1 Corinthians 6 ~ such cases

1 Corinthians 6

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! [brothers and sister]

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous [wrongdoers] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, [The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined [holds fast] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Helpful. To take matters pertaining to this life and find a way to have our lives and our bodies glorify God. To take the every day and make events where we act and talk washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

We all have different circumstances in our lives, I've been in a lawsuit. No, not the variety where you try to suit someone to gain the advantage. The type where you have a contract and the contract is grossly violated. I went to the Church and asked the Priest if it would be alright to proceed with the case. I found the Priest agreed with me and we went forward. I have to say the passage knows of what it speaks. It is Months of back and forth, one month it is all roses and the next all is Lost. It is reliving all the details to see if there was something you missed and explaining it again and again. There isn't a lot of rest. This is a wearisome burden.

But most of us have lived this. Yes. We all have someone who has made us angry. We are justified. Really. In our own conscience. But it isn't restful. The whole passage is about the tangle we are capable of getting ourselves into. The directions are the way, the truth and the life - the peace of Jesus Christ. Come as you are, we are all invited in to be part of Jesus. Have you made a mess of it? You are still welcome. We are not capable of saving ourselves.

Going forward? You are Jesus Christ's own. You are bought with a price. Know you are loved. You are chosen, special. Believe it. Act on it.

Hebrews 12:12-15
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

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Psalm 68:2-7 ~ exult before the Lord

Psalm 68:2-7

2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah

We all have a time when something positive came out of scuffle. One of the interesting things about the Lord's Prayer:

Matthew 6:6-13
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Right before the Lord tells us to honor the Father, ask for God's will, ask for daily provisions, forgive us our sins, asked for forgiveness for the ones who hurt us, lead in safe paths, deliver us from evil;...... He tells us not to offer up empty phrases. We all know the Lord's prayer, but He isn't asking for us to assume any particular type of position to pray. He isn't asking us to recite. He is asking for a conversation.

Psalm 68, the whole thing, like many chapters, is about the Lord's Prayer. It's about a time when something looked grim, but the Light shone. It's about the hassle to gather the family together & realize it's the best part of the day & its lovely. It's feeling bitter over a hurt and realizing it doesn't matter. It's realizing we have flaws and we want to be forgiven, not only to the Lord. It's taking time to realize the beauty around you. It's the joy in knowing it is a gift.

It's realizing when we don't take time to really count and appreciate our blessings, they fly past us without the joy.

Father God, help our prayers be fruitful. Let it be conversation about joy, need, praise. Let it be humble, let it be uplifting. Thank you Father, You incline your ear whenever we call upon You.

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Joshua 23 ~ He has given to you

Joshua 24:15b As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 23

1 A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you. 4 Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. 6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the Lord your God has given you.

14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the Lord will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the Lord your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

My first thought at the end of the reading was how marvelous to be Joshua, to say like Paul said:

2 Timothy 4:7,8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Just like the inspiring words God gives us in Hebrews 11:32-40

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

God is not a god of yesterday. The same God proclaims He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Hebrews 13:8

Charles Spurgeon said:
God buries his workmen, but his work goes on; and he, the Great Worker, wearies not of it, nor shall he ever fail or be discouraged. All his everlasting purposes shall be accomplished, and Christ shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. Wherefore, let us be of good heart, if we have been apt to look upon the future with fear. The Lord Jesus still lives, and he will take care that his Church shall live and work on until he himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the triumph of God.

Blessed be the Lord our God, and Blessed be His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Psalm 47:2-3, 8-9 ~ God reigns over the nations

Psalm 47:2-3

2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.

Psalm 47:8-9

8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!

When you read the Scriptures, do you let your mind wander over just a few of the verses? So many times, just a verse will have the beauty and power of God Almighty.

John 14:30-32

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

We give You thanks, Father God. For the beautiful times in our lives.

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2 Kings 19 ~ the zeal of the Lord will do this

700 B.C. Assyria did not take Judah

2 Kings 19

1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” 5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’”

8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he heard that the king had left Lachish. 9 Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has set out to fight against you.” So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:

“She despises you, she scorns you—
the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem.

22 “Whom have you mocked and reviled?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 By your messengers you have mocked the Lord,
and you have said, ‘With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
to the far recesses of Lebanon;
I felled its tallest cedars,
its choicest cypresses;
I entered its farthest lodging place,
its most fruitful forest.
24 I dug wells
and drank foreign waters,
and I dried up with the sole of my foot
all the streams of Egypt.’

25 “Have you not heard
that I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
what now I bring to pass,
that you should turn fortified cities
into heaps of ruins,
26 while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
are dismayed and confounded,
and have become like plants of the field
and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
blighted before it is grown.

