Hosea 14:2-9 ~ Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips..

2 Chronicles 32, 3-4:
“And he took counsel with his officers and his mighty men to stop up the waters of the fountains that were outside the city, and they assisted him. And a large multitude gathered and stopped up all the fountains and the stream that flowed in the midst of the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?""



Hosea 14:2-9

Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.

3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”

4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
6 his shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.

7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
from me comes your fruit.

9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.

King Hezekiah was raised to understand, by his late father King Ahaz, to survive as King of Judea, he needed to understand political, monetary, religious compromise to have a good life as a puppet king for the Assyrian Empire next door. Hezekiah started out on just that path, pulling gold from the abandoned Temple by Ahaz to give as tribute.

This is part of an amazingly jaw dropping time in the history of God's chosen people. The people decided to rely upon HIM and work ferociously to build upon their hopes while constructing fortifications against the Enemy. It is the only time in the Scriptures a leader has to ask the people to stop donating to HIM. The coffers are overflowing.

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

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard."

2 Kings 20
5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you."

2 Chronicles 32:23
And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.

Hezekiah lived such a prosperous reign, it is the only one compared to Solomon in prosperity and trade.


King Hezekiah's bulla or seal. In the Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection, Archaeological Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. Found also is Hezekiah's servant seal, which hung on a cord for the honored person to wear. Archaeologically, there is no doubt of these seals. Archaeologically, Hezekiah is supremely rich of finds - 2 actual seals of Hezekiah's, at least 5 bullae belonging to servants of Hezekiah, the tunnels for water, the Shiloah Inscription and the evidence of abundance in purchasing. Plus the historical knowledge of the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel and the wealth and independence of the Kingdom of Hezekiah's Judah in the midst of the Assyrian Empire.

All of these bullae bear the name of Hezekiah, without doubt.

Return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good"

Far from being an austere prophet Hosea says beautiful Words of HIM.

They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

John 15:1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

Jesus was absolutely in agreement with Hosea, proclaiming faith for today and in this marvelous generation -

Matthew 13:32
Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.

Faith proclaimed through the generations.

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed." +

We place our trust in Jesus, our strong deliverer. Each day.



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A Good Man

Jesus Christ, the Messiah

Revelation 3:14

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God

Matthew 12:18

Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles

Hebrews 5:9

And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him

Oldest Icon of Jesus Christ

Proverbs 12:2
A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices He condemns.

Proverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

Psalm 145:7
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Jeremiah 31:12
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.

John 7:12
And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.”

Hosea 3:5
Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.

Romans 15:14
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

1 Peter 2
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

After one has been enlightened, and tasted the heavenly gift of grace, shared in the Holy Spirit. Tasted the goodness of the Word of God, testified to the powers of the age to come. We should not fall away. It's almost impossible to restore again to repentance. We must believe, we have only once crucified the Son of God. We must not harm ourselves and hold Him up to contempt.

Hebrews 9:14
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”


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Matthew 5:33-41 ~ Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'

Matthew 5:33-41

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.



The Scriptures are situation based. Abraham's life was not Jacob's. Or we would have told the same events over and over. Sometimes an evil person will be convinced and convicted of goodness when presented over and over with gracious kindness and love.

James Chapter 4 tells us about dealing with evil.

James 4:5-8a
“He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Resist like Joseph and Potipher's wife - RUN.

Ephesians 6:13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I've memorized few verses in my life, I actually pray and quote the gist of Scripture. This is one I have memorized and will pray this when feeling pressed. I gave this to a friend of mine and she was trapped in an airplane bathroom minutes later. She said this verse kept her from freaking out. It is a handy verse. Remembering even the key issues of truth, righteousness, the Gospel-Peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of Salvation. And the Sword of the Spirit - The WORD of GOD. Which is why I memorized it.

Romans 13:12 calls this the armor of light. So more than one Biblical source says this is good.

Ephesians 4:27
and do not give the devil a foothold.

2 Corinthians 6:7
In truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left

Jude 1:9
But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

Sometimes more words do not help.






A recent article in Christianity Today says Christians have a moral duty not to remain silent in the face of cruelty. Yes to good. No to evil.

Some suffering is - just the way the world is.

Revelation 12:9
The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.




All of creation was affected by the Fall.

Genesis 3: 17
To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

 Life is rough, Jesus commented on that.

Romans 8:20-22
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.






No one is innocent.

Psalm 65
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!


Mark 10: 18
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.


Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God


Our suffering is not directly related to our sins.

Luke 13:2-5
Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."





C. S. Lewis said, in ‘The Problem of Pain’: “The question of suffering is not just an academic issue. The questioner may well have in mind some bitter personal experience - all the more reason to handle the subject 'with gentleness and respect”

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

Out of His love, the Judge became the Rescuer.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He drank the cup of suffering to the dregs in order to save us.

Isaiah 53:3-5
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.


Luke 22:44
And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.



The main key is prayer. We consider this secondary to action, however Jesus did this continually. When we call to HIM, we are answered.


Revelations 21:1-5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

 Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

I believe this as I call upon the LORD. And rest and trust in Him.


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Matthew 9:27-31 ~ two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”

Jesus Goes Up Alone onto a Mountain to Pray, painted by James Tissot (French, 1836-1902).

Matthew 9:27-31

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.


I suppose mostly people are, "Show me the money!" If they think about wanting a relationship with Jesus. We expect Jesus to heal; we are hardly surprised HE touched the men to heal them. We know Jesus expects faith and works within faith.

Let's think about what people saw when they looked at Jesus.

John 7:41-43
But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him.

Paul tells us in Acts, what he thought of Jesus walking the earth.

Acts 26:9
“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth."

The powerful and well connected in The Temple called Him - Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus mostly spoke of Himself as  Son of Man. Meaning as Jesus went about healing, soothing, speaking mercy over sacrifice, HE thought of Himself as one of the people.

Colossians 2:16-19 tells us more about Jesus being busy as Messiah:
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

Jesus, as much as I like the speech, very much, did not go about saying, "I Have a Dream." Jesus went about sharing healing with souls. Telling them this life changing event was not solely done by "Son of David" - their miracle was created and accomplished by their faith. Jesus was very much about mercy to them, and to us.

Jesus changed lives, these healed men became proclaimers of healing, wholeness and encouraged others to look to GOD.

This change tells us about Jesus. True Hero. Savior of the World. Light of Light. True God of True God.

Oh, come let us worship HIM. Always. Amen.



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Genesis 41:1-13 ~ we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation

Egyptian Feast, painted by Edwin Long 1877

Genesis 41:1-13

After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”


Ah. The mysteries of God's timing.

And God's mysteries are astonishing - two people dreamed together on the same night.

How long did Abraham wait upon the Lord for the birth of Isaac?

25 years.

There are four levels of faith during these decades. The first - accepting, patiently waiting. The second -challenging God keep Your promise. Third - fixing up God's promises, do-it-yourself method. Fourth- non-faith, simply ignoring or laughing, God is no longer a factor.

We constantly think of Abraham as being righteous because of his belief. 
Isn't Joseph absolutely amazing. 

The Vizier of Pharaoh - how long did he remain in prison from Potiphar's house? We know longer than two years, yet Joseph did not record more than a prison term. He was focused on the fulfilling of God's promises. He asked for his bones to go to fulfilling God's promises, on the great day, of that victory.


Genesis 50:22-26
So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Jesus loved to find faith. Joseph obtained the second highest position on the earth - Vizier to Pharaoh. Joseph's faith worked ... in his favor.

Luke 18:1
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Matthew 8:10-15
When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

What did Jesus say about God's timing and patience?

Luke 18:7
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.

God enjoys prayer, plentifully, and spirited debate.

Luke 18:5-8
Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.

Recall with me, the LORD was partial to Jacob and Jacob wrestled God for blessings quite a few times.

Jesus wondered about faith.

Luke 18:8
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

Jesus knew that dreamers and possibility thinkers have trouble on earth. What did He say to them?

John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!


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Romans 5 ~ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


I feel so uncomfortable when people, as Christian groups, attempt to say what Father God does with His creation, in His work of salvation. Jesus calls us to be Salt. Not Judgement. Not uninformed.

This passage points out a truth I've rarely thought of. Verse 13, many people in history, and alive today, who have never been told about the 10 Commandments are similar to the time before the Law. The 10 Commandments - all law is based upon these. Even today, people exist in ignorance of His law. So, interestingly, we have three steps during the millenniums of HIStory. Before the law, The Old Covenant and The New Covenant.

So, that works out neatly for the uninformed. No. Not really. When Jesus died on the cross for sinners, He did not just forgive the people standing on earth the day of His Sacrifice, He forgave all people.

Jesus is life, and His life IS the Light of mankind.

