My Presence shine on this pursuit, so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart. Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.
1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Matthew 6:33 ESV
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Let me take a moment to explain Christian faith – which I know ‘By Faith’. So, I will not be able to explain all of Christianity religions, as there are hundreds of denominations – yet I can speak to the understanding that our Christian faith is to be understood as a relationship over a ritualistic religion. A defining of deity for Christians would certainly be that we follow Christ, Jesus Christ, and that we respect and understand a Divine Trinity of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy Spirit, three in One. The Holy Spirit in the world today and inside each Christian who is ‘moved by the Spirit’ always is to point back to Jesus as our Lord and our Savior. Jesus came into the world 2000 years ago in the flesh (Emmanuel – God with us). Jesus Himself walked the earth for approximately 33 years and is recorded in the New Testament for His teachings and also for His miracles and His mercy. The New Testament also includes the Acts of the Apostles (those who followed Jesus closely in Jesus’s time), the early church, the spreading of the teachings to make disciples of Jesus, and the revelation of Jesus coming again. One of the understandings of Christianity is that Jesus did miracles to point back to ‘the Word’ – which means that Jesus wanted to show that He came to do His Father’s Will – and to fulfill the prophesies of His coming – of His death and resurrection – and of Him coming again. Jesus ALWAYS pointed back to God the Father as the ultimate One in control – Jesus spoke of His short time on earth – but also of His sending the Holy Spirit to help each of us in the world.
By Faith, a known of Christianity is that we are ‘not of this world’ but of Heaven. Jesus came to allow us to gain access back to heaven and to eternity with God our Father, but covering all our sins – by ‘covering us with His blood’ to be white as snow and forgiven of sin. The key aspect of Christianity is that we are to understand that with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible. And thus Jesus came to earth to fulfill both those prophesies of His coming and of His journey – as well as be the ‘fulfillment of the Law’ which means that the Old Testament requirement for adherence to the laws handed down by God to Moses in the 10 commandments. Because we refer to the lack of adherence to the 10 Commandments as the brokenness of the people, God put in a system of sacrificial rituals, in Old Testament times. Because of this broken system – with broken people ever since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden broke the original sin – ate of the tree that was forbidden for them to eat from – thus distancing themselves from God’s closest companionship – a system of sacrifice was allowed and required to repair the rift. The Plan from the beginning (we say even before the beginning of time) is that God was planning this ‘New Covenant’ – defined and achieved as ‘redemption’ by Jesus entering the world and then being sacrificed as the ultimate sacrificial lamb – a ransom for all sins of all people. Jesus as fulfilment of now both the laws and the prophesies. What does Jesus ask and require of people to receive this redemption? That we love God and that we love one another. The redemption is from Him, the response is the request of forgiveness of sins (old and current), and the relationship is restored between God and us.
Where do we learn this? We are asked to read the Holy Bible – both Old and New Testaments – and we are asked to look for the relationship – as Jesus lives now in our hearts. God is love – and we love because He first loved us.
By Faith – we believe and experience that when Jesus calls to us as our Shepherd, we hear and understand His Voice – because we all know that the world has so many conflicting noisy distractions clamoring for our attention. By faith we also know in Christianity that the evil in the world is created and fostered by the opposite of the Love of God – by a fallen angel named Satan. By faith, we know from the first readings in the book of Genesis, that Jesus as Messiah would come to crush the head and the power of the devil, and the win over sin and death is already accomplished by the ransom of Jesus for our sins. We also know that Jesus will come again into the world, at any time, to complete the purpose of silencing the devil in all ways. We await that day now, just as the devoted in the old testament times awaited the first coming of Christ. We await that second coming.
By Faith – we are in this world and we make the best of this world and we bring God’s best to it by sharing His Love. “Love Wins” may be a catchy phrase – and it is scriptural: ‘Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.’
By faith – they are to know we are Christians by our Love.
I don’t know how the Lord did it, but ONCE AGAIN, He processed me through a day FULL with many OVERLAPPING activities that I didn’t know how it would all fall in place. Well, they did. He did. And I even had extra time. Weird. Wonder. Weird. Wow. Not that strange a set of circumstance, sure, so even less a problem for the Lord to lead. But I couldn’t see it. (He could.)
There’s a song with the lyrics that essentially says ‘I am lost exactly where I should be’. Yup. It actually says: “maybe aimless, maybe lost, right where I need to be”… Yup…
May I always have days that He pieces together, even if it’s just in the timing… May I start with Him first.
If I’m lost – may I look for the Lord.
If I’m confused – how about I ask the Lord.
If I just don’t know – let me pray to remember that the Lord knows.
If I boast, let me boast in the Lord.
The Lord is wise.
The Lord is strong.
The Lord is rich.
The Lord is kind.
The Lord is just.
The Lord has righteousness.
I don’t have own any of these attributes except to understand (and may I always understand) that being lost in the moment brings the hope and hammering out of life, which comes from the Lord.
The Lord IS.
We delight in His Insight.
Amen
This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24
Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,” says the Lord.
You might think that’s a headline of the day, but it’s thousands of years ago. God preserves His remnant of Israel, always. It may be a long road – winding and wandering – but God’s people are preserved by God’s Power
And others are condemned by God too: Your fierceness has deceived you, The pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
God means business – this scripture is but one meaning business for the these village areas and peoples around the scattered areas of Israelites are but a few of the wrath-recipients from a God, Who means business. He destroys and He builds up too, but chapters 47, 48, 49 of Jeremiah are pretty harsh. Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa – Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam – Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa.
“I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,” declares the Lord. “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,” declares the Lord.
SO, God destroys what He warns He will be against – there’s no stopping God’s Plan.
The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the Lord has spoken.
I can’t give you much of my own wisdom as to why, scholars (I am not) could trace all these lineages I know. There’s a reference to Esau, and we do know that God divided the brothers, Jacob and Esau, and their offspring to be in coexistence but against each other.
We could look at all this as ANCIENT history, buy it’s not. Conflict arises always. Remember the parable of the grain and the weeds, Jesus told, the evil is planted in the fields by the devil from the times of Adam. Evil and conflict is nothing new under the Sun. We just have to be our Shining best despite the challenges of the day.
God builds up too.
Pausing to Process God’s Power, we should remember God’s got this, God’s got a plan, God will send help in a Messiah. God uses evil even for His Advantage. It will all finish at one point – and peace will reign when Jesus comes again.
Go God Go! But Mercy please Lord, rescue Your people and protect all the innocents in the crossfire – yes Lord, protect me and protect all, please, under Your Wings.
I’ve come back to the old testament, major prophet, Jeremiah, chapter 46, and he’s telling us of the conflict and win of Babylon over Egypt, of the warnings and rescues. There are descendants of Jacob that the Lord is attending to, correcting and protecting, and they have scattered.
“Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure;…”
And the Lord’s Promise Covenant will RESTORE His faithful. Restore if not in the present then in the forever future. Jesus Himself being the Promise came to earth for FULFILLMENT of the Promise and was able to explain this as He taught. He then explained that we have FULFILLMENT yet to come.
Think of the rich man who was dismayed when Jesus told him to give up everything and “Follow Me”. Jesus told the disciples that they, who did give up their day to day lives, would recover their losses 100-fold. God would cover it and them in the present and the future.
Isaiah wrote in His Prophecy, that the Messiah, the Christ, would come. A new book, also for beach reading, will be “Be Comforted” by teacher William Wiersbe, based on Isaiah. The whole Bible has one-fourth of its writing devoted to prophesy. The Light shining is that of truth and hope. How hard it is to remember to be strong and courageous in today’s troubles – well Jesus has left us many a legacy to learn and trust and look for Him.
The Lord gives us, the past, the present, the future, AND the FULFILLMENT.
Let us start our day, our week, our moment with knowing the Promise fulfilled. These are temporary times, so keep keepin’ on. And keep moving forward.
Amen
—
Jeremiah 46:25-28
The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.
“Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord. “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not.completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”
—
Mark 10:24-31
Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
We love the scripture encouragement from Jeremiah 29 – where God states: He knows the plans for us – keep us and give us hope and a future. REALLY, I could and should READ this everyday! And especially because He is talking about knowing where we are supposed to be: today, tomorrow, and ALWAYS.
I’m reading about the RAPTURE in David Jeremiah’s book “The Great Disappearance” AND isn’t his last name cool “coincidence” because I am also in the Book of Jeremiah. It is fitting as I ponder that we are technically exiled here on Earth – not yet in God’s full Kingdom come – but that we WILL be – we will return to be with Him as Jesus returns to be with us totally in forever. Yes, due to our blessed REDEMPTION in Jesus. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
So – I sat down into a wonderful situation – a welcoming of friends at a dinner – and I saw their amazing welcoming faces, great view from my end of the table – it was SO INVITING that I had to take a photo of these friends. I knew as I thought about it later, that God was setting me up for the best. Not just for the best dinner and it was really good, not just because it had been paid for and it had, but because it reminded me that He has plans for me. Plans that are refreshing and rapturous to be back with Him.
I will tell you that I recognized just in that dinner and in the faces of friends, that it was how I thought I would sit down at HIS TABLE in Heaven – welcomed, paid for, well-fed. Yes, just in one dinner I could tell you that we are all blessed to be the guest of the Lord – oh just at that moment how God was rescuing me from the worry of the world, the worry of work, the worry of wanting. Just like I knew at dinner that the Lord gives me (us) people to take care of me in friendship, He gives us foster-ing care when we find ourselves in failing places too. Yes, we are to be led to see that we have been in this place before, realizing that the Lord sets us up again and again for great RECOVERY.
SO – dinner and a show? Will it be rapturous for us in these times of the Lord – I am sure it will be – so then since we are refreshed with this look at our futures – let us get back to inviting the others to dinner and speaking how the Lord is making a place setting appealing for them. We know that God doesn’t want anyone to be left behind – keep preaching, teaching and reaching
Listen to our Jesus’s speech (one of 3 main scriptures starting the David Jeremiah book): Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3
AMEN
Jeremiah 29:1-14 NIV
This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin[a] and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
—
(from the book: 2 more scripture references)
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” – “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” – The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
I stood in a shell of a room, at my neighbor’s house, being redone, stripped down and tons of fresh drywall, fresh extra insulation too, awaiting plaster and paint. After post-chimney-fire renovations, that wall and the whole room gets a fresh start in a near 70yr old house. I loved the big window. I want that type of window in my house (custom made, they said) as I want to redo a few spaces, including that window, but they are not really super pressing. But yeah maybe just that window with the tax return…. Hmmmm…
Why does God rebuild us into “A NEW CREATION“? To update us to the latest model? No. He simply wants to strip down our characters to the beams and frame that He made us with, inspect them, and reduce the decay, He wants to increase the heating and cooling efficiency, and put in a workable window into our souls. He can vent us better that way, because He can let our steam out. God can see in and see throughout because He is the only Light illumination needed. We can be seen increased in glow, for HIS Shine goes through the window of our hearts. We can also close our windows (and walls) like Armor of God, and know we are safe inside. He puts in the anchor points for tethering our extra new siding. We are blessed to ask for these improvements and for the extra layers of Him. “to be further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life”… These things to keep us marching through the world. To SHINE!
