2 Corinthians 4:6-10, 16-18 ~ to give the light of the knowledge

2 Corinthians 4:6-10

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self [man] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

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Why are we so sad? Why do we blame God? Evils abound in the world so that the world will fail to seduce us into loving it.

-- St. Augustine

My father-in-law was an interesting man & I loved him. He reminded me of Humphrey Bogart - he was a determined person. Amazing amounts of self-confidence and sometimes known to be sarcastic. He owned a seat on the New York Stock Exchange after buying a failing brokerage, where he worked. It sounds very beneficial, but the men who owned it, before he bought it, were determined to put him in his place and not let him run the company. My father-in-law had them step down by sheer force in personality and shrewdness. He turned it from one failing brokerage, into four successful businesses in several states. I heard him say many times - most of his good fortune was being in the right place at the right time by luck. It would seem he had a privileged life and would know little of suffering. That sarcasm hid a very observant and tender heart. He was a man - people were unaware of the fact - took care of his grandmother who lived to be 100 years old (moving her to live near him), not many people with children, businesses and travel have time for a grandmother who is blind and deaf; his mother (seeing her twice, daily, when she was an invalid), and his brother. He accepted Jesus Christ when his grandmother told him she wanted to make sure his soul would be with her in heaven. He loved his wife with rare devotion - which everyone knew.

He was a man who walked the walk, not talk the talk. He didn't tell, ask or receive compliments for the good he did. I'm sure most of his hunting friends never knew of the toys and food he took to the impoverished children of his Mexican hunting guides. He did it after seeing the youngest child take great care to share a Coca-Cola with all of the other children.

He always said, "You get two lives - your childhood which really lasts 100 years. Remember when you are about 5 - a summer day lasts at least a year. Then you become an adult and it lasts about 20 years - even if you live to be past 80 - the years are gone and it's amazing they went by so quickly." There was an addition to this statement - he said you needed the years you were a child because many of the adult years are so difficult. My father-in-law knew. Years of very pressing responsibility for the people who worked for him. He woke up early every morning to worry about the day - at about 5:30. He smoked as he worried. My father-in-law knew many years of emphysema.

Being a blunt and direct man, the neighbors on his street sometimes found him to be... rude. But his neighbor across the street, for 38 years, gave my father-in-law's eulogy. It was beautiful. It ended with his friend's tears saying, "God is finding Heaven to be a better place today after a new arrival. Heaven is a good place this morning. My good friend is on his boat, on the great waters, heading out to find what he can find."

For all of us, no matter how we appear to each other.

Though our outer self [man] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

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Psalm 101 ~ ponder the way that is blameless

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will know nothing of evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
I will not endure.

6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue before my eyes.

8 Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
from the city of the Lord.

This beautiful Psalm is a person who loves the Lord & wants to serve Him. In the morning, He is their first thought. This is a happy person who enjoys making a beautiful song - making a beautiful noise before the Lord. Someone who seeks others who love the Lord. No double standards and no spiteful speech. The blessings of life do not cause this person to love life more than the Lord - the glories of life do not cause arrogance or haughtiness.

Anointed of God - these are the attitudes.

Come Lord Jesus.

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Psalm 89:1-18 ~ build Your throne for all generations

Psalm 89:1-18

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings
[the sons of God, or the sons of might]
is like the Lord,
7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all who are around him?
8 O Lord God of hosts,
who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
with your faithfulness all around you?

9 You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12 The north and the south, you have created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16 who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

There are a few glimpses of Heaven in the Scriptures.

In the Council of the Holy Ones, nothing compares on earth. God is more awe inspiring than all of the heavens. He is known by His steadfastness - love. What sets Him apart? Righteousness and Justice. Blessed are the people who see the Lord's face and walk with Him. He is the glory of his people.


Philippians 4:8
Finally, 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.

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Luke 12:32-40 ~ blessed are those servants

Luke 12:32-40

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35 “Stay dressed for action [Let your loins stay girded] and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants [bondservants] whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he [would have stayed awake and] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Are you casually convinced, like my neighborhood and Church family conversations, we are on the downward spiral? With all of our technical advances and the sometimes increasingly vulgarities of media - it makes me wonder if the pendulum will swing back. And the pendulum has swung pretty, amazingly far before.

