Romans 16 ~ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well

Romans 16

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant (1 Or deaconess ) of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert (Greek firstfruit ) to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, (messengers) and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers (Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 ) who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, ( their own belly) and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. (Footnotes, verse 24 - some manuscripts insert: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.)

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

(Footnotes are in parenthesis.)

Who Were Rufus and his mother?

Not Paul's biological family. Rufus is not a common name in New Testament times, (later this became a popular name and is one of my family names) but appears in Mark 15:21.

²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

It is not certain it is the same Rufus, some Biblical scholars lean in that direction. Cyrene was on the north coast of Africa, north of Benghazi, Libya. I, personally, find it thrilling & a tear-jerker that Simon, the bystander, carrying Jesus' cross that day, would have children mentioned casually later. Who wouldn't have been changed by standing with Jesus in his time of great sacrifice.

Cyrene did not have a large number of Jews, but to read Romans 16 - in the first century A.D. - this letter would have been shocking to the Jews. And a shock to more conservative Christian churches today. Most of the names are Greek or Latin, 11 of the names are women. And some women have a position of some authority. Not as priests, but deaconess, or a servant. Paul sees them, not just as fellow workers, but his family & recognizes them 9 times with the words: beloved, kinsman, mother or messenger. Messenger isn't an unusual term here, he is talking about angels. Paul sees his family as people willing to risk their necks for his life.

This funny portion, at the end of Romans, called chapter 16, is actually quite important. People sitting at home, reading their bible, should realize we all see the great apostle Paul, who never built a cathedral, was not the nomadic waif only relying upon God. Paul was known to proclaim, when we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we are the Temple of God. He was not saying become an island, he was a joyful member of Christian community. Something Father God sees as families living on earth and in heaven. Ephesians 3:15.

To the Christian church today, Paul is saying people are not separated by class, position, hierarchy of belief, but all are beloved family. The youth of today would say, "Peace Out", & pound their chest with a fist twice. And Paul would add, "Peace Out, My Beloved", with an enormous hug.

<><

Matthew 22:1-22 ~ the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a King who gave a wedding feast for His Son

Matthew 22:1-22

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

~ The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son

Rick Warren says the most inspirational things on his Facebook. Today:
“Worship is expressing our love & joy to God for who he IS,what he’s SAID & what he’s DOING"- Purpose Driven Church.

Today's reading brings to mind Jesus creating wine from water helping to celebrate marriage, which is great because we remember Jesus celebrating. What Rick Warren says about Father God is so true, it wasn't a wedding story from dusty ages past, it is Today. When we go to church we should be excited, we should expect the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.

The church is the Bride of Christ, we are making sure, as the body of Jesus Christ, the world is clothed in holy garments of love. Jesus isn't saying here there is a high wall separating us from the undesirables. He is commenting factually His Kingdom isn't come as you'd like, but He saying The Kingdom of Heaven, by definition, is the rule of God. This does not please the rules of religious appearance - the man-made rules. Man-made rules, ironically for this parable, of appearance, would exclude David, the most revered King of Israel.

A comedian had a famous monologue saying would God be so cruel as to throw people out, people who had maybe been too busy to know God in this life? He is, the comedian said, a God of love. This passage speaks directly to the comedian's question. For the comedian, he knew God is a God of love, he said it. So, he must have been a little acquainted. We leave him in those loving hands. Which just isn't a bad place.

Where does that place us? We are the invited. It seems like this king is an angry guy to a cynical world. But a King who gave His Son, that we might be offered the clothes of righteous love, to come in as His children.... We are the invited.... Today... it means a response should be given. If we know the King (& we do!), we should know the response is not to show up, sit down, looking appropriate on the outside. The response is not only to prepare ourselves, but to pray (keep the conversation going) and joyfully share His Love.


Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

Expect to hear in your heart from Father God, expect the Holy Spirit to speak words in church to you, you will find something to share. Let the expectation build your faith each day, as you journey with the Lord, and fuel your prayers!

Luke 11:9,10
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

<><

Psalm 1 ~ the Lord

Bob, our female duck. We didn't know a lot about ducks when Bob put her head on my foot.

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

"Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment to the Lord
like our annual stewardship campaign."

I've noticed Christian speakers and pagan comedians have something in common, it is easy to speak of personal tragedies (like yesterday) and weaknesses than blessings. Why? It's difficult to share blessings without sounding holier than thou or to sound like the donkey braying at the neighborhood to-do.

