Romans 9:16-33 ~ pursue it by faith

Romans 9:16-33

¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, ^{[not of him who wills or runs]}   but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ²¹  Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?  

²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴ even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?  

²⁵ As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
²⁶  “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel^{[children of Israel]}  be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, ²⁸ for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” ²⁹ And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
     we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.”

³⁰ What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
     and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”


When we look at all the people in Scripture from Adam to the letters of the disciples, we see people who are not perfect. Only one is Good. And we see Abraham lied and then didn't trust God. Abraham is only counted as child of God for one reason.  He believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:6
And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Psalm 106:31
And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Even Abraham had days he didn't believe God's promises. Days were he believed himself to not be part of God's promises. Surely encouragement to us who do not see and hear the LORD.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.



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Revelation 12:7-12 ~ was thrown down

Revelation 12:7-12

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers[brothers and sisters] has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Luke 10:18-20

18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

John had a unique view of life on earth, he'd been with Jesus, Son of God, as he died for our sins. John believed evil walked the earth. Which for someone who doesn't like fictitious scary movies, is a fairly terrifying thought. Clark says the evil one has the stink of wanting to hurt.

We have the joy of knowing the devil was thrown out of Heaven. No longer would there be conversations like the one carried out in the Book of Job. We are also fortunate in being after Jesus was resurrected, in knowing, in our baptism, we have the Seal of the Holy Spirit. Protecting us from this kind of evil. Baptism is the promise to be fulfilled with the sustaining life of the Holy Spirit within us.

Romans 8:38

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:24-39

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Luke 13:34

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Father God,

Each day, gather us to You, that in Your Mercy, Your Will and in Your Glory, we might be sustained to do all the good works You have prepared for us to do. Open our hearts to be soft, and to be wise, that we may walk with You in the ways You would have us go. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Deuteronomy 8:1-20 ~ The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live

And [beneath] upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates [of] blue, and [of] purple, and [of] scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about. - Exodus 28:33

The pomegranate is used in God's Temple to show fertility of the mind, where good seed is planted and a harvest is sure

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. ² And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. ³ And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word^{[by All]} that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴  Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. ⁶ So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. ⁷ For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, ⁸ a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, ⁹ a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. ¹⁰ And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

¹¹ “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, ¹²  lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, ¹³ and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, ¹⁴  then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, ¹⁵ who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. ¹⁷ Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ¹⁹ And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. ²⁰ Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Joshua 24:15

As For Me And My House We Will Serve the Lord

Song of Solomon 3
on the day of his wedding, on the day of the gladness of his heart.




There is a scene from the movie, "Tommy Boy." Both men have faced some trouble in their lives, careers, families and a song from the Carpenters comes on. They begin to sing. And you realize. We love this. All of us. Close to us.

And Weddings. We've only just begun.   I've been here for almost 5 decades. And if you don't have hope for the future, it is so difficult to see young people start out.  It is up to us when we have small children, to take a deep breathe and try to speak again with patience. When sometimes we long to jump up and down and be two. I can tell you from experience. You make memories. And they go off to college.

And then we reach the years, we are not so G rated because we've aged, the television and the computer have been on. And we really have to examine what we are going to tell our grown kids, who have only a small idea that they've grown up. We think we've arrived, but really, we are still growing.

And you can say that with Joy.  We don't have to collapse. These hands have seen some times, but we can still put them out and say. Oh! Oh! Oh! Send Me. Please.

And in Jesus Christ we can say. I am So Sorry. I want to get back on the path.  And say, here I am LORD. send me.

Father God, may the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to You, my Rock and my Redeemer. And Father God, when they are not, please be merciful. I need You each day.  Be my Father God who runs to me. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ~ glorify God

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully^{[with blessings]} will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency^{[contentment]} in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!


It is difficult in this economy and job uncertainty to give generously. Churches in our area have cut back on the number of people employed, some of them have been Church employees for almost all their adult lives. Perhaps it would be best to cut salaries instead of staff, asking people if they want and need Church employment.

