Mark 13 ~ in those days!

Mark 13


And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”


3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.


14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.


24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.


28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

I'm shifting focus to the life of each individual in HIM.

The Word of God is not merely a history lesson. This is your letter from your Father God. 

We all have an invitation to leave this planet. Jesus told us God wants to save the world. All who call upon Him will be saved. He is Holy. A God of Wonders. He is the God who understood the man crying out  - "I have faith - help me to have more!" 

He is the God who chooses to walk our life with us. Jesus sitting to teach, being comfortable with His people. Understanding us. And still reaching His hands in the water to pick up the religious.  He will take us by the hand and keep us.

Still sitting with the woman forsaken and ashamed. Willing to do battle with the mighty confronting the weak. Being Wisdom in the language they would understand. Not breaking a bruised reed.  Delighting His Father - faithfully bring forth justice. Not lifting up His voice.  The still small voice - the coastlands wait for His law - loving others as Himself.

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

God sets us on a path. To grow up and go Home.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,a and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Exactly.
Life is a little bit like playing in the traffic. Some days you just want to go home. It's the willingness to get in there. Take the clip - the hit - see the win. Sometimes the win is the near miss!!!  The ticket is gratitude - seeking the Blessing - by giving the Blessing. Praying for others. People want to know you genuinely care. Taking the mercy, knowing to pray with great glee! For! The merciful! Always.

Our Uncie lived to be 94. He was interested in giving - being in life. Not perfect. But watching his life - I can tell you - he interested Father God. Uncie bypassed Ecclesiastes 12:1-7.  As he passed on, he told us about seeing the Kingdom of God. Uncie lived love covers sin. The New Covenant is the Good News - the Kingdom of God - Never has closing gates.

Jesus crossed the 13 mile Sea of Galilee three times in one day. He had people to see.  

When Jesus told us when we see Him, we see the Father - Jesus was the Father of the prodigal children.  Jesus was running to see us. His Children.  Jesus meeting us where we need Him to be. Today. 

Luke 9:27
But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God

The Disciples of God did not experience the ruin of Jerusalem and the Temple by Titus. They actually did not face decay, but died vigorous. This is the New Testament. Standing in Christ Jesus.

 

9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

What would give us the power to go forward?


Romans 5:8
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is the song of the redeemed!


Jeremiah 15:19
Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them."

How?

Malachi 4:2
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Romans 15:13
The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Proverbs 7
My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you

24 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.

Jesus said -

Luke 19:43
The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.!

And He said - this -

1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

and this

Luke 13:2
And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.


Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.



Revelation 22:8a
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down

John goes on to say - do not add to The Word of God. And I will not. I will say by extrapolation that John lived abundantly by continuing to get in there - in mercy, in actions, in the willingness to engage in life. In a life of prayer. In Expecting God to bless him and his ability to be fruitful in life. 

(Now you might argue with me and say John was a hermit on Patmos. Um, you think. Roman Emperor Domitian sent John to Patmos because according to Tertullian (son of a Roman centurion, a trained lawyer, and an ordained priest, 2nd Century) in The Prescription of Heretics, John was banished to Patmos. John was still being discussed as alive in the in history books in the second century. Because after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it - it was said that all in the entire Colosseum audience were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle. Domitian was the Roman emperor who was known for his persecution of Christians in the late 1st century. And the word traitor is coined from his reign of terror for Domitian's passion in destroying the Word of God. Interestingly enough, See the Ryland Papyrus. And learn with me, John's fate is debated in the - what - SECOND Century History books where he is recorded by early second-century Bishop Papias of Hierapolis, claiming John was engaged in a battle with the Jews over Religious Law and the Divinity of Jesus. Historians B.W. Bacon, Martin Hengel and Henry Barclay Swete, maintain these references to Papias are credible. Papias also has recorded John's support for the Gospels of Mark and Matthew. Papias wrote five books interviewing the accuracy of the sayings of Jesus by speaking with witnesses. Eusebuis quoted Papias from time to time.

John's historically religious battle was in 100 A.D. with Cerinthus over the divinity of Christ undone - trying to restore Jewish Law to the early Church. Irenæus of the second century, Epistula Apostolorum, 2nd-century, confirm Cerinthus was an opponent of John. I do believe we far over-emphasize the hermit aspect of John. The early Church did not jump to the idea John were Assumed into Heaven as Jesus was. John's traditional tomb is thought to be located at Selçuk, a small town in the vicinity of Ephesus, 155 kilometers from Hierapolis.)



John lived to OLD!!! Timothy lived to be old. Fruitful. John Mark lived to be old. Luke lived to be old. In Expectation and prayer - let's be like the people of Proverbs who laugh at the time to come. Expecting Jesus - Our Beloved - to do for us in the coming years. All we need is His favor. The disciples who did not show up for Jesus, Son of God, - did not live to be old.

Many times in life - God expects us to get up and try again. Not hide behind locked doors.  He wants us to decorate for Christmas. Paint walls. Take cookies.  

