Reading Scripture helps us know God's Love. Every Bible verse is written for you. Jesus Christ is all mankind's Light. John 1!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Psalm 90 ~ For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past
Remains of Tabernacle Dwelling
First Temple built by Solomon
Wall closest, Archaeological ruin of First Temple Wall.
Models of Second Temple
Night at Golgotha, Vasily Vereshchagin
Arch of Titus, Conquering Jerusalem, relief on the wall. The Ark of the Covenant is missing. The gold from the Temple was used to build the Colosseum. Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, the time of the natural death of Jesus, if He'd lived to be old.
Way of the Cross, Good Friday Service at the Colosseum
4th Century Church of St. Peter's built by Constantine. Built to look like the Royal Stoa of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem.
4th Century Church of St. Peter's built by Constantine
St. Peter's Interior Today.
Stained Glass Cathedral Rheims
Lyon Cathedral
Wells Cathedral
Country Church painted by Dzvinka Stifel
Beautiful altars
Psalm 90
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place [our refuge]
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 [of Adam] !”
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 [or pride] 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 [beauty] of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
Psalm 90:4
For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
2 Peter 3:8
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Two days ago, Jesus Christ offered Himself as our sacrifice. Death was abolished and a new Heaven was written of by the apostle John, breathed out by the Holy Spirit ~ in the eyes of our Father God.
When we stand in our sanctuary, Church, praising God, we are - in His eyes - a mere breath away from the events we see posted today.
We are just dust, but Precious in the eyes of God. God is God of the Living. Many generations Living with Him; He is our refuge!
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Saturday, August 27, 2011
Psalm 67 ~ may God bless us still
Psalm 67
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,
Selah
2that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Numbers 6:22
22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,
‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 “May the LORD bless you and keep you;
25 May the LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 May the LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’
The Meek Were Kneeling
by Max Lucado
“Blessed are the meek,” Jesus explained. Blessed are the available.
That’s why the announcement went first to the shepherds. They didn’t ask God if he was sure he knew what he was doing. Had the angel gone to the theologians, they would have first consulted their commentaries. Had he gone to the elite, they would have looked around to see if anyone was watching. Had he gone to the successful, they would have first looked at their calendars.
So he went to the shepherds. Men who didn’t have a reputation to protect or an ax to grind or a ladder to climb. Men who didn’t know enough to tell God that angels don’t sing to sheep and that messiahs aren’t found wrapped in rags and sleeping in a feed trough.
A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.
You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can’t go in standing up.
The same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees.
So …
while the theologians were sleeping
and the elite were dreaming
and the successful were snoring,
the meek were kneeling.
Written by Bob Deffinbaugh -
One of the key words we must deal with is the word “blessed” because it occurs over and over and over again. You will find that in a number of translations, the word is rendered “happy,” and there is a sense in which that is probably true. But, I think you have to say that the word “happy,” just because of the meaning we give to it today, is probably not the best word. But in the Sermon on the Mount, in fact, you would have to say that those who mourn are not really happy. It’s hard to be both, so I reject as a preference making the emphasis on happiness, although there certainly is that. You could say that there is a sense in which there is always joy and delight—that’s always there, and I would certainly be willing to see that in this text. Probably the primary sense of the word “blessed” here is the sense of approval. It is saying that God has expressed His approval on these people. To be blessed is to be approved by God, and I think that probably fits.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Hebrews 12:28-29 ~ grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken
Hebrews 12:28-29
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio BibleTherefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Sometimes my gratitude levels are just limp like overcooked sphaghetti. Other days, like today, gratitude bursts from me like the sun. I once heard a sermon on my minister's favorite minister - who continued to be fruitful well into old age. He believed having gratitude was the key to being open to God.
Our blog is a bit late to publish post - I've been clearing out the dregs of my college sons home leftovers. Cleaning like a tornado. Most people have spring cleaning, but if you have sons college aged, you understand fall cleaning. So clean, clean, clean and we are hosting one of the Baylor Parents League prayer groups yesterday. Please give us the favor of your prayers, it seems our area has been trying to put together a prayer group like this with limited success.
And... the revised seasonal forecasts for Texas, LA, OK, NM looks very bad for drought. We discussed this last night at prayer group. Central Texas looks like the desert now. We didn't understand why news casters aren't standing in the fields showing the pictures. One lady at our Church is 78 years old and she says she has never seen the like.