Two weeks ago we traveled to North Carolina across Interstate 10 on a Sunday morning and my husband & I watched with trepidation as each Church approached. By 9:30 and 10 a.m. - we saw very few Churches with more than 6 cars. We hoped their services had not begun yet and we were seeing Church staff arriving to open up the Church for choir directors and Sunday School leaders.

By about 11 a.m we saw Churches were packed, towards the bigger cities. 

My brother called me once to ask us, did we regret giving a used car to our Church. I was really rather surprised he remembered, it had been about 10 years. I said, no we were glad to have given. He said he was glad to hear that given that our younger son did not have a car given to him and our older son had been given a car. I said yes, I was sorry for the imbalance, but the car was given in better economic times. Man, later I hated he asked, I felt a bit bitten.

This summer, my eldest son gave the car, (his 2nd car) that he earned, to my younger son. He said he hoped his parents would be glad for the new tires he'd put on the car and would we be willing to jazz up his red, two door, car for his younger brother as a gift. My mom has a boyfriend, who is a lovely man. A neighbor of ours when I was a child & his hobby is antique cars. He and my mother have worked for a month to make sure our younger son's car will be beautiful for him.

The man at the insurance agency looked at me and said, he'd Never Give a car to a sibling. It was too large a gift. My older son had misty eyes as he spoke of his gift and the desire to have the car buffed up before it was given.  2 months ago, Cal found the Lord again. It would be difficult to say which came first - the gift or the belief.

Thanks be to Father God. Answered prayer.




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2 Samuel 22 ~ shows steadfast love to his anointed

This beautiful pottery includes ivory. It was found in the site Archeologist Professor Eilat Mazar found in the Biblical description of the placement of David's Palace. Most people did not have ivory at the time. Also found in the Palace were 51 Bullae. A bulla is a very small seal impression made of clay. One was found of Jeremiah's servant, Baruch. The bulla read: “(Belonging) to Berekhyahu, the son of Neriyahu, the scribe. 

Yehuchal ben Shelemiyahu, a man from the Bible, a highly placed official, a scribe in the service of King Zedekiah. Archeology again confirming the Bible.

The name of Yehuchal ben Shelemiyahu, a figure mentioned in the Bible, is legible in paleo-Hebrew script on this clay seal impression

What would it feel like to be Eilat Mazar and hold the history of David in your hand.

2 Samuel 22

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio   

 

 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. ²  He said,

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
³      my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
     my stronghold and my refuge,
    my savior; you save me from violence.
⁴ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

⁵  “For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
⁶  the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

⁷  “In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears.

⁸ “Then the earth reeled and rocked;
     the foundations of the heavens trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁹ Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[c]
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
     glowing coals flamed forth from him.
¹⁰  He bowed the heavens and came down;
     thick darkness was under his feet.
¹¹ He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he was seen on the wings of the wind.
¹² He made darkness around him his canopy,
    thick clouds, a gathering of water.
¹³ Out of the brightness before him
     coals of fire flamed forth.
¹⁴  The Lord thundered from heaven,
    and the Most High uttered his voice.
¹⁵ And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
    lightning, and routed them.
¹⁶ Then the channels of the sea were seen;
    the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

¹⁷  “He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my strong enemy,
    from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
²⁰  He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

²¹ “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²²  For I have kept the ways of the Lord
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²³  For all his rules were before me,
    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
²⁴ I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from guilt.
²⁵  And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to my cleanness in his sight.

²⁶  “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁷ with the purified you deal purely,
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁸  You save a humble people,
     but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
²⁹  For you are my lamp, O Lord,
    and my God lightens my darkness.
³⁰ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
³¹ This God— his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

³² “For who is God, but the Lord?
     And who is a rock, except our God?

