Genesis 46 ~ Israel took his journey with all that he had

Genesis 46

David Cochran, English Standard Version

¹ So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. ² And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” ³ Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. ⁴ I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.”

⁵ Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. ⁶ They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, ⁷ his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

⁸ Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, ⁹ and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. ¹⁰ The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. ¹¹ The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ¹² The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. ¹³ The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. ¹⁴ The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. ¹⁵ These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

¹⁶ The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. ¹⁷ The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. ¹⁸ These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.

¹⁹ The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁰ And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. ²¹ And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. ²² These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.

²³ The son of Dan: Hushim. ²⁴ The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. ²⁵ These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

²⁶ All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. ²⁷ And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

Painted by James Tissot

²⁸ He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. ²⁹ Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. ³⁰ Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

³¹ Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. ³² And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ ³³ When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ ³⁴ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

Egyptian Topographical Lists of Cities and Records

Names	Tuthmosis III (1481 BC)	Amenhotep II (1440)	Amenhotep III (1386)	Seti I (1291)	Ramses II (1275)
Jacob-El	yes				yes
Joseph-El	yes		yes
Asher			yes	yes	yes
Yahweh			yes		yes
Shasu		yes	yes	yes	yes
Hapiru		yes		yes

See ANET, 242-3.

1. In Ramses II's topographical list (ca.1275 BC) the place-name "Jacob-El" (#9) appears again (ANET 1969, 242; Simons 1937). The first appearance was in Thutmose III's list. This means that this city of Jacob has been around for two hundred years. Another interesting name that was found is yhw which is "Yahweh" in Hebrew (Horn 1953, 201; Giveon 1964, 244).
2. It seems abundantly clear from all these topographical lists concerning Canaan that the Hebrews were in Canaan at this time, but they did not use the name "Israel" until there league of tribes was well formed by the time of Merneptah.

3. On a statue-base of Amenhotep III at Kom el Hetan which is the funerary temple of Amenhotep III there is a topographical list with the place-name Yspir (Series a:1; Kitchen 1965, 2). This is the same name translated "Joseph-El" in Thutmose III's Topographical list (ANET 1969, 242). After Yspir in both lists the place-name Rkd appears (Series a:2 in Amenhotep III's list, and #79 in Thutmose III's list; Simons 1937, 112). Rkd is the same place-name as Ruhizzi in the El Amarna letters (EA 53:36, 56; EA 5426; EA 56:26; EA 191:2; Rainey 1982, 354). The ruler of Ruhizzi is Arsawuya who seems to be located in northern Palestine or southern Syria (EA 53:36, 56; Moran, 125)

Jacob knew he'd inherited the blessings of Abraham, they were not given a foot of Israel, but had purchased what they lived upon. Jacob was being called to leave the land of promise. Like Paul. Going forth to accomplish the work of God. In faith. Israel took his journey with all that he had -


2 Timothy 4:6-8
⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Paul continues in his race and says:

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

Jacob is determined to be a shepherd to his people - to bring everyone to the land of peace and comfort away from famine. Paul is shepherding Timothy, even as he knows it is the end of his time on earth. It is the work God has given them.


Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.


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Hebrews 6:1-12 ~ tasted the heavenly gift

Hebrews 6:1-12

David Cochran, English Standard Version

¹ Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ² and of instruction about washings, ^[baptisms] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do if God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

***

⁷ For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

⁹ Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

In life, we all want love, appreciation, and all the blessings. In spirituality, we want all of the hope and the promises. The holiness of God has always been an issue, yet mature faith does examine and long for all the aspects of God's nature.

We've thought about the joy and expectation of believing God's promises. It is part of the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Self-control in our words, actions and consumption does NOT ever occur without some discernment of the effect of our words, the effort we put into action, overcoming of sluggishness and love of pleasure in consumption. It is not a stretch to say self-control is also thought - thinking - awareness. Awareness comes from wisdom & observation.

For instance, a friend sat many days with her father, a cancer patient, who'd been out of her life for many years - who had divorced her mother and left her and her sisters to pursue his career and 2nd marriage. She wondered, as a Christian, what her dad's beliefs were and where they would lead him. She was pleased to discover her dad had a faith that had grown like the Prodigal Son. He knew His Father was running to meet him, an undeserving child of God.

At one point, my friend talked to the Hospice nurse about the joy - for the peace - her dad was experiencing. Her Hospice nurse said she had been at her job for a long time and there is a very definite end to all life. It is either peaceful or there is a fear of fire and hell. I've known two people who did die speaking of fire and pain and fear.