Back to the gratitude.... Heaven is the unshakable kingdom. What a great God we serve.
I received an email from a loved one, family member, who has recently been starting to examine his faith. He's found an part of Scripture:
Mark 8:22-26
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."
He is very excited about this. Because the men of Jesus' day wouldn't know about the brain needing to be healed as well as the eyes and my loved one is touched by this. So... he sent an email for an answer to prayer that promised if you forward this email prayer about needing God... to 12 people.... it is a sure thing. Guaranteed. So he did. Of course he was joking. Of course he was hoping that the door was opening.
And my loved one can be pretty brusque. So I, a little tentatively, explained to him, that prayer really does matter. All the studies prove it. Especially in prayer groups where people care for one another and God's love flows freely where He is called. I wrote of the no-doubt miracles I've seen 5 of in all my life. But I told him. If your wife backed out of the driveway and ran over his 2 dogs and his best rifle, he'd be angry. But I know how much he loves his wife and he would still love her.
You cannot put your faith in one prayer and ask God for one answer, as a test. Edward and I lost our daughter, Isabelle, at birth. I couldn't answer why it happened, but I can say, I believe in God - who is Love. I know we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. I will love God and be grateful for His steadfast love. In death. In drought. But really, in His goodness, mercy and love and His eternal, steadfast love and promises.
Blessed be the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come. Amen.
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Thursday, August 25, 2011
Exodus 14:21-15:6 ~ the Lord saved Israel that day
Exodus 14:21 – 15:6
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Chapter 15
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying,
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider
3 he has thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war;
the Lord is his name.
4 “Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
5 The floods covered them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
The Lord saved the children of Israel, not armies, not Pharaoh, not Moses. The Lord fulfilled His Word to Moses, the children of Israel would celebrate freedom on the Mountain of the Lord.
What a mighty sight to see the wall of water and walk through the Path He made.
Psalm 33:
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Matthew 23:23-26 ~ clean
Matthew 23:23-26
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
We've talked a lot about Jesus versus the religious elect. And John, the beloved disciple, reflected in his writings, with the Holy Spirit, especially in his later Biblical books. & that John believed evil had been allowed the power to destroy Jesus.
How do the actions of the religious elect persecuting Jesus act like the evil one? In Scriptures, twice, Satan goes to God for permission to harm Job. The evil one does not lie, but uses truth against Job as weapon. The evil one is perhaps jealous of the blessings spoken of - comfort - given by God. The devil used God's comforts and said they were self-indulgent. The evil one didn't have business with Job, the evil one made it his business.
Truth - sounds great. But what the devil lacked was mercy.
When we lack mercy in our words, in our actions. Then we err. Mercy is God's guide to a new and right Spirit within us.
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Psalm 107 ~ cried to the Lord in their trouble
Psalm 107
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17 Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
23 Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish a city to live in;
37 they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
The secret to long life is lack of worry. False. The root of all worry is money. False. Success is guaranteed with hard work. False.
My grandmother was the world's worst for worrying. "No, no, no don't go sailing - you'll get a brain amoeba." She had her brain with her until her death at age 94. One of the most vigorous prayer warriors in the world. She took her natural tendency to worry and changed it into prayer.
I was 25 years old when our first child was born. Cal was born prematurely weighing in at 5 lbs and a hourly tendency to forget to breathe. I had to learn infant CPR before he could come home. Scared? I was terrified. He came home with an infant breathing monitor, a box about the size of a Direct TV box and wires attached to his chest with a patch of rubber cement.
Terrified. Petrified. I wondered if my Edward would come home to find me sitting with our beautiful, beautiful son dead and if he'd forgive me. Add to that hernia surgery at 6 pounds and the hospital giving him to a volunteer and not retrieving us from the waiting room. They left us in the waiting room so long that when I ran to the recovery room the volunteer greeted me by saying she'd held him for so many hours she hoped he was abandoned. The nurse said she thought the volunteer was the mom. Then a chest cold that was one step from pneumonia setting off the alarms constantly. His heart was at tachycardia for trying to keep up. The home visiting nurse saying the next 24 hours would be telling. I wondered if Cal wasn't so beautiful if he wasn't for this world. Then the episode of the special nipple for preemies collapsed and filled Cal with so much milk when I looked down - he was blue - the CPR did come in handy. I didn't stand up for the rest of the day.