Good Morning, Vietnam! We are in a period of change. The National Council of Churches, record the attrition/matriculation data, most of the mainline denominations - of the last 200 years - are reporting a decline! We know it. Catholics report an increase. !!!! All part of the Body of Christ. Churches believing the Scriptures are growing!!!! Every 500 years, the church changes fairly radically. Well... Martin Luther 1483-1546. Now. What's the assessment of the change? The Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, editor of the annual Yearbook since 1998, noted that many observers have attributed accelerated membership decline of some churches to "an increasing secularization of American postmodern society, and its disproportionate impact on liberal religious groups."

Why? We girded our loins for work instead of faith.

A 1960s graduate clergyman told me - in his seminary classes, many people joined the Church in the 1960s to protest the Vietnam War. They felt important social reform could only come from the Church. Kind people who wanted racial inequality to stop. Caring people who wanted the poor to be fed and clothed. Not people expecting - with great eagerness - for the Holy Spirit to show up. People who looked at the advances the Christian Church has put forth for mankind for 2,000 years & wanted more. Educated, scholarly people who can see the influence of the Christian Church impacting mankind - gleefully ignored by pop culture.

To make radical changes - slow but sure is best. It took almost 40 years for this to be really noticed! Slowly the message was preached that "people felt better when Jesus spoke of healing". It sure was some kind of "God Thing" when the Reed Sea was dry for the people, that may have been Hebrew, walked out of Egypt. And only hysteria to report the chariots & the Pharaoh's army covered by water. The emphasis was away from faith and into works or cafeteria plan - pick what you want Scripture.

The emphasis of faith based preaching warmed up to become "lukewarm works". Proverbially, instead of catching that mesmerized frog - in increasingly warm, comfortable waters - the frog lost interest and hopped away to go "do what felt right".

Instead, O this glory, we should look for & want the Power of God - hoping & expecting His presence with us!

The Glory of God who declares in Isaiah 6:6
your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for

Isaiah 35:1-7
1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2 it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.

3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

Let us put out our hands like Isaiah and say, "Here I am Lord, send me!!!!"

Hebrews 12:12-14
Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Psalm 27:13-14
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

When we ask the Lord to be our strength, He will not turn us down.

Father God, each day, let these hands and this will do what You have planned for us in Your goodness. We pray each day for the Churches to be effective for Jesus. Let the power of God lead us! Father God, help us to value the Kingdom of God being at hand, every day. Love the sinner and ask for the high road. Serve, not just as missionaries, but serve each other as Jesus - instead of close friends at church. Serve our neighbor with Jesus care. Everyone. Remind our friends and neighbors God loves them. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.



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Matthew 17:14-20 ~ I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him

He Healed the Lame in the Temple, by James Tissot. Tissot painted over 1,000 portraits of Jesus. A loving, caring Jesus, going about in love, doing His Father's work - healing.

Matthew 17:14-20

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly [from that hour]. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. [But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting]. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

