Luke 11 ~ No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.

Luke 11

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

So... if we take fire and put it under a basket you are going to get... a bigger fire. Or extinguished fire.


And if we listen to ancient scientific wisdom the four classical elements are Earth, Water, Air, and Fire frequently occur; sometimes including a fifth element or quintessence (after "quint" meaning "fifth") called aether in ancient Greece and akasha in India. The concept of the five elements formed a basis of analysis in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

And today we are sewing like Needlepoint, putting all the thoughts from our wool gathering in the appropriate places.

My very proper and sainted Grandmother Anita taught a well attended Sunday School for four decades. She loved to read and Confucius was someone she quoted in her religious writings. Which I found... rather shocking. Grandmother said, Really, Anne-Laurel, the ancients were not in possession of even knowing there was an Israel, much less the knowledge of the Temple and His Word. This is a foundation study for seeking Truth and Justice with Mercy.

The Word of God would explain this like this:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God [a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.

a]   messenger of God (the phrase echoes a common Old Testament expression).

Let's compare - Genesis, the first Chapter, starts out with Akasha - aether filling the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere. The concept of aether was used in several theories to explain several natural phenomena.

Genesis 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Aether - was hovering over the water. Recently Nova reported lightning from one place pulls the electrical ark as one unit, all over the earth, with the source of the "Fire" being the Sun. And if you look at the placement of the Temple in Jerusalem, you find the altar points to the sun. Always. For all Jewish altars.

Today we have the option of putting our lights under baskets we call lamp shades. We appear to have a real handle on the element Edison appropriately understood as fire. Seemingly this breaks Scripture. Just as we irradiate our wheat in an effort to feed more of the world's hungry people allowing our grocery store bread not to last - like it has for millenniums - as lasting barely a week, to now going oddly a little dry and with an unusual texture to last even a month. Recall with me, Jesus told us HE was also the Bread coming from Heaven called Manna.

Scripture will be fulfilled.

A light under a basket refers to the fire of the Holy Spirit. Times in Scripture when the fire of the Holy Spirit was hidden - when Solomon built God's Temple. 2 Kings 23:13 tells us Solomon then resorted to High Place foreign god worship. He took His Word from God and let Wisdom be worldly wisdom. And after God was placed away from scaring even King David, Solomon found he wanted to hear from God. And God became very silent. Solomon tried harder and harder. Leading Solomon to say he could not even find one good woman out of the 700 near him. Adam would have even reminded Solomon that Adam had a rib that copied Father God. Common thought would say if all the people you meet are back-ends, then...

Anyway. Solomon kept trying and trying. Different from Confucius because Solomon had been part of the Nation God called His Own. And finally Solomon began to hear from God again. Because. The dead end had suddenly made Solomon aware that there was something valid in remorse. And the desire to call upon HIM. And the prodigal son observed the Father run to Him. Making the words of Solomon recorded as the Word of God, using the Holy Spirit.

There was another time Light was hidden under a basket. The Second Temple. Maccabees records Jeremiah took his wisdom of the Word of God and hid the Ark upon Mount Nebo. Buried with ... Moses. The return of the Temple Tools is amazingly recorded from the Second Exile. But from the first the Temple is decaying. No Ark fills the Holy of Holies. If you were the head Priest would you run from the Holy of Holies to announce the Ark is ... gasp... missing...or Pray Fiercely. But The Second Temple starts with throwing the remnant Samaritans out. Who were sacrificing to God and praying at a broken down Temple Altar on a broken down Temple Mount and in 1960, DNA tests proved they were basically 3 of the 12 tribes of Israel. And upon throwing out the Samaritans they proceeded to build themselves houses and marry the local women who were not Children of Israel. But still covered their sins by hoping to build the Temple from being reminded and for the earnest joy they had in recognizing God had saved them miraculously. And following the law rather than Justice with Mercy.

When God saw people putting His Fire away from them, He did something. Something He planned to do. He went forth to Save the World. Equipping Confucius (whom I did not ever read), the Assyrian Empire Nineveh - to repent, Three Babylonian Emperors to return the exiles and the Temple Tools. And He used the desecration of the Temple for Zeus and for Herod as part of His Plan. And when the Syrian woman asked Jesus for mercy, and was humble, Jesus restored her child. Jesus again Being the True Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

The times are unusual times. Our grandparents and those before us paid cash for houses. Thomas Jefferson said without a paid for home - we are financially unsound. The Scripture tells us not to take on debt for more than seven years. The Amish manage this still. We have so much technology - ways to communicate and we step back to communicate with telegraph. We travel far more. And we find ways to make life more comfortable.