We were so stressed, we told visitors about our stress level and asked them to stay for only 30 minutes. It didn't help when people gasped and said he was the smallest baby they'd ever seen and how did we stand seeing the poor thing with wires all over him. Some people were better with it. Cal had looked like an NFL quarterback when placed in the hospital with the rest of the preemies.
How did the home nurse visiting with the infant monitor deal with us? Like Professor Snape. (I apologize to the people who are offended by the Harry Potter quote. I see it as the equivalent as eating meat sacrificed to idols - I know who my Lord is and the rest is fiction.) I knew several people through the home monitor system and they all had the same experience.
Professor Snape:
"Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily -- weak people, in other words -- they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!"
We were told to get over our wimpy emotions - the other families were brave..... it wasn't true, but it got the home monitoring service out of the need for sympathy for the families.
Then later after our infant daughter Isabelle did pass on, I thought about fear.
Most people want you to put your chin up and not be fearful or emotional because it is uncomfortable for them.
The Scriptures tell us many, many things about worry and circumstance. If you are ever in grief or trauma worry, you can look at almost all of the Old Testament and see people walking a particular journey in life they don't want to do. They learn like Job, you have to walk that walk yourself. And trust God.
The Scriptures have something fortifying about worry. And what we are to do with people in distress. Now, I could show you the passage of Solomon being clothed in all his glory and the lilies of the field, but you've probably got that one. Don't worry. I think this has two meanings - don't be fretful and put your trust in God. God doesn't mean put away the cause for real emotion in real need and hair shirt it through your problem. But don't let it consume you.
What about this one? Cast your cares upon Him, He cares for you. (A rock! A Scripture worth hanging on to!)
But how are you going to deal with your "stop signs" and your "speed bumps" in life??? Let's look at Claude Monet. He didn't have a particularly tragic life for his time. But he had some set backs and some tragedies that he had no qualms saying - he was virtually unproductive for 2 years. At least 5 times in his adult life he experienced love one's death. That is a lot of Monet paintings the world is missing.
God does not put stop signs and speed bumps in our lives for us to continue to go 80 mph through them. We are supposed to cry. Search. Feel alone. Look for meaning. It is my take on life - the importance of life and its struggles - to grow up enough to go Home. Not just plowing down the highway going mach 1 with our hair on fire. Guaranteed to miss the narrow gate.
We had a friend who lost a twin in utero and the surviving twin was born with some intense swallowing trouble. The mom said she felt so angry at God. She said she was so mad, she wanted to call me and say why has God done this. Why did Cal suffer - his parents suffer and their family suffer. She didn't stop and she said, "What did you learn from THIS?" And the answer came to me - one I'd been probing like a tongue with a sore tooth - not verbalizing. "Because I know I wouldn't have appreciated the miracle my son is - just as a person - if I had not endured this." It wasn't necessarily her answer. But. it. was. mine.
Okay. Now back to the answers for all of us together.
Ephesians 4:14
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes
The Bible tells us there are times to mourn. Times to built up.
We just aren't supposed to be the ones who will hold the hand of a friend and pretend it is okay for them to still be gasping and crying a week later because they almost had a car accident. We aren't supposed to say to the person with cancer news to be braver. We aren't supposed to say to the widow to buck up - for years. Or avoid them. Or pretend we can save them.
God says to us - when we recover from grief, trauma and small set-backs. We are to willingly give the same Jesus gave. Heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, cleanse the leper.
Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Be the one who comforts, visits, forgives. This time in life is so troubled. So much bad news. Partially it is because we've made it so okay to be comfortable. Speak to the people you like. Ignore the rest. An email is delightfully ignorable. Manners are the beginning of opening the door for Jesus Christ. As I look down my street of 12 houses, I can tell you the truth - there is a 'situation' in all of them. Friends have lost jobs, children and relationships. I couldn't say the same for Church. I'd tend to think that people are just afraid to be transparent. In the place where Jesus would have us come for refuge. When all of our 30 area Churches met - the pastors said that when they gather to strengthen each other they say, "all is not right behind the trees."
Nothing is new in - the world has trouble. We can make it new. Being the Light of Jesus to others. Today. Renewal, redemption, hope. (Never be a sponge. Sit. Soak. Sour.)