When the Song of the Christmas Angels are stilled. 
When the star in the sky is gone. 
When the kings and princes are home.
When shepherds are back with their flock.
The Work of Chrismas begins
Fine the lost
Heal the broken
Feed the hungry
Release the prisoner
Rebuild the nate
Bring peace amont brothers
Make music in the hear
For unto all ages, God who says He is Ages of Ages,
A Child is Born.
Alleluia.

Life will take hard hits, Jesus says go  the second mile and shake off the hurt - be willing to go again. With Expectation.

Matthew 8
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.

 

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”


Mark 13:37
What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

<>< !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luke 11 ~ No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.

Luke 11

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

So... if we take fire and put it under a basket you are going to get... a bigger fire. Or extinguished fire.


And if we listen to ancient scientific wisdom the four classical elements are Earth, Water, Air, and Fire frequently occur; sometimes including a fifth element or quintessence (after "quint" meaning "fifth") called aether in ancient Greece and akasha in India. The concept of the five elements formed a basis of analysis in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

And today we are sewing like Needlepoint, putting all the thoughts from our wool gathering in the appropriate places.

My very proper and sainted Grandmother Anita taught a well attended Sunday School for four decades. She loved to read and Confucius was someone she quoted in her religious writings. Which I found... rather shocking. Grandmother said, Really, Anne-Laurel, the ancients were not in possession of even knowing there was an Israel, much less the knowledge of the Temple and His Word. This is a foundation study for seeking Truth and Justice with Mercy.

The Word of God would explain this like this:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God [a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.

a]   messenger of God (the phrase echoes a common Old Testament expression).

Let's compare - Genesis, the first Chapter, starts out with Akasha - aether filling the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere. The concept of aether was used in several theories to explain several natural phenomena.

Genesis 1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Aether - was hovering over the water. Recently Nova reported lightning from one place pulls the electrical ark as one unit, all over the earth, with the source of the "Fire" being the Sun. And if you look at the placement of the Temple in Jerusalem, you find the altar points to the sun. Always. For all Jewish altars.

Today we have the option of putting our lights under baskets we call lamp shades. We appear to have a real handle on the element Edison appropriately understood as fire. Seemingly this breaks Scripture. Just as we irradiate our wheat in an effort to feed more of the world's hungry people allowing our grocery store bread not to last - like it has for millenniums - as lasting barely a week, to now going oddly a little dry and with an unusual texture to last even a month. Recall with me, Jesus told us HE was also the Bread coming from Heaven called Manna.

Scripture will be fulfilled.

A light under a basket refers to the fire of the Holy Spirit. Times in Scripture when the fire of the Holy Spirit was hidden - when Solomon built God's Temple. 2 Kings 23:13 tells us Solomon then resorted to High Place foreign god worship. He took His Word from God and let Wisdom be worldly wisdom. And after God was placed away from scaring even King David, Solomon found he wanted to hear from God. And God became very silent. Solomon tried harder and harder. Leading Solomon to say he could not even find one good woman out of the 700 near him. Adam would have even reminded Solomon that Adam had a rib that copied Father God. Common thought would say if all the people you meet are back-ends, then...

Anyway. Solomon kept trying and trying. Different from Confucius because Solomon had been part of the Nation God called His Own. And finally Solomon began to hear from God again. Because. The dead end had suddenly made Solomon aware that there was something valid in remorse. And the desire to call upon HIM. And the prodigal son observed the Father run to Him. Making the words of Solomon recorded as the Word of God, using the Holy Spirit.

There was another time Light was hidden under a basket. The Second Temple. Maccabees records Jeremiah took his wisdom of the Word of God and hid the Ark upon Mount Nebo. Buried with ... Moses. The return of the Temple Tools is amazingly recorded from the Second Exile. But from the first the Temple is decaying. No Ark fills the Holy of Holies. If you were the head Priest would you run from the Holy of Holies to announce the Ark is ... gasp... missing...or Pray Fiercely. But The Second Temple starts with throwing the remnant Samaritans out. Who were sacrificing to God and praying at a broken down Temple Altar on a broken down Temple Mount and in 1960, DNA tests proved they were basically 3 of the 12 tribes of Israel. And upon throwing out the Samaritans they proceeded to build themselves houses and marry the local women who were not Children of Israel. But still covered their sins by hoping to build the Temple from being reminded and for the earnest joy they had in recognizing God had saved them miraculously. And following the law rather than Justice with Mercy.

When God saw people putting His Fire away from them, He did something. Something He planned to do. He went forth to Save the World. Equipping Confucius (whom I did not ever read), the Assyrian Empire Nineveh - to repent, Three Babylonian Emperors to return the exiles and the Temple Tools. And He used the desecration of the Temple for Zeus and for Herod as part of His Plan. And when the Syrian woman asked Jesus for mercy, and was humble, Jesus restored her child. Jesus again Being the True Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

The times are unusual times. Our grandparents and those before us paid cash for houses. Thomas Jefferson said without a paid for home - we are financially unsound. The Scripture tells us not to take on debt for more than seven years. The Amish manage this still. We have so much technology - ways to communicate and we step back to communicate with telegraph. We travel far more. And we find ways to make life more comfortable.