God has abundantly blessed my life, with grandmothers, with being an only child and then giving me a baby brother. I was blessed to have a Daddy who read to me and loved me. I was given a dad I could relate a loving Heavenly Father to. I was blessed to have a great-grandmother, grandmother and mother who have loved everything God ever grew & taught me to see the infinite beauty in every direction.

I was blessed to have a grandmother and step-grandfather who dearly loved the Lord and talked about Him to me. I attended Christian Parochial Schools. I was blessed not to grow up like Jimmy Swaggart, we went to church monthly & I had to find out if I wanted to follow the Lord.

My husband is my High School sweetheart from my youth group, we were blessed to meet and marry after not dating in college. When the Lord looks at my husband, he sees a mighty river of love. He has many fine attributes the Lord loves - giving his wife and children opportunity to thrive. Edward had done youth ministry for a number of years. And he gets his college son to go to church when he is home without a fuss.

Monetary blessings are more difficult to be frank and gracious about. I have lived very well, met famous people, attracted attention by our abundance. I have, also, lived in a 2 bedroom house & wondered how our 2 children would grow up. I've had prayers answered where the Lord must have said "Fine, enough, I wanted to give you that & you have worn me out, child!" I prayed specifically for a showcase house, with a yellow living room and a great view of water. And I have received.

Psalm 1 is an interesting combination, unending prosperity and then a discussion of wickedness. We are all both.

Blessed be the Lord, who reminds us our daily blessings come from Him: our grandparent's attention, the things that interest us and define us, having parents who modeled God's parenting, siblings who've helped us, choices we've made instead of having them made for us, being Loved by the Lord, sometimes it's monetary and mostly not. Having work and not toil. Having a loving church family. Enjoying a garden. Having children. Restoring something broken. Blessings of inner peace that come from forgiveness. Sharing and having friends. Seeing vast beauty in the miracles of this world, God has created and given us. Recovering good health. Even having a body well enough to exercise.


Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah

<><

Psalm 116 ~ the pangs of Sheol

Photo by Ansel Adams

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

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

10 I believed, even when I spoke,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”

12 What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Some days are a winter gray. The Lord isn't just the blue skies of summer, but Lord of the days that are just bleh. To be reminded of an old mistake, to be unfairly finger pointed, to have a miscommunication with a good friend, to say good-bye to someone previously admired, anniversaries spent apart.

Each day has blessings, it is good to acknowledge when it hurts and good to look for the daily blessings. This isn't said as a greeting card. During the times of my life I've had grief, I have not walked alone, but with the Lord and his blessings.

God is a Giver & thrilled to give. The bible is so much about overcoming obstacles and feeling loved during the insecurities of life. With faith, we should always expect the very best. Having lived through my parents divorce, my dad's unfortunate death, a very sick infant growing into a strong boy, the death of another child - I would say one of the best attributes of the Lord is knowing when the wild winds of life howl, God is our refuge.

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. He that is our God is the God of salvation, and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death."—Psalm 68:19-20.

<><

Psalm 139 ~ If I take the wings of morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea

Psalm 139

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

Every part of creation is under God's intuition and influence.

Praise be to You, Oh Lord, Father and God of all. And blessed be your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

<><

A Blessing ~ Numbers 6:23-26

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Listen - by Jars of Clay

Numbers 6:23-26

'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24 " ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;

25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '


<><

Psalm 50 ~ The heavens declare His righteousness, for God himself is Judge!

Psalm 50

1 The Mighty One, God the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.

3 Our God comes; he does not keep silence;
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty tempest.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge! Selah

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.

8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”

So, who does this Psalm of judgment apply towards? One of the Christian blogs I was reading says it applies towards the Christian Churches striving for worldly approval, as they bypass the Scriptures like this one - of judgment. This is the Psalm before David's great profession of sin, Psalm 51. The Lord must have been speaking of David, acting as righteous king of Israel, as he hoped to get away with murder and adultery.