The visit from Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God (Luke 1:19, 26)
The muteness and healing of elderly Zechariah (Luke 1)
The conception of John the Baptist to an elderly priest and his wife (Luke 1)
The prophesy of Anna and Simeon, during Jesus' baby presentation at the Temple (Luke 2)
The cure of two blind men (Matt 9:27-31)
Piece of money in the fish's mouth (Matt 17:24-27)
The deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:31-37)
The blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26)
Jesus passes unseen through the crowd (Luke 4:28-30)
The miraculous draught of fishes (Luke 5:4-11)
The raising of the widow's son at Nain (Luke 7:11-18)
The woman with the spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11-17)
The man with the dropsy (Luke 14:1-6)
The ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
The healing of Malchus (Luke 22:50-51)
Water made wine (John 2:1-11)
Cure of nobleman's son, Capernaum (John 4:46-54)
Impotent man at Bethsaida cured (John 5:1-9)
Man born blind cured (John 9:1-7)
Lazarus raised from the dead (John 11:38-44)
Draught of fishes (John 21:1-14)
Syrophoenician woman's daughter cured (Matt 15:28; Mark 7:24)
Four thousand fed (Matt 15:32; Mark 8:1)
Fig tree blasted (Matt 21:18; Mark 11:12)
Centurion's servant healed (Matt 8:5; Luke 7:1)
Blind and dumb demoniac cured (Matt 12:22; Luke 11:14)
Demoniac cured in synagogue at Capernaum (Mark 1:23; Luke 4:33)
Peter's wife's mother cured (Matt 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38)
The tempest stilled (Matt 8:23; Mark 4:37; Luke 8:22)
Demoniacs of Gadara cured (Matt 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26)
Swine rush into and drown (Mark 5:1-20)
Leper healed (Matt 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12)
Jairus's daughter raised (Matt 9:23; Mark 5:23; Luke 8:41)
Woman's issue of blood cured (Matt 9:20; Mark 5:25; Luke 8:43)
Man sick of the palsy cured (Matt 9:2; Mark 2:3; Luke 5:18)
Man's withered hand cured (Matt 12:10; Mark 3:1; Luke 6:6)
Child cured (Matt 17:14; Mark 9:14; Luke 9:37)
Two blind men cured (Matt 20:29; Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35)
Jesus walks on the sea (Matt 14:25; Mark 6:48; John 6:15)
Jesus feeds 5,000 “in a desert place” (Matt 14:15; Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10; John 6:1-14)
Many fulfilled prophecies (also see: prophets)
The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35)
Star of Bethlehem
The transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8)
The resurrection (John 21:1-14)
The ascension (Luke 2:42-51)
Peter and the healing of a the paralytic Aeneas at Lydda (Acts 9:32, 35, 38)
Miraculous ability to speak and/or understand a foreign language (tongue) previously unknown to the speaker
Inspiration of Scripture by God
He healed them all (Matthew 4:24, Matthew 12:15, Luke 4:40, Luke 6:19)
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

Why the list? Jesus knew if the boy had a demon or plain epilepsy. Jesus knew about the Spiritual Realm.

Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 89:7
The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.
He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.

Matthew 16:18
Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

Ephesians 6:12
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

What does this say for today, for us in Jesus Christ?

Luke 10:20
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

People who lose a child, people with a grave illness - wonder if they are being punished. Jesus Christ died for our sins. Period. Nothing we can do can improve upon that.

Just as blessings and good things are gifts from God, adversity does not mean the absence of God. Jesus during His life was an advocate of prayer. We should do no less.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jeremiah 31:31-34 ~ I will write it on their hearts

Jeremiah 31:31-34

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Praise God for His mercy, His love as high as the sky. The days are coming.

What did it mean to write on their hearts? To have the promises of God in us. We know. When we look at the Word of the Lord, God has given us the wisdom to understand in our spirits.

Acts 8:26-36
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

It isn't a question of learned wisdom, like learning to read, but a spiritual wisdom. God gives us the ability to believe. As Christians, we study the passages of God to learn of God, but it is the new Covenant promise God writes on our hearts. God opens the passage to our soul. God breathes His promises and they remain.

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

People sometimes want to know why there is an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. It isn't as if God changed His mind. History is His story. From the beginning, God's creation of man has wanted to be and triumph over - God. We rejected God dwelling with us as God. We lived with God as a powerful source, but His mighty Acts frightened people and they wanted to keep Him behind a curtain. People were mostly afraid of God. No one enjoyed seeing a dove or larger animal struggle & be killed. Yet this was the system of God, high above us, and we acknowledged we were not holy - which is true. Sacrifice was for sin release. Then our desire for God became merely a system, we followed the rules and felt self-righteous.

God was pointing out to us, man does not understand God, or live His holiness. Man has rarely wanted God, more to the point, mankind wants to be in control.

The New Covenant isn't something easy for God. It required God to choose to be as a man. To not look upon His creation, but to be them. To know illness and death in the ones we love. To feel poverty. Homelessness. To know war. To understand escape. Having a happy childhood and growing past it. To understand complete degradation, the horror of being labeled as a criminal. To briefly have honor, then brutal beatings and public humiliation. To allow us to reject Him, again, in another attempt to love us. To die. To forgive. To defeat death.

When Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit, he fed the hunger the world had for Someone to care for them. Hope beyond the brief span of our years. Hope to live beyond ourselves.