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Monday, August 22, 2011
Matthew 16:13-20 ~ keys to the Kingdom of Heaven
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it [the Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar ]. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Scriptures are multifaceted. They are historical, for today; also important in mere verses and the way the parables are structured together. We've already thought about Jesus' important decision to bring the disciples to Caesarea Philippi for this important declaration.
Let's think about Peter. The man Jesus chose to walk His journey with Him.
John 1:40-42 40
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Peter is Not chosen because he had the good spiritual eyes to see Jesus for all that He is. And point out Jesus first.
We are God's family and we will embarrass Peter, for a moment, with all of our funny remembrances of him. (Like your mom telling your Jr High Prom date how cute you were in the bathtub as a baby.)
Matthew 14:28-30 The Message
Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water." 29-30 He said, "Come ahead." Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"
Matthew 15:14-16 New International Version
Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.
Matthew 16:22-23 The Message
Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!" 23But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works."
Matthew 19:27
Then Peter chimed in, "We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?"
What did our Jesus see in our Peter?
Mark 5:37
He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader's house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: "Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn't dead; she's sleeping."
Mark 9:2-4
Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.
Mark 8:29
He then asked, "And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?" Peter gave the answer: "You are the Christ, the Messiah."
John 6:67-69
After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"
68-69 Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God."
We know God can see into our souls and see us at our best - perhaps Peter was chosen for the spiritual growth ahead. Being such a perfect leader....
Acts 2:14
That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight."
Acts 2:37
Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
Acts 2:38
Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:13
They couldn't take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?
So what are we learning about Peter - with spiritual growth we are made perfect to face the lion's den??? So ... perfect we are God's mirror image?
Acts 12:9
And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
Acts 10
And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. 17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean
Paul said about Peter...
Galatians 2:11-14
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 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?”
So what does Peter do with the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and what can we learn from Peter's life?
Acts 10:26
But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”
Peter was never perfect. He could not build a Church of God's to last 2,000 years. I was talking to a woman, today at Church, weeping because she has need for more tests for re-occurring cancer. Ashamed of crying for her fear, because it would not please Jesus. Jesus never loved Peter because he was perfect. Not once.
Hezekiah sure cried and cried & God wasn't upset with him for that.
Did Jesus love Peter? Yes - ! He died for Peter. Jesus always loved Peter for who God created him to be. Jesus tells us over and over. We do not save ourselves. Peter was like David - willing to walk on water for God, but when Peter got over his own self-righteousness - he still was willing to get into the water and swim to Jesus. Jesus thought eternity of David and Peter because they looked to Him, asked Him, loved Him. He loved them first.
What does God say about the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven???? I am sure it pleases the living man named Peter, Keeper of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. God says the 12 Gates of Heaven are always open.
Revelation 21:21-27
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Blessed are You. Lord God Almighty. Lord God of Hosts. Blessed be Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah 22:22
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you
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Sunday, August 21, 2011
Psalm 138 ~ I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart
Psalm 138
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Feel free to pray your prayer along with me:
Father God, I am grateful. I am grateful for my marriage and my husband, for the way we work things out together. I am thankful - thankful for the health of my two sons. I am so appreciative for their education. I am grateful for my garden. And my health.
My thanksgivings feel much more cheerful knowing summer temperatures will cool down. I am so appreciative of the coming October. Thank You for the rain for New Mexico and East Texas. Please be with the people struggling with drought and heat. The animals as well.
I am grateful this year to have left my sons at college, and not felt a terrible ache. I look forward to the future You will bring us.
Thank You, Father, for the comforts of home. Bless the men and women fighting for this country, away from their homes. We pray for peace. We pray You will guide our nation.
Thank You, Father, for the gifts You've given in my life. I thank You for the circumstances I am not really grateful for, but look forward to seeing what You will do with them. Help me always to be forgiving and to rejoice in the gift of Your forgiveness.
Father, thank You for the times I felt You lean into my prayers. For that gift, knowing You are there if I feel You or not. Thank You, Father, for the many blessings You willingly give. In the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.
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Friday, August 19, 2011
Ruth 1 ~ Naomi
View of Al Kerak, Jordan. Fields of Moab
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi [pleasant] ; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Pleasant. We all want pleasant: Nation, lives, income, housing, neighborhoods, schools, work, friends and family.
Part of me always wonders if Ruth was from an abusive or needy family. So, would you go off to Israel - the Jews had dispelled the goys. Ruth was moving in as a goy. Hungry, poor, woman foreigner and with another woman. Today, we move for better jobs and a chance at improvement.