Maybe I will replace that window of mine this spring. That window leaks and maybe because the whole wall needs to be redone, it might be the right time to work on it. Not a dream of upgrading just to upgrade – but in actuality improve function, to stop the losses and to gain the warmth. Yes, my old room model just improved, because I already know God bought me new insulation, HIM.
Praise God for the fix-me-up.
Amen
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5 NKJV – Assurance of the Resurrection
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
The Judgment Seat of Christ – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
Be Reconciled to God – For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV – The Armor of God – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
If you need a short word FROM the LORD, this is the perfect one: “I GOT YOU.“.
OH BARUCH, hired writer scribe for Jeremiah, was swept away in the turmoil of the day. The news writer and cameraman with a PRESS vest, the canary in the coal mine, and BARUCH. All God-gifted reporters.
Baruch was scared, cried out, and God specifically called him back, called to him through the prophet. God said: ‘I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.’ WOW!
God did give the best advice, which He tells us all the time: “Don’t seek great things for yourself!” Don’t get swept away with material flesh-serving lifestyles. Yes. God wants to bestow the goodness on us. And if God is doing correction to a situation (as He was to Israelites sneaking off to think they would prosper in Egypt rather than be captive to Babylon), then yes, let God protect you before He has to correct you.
Let God protect you before He has to correct you.
Let God bless you and keep you.
Let God be the Glory.
Let God write YOUR (and HIS)STORY.
AMEN
.
Assurance to Baruch -Jeremiah 45
The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.” ’
“Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” ’ ”
Ok, I get carried away and don’t get back to my reading and writing about Jeremiah – but I am – and oh, how blessed to know that there are certain pieces of advice that God gives over and over and over again… ‘Don’t get carried away’ and ‘Get carried away’….
Yes, we say “don’t want to get carried away” – but Jeremiah the prophet was carried away to Egypt against his will – against God’s advice – and yet they found there were bigger consequences in Egypt than if they stayed in the land of Judah. God said they would not get out of there alive unless they escaped back to the land of Judah. It was going to be a doomsday end. Stick with God and be OK.
What is WORSE is that certain folk got carried away and even worshiped the foreign gods – forgot about their One True God – their God of Abraham and of Moses and of David. You would think that there are stories and stories and stories that would both warn them of going rouge – and stories and stories – psalms and proverbs and plain good advice to keep with the One True God. Well, they got carried away… (and God noticed)…
One more thing carried out – was what Jeremiah was to carry in – rather than carry away – Jeremiah was instructed by God to carry in stones: Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard. God had Jeremiah “hide them in sight” – to mark where eventually they would be captive to the invaders which they were told to just go with in the first place. Babylon would take over anyway. God had promised a sustaining life in captivity for 70 years but no, they went to Egypt anyway. They would suffer these consequences for not listening.
And Jeremiah brought in the rocks as commanded by God – and told them so. Isn’t that strange but classic God – like let me call out the obvious to you so that you would know – and maybe/probably the others who eventually would land here wouldn’t know that God knew and you knew – and would take over this exact spot. Like God wanted to say let Me let you in on the plan – and this plan ain’t so good… These rocks will call out my plan.
These days were foreshadowing others who would not listen. Jesus had a conversation of not so good things to come that also involved stones being toppled – that even a restored Jerusalem would fall again. And as for the coming of the True King in the here and now, Jesus was able to see that not everyone would believe even Him, the Son of God. Not all believed – not all could see: he wept over [Jerusalem] and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. “
We need to be on God’s ROCK CARRYING DETAIL – AND SHARE THAT JESUS HAS COME AND WILL COME AGAIN.
Jeremiah warned the self-exiled Israelites to know that God meant business – and that God WAS speaking truth thru His Prophet – and marked the place (with stones) where God WOULD bring His Plan to fruition. God told Jeremiah to “mark my words” (write them down and proclaim them). Nothing would interfere with God’s plan, even calling the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar “my servant”. Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. If God says: “Don’t go there” then don’t… Don’t get carried away… Stick with God.
If the rocks called out to the people that the king Nebuchadnezzar was going to build his kingdom there. Then imagine the level of rocks calling out for when God does build His Kingdom of PRAISE – that the praises that will be heard – the people rejoicing. Jesus said to the Pharisees, who wanted Him to rebuke the praising disciples: “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
So, God is secure in His Plan to keep His Plan going – and so let us not get carried away with worry – not with lost hope – not with fear – not with sadness.
Let us get Carried Away with Love – with HOPE – with following God who does control the whole situation – Who even causes the rocks to cry out.
Let us ROCK OUT our praise. Know that Peace is NOT to be hidden from our eyes. LET US SHARE THAT JESUS IS OUR ROCK – AND THE KINGDOM IS GOD’S.
Amen
—
Jeremiah 43-44 NKJV Jeremiah Taken to Egypt
Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words, that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven – men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, “Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes; and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them. When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword. I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace. He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire.” ’ ”
Israelites Will Be Punished in Egypt
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers. However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods. So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.’
“Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’
“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah. And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach! For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’ ”
Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”
The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer—saying: “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and did it not come into His mind? So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day. Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day.”
Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.” Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs. And this shall be a sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.’
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’ ”
—
Luke 9:28-44 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” – “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
I didn’t unroll the Smarties – the candy – but I unrolled my SMILE – how adorable – it’s a Torah scroll from a girl scout event, Thinking Day, and an older troop representing Israel as their country to study and present, made up these mini Torah from the sweet Smarties wrapped in a paper showing the Ten Commandments as two tablets. I quickly paid my quarter and thought so deeply of both the meaning but also that a church faith item was shown and shared at a secular event. Good to open an opportunity to think at “Thinking day”.
This was no sugar rush, this is God-gifted goodness in thought, and I pondered the deepest of meanings here:: Jesus IS the sweet core of the tablets and the fulfillment of the LAW AND THE PROPHETS. Good God!
Then the next day a church window caught my attention, what beautiful light shone through the stained glass window of the tablets portrayed. The windows so beautiful in the church building and isn’t that so appropriate of our beautiful LIGHT of the world, Jesus, illuminating His Plan to satisfy what man can not achieve, total coherence and coverage with all the laws. Jesus is our Light to elucidate our wrongs and fill the spaces of darkness with LIGHT, a LIGHT that eliminates the sting of death and illuminates a forgiveness which brings LIFE.
This is probably easy for us to now see, but be ever so closer to the events of Jesus’s day and Jesus, in His hometown, was shunned, shocking the people who remained sure He was being blasphemous in self by speaking eloquently from the Torah scroll, from Isaiah, that He Himself was filled with the Spirit of the Lord to proclaim freedom and healing. That He was the Healer. That they needed Him.
We need Him too – and pray we know it. And that we feel it. And that we follow Him. And we love Jesus even more for Him gifting Hope. And thank God for we can’t make this journey by ourselves. Jesus must fulfill our lives with forgiveness to bring us to the everlasting life. Like the man who puzzled at the keeping of the laws of Moses, Jesus looks at us and loves us and knows we are in need of His completion to make us from part to whole.
And while He already accomplished this, we know that this is unrolled to each of us in a journey that takes our whole lives – it takes one sweet candy at a time – it takes one step in front of the other – and sometimes we are simply carried. We know that we must wait and watch the unveiling of Jesus in our lives, just as the spring unveils itself – like the first flowers and the progression further into later flowers and then fruits. Let us savor the spring that comes from the winter.
Unroll Sweet Jesus into your life.
And start smiling.
Amen
—
Luke 4:14-30
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
—
Mark 10:17-31 The Rich and the Kingdom of God As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
It is not uncommon for little phrases to hit my ears just at the RIGHT time – and if it is at the same time when I am thinking of God or reading a scripture, well, let’s say that God has a Word for everything we need… His Word IS Himself, and we need Him!
Instead of the many noises we hear being bounced off sounds – we can catch small little phrases – small whispers. Let us let the whisper work – yes, we REALLY should listen when God speaks, and yeah He hopes it sinks in. Let it sink in. Give Him one of those double sinks to double flow to you.
So, for example, as I was looking up all these suggested scriptures for a talk I am going to give at a later date, I was thinking that it was SO IMPORTANT to read them and digest them prior to the final text version of my talk – that naturally it will modify and solidify my talk because God’s Word changes lives. So, what was the phrase that the TV commercial (for whatever malady medicine advertisement at the moment) used just then while I was cutting and pasting? “Drink Plenty of Fluids” – Ahhhhh… Amen to that!!!
If we are open to listen and then make our journey feasting on His Truth, the Word is HYDRATED and so palatable to us. It delights us and often gives us peace. Now, if it’s hard to swallow advice, when it’s God’s Word that corrects, well take that too, take just a moment to ask for that LOVING LIVING hydration help. “Drink Plenty of Fluids” with the medication of the Great Physician.
Drink Fluids – meaning Living Water fluids – which is the Word – which IS JESUS. Jesus IS God – Who along with the Holy Spirit and God the Father will guide us towards Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Yes, God is paving the way and then filling the souls with Living Water.
If we don’t read the Word and live the Word and share the Word – then how can we ourselves understand why the Word IS the Word? – The Word IS the change that is so needed in the world. In other words, there are no other words – because it is THE WORD which and Who IS the ONLY WORD – Jesus.
Jesus – Alpha and Omega – all the letters in and in between – it is what Jesus said – what Jesus IS – what Jesus wants us to know. Let it SINK in.
Drink Fluids and Live Life
Jesus knows the Way.
Amen
1John 4:9-16 (a recently replicated scripture (again) to me these past few days)
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
Ephesians 4:11-16, 21-24 NIV
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
–… you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
It’s 2 months since Christmas today, that was like ancient history, dried up memories too. (Except I just realized my Christmas lights are still up, oops). Everyone is now looking towards SPRING. My recent lunch with friends was next to a beautiful garden center, teeming with life. What isn’t joyfully teaming and fresh with life is in the phase of gearing up waiting to bud. It was filled with hydrated living greens and pinks and yellows as well as carefully preserved dried mosses and grasses. The garden center embraced us in a sweet garden hug just like our friendship does with each other.
Yesterday I had a great church gathering, also with new and cherished old friends, we are God’s family even if we just met. So yesterday it was not lost on me that I had a few duplicated seeings of scriptures. Hmmm… I could say that’s so cute ‘by coincidence’, but I know better. God is a LIVING Moving God. God is speaking His Word, but not just for crafting a goosebumps response, but causing a listening in the moment of His motivating and His buffering Way. GOD’S GOT A POINT TO WHERE HE IS POINTING US. He both hugs us with life, like that garden store did, AND He leads us in ways unknown but steady and sure, like the water that flows through the plants. His Living Water flows through us. Where we bud is up to Him. Sometimes we even bud out in Living tears. Living Tears Springing Forth. The right moving Spirit moves us too. God’s Timing. God’s Hydration. If we prefer to stay silent, even the rocks will cry out. We shouldn’t stay silent. We should not be cold when God’s warming us. (We also shouldn’t put a light under a basket to hide it).