27 “But I know your sitting down
and your going out and coming in,
and your raging against me.
28 Because you have raged against me
and your complacency has come into my ears,
I will put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.

29 “And this shall be the sign for you: this year eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs of the same. Then in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 30 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord will do this.

32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. 33 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. 34 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 36 Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. 37 And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

In the early 1980s, my college English professor said to the class the Bible was fable. I stayed after class, I liked my professor, and I asked her what history didn't the Scriptures portray correctly. She told me the Hittite Empire was a myth. A complete fabrication of the Bible. I asked her if the other countries Israel fought against were real. She said of course, every now and then the Bible got something right. Later that summer the Dallas Morning News ran headlines - the Hittite Library had been found Indiana Jones style. An archaeologist stumbled into the Hittite Library - every battle was written and confirmed by the biblical account. The Hittite Empire was re-discovered and another set of huge archaeological evidence was found. Later, people began to doubt again.

Have you heard there is no evidence supporting the truth of the Exodus? The History Channel this year ran evidence archaeologists have evidence of most of the plagues. Another interesting set of information is the Ipuwer Papyrus in Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, Netherlands was written by someone very upset when the government couldn’t control or maintain Egypt during a set of tragedies. The writer of the papyrus (it is dated from 1850 BC to 1300 BC depending on the source of age determiner) doesn’t see God of the Universe, but unbelievable change, social upheaval, loss of the Pharaoh as never before, loss of livestock & food, then former slaves were given gold from their former masters.

http://www.christianevidences.org/ipuwer-papyrus2.html

1 Corinthians 2:7
No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

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1 Kings 18 ~ people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back

One of the most beautiful mosaics in St. Peter's, this altarpiece is a reproduction of Raphael's 'deathbed' painting, now in the Vatican Museum. Jesus is shown between Moses and Elijah.

Giulio de' Medici commissioned the painting for the the French Cathedral of Narbonne, but it remained in Rome in San Pietro in Montorio after 1523. Napoleon had it taken to Paris in 1797, and it was brought back to the Vatican in 1815.

A team of six artists took nine years to execute the mosaic, finishing in 1767.

1 Kings 18

1 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, 4 and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) 5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

7 And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” 9 And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10 As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. 11 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ 12 And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth. 13 Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? 14 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; and he will kill me.” 15 And Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”

20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs [7 quarts] of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.

41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Today is the Feast of the Ascension. God does miraculous things, man disbelieves. I have been alive almost 5 decades and I've seen at least 5 miraculous events. Why does God do amazing things? His love. He is not required to keep doing these astonishing things, but God keeps giving us proof of His glory. It is awe-inspiring when God uses His power and His glory to change lives. Yet man looks for another explanation, he is baffled.

It is great when people study the Bible enough even to pick and choose what they believe. Many of the giants of our faith began as people who looked for what they believed in. And God grew them.

Elijah called down fire. Moses was called by fire. Jesus gave his blessing as he ascended; the disciples went straight to the Temple, not to avoid the officials of the Temple, but to the Temple to praise God. They were about to be given the reason Jesus ascended, the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Why did Elijah did go forth to do the works of the Lord? Prayer. Even Elijah waited upon the Lord's timing. The children of Israel waited upon the Lord. This miraculous event occurred in God's time. Elijah looks pretty spectacular doing God's work. Yet I don't see Jesus mocking Baal, do you? Elijah mocked the gods the people were willing to abandon the Lord God Almighty for. Yet the people had a hard time even speaking up for or against Baal. The difference between real faith and casual crowd pleasing.

Father God, praise You for your goodness and mercy. We give you thanks for the salt in Elijah, as well as the light. Open the eyes of our hearts. Help us to live each day as you would have us to do for Your glory. Thank You. You love and care for us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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John 16:12-15 ~ the Spirit of Truth

John 16:12-15 (Today's New International Version)

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."

There is a Christian saying, "They do not care how much you know, they want to know how much you care." How to communicate the love of Jesus Christ in a world focusing on the failings of the Church? We need to take the pressure off of ourselves. Salvation does not come from us trying hard enough. Salvation is a gift from Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Savior.

Psalm 100:3
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

All the people are God's people. Jesus Christ told us to be salt and light:

Matthew 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

I am far more comfortable being a light that shines (not speaking) than speaking up, salt is not my thing. But God gives me comfort. If there is a teachable moment, I am going to take it. But I have a deal with God (actually it is God's deal with all of us), no one wants to eat tablespoons of salt. I do not have to speak continually of my salvation and the joy God brings to me in it. Because the deal is: God doesn't want me to.

