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DO NOT FEAR, ZECHARIAH 8

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“We will cross that bridge when we come to it.” – that should be the ever-repeating statement of our lives. To plan some is good, but mostly prepare for something rather than worry about it, like travel and projects and especially illnesses and family situations. And rather than worry now, let tomorrow worry about itself and do the actual activities of the day in the day they occur. Live in the presence and present as God is with us and cross the bridges WITH Jesus in lead, step by step.

“DO NOT FEAR” – the best three words – from the Lord to His people. TO US.

This means take each day as it comes, deal with it, be fair in it, be worshipping Gid for how He has supported us this far! And will in the future. 

That even means, the future new city we will dwell in, the newest of life WITH God, as is laid out BY God. And in our worship, we will see the opportunity to build the next opportunities to share, just as the builders in Zechariah’s time rebuilt worship in the temple of Jerusalem.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’

The amazing walk with Jesus now won’t just stop, we can continue walking and working. 

So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’

May we appreciate and approach the day and our project and plans with joy that the Lord has our best interests in His Plan… one step at a time.

Amen

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Zechariah 8 NKJV

Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’

“Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ Says the Lord of hosts.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built. For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew – I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these. And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 

Do not fear.

These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.”

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ “

Woe Complacency Sin, Amos 6

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If there’s a set of sins SO OFTEN called out in scripture, they would clearly be including complacency, settling into living without gratitude. This is what Amos is warning the people of Israel about, and warning all of us. Don’t be complacent and lack praise. 

We think of evil sins like murder and yet there’s sins of omission like apathy, living not caring even if you do know other’s plight. More turn our back sins like Charles Dickens wrote in “A Christmas Carol”, showing Scrooge horrified at children under the robe of ‘The Ghost of Christmas Present’ – the big booming voice: “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.”

All these sins all fall under not being aware of how we drift away from awareness.  Apathy feeds itself, and complacent behavior is just that, complacent. 

God wants attention. God wants us to understand what is bothering Him about how we (ancients descendants of Jacob and all of us now) don’t praise for what we DO have. 

Amos foretold the exiles forced by fierce neighbors in the time of the divided kingdoms. (Amos tells us now that we are running out of time to pay attention.) Amos warns the day of complacent ways will come to an abrupt end – For the Lord has given the command – and if we can acknowledge that prophets like Amos spoke truth of what was going to happen, then we must recognize that the future prophecies will also come true. 

Best we can do (in addition to PAY ATTENTION and PRAY) is PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW… 

Praise God for the new day to keep looking and working for Him. 

Amen. 

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Amos 6 NIV 

Woe to the Complacent

Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror. You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You ou dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.” If ten people are left in one house, they too will die. And if the relative who comes to carry the bodies out of the house to burn them asks anyone who might be hiding there, “Is anyone else with you?” and he says, “No,” then he will go on to say, “Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

For the Lord has given the command, and he will smash the great house into pieces and the small house into bits.

Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness – you who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar and say, “Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?”

For the Lord God Almighty declares,  “I will stir up a nation against you, Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.”

The Good Stuff God is Known For, Daniel 1

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Suitable for back to school talk – back to focus – back to God…

God is known for so many good things, miracles and such – and just good living – Daniel’s story tells of, in chapter 1, that devotion to God is a really good thing to have – and this devotion is obedience and understanding that God’s rules and plans are good for us. Even God’s vegetables…  really God is good.

Daniel and his friends are “recruited” really forced because this is the time of besiege of Jerusalem by Babylon – and Daniel and three others are being “trained” to serve in the King’s court – trained for 3 years – (that is unbelievable too – three years of what kind of training?) – but Daniel refuses to eat’s the kings table food (which was probably the best they could offer those days) – but God offered something better – and not just vegetables – He offered the wisdom to live. Daniel and his three other companions tapped into God’s wisdom. 

First – after refusing to eat – the guard made a plea with Daniel – look I am only doing my job – help me out here – well Daniel made an agreement for a trial basis to test things out – and only 10 days ate under God’s purposes – and guess what – not just eating but exercising too and learning and what not…  And they turned out to be the best of the best… and they didn’t have to be enchanters or magicians, just God’s people.

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

Yes, it took three years and yes it took work and yes it took wisdom to learn – most importantly it took the dedication to God to live the life that He wanted them to live – and the rest was gravy – no I am not talking about vegetable gravy…

The good stuff God is known for is His dedication to those dedicated to Him. The wisdom to know – and the means to work – even under the oppressive circumstances. 

I’m glad God is in control. Let’s listen to Him always.

Amen

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Daniel 1

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.  And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Confess the Bless

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I must CONFESS the BLESS.

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. 

I must CONFESS the BLESS!

Now to enjoy each day as it comes for the rest….

Rest…

It’s All a Blur

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I wanted a photo of a sign that said “No horses on bridge”, but I moved my arm and it’s all a blur photo-wise. Trust me LIFE is all a BLUR too. 

I would know, being old enough and yet young enough that there’s many things that have changed in my mere few decades. To me, my young age sounds like a lot, but it doesn’t feel like a lot. You too? So I say it’s like a blur, but with crisp moments that seem like yesterday and wish would return like tomorrow. (Then again glad others are gone, water under the bridge.)

The bridge. Can you imagine a time someone would have walked a team of horses across this rennovated but once 1800’s metropolitan country-ish bridge, between cities now, or be tempted to cross even with car traffic because this bridge was then and now convenient? Can you imagine a time someone would have owned horses for transportation and work let alone pleasure, or would have even had a place to go on a horse, would have even had enough time to ride a horse???… I can imagine that for THEN but not for now. Time is a blur.

Look, I didn’t even have time for a proper photo as traffic stopped and then decided to go. Another time I had plenty of time stuck in the middle of the bridge for a day photo of the awesome trusses. Every rush hour this FREE (once toll) bridge is packed. Trust me the horses would have had a faster crossing on foot on the sidewalk! No, no one walks across on the sidewalk anymore either! And I’m old enough and young enough to say “Remember when people walked to work, school, groceries?”… yeah life’s a blur. 

Bumpy rides seem smoother in hindsight.

I crossed the bridge driving my daughter to and from her internship. I loved the time chatting in the car, backed up traffic or not. I appreciated the time making the most out of Christmas, open and closed in a short month,  I’m holding onto it longer, to appreciate one day at a time because that’s all I could handle and because we ALL don’t know about tomorrow let alone next year. Lord willing yes or no, just go with the flow. 

So, also this week I was picking up my outside knocked-over neon nativity decorations after a windy wet storm. There was a ten dollar bill blown up the hill, sitting in front of a king! Wow, a king that delivers! And I thought what would Jesus’s family have used those gifts for, of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh? Were they symbolic gifts? Practical gifts? Both? And what should I spend this 10 dollars on?! It’s cool, but 10 dollar 50 years ago would have bought a lot more! What would it be in Jesus’s time? Things change. Jesus doesn’t, but times do. I will think about this ten dollars – perhaps it like taxes and toll bridges are needed to be paid and the Lord provides that too (just ask Peter and that fish). Isn’t it good that Jesus paid the price for our toll toiling life bridge to Heaven too?

What doesn’t change? That time moves fast. What shouldn’t change? Our opportunities to say thank You Lord, whether in pain or in peace, it’s JOY in the Journey which fills our praise. 

If we take it one day at a time, we can lock in and focus on the One True Sure LIGHT that is Jesus! We won’t have a blur but will see Him clearly, leading us!

Keep Shining Lord.

Be unblurred.

Amen