We are privileged - what we need is to Love the Lord with all our hearts. Let the Spirit of our Worship not snap off and on like an electric switch at the appropriate time. Letting our places of worship be encouragement to Love and bless those who hear the word of God and keep it! Providing the place were all who would call upon HIM are welcome. The place were a King like Solomon could turn and see God as Father run to him. Asking Him to move and dwell and have His being within us. Making our prayers to ask Him to dwell within us.

Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Zechariah 6:8-10
And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

Matthew 22
7 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

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Leviticus 26 ~ Chase

Leviticus 26

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. 2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. 10 You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

14 “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. 18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, 19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

21 “Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. 22 And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.

23 “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

27 “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. 29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. 31 And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas. 32 And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

34 “Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it. 36 And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. 37 They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.

40 “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes. 44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.”

46 These are the statutes and rules and laws that the Lord made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.

The first time I went to see Ima Hogg's house I was disappointed. Frankly with a name like "IMA HOGG!!!", you'd hope to see ... Vim, Vigor, Personality - instead you get - information. About others and museum quality furniture and belongings. I'm frankly of the opinion - she should have done two museums - one on being a damsel of River Oaks and being a "Texas Hogg" - Then a Museum of her interests.

Legacy. The dictionary has this right.

I've been having this conversation with myself since last week, but I backed into this one by way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:45
So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

I have a cousin who is fond of this verse. And the truth is we get pretty convinced we live out of the scope of a magnifying glass. The free riding theory of just go with the crowd! Carry a briefcase or a backpack. Who are we?

Are we pressed by public opinion, private opinion or our own opinion.

Are we

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

or

Ephesians 3:17-19
—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

When we get to the point feeling God overpowers our unique qualities - rather like my kin Mark Twain - then you have come to an end where we only can back track. Stuck at a dead end. And Samuel Clemens had this happen.

Strong personality - is not the same as saying I no longer live. Jesus said be Salt. Be Light. David had strong personality. What about Paul? Did he wimple up? Penguin suit?

Paul had times where he roared. And he said - Probably loudly and quickly -

But when Cephas came to Antioch...
I opposed him to his face! Because he stood condemned!!!

B4 certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles;
But when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the c-- party...

AND the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,
even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel,
I said to Cephas
before them all,
“If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

That Paul. A mystic seeing views of Heaven. Fighting with Christians. Not exactly plaster saint material. (Galatians Chapter Two.)

Now, listen. When Paul,  in the Holy Spirit, said I no longer live, but Christ within me -.  He was in Galatians Chapter Two. Fighting with Peter - in front of people (Same Chapter Two) - Paul has to call upon a greater unifier than his attempts to set things right -

Galatians 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.


Paul is saying - I must, I must, I must call upon GOD to do this. He is saying as a unity with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit - —that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. This is for you. Today. Just as you are.

Paul is telling us we press on to the good fight - knowing that the Mediator is - Jesus Christ our God. We cannot idolize Paul. Rely upon Jesus.

Acts 10:43
To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

We look at our people from Scripture and we say, I'm not Paul. I'm married. I'm not a nomad.

This call of God is not necessarily to convert the Somalian Pirates. Unless you want to. And God usually calls us to what appeals to us as adventure. The writers of the New Testament looked forward to their adventures for Him. Noah knew how to swing a hammer to a board.

Answering the call of God enriches our lives. If you are sitting at home bored and flipping through the television channels - you might enrich your life by learning a talent - to share. Picture the end of your life - people gather because you did a little something for their lives. You enriched their lives. I would bet that if you look at Evangelism few people are converted to know HE loves them by a street corner Evangelist. Preach the Gospel and if you have to - use words. Encouragement.

When I'm volunteering at the Pregnancy Assistance Center, it's surprising to hear that the idea of legacy has not occurred to the twenty something crowd. But it's Really NOT Unusual to hear that a grandmother, an aunt, a youth minister, a choir leader has impacted the life of our client. They want to do something like that person did for them. Creating a Life of Meaning. They are surprised to hear something profound   :

God uses things like crochet to pull people together. It's the sharing of the enriching things of our lives that hold people to each other. Disc Golf pulls people together. Giving us the blessing of a friend who helps us pull in plants with us. Old Youth Ministry brought seventeen of Xander's friends for bonfire and Champagne for a New Marriage Celebration. S'mores please!!!