 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.^{[ Hebrew. He has blamelessly set my way free; or He has made my way spring up blamelessly]}

³⁴  He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
³⁵  He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁶ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your gentleness made me great.
³⁷  You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet^[f] did not slip;
³⁸ I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
    and did not turn back until they were consumed.
³⁹ I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
    they fell under my feet.
⁴⁰ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,^{[You gave me my enemies necks]}
    those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
⁴² They looked, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴³ I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
    I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

⁴⁴ “You delivered me from strife with my people;
    you kept me as the head of the nations;
     people whom I had not known served me.

⁴⁵ Foreigners came cringing to me;
    as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
⁴⁶ Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁷ “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
⁴⁸ the God who gave me vengeance
    and brought down peoples under me,
⁴⁹ who brought me out from my enemies;
    you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from men of violence.

⁵⁰  “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and sing praises to your name.
⁵¹  Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.”

To read this passage is to learn about gratitude. So many things even today connect us to it. 

A warrior saved from violence. Not even just that, a mercenary. Becoming a king after 22 long years and not saying- I did it my self.  David was remembering the years he sat watching his father's flock, the years he pictured when the Red Sea parted; The foundations of the earth. It meant something to him. David honestly says, I could not have accomplished this without God. It was too difficult for him, and he says this in his victory. He says he could have taken this by force when Israel was singing about David killing thousands for Israel, but he didn't.

I've felt David's joy in my life when we finally left our little two bedroom cottage. I opened the door, my husband went back to work, and our second house was ours. My Springer Spaniel did jumps for joy in the spacious house, like a horse jumping gates. I know the joy of a spacious place. David did too, from the caves and the literal ditches we see in archeology. 

My least favorite comedian used to say, "God can do anything - throw a boat right over a hedge." David was far more hands on and he has witnessed many things. 

I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Other Psalms record David saying God can put a troop over a wall. Rather like Jericho, reinforcing the Biblical view of the biblical events.

David also allows for human weakness when he says: 

For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness.

After 22 years and fame and fortune. David could have been singing that David did it David's way. A lot of accomplished people do.  The footnotes are sort of off. God did not give David a blameless path and He did not set David's way free.  David's path did not get strewn with roses.  

But when God did present necks for David - he considered how he was to treat those necks. His mercenary kings never knew David did not slaughter Israel for them. David was slaying mostly other warring mercenaries.  And this is the man who has tried so hard, to do the right thing. This is the apple of God's eye. 

David, like the Prodigal Father, welcoming the men who did nothing to help him until his victory was in place. That is God's heart. 

shows steadfast love to his anointed




 

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Psalm 81 ~ He made a decree in Joseph

A stunning piece of evidence is found in Goshen -  history and Scripture show us a large number of Semites lived in Goshen. A great palace has been discovered. The palace has a garden and a tomb, a combination of Egyptian and Semitic styles. Rohl and his colleagues believe the palace is Joseph's. Two apartments are in front, perhaps for his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. In the rear are the more spacious living quarters.

Adjacent to the palace ruins, in the elegant garden area, there is an unusual tomb. The tomb was in the shape of a small pyramid, but it is clear that the vault was broken into and the remains removed. However, the damage to the tomb was not like that done by grave robbers of Egypt. It appears to be a careful and methodical removal of bricks from the tomb, as if the bones of Joseph were carefully removed by Moses. Could it be the tomb of the great Joseph? The evidence takes it out of the realm of mythology and into the realm of history.

An ancient statue of a man who had stature in the Egyptian power heirarchy, with the symbol of Pharaoh’s authority, the throw-stick, on his chest. An unusual Semitic hairdo, with flaming red hair, and wearing a coat with variegated colors. The statue has been deliberately smashed and defaced.

Psalm 81

Sing aloud to God our strength;
     shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
² Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
     the sweet lyre with the harp.
³ Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
    at the full moon, on our feast day.

⁴ For it is a statute for Israel,
    a rule^{[just decree]} of the God of Jacob.
⁵ He made it a decree in Joseph
    when he went out over the land of Egypt. 
I hear a language I had not known:
⁶ “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
⁷ In distress you called, and I delivered you;
    I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
⁸  Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
⁹ There shall be no strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
¹⁰  I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
     Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹ “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel would not submit to me.
¹² So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
    to follow their own counsels.
¹³  Oh, that my people would listen to me,
    that Israel would walk in my ways!
¹⁴ I would soon subdue their enemies
    and turn my hand against their foes.
¹⁵ Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
    and their fate would last forever.
¹⁶ But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
    and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

People love to debate Job.  And I know someone in particular who feel very affronted God would even consider talking to the devil. But we never talk about Joseph. We all love Joseph. He is the American Dream.  Job and Joseph have a few things in common.  Job, they think, lived during the time of Jacob. So about the same time period. And a spectacular recovery.

God is good all the time.  We say this in Church. And Joseph more or less proves the point.  But it takes some faith to see it.  I doubt at Joseph's funeral they discussed how difficult his life was. Probably not done in front of the Pharoah who owned the jail Joseph was dug out of. Instead they probably eulogized him as the Great American Hero Defeating the Odds to Triumph. 

And at Job's funeral, you bet, they talked about his dead children and his stubbornness and the way God was Good to Job. But you know, knowing people they had a great time recounting the failure and the horror.

And if you look at the two lives - they are fairly similar. Abraham Lincoln had plenty of hardship. And so did the owner of our National Cemetery, Mary Anna Custis Lee. Her great-step-grandfather might not have liked the annexing of Arlington House. George Washington might have thought it was a bit harsh.

Sometimes in life you have to be grateful for the day as it is.  And let the sun wash over you. Each day God lifts us. Two lives, two attitudes. I pick the first one. Let me be grateful for what exists today.  And work God's plan with His help.

Father God. Each day, in the routine and in the off road. Be with us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Matthew 13:47-52 ~ sat down and sorted the good into containers

Matthew 13:47-52

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

I once had a friend who became a young wife and mother. She was so interested in collecting her nest, she found out another friend was going to buy the sample, a very expensive sample wooden swing set on a certain day and she hurried to get the deal before the agreed upon buyer could. Counting the salesman wouldn't remember. And of course, she was caught after she returned home and assembled the fort/swing set.  And how did she react? Astonished at herself, pleased, guilty, and quite angry the 'friend' was angry. Later she would call me and tell me she was dreaming of being in a large warehouse type store and her cart was always empty. Or filled with the wrong things. No matter what she did, she felt frantic and was constantly filling up her cart.  She actually required an explanation, and when it was given... she was surprised because it matched what her mom had told her. It was a kindness God was giving her.

We are called to sort through all kinds of things in life. 

I know a cousin who helped us remove a huge dead tree. And then loaned us tools to begin the reconstruction of our yard that was a whole like the circumstance at the time of our infant daughter's death. So it was a very appreciated kindness. And he had a neighbor give him a very, very discounted supply of good and needed fill dirt. It is God. Blessing us as we bless others.  


Today I sorted clothes for a Pregnancy Assistance Center, and I am blessed with shorts that are exactly the thing right now and for $2.  From sorting.

We are called to sort out our behavior, give kindness with mercy to others and to sort out our life circumstances. It is like the parable of the virgins, if you are asleep.... you are not sorting.

Matthew 13:1-9

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.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.


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Mark 3:20-30 ~ And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Mark 3:20-30


20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Luke 8:35
Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

Acts 12:15

They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!”

Acts 26:24

And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”

This was never part of the tenants of faith. But Noah's neighbors probably wondered. And it does say. Faith is unseen. Catholic Saints have histories of ridicule before people accepted the saint's faith.  Jesus was claimed to be of Beelzebul and unclean spirits several times. Jesus had large and unbelievable circumstance surround him each day of the Gospel's accounts.