Does it apply to David, apple of the Lord's eye? Partially. It applies to you and to me. This psalm urges us to remember, we do not fool the Lord. We do not make ourselves. Just as we joyfully say every good gift is from the Lord, we cannot give Him a gift He did not give us. We are saved by the Lord, the creator of heaven and earth. The One we turn to in our day of trouble, He is the deliverer.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

<><

Exodus 17:1-16 ~ Moses held up his hand

Moses, painted by Rosencruz Sumera. The painting is interesting to see we are influenced by the media, even when it is from 1956 Cecil B. DeMille' s movie "The 10 Commandments." Cecil DeMille chose Charlton Heston because of his uncanny similarity to Michelangelo's Horned Moses. Many artists depicted Moses with horns over a confusion between Hebrew words; Hebrew phrase "karnu panav" קרנו פניו. The root קרן may be read as either "horn" or "ray", as in "ray of light".

Exodus 17

1 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

4 So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah [testing] and Meribah [quarreling], because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne [A slight change would yield upon the banner] of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

~ Moses held up his hand

Moses is a servant of God and, like we do, becomes tired. This isn't just about the power of God, but explains Jesus wasn't left as a man, though God, to become the victorious Messiah King defeating the Romans & the enemies of Israel. Jesus didn't just come to give Israel exalted nation status, but to remind us about the most important battle being death. Jesus came to save the Children of God. His hand does not grow tired. God, who judges righteously, did not come to divide people by boundaries, but to forgive His enemies and offer to all His Kingdom.

Mark 12:17
Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.

God's Son isn't a victorious king like the kings listed in books Chronicles or Kings, He is the Messiah. Jesus doesn't say the Temple will remain forever, He says man is God's temple.

The Exodus provides meaning for us today. In this life we are on a journey as wayfarers, the Bible likes the word sojourners. It is temporary, sometimes we hunger and sometimes we thirst. We do not know what will assail us next. God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but of Power. He lifts His hand to provide for us Today. He gives us the Lord Jesus, the Bread of Life and Living Water. He not only provided for the Children of Israel , but He lifts His hand for us today and in the paradise to come.

Blessed be our Father, He goes before us and gives us a Rock to stand on.



<><

Genesis 15 ~ what wilt thou give me

Genesis 15 ~ (Revised Standard Version)

[1]
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great."


[2] But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Elie'zer of Damascus?"
[3] And Abram said, "Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir."
[4] And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir."
[5] And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
[6] And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.
[7]
And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chalde'ans, to give you this land to possess."


[8] But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?"
[9] He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
[10] And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.
[11] And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
[12]
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him.


[13] Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years;
[14] but I will bring judgment on the nation which they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
[15] As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.
[16] And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
[17]
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.



~ give me


Genesis 28:20,21
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God

Numbers 18:8
Then the LORD said to Aaron, "I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share.

Judges 6:17
Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.

Samuel 14:41-44,52
⁴¹ Then Saul prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give me the right answer." And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. ⁴² Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done."
So Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now must I die?"

⁴⁴ Saul said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan."

(The army persuaded Saul not to follow his promise to the Lord.)

⁵² All the days of Saul there was bitter war with the Philistines


1 Samuel 2:3-6
³ Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."

⁴ But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women."

⁵ David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!" ⁶ So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

2 Samuel 22:35-37

³⁵ He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶ You give me your shield of victory;
you stoop down to make me great.

³⁷ You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

2 Chronicles 1:9-11

⁹ Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. ¹⁰ Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

¹¹ God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king

Job 21:1,2
Then Job replied:

² "Listen carefully to my words;
let this be the consolation you give me.

Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Proverbs 30:8
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

Hosea 13:9-11

⁹ "You are destroyed, O Israel,
because you are against me, against your helper.

¹⁰ Where is your king, that he may save you?
Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
'Give me a king and princes'?

¹¹ So in my anger I gave you a king,
and in my wrath I took him away.

Matthew 26:15 and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.

Luke 15:12,20
12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.'
(God runs to us)
²⁰So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.


<><

Exodus 12 ~ wish to celebrate the Passover of the Lord

Exodus 12 ~ (New American Bible)

1-11 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole, with its head and shanks and inner organs. None of it must be kept beyond the next morning; whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up. "This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the LORD.

12-13 For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first--born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt-I, the LORD! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you.

14-16 "This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. From the very first day you shall have your houses clear of all leaven. Whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a sacred assembly, and likewise on the seventh. On these days you shall not do any sort of work, except to prepare the food that everyone needs.

