Isaiah 60 ~ the Lord will be your everlasting light

Saint Vitus's Cathedral ~ Prague. 900 AD. Painting by Todd Williams.

Isaiah 60 (Today's New International Version)


¹ "Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

² See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.

³ Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴ "Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the hip.

⁵ Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.

⁶ Herds of camels will cover your land,
young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come,
bearing gold and incense
and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.

⁷ All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings on my altar,
and I will adorn my glorious temple.

⁸ "Who are these that fly along like clouds,
like doves to their nests?

⁹ Surely the islands look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,
bringing your children from afar,
with their silver and gold,
to the honor of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.

¹⁰ "Foreigners will rebuild your walls,
and their kings will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor I will show you compassion.

¹¹ Your gates will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations—
their kings led in triumphal procession.

¹² For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.

¹³ "The glory of Lebanon will come to you,
the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,
to adorn my sanctuary;
and I will glorify the place for my feet.

¹⁴ The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down at your feet
and will call you the City of the LORD,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵ "Although you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride
and the joy of all generations.

¹⁶ You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed at royal breasts.
Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

¹⁷ Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace your governor
and well-being your ruler.

¹⁸ No longer will violence be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.

¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

²⁰ Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.

²¹ Then will all your people be righteous
and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,
the work of my hands,
for the display of my splendor.

²² The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the LORD;
in its time I will do this swiftly."

~ 20 Your sun will never set and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.

Strong, uplifting words! Only recently I have begun to understand the spiritual need for Cathedrals. It is our spiritual attempt to announce that the King of All, is King. Houston recently built a Catholic Cathedral, not the variety that takes generations of lives to be built, but all of Houston rejoiced to have the magnificence church built glorifying God. Many television specials and many hours with the artists brought from around the world. One artist was the marble craftsman from Italy, who made the floor, from start to finish. Famous marble statues from the same marble area as Michelangelo. Extreme joy on all faces! Heavenly joy on their faces! These faces were beautiful describing the joy in bringing beauty to the Lord!

Jesus tells us:

Luke 10:20a
Rejoice that your names are written in heaven!

When biblical scholars look at Isaiah 60, we all assume this is heaven. It's got to be and, of course, it is. Jesus told us about heaven:

In Him, in Jesus Christ:

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand !

How serious was Jesus in announcing that He, the Kingdom of Heaven, was at hand?
Link ( Matthew 3, 4, 5 (multiple times), 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13 (multiple times), 16, 18 (m), 19 (m), 20, 22, 23, 25, Luke 11)

Jesus announced the Kingdom of Heaven was READY, when we repent, to receive:

Sad people looking for hope, righteous people, people looking for a relationship with their Father God and not religious pride, people who pray for God's will to be done and do God's will, people coming from all over the world (in time and circumstance), great and least people in a vast heaven, people seeking a refuge from violence, people healing the sick, people working with the helpless and cast out. He promises to raise the dead & cast out devils. People who give freely because they have received so much.

Jesus tells us how fortunate we are to live in Anno Domini, knowing exactly what His promises are:

Matthew 13:11
it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Matthew 4:16

The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Jesus is telling us how fortunate we are to be in an intimate, loving relationship with Him! Heaven, scholars argue in Isaiah 60, isn't just about Heaven, but includes events happening on earth. YES! This is what Jesus was talking about!!

When Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, He wasn't just talking about events of indescribable beautiful when we die! He was telling us, that in us, He will make His home in us and in us, we will be His light. Using our love and our lives to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to be at hand.

God uses mere sand, pummeled and stained to be His glory!

Preach the gospel! And if you have to, use words!

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

To HIM be the glory!!!

<><

Psalm 145 ~ My God & King, bless your name forever

King David Dances by Slavujac

Psalm 145 ~ (English Standard Version)

1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

~ I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.

Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary records Matthew Henry saying something I like so much that I've remembered it, "the Psalms are so warm and full of love, it is a wonderful place to be."

We are a part of a generation desperate to have ideas about the Bible, having nothing to do with the Bible. In recent history, not the Bronze Age, I've heard arguments that Lincoln didn't write the Gettysburg Address, but we can't prove it or argue it with intelligence, it was long ago. ( I believe Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address.) When we read that someone different than the listed writer wrote a Book of the Bible (with the author being the Holy Spirit), we are really saying the Bible is true, but we can't trust it, so it lies? More and more archaeology proves in fragments and Dead Sea scrolls, that the Bible is true. It just doesn't make the front page and the evidence always needs to be seen with faith.