Jesus is Genesis. He is the beginning Word; Word with God, and the Word is God.

The Gospel, for it is the Power of God, is Salvation to Everyone who Believes.

For the righteousness of God is revealed faith for faith. Given faith, we grow in faith when we believe.

For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. This is from the first chapter of Romans.

Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Matthew 10:32
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

Those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness....
reign in life - through Jesus Christ. Now, that is an interesting promise.

Psalm 106:30,31
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.
31 And that was counted to him as righteousness
from generation to generation forever.

Phinehas was a stand up kind of man.

In The New Covenant - grace reigns through righteousness - leading to eternal life.

2 Corinthians 7:10
For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

The free gift is not like the trespass, grace reigns through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Jesus Christ the Lord calls us to be salt and light. Having flavor. Being joyful and bright. Lean not to the left of asceticism, nor the right of judgement. Thanks be to GOD, I do not have to judge, it is mine to point to Jesus Christ the Lord. He leads me in His paths of righteousness for His name's sake. I have been justified by faith, I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are saved by His life. 



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Numbers 25 ~ And the Lord said to Moses

Numbers 25

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.


10 And the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”

14 The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian.

16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18 for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”



No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere:
I see Heaven's glories shine,
And faith shines equal, arming me from Fear.

O God within my breast,
Almighty, ever-present Deity!
Life - that in me hast rest,
As I - Undying Life- have power in Thee!
-  Emily Bronte

Is the god of the Old Testament without mercy, mean, cruel and utterly blood thirsty? Compare and contrast with:

Deuteronomy 21:18-21
A Rebellious Son
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

And if you want to go further, our blog post Judges 20 ~ Tell us how this awful thing happened. lists a third horrible event that really is in Scripture.

So, Scripture for Today has decided to not be cowardly; let's look at Scripture some people, who do not like the Scriptures, love to tell you they have heard of. Okay.

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And His Word is living and active.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

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.

God deals with each generation with faithful love and steadfastness. We use the tools - at hand - to live our lives. You could not ask the Swiss Family Robinson to build a compass and a radio (not their era), they did not have the tools of even their own fictitious generation. God tells us deal with problems, don't sweep them into a large lump under the rug. One of the first rules of youth ministry is: discipline.

Proverbs 3:12
For the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

If everyone is jumping on the sofa and popcorn is flying, no real time for deep growth is going to occur. If you sit down to memorize the 10 Commandments, you realized they are orderly and start with GOD. Why. This is really important. We do not serve Google. Or a flowchart. We love a GOD who is interested in creation, in emotion, in the depth of our hearts. We love a God who says, I'm important too. And that, is very admirable. And honest. And lovable.

So, we are working today our way back up to the top, reverse order. The city in the Scriptures did not believe someone who completely disrupts the world should be ignored. Like the people in the United States who have taken guns and shot multiple people to death. No one who knew these people were surprised they acted so terribly. Today we have more knowledge and pharmaceuticals, and believe stoning might mean Medication while receiving group therapy. The Scriptures tell us we should not ignore problems. Or leave people we love undisciplined.

Okay. Phineas. You can't just foggetaboutit Phineas. Because David did not sweep Phineas and these deaths under the rug.

Psalm 106:30
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.

What was the Baal worship so terrible that the LORD considered it to be whoring. Not "The 10 Commandments" Movie scene, they were collecting Egyptian gold and jewelry while dancing around a cow.

Baal worship is prostitution. Works for dollars. Sacrificing human babies, letting the blood run into the fields, or desert, in exchange for prosperity. This is even today, abominable. Baal worships funds.

In the middle of the Old Testament, we run into a Biblical event. We all remember Jesus with the woman caught in Adultery. And we wonder why was one woman being punished. John's Gospel tells us so many things are about Jesus, we don't know all of them. In this chapter of Numbers 25 - during the time of Moses, this prostitution was not limited to the Moabite woman - the Holy Spirit condemns the Israelite man turning her in. The chiefs of the people and hung in the sun, not like the Pharisees who made sure, instead, they wore the best robes and sat in the finest seats.

In our attempt to condemn a violent outcome, we find, we have over looked lack of hypocrisy in the government of Moses. Yesterday we saw the "staff" of Aaron's budded to be an almond branch, when in Ecclesiastes we see an almond branch means a head of white hair filled with terror of old age and not mature peace.

However, to believe this was of the LORD, you'd have to believe the LORD was speaking to Moses.

Galatians 3:6
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

 

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †