Isaiah 40 ~ they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles

Isaiah 40

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18 To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.

21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25 To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.


Verses 1 & 2

Luke 13:34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Verses 3 to 5

2 Peter 1:17
For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

Verses 6, 7 & 8

Psalm 102:26
They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

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


Verses 9 to 11

Matthew 28:20
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Verses 12 to 24

Proverbs 8:23b-33
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above,
when he established[d] the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his[e] delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.

32 “And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.

Verses 25 to 26

Psalm 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Romans 10:13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”


Verses 27 to 31

Matthew 11:30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light
 

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Isaiah 34:15-17 ~ There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow; indeed, there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate.

Isaiah 34:15-17

There the owl nests and lays
and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow;
indeed, there the hawks are gathered,
each one with her mate.

16 Seek and read from the book of the Lord:
Not one of these shall be missing;
none shall be without her mate.
For the mouth of the Lord has commanded,
and his Spirit has gathered them.

17 He has cast the lot for them;
his hand has portioned it out to them with the line;
they shall possess it forever;
from generation to generation they shall dwell in it.




Psalm 139:12
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.


Psalm 16:5-8
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.



Romans 15:4
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.





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Isaiah 35 ~ The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus

Isaiah 35


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.

8 And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.



For the people who have loved ones pass on, this passage is Eternal comfort.


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Isaiah 33 ~ the Lord is our King; He will save us.

Isaiah 33

Ah, you destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed,
you traitor,
whom none has betrayed!
When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;
and when you have finished betraying,
they will betray you.

2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.
3 At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;
when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered,
4 and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.

5 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness,
6 and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.

7 Behold, their heroes cry in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
8 The highways lie waste;
the traveler ceases.
Covenants are broken;
cities are despised;
there is no regard for man.
9 The land mourns and languishes;
Lebanon is confounded and withers away;
Sharon is like a desert,
and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

10 “Now I will arise,” says the Lord,
“now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted.
11 You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble;
your breath is a fire that will consume you.
12 And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,
like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.”

13 Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
and you who are near, acknowledge my might.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:
“Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,
who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
16 he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

17 Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;
they will see a land that stretches afar.
18 Your heart will muse on the terror:
“Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed the tribute?
Where is he who counted the towers?”
19 You will see no more the insolent people,
the people of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,
stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand.
20 Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!
Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent,
whose stakes will never be plucked up,
nor will any of its cords be broken.
21 But there the Lord in majesty will be for us
a place of broad rivers and streams,
where no galley with oars can go,
nor majestic ship can pass.
22 For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver;
the Lord is our king; he will save us.

23 Your cords hang loose;
they cannot hold the mast firm in its place
or keep the sail spread out.
Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided;
even the lame will take the prey.
24 And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”;
the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.


When you read Scripture, to run into the same Scripture twice can be very thought provoking.  I've run into Isaiah 33 twice this week. Of course Isaiah is completing his visions, prayers and thoughts of God's plan, so Isaiah 27 and 33 flow into each other.

Isaiah lived to serve God during 3 kings of Judah. He sees the Assyrian Empire looming on the horizon, but he is also seeing the broad plan of God. He has seen Hezekiah's father prepare the people of Judah to worship away from the Temple. The king hoped to break up the gold covering all of the Temple to allow Judah to be a client state of Assyria. The Kingdom of Judah has seen the Kingdom of Israel become enslaved to Assyria.  The news of the time is bleak.

Father God, so many opinions so many virtues and woes and wants and life. Help be the wind in our thoughts and sails. In the name of Jesus. You are the One who is Good. Draw us to YOU. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In the face of grave adversity, Isaiah breathes God's plan into the hearts of the people. This is the only time recorded in the New and Old Testament the people had to be told to quit giving to God. And archaeology,  there is plenty to see from this amazing time. Not of Isaiah, man of God, but of the work the people of Judah willingly did. Not of the Temple gold, but of the water. Water in a desert area. The people were willing to do God's will, trust Him and to give to Him. Isaiah , speaking God's Word, did not only bless us today with the history of God's vision of Messiah, Isaiah blessed a willing King to do God's will.  

He will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure


Come, Father God, let Your words and Your Mighty Acts fill us
with abundance of Hope, Faith and LOVE. Always. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Psalm 90 ~ You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

I have loved Psalm 90 allowing us to see the generations are not vast to Father God.  Not so many people to an Almighty God.  Our Father God. We rest in Him and we are renewed.

Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Father God,

You are our dwelling place.From everlasting You are God.
You are the One who Watches us.
Only in You are we renewed.
You are the source of Renewal.