We are part of generation desperate for answered prayers, but becoming cynical .... if they are answered or answered differently than we hoped. Here is an segment of Conan O'Brian. We are not grateful, all of us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

The psalmist, King David, has a prayer, "~ I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever." David was so excited about the Lord, he danced. When we think of our educated, advanced culture, not many of us are so excited about anything.

The Scripture in 1,000 BC:

4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

And again, Peter says in 64 AD:

1 Peter 1:23-25
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever."

This Anno Domini, year of our Lord, 2009 we find:

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Give thanks to the Lord, it is the only thing we can give Him - that wasn't already His!

<><

Two Prayer Requests

Please pray for my mother, Anne, who received poor results from a blood test for acute liver failure. She recently had a foot surgery requiring a good deal of painkillers, possibly hurting her liver. Her second blood test has shown improvement.

My brother-in-law Bob, was in an accident and has been life flown for a 6 hour surgery for pelvic injury. He is still showing signs of internal injury and will need two additional surgeries for a badly broken leg. The doctors are saying it will be many months of recovery and he will need secondary care after the hospital.

Please pray for the Lord to show continued mercy for their healing, provide the doctors insight to their medical needs, and for wonderful extended care for Bob. We will ask in Jesus' name and look to Father God.

Many thanks!

Romans 3:21-30 ~ God is One

"One Nation Under God" by artist Jon McNaughton

Romans 3:21-30 (English Standard Version)

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.

~ God is one

The painting makes me a little uncomfortable. Many of the historical figures didn't profess a devotion to Jesus Christ. It seems like ramming white washing down the gullet. As a country, we haven't always had the best motivation or intentions. Slavery. But we have done well when compared to other empires. "There are no atheists in the trenches" is attributed to Father Cummings, in 1945 at the raid at Cabantuan (freeing 512 prisoners of war from a Japanese concentration camp). Wikipedia lists the latest variation as "there are no libertarians in a financial crisis."

When God first established Israel after the Exodus, the method of government wasn't established. God wanted each person to choose God and do the right thing. He wanted each of us to rely upon Him and act righteously. This didn't work. Another reason the painting is uncomfortable.

We could extend this argument to Separation of Church & State. I'd like to extend the argument, from the typical problems of a typical school board after an Act of Congress passed our official country motto "In God We Trust"& compare it to 10 years after prayer was abolished in schools. A vast difference between gum chewing and truancy versus teen-age pregnancy and drugs.

Let's think of the painting as individuals in a painting with Jesus. Just as the children of Israel were never fully worthy of God's gift of Israel and all of His promises, we are not worthy.
Maybe instead of the problems with the painting, we can see Jesus as the sustaining force of our nation, of our families, of "past" crisis and be.... grateful. Jesus Christ sees into the hearts of mankind and finds us redeemable. Pray for our nation. God still answers prayers. We still trust in God.


<><

1 Thessalonians 2 ~ delighted to share with you

1 Thessalonians 2 (Today's New International Version)

¹ You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. ² We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. ³ For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. ⁴ On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. ⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ⁶ We were not looking for praise from any human being, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our prerogatives. ⁷ Instead, we were like young children among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, ⁸ so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. ⁹ Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ¹² encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³ And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your fellow citizens the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.



~ delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well

When Jesus talked to people about God, he used this particular phrase (in the King James Version) a lot "it is written". Jesus told us that His life pointed to Father God; all the love and joy Jesus gave to all the people. Jesus knew He would not always be physically present with us on this earth and He wanted us to know how much our Father loves us. How many times do the Scriptures say "it is written"? 160 times. Just as if you write a letter or an email, you hope it will be read. Jesus tells us the Scriptures are to be read and remembered? Yes, 35 times. It is written.