Judges (v.1) was time political scientists and Anarchy enthusiasts should love. Live, let live and self-govern. A product of the Exodus and the Covenant of God. This is a time when God was trying to let each person self-govern. Most of Judges is tragic.
But perhaps I am cynical. Maybe Naomi had demonstrated such love Ruth couldn't bear to see this woman trudge, by herself, through some very rough terrain to go back to Bethlehem where a lot of people had small farms with homes and stables carved into the hills of Bethlehem. Boaz had purchased Elimelech's land.
100 years ago, in this photo, this was how Bethlehem looked for millenniums. Naomi's choices were rather limited to being on the east or west side of the Dead Sea.
Naomi was in the same situation, roughly, as Job.
Job 2:9
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.”
Naomi thought she would walk alone. And in higher regard for her daughter-in-laws' future lives, she was sending them on to a better life. I love the Scriptures for Naomi's honesty - this set of situations causes her to call herself bitter. Bethlehem, the town, greets her! She doesn't say with enthusiasm that she is back for more opportunities to help raise someone else's sheep. Or to help milk or sheer the animals. She says, I am bitter and God has laid this circumstance on me.
John 1:47
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
I'm sure at Naomi's announcement of being bitter and forlorn, everyone wanted to have her as their house guest or house help. Remember, this is the (generations forward) crowd where they had no room in their homes or inn for a pregnant woman with her husband.
Naomi is worn out physically and emotionally. She is old. Is there hope?
God doesn't blast Naomi for her bitterness. He helps & sent someone to help them, with food, work and lodgings. Naomi is an adopted Grandmother. Boaz does such a Messiah type job of providing for this family, Solomon would name one of the two pillars in the front of the Temple - Boaz.
Naomi's family becomes the pillar of God's demonstration there is hope for us ahead in this life. Naomi's grandson was Obed, great-grandson is Jesse, and great-great-grandson is David.
David in the Holy Spirit would write:
Psalm 9:10
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
And Jesus would say about Solomon & trusting the Lord:
Matthew 6:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
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Thursday, August 18, 2011
Psalm 134 ~ Thank you Father God
Psalm 134
English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!
We can make all the plans we want, but the plans of the Lord unfurl better than our concepts. Wednesday morning I woke up knowing we were returning my youngest son to Baylor to begin his sophomore year. What began as an early morning day trip became a lovely time to gather with our two sons for two days.
Although something did happen I will mention to you.
Shakespeare said, "Not all who wander are lost." And I love that, but really my son and I were having such a good time that I lost the highway and we were dead lost. And we wandered all over central Texas as the electronic map couldn't pick up a signal. What I saw was something I haven't seen in my four decades of being alive. In Texas, we call the man-made watering ponds tanks. I saw tanks and tanks and tanks were utterly barren and cracked earth. Brown fields like toast going very, very brown. The fields of cows looked plump enough, but they were standing in the 106' heat looking at the car going past.
That night, as we unloaded boxes at close to midnight - it was 98'. We have a very bona fide opportunity for prayer. My heart went out to the fields of cows trying to stand under drought stricken trees. But even more to the farmers/ranchers, who must feel more miserable than the placid cows. I pray for neighbors with some grazing land available to feel compelled to share and the man-power to keep the cows in the fields. And for the people and animals in the counties were everything looks so burned up. The dry, dry creek and river beds.
Father God, I've experienced hurricanes where neighbors have bbq's sharing all the food in the defrosting freezers. I've experienced seeing our neighbors and family out in those hurricane storms freeing homes up and down the street, for each other, of branches & trees. Father God, help the counties who can help each other do so - help one another. Father God, give aid to the farmers, crops and animals who need help soon. Father God, please speak the word to make this High pressure depart and send us some rain. Your will be done, we seek Your mercy and steadfast love.
Thank you for the opportunities You have given my sons for education. Bless them with the guidance of Your Holy Spirit as these young men become men. And for all the families to give assistance to each other as schools open all over the country. Let us be Your Light in the schools. Amen.
