Zechariah 4 ~ Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts

Zechariah 4

And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?”

I said, “No, my lord.”

6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones ^{[two sons of new oil]} who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Sculpture Garden Washington D.C.

We see Israel rise again out of the ashes of destruction. Called an el name here - Zerubbabel.

The wonder of the impossible. God keeps repeating His Story. Just as Joshua was told. A message for us.


Joshua 1

I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”


We love to get caught up in explaining difficult things like a plumb line. This is really about balance. What would the Lord have us do?

Not to be the virgins caught without oil, Jesus told us about, instead be fruitful for Him asking each day.

Isaiah 55:12
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Psalm 37:23
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way

Psalm 25:14
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.


Blessed be the Lord God of Hosts. All praise, honor and glory to Him the King of Kings. Love, Mercy and Forgiveness are in His footsteps. Let the Glory of the Lord live round about us. Now and always. Blessings upon the Name of Jesus. Amen.

<><

Luke 12:39-48 ~ faithful and wise

What thief tells us they intend to arrive?

Luke 12:39-48

39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?”

42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.


No one had to tell Jesus what was in the heart of mankind. God, in the Holy Spirit, told us that. Not very surprising considering He is God. Jesus is conveying interest. And Emotion. Jesus is always Salt and Light.


1 Thessalonians 4:7
For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.

I know a lady who has cancer for the first time in her sixties. She is not too worried. This is in His hands. Of course she is sad. The Disciples of Jesus were known to flop around with worry. This is a situation that calls attention to our beliefs, concerns. A valid time to trust and reflect what we know about HIM. This lady said in her sixth decade she feels, well the illness is a gamble, but we never know if we step out of our house and are hit by a bus. This is true, I have actually been hit by a bus before.

A thief is an entirely different event. We feel afraid, watched, concerned. Angry. Trying to decide if we did what we could correctly. Although, Edward, my husband was on a jury where the victim had been chased by the burglar the day before.

Yet.. you would have emotion if you were on the wrong side of Judgment. 

I knew a woman years ago, she and her husband fought and after twenty years of marriage, their huge divorce disagreement was over her newly earned and self purchased Lincoln Town Car. He was not awarded her car in the divorce, so he routinely followed her and took his key to her car and drove away leaving her stranded. Leaning on her mercy that he was really acting upon hurt feelings and she would have to either report the theft and drop it again or wait for him to feel merciful. I advised her to spend the money and have the ignition and doors changed after a dozen events. She did so.

We have a clue about our diligence in our Spiritual life, our deepest core, our soul. Yet HE is aware we often act like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Self concerned. WE need to stay aware of HIM and not let life snatch us back into the mere oscillation becoming stagnation.

Matthew 25
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

We can relate to this story, burning oil at both ends. 

Or we can have the understanding Most Men would not want to be called "virgins without oil " upon discovering the LORD isn't nicey nice and requests the pleasure of their company in conversation...all the time.

For me, this reminder -would be running just a little bit late. 

Or

Being along the path of life, the wide path, the rocky freeway. Zooming for a while...joyfully. Knowing our next exit, watching for stray traffic and lane changers, texters, drunks ...but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.


Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Paul told us to be pleased with a quiet life. For a man chased from town to town - this is an interesting observation! (You have to love the Word of God for the honesty!)

Much will be required...
Jesus asked us to consider if we were prepared for a thief TO SURPRISE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF US. SCARED!

The Scriptures are very real. Jesus is telling us what the Bible tells us the Day of the Lord will happen to us.


Isaiah 13:6
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near;
as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

Ezekiel 13:5
You have not gone up into the breaches, or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord.

Joel 1:15
Alas for the day!
bFor the day of the Lord is near,
and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

Pat Benatar said - you better run, you better hide - yet, we all have an invitation to leave the Planet.


Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

 Jesus our Mediator will make sure He will unite all things to HIM in the fulness of His Time.

Revelation 14:14-15
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud

Revelation 21:18
The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.

Psalm 46:4
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.




Lord Jesus, you have captured my heart and it is yours. Help me to me strong in faith, steadfast in hope, and generous in love seeking to please You. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

<><

Proverbs 2 ~ walk in the ways

Proverbs 2


My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;

3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.



Proverbs 2

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;


God is orderly. Even the Commandments are given in an orderly fashion. What does God give as wisdom?

