Jonah 2 ~ the deep surrounded me

Jonah 2 ~ (New International Version)

¹From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said:

“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
³ You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me, ^{[waters were at my throat]}
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
brought my life up from the pit.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’”

¹⁰ And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

It's football big time. And noise of it fills the house. I'm Not a football fan. Unless I know someone in the game. High School football is the most fun when you know the players. Go Eli.!! At that orange school, when my grandfather went, it was Oklahoma A&M. Now they call the place OSU. In football, you have to believe you have the momentum to go forward, get the job done. Wimpy whiney woo is not going to carry the day.

So it is with faith. And a couple of quotes to back this up....

Mark 10:15
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

Matthew 17:20
Jesus replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

So. Did Jonah wind up in the fish or is this a great, useful analogy to being hip deep in alligator swamp when the objective was to drain the swamp. And we will use another great Jesus Biblical quote....

Isaiah 42:3, Matthew 12:20
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

The answer is always Jesus, but Jesus says not to get stumped.

Bringing up the serious level, now. I do believe that Jonah was in the fish. God was getting the job done. Jonah was trying to play his life's work, Ministry, in his own time, his own plan, and God decided Jonah was going to do what God wanted.

If you don't believe Jonah was in the fish, I do hope you believe Jonah existed, because the message of Jonah's life was to carry God's salvation to Assyria. And in bringing salvation to Assyria, we see Nebuchadnezzar did the work of God. The message of Jonah is both Great and Small. God helps those who need help. Today. Personally. God listens, God loves, God acts.

The Scriptures prove more and more each day in scientific, archeological, historical fact - that this Biblical stuff isn't stuff - it is fact. Serious fact.

The larger message of God is this, God does not exist in boundaries. God is not only for Jonah. God is not only for Israel. God is for Assyria and God is for Nebuchadnezzar. His ways are holiness. And unfortunately, much Higher than ours as we put one foot in front of the other, but still, Praise God, leading us to Him.

This is the nature of the Lord Most High. He is for everyone. He is worthy to be praised.

He isn't about Black-eyed Peas, don't step on a crack, wear a little bracelet with knots tied in it so many days, pray in this exact fashion, eat this diet, or wear your hair like this.

He does not ask you to sit up straight. He does not ask you to refrain from alcohol. He does not ask you not to dance. He does not ask you not to chew gum. He is not partial to one skin type or one color. He is not partial to one class over another. He does not say cleanliness is next to Him. He does not say that if you pay attention to Him at least once a week, He is pleased. He does not ask you to seek wealth. He is more fond of wisdom and kindness.

Father God seeks you. Father God does not expect you to save yourself. He doesn't just put you off until eternity, He is part of this life. He wants your love and trust. He is for you. He chose to create you. He is about love, wisdom, loyalty, forgiveness and eternity. He loves you. God is for you.

Psalm 117

1 Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

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Psalm 5 ~ For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield

Psalm 5

David Cochran, English Standard Version

Give ear to my words, O LORD;
consider my groaning.
² Give attention to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you do I pray.
³ O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you ^{[Or I direct my prayer to you]} and watch.

⁴ For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
⁵ The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
⁶ You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷ But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you.
⁸ Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.

⁹ For there is no truth in their mouth;
their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰ Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
¹² For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Genesis 39:5
From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.

Exodus 23:25
Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you

Numbers 6:
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24 “‘“The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’

27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”


Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today.

Deuteronomy 23:5
However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Deuteronomy 28:1
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.

Deuteronomy 28:2
All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God

2 Samuel 7:29
Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever

Psalm 3:8
From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people

Psalm 21:6
Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence

Psalm 128:2
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours



Psalm 128
A song of ascents. Moving up the Temple stairs of the Lord.

¹ Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
² You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.

⁵ The LORD bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
⁶ May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!

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Psalm 66 ~ God has surely listened and has heard my prayer

"Shout To The Lord" sung by Chris Tomlin

Psalm 66 ~ (New International Version)


David Cochran, English Standard Version


1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing the praises of your name.”

5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.

8 Praise our God, all peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!



Genesis 30:17
God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.

Deuteronomy 9:19
I feared the anger and wrath of the LORD, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the LORD listened to me.

Psalm 22:24
For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

Ezra 8:23
So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

1 Kings 17:22
And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.

Acts 14:9
He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed

2 Corinthians 6:2
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.



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Matthew 18:10-14 ~ rejoice

Matthew 18:10-14

Max McLean Audio Bible, English Standard Version

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven [For the Son of Man came to save the lost]. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my [your] Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Salvation..... some are looking for it. And others will be found for Salvation.



Luke 19:
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”



Who gets the shot at Salvation?

Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Who will decide? ~ What about good people, who didn't know of Jesus. Will they be saved? Do we get to decide who is "the little one" of faith in v. 10 of Matthew 18?

Romans 11:34
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”


1 Corinthians 2:16
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 John 4:8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 Timothy 1:15
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

And this for all people....

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

It does Not say, work out (decide if others are saved and make the call for the LORD) the Centurion's salvation. What role do the others play in the Centurion's salvation?

Luke 7:
³ The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. ⁴ When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, ⁵ because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” ⁶ So Jesus went with them.

When the people interceded for the man - the Centurion - Jesus found faith and He healed the Centurion's servant. Betcha Jesus knew the servant, interceded for by the intercessor too.

Jesus.... it isn't a religion, He is Love. He is a relationship.


Isaiah 41:4
Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD--with the first of them and with the last--I am he





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For the Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable!

Large Magellanic Cloud orbiting the Milky Way

And New Years' Fireworks

Romans 11:29
For the Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable!

Happy New Year 2012!!

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Job 19:21-27 ~ my Redeemer lives

 

"My Redeemer Lives" Nicole C. Mullen live in Cincinnati. Beautiful, such praise brings tears to my eyes.

Job 19:25-27 ~ (New International Version)

²⁵ I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

²⁶ And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

²⁷ I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

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2 Corinthians 13:8-14

8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints greet you. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all..

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Psalm 27 ~ I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

Psalm 27

David Cochran, English Standard Version

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

² When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

³ Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

⁴ One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.

⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
⁹ Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
¹⁰ For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.

¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

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

Tonight we re-watched "Gran Torino" which brought Clint Eastwood out of retirement. Catholic Priests have gone on record saying Walt Kowalsk was a Christ figure for atonement. And I noticed for the first time, Walt dies as if on a cross.

Walt bars no hypocrisy telling the priest, Father Janovich, " I confess that I have no desire to confess." And Walt's opinion Fr. Janovich is "An over-educated 27 year old virgin who likes to hold hands with elderly old women and promise them everlasting life."

How are we to know Thomas Jefferson wasn't right? God is a creator who steps back and lets us run our own show. Deism. Absentee Landlord. Faith takes courage.


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!


Paul, the giant of the Christian faith, was asked about pie in the sky by & by. He had a definite answer. And took a little time to record 'His' answer.

Hebrews 11:1-35

Faith in Action

¹ Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ² This is what the ancients were commended for.

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” ¹⁹ Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again.



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Matthew 2:13-15 ~ Out of Egypt I called my son

View of Israel from Mount Nebo. Where Moses stayed instead of entering the Promised Land. Here 2 Maccabees 2:4-9 records Jeremiah hiding the Ark of the Covenant before the Babylonian invasions.


Matthew 2:13-15

David Cochran, English Standard Version


13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”


God' s plan can unfold quickly like an earthquake, tsunami or gently. Rarely does God give us experiences, like where we live as we grow up, that doesn't teach us to be the people He wants us to strive to be.

Having spent 4 years of my childhood in Nice, France, I appreciate the outdoors because our house was dark in France, but the living room wall of windows facing the Mediterranean was a constant changing display of light and color. Outdoors was much more pleasant and I was out there every day. So many vivid colors and foods. We lived in the Pennsylvania mountains, at the end of the Appalachian mountains, for 4 years in steel mill country where Lake Erie left snow for sometimes 9 months on the ground, waist high. This is where people matter to each other, because cabin fever will get you.

God's child could have grown up regretting leaving prosperous Egypt and feeling like a sulky Goth teenager. This could have been brutal to Mary and Joseph. It's up to us to feel gratitude for a change in circumstance, good or bad. Jesus knew what it was to be a foreigner in a foreign land. There might have been Jews to help Joseph find work. Or Joseph was left, with God's help, to manage for his family and find work with skill and patience. Mary might have had women to visit with to raise her family. Or she might have spent time with Jesus. Would the little Egyptian children have enjoyed Jesus. We know they did.

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus became a Jew, a man, who went to the Samaritans and wasn't very concerned with borders or ethnic backgrounds. Jesus declared himself by the 4th chapter of John's gospel.

John 4: 4-26
Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Jesus doing the work of God. Not jumping into the fray with all the other Salmon, just swimming up stream. Jesus finding the path of peace, ways of mercy. Inclusion. Purity. Love, joy, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Isaiah 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?


Psalm 146:9
The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.


Luke 17:5-19
5 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Ephesians 2:19
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God


As a fellow citizen, with the members of the household of God - a Child of God - how have the good and bad circumstances of your growing years been gifts to use for your life?

1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you



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Psalm 2 ~ why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

Life Magazine did a photo opportunity and article for the 1951 movie "David and Bathsheba" with Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward.