17-20 "Keep, then, this custom of the unleavened bread. Since it was on this very day that I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt, you must celebrate this day throughout your generations as a perpetual institution. From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of this month you shall eat unleavened bread. For seven days no leaven may be found in your houses. Anyone, be he a resident alien or a native, who eats leavened food shall be cut off from the community of Israel. Nothing leavened may you eat; wherever you dwell you may eat only unleavened bread."

21-23 Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and procure lambs for your families, and slaughter them as Passover victims. Then take a bunch of hyssop, and dipping it in the blood that is in the basin, sprinkle the lintel and the two doorposts with this blood. But none of you shall go outdoors until morning. For the LORD will go by, striking down the Egyptians. Seeing the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over that door and not let the destroyer come into your houses to strike you down.

24-28 "You shall observe this as a perpetual ordinance for yourselves and your descendants. Thus, you must also observe this rite when you have entered the land which the LORD will give you as he promised. When your children ask you, 'What does this rite of yours mean?' Youu shall reply, 'This is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt; when he struck down the Egyptians, he spared our houses.'" Then the people bowed down in worship, and the Israelites went and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.

29-31 At midnight the LORD slew every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh on the throne to the first-born of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the first-born of the animals. Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was loud wailing throughout Egypt, for there was not a house without its dead. During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Leave my people at once, you and the Israelites with you! Go and worship the LORD as you said.

32 Take your flocks, too, and your herds, as you demanded, and be gone; and you will be doing me a favor."

33-36 The Egyptians likewise urged the people on, to hasten their departure from the land; they thought that otherwise they would all die. The people, therefore, took their dough before it was leavened, in their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. The Israelites did as Moses had commanded: they asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD indeed had made the Egyptians so well-disposed toward the people that they let them have whatever they asked for. Thus did they despoil the Egyptians.

37-39 The Israelites set out from Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the children. A crowd of mixed ancestry also went up with them, besides their livestock, very numerous flocks and herds. Since the dough they had brought out of Egypt was not leavened, they baked it into unleavened loaves. They had been rushed out of Egypt and had no opportunity even to prepare food for the journey.

40-42 The time the Israelites had stayed in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. At the end of four hundred and thirty years, all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date. This was a night of vigil for the LORD, as he led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the Israelites must keep a vigil for the LORD throughout their generations.

43-45 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations for the Passover. No foreigner may partake of it. However, any slave who has been bought for money may partake of it, provided you have first circumcised him. But no transient alien or hired servant may partake of it.

46-47 It must be eaten in one and the same house; you may not take any of its flesh outside the house. You shall not break any of its bones. The whole community of Israel must keep this feast.

48 If any aliens living among you wish to celebrate the Passover of the LORD, all the males among them must first be circumcised, and then they may join in its observance just like the natives. But no man who is uncircumcised may partake of it. The law shall be the same for the resident alien as for the native."

50-51 All the Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.On that same day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt company by company.

Who was invited to the Passover? All who wanted to come & be sheltered in the Lord's hand. It wasn't come as you are, it was by the Lord's invitation and regulation.

Matthew 22:1-3
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

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

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

¹³ "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

¹⁴ "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

The nature of God is love. But He is Lord Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

<><

Genesis 39 ~ One such day, when Joseph

Genesis 39 ~ (New American Bible)

1 When Joseph was taken down to Egypt, a certain Egyptian (Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his chief steward) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.

2-6 But since the LORD was with him, Joseph got on very well and was assigned to the household of his Egyptian master.When his master saw that the LORD was with him and brought him success in whatever he did,he took a liking to Joseph and made him his personal attendant; he put him in charge of his household and entrusted to him all his possessions.From the moment that he put him in charge of his household and all his possessions, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; in fact, the LORD'S blessing was on everything he owned, both inside the house and out. Having left everything he owned in Joseph's charge, he gave no thought, with Joseph there, to anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was strikingly handsome in countenance and body.

7 After a time, his master's wife began to look fondly at him and said, "Lie with me."

8-9 But he refused. "As long as I am here," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, but has entrusted to me all he owns. He wields no more authority in this house than I do, and he has withheld from me nothing but yourself, since you are his wife. How, then, could I commit so great a wrong and thus stand condemned before God?"

10 Although she tried to entice him day after day, he would not agree to lie beside her, or even stay near her.

11 One such day, when Joseph came into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were then in the house, she laid hold of him by his cloak, saying, "Lie with me!"