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

Abba. Abba. Abba. We are Yours. Alleluia.

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Romans 8:1-21 ~ the law of the Spirit of life has set you [me] free in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:1-21

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit) ] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set [me] you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, [and as a sin offering] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, [brothers and sisters] we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Creation waits.... with eager longing.... for the revealing of the sons of God! .....Repeat that on a beautiful sunrise - faith, hope and love will surge straight into you.

This is what sets us apart in Jesus Christ, from the rest of the Universe. The Law of the Spirit of Life vs. the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

All in all, this isn't one of the most comfortable passages. Incredible beauty. There isn't one of us who won't feel the twinge of knowing we are still in these bodies and they are flesh. The meditations of our thoughts and the words of our mouth are not always acceptable. How well we know this. We all have two natures.

What we tend to rush right past... because we know it.... we know it.... we know it.... the sacrifice of Jesus Christ covers all of our sins. All. of. them. We have to declare God is God. He is the One Sovereign.

I have a memory from my childhood - being in the car on a warm, comfortable summer day. Pre-teen. My mother starts telling me about our chores for the day. Yuck and bother. I start to complain and my mother says, "Are you interested in knowing one of the most elemental laws of the universe?"

This was an attention getter, a unique reply from my mother and I said, "What?" With real wonder.

"The Universe is in decay."

"What do you mean?" -Sounded ominous to me.

"I mean everything is winding down, this is why we clean. Everything you come in contact with will need feeding, mending, replacing, painting, cleaning & polishing. For all of your life, every single thing." My mother cheerfully declared.

"That is the Worst Thing I've ever heard in my life." And you know, it still is.

Dust - according to a childhood friend of mine who is really enjoying home schooling her kids, in science - is not just made up of particles of human skin. Really. This is the 2nd law of Thermodynamics. Dust is the universe in decay.

So, what is our Endust?

In Christ Jesus, we cannot forget, we are children of God. The mercy and grace of God is what sets us apart. Renewal. Redemption. It is He that made us and not we, ourselves. Faith. Promises of God. Praise in the good times. Prayer, praise and faith in the difficult times. Hope.

The Word in Romans 8 says something important. Even if our flaws are pointed out to us. It repeats in:

Ephesians 2:4-9
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.


Here is a good note to end on for the mind of the Spirit:

Philippians 4:8
Finally, 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.

Father God. Abba. Jesus. Holy Spirit. Jesus loves us, He will not fail us. On this, You raise us up.

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Psalm 64 ~ hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy

Psalm 64

¹ Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from that noisy crowd of evildoers.

³ They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim their words like deadly arrows.

⁴ They shoot from ambush at the innocent man;
they shoot at him suddenly, without fear.

⁵ They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;
they say, "Who will see them ?"

⁶ They plot injustice and say,
"We have devised a perfect plan!"
Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

⁷ But God will shoot them with arrows;
suddenly they will be struck down.

⁸ He will turn their own tongues against them
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.

⁹ All mankind will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.

¹⁰ Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD
and take refuge in him;
let all the upright in heart praise him!

When we lost our daughter at birth in September 2008, we were told by someone very wise, grief in America is something people don't want to face. You will be deserted like a widow. When I hear about the experiences of people who have lost children, they agree. So, we were prepared.
And unprepared.

It hurt to see gregarious people hurry away and very shrilly say, "Oh, I can't talk, I'm in a hurry." And frankly, it must have hurt those people who hurried away. Because that was only round 1. If someone feels guilty, they don't want that guilt. So why did a 44 yr old woman become pregnant and lose a daughter at birth? They reason, maybe we were trying to conceive and we are foolish. Or maybe it is punishment - we deserved it. Or you were just plain stupid not to have an abortion at your age to not face this possibility.

And maybe sometimes, having a heart that hurt so badly, things just hurt.