Both these duplicated scriptures from yesterday (replication for God to give me a theme day) speak volumes about WHOLENESS and LOVE, about seeing in part now but in whole later. Sometimes, like the garden shop needs water, our Living Water knows to soak us in Spirit, and give us excess for later: excess to spill out in tears if called upon. Even succulent plants know to store up their water, so we soak in these scriptures:
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12 NIV
Expression in part can be in tears – Jesus had them, why wouldn’t we?
Now God’s Love is not always a path of cushy ease, there are tough times. There’s pruning in our lives, like the winter vinedresser of the Lord knowing best, to make us stronger and more fruitful come spring. Sometimes we feel the JOY, but also feel the uneasiness of doing what we feel is His calling over ours. God says: Stay being led. Stay in the moment. Stay on the path. Keep walking. LOOK UP, not at the world. Understand there’s a mission bigger than just for you, but through you. Go there…
A song that a friend shared speaks volumes for this. From the band FFH “What it feels like” – the lyrics: “To find out that if I accept my brokenness, I get more of me, I get all of You” – Amen to that! – “This is what it feels like to be led.”
Yes! It’s not always, nor should it be for us to do God’s work for favor or affirmation by people. It is an embrace of fellowship yes, but a path of His calling not ours. And so we walk the path. Flow the Living Tears in Hydration. Accept that “in part” is all we get to see now, but someday we will see and know IN WHOLE.
If Spring is anticipated just around the corner, imagine how AMAZING God’s Kingdom will come… Let us keep blooming and budding forward!
Let us share our Living God Love with the world who is desperately parched and in need.
Amen
“What It Feels Like” – lyrics – FFH
So this is what it feels like to walk the wilderness
This is what it feels like to come undone
This is what it feels like to lose my confidence
Unsure of anything or anyone
–
So this is what it feels like to walk the desert sand
This is what it feels like to hear my name
To be scared to death ’cause I’m all alone
But feel love and peace just the same
–
This may not be the road I would choose for me
But it still feels right somehow
‘Cause I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now
So this is what it feels like to be led
–
So this is what it feels like to just fall apart
To be totally unglued
To find out that if I accept my brokenness
I get more of me, I get all of You
–
And this may not be the road I would choose for me
But it still feels right somehow
I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now
So this is what it feels like to be led
–
So this is what it feels like to just walk away
From everything I thought kept me safe
To depend just on You for every meal
And find that it’s better this way
Oh, it’s better this way
–
This may not be the road I would choose for me
But it still feels right somehow
‘Cause I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now Like I do right now
This may not be the road I would choose for me
But it still feels right somehow
And I have never felt You as close to me as I do right now
Had the most wonderful faith conversation with a new friend. It was purposefully placed by our Lord for sure. What would be goosebump-raising in coolness was that next level up of open faith conversation, agreement of His timing and opportunity. We had discussions of plans for listening to the Lord’s tapping on our shoulders. Others tell me of appreciation of my openness, which shines naturally they say, but I know it has taken me years of Armor of God building to fortify my base confidence and wiggle my life open. (*The wise woman builds her house*). We can appreciate that when work is traditionally hush hush to the openness, that this is a new era of opportunity, one with one conversations. Our kitchen tables and our work tables are the Lord’s Table when we remember Him!
Same awesome God, new era. This is our era other strengthening each other, of shining His Light, even if in small fractured ways. It’s still Light. And pockets of opportunities, like this lunchroom hour of openness is one of these places of refuge that the proverbs speaks about. When God shows powerful enough to open the opportunities, fear the unspoken over the spoken. Take the opportunity and listen more than speak. Smile the willingness to want to learn. Appreciate God’s Placement and Protection.
In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death. Pvb14
I used the example of a diamond more beautiful when cut, the light hits facets in all ways. Our brokenness too seeps light out in healing, from HIS source, and what doesn’t speak out of our mouths can still be felt in our souls via prayer. In other words, if you don’t normally put a basket over a light (your light of HolySpirit), then surely the fractured light beeming in all directions out of one’s brokenness (but still glued together) is too confusing and complicated for the devil to try to knock it all down. Let us be on the pivot plan to beam away from the blockages. Let us keep shining and light-shifting to minimize devil-sifting.
Ah, is it that the Lord needs us to reflect Him like a mirror, a fractured mirror that shows much flaws from the devil-sifting? (Because we all have then) OR is it our Living God lives inside of us in order to SHINE OUT of the holes, WORK OUT of our hands and feet, and therefore one never sees nor focuses on the fractures, that are ever humanly present, but on the Light. That’s it, we see and feel our brokenness, but have the ability to shine anyway. So we need to devise and develop our plans of how we share this Light from the Lord, and watch His set up the opportunities. Yes.
– those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. – mercy and truth belong to those who devise good. Pvb 14:22b NIV, NKJV
AMEN !
—
Some more good from Proverbs 14:1, 6-8, 26-27 NKJV
The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
…
A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands.
…
Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
…
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
…
In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.
…
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.
It’s fresh mornings after sleep which are dark on the outside, but bright inside the zone of our connection with the Lord. There’s a wholeness in His Presence, a help in His Word, a healing in His Hope.
It’s also, according to John, the discipline whom Jesus loved, a time in the world (then and now) where the spirit of the antichrist still lingers and peddles darkness, unknown, fragility, fear, basic confusion and isolationism. Don’t forget that Jesus overcame all that, overcame the world, overcame the darkness. God won and wins.
The times of our lives that see fracture, also mean that God can SHINE through those small fissures and bring us a rainbow of beautiful colors and HOPE. The diamonds of life are MORE beautiful when they are cut, where they reflect LIGHT in interesting looking facets. The snowflakes of life are uniquely made into fluffy looking ice, oh so beautiful to catch our eye and both cover dark gloomy mud and be white in a cleansing of our views. God glistens through His people sharing love too. He covers all offenses with LOVE. He wants us to be ourselves imagined made in LOVE (His image of us is of His Love), and we are always to be of Him, not of the World.
Cover the world in LOVE.
Like snowflakes, light, nourishing rain, cover the world in LOVE.
There’s importance in testing the system of darkness to see if it WILL be willing to accept LIGHT. That’s evident for any situation where you inquire against the confusion with cautious OPTIMISM and discern actual evil intent vs simple ignorance or dramatic fearfulness. In other words, in times of strife, don’t let your nose get bent out of shape, don’t stop trying, apply GRACE and try to understand where the other person is coming from. But DO be careful to call out evil intentions, even in ourselves, and shine light on situations. Put in the work to work the world away from itself. Refocus Light in Love.
Be Yourself and bring His Love. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
If WE bring anything to this lenten Easter season, let’s bring the LOVE, let’s hone the skills He has instilled in us for shining His Light, and let US open up His Hope to the World through a Word that states over and over again of His Love for all.
GOD LOVES YOU TO SHARE THE LOVE.
Cover the World in LOVE.
Amen
—
1st John 4
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God’s Love and Ours
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Wait – who are these people? The Bible has so many TOUGH names to pronounce but their spelling is so unique and lives unique enough for me to read along and to say – “wait, I heard this name before.” Yes, Zedekiah, Gedaliah, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzer… And yes – read along and say: “I’ve heard this story before.”
Ah – 2nd Kings brings the back stories from where my memory rings. And in 2nd Kings – the Lord brings clear details in brief: like for Zedekiah: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord.” OK, got it. And the Lord gives the back stories for the people – like those who were poor were allowed to stay in the land and be the vinedressers – but then in the turmoil, they were led by fear to want to exile themselves to Egypt. God wanted them instead to be with the Babylon invaders. He wanted to keep them, give them hope, even if it took a generation or more.
Ah yes, remember that these kingdoms of Jerusalem and Judah were split in this era – ever since the offspring of Solomon’s time – and both were going downhill (with a few bright spots of people) – but so many kings and the people who did evil in the sight of the Lord. But there was a hope kept alive in Judah – and always told that a Savior King would come out of David’s line. Well, that line was like a string of back and forth, wanderings and walkings and capturedness, and exile. For this section told by Jeremiah’s chronicles, Babylon took the people for 70 years as pretold by the Lord to Jeremiah. Plus, there were also remnants of people scattered about – and especially the poor who were left to (actually called back to) harvest the fields.
And those poor folks – who were already being displaced – were at least being productive in the fields and under the authority of this Gedaliah – appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. Gedaliah didn’t believe that others had a plot to kill him and it seemed OK at the moment. But wouldn’t you know it, Gedaliah was being hunted down by folks that wanted to kill him – and they did – and THREW him into the bottom of (you guessed it) a CISTERN. Ah, the carnage and the loss, the men who were with Gedaliah and those who came to honor him – all in the cistern – except a few who had gifts of grain and olive oil. Ah the sacrifice of a ransom to live…. OH, THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR…
I can not say that I will remember many of these names or these times – but I can see themes here – God calls for people to listen to Him; people rebel for power and goods and status and are simply lost; God calls them back to repent – there are sacrifices to be made – but God keeps the kingdom line alive for a Great King – Savior – the Christ – JESUS – to be HIS PLAN for saving all the people – a ransom – a sacrifice – then and now. Yes, Jesus also would be squirrelled away in Egypt for a time but that was of a different time (because in Jeremiah’s time, God said go to Babylon and live there and don’t go to Egypt, see chapter 42 of Jeremiah). In all this, we see times to WAIT -and times to do more – to act. Jesus also had to “lay low” and not start his active ministry until He was 30 years old and the time was right. We must also know when to lay low and when to move – our movements are to teach and witness and to live. Our faith allows us to move when we are not sure – but God is. God IS.
Jesus as an ultimate harvest of the best of the best – God’s son – was given up to be a sacrifice to sin and death so that we would not have to be banned, exiled eternally from God. Yes, our poor, our harvesters of the gleanings of the field, were still rich in the HOPE of this best life – and they did travel to keep their HOPE alive – scattered but not lost – hidden but not unknown – bruised but not dead – and then add the new testament references to this as well: We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Oh yes, there are trails and trials and tough spots for us as there were for the faithful (and non-faithful too) – but don’t lose HOPE – there are reasons – there are ransoms – there are sacrifices – there are times of despair. But let us not lose HOPE – we are in a season of watching for Jesus – the ultimate realization of His Victory. We must pray for ALL the remnants of the lost and the scattered. As Jeremiah was attuned to God’s workings, so must we – keep working keep waiting keep hoping keep productive. KEEP FAITH!
Let us keep keeping on!
Amen
2nd Kings 24:17-20 – Zedekiah Reigns in Judah Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He also did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. For because of the anger of the Lord this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
—-
Jeremiah ch40:7-ch42 – Gedaliah Assassinated When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah[b] the son of the Maakathite, and their men. Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”
When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”
—
In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord. Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.
Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.
Flight to Egypt Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.
—
Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”
Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’ “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’
“Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”
—
2nd Kings 25
And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.
So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.
And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about.
Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.
And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away.
The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.
And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.
And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.
And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.
But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.
And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.
—
2nd Corinthians 4 – a letter from Paul – Present Weakness and Resurrection Life Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Oh… they say if you don’t smell a smelly foul smell, then the hermit crab is still alive. Scary to see body parts strewn about, but he will eat them later. Crazy. Crazy to watch a molt of a hermit crab, especially not so hidden this time as apparently I don’t have deep enough cover, but the crab this time chose the underneath gap between water dishes. Freaky weird. (and I never know how the crab is going to pull itself out of this one – but so far he always has….)
One of my puzzles in life is wondering how God pieces it all together. I don’t believe we are to know or need to know everything, so don’t worry about what is not our job to worry about. One can marvel, yes!!! Think if God just populated a world with done items (people, animals, plants, places) is inconceivable enough, but we have a living moving system, and growth, new creations, aging situations and spiritual life and growth independent of physical. It’s a marvel, it’s a puzzle of life, especially when someone only sees loose pieces. (and we never know how the Lord is going to put ourselves as a civilization or people or individuals together forever – but so far we are still here – He has and always will have it ‘together’…)
My mom’s jigsaw puzzles from her birthday were printed by Walgreens on these nifty sticky-backed frames. They looked great pieced together, even from the backside, but that’s not the point. The puzzles were and are to be taken apart to reassemble and that’s the fun part in itself, plus the time to sit and do them. It’s a favorite activity of many, and one that others don’t even want to think about. I like them, but don’t have time nor make time for puzzles when I feel that I am already puzzling life. There’s nothing wrong with a good puzzle, and the addictive nature leads to sharing and lending puzzles with each other. Instead of “let me see what’s on TV” (junk) – it’s “let me work 10 minutes on the puzzle.”
God’s puzzle for our lives is both vibrantly beautifully shown and then other aspects are hidden to us sometimes when we need to find new light to illuminate it – and other times pieces are hidden until looked for – some pieces may be withheld for years – some puzzles seem too easy but that is the Lord’s way too. Nothing is too hard for God and nothing is impossible – if He says it fits (or fits good enough for now) then He can make it work.
IN OTHER WORDS – LOOK HOW GOD CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE WORK – IN THE HERE AND NOW AND IN THE FUTURE – IN THIS SMALL SECTION OF THE SMALLEST TIMEFRAME OF THE LARGEST PUZZLE OF THE LARGEST LIFE ETERNAL.
GOD puzzles us with His world but in whole, He wants us to know He has everything under control – no puzzle for Him – all answers – all known. Let us depend upon God for the KNOWN. And work on the puzzle too – in His Time.
Can we just wait until He puts the pieces together? (the crab and the world and our lives?) I hope so.
Praise You Lord for having it all!
Amen
Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Matthew 19:25-26 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
A cute puppy was running around at my friend’s apartment complex, they said to let it run, but I thought maybe we should have held onto it and called someone, or if there was a neighborhood association… hmmm… they said let the puppy run. I pray the puppy got home, he was not there when we left the apartment, someone must have taken him in. And we saw the animal control van driving around. But that was tough for me, I wish I could say I’ll wait and see, but I will never know this outcome. Except for this assurance in my heart that the puppy is alright. I have to trust in the system and in the Lord.
It’s like when we don’t feel well, after surgery, in therapy, we wait and see. When we await news at times, we wait and see. But for us waiting on the Lord, we wait and KNOW, plus that wait and see, because we have to KNOW God means what He says. He has rescued us before! And for us, we are to KNOW it will be OK, eventually, BECAUSE GOD SAID SO… Even if it seems like forever from now.
(And if God warns of consequences, steer away from His Wrath please).
I’m reading an intriguing section of Jeremiah’s story – not a soap opera because it’s got REAL abrupt events and real consequences for the people of Jerusalem that don’t listen to God. The king of Judah didn’t listen but he did ask Jeremiah to pray and he did tell the officials of the Babylonian plan God had. Jeremiah went to take care of business locally, but was arrested, imprisoned. He was freed by the king but watched and fed, but then others who heard his prophecy about Babylon wanted him done away with. The king took his hands off the situation. The annoyed officials threw him into a cistern well…. WELL, I never would want to wait and see in a well, but Jeremiah had to. A stuck situation. That same king allowed the rescue of Jeremiah, people who sent merciful pieces of old clothes to give support and comfort under the arms over the ropes. He was pulled back into a semi-safe situation, not free, but not stuck in the well.
Then the king started to listen to Jeremiah, who continued to hear from God, and be protected by God. But the king was not so fortunate and a horrible capture by the Babylonians was terrible for his family and the king gruesomely was blinded.
Jeremiah was protected, not harmed by Babylonians. The one who was also protected was the Cushite, Ebed-Melek, official in the royal palace, the person who pulled Jeremiah out of that cistern well. The lift-er and the lifted both survived captivity. “But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah’s story continues, including being allowed to live with his people for a time. He had to show trust in the system and in the Lord.
What about our wait? Do we wait and see or wait and know? God blesses the lifted and also the lift-er. We can endure not a prison on earth but a wait until the new kingdom. There will be others, at a certain day post rapture, who will need to hear and know about God who protects, and rescues after a tortured life. We will have to wait and see at that time… Not a soap opera but a prophetic fulfillment of God’s Plan. We have to trust in the system and in the Lord.
Well, We will Wait and Know. (meanwhile, keep asking the Lord for the mini-rescues too. Know He provides. Amen)
Amen
—
Jeremiah 37-40:6 NIV
Jeremiah in Prison
Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.
King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”
Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.’
“This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”
After the Babylonian army hadwithdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”
“That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.
Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?”
“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.” Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’? But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”
King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern
Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”
Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”
“He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.” So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.”
Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”
Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”
But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’”
King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”
“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: “‘They misled you and overcame you – those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.’
“All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.”
Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ then tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’”
All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
The Fall of Jerusalem – Chapter 39
This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.
But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.
Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.
While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’”
Chapter 40
The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.” However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”
Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.
Rock icon Pat Benatar may sing that ‘Love is a Battlefield’ – but YES, the band YES, sings that LOVE will help us get it together! Spread the news and help the world go round!
I love music to my ears about love, it’s 50 years old that is new!
And cool to feel the love. And humbled to know the LOVE is from the Lord. And BLESSED to be driven, commanded, and able to Share the LOVE.
Human love falls into a world imperfect but divine love is perfect. A broken system that is fixable only by the One Whom didn’t break it but Whom did create the fix for it. LOVE is LOVE’S answer.
Let us look for the perfect in the healing and in the hope.
Let us LOVE with what’s right in the world – LOVE.
Amen
—
Full lyrics of YES’s song ‘The Word is Love’:
In the morning when you rise
Do you open up your eyes, see what I see?
Do you see the same things every day?
Do you think of a way to start the day
Getting things in proportion?
Spread the news and help the world go round
Have you heard of a time that will help us get it together again?
Have you heard of the word that will stop us going wrong?
Well, the time is near, the word you’ll hear
When you get things in perspective
Spread the news and help the world go round
There’s a time and the time is now and it’s right for me
It’s right for me, and the time is now
There’s a word and the word is love and it’s right for me
Good God, God’s got His Word Written Well !!! Makes us THINK! I love a good Living Water DRINK!
Jeremiah (chapter 36) has a writing about writing and rewriting God’s message, God was and is serious, especially then to the Israelites in the days they WILL be taken into a 70 year exile!
Jeremiah got the INKling (from God) to engage a helper, Baruch, to do dictation writing and delivery. They then sent the warnings to the officials. No, the King didn’t like what it said and had each section sliced off with a knife and burned it in the fire. But God had it rewritten. God re-showed His unchanging nature, mission, message. “Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”
Baruch wrote in INK,
God’s Word, which wouldn’t SINK.
He read outloud God’s Word and Warning to make people THINK.
Except this time Judah’s King and advisors didn’t BLINK.
They didn’t tear their clothes repent-ly, they chose to hide the truth that Babylon would take them to the BRINK.
However God’s Word is made alive to be RE-INKed and re-THINKed.
Jeremiah and Baruch were to be detained, but the Lord hid them.
Later, years and years, this reminds of a time there was another fire set to kill 3 followers of the Lord of the Israelites. And in this furnace, a Divine Figure (Jesus) appeared to show up as a 4th man unburned in the fire, this certainly made Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar BLINK.
After that he was forced to take in God’s Sovereignty and His power as truth and proof – that the Lord’s Word is fireproof!
Yes, we continue to know the Word of God and God Himself remains untouched, reinforced. His Word is written for rewriting and it is God’s Right to Extend His Word. God’s Word lasts forever!
Amen
—
Jeremiah 36 NIV
In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”
So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord and will each turn from their wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”
Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord’s temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.
When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, he went down to the secretary’s room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. After Micaiah told them everything he hadheard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”
So Baruch read it to them. When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”
“Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”
Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”
After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.
After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both man and beast?” Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’”
So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
—
Daniel 3:24-26 International Standard Version
The Fourth Man in the Furnace
Astonished, King Nebuchadnezzar stood up in terror, and asked his advisors, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire, bound firmly with ropes?” In reply they told the king, “Yes, your majesty.”
“Look!” he told them, “I see four men walking untied and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the appearance of the fourth resembles a divine being.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing fire furnace. He shouted out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
It was the fresh memory of my neighbor’s chimney fire the previous week which sparked my actions without second guessing to help my troop leader with the smoldering ashes from the fireplace, it wasn’t a big thing to do, but it had to be dealt with. We leave the place better than we came. Plus it was a great use of leftover lemonade anyway. A double plus was the best “cartoon character” of the weekend: the Smokey the Bear massive sign, which I passed 6 times during this camping trip. It was invaluable to remind me and teach new campers that you don’t leave things to chance. “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” !!! Yup!
And plus plus plus, the girls were watching, they learn by watching. So even though I thought we could go hiking one more time, I found myself digging through a trash bag of plastic spoons, uneaten French Fries, plates, and the occasional lump of blackened coal/wood, cooled down in a soup of lemonade. Yeah, the ashes thought to be cool were not. No, not a problem to dive in, cleanest trash I think I ever picked through (and you know I love trash picking). There was thinking time, since we were safely outside, so I had grabbed old reuse of reuse big aluminum trays from my car, the type from sterno use and we dumped the trash into those to douse with lemonade (the girls said ‘where did she get the tray?’, ‘she’s science debbie, that’s why she has them’… funny…well at least they didn’t call me trash picking debbie… But there’s treasure in that trash!