<><

Jeremiah 36:27-37:2 ~ the words of the Lord

Psalm Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls

Jeremiah 36:27-37:2 (Today's New International Version)

²⁷ After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ²⁸ "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. ²⁹ Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'This is what the LORD says: You burned that scroll and said, "Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both people and animals?" ³⁰ Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. ³¹ I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.' "

³² So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

Jeremiah 37

¹ Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim. ² Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

Recently our church has been doing a study of 40 Days of Love on a book The Relationship Principles of Jesus By: Tom Holladay. Written by Rick Warren's co-pastor at Saddleback Church. It's been a fantastic study. I've been participating in bible studies for about 32 years and this is one of my favorites. When someone wants to criticize the church, it is usually for not being loving enough; what could be a better study than focusing on God's core - Love?

The core of forgiveness is to let go of grievances - let God heal. We should forgive all intentional & accidental hurt we've experienced. We don't have to be asked to forgive, we pray for God's love to fill us with His grace and forgiveness. This doesn't mean renewing a wrecked relationship - trust in a relationship requires real repentance and restitution, time given to restore trust.

At the heart of forgiveness is to pray for a former enemy, to pray for them to experience the redeeming love of God, Jesus Christ. To experience grace and become part of His Kingdom.

So many people shun the Bible; they don't know it & don't explore salvation. With kindness and love, ask the people willing to so vocally condemn the Bible, if they know the Bible and challenge them to read what is God's love written for them. Ask them if they know what the Dead Sea Scrolls really mean. Ask them to take time to look for themselves. It's the loving thing to do.

<><

Delay in updating!!

Hello, we've had terrible internet connection trouble at our house. AT&T is a frequent visitor. The internet crashes and my computer will not connect now. We will be ordering another computer and your prayers for better internet connections and great new computer would be appreciated. Thank you!!!

Nehemiah 8:1-12 ~ be quiet this day is holy, do not be grieved

Engraved by Louis Haghe, 1842


Nehemiah 8:1-12 (Revised Standard Edition)

[1] And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. [2] And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. [3] And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. [4] And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithi'ah, Shema, Anai'ah, Uri'ah, Hilki'ah, and Ma-asei'ah on his right hand; and Pedai'ah, Mish'a-el, Malchi'jah, Hashum, Hash-bad'danah, Zechari'ah, and Meshul'lam on his left hand. [5] And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he opened it all the people stood. [6] And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God; and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. [7] Also Jesh'ua, Bani, Sherebi'ah, Jamin, Akkub, Shab'bethai, Hodi'ah, Ma-asei'ah, Keli'ta, Azari'ah, Jo'zabad, Hanan, Pelai'ah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. [8] And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

[9]
And Nehemi'ah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

[10] Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." [11] So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." [12] And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

~ Be quiet, this day is holy; do not be grieved.

In the destruction of the first temple, Israel and Judah believed they understood the Lord just fine, as far as the Lord was relevant. They were self-sufficiently good enough. In the building of the second temple, the people stood among the ruins of their city: what needed work and needed to be rebuilt, what had been cast down due to sin, and stood as freed slaves with a hope and a future before them. Instead of pride, they understood how far they were from being holy and self-sufficiently good. Instead they felt grace and had to be reminded of the gift. But the Lord didn’t stand back, sighing His people could never get it right. The Lord reminded them of grace and joy. The Lord gave a Holy day of joy.

Luke 14:7-11
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

<><

Psalm 113 ~ Jehovah is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens

Psalm 113 (American Standard Version )

1 Praise ye Jehovah. Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, Praise the name of Jehovah.
2 Blessed be the name of Jehovah From this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same Jehovah's name is to be praised.
4 Jehovah is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto Jehovah our God, That hath his seat on high,
6 That humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth?
7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, And to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye Jehovah

~ 4 Jehovah is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

Isaiah 55:8-11
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

~ His Glory above the Heavens

Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

"Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?"

"Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?"

For from him and through him and to him are all things

To him be the glory forever! Amen.

I always thought the purpose of the book of Job was God overcoming suffering when people acknowledge God’s sovereignty. And it is, but it is also Job recognizing he is the clay and God is the potter; trusting God is the larger purpose.

Joshua 24:15
As For Me And My House We Will Serve the Lord

<><

Psalm 16 ~ I bless the Lord

Psalm 16

1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.