1 Timothy 2
Pray 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

And I'd love to say ... I love the mediator JESUS CHRIST, THE HERO.


3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.


Who were some of the people God admires? Good information to know...

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

By faith Sarah herself received

By faith Isaac invoked future blessings

By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed

By faith Joseph counted on the Exodus

By faith Moses was looking for a greater reward

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down


6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.


Psalm 116
8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.


9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.



16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.


Sinking down isn't my favorite thing.

Psalm 3
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah


Luke 18:19
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Matthew 14:31
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”


20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.


Psalm 113
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!

Mark 10:32
They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe

Father God, we lift our very lives to you and every day. Let us be fruitful for you. Desiring Your Glory and Mercy and Steadfast Love. Let us Live - Give us the Day - in Your truth. Gaining the wisdom of mercy and of verve. Light and salt. Like really good potato chips. Knowing You require of us to be crunchy - like John says torts are, not stale. Torts are difficult to swallow but the Spirit gives many blessings. You are the God above all Gods. Light from Light. And You told us, it is written, You are the God who made His first sign to make wine. At a wedding. For His mom. Because that is who YOU are - the Great I Am.

Thanksgiving for Keys found on DG and Golf courses after being lost for three days. Praise to you Lord Father God and Keeper of our Souls. In Your Highest Name. Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. 

<><

Job 40 ~ Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?

Have you contended with the Almighty lately? Job did.

Job 9:4
He is wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?

Job 40

And the Lord said to Job:

2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”


3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”


6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

7 “Dress for action^{[gird up your loins]} like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9 Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?

10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below ^{[in the hidden place]}
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you.

15 “Behold, Behemoth ^{[a large animal exact identity unknown]}
which I made as I made you;
he eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.

19 “He is the first of the works of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.

23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes^[sight]
or pierce his nose with a snare?





Job 40

And the Lord said to Job:

2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”


Frequently we find fault with things because we are all about us. Teenagers use a hand circling a fist to say, "All about me." Stuck in a rut, without gratitude.

Psalm 19 ~ God's Word Translation

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky displays what his hands have made.
2 One day tells a story to the next.
One night shares knowledge with the next
3 without talking,
without words,
without their voices being heard.
4 Yet, their sound has gone out into the entire world,
their message to the ends of the earth.

I know about that because I felt little doses of gratitude Sunday. More precisely, non-gratitude. It's uphill work to praise Him when events seem off. And after you've lived a long time, decades, you start to see things from a little more perspective. You begin to realize how distasteful it is to see others stew. I could name a few phrases. "Life is Unfair." "Why me?" "My Life, My Poor Life." "Dammit, why is it easy for them." And when you start to stew, to recognize the same boat, to stagnate, you realize then you need time to be grateful.


John 6:29
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

God let Job fuss for quite some time, I think they both realized the honesty was needed to work things out. It's uphill work to live transparently instead of deflecting unpleasant emotions. And I've been there. Like yesterday.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."




3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:

4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further.”


Sometimes we need to take a deep breathe and face the Lord, who calls us Beloved and let HIM speak.

Jeremiah 2:28-30

But where are your gods
that you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can save you,
in your time of trouble;
for as many as your cities
are your gods, O Judah.

29 “Why do you contend with me?
You have all transgressed against me,
declares the Lord.
 

Romans 3:23
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.




6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

7 “Dress for action^{[gird up your loins]} like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
9 Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?


Psalm 62:11
Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God

1 Corinthians 6:14
By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

Luke 11:20
But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Psalm 136:12
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever

Job 9:4
He is wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?

Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Job 26:14
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”


 


10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and tread down the wicked where they stand.
13 Hide them all in the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below ^{[in the hidden place]}
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own right hand can save you.

Jesus, Meek and Mild. No, Jesus is the Son of God, the Lord, our Christ, the Messiah - threw out people in the 36 acres of the Temple with His Powerful Holy Spirit.

One of the Two Main Entrances to a Very Large Temple Area. The Robinson Arch supporting the stairs, seen today.

15 “Behold, Behemoth ^{[a large animal exact identity unknown]}
which I made as I made you;
he eats grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.

19 “He is the first of the works of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.



God reaches us in a variety of ways. We learn looking around us and climb steps of belief.