13-15 But leaving the cloak in her hand, he got away from her and ran outside. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand as he fled outside, she screamed for her household servants and told them, "Look! my husband has brought in a Hebrew slave to make sport of us! He came in here to lie with me, but I cried out as loud as I could.When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran away outside."

16-18 She kept the cloak with her until his master came home.Then she told him the same story: "The Hebrew slave whom you brought here broke in on me, to make sport of me. But when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and fled outside."

19-23 As soon as the master heard his wife's story about how his slave had treated her, he became enraged. He seized Joseph and threw him into the jail where the royal prisoners were confined. But even while he was in prison, the LORD remained with Joseph; he showed him kindness by making the chief jailer well-disposed toward him.The chief jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners in the jail, and everything that had to be done there was done under his management. The chief jailer did not concern himself with anything at all that was in Joseph's charge, since the LORD was with him and brought success to all he did.

One of my neighbors traveled with her husband all over the Middle East. She said something so interesting, she said there is so much poverty, several countries begin to look alike, it is mostly desert. But suddenly, in one area, there are white buildings & beauty. Then you know you are in Israel. Israel holds more patents, per person, than anywhere else on earth. God continues the story of Joseph, His Blessings, His Success to this day.

Just as Joseph had challenges, setbacks, situations to worry about, we are in the same Hands & we should trust.

Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand


<><

Psalm 118 ~ The Lord's right hand

Psalm 118 ~

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

² Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever."

³ Let the house of Aaron say:
"His love endures forever."

⁴ Let those who fear the LORD say:
"His love endures forever."

⁵ When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD;
he brought me into a spacious place.

⁶ The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can human beings do to me?

⁷ The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in human beings.

⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

¹¹ They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

¹² They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them down.

¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.

¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!

¹⁶ The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"

¹⁷ I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

¹⁸ The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.

²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

²² The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

²³ the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴ The LORD has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.

²⁵ LORD, save us!
LORD, grant us success!

²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.

²⁷ The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

²⁹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Given that God is holy, righteous and not capable of anything but good, what can man expect from His hand?

Deuteronomy 5:15
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Joshua 4:23-24
For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

Samuel 5:10-12
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people." ¹¹ So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, "Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people." For death had filled the city with panic; God's hand was very heavy on it.

1 Samuel 10:18
And he said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'


Psalm 48:10
Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness.


Psalm 118
6 The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"

17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

Ecclesiastes 2:24
There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God

Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:13
For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."

Mark 16:19
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Acts 7:55
But he (Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

2 Corinthians 6:6,7
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left

1 Peter 3:22
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you

<><

Romans 12:1-8 ~ renewal

Romans 12:1-8 (New Revised Standard Version)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Renewal, when does it occur? Sometimes it's rock bottom, then Renewal. Recently, the Christian community AND the media have been in a frenzy over the words that Haiti might have deserved the horrible earthquake as a judgement from God.

Has this ever occurred before? For man to question if tragedy is earned? OH yeah! This has happened before! Jesus answered this question twice, in one paragraph. I can't think of another time Jesus used 2 circumstances to answer 1 question.

Luke 13:1-5

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

When New Orleans was hit twice with Hurricanes, does it mean that God hated them? Does it mean Haitians should be punished for devil worship from men on August 14,1791. No, and I will tell you why:

Exodus 34:6
"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generations.

Is still true and Jesus gave us a New Covenant that God could call us forgiven.

Ephesians 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

When God, who is slow to anger, takes vengeance, He does not take it twice; it is not needed. (Just as New Orleans had 2 hurricanes, the Haitian earthquake had serious aftershocks.)

Nahum 1:9
What do you plot against the LORD?
He will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.

The Exodus, a major event, occurred because God pitied the Children of Israel & their dire circumstances. There was dire poverty in New Orleans, generations of some of the most cruel poverty our country has seen, dire poverty in Haiti. In the Exodus, Children of Israel died, were homeless, and they were afraid.

Instead of seeing this as cruel judgement of God, it is the call to recognize the need for renewal. In circumstances this dire, it is a call! Did you know the meals for all of the people moved to the stadium in Houston, as victims of Hurricane Katrina, were fed for weeks, not by the government, but by the Christian Churches of Houston? This is a call for faith; ministry; teaching; exhortation; generosity; leadership, diligence; compassion, in cheerfulness of faith, hope and love to bring us forward. God is Love.

<><