When grieving parents join groups like 'Compassionate Friends', stories are told about the truly horrific things that are said to the grieving. (Not in the group, things said to the grieving in their life.)Things like: "You have the worst life imaginable, let's go around the table and all agree to this, people." "Oh, no, the dog is old - will that be next?" "Let's not hear of something this unfortunate, like this, happening next year." The week after the funeral, "when are you going to start working on your weight? Next month - "I haven't seen progress yet." At the holidays, "You are starting to look like Elvis." "Let's pray for our sister, I am sensing a lot of pride and spirit that has grown cold to the Lord." "I can tell you like children, maybe next month you could help in our childrens' department." From someone who didn't send cards or a flower, invites to dutch lunch where the conversation is: "I hope you are working on your mental health, now." "Are you thinking of selling the house, downsizing would be good for you, I know someone who is very interested. They'd be very lenient on the time you need to get out." "It's probably for the best, you wouldn't have been so good with a son / daughter." " I hope you won't talk about this for a long time and bring it up." Invited on a walk by an old friend, "You think this is hard on you, my other friend lost a child and it has just made me so depressed"... the rest of the walk is about that person's wounded sensibilities. Or.... people pretend not to see you or just talk over you in conversations.

So... even if you are 4 or 100 years old, this is called verbal abuse. Sometimes it is speaking having not thought. Sometimes it's called bullying because there is malice.

The Scriptures have advice on verbal abuse. More about that later.

What do the Leading Experts on Defense For Verbal Abuse have to say? They almost all agree.

Verbal defense, for comments or rudeness in being ignored.

1. Acknowledge to yourself, you are under attack

2. You do not have to reply – maintain eye contact or just leave

3. You might, repeat what they have said - with emphasis

4. You do not owe a response

5. Do not agree.

6. Be confident, firm, modest

7. Do not go for the jugular, in attempt to verbally kill the speaker - i.e. do not insult back

8. Do not assume the speaker is your enemy.

So, what is the Scriptural advice?

Matthew 5:39
But I say to you, That you resist not evil: but whoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.


Luke 6:29
Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also

Wow. With the Word being living and active, I'd say that sometimes turning the other cheek is walking away. This is gold. We have now discovered why the Roman Empire, world conquers all, wanted to know Jesus Christ in just a few years. Such a difference from the eye for an eye - mean, old world.

Why does this work for verbal abuse? A. it informs the person they have been rude. B. It does not require you to be kicked again - verbally. C. It allows plenty of room for both parties to forgive. D. It allows for your dignity not to reply.

Perfect. Especially if you are like me and you will think of the witty come-back in a week. Offer the other "cheek".... repeat their comment back to them (cheek). If they start in on you again, offer the next cheek and just walk away. No need for nervousness.

This particular passage is about the mob mentality of people, this advice works for a group. Feel compassion for the bully who seeks power so badly, in such a distorted way. There is an apt phrase for the bully as well:

Ecclesiastes 11:1
Put out your bread on the face of the waters;
for after a long time it will come back to you again.

It is the Biblical version of - what goes around comes around. The bully only alienates himself in the long run. Perfect love casts out fear.

But the reason this works is this....

John 1:9
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

We all have fallen short of the glory of God. Forgiveness is the key. God testifies that even the bully has light of Christ in Him.

Father God, when it hurts, You are there. Guide us and lead us in living in Your light and basking in Your goodness. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Romans 14:7-12 ~ For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself

Romans 14:7-12

7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess [shall give praise] to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

We all have a sermon we remember, more than all the others. (If you don't, you need to find one.)

Mine was an Episcopal priest. One Sunday, my newlywed husband & I were missing church, in our huge church, and we decided to attend the chapel (small) service at 5 in the afternoon. It was warm - everyone was very relaxed.

People, everyone, visited in the pews. "Did you hear? ~ Yes, it was in the newspapers. ~ I heard about that, was it really Father ----? ~ No, it was his son. ~ I read about that, and didn't know if it was him. ~ Where is he? ~~ He is very upset. ~ That's to be understood, I hope he has someone helping him. ~ I heard he was on sabbatical. ~~ Good for him, he'll need it. ~~ Did he have more children? ~ Did they know the other boy?"

Our priest, his 17 year boy, had been shot to death by a long time friend, a gun accident. It had been in the papers. As we visited - information was exchanged - people were sad - this was a loved man, a priest who had long been a loved part of the church family.

Our visiting was interrupted... a cassock-ed figure had stepped up to the small podium. In shock, we realized our Father had not gone on sabbatical. He began by ruefully looked up and said, " I can tell by the looks on all of your faces, you know about the terrible tragedy that befell my family this week." He glanced down, there was a grimace at the floor. He looked up, his expression squared away. "No matter, it is better you understand as we begin."