6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


Today was going to be a difficult day, months have built up to it. This is the anniversary of Isabelle’s day. My husband & I were so pleased and excited to be expecting a daughter after 22 years of marriage and 2 loved, wonderful teenage boys. But the Lord had other plans and a year ago today, our daughter was born at 33 weeks & she was stillborn.

A year ago, in the hospital, after the visiting friends left, I was alone to contemplate my daughter's death. I thought of the grief I’ve experienced in my life and almost all of it was a life experience everyone has at time or another, or a human choice. This was the first time I’d experienced a disappointment I could say was something the Lord had in His Book of Life. I was hurt with Him. I wondered where to go to receive comfort and the phrase floated to me “I have no good apart from You”. True, but how to do this? I wept to Him, I let Him know.

The first night home, it was going to be hard to rest, gently the Lord seemed to say to me, “Put your head on the pillow and rest, I will hold your sorrow tonight.” The pillow never seemed softer and more welcoming, I slept and rested well.

I sat last night to write a letter to Isabelle, with a prayer the Lord would read to her what He’d like her to know from her mother. It was 6 pages and after a year, what I knew to be grateful for in logical sequence, or thought, was real gratitude. Part of the gratitude is profound that Isabelle is placed in with the saints whom God delights in. He holds the life of Isabelle, she is in a beautiful place Jesus called Paradise. Isabelle has already inherited the Kingdom of God and she is part of my inheritance there. I believe it; she and I dwell securely knowing it. We are both on the path of life & we will set the Lord before us.



<><

Luke 3:15-22 ~ praying and the heavens opened

Luke 3:15-22

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Yesterday’s photo was Jesus’s joy doing His Father’s will. Today, Jesus was doing His Father’s will and praying – the heavens opened.

We are always invited to do as Jesus; when we pray, we can know and expect the heavens open and the Holy Spirit hears. Father God wants us to tell Him of our deepest desires - He wants us to trust & believe He answers and does what is good. This has been a troubled year: people worry about fallen finances, faltering businesses, insecure jobs, unrest and government trust issues, direction of churches, magazines announce discernible faith loss in our country and we lost our daughter almost a year ago. So much uncertainty affects families in their marriages. Families with teenagers and adult children - sometimes are met with more emotional work than family joy. Within all of the turmoil, people of faith are still hopeful. We pray and know the heavens open and God is pleased.

<><

Psalm 97~ worshipers of images are put to shame

Psalm 97

[1] The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice;
let the many coast lands be glad!
[2] Clouds and thick darkness are round about him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
[3] Fire goes before him,
and burns up his adversaries round about.
[4] His lightnings lighten the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
[5] The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
[6] The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
and all the peoples behold his glory.
[7] All worshipers of images are put to shame,
who make their boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before him.
[8] Zion hears and is glad,
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of thy judgments, O God.
[9] For thou, O LORD, art most high over all the earth;
thou art exalted far above all gods.
[10] The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he preserves the lives of his saints;
he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
[11] Light dawns for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
[12] Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

~ worshipers of images are put to shame

The word of the Lord is living and active, so today I am broadening the text to encompass new meanings. One of the statistics we learned in a youth ministry conference is 7th graders brag to each other of drugs, sex and other things parents wouldn’t wish for their children. The statistic says 75% of what they say is untrue. Junior High Schoolers are trying on images for their friends, for feedback. Unfortunately this false bragging can lead to bad behaviour by pretending it is fact already. Just as we are told to visualize success for positive achievement, negative imaging works successfully as well.

The Second Commandment of Exodus 20 is:
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Rick Warren says in the Foreword of “The Relationship Principals of Jesus”,
When we make temporal values our #1 goal is in life: happiness, success, wealth, comfort, fame, fun, respect; we will unconsciously base all of choices upon that.

Jesus summarized the commandments and says by loving the Lord first and extending that love to His people: carved idols, money, happiness, popularity, alcohol/substance abuse, party spirit & fame as the most important choice fall away.

Mark 12:28-31
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Loving my neighbor as myself is not my strong point, but perhaps the first step is to make that my goal and pray about God giving me discernment, ability and purpose to visualize Jesus’ response. With Father God's grace, I won't fall into my self-justified pattern of selfishness. I agree with Rick Warren when he says just pulling up my boot straps and "come on everybody let's love one another right now" won't work. We need a Savior and that is Jesus Christ.