Teaching moments! Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Realizing a teaching moment, I paused holding a carbon ash chunk at the end to explain that wood burns back to carbon chunks. In other situations, diamonds also come from carbon, carbon that is stressed, pressured, compressed and made of the same molecules just realigned. The scouts looked at me weird, but that’s normal, and I’m serious, there’s diamonds in the rough of every moment we have on earth. The teaching moments alone, me and our troop leader saying we aren’t worried about trash sifting, we aren’t worried about getting dirty (especially knowing that at home the shower, the washing machine is awaiting), and that we aren’t afraid to look at a situation for its advantages over disadvantages. (Just wash your hands later!)
That’s looking for DIAMOND DAYS, diamond moments, in the rough, awaiting to be dug into. Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust. Burnt charcoal-ed in life, even the worst days in our lives can be found looking for the support of the treasure of the Lord. Even completely taken down here on earth we are renewed in.Heaven to meet our Savior Jesus who covers us white as snow…
Our Lord God realigns our dust into wonderfully made creations, then we become dust again. God makes us His Valentines. We celebrate and remember that He loves every piece of our dust, even if we are humanly crumbled on earth.
Time is short, on earth, at camp, in life, so let us make the best of every diamond moment.
Smiling in the coal is life’s goal. Dig for those Diamond Day moments everyday!
Amen
—
Psalm 139 Of David
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit. Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
—-
Genesis 3:17-19 (The fallout from the fall.)
To Adam God said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ – “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Eventually, after a Saturday 3am wake up at scout camp, I got more sleep. Yeah, I had been captive on the mat, awake 3am to 5, asleep until 630, and in a few minutes from then, sunrise, and then I would be free to move.
Oh, minor captivity on the mat, quiet in the lodge, in comparison to the version of how prophet Jeremiah was in captivity and how he said the Israelites would be captive in Babylon’s hands for 70 years. Minor comparison and of course I couldn’t complain, I was under the warm covers.
Then I was UP!!! The sunrise was behind the clouds, but it was there somewhere! The lake beautiful, the peace breathtaking and crisp. Boots not needed, lake was that close. Another fresh day…. Even in life’s troubles we are to appreciate fresh days. And the ability to see the sunrise, even if you don’t see that sun, it is believing that God has this all under control. He does.
Oh yes, Jeremiah, the prophet of the old testament, instructed the people of his time to believe in what they could not see – that the Lord was speaking to reassure them as well as warn them.
Specifically, Jeremiah had to prepare the king of Judah, Zedekiah, that even though it was ominous, he would still be a revered master to his people. However, the people turned their backs again against God’s instruction (to free the slaves every 7 years), and God then caused/allowed the overtaking from the enemies.
There were one set of peoples, however, whom we are told obeyed God by obeying their forefathers who followed God’s command, and this Jeremiah tested, but they would not drink wine and they vowed they must always live in tents. God said: “you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.” The Rekabites were an example of God’s people who LISTENED. They were nomadic but they were CAPTIVE to God. And God promised their line of people would always serve Him, an honor privilege and blessing to be captive to God, Lord Almighty, maker of all.
SO, let us all captivate ourselves to God, feel His wishes and know His Wisdom. And let’s be captive to serve Him, for His ultimate blessing to us is to be our Master.
God knows best.
Amen
—
Jeremiah chapter 34 – While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.
“‘Yet hear the Lord’s promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, “Alas, master!” I myself make this promise, declares the Lord.’”
Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.
Freedom for Slaves – The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage. So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’ Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.
“Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.
“I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. I am going to give the order, declares the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”
The Rekabites – chapter 35 – This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “Go to the Rekabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.”
So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites. I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”
But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ We have obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me. The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’
“Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.’”
Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’”
You would have never known looking at the celebrations and the accolades that the team that won the Super Bowl didn’t play up to par in the first half. I watched it and the turnovers etc – no one mentions that now – only that THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS.
It was a game of foibles and slow starts and not too exciting for the team that was “supposed” to be spectacular – not too exciting for either team (although the method of running the ball and keeping a steady game going – eating up time is certainly a strategy that was working for a while) – really the first half was a slow game with low score – AND THEN….
And the second half found the teams really finding their grove – and things got tied and the nail biter was all the way up to the end – and either team could have pulled it out.
WOW.
OK – what about that first half that no one now cares about – what about becoming “Spectacular” – “Flawless” and “Amazing” – well isn’t that just like us in Heaven???? YES – our game on earth is beset with bad plays, foibles, missteps, fumbles even. Our lives are marred with humanness – and understandably so as broken people. We just ain’t perfect – we are sinners in the need of a Savior. AND THEN…
Heaven and God sees us PERFECT – SPECTACULAR – AMAZING – FLAWLESS – all because of JESUS – because He sees our faults no more – our sin is taken away as far as the east is from the west.
HEAVEN MUST BE THE ULTIMATE – ‘NOW THAT JESUS HAS RANSOMED YOU – WHERE ARE YOU GOING?’ – ‘I’M GOING TO JESUS’S RENEWED WORLD – HEAVEN BOUND!’
Do we deserve this championship? No. Do we expect to be called such marvelous things by our own doing? No. This is what GRACE is. GRACE is the unmerited gift of God.
Dead in the game no more – we are alive in HOPE and DRIVE and LIFE – and when we ask Jesus to be Our Lord and Savior – we ‘cross’ into the afterlife WHOLE, because HE CROSSED us past that evil of sin and death.
THANK YOU JESUS – for scoring our Eternal Victory.
AMEN
Made Alive in Christ – Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
HAHA – so much extra time – and both teams get their hands on the ball – and I am not just talking about tonight’s Super Bowl. The 52 (my God-reminder number saying to be quiet) on the ref’s uniform reminds me that this game is not decided yet – stop predicting the next move – (and especially the grid that I am NOT winning). Stop predicting and just watch the game.
WELL – life is like that too isn’t it – don’t presume to understand each play in the game – except know that there IS One who IS in charge of it all – and it is NOT a game to Him. And there IS ONE Way – One Whom is driving us down the field.
Day to day play but we hold our breath when the game is on the line. Let’s look at our Coach – let’s let Him make the call – and then Trust Him when He hands us the ball.
I KNEW I was at camp when I walked in the door and saw that loudspeaker karaoke music machine.
I TASTED camp when I got to the beloved cheeseballs (which we nearly polished off in one night). (And the container I absconded with – for great storage of random things.)
I felt the IMPORTANCE of camp when driving, listening to two 10 year olds in the backseat squeal in delight at the 20 common things they learned about each other. A short 45 minutes of a drive is a dream of being away but not too far. These campgrounds are remote but yet 10 minutes from civilization, awesome.
I bowed my heart TO THE LORD with an internal tearing up when I sat for a photo this evening with camp moms and with our camp girl who recently lost her mom, our friend, who mom-ed us all to know how important this was to continue camp and be there for each other. THIS WAS MY CAMP MOMENT.
Camp life, wouldn’t trade it for anything. We ARE family. Love our photo memories too.
Our fearless leader is not without fears or concerns, but the moments of camp are a blessing beyond description – loving the time away – the joy of being together – the appreciation that others “just don’t get it” but WE DO – that moment when you can’t even remember there was a global pandemic, couple years back (we only missed one year in our over 10 years camping) – and the blessings of realization now that we take these very moments of THANKFULNESS.
(I even ate someone’s abandoned cheeseballs, yum, as I too sat down to paint a seashell with moms and older girls.) People look at me funny when I say I’m going to camp, aren’t I good for helping, but who wouldn’t want to be here?!?!
I even now appreciate this 3am totally awake moment – not sure why but God always has a hand in this – 4hrs sleep is sufficient for you(!)… and I sit writing only to hear and see a young 10 year old come downstairs, give me a thumbs up “all good”, and go directly to her mom for an inhaler puff, which her mom had right at hand, only seconds after being awoken. Back upstairs and all good. Camp life brings the awareness of life that continues even with the bumps and bruises of life. Just keep going, thumbs up!
Another girl here has Cerebral Palsy and I learn by watching her. (I love when God tells me to be patient, watch, pray, and learn). I learned while crafting, of what things are tough for her, like using both hands to twist a rubber band when one hand holds her steady upright at the table. We worked through it, plenty of time at camp, let the kids learn. And I learned that this girl DIDN’T take to complaining. So when so many of us take to complaining normally about everything, that’s us taking a crutch of life, but she doesn’t. That’s the moment that got me realizing to being more humble of so many things I take for granted. Be aware and keep living. I’m so glad God finds time for this in my schedule. I know camp is special and set aside.
What’s the connection to a Bible lesson? At 3am, now 4am? Jeremiah- Jeremiah was instructed by the Lord to live a life that said “God’s got this” – just live – ups and downs – captivity or free – just live and do as God instructs and lays out ahead of you.
Here Jeremiah (chapter 32) buys a field, land for future use well beyond his years. It’s a land the people of God will come back to, and it’s a reprocessed repromise that things will be OK someday. His purpose and purchase is to go ahead, be the prep-man and messenger, secure the future no matter how long (and in this case God tells them ‘how long’). Assurance and achievement- hmmm, sounds like Jesus doesn’t it, in miniature, prepare the way, tell others about it, be making the space available and welcoming when it’s time for exiles to go home…. yeah, cool… I’ll take that 4am Revelation…
Let us consider this field of TODAY, and prepare it and today’s peoples, even ourselves, for a future time. Live in the moment and expect long time good things. Campfires are kindled and rekindled, and so is our future. Ask Jeremiah, the Lord HAS a Plan. Accept the thumbs up for that!
Jeremiah Buys a Field – chapter 32 NIV
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.
Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”
Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’
“Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’
“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.
“In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’
“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror. You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey. They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster on them.
“See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see. And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’”
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.
“The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the Lord. From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight. The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done—they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. They set up their vile images in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
“You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
“This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
What are we to do when we do things we don’t know -and even if we do know – TRUST THE LORD.
What are we to do when we go somewhere we don’t know -and even if we do know – FOLLOW THE LORD.
What are we to do when we learn things we don’t know -and even if we do know – APPRECIATE THE LORD. we learn things to protect us and warn us as well as delight us and motivate us.
What are we to do when we try and fail at things we don’t know -and even if we do know – LOOK UP TO THE LORD FOR GUIDANCE.
What are we to do when we try and succeed at things we don’t know -and even if we do know – LOOK UP TO PRAISE THE LORD.
What are we to do always? REST IN THE LORD!
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.
AMEN
—
Psalm 37 NKJV – of David
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.
A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken. But the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.
The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.
I looked up “winging it”, a phrase I often use as in “I will just wing it” – yeah I say that, but one only feels comfortable doing that if you prepped somewhat. And we often open our mouths when we could never know enough about a situation. If we “catch wind” of something – we could pray on it, right?
I didn’t know the origins of “winging it”, so I googled it, which brings many reputable references: It comes from the theater, “to wing it”, it is to prep in the wings of the stage, study up, but not quite prepared. The wings themselves are named for the winged stage panels that were stored there (Italian origin hundreds of years ago)… and of course it’s about the hiddenness of the theater wings… off stage and unseen. (Who likes to hide in the wings huh? Even if much work is done there.)