"No, let's begin from the beginning. This is a catharsis for me. Today, because of the circumstances, I will read from the text and give the sermon. We will be having the communion service today after the reading and sermon."

The Text today is Romans 14:7-12. And this precious man read it to us. Perfectly.

"Let me begin by saying, this was an accident between two young men exploring what it is grow up in an area of the country where men are familiar with fire arms. The young man who shot and accidentally killed my boy was unaware the gun, a hunting rifle, would go off. He is enormously distraught, as is his family. It will be many years before they, and we, recover from this. Your prayers would be appreciated."

"Although, I said that easily, as a man who has been a priest for many years. I do not mean to be that cliche and let me say on a softer note, please pray for this family, the boy who shot and, of course, my boy."

"Let me start out by quoting a song that I have often hummed, probably as I washed one of my first cars I ever owned. Well, the chorus:"

Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

"This week, I've spent hours in the cemetery, at the grave of my son. It has been cathartic for me, to be there alone, the peace, the quiet, a place for prayer. About my fourth visit, I saw in the distance a little, little funeral. Sad. Lonely. A minister saying a prayer. I waited. I thought surely the minister was praying before people arrived. I prayed, at a distance, with him. Soon, I saw the lump of dirt going into the grave. At this point, as a man of God, who conducts funerals, I realized it was my duty to go over and be a mourner with this minister. He happened to look up, I waved and he waited for me to cross the cemetery to him."

When I arrived, I explained I was a priest & had the intention of joining with him in prayer. The minister said he'd be glad to have my company and we would read the service together. We did. I learned this was an elderly woman, who was old and had been part of the congregation for so long, people really didn't remember why she was without family or friends. She was very much like Eleanor Rigby. " Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door. Who is it for?" She'd sat towards the back, by herself, for many years. People had assumed there were family or friends for her. Perhaps she had outlived them. But no one came. No one."

"My boy was blessed, he'd known something about life that this poor woman did not."

"If you never hear another sermon, hear me. This is what it is about."

"Life."

"Every Day."

"Every Day, you have the opportunity to build your life."

"What are you working towards?"

"Exactly. Exactly."

"Will people know the Light of Jesus Christ through you?"

"Do not end up as Eleanor Rigby, where no one was saved. "

"It is not all about you. You are called to save others with you."

"Every day, you build, you build your epitaph."

"Make each day count."

"Make each day end, knowing that you have served the Lord."

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Jeremiah 21 ~ escape with his life

Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, Iraq

Jeremiah 21 (New International Version)

- Audio Link ~ Jeremiah 21

¹ The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: ² "Inquire now of the LORD for us because Nebuchadnezzar " [ Nebuchadrezzar or Nebuchadnezzar] king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the LORD will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us."

³ But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell Zedekiah, ⁴ 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians [Chaldeans] who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. ⁵ I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. ⁶ I will strike down those who live in this city—both men and animals—and they will die of a terrible plague. ⁷ After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.'

⁸ "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life. ¹⁰ I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.'

¹¹ "Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, 'Hear the word of the LORD; ¹² O house of David, this is what the LORD says:
" 'Administer justice every morning;
rescue from the hand of his oppressor
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.

¹³ I am against you, Jerusalem,
you who live above this valley
on the rocky plateau,
declares the LORD—
you who say, "Who can come against us?
Who can enter our refuge?"

¹⁴ I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the LORD.
I will kindle a fire in your forests
that will consume everything around you.' "

(Click the Red Play Button - Map of Empire Histories)

People who do not know the Scriptures say the God of the Old Testament was violent. It took decades and millenniums of abuse before God's great mercy turned aside.

There were 3 invasions of Judea by the Babylonians, this is the 3rd. When God's Word was followed (rarely), peace was obtained. It is historically ~ Astonishing ~ the Assyrian Empire did not wallop the smaller nation of Israel - next door. God protected Israel for following His Word. The Lord told His children, His Word, which is His Law should be followed to obtain His mercy.