Job 26:14
And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"

The famous analogy four blind men discover an elephant / an analogy of God. They grope about, seeking to understand and describe this new phenomenon. One grasps the trunk and concludes its a snake - perhaps those who dismiss the Bible as hateful - or flexible and wobbly. Another explores one of the elephant's legs and describes it as a tree - has possibilities and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the examination, and it proves unfruitful. A third finds the elephant's tail and announces that it is a rope - like Jacob - a way to contend with God for blessings. And the fourth blind man, after discovering the elephant's side, concludes that it is, after all, a wall - the law is solid.

Each describes the same thing in a radically different manner. Well-known prophets Samuel, Peter, the Disciples running away from Jesus, minus beloved John, Jonah. Add to the group - Moses. Jeremiah resisted the call.

What drew these people to God - who would send His Son. He has longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and for the willingness to be gathered. The enormous compassion, because we were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Nathan saw God loves like a Shepherd. Tenderly caring in love.

Samuel mourned. Like the Prodigal Father - He longed to run to his son and have that embrace.

Abraham felt God should be merciful, asking God to spare mankind. And earned the blessing of the millenniums. God's attitude on mercy - Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Abraham gathered blessings and mercy for others. This is what drew him to God.

Moses wanted justice for the people he felt were abandoned. God provided more than justice, and the slaves left with their former masters' gold and jewelry. God guarded them tenderly.

Jacob fought God all of his days for a Blessing and sought to bless his children and grandsons. God granted Jacob the blessing all of his days. As Jacob believed he lived the blessings of God.



23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes^[sight]
or pierce his nose with a snare?


Job wrestled like Jacob. Honestly. And for his belief to grow. And Job became this -


Matthew 13:32
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches

<><

Hebrews 13:8 ~ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Thomas Jefferson got to pick and choose his truth in parts of the Bible. John Adams declared,  "Thomas Jefferson lives!"  ~ As John Adams took a step forward into eternity. Why not take a better look at the new idea all of the Old Testament should be done away with. Only the Love of Jesus Christ should be observed in the Gospels?? Doing away with many aspects vital to the understanding of why Jesus would fight the good fight???

Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.


People who are healed - 
Want to help others.
Sharing their blessing. 
Of course, this is Biblically supported -  
Jacob tells us about the" Cross" as he blesses his grandsons. 
The Way Church in The Woodlands with Pastor Matt Woodfill was on KSBJ Contemporary Christian Worship talking about gratitude and the blessing of the New Testament stemming from gratitude.

Did you know Jacob managed to find blessings on his death bed? God wants to pour out a blessing.

Genesis 48
8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn).

17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,
‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’”

The cry of The OLD Testament is echoed in the New ~ Make straight the paths of the LORD!!!

Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

God created both the heavens and the earth and we pray for His Will to be done here as in Heaven. The Cross of Jesus Christ makes the transition possible.


Let our living water flow and we open our hearts.

John 4

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”


Abundant living and Living Water flow from all the aspects of God's Word.

God adopted John on the way to the cross. And God declared his Sovereignty first to a Samaritan woman, only He could iron the mess out of her life, in the fourth chapter of John. And God adopted again when the grave could not hold Him. And again - this was a woman. The family of God is important to God. Not by anything other than God looking into our hearts and seeing us as we truly are.


Isaiah 55:11
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Hebrews 6:18
So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.


2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Jeremiah 23:29
Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

<><

Job 25 ~ How then can man be in the right before God?

The Dead Sea Scrolls—the oldest known surviving biblical and extra-biblical texts in the world—are slated to be scanned with high-resolution multispectral imaging equipment and shared online, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), this picture was taken in an IAA lab.

Job 25

 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

² “Dominion and fear are with God;
    he makes peace in his high heaven.
³ Is there any number to his armies?
    Upon whom does his light not arise?
⁴ How then can man be in the right before God?
    How can he who is born of woman be pure?
⁵ Behold, even the moon is not bright,
    and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
⁶  how much less man, who is a maggot,
    and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Job is not my favorite book in the Bible. Yet it gets a lot of mileage even today. Even people not well versed in Scripture want to talk about JOB. And if you think about it, it would have probably have made Job feel immensely better to know - all this suffering is Really Going to Pay Off. For himself, for eternity, for us.

The Book of Job - Eusebius (A.D. 263-399) placed Job "two ages before Moses" or 2,000-1,500 B.C. The Talmud has two opinions, saying it was written by Moses and, also, definitely before the First Temple. The First Temple was built about 950 B.C. The Book of Job is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls is the Targum of Job 11Q10. Another source says Job lived during Jacob's time and his second wife was Dinah (Jacob's daughter). Which is speculation.

So we have several aspects we can look at here. Job is suffering.

Job has Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. Which is good for us because - these people annoy Job like the way - people annoy us. And part of the problem is one recognizable in our lives - they have made judgements about Job and are going down that path the way a family dog makes a path in our backyards. And this is the way people who have known each other for a long time do communicate. It puts marriage counselors in business!

And it teaches us something - Important. Bildad is not right about Job. However, Bildad is connected to the Holy Spirit and has something Biblical to say.

We don't even come close to the Holiness of God. And that is an important message for me. I used to think I was one of the ones who could have comfortably sat up on the altar platform easily in a Baptist style Church. I was the older brother in the Prodigal Son. I had earned my wings, my salvation was in hand. And I do feel, as Christians know what God places in their heart, that I am saved. However, when I think about it today - I see I was pleasing myself.  And sweeping a lot under the rug. Which is surprising to me even today. We just don't earn our salvation. It is a gift.

We can certainly abuse our salvation and fumble it, causing God to turn from us. But HE is always willing to rush in when nothing is right - but a deep and abiding desire for HIM to return. And we can eventually wear out HIS good will. But He says He LOVES us. And John, who met Jesus, lived with Him says, HE IS A GOD OF LOVE.  Inspired, of course, not just by his experiences, but the Holy Spirit.

God saw us for exactly what we are. And He made a decision. To live the best part of life, as part of a family blending itself seamlessly together in a small community. And the worst part of life - to go forth each day - proclaiming Mercy over Sacrifice and Rule and to be rejected. To be hung on a cross. To be condemned as a criminal. Knowing what we all are. To decide to wade into the fray. And save us.

God tells us each day of our lives, "I value you as part of this earth's creation." How do we know? We aren't called home yet. Knowing that .... we will go home.

Why?  God loves you. Come as you are: Imperfect. Striving. Ugly. Beautiful. Upset. Peaceful. Good. Bad. Indifferent. Yet He reaches out to you.

I have a few Bildad the Shuhite s in my life. And sometimes I'd like to kick them, or walk away from them. Yet, God has placed them in my life. And they have something to say. It is up to me to hear if they are telling me something from God or to just be the mercy of God to them.

Because.

Give Justice with Mercy
Love Kindness
Walk Humbly with the LORD

Bildad was not giving Justice. But mercy - time to care and talk. Kindness - talking, even if it was not really justice. And giving us an important message Job wanted to push aside - we need to be Humble before GOD.

<><

Matthew 6:25-34 ~ your Father feeds them

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.



Just maybe you remember the movie "Parenthood" (1989), with Steve Martin.

Gil: They call me Cowboy Gil, as in guil-ty. I saw Cowboy Dan. I didn't like the look on his face. It was like this...

Gil: ... so I killed him. I blew a hole in him this big. Actually it was about this big. You know, when I think about it, that hole was about THIS BIG! And his guts were spilled out all over the floor. As I was walkin' away, I slip around on his guts. A couple of other people came by and started slippin' on his guts too. After I blow a hole in somebody and slip around on their guts... afterwards, I always like to make balloon animals. That's mighty courteous of you. Here we go!
[holds up jumbled of twisted balloons]

Gil: Your lower intestines.

Gil practices endlessly to make Kevin perfect in their baseball adventures. By the end of the horrific season, Kevin catches the ball and Gil goes home to proclaim the catch was a "miracle" to his wife. His wife smirks and says, "Endless practice."


What about not being anxious... Christians tend to more worried and more anxious and more eager to please. Not really a bad thing when you consider these are souls at work for Him. We get ourselves in such a knot over not being nervous. The disciples were constantly being flummoxed with worry.

We get exactly like this - worried over worrying. Real is what Father God wants from us. The father who cried out, "I believe, help my unbelief!" - this father was within a few thousand feet of the Transfiguration.

Sufficient is the day - we have to have practice with our gratitude - without really digging a lot goes past us and we don't see how He is working all things to the good of those who love the Lord.

Crying, for me, helps. A rain shower to allow the emotion to be recognized and helped.


Psalm 139:23
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!


1 John 3:1
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are


Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Matthew 14:31
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Luke 13:34
how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings


Isaiah 40
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

<><