What about us, do we stay off-scene? How do we venture into life? Is it a play over and over again like “Groundhog Day”? But remember that Bill Murray’s character was allowed to or ended up changing the pattern, if ever so slightly, each time. He was brought to learn something – even if it was that the weather was unpredictable but life was not. We could do that too – change it up a little each time. And “winging it” is the option to rely on what we DID learn in the wings, and praying on it all for the rest of the way. I will “Wing it” on a Prayer.
I think when we pray, it’s like the warmth of our hearts and the movement of the Spirit that lifts the whole situation. You could request a prayer time and time again to be lifted up, it starts its own turbine. Recently a friend, just out of surgery, asked me to throw up some prayers for her, and I immediately humorously thought of NOT the baseball type of throw, after surgery… Well, prayers all around. And it’s always that the currents of prayers are from those that are formulating from the depth of the Spirit in us, a feeling placed in us to bring up and to bring us up. It’s God’s Way to start His own air/prayer currents – for lift – for reaching – for catching. I know that the Lord isn’t waiting lofty on high for the prayers, He is on the ground, starting to blow them around.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi sings. I think that could be true every day when we step out that door, or even hide in our PJs under the covers. We are asking for help, as we should. There is no wrong in asking God for His Right Way to deal with a situation. In other words, God knows the best way for us to approach the current day (haha funny, current day and current blowing Way). We would never leave the wings of the stage without the lift of God – Yes, let those angel wings move like the army they are intended to be. We would never get to stay in the wings hidden, because those situtaions themselves are scenes that are movable on a temporary stage of earth. And God sees everything.
So keep moving today, on a wing AND on a Prayer. “Rise on the wings of the dawn.” You will always have God’s Lift. God knows where to go, blow, flow.
Amen
—
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me close.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
If you think your life is busy, oh my, look at Jeremiah… prophet, public prophet, even got published with a God-sent scribe to help him. I took a screen shot of the Bible Project’s story board, it’s intense. So much for so many years! (Video link below).
I don’t race through reading these chapters and I sometimes feel stuck in so much of the deep narrative, but if God can keep His wandering workers working, I can keep keeping on learning… so these 7 minutes of video cliff notes are a Godsend, we now understand where God is placing Jeremiah in time (siege by king Nebuchadnezzar, towards the 70 yr Babylon exile), and yet we understand the timelessness of the prose (lessons for them and us now), and we learn the definitive process to God taking His Own Time to bring about His Word, to teach and work among His people, and to prepare us all for our Savior and His Restoration. Yes, there is a definitive answer, the Messiah, coming, came, and will come again. This is a truth all throughout the scriptures and in life.
“For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel…
“I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; …
“This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.”
Jeremiah is the writer of HOPE and judgment, and of course of timetables for Israelites in exile to Babylon AND for their return. Jeremiah is the poster child of prophets. He has got a lot going on (and I didn’t even get to his section of his Egypt imprisonment yet).
But oh, to stop and absorb this chapter Jeremiah 33 – it makes my slow progress reading take a moment to say ‘Ahhhhh…’ just like climbing a summit and looking across the landscape… Jeremiah 33 speaks of past, present, future – and especially about the Messiah… it brings old testament connections to Jesus in both introduction to them of great hope and continually explaining intricacies of the journey.
“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.”
Life is a journey. I’m glad to say God, in Love Everlasting, is taking us on ours.
Let’s keep reading, walking, believing.
(And hitting those summit times of understanding God’s promised Forever).
Amen
Here’s the video:
Here’s the chapter of 33’s HOPE! It’s not just 33 and a third, it’s a record for forever. (thanks Bible Gateway for the text)
Promise of Restoration – Jeremiah 33 NIV
While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’
“This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,
“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.”
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
“‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’
For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”
Could Should Would. I could live for myself, but I should live for the purposes of the One Who would give me life. Could, should, would. I would live for the Lord because I should.
I would choose to garden, but I am not the best Gardener of my life. I should till the soil when spring has sprung, but I should also rest when it rests. I could listen better for clues of all this. I would choose to rest.
Lord, give me purpose, give me rest, give me life. I could walk these steps even if I didn’t lay the stones. I should trust the steps because I do trust the Mason, Map Maker, Mover, Motivator. I would like to know the path, but realize He is in control.
I will take a time to listen in this life to live. It’s living life for things for now and sometimes things never, but it is ALWAYS listening for the benefit of our and others’ FOREVER.
Blessed to share this sermon Sunday: Jesus walking to where He needed to be – recalled by John chapter 4:5-14
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” (His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”… story continues in John 4
So there’s this story in the Bible of Jesus going to a well, a particular well at a particular time – as Jesus knows this particular woman will be at the well going to draw up yet ANOTHER bucket of water – again and again. And they start a very witty conversation (especially since she realizes He is VERY bold in asking something out of the norm – asking her for water as a Samaritan woman. (Jesus often talks to us and get us thinking too, doesn’t He?)… WELL, Jesus asks the woman questions and He is leading her to learn something (Jesus does that, lead us) – Jesus will explain to her that someday we all, the whole world, will worship in Spirit and in Truth. He is leading her in this conversation to learn that people will be blessed to drink in SPIRITUAL LIVING WATER. She, knowing history of Jacob – their great fore-father – and knowing prophecy, could recount that she was expecting a Messiah coming. She has her eyes opened in during this witty and all-knowing conversation, she is led to understand that He Himself is the Messiah – this Living Water is Jesus… and He is right in front of her! And He knows she will spread the Word.
Jesus says to her (and us): “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Have you even been thinking (internally) about “Why am I here?” – like in this circumstance, this moment I did not choose? I prayed for an answer, especially I thought I have been down this road before – Well, one of these times – I went directly to the Lord – with like: “can I have a scripture, a sparkle of hope or an answer of obviousness – anything like a CLUE!” And we can’t always get an easy clue, can we? – and often we get something that makes us ponder even more rather than the quick fix of a pat answer. So we have to realize that God DOUS have a good reason even if we can’t comprehend what’s good about it in human terms.
“Why am I here? What’s in it for me?” – or “why am I stuck here?” – well it’s not about you is it? That’s what God could say to us – the Spirit reminds us – but seriously Lord – either way Lord – please give me a clue… The vision I got was fuzzy, colors or static like a TV signal that needed to focus and like someone sharpening a camera lens – then I was finally getting a clearer picture – a well – the Samaritan woman’s well. Hmmmm… surely the well itself. But why?
Once out of the situation, I kept thinking about “Why the well?” (And yes I was happy to be out of the circumstance). WELL! Well, WELL – I went to read the scriptures in John 4 about the well – I was sure it was not just about the woman (although it could have been) – it was about the Samaritan’s well but it was Jacob’s Well – which drew lots of people – not just water. It was like I focused on that imagery of “drawing” – cranking – doing something to pull in the needed source – And the people who had to draw the water from the very deep – and the people had to KEEP drawing water over and over again – a daily chore – as Jesus pointed out – they will be thirsty again – and will keep coming to find some water from a well.
SO – it is not that I was thinking about being the Samaritan woman – although that’s volumes of lessons there – but I was thinking that when we draw from Jesus – we are replenished – and replenished enough that we can offer it to others – and that sometimes (even in the circumstance I was in, mentioned above) that others will come back to you – keep coming to you – keep trying to draw from your water source – not that they couldn’t draw it themselves but they may have not brought a ladle let alone a bucket or anything to keep hold onto that water. And do we have to keep giving them water – perhaps we can help teach them “WHO” is our source and hope they can start drawing from this strength too. Of course, there will be many in life that never make the connection – Jesus is waiting waiting waiting by their well – they never see Him.
SO, imagine they ask for some of your water – or at least look at you wondering “where do they get their water? their energy? their source of strength? (and sometimes they wonder – how can I source some of that? even if they don’t know that your source is not human water but living water). Let us hope they say – how can I draw on that kind of water too!?!
Now, you can’t pour from an empty cup – but are we ourselves getting our water from the right source? And handing out water (or other stuff which we will might run out of)… If we are getting Living Water from Jesus – then who are we to not keep it flowing it thru us? Maybe we simply need to appreciate that is why we are called to help – why God has us sitting in that situation – in that chair – can we focus on water flowing thru us that still hydrates us and alleviates thirst – and then pour from a full cup – from a fulfilling cup – a water that Jesus would say needs no ladle to get.
And that spring? – that becomes a fountain in us? Jesus put it there to be like a geyser of springing into everlasting life…
Let me get back to that woman at the well scene – and there is another older tale in Genesis about God’s angel coming to Hagar (servant of Sarah and Abram/Abraham, future mother of Ishmael (older brother to Isaac) and after the Hagar is comforted she calls the well :”The place where God has seen me” – God sees each of us – doesn’t He. He does!
I started thinking about a silly connection of Jesus picking her – that Samaritan woman or any person – but exactly her – the song – a Broadway hit – “One, singular sensation – every move that she makes…” it’s the lyric from a Chorus Line- where they are all auditioning for a part in a Broadway musical- all vying for the perfect moment to sparkle and connect and the director is looking for that special someone, exact for the part. (And this was something glamorous portrayed, but in reality, it took long work to get the ground work of skillset plus that spark…) Yet it was not that she had to work or any of us have to work to be chosen by Jesus = because He already chose each of us to be us, from before time.
It is NOT that the Samaritan woman at the well was at all-knowing or trying or anything. She encounters Jesus on an ordinary day that she doesn’t realize is NOT ordinary. She is picked out, probably from beginning of time, to be her normal self, then have this encounter with our Almighty Lord. She is at the middle of the hot day, when “normal” people don’t normally go, so MANY scholars and sermonists point that out, she alone at noon was avoiding a possible gossiping crowd in the morning, etc etc… yeah we get that… Yet Jesus judged her perfect for this moment and not just for who she was, but whom she would tell, what would happen next, and everything in between. One – ONE just like the Chorus Line – but also another song lyric: “A cog in something turning” as favorite singer Joni Mitchell would write as a lyric for “Woodstock” – this woman – and us – we are all cogs in something turning…
And Jesus told this woman of so much – it is said to be the longest conversation in the Bible – and Jesus was creating and drawing Living Water out of her stagnant life – so she was ‘drawn’ to say: “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” – “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Wow WOW – He says what she needed to hear – so that she believed Him. Jesus does say: “My sheep know My voice.”
Then she ran to tell the others – she said what they needed to hear – Her fountain of new life overflowed. Jesus also sends us our, TRUSTING in Him.