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- Email registry at bottom.! “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Men “moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit carried men along, moving and guiding them as they wrote in their own words what God wanted them to say. The Bible is unique; comprised of 80 separate books, & written over a period of thousands of years by more than 40 writers with one Author, spanning the centuries, different states of peace & war & different situations in life. The Bible answers the question: of who is God, who is man & what can their relationship can be. Although the Bible was written on perishable material and copied by hand for many centuries, its accuracy is not in doubt, proven by Dead Sea Scrolls and papyrus from 2,000 years. The Bible has survived persecution & criticism to be read with great interest in each generation. The Bible gives witness to the greatness of the Creator. A loving Father concerned for all of his creation. With each verse of the bible witnessing to God is love and the multitude & vastness of His attributes. The Bible was written for you. <><
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Blessings, Anne-Laurel
Psalm 81 ~ I answered you
Mark 1:1-20 ~ Prepare the way of the Lord, make His path's straight
Ephesians 4 ~ speaking the truth in Love
1 Peter 4:7-19 ~ Beloved, do not be surprised
Psalm 31 ~ O Lord, let me not be put to shame for I call upon You
Mark 12:28-34 ~ love Him with all your heart
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
John 1:29-34 ~ I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God
Beauty Instead of Ashes
Isaiah 61 ~ Beauty instead of Ashes
Being a New Creation in Jesus Christ
Mark 2:18-22 ~ new wine into new wineskins
Matthew 22:34-40 ~ The great and first commandment. And a second is like it
Being Spiritual
Matthew 14:1-12 ~ the fame of Jesus
Believe
Colossians 1:24-2:7 ~ rooted and built up in Him
Genesis 25 ~ sell me your birthright now
The Bible explains the Bible, Prophetically
John 15:12-17 ~ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends
1 Thessalonians Chapter 4:1-8 ~ gave you through the Lord Jesus
1 John 1 ~ God is light, in Him is no darkness at all
Blessing - unaware
Boundaries
Philippians 2:19-24 ~ how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord
Ezekiel 24 ~ write down the name of this day, this very day
Crusades as a Permanent Criticism to Christianity
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 ~ to the place where the streams flow
Decision
John 1:1-5, 9-13, 14-17 ~ grace and truth
Matthew 16:13-20 ~ who do people say the Son of Man is?
Matthew 16:1-19 ~ no sign
Mark 1:1-20 ~ Prepare the way of the Lord, make His path's straight
Matthew 13:1-9 ~ A sower went out to sow
Matthew 25 ~ Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?
Matthew 5:27-37 ~ you have heard
Ecclesiastes 6 ~ whatever has come to be has already been named
Psalm 132:6-10 ~ we found it in the fields of Jaar
Psalm 97~ worshipers of images are put to shame
1 Timothy 3:16 ~ believed on in the world
Matthew 22:23-33 ~ after them
Acts 24:10-21 ~ verify that
John 1:29-34 ~ I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God
1 Corinthians 6 ~ such cases
Psalm 135 ~ who is in your midst
John 1:1-14, 16, 29-51 ~ He was in the world
Details - Putting it all together and discovering it is about God
Psalm 108 ~ In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
Determine your own path, just love Him
Judges 16 ~ like any other man
Divorce
Matthew 19:1-15 ~ your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning, it was not so
1 Corinthians 5:1-8 ~ in the name of the Lord Jesus
Dry, Dusty Old Tomes or the Word of God, Living and Active
Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah - 2,000 years old
Sennacherib's Prism Isaiah Bible Archaeology
Ancient Giants of Israel
Daniel 3 ~ an image of gold
Ezra 7:27-28, 8:21-36 ~ blessed be the LORD
Psalm 90 ~ For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past'
1 John 1 ~ God is light, in Him is no darkness at all
Psalm 19:8-10, 14 ~ meditation
Psalm 70 ~ May all who seek thee rejoice and be glad in Thee
Psalm 44 ~ ordain salvation
Daniel 9 ~ He has confirmed his words, which he spoke
Proverbs 24 ~ lest the Lord see it
Archaeology (placed in area instead of alphabetically)
Ipuwer Papyrus
Hebrews 11:1-3, 32-40 ~ by faith we understand
Matthew 16:18 ~ Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church
Psalm 93 ~ The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 ~ Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father
Psalm 105:23-45 ~ Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.
2 Kings 21 ~ walk in the way of the Lord
Numbers 9:15-23 ~ they remained
2 Chronicles 29 ~ opened the doors of the House of the Lord
Joshua 1:1-9 ~ I am giving
Matthew 22:34-40 ~ The great and first commandment. And a second is like it
John 1:35-42 ~ He said to them, “Come and you will see.”