How to tie this passage to these thoughts and bring in verses - we know of the fallen angels.


2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment


Jude 1:6
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day.

Matthew 25:41
Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Revelation 20:2-5
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years


yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the Love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises!!!!


*** 1 Corinthians 6:20
for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.



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Psalm 145 ~ They shall speak of the might of Your awesome deeds, and I will declare Your greatness.

My mom with our dog, Merit. Merit is smiling. And Merit is gonna live.

Psalm 145

A Song of Praise. Of David.
David Cochran, 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.

After two months seeing our regular Vet, she became concerned and sent our dog to a Veterinarian School Specialist.

The very kind Dermatologist Vet specialist was skeptical when she asked us how many steroid tablets we wanted for our dog, Springer Spaniel, Merit. I told her a 100 tablets. She had just done skin samples of Merit and the results showed Cutaneous Lymphoma. The Vet told us Merit had between 3 weeks and a few months. She didn't think with the biting and terrible, terrible itching that Merit would live for the 100 tablets. She reminded us again he could only have 6 tablets a day and he'd let us know when he was so uncomfortable, we should bring him in to mercifully put him to sleep. I asked if we could have days were Merit would only need 1 capsule or 1/2 capsule and she said she doubted it.

That was in October. Now Merit's steroid canister is more than half full. The tumors she told us would happen - did. They shrunk and are gone. The biting has stopped. She told us the lymph node armpit area would be one of the worst and wouldn't heal. There wouldn't be any healing - it was cancer. And I asked everyone to pray.

Saturday I groomed Merit and he does not have any more scabs, tumors, open wounds from his tearing his own flesh from the intense itching (some were 12" x 4"). His strength has returned. He hasn't had medication since early, early November. One of his shoulders was the worst spot - there is no wound.

13 year old Springer Spaniel Merit has experienced a healing. He spent Christmas keeping up with our "grand-dog" an active 5 year old Siberian Husky. Why? Many prayed to Lord. Prayers to the Lord, in the name of Jesus, Who has been merciful. I am so very grateful.

Yesterday we read that the Lord proclaims He is God. Today David tells us about God's nature -

His greatness is unsearchable.
God's mighty acts.
Awesome deeds.
Abundant goodness.
Righteousness, graciousness, mercy.
Good to all.
His mercy is over all that He has made.
The Lord is faithful and kind.
The LORD is near to all who call on Him.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.



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Isaiah 44:6-8, 21-23 ~ I appointed

Isaiah 44:6-8, 21-23


⁶ Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
⁷ Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
⁸ Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any.”



²¹ Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
²² I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.

²³ Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it;
shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
and will be glorified ^{[will display his beauty]} in Israel.

Sunday's Sermon was visiting Anglican Priest- Rev'd Dr. Jon Shuler. Jon is 66 years old, looks 40, and is leaving his prosperous fledgling Church to do as Peter Drucker once said IS the work of Jesus - to save the lost. Jon said he'd been in Church for many years, each Sunday, as a pagan. Eager to be in Church, but not praying, not believing, doing what the world said was good for him and relying upon that advice.

Jon believed Jesus, came to love Jesus. And his sermon today was about the Jews. God's chosen people. God using people with a different viewpoint from everyone else - to do His work.

God takes us just as we are, today, warts and all and Loves us. Servants whom He raised up to be His Children, His Beloved. His Friends. God saw weak Gideon and saw him as able - to do God's work. God saw Peter begging Him to depart and God saw diligence and love - a man willing to walk on water or jump in and swim when needed. Isaiah was blessed to see hope, we see fulfillment of the law - Love.

John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

John 20:17
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mark 3:33-35
³³ And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”


Psalm 95:7
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts


1 Corinthians 13:13
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.





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Isaiah 43:1-13 ~ I have redeemed you

Mississippi River

Isaiah 43:1-13

David Cochran, English Standard Version

¹ But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
³ For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
⁴ Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
⁵ Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
⁶ I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

⁸ Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
⁹ All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
¹¹ I, I am the LORD,
and besides me there is no savior.
¹² I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and I am God.
¹³ Also henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”

Amazing Mercy of the LORD Most High. Life swirls us in so many eddies. Yet God is like the Mississippi River. His purposes push us Up, water flowing to the original source. The Bible gives witness to powers and principalities. Tempests in a tea cup. The purposes of God are for us. With God for us, who can be against us.