We fly to You.In Your Steadfast Love, in that place,
of Your Love and Mercy,
we gain Forgiveness and Wisdom.
We look for Your Works, Your
Glorious Power.
And we ask for Your Favor.
Only in the name of Jesus Christ may we ask. Amen.

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Isaiah 27 ~ For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness; there the calf grazes; there it lies down and strips its branches.

Still the complex, selfish Israel Jesus cried out for.  He longs to place us beneath His Wing. Photo from Domius Flevit's Church.

 Isaiah 27

In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

2 In that day,
“A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!
3 I, the Lord, am its keeper;
every moment I water it.
Lest anyone punish it,
I keep it night and day;
4 I have no wrath.
Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!
I would march against them,
I would burn them up together.
5 Or let them lay hold of my protection,
let them make peace with me,
let them make peace with me.”

6 In days to come[in those to come] Jacob shall take root,
Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots
and fill the whole world with fruit.

7 Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them?
Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?
8 Measure by measure,[Or By driving her away] by exile you contended with them;
he removed them with his fierce breath in the day of the east wind.
9 Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for,
and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:[and this is the blessing when I take away his sin]
when he makes all the stones of the altars
like chalkstones crushed to pieces,
no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.

10 For the fortified city is solitary,
a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness;
there the calf grazes;
there it lies down and strips its branches.
11 When its boughs are dry, they are broken;
women come and make a fire of them.
For this is a people without discernment;
therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them;
he who formed them will show them no favor.

12 In that day from the river Euphrates to the Brook of Egypt the Lord will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

This is Jesus.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

27 The Lord Jesus with his strong sword, the virtue of his death, and the preaching of his gospel, does and will destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, that old serpent. The world is a fruitless, worthless wilderness; but the church is a vineyard, a place that has great care taken of it, and from which precious fruits are gathered. God will keep it in the night of affliction and persecution, and in the day of peace and prosperity, the temptations of which are not less dangerous. God also takes care of the fruitfulness of this vineyard. 

We need the continual waterings of Divine grace; if these be at any time withdrawn, we wither, and come to nothing. Though God sometimes contends with his people, yet he graciously waits to be reconciled unto them. It is true, when he finds briers and thorns instead of vines, and they are set in array against him, he will tread them down and burn them. Here is a summary of the doctrine of the gospel, with which the church is to be watered every moment.

Ever since sin first entered, there has been, on God's part, a righteous quarrel, but, on man's part, most unrighteous. Here is a gracious invitation given. Pardoning mercy is called the power of our Lord; let us take hold on that. Christ crucified is the power of God. Let us by lively faith take hold on his strength who is a strength to the needy, believing there is no other name by which we can be saved, as a man that is sinking catches hold of a bough, or cord, or plank, that is in his reach. This is the only way, and it is a sure way, to be saved. God is willing to be reconciled to us.

I would add to wonderful Matthew Henry's comments ~  saying not only is the Church God's Vineyard (so many times Jesus spoke of a vineyard. A working farm producing fruit, a working place) We are God's Vineyard. I am the Vine, You are the branches.

John 15:5
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

And Isaiah 27 speaks to the final sack of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.  Like a seed must drop to the ground to live. God was moving forth from just being God to the Children of Israel. This was the end of the sacrifices of the Temple of God. Jesus has become our Salvation. Isaiah has held forth the Word of God saying God's changes will come. His Plan will be established.

The Bible is living and active, the promises Isaiah has seen in the power of the Holy Spirit are for us today. Jesus is our Vine and we are the faithful, hopeful, loving branches. We live in a time unseen for 2 millenniums. Israel exists! (Cool!)

Father God, send forth this blog to be a Light, each day pray that this is so with us. Thank you. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.



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Philippians 2 ~ He was in the form of God

Philippians 2


So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[ bondservant] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Fridays are one of the days we feel the encouragement of God. And in October, you can feel the good weather soak into you and feel the blessing God gives us. Jesus is the LORD.  The Mercy of God.

And we can sometimes take a detour, in this marvelous, marvelous, encouraging passage and think about Jesus as the Highest Name upon the earth, above every name. We are His shining lights. Jesus, John told us, did so many things all the books of the earth could not contain what He did.

The Passage goes on to tell us Jesus passes into Heaven. And we know Jesus was seen by hundreds of people in the Book of Acts. Bodily. Philippians tells us something concrete, by Paul who knows a man who was caught up in the levels of Heaven. This bodily form we live in is the image of God. Today and in Heaven.

Yesterday we read the First Chapter of John about God being the LIGHT. This passage carries this thought along and proclaims we are lights shining for God.

comfort 
love
full accord
servant 
knee shall bow
work out your own salvation
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good 
children of God
genuinely concerned


Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Being Humble is not what we are taught in the get ahead world of today. And in the Roman Empire humility was not really sought either. So in the Word living and active, we are not talking about worn out Scripture. When I clean my house I feel less than humble or glad to clean the mess my loved ones leave me. However when I do Youth Ministry or volunteer work, I do see Father God loving us as unique people. So I guess we play to our strengths and confess some Scripture is less comfortable.

I have the misty eyed glory of remembering my maternal GRANDMOTHER Anita. She loved to do dishes for our family. And she left a quote people have asked to have framed in their kitchen. Grandmother Anita said when she did dishes for her loved ones, she felt the gratitude of having provided for them. She went on to say that in the quiet of cleaning up, she felt valuable ideas and convictions form. And I will go on to say, I loved to have her pray for me for the Spirit moved with her abiding, living, moving as she had her being. 

Thank You, Father God, for the joy of knowing such a woman as Grandmother.  One of the happiest people on earth, who lived this passage in every breathe she took. This passage ~ the world would have us believe as being completely irrelevant. And I can tell you with joy, Anita was one of the happiest people who lived here and now LIVES in Heaven..



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Judges 7 ~ They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

Judges 7

Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 7 And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” 8 So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

9 That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11 And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”

15 As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” 16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.

24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.


1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Who wouldn't want to be Gideon. A man the LORD took mercy upon during the  fear in the face of an impossible situation.  A Mighty Act of God, built with a torch and a trumpet. And God created this miracle, created from bravery, with all of His generous mercy. Acting as the Father we know Him to be. God coached Gideon not to repeat the mistakes of the Children of Israel in refusing to go forward. 

Father God,
Have mercy upon us as we go forward in our lives. Give us this Mercy You are known from in your renown. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Matthew 25:1-12
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Gideon, the 300 and the ten wise women all had something in common. They looked to the LIGHT. 

John 1:1-5 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

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Psalm 125 ~ those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers!

Psalm 125

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.

4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!


I was thinking about "When The Saints Go Marching In", however the Scripture does say cannot be moved. So, scotch that, we are having a Happy Day. Jesus told us the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We are already part of God's Eternal Promises.

Galatians 6:16
Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

Psalm 40:4
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.

Psalm 34:14
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Hebrews 12:14
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.



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Psalm 20 ~ May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

Psalm 20

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans!

5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright.

9 O Lord, save the king!
May he answer us when we call.

What do we hope for in our children. Salvation.  A Hearts desire. Baptism is a call for God to answer us as we invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in us!  Fulfilling Jesus' promises of His Love.

May he answer us when we call.

Don't we love a secret. 
We joined a Church and put a lot of time into becoming members. One of the requirements was another Baptism.  And snag. We felt sincerely; ONE Baptism for the remission of sins. 

This is the Nicene Creed, coming directly from The First Council of Nicaea (Νίκαια)  Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) by the personal invitation of the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. 1800 Bishops invited by Constantine,at the peril of travel and some of them, like St. Nicholas (we refer to him as Santa Claus, much to his probable chagrin) and 300 risked leaving prison to find a greater trap. These men were early Church, when Church history records the mighty Acts of Father God resembled the Book of Acts. Not only did these brave men tell us which of the letters, surviving 4 centuries of torture and biblical destruction, would make up our Bible today, they told us the many ideas of Baptism  really are one thing rolled together.....

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

Baptism, if you are an infant is something I very much support. I am a CHILD of GOD, baptized by my great-uncle the wonderful priest driving the VW, educated ...

(Okay, digressing can be fun. My Great Uncle was a large man about 6'1",  with Marlboro man shoulders and he loved: people, parties, sailboats, National Geographic, building and shooting guns, the Beatles  and just about everyone. And he was a southern man formally educated at University of the South. - So he was driving the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia (station wagon, unfortunately, he was a Priest after all) and entertaining and talking. Well, he was a good driver, but sometimes he'd leave the lane, a bit, because he was talking. So, he swerved, left the highway (making a good conversational point I am sure) and the car next to him was... annoyed. And the car pulled up next to us, on my baptismal day, and shot the finger really well in a aggravated manner at marvelous Great Uncle wearing his episcopate collar. At that point the car driver was ....chagrined.... And my Great Uncle gave a pontifical, cheerful, smooth wave of blessing. And replied,to the car filled with observing family, "Look a member of my parish." Without missing a beat of the conversation. )

Okay. Here's the secret...
We went to the Large Church Organization and told the priest... (in italics)

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
Maker of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

And we said, to the minister, hey, Jesus Christ was asked to participate in our Baptism. And guess what, the Holy Spirit showed up because we have had a spirit filled life of loving and being in a relationship with Jesus.  And glory of glories...... this Minister said, step over here. Guess what... I believe you and here is a signed baptismal certificate saying that I baptized you. Why? Because I believe there is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. And when the name of JESUS CHRIST THE LORD is called upon - He is with us.