Jeremiah 48 ~ they acquired
Genesis 49:29-50:14 ~ beyond the Jordan
John 6:52-59 ~ truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you
Zechariah 7:1-14 ~ by asking
Jeremiah 2:1-13 ~ Servant's first fruit
2 Chronicles 32 ~ And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things
Matthew 13:1-23 ~ root in Himself
John 1:35-42 ~ He said to them, “Come and you will see.”
Psalm 116 ~ I believe
1 Kings 9 ~ I have heard your prayer and your plea
Psalm 78: 1- 39 ~ Things from of old
2 Chronicles 26:1-22 ~ his pride led to his downfall
Psalm 78:1-39 ~ forgot His works and the wonders that He had shown them
Genesis 14 ~ they also carried off Abram's nephew Lot
Ezekiel 26:1-14 ~ your walls will shake
John 18: 28-40, John 19 ~ The King of the Jews
Deuteronomy 9:4-12 ~ For Days will come upon you
2 Samuel 13:23-39 ~ news came to David
Luke 21:1-4 ~ contributed
Ezra 1:1-11 ~ the Lord stirred
Matthew 11:1-6 ~ what you hear and see
Romans 8:1-21 ~ the law of the Spirit of life has set you [me] free in Christ Jesus
John 11:1-45 ~ had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him
Psalm 98 ~ The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
Holy Spirit, Fire and Halo's
Elements of Nature Displaying HIS Glory
Exodus 40:16-38 ~ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
I Decide What is Right and Wrong - God noticed this in the Garden of Eden from Eve
Evening Prayer
Psalm 134 ~ may the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made Heaven and earth!
Expectations
John 1:47-51 ~ you will see greater things than these
Judges 16:1-22 ~ told me
1 Kings 19:4-8 ~ a day's journey
Psalm 118 ~ The Lord's right hand
Matthew 22:34-40 ~ The great and first commandment. And a second is like it
Philippians 2:19-24 ~ how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord
Family
Psalm 121 ~ help comes from the Lord
Psalm 16 ~ Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
1 John 3:11-21 ~ God is greater
Mark 1:1-20 ~ Prepare the way of the Lord, make His path's straight
Mark 6:1-13 ~ they went out and proclaimed that people should repent
Mark 11:11-26 ~ He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple
Romans 8:22-39 ~ it is God who justifies
James 3:13-4:12 ~ who speaks against a brother
More Forgiveness
1 Samuel 12 ~ serve the Lord with all your heart
Matthew 17:24-27 ~ give it to them for me and for yourself
Psalm 7 ~ test the minds and hearts
Matthew 5:27-37 ~ you have heard
Luke 8:16-25 ~ Who is this?
Psalm 130 ~ with You there is forgiveness
Psalm 25 ~ For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Psalm 51 ~ Renew a right spirit within me
Gates of Heaven
Gates, Walls, Boundaries - all of our defenses
Psalm 118 ~ This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it
Matthew 16:13-20 ~ keys to the Kingdom of Heaven
Revelation 21 ~ the dwelling place of God is with man
Generations are different from one another
Luke 10:38-42 ~ has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her
Psalm 44 ~ at the sight of the enemy and the avenger
Psalm 63 ~ my soul will be satisfied
John 16: 29-33 ~ I have overcome the world
Isaiah 30:19-26 ~ This is the way; walk in it
Romans 14:1-12 ~ observes it in honor of the LORD
Glory
Gravity
Good Friday
His Story. All Scripture is HIS. Jesus fulfills Scripture.
Israel - Destroyed Completely and Rebuilt. A sign of Jesus. Existing today.
The Journey of Joseph
Luke 10:17-24 ~ to see what you see, and hear what you hear
Matthew 6 ~ practicing your righteousness
Psalm 13 ~ I have trusted
Luke 2:22-32 ~ blessed God
Psalm 34 ~ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but
Joel 2:18-29 ~ be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!
Psalm 128 ~ May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!
Luke 10 ~ Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven!
Psalm 24:1-6 ~ who shall ascend
Psalm 81 ~ open your mouth wide
Exodus 33:19 ~ The Lord
Psalm 128:1-5
Hebrews 13:17-21 ~ keep watch
Romans 11: 11-12 Homecoming!