How can we live the joy of God's promises. There is only one way. Expectation. Hope. Faith. Love.

Psalm 81 is a twin for Isaiah. It puts faith forward and hope ahead. Yet without faith, it leaves us without wind in our sails.

Psalm 81

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

David Cochran, English Standard Version

¹ 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 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.”

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.


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John 14:27-31 ~ Peace

John 14:27-31

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

If you Google peace images, wow, so many of the symbols look like violence is going to happen next; sort of a militant peace. Like my dad used to say on car vacations, " Oh, Yes, You are Having A Good Time." Worldly images of peace, look a little bit like half-time between events.

When we think about Jesus before His death, we remember He really prayed for the cup to pass from Him. This sacrifice was terribly difficult for Him. What Jesus said at the Last Supper, before His death, was John 14 to chapter 18, & Jesus had a lot to say. When Jesus tells us about peace, He isn't speaking from a peaceful place in His own life, the night before his betrayal & death. Jesus is telling us God's peace isn't temporary and it doesn't have to do with happy events. Jesus is telling us, regardless of events, He has a place for us. Regardless of events, we are loved. Regardless of events, God has not forgotten, His will is being accomplished.

I think God's peace can present the Christian with guilt. No.... Guilt. If we aren't in our happy place, then we aren't letting God's Holy Spirit work in us. That isn't it. Jesus was in relationship with His Father; He didn't pretend to grit his teeth, look supreme & aloof, and march to His death. Jesus was able to live His life with Joy. Jesus could have dinner with the people Jesus declared were his mother, brother & sisters doing God's will and let the New Covenant be a celebration. Sure, the disciples were confused, but Jesus knew exactly what He was saying about Peace, then telling Peter about desertion and the rooster crowing 3 times.

Imagine the joyful celebration of the new covenant. Jesus is telling them a supreme message of hope. He tells them... He will never leave them orphaned. Jesus would cry out to God in just hours that He felt forsaken. Peace isn't about the stiff upper lip, peace is being rescued by God even when it is faith - the substance of the unseen.

My maternal grandmother lived a hard life with a lot of gratitude. She had God's Peace. She used to say," You have to rise above it." Not the grit your teeth, look supreme and aloof, and march forward type. The Rise, let us go from here variety Jesus lived.

May God bless and comfort the people looking careworn. Let the Peace of God give them times of rest and assurance. To find a blessing in each day, to be assured of God's love. That the Helper might lift them and guide them. In Jesus' name. Amen.



Reposted Scripture for Today Blogspot
May 4, 2010

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Mark 1:40-45 ~ stretched out His hand and touched him

Mark 1:40-45

⁴⁰ And a leper ^{[a term for several skin diseases]} came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” ⁴² And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

⁴³ And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ⁴⁵ But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Moses. Son of Pharaoh. Shepherd for God's people. Miracle Maker.
The First Plague (Exodus 7:14-24) water turned to blood.

The Second Plague (Exodus 8:1-15) Frogs infestation.

The Third Plague (Exodus 8:16-19) Infestation of swarms of gnats

The Fourth Plague (Exodus 8:20-32) Flies and disease.

The Fifth Plague (Exodus 9:1-7) Disease of Egyptian horses, donkeys, camels, livestock. Children of Israel are untouched in the plagues.

The Sixth Plague (Exodus 9:8-12) Boils on people and animals.

The Seventh Plague (Exodus 9:13-35) Hail destroying the crops, people, animals killed.

The Eighth Plague (Exodus 10:1-20) Locusts complete starvation pattern ahead.

The Ninth Plague (Exodus 10:21-29) Darkness for Egyptians.

The Tenth Plague (Exodus 11:1-10, 12:1-42) Death passes over Children of Israel. Death of firstborn Egyptians.

Miracles of Cloud by Day and Pillar of Fire by night. Parting the Red Sea.

How many people would have approached a leper, much less healed by stretching out a hand and touched? Not even Moses. When Moses met the LORD, he was given a sign to use - to throw down his staff and it would become a snake.

Exodus 4:1-9
¹ Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” ² The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” ³ And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. ⁴ But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— ⁵ “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” ⁶ Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. ⁷ Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. ⁸ “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. ⁹ If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

Moses never did perform the second sign. It must have shaken him up a bit. Even more than meeting the Lord God Almighty.

Hebrews 3:1
Therefore, holy brothers and sister, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, ² who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. ³ For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. ⁴ (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) ⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, ⁶ but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

When has God so stretched out his hands for us? When He willingly became our atonement. Our Advocate. Each time we speak to Him in prayer.