A Legacy? A New Year, New Beginnings, New Adventures in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 Be angry and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

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Genesis 8

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

God saw the world needed correction and He administered correction.

Let's look at this as mature people and wonder about this Scripture.

The Black Death of 1347 – 1351 A.D. killed 75 million people.

The Irish Potato Famine killed almost a million people & is sometimes regarded by historians as a genocide of the poorer Irish people. 1 million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland, causing the island's population to fall by between 20% and 25%. "A starving population, an absentee aristocracy, and an alien Church, and, in addition,  weak executive power."

Oddly enough, when you look at the historian's upset over lack of government intervention - it remarkably resembles the Ipuwer Manuscripts Papyrus complaining of governmental failure for God's described Egyptian Plague. Solomon said the hand of God gives us blessing and the opportunity to provide a solution. Or change.

The Prophet Nahum lived during latter half of the reign of Hezekiah (8th century BC). He witnessed the invasion of Sennacherib and the destruction (2 Kings 19:35). Nahum witnessed the most glorious and miraculous time of Judah and Israel. The fear of the Assyrian Empire and Hezekiah's success almost parallel that of Solomon.

Nahum 1
3 The LORD is slow to anger and of great might, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither, the bloom of Lebanon fades. 5 The mountains quake before him, the hills melt; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all that dwell therein. 6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him. 7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. 8 But with an overflowing flood he will make a full end of his adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. 9 What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a full end; he will not take vengeance twice on his foes.

The ninth verse tells us of Katrina and Haiti, the Philippines.


The Egyptian Plagues brought forth a Nation that resurrected in our lives. After 2,000 years of obliteration.

The Black Death did something we clearly see 700 years latter - feudal servitude, death by starvation, illiteracy was ended when there were not serfs to bring in the crops. Freedom, reading, arts, and renewal occurred.

New Orleans was grid locked in unbelievable poverty, cruelty and generational grid lock. A second hurricane spread more people to be far flung. Haiti never received such financial support.

The Irish Potato Famine moved a million people to try for better lives. Others went Home to the Lord.

God does move. Is it up to us to judge HIM???

God's Word is far more powerful than an atomic bomb. And God can be as gentle as a mother with her children in our hearts. Man is pretty impressive with an atomic weapon - but the results of Hiroshima were not repaired by mankind. We certainly know how to blow things up. It's the power of God - He Builds. Sustains. Renews.

We the people are so wise to believe that the Big Bang Theory created the Universe, now many Bangs Theory of Creation - and Genesis One would agree. Not forgetting our current theory of illiterate "disciples" would have Peter write us telling us a Day to God is million of years.

We had a crisis in the Gulf of Mexico a few years back. British Petroleum had a spill so large that all the southern USA was effected. People who wanted to eat shrimp all over the USA were disappointed to learn this might end fishing and shrimp for years to come. Tourism ground to an absolute halt. We were told we now lived on the rim of a ruined Gulf of Mexico. And suddenly all the hazmat suits were done. Finito. It would appear that because oil is a 'natural' product the Gulf reabsorbed the oil and - voila - end of crisis. After the news reported the continuing devastation would require years of spill clean up. Many of the news had a crisis day counter.   Not one news story questioned the miraculous clean up did not occur for the Valdez in Alaska. Not one story worried about the oil spill in the Mediterranean French Coast in the 1960's. Just - oh - oil reabsorbs.


We are so quick to Judge GOD. WHO SAID WE HAVE THE ABILITY???

If your Word created a Universe and your good deeds when largely unnoticed - would you want to save the World???

God does. 

Jesus told us God is even concerned with sparrows. 
God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.

If for an evening, you could place your hand upon the powerful Hand of God, you would realize, Niagara Falls could be the Canadian Mississippi River running upwards to the North Pole.  And all the Oceans could again heave up to flood all our land, but you would also have to realize God has a Plan. And we work His Plan with two choices - to do so with gratitude and wonder.  Or create a path He would hate to see, His Beloved fall into self, where His plan is fulfilled without our growth towards Him and His Promises and Kingdom.  

Of course we must be ourselves to the One Who Loves us Most.  And of course, we need to remember this is Our Father GOD - who created us and the Universe with His Word.  We are here because of this tremendous Love He has for His people and His creation. 

John walked with Jesus down the road and the disciples were filled with awe. John was asked to describe God. John did.

1 John 4:16
God is love

There is a response.