Luke 1:39-55 ~ glorifies the Lord
Psalm 31:3-8,17-21 ~ Thou hast redeemed me
Live It
Psalm 117 ~ Praise the Lord
Psalm 82 ~ rescue the weak and the needy
2 Samuel 4:1-12 ~ David answered
Hebrews 12 ~ Thankful
Psalm 31:3-8,17-21 ~ Thou hast redeemed me
Isaiah 40:1-11 ~ His reward is with Him
Matthew 13:31-32 ~ the birds of the air come and perch in its branches
Matthew 6:25-34 ~ your heavenly Father knows that you need
Luke 11:29-32 ~ Rise up
Psalm 126 ~ shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves
Luke 14:15-24 ~ there is still room
Joshua 1:1-9 ~ I am giving
Acts 5 ~ speak in the name of Jesus
John 1 ~ the Light shines
John 3:5-8 ~ born again
~ they went on from there and passed through Galilee
Judges 20 ~ Israel
Losing a Loved One - Passing ON
Revelation 21:22-27 ~ those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life
Not Being Tossed Back and Forth with Emotion
Ephesians 4 ~ speaking the truth in Love
Marriage
Romans 7:1-12 ~ bear fruit for God
1 Corinthians 7 ~ For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband
Genesis 37:12-24 ~ when Reuben
Psalm 143 ~ Your steadfast love
Psalm 86 ~ For great is your steadfast love
Media... taking it down the path
1 Corinthians 10 ~ Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God
Mercy, an Inseparable Component of Truth
Matthew 23:23-26 ~ clean
1 Samuel 12 ~ serve the Lord with all your heart
Matthew 22:34-40 ~ The great and first commandment. And a second is like it
Miscellaneous
Job 38 ~ Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
Psalm 19 ~ the heavens declare the glory of God
2 Kings 5:1-15 ~ a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper
1 Chronicles 13 ~ the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom
Mark 11: 12-25 ~ have faith in God
In Old Age and Frustration
Ruth 1 ~ Naomi
Psalm 126 ~ when the Lord restored
Genesis 12:1-4 ~ I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
Mark 13 ~ in those days!
Oops
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 ~ Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
Paul - the last of the Disciples to actually see Jesus
Repeat and Repeat
Rock
SALVATION! What is needed?
Shepherd
Luke 1:67-79 ~ Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied
Leviticus 16:1-19 ~ shall be presented alive
Life and Travels of Paul
Walls of Heaven
Who is like our God?
Willingly
Years - Thousands of Them are Yesterday in His Sight
Popular Posts
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Painted by Jacopo Bassano (1510-1592) Matthew 8 Listen - click for new tab 1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed hi...
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Psalm 31:3-8,17-21 3 Yea, thou art my rock and my fortress; for thy name's sake lead me and guide me, 4 take me out of the net which is...
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Pentecost Acts 2 2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came f...
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East Gate or called Beautiful Gate, today called Gate of Mercy Psalm 118 English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Oh give thanks to t...
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Joel 3:12-21 Listen - click for new tab 12 Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I wi...
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Jacob's Body Is Taken to Canaan. Watercolor painted by James Tissot. Genesis 49:29-50:14 English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio...
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Matthew 16:13-20 English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio Bible 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he as...
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Psalm 103:1-11 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forge...
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The Prophet Isaiah Meets the LORD and Recognizes His Holiness, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Isaiah 6 In the year that Ki...
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Genesis 46 David Cochran, English Standard Version 1 So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered ...
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2024
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May
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- Ephesians 1 ~ Heavenly places
- John 17:20-26 ~ One
- Ezekiel 17:22-24, Ezekiel 18:1-4 ~ All souls are ...
- Romans 1:20 ~ clearly perceived
- Acts 1:21-26 ~ You have chosen †
- Philippines 2 ~ More
- Ezekiel 3:4-17 ~ Thus says the Lord God
- Psalm 115:14-15 ~ Flourish
- Psalm 86 ~ O Lord
- 2 Kings 6, 2 Kings 7 ~ where we dwell
- Matthew 6:6-14 ~ Pray
- Psalm 98 ~ The Lord has made known His Salvation !!!
- Hebrews 12 ~ For our God is a consuming fire !!!
- Luke 5:1-11 ~ to hear the Word of God
- Matthew 28:20 ~ I Am with you always
- Luke 4:38-44 ~ rose
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May
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