We are privileged - what we need is to Love the Lord with all our hearts. Let the Spirit of our Worship not snap off and on like an electric switch at the appropriate time. Letting our places of worship be encouragement to Love and bless those who hear the word of God and keep it! Providing the place were all who would call upon HIM are welcome. The place were a King like Solomon could turn and see God as Father run to him. Asking Him to move and dwell and have His being within us. Making our prayers to ask Him to dwell within us.

Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Zechariah 6:8-10
And the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

Matthew 22
7 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

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Leviticus 26 ~ Chase

Leviticus 26

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. 2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you. 10 You shall eat old store long kept, and you shall clear out the old to make way for the new. 11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

14 “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. 18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, 19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

21 “Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. 22 And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.

23 “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I myself will strike you sevenfold for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant. And if you gather within your cities, I will send pestilence among you, and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in a single oven and shall dole out your bread again by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

27 “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. 29 You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. 31 And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas. 32 And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

34 “Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest that it did not have on your Sabbaths when you were dwelling in it. 36 And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. 37 They shall stumble over one another, as if to escape a sword, though none pursues. And you shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them.

40 “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes. 44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord their God. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.”

46 These are the statutes and rules and laws that the Lord made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.

The first time I went to see Ima Hogg's house I was disappointed. Frankly with a name like "IMA HOGG!!!", you'd hope to see ... Vim, Vigor, Personality - instead you get - information. About others and museum quality furniture and belongings. I'm frankly of the opinion - she should have done two museums - one on being a damsel of River Oaks and being a "Texas Hogg" - Then a Museum of her interests.

Legacy. The dictionary has this right.

I've been having this conversation with myself since last week, but I backed into this one by way of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:45
So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

I have a cousin who is fond of this verse. And the truth is we get pretty convinced we live out of the scope of a magnifying glass. The free riding theory of just go with the crowd! Carry a briefcase or a backpack. Who are we?

Are we pressed by public opinion, private opinion or our own opinion.

Are we

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

or

Ephesians 3:17-19
—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

When we get to the point feeling God overpowers our unique qualities - rather like my kin Mark Twain - then you have come to an end where we only can back track. Stuck at a dead end. And Samuel Clemens had this happen.

Strong personality - is not the same as saying I no longer live. Jesus said be Salt. Be Light. David had strong personality. What about Paul? Did he wimple up? Penguin suit?

Paul had times where he roared. And he said - Probably loudly and quickly -

But when Cephas came to Antioch...
I opposed him to his face! Because he stood condemned!!!

B4 certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles;
But when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the c-- party...

AND the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,
even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel,
I said to Cephas
before them all,
“If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

That Paul. A mystic seeing views of Heaven. Fighting with Christians. Not exactly plaster saint material. (Galatians Chapter Two.)

Now, listen. When Paul,  in the Holy Spirit, said I no longer live, but Christ within me -.  He was in Galatians Chapter Two. Fighting with Peter - in front of people (Same Chapter Two) - Paul has to call upon a greater unifier than his attempts to set things right -

Galatians 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.


Paul is saying - I must, I must, I must call upon GOD to do this. He is saying as a unity with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit - —that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. This is for you. Today. Just as you are.

Paul is telling us we press on to the good fight - knowing that the Mediator is - Jesus Christ our God. We cannot idolize Paul. Rely upon Jesus.

Acts 10:43
To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

We look at our people from Scripture and we say, I'm not Paul. I'm married. I'm not a nomad.

This call of God is not necessarily to convert the Somalian Pirates. Unless you want to. And God usually calls us to what appeals to us as adventure. The writers of the New Testament looked forward to their adventures for Him. Noah knew how to swing a hammer to a board.

Answering the call of God enriches our lives. If you are sitting at home bored and flipping through the television channels - you might enrich your life by learning a talent - to share. Picture the end of your life - people gather because you did a little something for their lives. You enriched their lives. I would bet that if you look at Evangelism few people are converted to know HE loves them by a street corner Evangelist. Preach the Gospel and if you have to - use words. Encouragement.

When I'm volunteering at the Pregnancy Assistance Center, it's surprising to hear that the idea of legacy has not occurred to the twenty something crowd. But it's Really NOT Unusual to hear that a grandmother, an aunt, a youth minister, a choir leader has impacted the life of our client. They want to do something like that person did for them. Creating a Life of Meaning. They are surprised to hear something profound   :

God uses things like crochet to pull people together. It's the sharing of the enriching things of our lives that hold people to each other. Disc Golf pulls people together. Giving us the blessing of a friend who helps us pull in plants with us. Old Youth Ministry brought seventeen of Xander's friends for bonfire and Champagne for a New Marriage Celebration. S'mores please!!!

A Legacy? A New Year, New Beginnings, New Adventures in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 Be angry and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

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