Psalm 2 ~ (New International Version)

Listen - Max McLean, New International Version - suggested to click for new tab to listen and read


Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,
³ “Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”

⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
⁶ “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”

⁷ I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
⁸ Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
¹² Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2 isn't identified in the Old Testament with a human writer until Acts 4:25

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶ The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed one."

David is the human component to the writing, with the Holy Spirit being the author of all of the Scriptures.

David would know about national conspiracy. David had Saul plotting against him. Living in caves, being defamed. And David used sneaky, down right devious behavior, more than mildly bizarre behavior, to take Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. David, of course, placed Uriah on the front line of his army conspiring to use God's nation for David's sin.

The problem with being invisible to be sneaky, or having devious behavior, is listed pretty clearly in Psalm 2. The evil one, the devil, isn't going to let a good man get away with it. At the right moment, the secret is revealed for maximum damage. Zap. The evil one would go for maximum embarrassment and carnage.

We have all been less than perfect.

What is God going to do with the sinners. I want to know. In Psalm 2, the children of God are protected. Not to remain invisible or impervious, but forgiven. Not to continue in wrong doing. Actually letting the sin to be known and recovered from. Honesty is the real path forward.

Psalm 51

A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, placing Uriah in harm's way to be murdered.

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

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Psalm 135 ~ all the kingdoms

Windswept, by Marianne Post.
Windswept. Oil on canvas, by Don Gray.

Psalm 135

David Cochran, English Standard Version

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for it is pleasant! [for he is beautiful]
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.

13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, [remembrance] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them!

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

Acts 2:1
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Psalm 1:4
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

John 3:7,8
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Our lives....

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.



Canaan is, of course...... Israel. We sometimes believe we are going forward in God's plan, when in fact we are acting as the Canaanites. Not the Children of God we hope to be. With this passage being about God being in our midst, what are some of the Biblical manifestations of the Holy Spirit?

1 Corinthians 12

¹ Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.


An unknown tongue unto God (I Corinthians 14:2). Tongue that edifies you (I Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20). Assists you in prayer (Romans 8:26-27). Stirs up the prophetic ministry (I Corinthians 14:5). Refreshes your soul (Isaiah 28:11-12). Gives victory over the devil (Ephesians 6:18). Helps you worship in the Spirit (I Corinthians 14:14-15; Hebrews 2:12).

When you sing in the Spirit, God joins in with you and confuses and defeats the enemy (Isaiah 30:29-31). Tongues breaks the yoke of bondage (Acts 16:25). Brings you into the presence of God (Psalm 22:3). Aids you in intercession (Romans 8:26).

A known tongue that is a sign to unbelievers (I Corinthians 14:2; Acts 2:6). A foreign language spoken without being learned.

A tongue that is understood through interpretation and edifies the Church (I Corinthians 14:15).




Tongues. Everyone has a vivid, vivid opinion on this manifestation of the Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is to help us to go down God's path. We get so caught up in "Tongues" ( good vs. bad) we forget our own language - our own speech - the things spoken around us are useful to God. This is the edification of tongues, with the list above. It is talking. The thing we do all day. And even in our sleep.

A message of wisdom - can be a warning for danger in our behavior, etc. A blessing. And encouragement. Warming our heart, and our lives. It can be a reminder we would rather not hear leading to the goodness of God's pasture. (Like don't eat that extra helping.)

A message of knowledge - can be a message you alone understand, because it is your thoughts the Spirit is speaking to. I know a man having an affair and he was warned at a dinner party. In plain view of the other people, a serious conversation, and it was still a private conversation. A moment of the Holy Spirit.

A message of faith - having a question, a decision being needed. A word fitly spoken. Usually spoken to by Scripture. Even the drive-by Church Scripture on the billboard.

Proverbs 25:11
Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances.


~ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits

~ 9 who in your midst, O Egypt

How will we know if we are in the middle of a Working of the LORD?

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

When we can take that advice, it speaks to us and we can apply Jesus is Lord to that advice and to our lives.

God spoke to Elijah not with a bull horn, or a blow torch. God did not seek to dominate or control Elijah, He wanted to encourage him and give him faith, hope and love.

1 Kings 19
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Father God, be the wind in our lives. Direct our hearts, our thoughts to Your glory. In You, have us live, move and have our being. In You, is our goodness.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, my rock and my redeemer. Forgive me when I am wrong, when I am self-centered and selfish. Set me again on Your path. Not because I am so worthy, but for the sake of Your Son.

Strengthen me when you would have me speak, give me the gift of wisdom when I need patience and silence. Comfort me when it is Your word and it angers someone. Let my life be the seed you would plant, growing into the largest tree in the forest, letting Your creation come and be gathered in Your love and Your joy. Help me to live Your peace and give Your peace, God who is Love. In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.



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