1 Peter 5:7
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.


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Matthew 8:18-27 ~ follow Me

Wind Mitigation

Matthew 8:18-27


David Cochran, English Standard Version

The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. ¹⁹ And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹ Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Jesus Calms a Storm

²³ And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

In the Christian life, coincidence collides as God's planning causing both wonder and consternation. Our last priest, Allen Hughes, left a message for his good friend Dusty Bryant to come and be our Worship Leader. Dusty returned Allen's message and said he didn't want to move to Houston and he told Allen, "No." Allen started to wonder where he would find a Worship Leader and his co-pastor Mike told him to call Mike Breen, who is sometimes referred to as the U.K. version of Billy Graham. Mike Breen said he had an American interning with him and he'd get him to take the job. Mike Breen had a staff conference and told his staff they'd be traveling to The Woodlands and the Worship Leader position would be filled by the American intern because the visit idea came from the Worship Leader position phone call. The American intern said he had a friend who'd offered him a job, but he'd turned him down. A few questions later, Mike Breen was putting his feet up and telling Dusty with the LORD, there are no coincidences, just marching orders.

Neither Dusty, Allen, Mike McDonald or Mike Breen knew at the beginning of the phone calls they were all connected by the Holy Spirit leading the way. Allen never knew Dusty was in the UK, he thought he was returning a phone call left in SC. Dusty was our awesome Worship Leader for over 4 years.

In serving the Lord, there is a cost. We serve a Living God. Who has opinions and makes His way known.

We had a great time with the Brits. The discussion that stays with me - the beginning of the end of the Church of England. It seems during the bombing in WWII, people attended Church the way they always had. But they were angry. Under the fear. And they asked as the regular liturgy was read Sunday after Sunday, why didn't the Church address the fear, the need, instead they continued to read the liturgy and people felt their needs were not met. And being people, they probably felt it more than they communicated it.

So when the war was over, the people began to stay home.

An important aspect of God was ignored.

1 John 1: 6-10- 1 John 2:1
⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 2

¹ My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.


The aspect is this - Jesus lived his life in the center of the storm. Jesus did not live His life in comfort like King Solomon, the life God chose was to really live in the middle of the storms created by people.

So much so that Peter.....

Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

So many times when the famous quote of Jesus' not having His own place - we think Jesus was talking about a physical place and Jesus' poverty by choice. But there is a deeper aspect here.

Mark 2:1
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.

Jesus is saying He is an Advocate for others and their storms; And Jesus is saying He Knows what it is to feel Tossed About. Unsettled. All of Jesus' ministry is all about Mercy. For others. At great cost to Himself.

We always say to ourselves after not-the-best-events occur - it could have been worse. And we are right. No one ever asked us to be their personal sacrifice. It is amazing to remember what Jesus' ministry was ..... and to be grateful. There are larger storms out there. And a free gift of salvation offered by One who only came for Good.



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Titus 2 ~ all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

Christmas Day Lunch group in Melbourne

Titus 2

¹ But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹ Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Pierre Auguste Renoir's Luncheon on the Boating Party, in 1861

One of the interesting points of reading the Scripture is - the people around you are constantly teaching you something. Applying the Scripture, "Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened" means..... fruit from the tree identifies the tree. Or to go non-biblical - birds of a feather wing together.

My son is experiencing his 5th (ugh) year of college, came home for the Christmas break & was doing what he does best - meeting and greeting - and he met two new females. After a date with the first one, he became interested in finding out about the other one and several opinions of her were easily found. The word 'hipster' appeared causing every one to leave the subject of "that girl" to have a different opinion of the word hipster. ( Try explaining to the younger generation who Marlo Thomas is and ... it becomes a glum deal.) Some people use it casually and some people are offended by it. My husband said it meant with it and fun to be with. My oldest son said it is defined musically to personality and hipster people are offended by it. My younger son said some people enjoy being hipster. Trevor said hipster describes itself.

Being the seeker sort, I looked it up in the Urban Dictionary - and voila - what is old is new again. Anti-establishment isn't always a bad thing - it is forging a new path. And ha, ha - this is found in each generation. My grandmother's generation would have said "hep cat" and people would have been offended by that sometimes. My childhood generation would have them wearing earth shoes and work shirts. And maybe a VW bus would be involved.

I enjoyed hearing the Scripture today and I encourage you to listen to it. With the listen button.