God has a Process – let us go to Him first… reach to Him as the first option…
So my neighbor’s wood stove chimney was on fire (they are OK and the house is OK). This was earlier in the week… I use it as an example that There is a process in firefighting, protocols and always communication – to the stations and fire fighters also lined up as backup…
SO that night, I saw fire trucks go by, maybe 930-10pm. My neighbors are about 7 doors down, great people, missionaries actually, it was their chimney from their woodstove, it was over doing it with heat.. too hot. I walked down to them, stood with them, watched the fire company be very methodical. Five in their uniforms with spike tools in hand waiting at the front door for instructions. No one moved without instructions. House was fine but the chimney became compromised. Yes, after a few holes in the garage wall and the upstairs bedroom wall, then it all seemed “done”, it all seemed OK and I went home. Now sitting in bed, now midnight and wide awake, I saw another few fire trucks come back, hmmm. The Fire Marshall had still been there doing paperwork and he saw the chimney flare up again, it had a blockage so severe that apparently it flared back up… So then more holes, a chain down the chimney when they could get the ladder truck up on the neighbor’s driveway… A process.
At this point, the neighbors were in the house with the fire marshall and invited me in as well to the back addition, because the new firefighters were just working on the chimney – well in another space. But looking into that room, it was a great image: 4 firefighters arm to shoulder backing up the situation. When the guy pulled the stove pipe out from the wall, which was cool by this time, he had back up as well as curious onlookers). They were there to back each other’s back. And there’s a protocol.
Later, the dreaded words, yeah they were going to have to pour down water… Fire boss said family should head out, so I brought the neighbors over to my house, 130pm, fed them pizza. Fire Marshall cleared house for them to return at 230am… all was ok, house too… except moderate water damage in the garage. Don’t worry, insurance will pay – there is a process.
What if the people tried water first? Well they say you could build up so much steam and pressure that the chimney to break open. And you would be on the ladder ON the chimney, not good… Best to call in the professionals. Well, let us switch this back to scene of the woman and the well – and for us living our lives – we DO want to go to Jesus first, Living Water! Well yes! He would call in the professionals and the angels, even might prevent our mental fires with mental reminders of us cleaning out our systems on a regular basis (chimneys and us) with His help. And so importantly, Jesus would want us to TRUST Him. And Jesus would also tell us there is a process. And if something were to go wrong, Jesus also has our back. Forgiveness comes for our forever. Jesus has a process – and Jesus has our back…
Please pray with me – Lord – Jesus, You are Lord – You are the process – the alpha and omega beginning and end and all the small steps in between. Teach us, show us, and even clear our fuzzy brains with your visions – if only we go to You Lord Jesus first and get our Living Water from you – worship You God – and depend upon You – You will lead us thru this life and to HOME. There is a process… Jesus You are the process and the processing and the answer too.
I was watching (and listening) to the inspiration of the musical Jonah, Sight and Sound. And the people who throw Jonah overboard and see the waves calmed, say “I’d be a fool not to worship a God this powerful.” Amen to that!
Can you imagine the absolute contrast between a near shipwreck and boom! an instant cleared situation and calm water? What if we would experience that kind of power then forget to rely on God again. It happens. It happened to David when He was saved from the lion or Goliath, then he wavered at times. it happens to us.
And yet, how awesome is God to forgive and keep showing us miracles of His POWER, and mercies of His choosing.
Imagine the power of God taking care of us so big. If we experience God’s little things, Imagine how elaborate big things are too. If we trust God’s got us in an afterlife, then can we trust His council for everyday things? I hope so.
Jonah overboard journey was a big step for His faith physically, being prepared to die and sacrificing his own life for the sake of others, yet knowing full well his disobedience brought God to severe extreme all while still being in control. Jumping overboard to jump on board with God’s Plan. It’s miniature to Jesus sacrificing His Life, Jesus knew what He was accomplishing yet He was of human nature to cry, question, suffer. Gratefully Jesus was Divine nature to put the plan together with God. You have to recognize that level of trust.
What about the people of Nineveh? They were staring death in the face and realized it – that in itself is amazing that they didn’t disregard Jonah’s prophesy. They had to jump on board with God – by jumping away from their disobedience and disregard. God said “all aboard” – and thankfully they took Him up on His offer.
Well, let’s all try some more trust for God’s I’m control. Let’s try to walk by faith and not by sight, and still keep our eyes on moving at God speed… if God is on board with a plan, why shouldn’t I be…
Life should be knowing that God knows every hair on our heads, then handing Him the comb.
A poem:
God parted the Red Sea,
He will help me!
God caught a jumping Jonah with a whale,
I imagine He can catch me with the wind’s gale,
Especially since I will put up my God windsail.
.
Jonah went the wrong way,
Let us instead ask God to steer our day.
Move me Lord, move my fear to Hooray!
At least I try to watch my steps as You plan my day.
I keep digging further into the old testament and the small passages reflect God’s whole plan. It’s not getting lost in the Word, but getting found through the Word, God HAS a Plan and we are living in the midst of it.
In Jeremiah 30, God told him to write down His Plan, prophesy of Jeremiah, into a book. Jeremiah 31 continues, and Jeremiah realizes God’s plan is reassurance, even gives Him pleasant sleep. There are hard days in the present for Jeremiah’s fellow men, but easier days ahead … Jeremiah had to write it, believe it, live it.
Jeremiah is writing about a NEW COVENANT (that’s Messiah Jesus), and God says: “I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
We hear these familiar terms: Lord of Hosts; Everlasting Love; Lovingkindnesses; sing with gladness; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all; heir souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more; For I will turn their mourning to joy; There is hope in your future, says the Lord.
And although I wonder why so many years this has to pass of wandering, wondering, and exile, for the israelites, I think God was reminding that He was in this for the Long Haul. I am also reminded that it is a long time people have been living on earth and they needed and needed a renewed hope and a renewed reminder. God doesn’t change but we have to re-realize of His faithfulness. FAITHFULNESS EVERY MORNING. Thus we feel blessed with Good sleep – not just for our bodies but for the reassurance that God is in control and we can get some rest.
God also reminds every new generation and multiple times that we are saved by Jesus. We accept saving grace when we look to our Messiah to cover our sins, and those of the past. Compliance for the past people was in certain obedience, and with us now, in A NEW COVENANT, we simply need to believe and walk with Jesus always (sometimes/always He will carry us too)… Let us keep walking all of these days… and sleeping in all of these nights…
Amen
—
Jeremiah 31 NKJV
The Remnant of Israel Saved – “At the same time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.” Thus says the Lord: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when I went to give him rest.”
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria; The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food. For there shall be a day When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’ ”
For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’ Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.
“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the Lord – For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all.
“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow. I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”
Mercy on Ephraim – Thus says the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.” Thus says the Lord: “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, That your children shall come back to their own border. “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; Restore me, and I will return, For You are the Lord my God. Surely, after my turning, I repented; And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.
“Set up signposts, Make landmarks; Set your heart toward the highway, the way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these your cities. How long will you gad about, 0 you backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth – A woman shall encompass a man.”
Future Prosperity of Judah – Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: ‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!’ And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks. For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.
A New Covenant
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His name): “If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
Thus says the Lord: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”
I took a moment to stop at the cemetery of my friend, a fellow girl scout mom. I wondered between the snow melting and the rain now pausing, in 4 days time, was the plot OK???… Well, of course it was fine, but I rearranged the wind-fallen flower piles anyway and made them look nicer. I thought at the very least the children who might visit their mom’s grave may have a better view, even if it’s the worst view. And even if they don’t come for a while, others will see devotion, just like I saw other places of graves of beloved mothers with dozens of angel statues, artwork, holiday decoration and flags, even Christmas trees. Devotion. So, perhaps it’s just the mom in me to “mom the situation”, clean up what is not my mess, and appreciate simply that I was putting the work in for my friend’s sake, and for mine too I will confess. I just liked it better. I just humanly needed to feel that earthly feel of ‘doing something’, when I knew already that God had already done everything, the Heavenly EVERYTHING.
“Beloved Mother” – the ribbon loose but the sentiment true. I anchored it with rocks. This mother was beloved as a mother by her children – and she was beloved that she mothered those children, admired and beloved by those she knew. She maybe sometimes put the smother of mother on thick – but that’s who she was – SO thick in mothering – to all she knew. Me too. I have clothes and food still from last year. She would mom me with snacks for our car trips. She mom-med thicker than the peanut butter she would bring. So thick is what many mothers do, to help us be covered in mothering long after they are gone.
Mud – I carried out the work then later saw the mud – the smother of mothering now the smother of mudddddd-ering … mud… felt good (even looked good I thought for a photo, the contrast of my pink fuzzy crocs as if happily dipped in mud). – Well…
We have to remember, mud will wash off, don’t be afraid of mud. Life is muddy, don’t be afraid of life. Carry on the work and wash off the mud later – simply switch shoes and keep marching. Mud makes the moms, it’s very beautiful to mom.
Keep mom-ing Moms. Keep dad-ing Dads. Keep traipsing through mud to mudder through life. Will the kids see it? The mom-ing by moms? Does that matter? Maybe, but just know it’s God’s way to make headway into life’s fray. “My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:14
Always a joy to revisit my awakening story – this is an “elevator speech” version – long elevator – but in brief – written to a new friend pastor.
I know that God has given me a gift for writing. I never asked for it, but I would NOT now trade it for anything. 9 yrs ago I tried to beg God to not “make me write” – but He didn’t let up – I always knew He made me an encourager in general, plus my sanguine ENFP personality, and has been refocusing me for working in His Way… I take little credit except for APPRECIATING the Lord in everything. Yeah!
In my blessing of an awakening 9 yrs ago, which to my human view felt like a 0 to 60 speed ramp up, I actually now know this came from His never-ending pursuit of me, of us, for not just our sake but for serving others… Like Jarius’ daughter, Jesus just said “she’s not dead in her faith, she’s just sleeping.”… Jesus held me in the MOST gentle of wake ups all the while God was like rolling STRIKES against the bowling pins of my disbelief system that I tried to keep resetting up. Smash! GOD IS IN CHARGE! He made me realize I was on His Plan at His Dime. He took my head and I actually had to write write write, 2am 5am etc through my whole awakening. Oh, how I was SO embarrassed and confused about this writing, hid my first 20 writings in a box in my car, I thought I was going nuts… God’s plan not mine… but now I know in true Holy Spirit fashion, that He lined up the people to help me open up, He laid His ground work for me to see it was Him, like a Bread Crumb trail. And yet, not led by anyone who noticed my “lukewarm-ness”, so that I could see it was God and God alone who called my number, and my head, and never let go… I was 50:50 on Jesus, even as a lifelong Catholic then Methodist, Sunday School teacher, VBS leader, UMW leader… was maybe Jesus a prophet with a publicist? How did I REALLY know He was God’s son? So, it was over the course of 2 months that God knocked my socks off and got my head on straight, and got me educating myself. Feb 1st is coming soon, my 100% with Jesus day 2015. It brings me to tears to think of “what if” – but God had me, never letting go…
So, for the writing, after opening up to 2 friend pastors, then more trusted people, I started emailing my writings as more general blog-like. After 50 writings in 2 months I was 100% with Jesus. After 200 writings I was like: “Lord, can I please stop now?” NOPE… I said, what am I gonna do with all these writings? They will just sit here like my unfinished sewing machine pile. And that’s when I also was Holy Spirit led to put them into a blog post page where I’m over two thousand writings now. A daily devotion safekeeping, until I figure out what else to do with them (yes, I need to publish many people tell me). Right now I am writing my way through the Old Testament. I don’t need to write for anything but the Lord. I don’t need the income or the fame. Yet I’m so curious why I write but I know all will be revealed someday… I’m just trying to go with the flow. Eventually I could imagine myself doing public speaking of women’s groups et cetera – but it is not about me but about God using me – using us – to be encouragers – encouragers of the Word.