Alleluia. and AMEN!!!

So, if you are offended right now,  don't be.....because you have the wonderful blessing of remembering your Baptism and it looks like the lovely Holy Spirit filled blessing of the photos above......   More Holy Spirit power to you.  If Jesus had photos of His Baptism, because He believed in following God's plan for Him, they would look like these.   I'd love to remember my Baptism. But I don't. I am so glad even the Churches who sprinkle, will now also immerse. Instead, I clearly remember taking the promises of the Holy Spirit in my infant baptism into becoming the time I invited the Holy Spirit to live within me at a camp in East Texas in 5th grade. And I clearly remember believing forever and grasping FatherGod's love for me, forever, at age 16.  Those are my memories of the joy in these photos.

And I have another memory of a wonderful completed Jew Priest, who married us, saying to us - "WHAT"???? When he heard we had not immediately baptized our premature infant who almost died on a Christmas Eve. Well. We wanted to have a big Christening Party for him.  Ding. There is a reminder - parenting should have a license.  And okay, sure, if the grown man child had died that Christmas, he would have gone to Heaven. And yet, our Priest, was right.

The point being this. Jesus Christ is there for us when we call Him.

And that is prayer, something even mature Christians forget to recognize as a cornerstone of faith.  Father God calls prayer an extremely significant part of our relationship with HIM. When we know how much God loves us, we know Psalm 20.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
May he remember all your offerings -


(like baptismal prayers for the Holy Spirit)

We become so part of Father God, we can feel comfortable knowing the LORD our GOD, knows us completely. Trust His plan, trust Him and give Jesus Christ this -

May he grant you your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans!

Isaiah 26:8
Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

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Isaiah 9:1-7 ~ For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given

Isaiah 9:1-7


But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.

3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.



George Frideric Handel composed his "Messiah" in 1741. We would read Isaiah 9 and say - ah the beautiful words of Handel's "Messiah."  Instead of the usual, remember Isaiah is about the Light within Lighting all mankind in the world.

As we read and enjoy Isaiah 9, we recall, at least I do, the enduring beauty of Handel's "Messiah". Why would we place another song here? A remembrance. Jesus is to be ours. Like the Beatles say, our generation. Ours. Personal. Our Savior. Mine. Yours. For you. Our Light shining within us proclaiming JESUS THE LORD.

Mundane details are intrinsic to life. All the words we could ever use to explain the one important truth.  This is a love letter to Jesus Christ. Emotion swells and carries me as I try to make this point. We are LOVED. Chosen, Created, Special to Father God. The Almighty. Speaking the Word of Creation.  God is LOVE. Come as you are to Him.  His Love is higher than the sky. The Universe is His.  And you are called to be HIS. LOVE.

Each generation is called to uphold the Truth of the Gospel.

Genesis 1:3,4
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw...
that the Light was good.

Matthew 1:23 
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

which means, God with us.

John 5:17

Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,

Matthew 28:20
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, 
I am with you Always, to the end of the age”

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.


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Mark 6 ~ And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.

 

 The Biblical Antiquities Center in Georgia, built a typical house in the time of Jesus choosing to live among us as Grace and Truth.

 

Mark 6

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

And he went about among the villages teaching.

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.


30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 

35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.

46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment.

 And as many as touched it were made well.


What did Jesus' Sabbath look like?

Home to Nazareth. Not Capernaum, Jesus' adult hometown. And to His "Church." Like every family, Jesus is bit hassled.  And still He heals. By extrapolation, we hear of Jesus saying stay in one home; Jesus went home to stay with Mary, according also to the 5th Commandment in Exodus 20,  Jesus would honor His Mother.

Jesus, we notice, is interested in the people around Him. He sets a group in motion, going out 2 by 2 to minister. Not one person claiming glory in verses 7, 39, 40. A team to share and receive the Glory and Miracles of God.

Jesus hears of his cousin's death. While He reacts with sorrow, He does not expect others to anticipate His needs, instead He tells them what He would like. Jesus really does not get time to mourn. He still reacts to His people, all of them, with deep, deep compassion. 

Perhaps, just perhaps, the feeding of the 5,000 people was - to Jesus - like a funeral reception for John, someone He loved and was part of His earthly family.  He leaves the crowd to finally get time to Himself. And instead of the Jesus the disciples walk and sail with - Jesus now has revealed, by walking upon the waters,  He is God. As He walks upon the waters, He realizes He has scared them. Being the God He is, He stops to comfort them. 

Jesus. God. Reaching out to comfort. Even the hem of His garment heals. 

Thank You. Savior.

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