Of course it applies today. And the bottom line isn't 'fuddy-duddy'. Or dry and staid. But, but, but, but.... it can be. It really depends on what we are looking for in people. People have so many facets, like a diamond. It is up to us to Want to See the Best in Them - With Truth and it's inseparable component - Mercy. My son decided 'hipster' was great to be with if time and opportunity allow. My son is growing up. He had a prior romance where the heart lead first and the brain followed later. None of the common sense guidelines were followed and we still discuss "the last one" in tones of wistfulness and anger.

There is a principle to Titus 2 - Hipsters can be Titus 2.

Kind, Love, Self-controlled, Good Works, Integrity, Dignity, Not Argumentative - you understand the list and it explains - doctrine of God our Savior
You have to love the media... sometimes. Several recent movies have Christians actually cast as the "good guy" relief. I enjoyed the last Pirates of the Caribbean Movie - recently Christians are getting good press and why? We saved the Roman Empire to give it another, extra 200 years. Christians are worth the effort to cultivate and know. You know what you are getting. Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated. Titus 2 is good for us. Prayer is great for those unmarried children.

God knows.
Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

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Psalm 132:6-10 ~ we found it in the fields of Jaar

Psalm 132:6-10

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!”

8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
do not turn away the face of your anointed one


Bethlehem "house of bread" is a town, near which Jacob buried Rachel, then known as Ephrath (Gen 35:19; 48:7). It is also called Bethlehem, Ephrathah (Micah 5:2)


Micah 5:2
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days

Daniel 7:22
until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.


When my oldest son was in preschool, we sent him to a very expensive parochial school. They sent home letters saying children learn, not just from musical lessons, language lessons & sports, but from free time.

The Psalms are unique. It isn't just the history of the Scriptures, but David expressing how close he became to the Father. David spent his 'free' time looking out for his flocks in the fields of Bethlehem and Jaar. Plenty of time to think. He became anointed of God. In our culture, we need to remember to have time when the TV, computer, phone are shut down. We need time to think, pray and cultivate our own 'people' flock.

1 Samuel 16: 7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."

When we compare the First and Second Temple - we see important similarities, but vast differences. There isn't a lot of archaeology left of the First Temple, but we have the descriptions of Solomon's Temple from the Bible. No description of a Temple mound.

Amazingly, the Temple Tools were the same built at the time of Moses. 3 different kings reigned over Babylon during the Babylonian captivity, but the Temple Tools returned with the now free slaves back to rebuild the Second Temple, for about 600 years.


Notice the walls around the First Temple are built on the level ground.



The Temple was always beautiful. Below - Court of Priests with Sacrificial Altar.
Look at the size of the Menorah. Built by the Temple Institute waiting for the 3rd Temple.

The Second Temple was almost always, for 600 years, in a state of improvement. See how the walls are now a complex mount.

Alec Gerrard, a 78 year old retired farmer, from the United Kingdom, spent 3 years researching his 1:100 scale model of the Bais Hamikdash, 33,000 hours to date and measures 20' x 12'. Mr Gerrard hand painted every clay brick and tile and sculpted all of the 4,000 half inch, correctly dressed figures to populate his creation.

'It's now recognised as the most authentic version of the temple in the world." His version is so impressive that some of the world's top archaeologists and experts from the British Museum have come to view it.

The Second Temple with 600 years of building, re-building, becomes a more impressive architectural building. The Second Temple always was missing the Ark of the Covenant. Probably because God's sorrow over people who'd lost their genealogy were excluded and the Samaritans, the remnant keeping the services worshiping God, were excluded. DNA studies later proved the Samaritans were 3 of the 12 tribes of Israel. The Ark of the Covenant was hidden by Jeremiah, recorded in 2 Maccabees 2:4-9.

Yet God's Son only visits the Temple during His lifetime to worship and teach. God could have chosen His child to be born anywhere, He chose the tiny town of Bethlehem.
We can see Jesus' point that we are God's Temple.

Israel had the same formidable enemies during the reign of David as the problems ending the 1st Temple and the 2nd Temple. The same problems facing Israel today with the revolt in Egypt. God deals with all of mankind in Jesus. Not just the building, the politics, the majesty of the Temple. It is far more important to God -the grass roots of existence.

Isn't it interesting to our faith - God chose the Shepherd boy with faith. Over the Temple. The boy who grew in the Lord. Same problems with different variations for each generation; with faith there was - and is - a different result.

Isaiah 7:9
If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.




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