<><

2 Kings 1:2-17 ~ do not be afraid

2 Kings 1:2-17


2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” 3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4 Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Elijah went.

5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” 7 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite."

9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king's order, ‘Come down quickly!’” 12 But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king 16 and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

17 So he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.

~ 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Corinthians 1:24-31
but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

<><

1 Timothy 3:14-16 ~ believed in throughout the world

1 Timothy 3:14-16

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:

He was revealed in flesh,
vindicated in spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory

~He was revealed in the flesh

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

~vindicated in the spirit

John 1:-17
John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

~seen by angels

Luke 2:8-14
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

~proclaimed among Gentiles

Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

~believed in throughout the world

Revelation 21:22-27

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

~ taken up in glory

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."


<><

Psalm 126 ~ our mouths were filled with laughter

Psalm 126

English Standard Version, Max McLean Audio Bible

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

Shouts of joy will be required!


<><

Psalm 101 ~ when will

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of your love and justice;

to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life—

when will you come to me?

I will walk in my house

with blameless heart.

3 I will set before my eyes

no vile thing.

The deeds of faithless men I hate;

they will not cling to me.

4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;

I will have nothing to do with evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,

him will I put to silence;

whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,

him will I not endure.

6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,

that they may dwell with me;

he whose walk is blameless

will minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit

will dwell in my house;

no one who speaks falsely

will stand in my presence.

8 Every morning I will put to silence

all the wicked in the land;

I will cut off every evildoer

from the city of the LORD

<><

Psalm 98 ~ He has done marvelous things

Psalm 98

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!

8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together

9 before the Lord, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

<><

1 Timothy 5:17-25 ~ sin

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth by Greg Olson

1 Timothy 5:17-25

17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.


21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.

22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

24 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

25 Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and
those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.


~ 24 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

Who is good?

Matthew 19:17
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

Jesus had to deal with questionable leaders, one of the Jewish ruling council came to Him at night to find out more. Not many people want to deal with a leader, a ruling council, who doesn't know how to make an appropriate leadership decision and sneaks in the back door, so to speak, unnoticed by the crowds. But Jesus said:

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

At the same time, the bible doesn't show Jesus went out of His way to find Nicodemus and keep explaining to Nicodemus. Jesus wasn't too hasty about laying hands on Nicodemus. Of course, Jesus (being fully human and fully divine) knew Nicodemus' heart, but this is an appropriate example of Jesus not glad handing Nicodemus' desire to please everyone publicly.

Jesus made himself easily and publicly available as He said in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus did not publicly condone Nicodemus for coming to find out more. But Jesus didn't announce publicly to the many people following Jesus that Nicodemus was a sneaky political leader catering to his own desire for truth without announcing it was worth finding out.

Jesus said:
John 7:24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

Jesus could have spent His time with Nicodemus clucking over Nicodemus like a partial grandparent, but He told him something similar to:

Luke 13:4-7

4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?

Jesus didn't waste His time condoning all of Nicodemus' behaviour, He said:

John 3:10
Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?

We make a mistake when we don't recognize Jesus wants all of us to grow in Him. He loves us and He speaks truthfully. Because Jesus met Nicodemus and gave Nicodemus His truthful love, Nicodemus was able to grow and speak publicly for Jesus. Nicodemus was the only one to ask for the ruling council to give justice to Jesus. Nicodemus grew sufficiently to be able to annoint and prepare Jesus for burial when there would be no praise or public thanks.

<><

Matthew 22 ~ the greatest commandment in the Law

Matthew 22

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

5 "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"
21 "Caesar's," they replied.

Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh.

27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"

29 Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?"

"The son of David," they replied.

43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 44 " 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet." '

45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

When we read Jesus says the greatest of the commandments is Love - loving the Lord with all our hearts, soul and mind; love our neighbor as ourselves. It brings an awareness to me that I will see glimpses of this in myself, but it isn't within me to be loving all the time. Jesus brings us this gift to know it isn't all about the rules, it is the message of love. Why set this standard of unselfishness? Because it is God's example.

He says 1 John 4: 19
We love because he first loved us.


Romans 8 (The Message)
1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

Father God doesn't ever ask us to save ourselves by being good enough, He offers to love us and fill us with His Love.

<><