God is probably not finished suggesting I improve my witnessing. And we are not called to be too relaxed:

John 9:4,5
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

The Good News is that He is in control. I can save no one by myself, the power is Jesus Christ. Each night I pray for the ones I love. I picture the love of God as an overwhelming light and I place it in the households of the ones I love, I ask God to draw them to His love. There do not have to be words, God knows.

Romans 8:25-27 (English Standard Version)
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

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Psalm 138 ~ the Lord is on high

The Glue Society's interpretation of the Exodus

Psalm 138

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word. [you have exalted your word above all your name]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased. [you made me bold in my soul with strength]

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is on high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

The work of His Hands

God bears the plan for my life

Early to bed, early to rise; after a while is a real rut. I must admit, few of my life plans have been out of the ordinary. My son has had some really unusual blessings. His previous school became very uncomfortable for him after I chose to intervene by going to the Principal in a situation to help him. (The truth was I should have intervened earlier, it would have been easier all around.) He was angry with me. I asked him if he was going to speak to me one day on the way to school. He chose to say, the television show he had just watched told him Houston was very polluted. I asked him if that was all he planned to say. Evidently it was. Out of the clear blue, we were transferred with my husband's job to Houston that day. My husband left for Houston that day and I was left to break the news. The move, 10 years ago, has been a happy one for us. Although, my son did ask if I was punishing him when I broke the news!!

The move led to a very important youth group in my son's life. The situation in his previous school ended. Our youth minister was the best youth minister I've seen in the 31 years I've been a Christian.

The same very smart child was only ranked in the top 25% of his huge High School. He wasn't happy with the size. Out of the blue, a new High School was built. His class size was very small, his rank really improved, there were suddenly leadership opportunities which led to a very good college scholarship. Life seems to move over to bless my son in surprising ways. In college as well.

I hope you feel encouraged by this as I am. God really moves. He has healed my mother from a thyroid tumor. When we believe God is in control, we believe in the truth.

Living a life of gratitude and thankfulness to God is living a life of praise

Saul was inflated with his own importance, David chose to be grateful. God as a Father, loves to bless us and have us give praise. It is a struggle we all face every day. The world wants us to be poised and self-confident, God wants us to be peaceful and grateful. To look each day to use His blessings for His glory.

Living a life of trust in the midst of trouble

Solomon assures us in Ecclesiastes we will not ever be as large as God to understand His purposes. But we are assured by Jesus, Himself, He never leaves us as orphans. Solomon saw a lot of the troubles of his people, and yet he had hope that God is greater than all and He is a God of Blessings.

Father God, help us to see each day what is important to You in what I do and say. Allow the time I have today to be Yours. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Psalm 141
O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

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Matthew 13:1-16 ~ fulfilled

Christ and Wealthy Young Man, Painting by Heinrich Hoffman

Matthew 13:1-16

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, [to hear] let him hear.”

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah [6:9,10] is fulfilled that says:

“‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

~ fufilled

The human meaning is earthly happiness brought about by capability. Abundant living to God, the cup that runs over in Psalm 23. Gratitude for all God has brought about, having goodness and mercy being the fruit of our actions.

I once had a dream about my paternal grandmother, about 10 years after she had passed on, about 1995. It was one of the dreams people have that make an impact on the rest of your life. In my first nativity set when I was four years old, a beautiful clay set, I pointed out to my mother that the angel in the set looked like my (living) grandmother. We got out photos of my grandmother in her 50s, and the angel did look like her.

I had really been wanting to tell Grandmother new things in my life, both hard and good. In my dream, I was on vacation in the South Western portion of the USA. I looked over and my Grandmother was in our house looking just like the angel of my nativity set. I got to speak with her and the impact of my dream - the same comfort, the same love, but my wonderful Grandmother had so much, so very much of something I did not know she lacked - she was completely and utterly fulfilled. Grandmother was the cup that runneth over in Psalm 23. My wonderful dream made me realize and set my mind on Heaven being all the things promised to us in Scripture.

Jesus Christ, John 1 tells us, is God's Word made flesh. Imagine the joy in Jesus' daily life, at the age of 12 the Scriptures record Jesus loved to talk about His Father and His Word. Each day of Jesus' ministry, Jesus understood, loved and enjoyed His ministry fulfilling God's plan. Jesus living in in His Father's plan had the eyes to see, the ears to hear God's will being fulfilled.