I’m at debbieupper.blog because I am not a debbie-downer at all…
That’s my long-winded elevator speech of my awakening and my writing. I kissed the blarney stone twice, but it’s not all blarney. I’m a scientist and blessed that I’ve expanded into science blogs too. And I recently signed on as communications lead for a work multi-faith group. I just simply hope it helps people. I know it has helped me find God in everything… I’m even sharing sermons on occasion as a “pinch-hitter” while we are inbetween pastors at our community church.
We are all so different but we are also together in God’s plan for His Purposes..
I’m understanding that His Net is woven, strand by strand, strengthened and restructured. And some of us are on the fill in the tiny threads section that captures Thinker-ers like me, one at a time.
It FIGures that God would select a people to Himself. ‘You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’ ” – And yet He promises Jesus’s saving Grace to both Jew and Gentile. We are all His. God sets aside a nation, the Jews, and this is throughout history and scripture. It’s not about playing favorites, it’s about prophesy fulfillment. There is a plan and a process for recovering what and who are lost and scattered. (And trust me, reading their challenges in the old testament, knowing their challenges today, God’s Purpose is precisely His, for Whom can hold onto, control, use all the challenges of life but God). Our best plan is to take on the challenges day by day, hour by hour – WITH God to guide us.
And then there are those who like to DISAGREE with God, not go with His Plan – like in Jeremiah’s time those who refused to comply with God’s Placement of the Israelites, tribes of Jacob, up in Babylon for a spell. God called these rotten rulers and spoiled separatists as rotten FIGS!
FIGures, that God uses the items in people’s knowledge of all around His/their world. Remembering the FIG tree that shriveled when Jesus used it as an example of Israel’s lack of bearing fruit, of understanding that He was the Messiah, whom they should have been looking for, that should have been in season and in sync with His first coming. FIGures they (most of them) weren’t in sync or in season or in step. Jesus told them so. Later they (and we) would understand. And we understand that God does till His soil to bring better fruit – Jesus in Luke 13 speaks of fertilizing the fig tree just giving it another chance to change.
God also told Jeremiah, in the days of Babylon captivity, of the fate of the false prophets and non-obliging holdouts: “he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people”,… And God says: “In the latter days you will consider it.” (Yes, we consider your prophecy Jeremiah and Jesus’s Word. We get to read and ponder over it. We get to live the acceptance and hopefully less of the strife.)
We have yet to see more and more good that God is planning for His people. This may be in Heaven for some of us before it all is corrected on earth. There is a long plan shortly coming. In the meantime, let us all stay captive to God’s Word, plan, intentions, and Grace. If God chooses us for His Plan, let’s FIGure out how to comply. (And bloom too!)
Let us FIGure out how to be mindful to God.
Amen
—
Jeremiah 29:15-30:24 NKJV
Because you have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon”— therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, concerning all the people who dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren who have not gone out with you into captivity— thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth—to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not heeded My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the Lord. Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire”; because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the Lord.
You shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, “The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should be officers in the house of the Lord over every man who is demented and considers himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison and in the stocks. Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who makes himself a prophet to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘This captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’ ”
Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet. Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: Send to all those in captivity, saying, Thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I have not sent him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie— therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people, says the Lord, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord.
Restoration of Israel and Judah
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ ”
Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah. “For thus says the Lord: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck, and will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them. But they shall serve the Lord their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them.
‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the Lord, ‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
“For thus says the Lord: ‘Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe. There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines. All your lovers have forgotten you; They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased. Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.
‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; Those who plunder you shall become plunder, And all who prey upon you I will make a prey. For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ’ “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as before, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all who oppress them. Their nobles shall be from among them, And their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near, And he shall approach Me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the Lord. ‘You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’ ”
Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord Goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind; It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart.
In the latter days you will consider it.
Jesus also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” Luke 13:6-9
Jesus laments over Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” Matthew 23:37-39
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree – Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. Matthew 21:18-19
The Parable of the Fig Tree – “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:32-35
Sometimes we are surprised we make it through the day. What about 70 years? That was the prescribed time the Israelites were to be taken to Babylon, in captivity, but to still live full lives there. To NOT listen to fake prophecies that all will be fixed in a mere two years. Well, God wanted the people to know that He was WITH the people and even in captivity He promised to be KNOWN to be in charge. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE.
God always is clear: Life here on earth is not Heaven. God knows that there still will be worldly work, wrath, woes. But there is plain decent living too. So just LIVE.
If the Lord takes time to remove a people then restore them to Jerusalem again and again (and again), with His Word being TRUE, then we MUST believe in Jesus speaking the TRUTH which is also a prayer that “the Lord’s Will be done ” EVERYDAY. Jesus instructed in the Lord’s Prayer to petition: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). And Jesus warned about false prophets and false prophecy. Sounds like Jeremiah’s time too. God said DON’T listen to the hype.
Sounds familiar, DON’T listen to the HYPE about LIFE – LIVE LIFE – LOVE it.
Pray on our trials here too. It was to be 70 years in exile before Restoration of Jerusalem, God told the people to make the best of it. Let’s do these SAME SANE things now, KEEP LIVING LIFE, knowing God will bring us back to Him (and Jesus comes back to us). Don’t stop living – Jeremiah wrote of God’s command and the reassurances, Jeremiah also spoke publicly and demonstrated physically that God would handle the time and the false prophets too who were rushing the process, dictating the fight. God sent Jeremiah to warn. God uses even the evil for His Purposes. Well we should know by now that God handles His battles in His Own Timeliness…
So let us read COMFORT in Jeremiah 29 for them and us… (and Jeremiah 27-28 for some clear God swiftness to knock out falsehood in a fake prophecy from Hananiah.)
Remember that when the going gets tough, God is tougher!! Look for God: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Amen (and read of His Plan, it sounds pre-preparing for us too)
Amen (and wait for “the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.” – be it Jeremiah then and Jesus now)
Amen to God’s Known Future for us (with HIM!)
…
Jeremiah 29:5-14 – “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:5-14)
Jeremiah 27 NKJV – Symbol of the Bonds and Yokes
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Thus says the Lord to me: ‘Make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck, and send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. And command them to say to their masters, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel—thus you shall say to your masters: ‘I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me. And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them. And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,’ says the Lord, ‘with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.” For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall till it and dwell in it.’ ” ’ ”
I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live! Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you; for I have not sent them,” says the Lord, “yet they prophesy a lie in My name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, “Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon”; for they prophesy a lie to you. Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste? But if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.’
“For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the Sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem: ‘They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,’ says the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’ ”
Jeremiah 28 NKJV – Hananiah’s Falsehood and Doom
And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”
Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place. Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war and disaster and pestilence. As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.”
Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’ ” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.
Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Go and tell Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.” For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also.” ’ ”
Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.’ ”
So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
A friend of a friend recently handed me some of the light bulbs from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City (gathered in 2022). I guess certain people get to take the bulbs off and keep them because they don’t reuse them anymore… That does sound wasteful and yet I get it because they they probably need to make it VERY easy on themselves every year to light up the beautiful tree.
It’s cool to go see it but there are so many activities at Christmas that I don’t really need to go see the tree. There are big trees here too. My friend who recently passed wanted to go see it before Christmas, asked if I was going, but I wasn’t. I am now GLAD that I DIDN’T take her. What? Would I wished to have taken her? Nah, I am thankful for not being a part of weakening her any more than she was. It was like a God thing that stopped me one trip short of guilt. The tree is cool, don’t get me wrong, but God is COOLer. God is All in All. God is in control.
This is all hindsight conjecture of course, and even if we had gone, I’m trusting God in His wisdom would have helped… But anyway I’m glad we didn’t go. I’m also glad that my friend had an “ordinary” day that day she passed, and before that a real and regular Christmas with her family that was distanced 3 weeks prior from her passing.
I am glad that she held her faith to the world like a light in the dark. See, we didn’t need to see Christmas lights as much as her and us being witness Lights!
The bulbs are cool, but the only thing I can think to do with them is somehow to bring them to her gravestone… I know of all things, God wants us to carry on, to shine the Light while we make do, to be faithful and true.
I know God is the best Light. Through us, His Light shines TRUE.
(For my friend who recently passed – but for all our loved ones gone too soon.)
It’s like multiple stages of grief in a whirlwind. For a friend’s passing, I got the stage of denial for maybe 45 minutes tops, that’s it. Reality came quickly in God’s Way. Comforting others came paramount immediately. Memories came even quicker in a processing way.
For the services, it came in an easy Hard way – on an easy Hard day. In an unfathomable way, we knew we would get to this day. But in a way, nothing could prepare us for the day. So our focus shifts from our grief to helping others with theirs. That is God’s way to make easy a hard day. Help in every which way. Help others get through their day.
The service and the logistics and sharing of the meal, (even getting the tire out of the rut of the driveway), well it was all fairly easy that day, in a very tough way. People shared a slice of God’s ultimate grace, I must say. We found ease even if it was from a hard way, on a hard day.
It was hardly an easy day, but a hard easy day. Easy in that we were taken care of. And we also took care of each other. That came easy. That’s the easy part of hard: Love, grace, mercy.
It was easily one of the hardest days. I saw my friend’s family and that was hardest, to know only a fraction of their grief, all stages, and easy to see why they grieved. They loved her, daughter, sister, wife, mother. Loved her with an easy love, even in a hard situation. She loved them hard, that was easy for her. She lived a hard life with the seemingly gift of just enough ease over pain, and trust me she had hard pain. Her hard days ended with much pain, now eased away.
Love is easy. Love is hard. Life is easy. Life is hard. What makes hard life easy? Or easy life hard? Hard to answer that, but easy to see that our lives are gifted an ease to hardness. How else would this complicated brain, emotions, coping mechanism and complicated body survive and even thrive. If forming, growing and living life in us is not complicated enough, then nothing is. If putting the infinite spirit into a complex system, requiring us to nurture and care for each other, was and is “so easily” done by God, then NOTHING is hard for God. Nothing will be either. God doesn’t hold us together with skin or glue, but with LOVE. Hard love easily given. God is love, nothing hard nothing easy, just Love.
Our bodies will give way, pass away.
But God’s Love will be our stay.
Let us pray for all of us today.
Love is an easy gift, even if made perfect in a hard way.
Lord, let us today, Love Your Way.
Amen
—
“Is any thing too hard for the Lord? ” Genesis 18:14
‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.’ Jeremiah 32:17-19
“For with God, nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37
Debbie Upper 