It is often said history is written by the victors, this is an unusual history. Well, people who do not want to understand, God is God, would say Scripture was written after the events to match some sibilance of history. We know the fate of Jeremiah, who spoke for the Lord; he was saved! Jeremiah was given freedom & allowed to choose where he would live - it was a promise to him from God. Jeremiah should not be a hero to the captives. The remaining children of Israel were swept to Babylon. The enduring Word of God - His Scriptures - were kept with the victims. When the children of Israel returned from Babylon, freed, they returned with the remaining Scriptures. This history honors those who followed the Lord, it does not honor the ones who kept this history.




Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.

2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,

3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .

6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.

7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"

8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-

9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

The people returning from exile with Psalm 137:8-9 returned from exile hailing God's instructions and Jeremiah as the victors. On one hand they didn't like being captured and they repented for the wrong they'd done to the Lord. It wasn't just politically correct to honor Jeremiah, Psalm 137:8-9 demonstrates they were not politically correct. So, the Biblical history is not just honoring what the Babylonian captors wanted them to record.

This would be a good time to point out, with 3 invasions, the true King Jehoachin, did follow Jeremiah's Word from the Lord and lived with Nebuchadnezzar - at the King's table in peace. Zedekiah was a puppet king, actually the Davidic line's (Jehoachin's) uncle, who tried to throw off Nebuchadnezzar's own puppet appointment.

God's will is accomplished by those who work for it and by those who work against it. Jesus knew He wanted to work His Father's will. Jesus, did as Jeremiah said, He submitted to the authorities. Jesus was sacrificed on Golgotha, outside the city. John 19:19,20

Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.

Father God, Your way is holiness. Only in Your grace, can we hope. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Matthew 14:1-12 ~ the fame of Jesus

Herod Antipas -the Tetrarch, coin minted during his era, called the Fox by Jesus

Matthew 14:1-12

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, [his brother's wife] 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.

6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

To be Spiritual doesn't sound all bad at all. What were some of the factors in this man's spiritual downfall - how did someone who was pleased to meet Jesus fail?

So, why did it go so poorly for John the Baptist? Herod Antipas survived being the son of Herod the Great by learning when to remain in the background and not create a stir. Herod Antipas wasn't lion like, but crafty and rather inferior, like the lesser animal - a fox.

It would be difficult to be the son of a renowned King and to be afraid for your life. Herod the Great had murdered his wife and sons. Herod Antipas, his nickname and official name in history, had been raised and educated in Rome, to insure father and son loyalty. But Herod the tetrach, his title refers to his father's kingdom being broken into parts; Herod the tetrach received a much smaller portion than one of his younger brothers. One of Herod Antipas' building projects, the city of Sepphoris, was just 4 miles from Jesus' hometown Nazareth.

Herod Antipas could have been the bridge between Rome and the godly Jews, but Herod was more interested in pleasing himself - fame. In pleasing himself, he placed his interests with pleasing Rome. It wasn't godly to put aside his first marriage, arranged by Caesar Augustus, or godly to allow Augustus to arrange his marriage to create political gain and harmony. It wasn't godly to remarry his half-brother's wife. Herod had pleased himself for so long, he'd dug himself into a spiritual ditch. A deep one. If Herod acknowledged God, Herod would have consequences.

Herod was a King in Judea, God's chosen nation, he knew well enough God acted. Herod believed in magic, magicians, spells and spirits. He adopted beliefs held from Rome, beliefs that built foreign altars Israel worshiped in high places, and the gods of the neighboring countries. Herod Antipas was the spiritual head of the Second Temple and he decided on the priest placements.

Adding water to Herod Antipas' deep spiritual ditch would be marrying a woman he knew accepted his marriage for ambition. Herodias was interested in self. Herod Antipas (different from Herod Agrippa who died of worms) was eventually brought to ruin - politically and financially from Herodias' family. They died in exile. But they had entered exile spiritually by their own choices.

Herod Antipas wasn't king by birth, rather by political appointment, he was a type of king. Herod was like Saul, he didn't really believe circumstance could be placed in front of him by God - Herod believed in the power of might - in his own sword.

Father God, it is more comfortable and prestigious to sit on the fence. Help us to remember Your love and Your care to have our choices already decided instead of allowing circumstance to dictate our fall. In the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, we ask. Amen.

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