Father God, thank you for Your love always with us. Each day help us to be the children of God. Help us to be like Jesus, the ones who see with gratitude the work of God You are doing in our lives. Open our eyes, our ears and our heart to see with the faith You give us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Jeremiah 40 ~ then all the Judeans returned

Matthew 18:15a,16
If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'

Michael Jursa, associate professor at the University of Vienna, made the discovery in 1991. Nebo-Sarsekim is found in a perfectly preserved Babylonian Tablet. The tablet reads "the property of Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, the chief eunuch, which he sent via Arad-Banitu the eunuch to [the temple] Esangila: Arad-Banitu has delivered [it] to Esangila. In the presence of Bel-usat, son of Alpaya, the royal bodyguard, [and of ] Nadin, son of Marduk-zer-ibni, Month XI, day 18, year 10 [of] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Reynolds 2007).

The Hebrew spelling of the name is slightly different from the cuneiform, but there is no question that it is the same person. Although the NIV translates Nebo-Sarsekim’s title as “chief officer,” the literal translation is “chief eunuch,” exactly the same as in the tablet.

Reflecting on his discovery, Jursa commented, “It is very exciting and very surprising. Finding something like this tablet, where we see a person named in the Bible making an everyday payment to the temple in Babylon and quoting the exact date is quite extraordinary.”

In "Antiquities of the Jews", renowned historian Josephus says it is Ναβωσαρις. Interpreted by by Christopher T. Begg and Paul Spilsbury as Nabosaris.

Jeremiah 40 Listen

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.” 11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.

13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.”

Jeremiah speaks to us in a troubled time. We can relate to the words: "release, chains, if it seems good to you, thinking it is right, afraid, not believing, let me go". It would seem Mizpah, 4 miles northwest of Jerusalem, situated on the loftiest hill, is the same place Levite's concubine was killed by the men of Benjamin. This led to civil war and destruction of the tribe of Benjamin, leading to more kidnapping and injustice because people began "thinking it is right".

The Scriptures have many situations repeat, why does trouble repeat? It is the human condition, people become self-sufficient, proud and begin to rely upon themselves as guide. The Lord shows mercy, again, by allowing the remnant to gather a harvest in great abundance. He honors His promise to Jeremiah providing the "hope and the future" in the midst of chains and capture.

We have a message today from Jeremiah 40. If we are in trouble, we look for the Lord to make a way and not carve out disaster upon disaster by relying on ourselves to provide solutions in the midst of a whirlwind. If we are in abundant harvest, we need to remember gratitude and look to the Lord to provide His way. We hear Christians not providing an immediate answer, but saying they will pray about it; prayer leads to solutions. Many times Jeremiah prayed and he is the one released in the midst of disaster, not by himself, but by the Lord.

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Joshua 1 ~ be strong and courageous

Joshua's Tomb

Joshua 1

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success [act wisely] wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

10 And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13 “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, 15 until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

16 And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you, as he was with Moses! 18 Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Ultimately, the important thing is never one individual in the ministry; it's the divine Master who controls and guides and directs.

"God buries His workmen, but His work goes on." Monument of John Wesley and Charles Wesley in Westminster Abbey and a representation of John Wesley preaching on his father’s tombstone in Epworth churchyard .

Questions:
1. How well did God explain?
2. What 3 things did God commission Joshua to do? What were the 3 promises?
3. Why is Moses mentioned 57 times in the book of Joshua?
4. What 4 ways does God encourage Joshua in this passage?
5. How is Joshua, personally, to live it?

God commissioned Joshua to do three things: to lead the people into the land; to defeat the enemies they would face in all the fortified cities, all the Canaanite tribes in the land; and to claim the inheritance of the land. God could have chosen some supernatural means to accomplish these things, such as sending an angel. But he chose a person just like us, and he promised to give that person the power he would need to get the job done.

Deuteronomy 31 talks about Moses' completing the book and of his committing it to the care of the priests, but it wasn't enough that the priests carried it around and protected it. No, Joshua had to take the time to read it every single day, to make it a part of his inner person by meditating on it. I love the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary when he appeared to her and told her about how God wanted her to give birth to the Savior of the world, and she asked the very logical question, "How can an unwed teenage girl get pregnant?" Gabriel's response was this (American Standard Version, 1901): "For no word from God shall be void of power." The very word that God speaks has in it the power of fulfillment. Our call is to trust God's word and walk in obedience to it.

Wise leadership does not abandon the past. You work at maintaining continuity, building on the past while moving into the future. I said in the last message that Moses is mentioned fifty-seven times in the book of Joshua. That is evidence of Joshua's deep respect for Moses and his gratitude for what Moses had done for Israel. Joshua worshiped the same God that Moses worshiped and obeyed the same word of God that Moses had given to the nation. But that doesn't mean that there has to be personal conformity from one leader to the next, because every leader is different in gifts, temperament, style, and personality; and we really are free to maintain our individuality as men and women of God.