1 John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. 

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1 Timothy 4:11-16 ~ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress

White Mountain Photography of Napa

1 Timothy 4:11-16

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Luke 13:19
It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.

Which Bible verse to choose.... to symbolize growth and progress. The mustard tree or the vine....

John 15:1-11

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.


There is a unique change in vineyards today.

Vineyard owners plant mustard for beauty and practicality - making a perfect cover crop for the dirt between rows. It improves water penetration, fertilizes by capturing nitrogen out of the air and contributing to the soil once plowed under. Best of all, functioning as a "biofumigant" warding off nasty pests.

What Biblical analogy are we drawing here: Set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity - - - Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching

Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

In a word - to act with Love


Galatians 5
4 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word:
“You shall Love your neighbor as yourself.”




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Genesis 22 ~ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

Genesis 22

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”: as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

The nature of testing. Abraham certainly did not want to have his young employees think he was of violent intent. What if???

What if...Abraham had been similarly argumentative to God when Abraham verbally contested God, asking Him to allow more people to live. What if Abraham had argued with God and said, "No way, You are God, use Your own methods. And spare my boy, please, Dear God."

Let's see...how that holds water - the Living variety of Water.

Ephesians 3:11-12
Through Christ Jesus our Lord,in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Abraham knew this too well to ignore this:

Genesis 12
5 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”

Previous conversations had revealed this to Abraham:

Genesis 18:
32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Why did God abhor Baal worship? Why did HE say over and over again - don't marry them, don't raid their goods, don't dwell with them -

Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants. .... babies were roasted to death inside the burning pit of the god Baal Hamon, a bronze statue. Infant children were sacrificed to Baal in order to secure prosperity. Something we had best consider on our stance on abortion.

Abraham forgot to wrestle God. Perhaps the greater test was to see if Abraham would understand God's Nature. And God would still rescue Abraham and fulfill His Word in His Faithfulness.

Now if you are still in the literal part of this story and not wondering if God would have hurt feelings with Abram; One richly blessed of God... what other time did God ask a child of anyone? He would only put Himself on the Cross for us.

Just as God would not have need for us to decide Death or Life of a loved one - for His Sake, these are in His Hands, He would not have us go to Church and Confess the Sins of someone else. Remember with me, God loved Abraham for asking mercy for others.

God never says sacrifice someone else. He never says confess someone else's sins. He says Give me the day and provide for me, please. Forgive me when I do what is sinful, Forgive others.

Wrestling. Is honest. Abraham had no name to call God. Jacob had no name to call God. We simply Cannot argue Abraham wasn't credited to be righteous in God's sight. Abraham was supposed to know His Father God.

Genesis 4:10
And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

God shared His name with Moses. Moses was willing to put down his life, be embarrassed, be part of something cataclysmic, and Be Uncomfortable.

Exodus 34:6
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in Love and faithfulness."

God told us His Nature. Let's be clear. I'm not saying God did not say these things to Abraham, I'm saying Abraham forgot to Wrestle God. Jacob Wrestled God and received a blessing. All Abraham got was rescued, affirmed for loyalty and a ram. I'm saying the variable factor here is the confidence to say - Just Like David did -

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

Today. Is the Scripture applicable - yes, we see people all the time at the Pregnancy Assistance Center who tell us God says He is okay with wiping out life - He created. This is  an applicable story today.

Psalm 86:5 A prayer of David.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

Life is a little bit like this Scripture Passage. What are you willing to put up with in attitudes and opinions - God saved Abraham. Baal would not. Just because opinion would put you down the salmon line up, where would God have you stand up and say Not Me & you Should Not Ask. Lucy always pressed on Charlie Brown's head. My first attempt at painting - was met with the jealous comment - where did I get That Painting - and upon learning I had painted it from a photograph - 'Well That Painting needed a fence around it' - God saved Abraham. Baal would not. Never forget that " no", even without argument, is a powerful word.



Father God, we cannot dwell in hindsight as Abraham just have done. You are not a God who asks for guilt and shame to separate us. This is only a foothold of the devil. Does trouble tell us You have departed? No, in Jesus Christ the Victory is Sure.  God has this Overwhelming Victory for us because of His Great Love for us. 

Nothing would have taken God's love from Abraham. Not death, He could have given without Abraham's help. Not life of Isaac, from refusal to kill. Not from the sins of all the people in the Scripture.  Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God, revealed in the fullness of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!!!



Psalm 130:7
O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

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