Luke-8-24
And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

My mother was healed from a thyroid tumor the doctor showed her on her 2 year old driver's license. As she was prayed for by the priest at the communion rail,  during a Wednesday morning healing service, she was determined not to pass out.  And as we drove her home, we asked why she was swaying during the prayer. She said she was determined not to be one of those people she'd wondered at as they were 'slain in the Spirit,' She said she never knew if they were faking it. And besides she was having a colossal hot flash and no one was going to know she was going through menopause. And even in the middle of all of those thoughts, the whole prayer group forgot to look at her neck.

How is that for faith.  And instead of God thinking that we are a faithless bunch and washing His hands at us, or even being contemptuous. She was healed.  And we found out the next day when she was scheduled at the Hospital for per-surgery tests. Actually, the lab tech was rather annoyed to discover they had incorrectly labelled the tumor site. And we all jumped up and down and squeeled.

It was far easier than people thinking she was out of her mind.

Once again, we rely upon God to be greater than we are.

Matthew 14:30
But when he [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

I have to say, I think I've seen Matthew's account of Peter's faithlessness replied to by miracles.


Truly. He is the Son of God.


Jesus Christ. The LORD.




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Matthew 13:36-43 ~ The Son of Man will send his angels

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Matthew 13:36-43

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, ⁴²  and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

This parable was on my mind yesterday. We had the seeds parable and I wasn't entirely happy with the blog post. And I was thinking about the stages of my life - if we are complacent, we shift without even realizing it. What the seeds really mean to me. How grateful I am for my son telling me, Saturday night, at the Baseball game, he is a believer again. Called back to affirming God is the LORD. 

We are so quick to judge. And we want to say who is a weed. One thing I know from writing the bible studies for our group, from "100 Stories of the Bible", we all work God's plan.  Even the people who intend to nay say God or want what they want. It is the LORD who will decide. We really cannot say who is happy with their life and who is just holding their head up. It takes a lot of patience and God says.  Mercy triumphs over judgement.

James 2:13

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Jesus is called the friend of sinners. It was the Pharisees who said why do you eat with these people. It was part of the Temple that said be careful who you associate with.

Judges 12:4

⁴ So Jephthah got his Gilead troops together and fought Ephraim. And the men of Gilead hit them hard because they were saying, "Gileadites are nothing but half breeds and rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh."

 

John 2:10

and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

Matthew 9:10 
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.

Psalm 19:13
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression. 

Luke 6:37
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven

Psalm 130:4
Because from Your presence is forgiveness

2 Samuel 24:14
David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

May Father God bless us as we walk His path. As we put what we can in His hands and do our best to be Light in our lives,  blessing Him and thanking Him for His Holiness. Help us each day, Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Romans 3 ~ and the way of peace they have not known.

Romans 3

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

“That you may be justified in your words,

and prevail when you are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? ( I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? Are we Jews  any better off? ^{[Or at any disadvantage?]} No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being ^[flesh] will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

The Scriptures are chosen from a list and prayed for before we use them that day. I have noticed the blog will go on subject. Much like my Pastor Clark's sermon series.  And this one is one I have never touched on before. About all are fallen. I gives me a tender emotion. It makes me feel more loved than some of the sermon series. 

Today I was remembering some old hurts. And not feeling hurt at the time. And some harsh words came out, but you know, they didn't have the fire. Just the emphasis of what it was at the time. It takes a special circumstance to come to peace.  I've been a part of my husband's family for 30 years. And we've had our rough patches. Really rough. And due to parents being alive and loss and children growth. The dissimilarities get worn away. And in honesty, in bad news, there is a chance to understand each other. It is in going deeper, just in courtesy, we pave the way for what for decades can be unfathomable. 

If you think about the Exodus - it took 40 years because people were fearful. Life is still like that. And the miracles occur because people take time to hang in. And hope. And reach out.

Some of our deeply held judgements are wrong. And it takes time for the layers to peal away and peace to come. 

That is what faith is. Believing in the unseen. 

Hebrews 11:7

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hang in there. God is still working. Hanging on is easier.

John 5:17

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

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