In this message we're going to identify with Joshua in the opening section of this book as he is called to step into Moses' sandals. The word courage, which is the root of the word encouragement, is found three times in this section and is the heart of the passage. In Joshua 1:6, God says to Joshua, "Be strong and of good courage...." In the next verse as well he says, "Only be strong and very courageous...." And then in verse 9 he says, "... Be strong and of good courage...." What a new leader needs is not advice from the old-timers but encouragement more than anything else. The New Testament verb to encourage literally means "to put heart into," or to help put courage into someone's heart so that they'll have a brave, strong, fearless heart.

The 4 encouraging steps of God are: First, in 1:1,2 God encourages Joshua in his personal calling or commissioning. Second, in 1:3-6 he encourages Joshua in his promises for the future, which are absolute guarantees of how things will turn out. Third, in 1:7,8 he encourages Joshua with his written word that he gave to Moses. And fourth, in 1:9 he encourages Joshua, strangely enough, through a direct command.


A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW
Joshua - The Adventure and Victory of Faith
by Doug Goins

There is an important lesson for us today in all of this. God has given us all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1), and we must step out by faith to claim those blessings. The apostle John was writing to the first-century Christians in the city of Philadelphia in Turkey about stepping out, about walking into the land: "I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door [a door of opportunity to walk through], a door which no one can shut. You have little power, but you have kept my word, you have not denied my name" (Revelation 3:8). Jesus, speaking through John, is saying, "I know you're not that great. You can't smash doors open and force your way in anywhere. And you shouldn't. But when God opens doors before you, choose to walk through them."

Best of all, God has made the identical promise to us as his people today. Remember, the gospel of Matthew opens with the promise of Emmanuel, "God with us." And it concludes with the Lord Jesus' saying to us, "...Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Hebrews 13:5, as we saw in the last message, quotes this verse in Joshua; that New Testament writer applies this truth to us as Christians today in very practical areas of our lives. What all of this means for us as God's people is that we can keep moving forward into God's will. We can be absolutely assured of God's presence and power. We can claim the great news of Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who is against us?" There is no opposition that God can't or won't take us through.

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John 15:9-11 ~ abide in His love

Dead Sea Scroll, Book of Isaiah
John 15:9-11

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.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory.

It's a beautiful part of the Lord's prayer. Most kingdoms want power and glory. Some kingdoms can be grim with power and glory. But God's Kingdom is to be loved, living in love. God's Kingdom is having God's joy within us.

Remember the words of Jesus:

Matthew 10:7
As you go, make this announcement: 'The kingdom of heaven is near!'


Philippians 4:7-10
⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.]
Amen.

I don't read Greek, but it is beautiful to see in the original language:

Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς·
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,
ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
[Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.]

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Psalm 119:49-72 ~ is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces

Photo of the Sea of Galilee and Fishermen circa 1900. Very similar to the boat found dating to the time of Jesus. Jesus Boat Video. A drought, less work, then history is discovered, made and a rainbow filled with God's promises.

Psalm 119:49-72

49 Remember your word to your servant,

in which you have made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
51 The insolent utterly deride me,
but I do not turn away from your law.
52 When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O Lord.
53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs
in the house of my sojourning.
55 I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
and keep your law.
56 This blessing has fallen to me,
that I have kept your precepts.

57 The Lord is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
58 I entreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
59 When I think on my ways,
I turn my feet to your testimonies;
60 I hasten and do not delay
to keep your commandments.
61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to praise you,
because of your righteous rules.
63 I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes!

65 You have dealt well with your servant,
O Lord, according to your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word.
68 You are good and do good;
teach me your statutes.
69 The insolent smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
70 their heart is unfeeling like fat,
but I delight in your law.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yesterday we talked about the peace of God.

1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints

Psalm 119 uses the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in a very orderly fashion. Yet the Psalm has conflicting subjects: hope, affliction, life, law, wicked etc. The prayer has thanksgiving for blessings and also urgent need.

God has given us some advice for conflict:

Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds [pastors] and teachers, [shepherd - teachers] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, [full-grown man] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The chapter of Ephesians 4 is a good one to think about when life's wild winds kick up. Love is the greatest hope. Maturity becomes hope.

Remember Jesus' peace.

Mark 4:37-40
³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Jesus loved to teach in the Aramaic picture language, it fits together perfectly:
tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes

Not Jesus:
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"

Philippians 4:6,7,23
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.

²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

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